Skirk Buffed Again – Does She Finally Live Up to the Hype? ExploreGenshin

The Version 5.7 beta continues to evolve, and this week Skirk received another round of adjustments—small but significant. In Jello Impact’s latest breakdown, we get a clear look at what changed, what stayed the same, and how these updates affect her build options, team viability, and meta standing.

Let’s break down Skirk’s updated performance, team needs, artifact builds, and whether she’s finally delivering on her Harbinger-level hype—or still too restrictive to recommend for most players.

Recent Skirk Buffs: What’s New?

✅ Full Stacks at Abyss Start

Skirk now starts Abyss with full Serpent Subtlety stacks and keeps them between chambers. This opens the door to hybrid burst + normal attack rotations, giving her more flexibility in openers.

✅ Signature Weapon Buff

Her 5★ weapon now has higher base ATK and lower Crit Rate, a net win for most users—especially those running Marechaussee Hunter. With few ATK buffers in her teams, the extra base attack matters.

✅ Buffed Burst Multipliers

A flat improvement to her burst-focused playstyle, making her viable as a burst sub-DPS in Navia-Escopier comps. She now performs as well as or better than Seatlali in those lineups.

✅ Skill Cooldown Reduced by 1 Second

This is a pure DPS increase. A shorter cooldown means faster rotations and more frequent uptime—though it desyncs slightly with supports like Xingqiu, who remains viable but suboptimal.

Skirk’s Current Power Ranking

Best DPS with a 4-star weapon: ~105K DPS
After buffs: ~110K DPS
With signature weapon and proper setup: Second highest damage dealer in the game, behind only Mavika

“This is a very healthy way to balance a strong but restrictive unit,” Jello says. “She’s not overpowering the game like Mavika, but she’s close.”

Build Clarifications: What Artifacts Should You Use?

This has become one of the most confusing topics.

Marechaussee Hunter: Still likely the best-in-slot for most players—especially if you’re using hybrid or burst playstyles, or playing at low to medium investment.
Signature Set (Finale of the Deep Galleries): May still outperform Marechaussee in high-investment normal attack-only playstyles, but results are mixed.

Bottom line: Don’t over-farm either set yet. Talent books, weapon mats, and team building should be your focus until Skirk’s release is finalized.

Team Updates & Best Pairings

Skirk’s team requirements remain steep. Her dependence on Escopier is extreme, with damage dropping by 30% or more without her.

🟢 Best-in-Slot Supports

Escopier – Core to her damage. A must.
Furina – Helps cover Skirk’s downtime and adds powerful passive buffs.
Shenhe – Still incredibly strong Cryo buffer.
Yelan – Recent calcs show her damage contributions match or exceed Shenhe’s.

🟡 Great Options

Navia – Pairs well in burst setups.
Seatlali – Versatile buffer who transfers Cinder City and Dragon Slayer buffs.
Dahlia – Solid synergy with Calamity of Eshu, allowing extra build flexibility.

🔴 Cope or Niche Options

Mona (C0) – Underwhelming compared to Yelan or Shenhe. Improves greatly at C4.
Xingqiu – Still functional, but cooldown mismatch and lack of scaling hurt.
Candace, Charlotte, Ayaka (DPS Pairing) – Only usable with highly specific setups or as creative off-meta ideas.

Playstyle Considerations

Skirk is split between two core modes:

Burst-focused: Higher damage ceiling, but suffers from ~9 seconds of downtime between rotations.
Normal attack-focused: Consistent in longer fights, but weaker against burst-heavy modern content.

This duality has drawn criticism for feeling disjointed rather than deep. Some beta testers suggest a transformation-style mechanic would have made her feel more cohesive.

Early Investment Scaling

Skirk benefits hugely from investment:

C1 and C2 offer massive damage increases.
Her weapon adds significant value even over generic 5-stars.
Furina C1/C2 and Escoffier C1 are massive team-wide upgrades.

“Her early vertical investment might be the best in the game outside of Navia,” Jello notes.

Nerf Clarification: No Stack Generation on Immune Enemies

Skirk cannot generate stacks from enemies that are shielded or immune to Hydro. This is a rare but meaningful limitation—especially against bosses like Tulpa. In those cases, Mono Cryo with Escopier, Shenhe, and Seatlali becomes the go-to comp.

Final Thoughts: Still Not a Meta Pull—And That’s Okay

Skirk is not a meta pull, and likely never will be. But she’s:

One of the strongest DPS units ever released (behind only Mavika)
Extremely rewarding to build if you already have strong supports
A nightmare to use without key teammates

For those with Escoffier, Furina, and Shenhe, Skirk is a powerhouse. For everyone else, she’s a skip—and that’s what makes her a healthy addition to the game.