Genshin Impact 5.6 Phase 1 Banner Review: Escoffier, Navia, and More

Genshin Impact 5.6 Phase 1 brings the debut of Escoffier and a rerun of Navia, alongside four-star characters Ifa, Ororon, and Layla. In his latest video, Zajef77 dives deep into the value of this banner, examining each character’s meta relevance and synergy within current and upcoming game modes.

Let’s break it all down.

Escoffier: A Top-Tier Support With Massive Upside

Escoffier (C0) is one of the strongest supports HoYoverse has introduced in a long time. Zajef emphasizes that she’s not only impactful in standard Abyss content but is exceptionally valuable in the new triple-team boss rush mode introduced in 5.7. This mode forces players to build three strong teams and starts each one with zero energy, which is a significant challenge for burst-reliant characters.

Escoffier circumvents that issue by relying on her elemental skill for most of her output, making her perfect for energy-deprived situations. She enables powerful Freeze teams that don’t rely on meta staples like Bennett or Shielder, making team-building much more flexible. Zajef points out that practically every Hydro and Cryo carry now performs best in teams with Escoffier—including even low- to mid-investment Mavuika.

In fact, her synergy with characters like Ayaka, Neuvillette, and even Tartaglia (Childe) places her among the most impactful supports, to the point where Zajef questions if she’s even dethroned Bennett as the best support in the game.

Navia: Solid, But Outpaced by Meta Leaders

Navia remains a viable Geo DPS but doesn’t quite match the damage or quality-of-life of the current top-tier characters like Neuvillette or Verina. Zajef introduces a helpful framework for evaluating carries based on whether they pass the “Hyperbloom check” and the “Neuvillette check.”

• Hyperbloom Check: If a carry’s best team is weaker than C0 Double Hydro Hyperbloom, they aren’t meta-relevant.
• Neuvillette Check: If a carry’s best team doesn’t outperform Neuvillette’s, they’re viable, but not ideal.

Navia passes the Hyperbloom check but falls short of Neuvillette’s performance. She’s strong enough to be considered if you enjoy her playstyle or character, but not the most optimal choice if meta is your priority.

Ifa: A Minor Upgrade for Taser Teams, But Lacks Impact

Ifa is a new Anemo Catalyst user meant to serve as a Taser driver. However, Zajef notes that he’s largely outclassed by existing options like Sucrose. While Ifa does offer healing, his C0 healing is relatively weak, and he doesn’t bring enough utility or damage to stand out.

In today’s meta, where power creep and high HP pools dominate, Taser teams have fallen behind. Even Ifa’s role as a potential Cinder City holder or TTDS user doesn’t change that. He simply doesn’t have a niche where he excels.

Ororon: Better in Theory Than Practice

Despite being designed for Electro-Charged reactions, Ororon’s current best use case is in overload teams like Mavuika’s, where he can apply off-field Electro and enable Cinder City. However, if Ororon is your only Natlan character, he won’t be able to enter Night Soul, which limits his value significantly.

Even in overload teams, newer characters are starting to outclass him, and his relevance is slowly declining.

Layla: Functional But Power-Creeped

Layla is a Cryo shielder with decent personal damage, but in the 2025 character landscape, her output is negligible. While her C4 adds some Cryo support utility, she doesn’t buff or enable any synergies that make her stand out. At best, she’s a backup Cryo shielder if you’re desperate for team composition flexibility.

Weapon Banner: Symphonist of Sense Shines, Verdict Less So

The weapon banner features two 5-star weapons:

• Symphonist of Sense (Escoffier’s weapon): One of the best polearms in the game. Not only is it great for supports, but it also performs comparably to Staff of Homa for damage-focused characters. Zajef calculates that even without healing effects, it’s better than Homa on off-field units and scales with healing or team buffs.
• Verdict (Navia’s weapon): Currently her best-in-slot, but not significantly better than other 5-star alternatives. It offers 20% attack and 36% skill damage bonus for Navia, but in an age of stacked passives, it’s looking underwhelming.

As for the 4-star weapons:

• Most are just average.
• Dollhand’s Assistant is the only HP-scaling sword and is serviceable for Neuvillette or Kuki Shinobu, but nothing special.
• Prospector’s Drill is fine but doesn’t stand out.
• Widsith remains a good catalyst but most players already own it at R5.

Final Verdict

• Escoffier Banner: Above average. Escoffier is strong enough to justify pulling, despite her weak 4-star companions.
• Navia Banner: Below average. Navia is serviceable, but neither her value nor her banner composition justifies pulling unless you love her.
• Weapon Banner: Average. Symphonist of Sense is a top-tier polearm, but Verdict is lackluster.

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Escoffier is a game-changing support whose flexibility and skill-focused kit make her a perfect addition to your roster—especially with Genshin’s energy-restrictive endgame challenges. Navia, while fun, doesn’t compete with top-tier carries like Neuvillette, and Ifa, Ororon, and Layla are unlikely to reshape your teams.

For more updates and team guides, check out ExploreGenshin.gg.

Frequently Asked Questions about Genshin Impact 5.6 Phase 1 Banners