Skirk’s weekly boss is The Game Before the Gate, the chess boss in the Unresolved Chess Game domain at Falcon Coast, Mondstadt. It drops Ascended Sample: Knight, and Skirk needs 18 of them for all three talents. Her ascension boss is the Tenebrous Papilla in Natlan, which drops Ensnaring Gaze (46 needed).
Checked on 2026-11-06 (Genshin Impact 7.2). Skirk’s materials have not changed since her 5.7 release. Her latest rerun ran from 13 October to 3 November 2026.
Skirk boss materials at a glance
Material | Where it comes from | Total needed |
|---|
Ascended Sample: Knight (weekly) | The Game Before the Gate | 18 |
Ensnaring Gaze (ascension) | Tenebrous Papilla | 46 |
Shivada Jade (sliver / fragment / chunk / gemstone) | Cryo bosses (Cryo Regisvine, Cryo Hypostasis and others) | 1 / 9 / 9 / 6 |
Skysplit Gembloom | Natlan local specialty | 168 |
Teachings / Guide / Philosophies of Contention | Blazing Ruins domain (Natlan), Monday / Thursday / Sunday | 9 / 63 / 114 |
Meshing Gear / Mechanical Spur Gear / Artificed Dynamic Gear | Clockwork Meka (Fontaine) | Ascension 18 / 30 / 36; talents 18 / 66 / 93 |
Crown of Insight | Events and exploration rewards | 3 |
Skirk weekly boss: The Game Before the Gate
Drop for Skirk: Ascended Sample: Knight. The boss also drops Ascended Sample: Rook and Queen, which other characters use.
Location: the Unresolved Chess Game domain at Falcon Coast (Galesong Hill, Mondstadt), east of Windrise. It was added in Version 5.6.
Unlock: finish Interlude Chapter Act IV “Paralogism”. You need Adventure Rank 40 or higher.
Resin: 30 Original Resin for your first three weekly-boss reward claims each week, then 60. Rewards reset with the weekly reset.
Video (in English): how to beat The Game Before the Gate, Skirk’s weekly boss, with a free-to-play team.
How many Ascended Sample: Knight does Skirk need?
6 per talent, 18 in total for 10/10/10. Each talent uses 1 at level 7, 1 at level 8, 2 at level 9 and 2 at level 10.
Talent level | Knight samples (per talent) |
|---|
6 → 7 | 1 |
7 → 8 | 1 |
8 → 9 | 2 |
9 → 10 | 2 |
Using Dream Solvent
Dream Solvent converts any weekly-boss material into another from the same boss at 1:1. If you get Rook or Queen samples you don’t need, convert them into Knight. The usual priority: Skirk’s Normal Attack and Elemental Skill first.
Who else uses Ascended Sample: Knight?
Skirk was the first character to use it. Game8’s current list also names Jahoda and Lohen. Ifa uses Ascended Sample: Rook, not Knight, so some older guides that list Ifa here are wrong.
Skirk ascension boss: Tenebrous Papilla
Drop: Ensnaring Gaze. Skirk needs 46 for Level 90 (2 / 4 / 8 / 12 / 20 across ascensions).
Location: an underground cave (Corroded Stone Chamber) south-east of the Flower-Feather Clan, Quahuacan Cliff, Natlan.
Resin: 40 Original Resin per reward claim.
Gems: the Papilla does not drop Shivada Jade. Get Skirk’s Cryo gems from Cryo bosses.
Skirk talent books and local specialty
Talent books: Contention (9 Teachings, 63 Guide, 114 Philosophies), from the Blazing Ruins domain in Natlan on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.
Local specialty: 168 Skysplit Gembloom from Natlan. It respawns every 48 hours, so start collecting early.
Mora: about 420,000 for ascension and 4,957,500 for talents 10/10/10.
Weekly farming plan
Spend one of your three 30-resin weekly-boss claims on The Game Before the Gate. Each clear drops a few Ascended Samples, and the type (Knight, Rook or Queen) is random.
Use Dream Solvent on spare Rook and Queen samples.
Farm Tenebrous Papilla until you have 46 Ensnaring Gaze, while ascending.
Do Contention books on Monday, Thursday or Sunday.
Pick up Skysplit Gembloom along a route every two days.
Because the sample type is random, Dream Solvent is what makes 18 Knight samples realistic. Save it for Skirk if she is your main Cryo DPS.
Skirk banner history
Banner | Dates |
|---|
Debut, 5.7 Phase I (with Shenhe) | 2025-06-18 → 2025-07-08 |
Rerun 1 (with Escoffier) | 2026-03-17 → 2026-04-07 |
Rerun 2, 7.1 Phase II (with Escoffier) | 2026-10-13 → 2026-11-03 |
Skirk is not on a banner in 7.2. Version 7.2 Phase I has Mitya and a Furina rerun, and Phase II (from 24 November) has Zibai and Linnea plus a Natlan Chronicled Wish.
FAQ
What weekly boss does Skirk need?
The Game Before the Gate (the chess boss). It drops Ascended Sample: Knight, used for her talents.
Where is Skirk’s weekly boss?
In the Unresolved Chess Game domain at Falcon Coast, Mondstadt, east of Windrise. Unlock it by finishing Interlude Chapter Act IV “Paralogism”.
What is Skirk’s ascension boss?
Tenebrous Papilla in Natlan. It drops Ensnaring Gaze; Skirk needs 46.
How many weekly boss materials does Skirk need?
18 Ascended Sample: Knight for all three talents at level 10 (6 per talent).
Can I use Dream Solvent for Skirk?
Yes. Dream Solvent turns Ascended Sample: Rook or Queen into Knight at 1:1.
Conclusion
For Skirk, farm The Game Before the Gate every week for Ascended Sample: Knight (18 total) and the Tenebrous Papilla for Ensnaring Gaze (46). Add Contention books on Monday, Thursday or Sunday, and start collecting Skysplit Gembloom early. If you are saving Primogems for the 7.2 banners, you can top up Genesis Crystals on BitTopup.
Sources: Genshin Impact Fandom wiki (The Game Before the Gate, Unresolved Chess Game, Tenebrous Papilla), Game8, ScreenRant and Sportskeeda material guides; 7.2 banner announcements (Nov 2026).
