In a recent Zajef Daily video, we get a deep-dive into the current and upcoming state of Genshin Impact’s Cryo characters—especially the evolving meta surrounding Skirk, Ayaka, and Arlecchino, along with how their performance is influenced by high-value supports like Escoffier and Furina.
With Skirk confirmed to be a Cryo DPS and Ayaka already a top-tier Freeze unit, understanding how these characters function with supports like Yelan, Xingqiu, and Escoffier has never been more important. Here’s what we learned.
🧊 Skirk vs Ayaka: Is Escoffier Her Shenhe?
Zajef draws an interesting comparison: if Ayaka’s team without Shenhe represents “Team B,” then Skirk’s team without Escoffier may feel equally downgraded.
- Skirk’s passive strongly favors mono Cryo or Cryo-Hydro teams, significantly lowering her potential in teams with other elements.
- Escoffier acts like Shenhe 2.0—but even more essential, thanks to her off-field Cryo application and damage synergy with Skirk.
If you’re skipping Escoffier and still want Skirk to perform well, you’ll be forced into narrow team archetypes—similar to Ayaka with no Anemo or Shenhe.
🔥 Arlecchino and Cryo Team Scaling
While Arlecchino’s team archetypes are more flexible than Skirk’s, Zajef touches on her vape team synergy and how Hydro characters like Yelan or Xingqiu can influence performance:
- Arlecchino’s combo counts are capped, so attack speed buffs don’t necessarily improve her that much.
- But a consistent Hydro applicator like Furina or Yelan makes vaping her attacks possible.
- If Dahlia, the upcoming Hydro support, has off-field Hydro, she could also boost Arlecchino’s performance slightly.
💧 Yelan vs Xingqiu in Freeze/Support Roles
One of the most interesting segments of the video is the comparison between Yelan and Xingqiu in teams involving Furina and Escoffier (referred to as the “wheelchair” comp):
- Xingqiu is more self-sustaining and shines in less-optimized teams.
- Yelan scales better in high-buff teams thanks to her Hydro resonance, high HP-scaling, and synergy with external buffs.
- In Furina + Escoffier comps, Yelan is significantly stronger, offering ~15-20% more damage overall.
In Skirk’s optimal comp with Furina, Escoffier, and Shenhe, replacing Furina with Yelan results in a ~13% damage loss for Skirk and up to 30% loss for Escoffier.
🎯 Skirk’s Team Optimization: Buff Math Breakdown
Zajef breaks down Skirk’s team multipliers in detail, and here’s a simplified summary:
With Furina:
- Total Damage Bonus: ~214%
- Includes Golden Trope set, Shenhe’s flat Cryo buffs, and Hydro resonance buffs
- Best team damage scaling
With Yelan:
- Total Damage Bonus: ~176%
- Loses team-wide buffs and Hydro resonance benefits
- Results in ~15-20% less team damage than Furina setups
The Verdict? Furina is optimal, especially in teams where Cryo scaling matters.
🔄 Quick Notes on Other Character Archetypes
Zajef also speculates on the future of team archetypes and how Escoffier-like dedicated supports could radically redefine teams.
- Spread and Aggravate teams lack strong supports, despite being conceptually flexible.
- If HoYoverse releases dedicated Spread supports (not hypercarries), existing units like Yaoyao, Fischl, and Cyno could massively benefit.
Zajef emphasizes that additive reactions like Aggravate work best when multiple characters contribute to damage, unlike vape or melt teams that rely on single on-field DPS units.
📉 Replacing Furina in Skirk Teams
One viewer asked: “How much worse is Skirk’s team if you replace Furina with Yelan?”
Zajef’s answer: Significantly worse.
- Furina gives +63% Damage Bonus via passive and resonance
- Yelan adds only ~25%, plus some single-target damage
- Result: ~13% damage loss for Skirk, and ~30% loss for Escoffier
Conclusion? Stick with Furina if you want to optimize Skirk. Yelan is fine, but she’s not meta-defining in Freeze/Cryo comps.
🧊 Final Thoughts
With Skirk’s mono Cryo dependency and Ayaka already suffering from lack of flexible comps, it’s clear that Escoffier is becoming essential to Cryo metas. Meanwhile, Yelan is great in hyper-focused comps, but Furina remains the go-to Hydro support for enabling the highest damage in Cryo setups.
Arlecchino’s flexibility with vape and Arlecchino-Dahlia theorycrafts still need more testing—but the future meta clearly favors characters who benefit from dedicated supports like Escoffier.
For more high-level breakdowns like this, follow Zajef Daily on YouTube and bookmark ExploreGenshin.gg for updated team builds and banner insights.
Frequently Asked Questions About Skirk, Ayaka, and Escoffier
Is Skirk stronger than Ayaka?
With Escoffier, Skirk has higher potential than Ayaka in mono Cryo comps. Without Escoffier, she performs similarly to Ayaka without Shenhe.
Is Furina or Yelan better for Skirk teams?
Furina is better by ~15-20%. She provides more damage buffs, healing synergy, and better Cryo team scaling than Yelan.
Do you need Escoffier for Skirk?
Yes. Escoffier’s Cryo application and resistance shred are core to Skirk’s performance. Without her, Skirk’s damage drops significantly.
Can Arlecchino use Hydro supports like Furina or Dahlia?
Yes, but her attack count is capped. Attack speed from Dahlia may help, but Hydro support must maintain vape uptime.
Is Freeze or Vape better for Cryo characters?
Freeze is better for Skirk, Ayaka, and Shenhe-based teams due to consistent Cryo uptime. Vape is better for Pyro units like Arlecchino.
Should I pull Skirk if I don’t have Escoffier?
Only if you’re okay running sub-optimal teams. Without Escoffier, Skirk performs at similar levels to Ayaka’s weaker comps.
