Skirk has quickly become one of Genshin Impact’s most dynamic Cryo DPS units, but if you’ve been pre-farming for her, you may need to reassess your approach. Kettletoro’s energetic, fast-paced breakdown clarifies how to build and play Skirk, which teams she works best in, and whether she’s worth pulling in the first place. Here’s your streamlined guide to making the most of Skirk in Version 5.7.
How Skirk Works: Choose Your Playstyle Wisely
Skirk has two main playstyles, but you must commit to one per rotation:
- Normal Attack Skirk: Triggered by tapping her skill. While active, her basic attacks become enhanced, but she loses the ability to use her real Burst during that time. You can extend the duration by absorbing Void Rifts.
- Burst Skirk: Triggered by holding her skill to absorb Void Rifts and charging her Burst. The more charge, the higher the Burst damage. However, after using the hold skill, she enters an 8-second cooldown, locking you out of her skill-enhanced normals.
You cannot do both at the same time. That’s why choosing your playstyle—sustained DPS or nuke burst—is key.
Hybrid Skirk: Is It Possible?
Surprisingly, yes—under specific conditions:
- Pre-charged Burst in Spiral Abyss: Lets you Burst first, then use Normal Attacks.
- Overworld Energy from Holding Skill: Slowly builds Burst over time.
- Adaptive Combat: Burst for short fights, skill for long engagements.
How Strong Is Skirk?
With proper supports (especially Escafier and Fina), Skirk ranks among the top meta DPS units—second only to Moa, according to some theorycrafters. Without those supports, however, she loses around 30% of her potential, placing her closer to the Hyperbloom tier.
Best Teams for Skirk
Skirk relies heavily on Cryo and Hydro teammates for two reasons:
- She gains damage bonuses for each Cryo/Hydro teammate that lands an elemental hit.
- Void Rifts, essential for enhancing her attacks and Burst, are generated via Cryo reactions.
Core Team:
- Skirk + Fina + Escafier + Flex Hydro/Cryo
F2P Variant (weaker):
- Skirk + Layla/Diona + Xingqiu + Candace
Burst Variant:
- Skirk + Neuvillette (to cover downtime) + Fina + Escafier
Best Weapons for Skirk
- Signature Weapon: Her best-in-slot by far
- F2P Option: Finale of the Deep (R5 craftable sword)
- Other 5-stars: Haran Geppaku Futsu, Mistsplitter Reforged
Skirk’s F2P weapons are stronger relative to her signature than most characters, which improves her accessibility.
Best Artifact Sets for Skirk
Contrary to expectations, her dedicated artifact set is not her best.
- Best Set (with Fina): Marechaussee Hunter 4-piece
- Why: Her real Burst cancels the 4-piece bonus on her dedicated set, but Marechaussee continues to boost Normal Attacks throughout the rotation.
Main Stats:
- Sands: ATK% or ER (if needed)
- Goblet: Cryo DMG
- Circlet: CRIT DMG or CRIT Rate
Rough Substat Targets:
- 70%+ CRIT Rate
- 140%+ CRIT DMG
- 130–150% ER (depending on team)
Talent Priority
- Skill (enhances Normal Attacks)
- Burst (especially for Burst builds)
- Normal Attack (lowest priority, only boosts white damage)
Should You Pull Skirk or Her Constellations?
Kettletoro recommends prioritizing supports Escafier and Fina over her constellations. That said:
- C1: Adds a 500% ATK hit every Void Rift absorbed (approx. 25% DPS gain)
- C2: Buffs both Normal and Burst damage
- C4: Extra ATK stat boost
- C6: Adds coordinated attacks on all moves (top-tier upgrade)
Pull Value Breakdown
- Strength: 4/5 (very strong but not unrivaled)
- Versatility: 0.5/5 (locked into Hydro/Cryo comps)
- F2P Friendliness: 0.5/5 (signature supports are 5-star locked)
- Ease of Use: 0.5/5 (high skill ceiling and strict timing)
Total: 4/10 — pull only if you love her or plan to go all-in on her support package.
Skirk is a high-investment, high-reward Cryo DPS with limited flexibility but incredible damage when properly built. For those willing to optimize her team and playstyle, she delivers top-tier performance. Otherwise, there are cheaper alternatives with similar output.
For more in-depth builds and updates, visit ExploreGenshin.gg.
This article is based on insights from Kettletoro’s video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skirk better with Normal Attacks or Burst?
It depends on your preferred playstyle. Normal Attack Skirk offers higher total damage over time, while Burst Skirk provides faster, nuke-style damage. You must choose one per rotation—her kit doesn’t allow both simultaneously.
Can Skirk use both playstyles in one fight?
Yes, but only under specific conditions. Spiral Abyss pre-charges her Burst, and Overworld play lets you build it slowly. You can adapt based on enemy type and fight length.
What is Skirk’s best artifact set?
Marechaussee Hunter (4-piece) is her best set—not her dedicated one—especially when paired with Fina. The Hunter set continues to boost her Normal Attacks even after using her Burst, unlike the dedicated set.
Is Skirk free-to-play friendly?
Somewhat. While she has excellent F2P weapon options like Finale of the Deep, she heavily relies on 5-star supports like Escafier and Fina to reach her full potential.
Who are Skirk’s best teammates?
Her ideal team is: Skirk + Escafier + Fina + Cryo/Hydro flex (e.g., Mona, Shenhe). F2P teams are possible but significantly weaker.
Should I pull for Skirk?
Pull Skirk if you love her design and want a top-tier Cryo DPS—but only if you’re also willing to invest in her team. Otherwise, she’s outclassed in terms of cost-efficiency by other more flexible DPS options.
Let me know if you’d like to include more questions or tailor this section to different player levels (beginner, intermediate, meta-focused, etc.).
