Genshin Impact 5.7: Skirk Complete Kit - Should You Pull For Her?

Skirk’s Kit Overview

Skirk’s all about switching stances, keeping enemies Frozen, and dealing big Cryo damage. She’s super team-dependent, so you’ll need the right crew to make her shine. Her unique Serpent’s Subtlety system replaces Energy for her Burst, making her playstyle stand out. Here’s the breakdown:

Normal Attack: Havoc: Sunder

• Swings her sword up to 5 times for regular attacks.
• Charged Attack: Burns Stamina to toss a spinning Cryo lance that hits enemies in its path.
• Plunging Attack: Drops down with AoE Cryo damage, nothing fancy.

Elemental Skill: Havoc: Warp

• Tap: Switches to Seven-Phase Flash mode, getting 45 Serpent’s Subtlety stacks. In this mode:
  • Attacks turn Cryo (no overrides), hit farther, and shrug off interruptions.
  • Drains 7 Subtlety stacks per second; mode ends when stacks hit 0 or she swaps out.
• Hold: Goes into a fast Cryo dash (think Yelan but icier), also giving 45 Subtlety stacks. You control where she goes and can stop early by tapping again.
• Phantom Rift Mechanic: When teammates trigger Freeze, Superconduct, Cryo Swirl, or Cryo Crystallize, a Phantom Rift pops up (max 3, every 2.5s). Skirk grabs these by:
  • Using Charged Attacks in Seven-Phase Flash.
  • Using her special Burst (Havoc: Extinction) in Seven-Phase Flash.
  • Holding her Skill.
  • Each Rift gives 8 Subtlety stacks.

Elemental Burst: Havoc: Ruin / Havoc: Extinction

• Uses Serpent’s Subtlety (needs at least 50 stacks) instead of Energy.
• Havoc: Ruin (Base): Slashes out AoE Cryo damage, with extra damage based on Subtlety stacks (up to 12 extra stacks).
• Havoc: Extinction (Seven-Phase Flash): Burns all Subtlety stacks for bigger Cryo damage and ends the Flash mode.
• Counts as Burst damage, boosted by her passives.

Passive Talents

1. Rift Creation: Teammates triggering Freeze, Superconduct, Cryo Swirl, or Crystallize make Phantom Rifts to keep Skirk’s Subtlety flowing.
2. Death’s Crossing: When Hydro or Cryo teammates (not Skirk) deal damage, she gets Death’s Crossing stacks (max 3, 20s each, separate per character). Each stack boosts:
   • Seven-Phase Flash Normal Attack DMG by 110%/120%/170%.
   • Havoc: Ruin Burst DMG by 105%/115%/160%.
   • If the team’s only Hydro and Cryo (at least one of each), everyone’s Elemental Skill level goes up by +1.
3. Reason Beyond Reason: Grabbing a Phantom Rift summons a Crystal Blade dealing 500% ATK as Cryo Charged Attack damage. Each Rift adds 1 Surtalogi Edge stack (max 3, 15s), boosting ATK by 10%/20%/50%.

Constellations (Leaked)

• C1 (Far to Fall): Makes Reason Beyond Reason’s Crystal Blade hit with extra AoE Cryo damage.
• C2 (Into the Abyss): Elemental Skill gives 12 extra Subtlety stacks. In Seven-Phase Flash, taking damage uses a Havoc: Sever stack to cut damage by 80% and hit back with 3x 150% ATK Cryo damage (Charged Attack scaling).
• Higher constellations (C3-C6) aren’t fully known but probably pump up her damage or Subtlety gain.

Signature Weapon: Azurelight (5-star Sword)

• Stats: High ATK (674), 22.1% Crit Rate sub-stat.
• Passive: After using Elemental Skill, boosts ATK by 24%-48% for 12s. If the user has 0 Energy, adds another 24%-48% ATK and 40%-80% Crit DMG. Perfect for Skirk’s no-Energy Burst.
• Alternatives: Mistsplitter Reforged (44.1% Crit DMG, Elemental DMG bonus) works well but isn’t as tailored.

Artifacts

• Signature Set (Version 5.5): Gives 60% Normal Attack and Burst DMG boost when Energy’s 0. After one type of damage, the other’s bonus pauses for 6s. Built for Skirk’s playstyle.
• Alternatives: 4-piece Blizzard Strayer for Freeze teams or 2-piece Blizzard Strayer + 2-piece ATK% (like Gladiator’s Finale) for general use.

Best Team Compositions

Skirk’s locked into Freeze teams because of her passives and Phantom Rift triggers. Non-Hydro/Cryo teammates cut her damage by at least 30%. Here’s who works best:

• Skirk (Main DPS): Stays on-field, using Seven-Phase Flash and Burst for big Cryo damage.
• Escoffier (Cryo Support): Applies Cryo, heals, and shreds 55% Cryo RES, key for Skirk’s output.
• Furina (Hydro Sub-DPS/Support): Keeps Freeze going, adds Death’s Crossing stacks, and boosts team damage.
• Yelan or Kokomi (Hydro Sub-DPS/Healer): Yelan brings off-field Hydro and damage buffs; Kokomi heals and ensures Freeze uptime.
• Shenhe (Cryo Support, Alternative): Boosts Cryo damage and RES shred, but Escoffier’s better for Skirk.
• 4-star Options: Slim pickings due to synergy issues. Dahlia (4-star Hydro Catalyst in 5.7) might work but falls short of 5-star supports.

Example Team: Skirk + Escoffier + Furina + Yelan

• Keeps Freeze up, maxes Death’s Crossing, and spawns Rifts for Subtlety.

Alternative (Superconduct): Skirk + Furina + Raiden Shogun/Kuki Shinobu + Shenhe

• Weaker synergy but okay for physical damage boosts.

Quickswap Potential: Skirk can swap fast with units like Neuvillette or Ayaka, but Freeze is her best bet.

Should You Pull for Skirk?

Deciding on Skirk depends on your characters, playstyle, and Primogem stash. Here’s the deal:

Reasons to Pull

• Unique Playstyle: Skirk’s stance-switching and Subtlety system make her a fun Cryo DPS, mixing quick combos with heavy Burst damage. She can also sprint on water for exploration.
• Freeze Team Power: With Escoffier, she makes Freeze teams strong again, great for Abyss and bosses if you have top Hydro supports like Furina or Yelan.
• High Damage Potential: With Azurelight and the right team (Escoffier, Furina, Yelan), Skirk competes with DPS like Mavuika or Arlecchino. C1 and C2 make her even stronger.
• Lore Fans: As Childe’s Abyss master tied to Surtalogi, she’s a big draw for story buffs, especially with Natlan and Snezhnaya arcs heating up.

Reasons to Skip

• Team Limits: Skirk needs Hydro and Cryo teammates (ideally 5-stars like Escoffier and Furina) to avoid a 30% damage loss. Without them, she’s not much better than older DPS.
• Escoffier Dependency: Escoffier (from 5.6) is almost required for Skirk to hit her peak, so if you skipped her, Skirk’s a tougher sell.
• Energy Struggles: Her teams don’t generate particles well, so you might need Favonius weapons on supports, which can lower their damage.
• Ayaka Overlap: Skirk’s basically a stronger Ayaka as a Cryo Sword Freeze DPS. If your Ayaka’s built, Skirk might not be worth the Primogems.
• Banner Competition: Version 5.7 has Dahlia (4-star Hydro) and reruns for Mavuika and Shenhe. If you need supports or want Snezhnaya characters later, you might want to save.

Verdict

Skirk’s a strong Cryo DPS for Freeze teams if you have Escoffier and Furina (or Yelan/Kokomi). Her unique mechanics and high damage make her a great pick for players who love Freeze and have the right team. But her strict team needs and reliance on premium supports can make her tough to use if your roster’s limited or you’re saving Primogems. If you’re on the fence, check beta leaks closer to release or hold off for her rerun when more Hydro/Cryo supports might be out.