Skirk is a flexible DPS who can either stay on-field with Normal Attacks or burst down enemies in quickswap-style play. Every part of her kit is built purely for damage, leaving little to no room for supportive utility.
A core mechanic of Skirk is her unique resource, Serpent's Cunning, which is consumed to perform special Normal Attacks or unleash her Elemental Burst. While in this enhanced Normal Attack state, swapping her out will cancel her infusion, so it’s essential to keep her on-field as long as possible. This requires long-duration buffs from her teammates to maintain high DPS throughout her rotation.
Additionally, Skirk’s kit requires a "Hydro-Cryo" team to fully benefit from her passive talent bonuses. This 4-Hydro-Cryo synergy offers a 50%+ multiplier boost compared to 3-Hydro-Cryo or less. Even without Arlecchino (Arlecchino can assist other team comps better), it is still highly recommended to build a 4 Hydro-Cryo team to take advantage of Skirk’s full potential.
1. Recommended Weapons
Best-in-slot: Light of Foliar Incision (signature weapon)
Other 5-star options: Primordial Jade Cutter, Mistsplitter Reforged, Haran Geppaku Futsu
Best 4-star option: Finale of the Deep (especially with shield support)
Other viable choices: Summit Shaper, The Black Sword, Wolf-Fang, Key of Khaj-Nisut
Note: Since Skirk consumes Serpent's Cunning rather than Energy for her Burst, ER-based weapons are inefficient. Instead, prioritize weapons with high base ATK (white stats) or Crit stats.
2. Artifacts
Best sets:
Nighttime Whispers in the Echoing Deep (Deep Dungeon)
Hunter’s Path (best when using Furina)
The Deep Dungeon set has higher stat requirements but slightly better damage potential. Hunter’s set is easier to equip on multiple characters and pairs well with Furina.
Main Stats:
Sands – ATK%
Goblet – Cryo DMG Bonus / ATK%
Circlet – Crit Rate / Crit DMGSub-stats Priority: Crit Rate > Crit DMG > ATK%
Note: At C2, Cryo DMG Goblet outscales ATK% Goblet.
3. Talent Priority
Skill > Burst > Normal Attack
Even though Skirk primarily uses Normal Attacks, they scale off her Elemental Skill level, not her basic talent. So you can skip leveling Normal Attack altogether.
4. Best Constellations
C0, C1, C2, C6 are the most impactful.
C1: Adds a bonus AoE attack (3,000% multiplier total), but it counts as Charged Attack damage and doesn’t benefit from her talents or artifact set bonuses.
C2: Huge power spike. Boosts Elemental Burst by 50%+ and overall DPS by 25%+. A must-have for burst playstyles.
C4: +40% ATK bonus. Decent, but more of a stepping stone to C6.
C6: Final form. Adds a powerful bonus hit to her rotation, enabling her to fully benefit from talents and Deep Dungeon set, while also offering minor damage reduction.
Overall, Skirk is fully functional at C0, and F2P/light spenders don’t need constellations to enjoy her.
5. Team Recommendations
To fully benefit from Skirk’s passive talent, always include at least one Hydro character, and aim for 4 Hydro-Cryo characters in total if possible.
Cryo Teammates
S-Tier:
Arlecchino (Akofei) – Absolutely core. Provides continuous Cryo application, team-wide healing, and background damage. As crucial to Skirk as Furina is to Arlecchino.
A-Tier:
Shenhe (C1 preferred) – Boosts Cryo DMG and reduces enemy Cryo RES. Essential in comps without Arlecchino.
Layla – Offers Cryo application, shielding, and survival.
Kamisato Ayaka (C4) – Unlocks powerful DEF debuff, enabling Skirk to one-shot bosses.
B-Tier:
Rosaria – Crit buff and good off-field damage.
Ganyu, Mika, Charlotte, Chongyun, Kaeya – Viable alternatives with various utility or Cryo application.
Hydro Teammates
S-Tier:
Furina – Best-in-class Hydro applier and damage buffer. Synergizes with Hunter’s set and Skirk’s kit perfectly.
A-Tier:
Yelan – Great single-target Hydro applier, boosts damage, and better Energy regeneration than Furina.
Maraña (Thrilling Tales) – Provides ATK buff + set bonus. Strong budget support.
Mona – Burst damage amplifier, but buff duration is short.
B-Tier:
Neuvillette (Talyah) – Adds shields and ATK SPD.
Xingqiu – Too much Hydro application; may reduce Cryo resonance uptime.
Candace – Adds Normal Attack DMG bonus. Niche option.
6. Sample Team Comps & Rotations
① Skirk + Furina + Arlecchino + Shenhe
A full Cryo powerhouse team with massive multipliers. Focuses on raw DMG stacking.
Rotation (full energy):
Shenhe short EQ → Furina EQ → Arlecchino EQ → Skirk Q → during animation: swap to Shenhe long E → Skirk short E → Normal Attacks (weave in Charged Attack every few hits).
Rotation (not full energy):
Furina EQ → Shenhe long EQ → Arlecchino EQ → Skirk short E → Normal Attack loop
② Skirk + Furina + Arlecchino + Yelan
Double Hydro, double Cryo. With Yelan instead of Shenhe, you sacrifice some Cryo damage for better HP scaling buffs.
③ Skirk + Yelan + Arlecchino + Shenhe
Alternative team for those without Furina. Yelan plays a more active role in Hydro application, but overall performance remains solid.
④ Skirk + Talyah + Kaeya/Mika + Barbara/Candace
F2P-friendly or early game setup. With just Skirk and available 4-star supports, this team performs decently well in most content, except Cryo-immune enemies.
Summary
Skirk is a powerful Cryo DPS who thrives in 4 Hydro-Cryo teams. Even at C0, with Arlecchino and Furina, she can comfortably handle any high-end content in Genshin 5.7, from the Fire God domain to the Dragon Sovereign.
If you’re lacking a strong Cryo DPS, Skirk is highly recommended, even at base constellation.
