Genshin 5.5 Banner Guide 2026: Varesa or Xilonen?

Version 5.5 at a Glance

Banner Schedule

Maintenance ran March 25 at 6PM UTC-5 (NA), March 26 at 12AM UTC+1 (EU), and March 26 at 7AM UTC+8 (Asia). Compensation: 300 Primogems (60/hour of downtime).

New Content

Three Natlan areas unlock: Atocpan, the Ancient Sacred Mountain, and Collective of Plenty territory. The Tatankasaurus — a new Saurian tied to the Collective of Plenty — stomps vents and uses Phlogiston sprint and Spirited Charge to destroy Pulverite and boulders. New boss: the Lava Dragon Statue, which drops Varesa's ascension materials.

Weapon banner introduces Vivid Notions (5-star Catalyst) on March 26. Two new artifact sets debut: Long Night's Oath (Plunging Attack DPS) and Finale of the Deep Galleries (Cryo off-field damage). Don't miss the Tournament of Glory in Bloom event (March 28–April 14) — it rewards a free 4-star Ororon.

Clarification Most Guides Get Wrong

Version 5.5 does not feature the Natlan Archon Mavuika. She's a Pyro Claymore character confirmed for around version 5.7. The Natlan-native 5-star here is Varesa — a distinct character, not the Archon. Keep that straight before you spend anything.

The Characters

Varesa — Electro Catalyst Plunging DPS

Her kit runs a tight loop: Charged Attack enables Plunging Attacks → Plunges generate Nightsoul Points → Points power amplified Plunging DMG. Her Elemental Skill enters Nightsoul Blessing state; her Burst creates reaction windows for Melt or Aggravate compositions. Community testing puts her S-tier in Melt teams, especially with Furina and Bennett.

Artifact priority: Long Night's Oath 4-piece is best-in-slot. The 2-piece gives +25% Plunging DMG; the 4-piece stacks +15% per stack up to five stacks (+75% total), which Varesa can realistically maintain mid-combat. Stats: ATK% sands, Electro DMG goblet, Crit DMG circlet, Crit Rate/Crit DMG substats.

Her Tribal Chronicles quest introduces two new limited-time materials — complete it early to avoid farming delays.

Xilonen — Geo Sword Support

Community popularity votes: Xilonen 1,114 vs. Varesa 323 vs. Venti 365. That gap isn't random. She's the top Geo support in the current meta, offering universal team buffing that scales with investment and improves virtually every team she enters. There's no budget replacement for what she does.

Iansan — The 4-Star You Shouldn't Ignore

Most guides skip the 4-stars. Don't skip Iansan. Her Burst summons a Kinetic Energy Scale that buffs the active character's DMG based on ATK and Nightsoul Points gained from movement distance — not just ATK. This is the mechanic most banner articles miss entirely.

Characters who move a lot during their rotation (Gaming, Varesa) get disproportionately more value from her Burst than stationary DPS characters do. In Natlan Plunging rotations, her buff uptime is significantly higher than her tooltip suggests because the movement tracking happens during the Plunging approach. She is not a strong pick for stationary DPS like Hu Tao or Raiden Shogun. Keep that pairing tight: Iansan belongs in Natlan Plunging teams specifically.

If you pull her from Phase 1, don't bench her.

Natlan Nightsoul Mechanics — Quick Primer

New to Natlan characters? The Nightsoul Blessing system has Natlan characters enter an enhanced state via Elemental Skill, consuming Nightsoul Points for boosted combat and movement. Phlogiston — collected in Solid, Liquid, or Gaseous forms via Saurians or character skills — powers Natlan abilities in the overworld. Varesa's entire damage identity lives inside this system.

Pull Verdicts by Player Type

Xilonen (Phase 2)

Varesa (Phase 1)

Phase 2 choice — Venti vs. Xilonen: Venti is versatile as Anemo Sub-DPS with new infusion, but Sucrose or Faruzan can cover his role in budget teams. Xilonen has no budget replacement. If you're choosing between Phase 2 banners, Xilonen wins.

Pity Math and Real Costs

Pity system:

• Base 5-star rate: 0.6%
• Soft pity begins: ~74 pulls
• Hard pity: 90 pulls (guaranteed 5-star)
• 50/50: 50% chance it's the featured character; lose and your next 5-star is guaranteed featured
• Worst-case guarantee: 180 pulls

Each Intertwined Fate costs 160 Primogems. Genesis Crystals convert 1:1 to Primogems. Pity carries over between Character Event Wish banners of the same type.

F2P monthly income (community estimates):

• Daily Commissions: ~1,800/month
• Spiral Abyss: ~1,200/patch
• Events: ~1,600/patch
• Total per patch: 4,600 Primogems (28–29 pulls)

Reaching a guarantee purely F2P requires saving across multiple versions. That's why Mavuika's timing matters for your decision.

Topping Up: When It Makes Sense

For Xilonen, yes — if you're 30–50 pulls short. For Varesa, it depends on whether she fills a real roster gap.

Genesis Crystals are platform-locked: PS4/PS5 purchases can't be used on PC/mobile. Always top up on the platform you actually play on.

Welkin Moon vs. lump-sum: Welkin Moon (300 Genesis Crystals instant + 90 Primogems daily for 30 days) yields ~3,000 Primogems/month at roughly $5 USD — highest value-per-dollar for consistent players. Two months of Welkin can bridge a 20–30 pull gap without a large purchase. Need Primogems before the banner closes? Lump-sum is your only option.

For players looking to buy genesis crystals for genshin impact banner at competitive rates, BitTopup offers fast delivery and secure transactions — worth checking before committing to in-game store prices.

Top up if:

• You're on guarantee and need 40–60 more pulls
• Xilonen is the character you've been waiting for and you have the budget
• You're a returning player with accumulated pity who just needs a small push

Wait if:

• You're starting from 0 pity with no guarantee — worst-case cost is steep
• You're saving for Mavuika (~5.7)
• You already have strong Geo support and Varesa doesn't fit your teams

How to Top Up via BitTopup

1. Visit BitTopup and select Genshin Impact
2. Enter your UID (in-game profile) — no password required
3. Select your server region (Asia/America/Europe/TW-HK-MO)
4. Choose your Genesis Crystal denomination
5. Complete payment; crystals appear in your in-game mailbox within minutes

Avoid these mistakes: Double-check your UID before confirming — wrong UID means crystals go to another account. Confirm your server region matches your account. Use the first-time bonus on the largest denomination you're comfortable with; it doubles your crystals on your first purchase in each tier.

If you're planning to top up primogems genshin impact 5.5 before Phase 2 closes May 6, don't wait until the final hours.

F2P Primogem Sources in 5.5

Complete every event. That's the single best F2P move this patch.

• Maintenance compensation: 300 Primogems (already distributed)
• Daily Commissions: ~60/day → ~1,800 over the patch
• Spiral Abyss (full clear): ~1,200 Primogems
• Version events combined: ~1,600 Primogems
• New area exploration (Atocpan, Ancient Sacred Mountain, Collective of Plenty): ~400–600 from chests and puzzles
• Varesa Tribal Chronicles quest: check for attached Primogem rewards
• Redemption codes: watch official HoYoverse social channels during livestreams

Events this patch: Tournament of Glory in Bloom (Mar 28–Apr 14), Overflowing Favor (Apr 14–21), Unlimited Fighting Championship (Apr 7–21), Quirky Quaking Arena (Apr 21–May 2), Rhythm Ball Meztli (Apr 28–May 6).

On Starglitter and Stardust: Convert Stardust to Intertwined Fates via the shop (up to 5/month). Spend Starglitter on Intertwined Fates, not characters, unless you specifically need a shop character. Don't hoard either — they don't carry over usefully.

FAQ

Who is the Natlan Archon, and are they in 5.5? Mavuika — Pyro Claymore. Not in 5.5. Community sources place her debut around version 5.7. The Natlan-native 5-star in this patch is Varesa, an Electro Catalyst DPS.

How many Primogems to guarantee the 5.5 banner character? Worst case: 28,800 Primogems (180 pulls). Average with soft pity and winning 50/50: 11,840–12,800 (74–80 pulls). Already on guarantee? Expect 74–90 pulls.

What happens to pity if I skip 5.5? Nothing bad. Pity carries over between Character Event Wish banners of the same type. Your pull count and guarantee status transfer to the next banner you pull on.

Is C0 viable for Spiral Abyss? Yes, for both. C0 Varesa runs her Plunging loop fully without constellations. C0 Xilonen performs her support role completely at base. Community consensus: C0 is the recommended stopping point for F2P on both characters.

Is the weapon banner worth it? Vivid Notions is Varesa's signature and best-in-slot, but weapon banners are expensive — up to 160 pulls for a guarantee via Epitomized Path. Unless you're a dolphin or whale building Varesa for endgame, craftable Catalyst alternatives are sufficient at C0. The Fate Points system does guarantee your chosen weapon after two losses, but the pull cost is steep.

Will either character rerun soon? No confirmed dates. Community notes that Xilonen and Venti reruns clustering in 5.5 suggests HoYoverse is cycling popular characters back relatively quickly — but no official 5.6 announcements exist at time of writing. If you want Xilonen, Phase 2 is your confirmed window.

Final Verdict

Pull Xilonen in Phase 2 if you don't have her — strongest Geo support in the current meta, no budget equivalent, community data backs it overwhelmingly. Pull Varesa in Phase 1 if you want a Natlan Plunging DPS and aren't saving for Mavuika. If forced to choose one, F2P players should prioritize Xilonen. Topping up makes sense if you're within 40–60 pulls of a guarantee on Xilonen; harder to justify for Varesa unless she directly fills a roster gap.

Before spending remaining Primogems after 5.5: wait for the 5.6 preview livestream. HoYoverse announces the next version's banners in the final week of the current patch. If Mavuika or another priority character appears in 5.6, that changes the math significantly for F2P players.