Skirk Post-Release Breakdown: DPS Potential, Team Synergy & Meta Impact ExploreGenshin

Skirk’s arrival in Genshin Impact 5.7 has been nothing short of game-changing, but not entirely in the way we expected. In his comprehensive post-release breakdown, Zajef77 analyzes how Skirk evolved from her beta form to her live version, her performance in high-difficulty content like Stygian Onslaught, and the key decisions players need to make when building teams around her.

Let’s dive into what makes Skirk one of the strongest single-target carries in the game—and what might hold her back.

Skirk Was Stealth-Buffed on Release

While her official numbers remained untouched, one subtle but significant change made it into the final release: Skirk’s animation speed was increased. Faster attacks mean higher damage throughput within her skill window, pushing her normal attack performance beyond pre-release projections.

Compared to characters like Wriothesley, Skirk now not only has higher motion values but also faster string execution, allowing for more attacks within her 12.5-second skill uptime. This change alone elevated her damage ceiling by over 20%, especially in optimized rotations.

Skill Design, Combos & Uptime Optimizations

Skirk’s kit is centered around Serpent Subtlety, the internal resource consumed while her skill is active. Players can extend her uptime and maintain consistent burst access by understanding how and when to regenerate Serpent Subtlety—primarily through absorbing void rifts or executing charged attacks at precise moments.

Zajef outlines her most efficient rotations:

N5 → Q → N5 → N4/C (charge at the end only when needed)
Use buffered charge attacks after subtlety expires to carry over resources into the next rotation
In 20-second rotations, shorter uptime can actually be more optimal due to buff windows (e.g., Furina’s fanfare, Thrilling Tales, etc.)

Her charged attacks are statistically weak and should be avoided outside of Serpent Subtlety recovery. The best teams rely on Skirk minimizing the use of charge attacks while maximizing infused normal attacks with Q-timed combos.

Burst Mode vs Normal Attack: Which is Better?

Despite initial theories, Skirk’s normal attack playstyle is generally stronger than her burst-focused one, especially after her animation buff. Her burst has solid scaling (up to 6,000 motion value at C0 with buffs), but is limited by cooldowns and only buffs 10 hits.

That said, burst mode remains useful situationally:

During enemy invulnerability phases
To transition between waves
Or in hybrid rotations, where burst fills downtime while waiting for skill cooldowns

Zajef also notes that while her burst didn’t benefit from the animation speed buff, it’s still valuable for flexibility, not raw DPS.

Her Best Weapons & Artifact Sets

Free-to-Play Standouts:

Finale of the Deep
Calamity of Esu (especially with a shielder)

Best-In-Slot Signature:

Azerite—HoYoverse’s continued trend of powercreeping signature weapons

However, Skirk is extremely free-to-play friendly. Finale and Esu perform nearly as well as 5-star options, and Skirk’s high base ATK makes stat sticks extra valuable.

Artifact Recommendations:

Marechaussee Hunter: BiS if not overcapping CR
Finale of the Deep Galleries: Strong if you use a healer like Furina to activate the passive
Gladiator’s Finale: Acceptable fallback for casual builds

Best Teams: With & Without Escoffier

Skirk’s strongest teams are built around the Escoffier + Furina + Flex core. From Zajef’s testing, the best final-slot options include:

Seatlali – High synergy with Cinder City and buffs
Yelan – Passive damage and hydro resonance with Furina
Shenhe – Excellent hybrid burst/normal synergy
Mona – Surprisingly competitive at C4, and free via standard pool or anniversary selector
Mualani – Underrated; deals personal damage and boosts Cryo performance
Dalia – Especially strong at C6; provides attack speed, allowing longer combos

Zajef emphasizes that these picks are very close in power, so team building flexibility is a real strength.

If You Don’t Have Escoffier or Furina…

It’s still viable—just harder.

Without Escoffier: Run Furina + Xingqiu/Yelan + Seatlali
Without Furina: Use Mona, Charlotte, or Mika as healers and enable Skirk’s Finale passive

Zajef stresses that if you lack Furina, you’ll need an off-field Hydro unit to generate void rifts for Skirk’s passive. Without that, her damage falls off significantly.

Skirk vs Neuvillette: Is She the Better Pick?

One of the most interesting takeaways from Zajef’s video is that Skirk may outclass Neuvillette in many late-game situations—especially in single-target content like Stygian Onslaught.

Neuvillette excels in AoE, but suffers in boss fights and tight DPS checks
Skirk’s best teams can clear Onslaught’s hardest fights with 50 seconds to spare
Neuvillette struggles to match that unless heavily invested

However, Skirk’s reliance on specific 5-stars (Furina, Escoffier) makes her harder to recommend for players with limited rosters.

Closing Thoughts: A Top-Tier Carry, But Not For Everyone

Zajef wraps his post-release analysis with a fair conclusion:

“Skirk is one of the top 5 carries in the game. But she’s reliant on meta supports and lacks engaging mechanics.”

Her gameplay is straightforward—mash normal attack, sometimes hold—and she doesn’t bring much to the table outside of her damage. While that makes her strong, it also makes her less exciting for players seeking complexity or flexibility.

That said, her team performance is undeniably impressive, and her strength in the current meta (especially single-target) is a major win for Cryo DPS lovers.

For more high-level testing, tier analysis, and patch theorycrafting, check out Zajef77’s full Skirk post-release breakdown.
For team comps, artifact rankings, and F2P options, visit ExploreGenshin.gg.

Frequently Asked Questions about Skirk

Is Skirk stronger than Neuvillette?

In current single-target content like Stygian Onslaught, Skirk outperforms Neuvillette in DPS and team efficiency.

Does Skirk need Escoffier and Furina?

Ideally, yes. They form the core of her strongest teams. However, she can still function with free-to-play supports like Xingqiu, Charlotte, and Mona.

Which rotation is best for Skirk?

Most optimal: N5 → Q → N5 → N4/Charge, using buffered charge attacks at the end to carry serpent subtlety.

Is Skirk’s burst build viable?

It’s viable, but generally weaker than her normal attack setup. Use burst mode situationally or in hybrid rotations.

What artifacts and weapons are best for Skirk?

Best Sets: Marechaussee Hunter or Finale of the Deep Galleries.
Best Weapons: Azerite (Sig), Finale of the Deep, Calamity of Esu, Mistsplitter Reforged.