Genshin Skirk Leaks: Stance Change Speculation

Genshin Impact: Version 5.4's wish banner will launch on March 4th. Official pre-release promotions for Furina and Wriothesley have begun. Based on previous version update patterns, Version 5.7 is expected to conclude the Natlan Chapter, followed by the next major update focusing on Snezhnaya (the nation of Cryo). Each major version highlights a specific element, with Snezhnaya emphasizing Cryo.

The first character representing Snezhnaya's Cryo-centric theme is not from Snezhnaya itself, but Skirk, who will debut in Version 5.7. According to lore, Skirk is portrayed as the pinnacle of combat prowess in Teyvat, wielding power beyond the seven elements and surpassing even Mavuika, Natlan's Pyro Archon.

Genshin Impact Version 5.5 introduces two new Artifact sets, one of which is a new Cryo set specifically designed for Cryo characters. Its 2-piece effect grants +15% Cryo DMG Bonus, while the 4-piece effect requires 0 Energy to activate a 60% DMG increase for either the Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst (not both), lasting 6 seconds. Triggering one deactivates the other during the duration, but the overall set effect remains active.

Through the design of this new Cryo set, we can roughly speculate key details about Skirk, such as her potential possession of unique Energy mechanics and ability-switching capabilities. Such unique Energy mechanics are no longer uncommon in Natlan and Fontaine, while ability-switching already has an established template in Tartaglia's (Childe's) character design.

Judging from the current strength of Natlan's characters, Skirk's viability would be hardly viable if she continues to rely on Freeze mechanics. Given the new Cryo Artifact set, the likelihood of her focusing on Shatter reactions is significantly higher than Physical DMG builds. Physical DMG has been underwhelming, with only Eula released in the past five years and no notable highlights.

Numerous claims about Skirk's unreleased skill kit in Genshin Impact have circulated online, including video explanations. However, detailed information regarding her skill mechanics and combat performance remains officially unconfirmed.

Another possible combat form is a standalone DPS mode. After using her Elemental Skill, Skirk may enter a state similar to the Pyro Archon Mavuika, gaining Cryo-infused Normal Attacks and interruption resistance during this form. These mechanics are likely locked behind her Constellations. If interruption resistance is available at Constellation 0, it would be a genuinely generous design choice. Activating her Elemental Burst during this transformation could directly boost Normal Attack multipliers and grant ATK and CRIT Rate bonuses - the exact values depend on how much the developers allocate.

Prediction for Skirk's Shatter playstyle: After activating her Elemental Burst, Skirk deploys a Frostfell Domain, resetting her Energy to 0. Her Elemental Skill can then trigger Shatter reactions. After 6 seconds, the Elemental Skill becomes enhanced or transforms (similar to the Pyro Archon's Skill mechanics). Post-enhancement, her Unique Energy Gauge depletes, and the Burst enters a secondary attack mode. This Unique Energy Gauge likely serves as the charge indicator for the Frostfell Domain.

Such a design aligns closely with the new Cryo Artifact set. Her off-field capability would rely on the Frostfell Domain, synergizing perfectly with Wriothesley to trigger Shatter. Realistically, even if legacy Cryo characters like Ayaka equip this new set, their scaling would struggle to match modern meta demands.

A C2R1 Pyro Archon (Mavuika) would be slightly weaker than a C6R5 Arlecchino ("The Knave"), who holds a dominant position as the flagship character of the Fontaine version. Meanwhile, Wriothesley, as a Cryo DPS in Fontaine, has not achieved notable prominence.

Thus, in the developers' balancing considerations, Wriothesley seems unlikely to receive the same significant power boosts granted to Arlecchino and the Pyro Archon.

Therefore, Skirk at C1R1 could potentially surpass a C6R5 Wriothesley in combat performance. Furthermore, if the developers choose to escalate her scaling even more drastically, a C0R1 Skirk might outperform a max-constellation Wriothesley by a significant margin.