Genshin Impact Skirk Best Builds and Teams
Skirk, the enigmatic 5‑star Cryo Sword user introduced in Genshin Impact 5.7, has quickly become a popular pick for Freeze-based teams thanks to her flexible damage mechanics and synergy with Hydro partners. In this guide for Ultimategacha.com, we’ll cover her best builds, weapons, artifact setups, and team comps, all in American English and optimized for search engines.
Skirk Overview & Trait Highlights
Skirk’s kit revolves around managing “Death’s Crossing” stacks and her Havoc: Sever / Burst (Havoc: Ruin) system, allowing her to toggle between powerful burst outputs and consistent on‑field Cryo damage. Importantly, she does not benefit from Energy Recharge because her “Elemental Energy” is always 0, so you should avoid over-investing in ER.
Her optimal stat priorities are:
| Slot | Primary Stat Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Sands | ATK % |
| Goblet | Cryo Damage Bonus (or ATK % alternative) |
| Circlet | CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG |
For substats, prioritize CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > ATK %.
Best Weapons for Skirk
Skirk’s best performance comes when she is paired with high-crit and ATK‑boosting swords. Some top-recommended weapons include:
- Azurelight (Signature 5*) – her signature sword, offering high base ATK and CRIT Rate, plus passives that further boost her damage output.
- Primordial Jade Cutter / Haran Geppaku Futsu / Mistsplitter Reforged – strong 5‑star alternatives when Azurelight isn’t available.
- Calamity of Eshu – a free-to-play 4* option that performs surprisingly well in many compositions.
- Finale of the Deep – another solid 4* option, especially useful in “quickswap” playstyles.
Artifact Sets and Build Strategies
Skirk can be built in different playstyles (on-field carry, split-rotation, or quickswap). Here are viable artifact set options:
| Playstyle | Optimal Set(s) | Notes / Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| On‑field DPS | 4‑piece Marechaussee Hunter | Good for stacking CRIT on-field. |
| General / Hybrid | 4‑piece Galleries (Finale of the Deep variant) | Slightly better in split rotations and quickswap. |
| Placeholder / interim | 4-piece Gladiator’s Finale or mixes (2 pc Marechaussee + 2 pc Cryo DMG / ATK) | Use while farming better sets. |
Build tips:
- Don’t overinvest in Energy Recharge.
- If playing quickswap, pairs with a strong on-field DPS to handle downtime.
- Use a healer or shielder in team if your weapon set (like Eshu) requires passive activation.
Top Team Compositions for Skirk
Because Skirk leans into Freeze/Melt synergies, her best teams keep a balance of Hydro + Cryo characters, buffs, and support.
Team Example Table
| Role | Character | Purpose in Team |
|---|---|---|
| Main DPS | Skirk | Cryo damage dealer, manages stacks and bursts |
| Sub DPS / Support | Furina | Provides powerful DMG buffs and off-field damage |
| Healer / Support | Escoffier | Heals, Cryo + Hydro RES shred, Fanfare stacking |
| Flex / Reaction | Yelan / Shenhe / Citlali | Hydro for Freeze, buffs, or reaction support |
Notes on rotation & dual carry
- In quickswap setups, a strong on-field Hydro or Cryo DPS (e.g. Neuvillette or Ayaka) can take over while Skirk is off-field.
- Cryo Resonance gives +15% CRIT Rate — helpful for her crit-focused builds.
- Hydro Resonance can boost HP-scaling units, which may synergize with Furina / Yelan in certain lineups.
Final Tips & Summary
- Don’t chase Energy Recharge — it’s mostly useless for Skirk.
- Pair her with Furina + Escoffier, which is widely considered the core synergy.
- Choose your weapon based on what you own: Azurelight is ideal, but Eshu or Finale are solid 4* alternatives.
- Use artifact sets appropriate to your playstyle: Marechaussee for pure on-field, Galleries / mixed sets for more hybrid or quickswap builds.
- Consider adding a strong on-field DPS in quickswap teams to cover downtime.
