Stygian Onslaught Review: Genshin Impact’s Newest Endgame Mode ExploreGenshin

Zajef77 shares his first impressions of Stygian Onslaught, Genshin Impact’s new combat challenge mode that pushes players harder than ever before. While the Fearless (difficulty 5) tier offers a thrilling and rewarding experience, the Dire (difficulty 6) tier raises questions about accessibility, balance, and design.

Here’s everything you need to know about each boss, how to approach them, and why this mode is both exciting and frustrating.

Dire Difficulty: Not for Everyone

Zajef admits he hasn’t cleared Dire yet—not due to lack of skill, but due to account limitations. Verressa, his strongest unit, is banned as part of a charity challenge. Without her, and without specific high-investment units, Dire appears impossible without constellations or signature weapons.

This difficulty tier is clearly tuned for whales or hyper-optimized accounts. Its rewards are limited to temporary weapon skins, and don’t affect Primogems or core progression. Still, Zajef wishes Dire had progress tracking, like Abyss stars, to at least acknowledge how far players push.

Boss Breakdown: Fearless Difficulty (Tier 5)

❄ Cryo Automaton

Has +110% resistance to all elements in Night Soul phase—except Cryo.
Cryo damage gets -30% resistance baseline.
Needs Cryo characters to be viable.
Best units: Skirk with Shenhe, Ayaka, Wriothesley, or even Kaeya.
Strategy Tip: Bring three Cryo units if possible to compensate for lower bar damage.

🔥 Lava Dragon Statue

Pyro resistance slightly higher than Abyss version.
Shield phases are triggered similarly to Abyss, but pure Pyro application is less effective.
Best strategies:
- Two-down strategy with high burst damage.
- Use Bennett, Xiangling, Chevreuse, Kinich.
Favonius weapons are hugely impactful—faster burst cycles = more DPS over 2 minutes.

🌊 Hydro Tulpa

Spawns two mini Topas that heal the boss 25% total HP if not killed.
Three ways to counter:
1. Break shields with elemental application.
2. Raw damage (difficult due to poor targeting).
3. One Cryo hit instantly destroys the mini Topa.

Best counters:

Nahida (Dendro reactions): Highly efficient vs Hydro shields.
Cryo units: Any Cryo hit instantly kills the mini adds.
Avoid using Electro or Pyro-focused teams without Cryo/Nahida.
Beware the post-1:20 shield phase—failure = insta-death. Breaking it refreshes all cooldowns and energy, a major boon for units like Xiangling and Arlecchino.

Cooldown Reset Mechanic: Who Benefits?

After the Tulpa shields, cooldowns and energy are refreshed. Characters that benefit most:

Arlecchino: Can recast skill for double mark.
Xiangling: Double Pyronado = massive DPS boost.
Skirk: Potential for double Burst + normal rotation.
Mika, Mauika: Strong double-Burst rotations are possible.

Zajef highlights this mechanic as a great feature—rewarding players who manage rotation timing and burst sequencing.

System Improvements and Suggestions

Progress Tracking: Add % HP dealt or “Abyss-style stars” to Dire tier.
Timer Flexibility: Keep rewards gated at 2 minutes, but allow more time to complete.
Balance: Some bosses are borderline unkillable without meta characters.

Resin Bonus: Artifact Farming Boost

The first 10 days of each Onslaught reset includes +15% artifact drop rate efficiency.

This is unlimited per 120 resin spent.
Zajef strongly recommends burning fragile resin during this period.

Final Thoughts

Stygian Onslaught brings exciting new challenges to Genshin—but also exposes account investment gaps. Fearless tier is achievable and rewarding for most players, while Dire is designed for elite rosters.

Zajef praises the depth of mechanics, boss reworks, and skill expression required—but calls for better tracking and flexibility to make the mode more fun for a wider audience.

For more Genshin gameplay tips and event updates, visit ExploreGenshin.gg.
This article is based on insights from Zajef77’s Stygian Onslaught overview.