Genshin Impact’s 5.7 beta has finally revealed Skirk’s full kit—and she's unlike any Cryo character we've seen before. With a sleek design, powerful burst mechanics, and a new resource system, Skirk is built for players who love fast-paced, high-reward gameplay.

Note: All information below is based on 5.7 beta leaks from Hakush.in and is subject to change upon Skirk’s official release.

❄️ Who Is Skirk?

Skirk is a 5-Star Cryo character who wields a sword—and she’s not just another DPS. Her kit is built around stack-based mechanics, reaction synergy, and a unique energy-free Elemental Burst. With a fast-paced and highly strategic combat style, Skirk promises to be one of the most innovative characters introduced in Genshin Impact.

KIT Breakdown

Normal Attack: Havoc – Sunder

Skirk’s Normal Attack allows her to perform up to five consecutive strikes. Holding the button lets her hurl a spinning crystal spear—dealing damage in front of her while consuming stamina. Her plunging attack behaves like most others in the game, dealing AoE damage upon impact.

Serpent Subtlety: Her Signature Resource
Forget Energy—Skirk runs on something else entirely: Serpent Subtlety. After using her Elemental Skill, she instantly gains 45 stacks of it. Tap the skill, and she activates her Seven Phase Flash mode. Hold it, and she dashes around with full movement control. Either way, you're triggering a powered-up state where her normal and charged attacks transform into wide, Cryo-based strikes with boosted damage and AoE. She even gains water-sprinting abilities during this state.

Elemental Skill: Havoc – Warp (Tap or Hold for Power)

Skirk’s Elemental Skill imitates "The Foul’s" combat style and has different effects based on whether you tap or hold:

▶️ Tap

Instantly grants 45 Serpent’s Subtlety stacks.
Activates Seven-Phase Flash Mode, changing her attacks into Cryo-based slashes with increased range and AoE.

⏩ Hold

Also grants 45 Serpent’s Subtlety.
Skirk enters a rapid movement state with enhanced interruption resistance.
You can fully control her movement and tap the skill again to cancel the dash early.

This versatile Skill sets the rhythm for her entire playstyle. Whether you want a quick burst or full mobility, Havoc – Warp gives you control.

Time is Power: Mastering Her Enhanced Mode

While in Seven Phase Flash, Serpent Subtlety is consumed over time. Once it's gone or if you switch her out, the state ends, and the skill goes on cooldown. Timing is crucial. Her charged attack becomes a wide Cryo spin attack that devastates grouped enemies and helps generate stacks, especially when paired with reactions.

Elemental Burst: Havoc – Ruin (No Energy Required!)

Unlike most characters, Skirk’s Burst doesn’t consume Elemental Energy. Instead, it uses her custom resource—Serpent’s Subtlety.

You need at least 50 Subtlety stacks to cast it.
Deals rapid AoE Cryo slashes, with bonus damage based on excess stacks (up to 62).
Great for nuking grouped enemies and triggering Cryo reactions.

But wait—it gets even more interesting when she’s in Seven-Phase Flash mode...

Alternate Burst: Havoc – Extinction (When in Flash Mode)

When in Seven-Phase Flash, Skirk’s Burst becomes Havoc: Extinction:

Doesn’t consume any Serpent’s Subtlety.
Triggers the All Shall Wither buff.
Buffed normal attacks every 0.1 seconds after landing hits.
Absorbing Void Rifts amplifies this bonus further (up to 10 hits total).

This version adds rhythm and risk to her DPS cycle—you’ll want to chain hits efficiently before the effect expires.

Passive Talents: The Heart of Her Synergy

Passive 1: Reason Beyond Reason

When teammates trigger Frozen, Superconduct, Cryo Swirl, or Cryo Crystallize, Void Rifts appear near enemies. Skirk can absorb these Rifts in three ways:

Charged attack in Seven-Phase Flash
Burst (Havoc: Extinction)
Holding her Skill while dashing

Each absorbed Rift restores 8 Subtlety stacks—letting her sustain her power longer.

Passive 2: Return to Oblivion

Synergy is key. If Hydro or Cryo teammates (excluding Skirk) deal elemental damage, she gains Death’s Crossing:

Max 3 stacks.
Each stack boosts her Seven-Phase Flash normal attack damage and Elemental Burst damage.
Scaling: 110% → 120% → 170% (Normals) and 105% → 115% → 160% (Burst)

This makes Skirk thrive in Cryo-Hydro teams with units like Furina, Yelan, Shenhe, or Ayaka.

Passive 3: Mutual Weapons Mentorship

If your party contains only Hydro and Cryo characters, with at least one of each, all party members gain +1 Elemental Skill Level.

Pair her with characters like Escoffier, Furina, Yelan, Neuvillette, Shenhe, or Citlali for maximum payoff.

Skirk's Constellations (Leaked Beta Info)

C1 – Far to Fall

Enhances her Passive Talent: Reason Beyond Reason.
After absorbing a Void Rift, Skirk summons a crystal blade that deals 500% ATK as Cryo DMG to nearby enemies.
Damage counts as Charged Attack DMG.

C2 – Into the Abyss

Grants +12 Serpent’s Subtlety after using Elemental Skill (Havoc: Warp).
Increases the Burst’s damage scaling limit by +12 Serpent’s Subtlety (over 50).
Boosts Normal Attack DMG by 60% during Seven-Phase Flash mode.

C3 – Serendipitous Sin

Increases Elemental Burst level by +3.
Max upgrade level: 15.

C4 – Fractured Flow

Enhances her Passive Talent: Return to Oblivion.
Each Death’s Crossing stack now also boosts ATK by 10%/20%/50% depending on stack count.

C5 – Wish Ender

Increases Elemental Skill level by +3.
Max upgrade level: 15.

C6 – To the Source

Void Rift absorption grants Havoc: Sever stacks (max 3, 15s duration each).
When using Elemental Burst:
- All Havoc: Sever stacks are consumed to launch a coordinated attack.
- Each stack deals 600% ATK as Cryo DMG (Burst DMG).
When using Normal Attacks in Seven-Phase Flash mode:
- On 3rd or 5th hit, 1 stack consumed to unleash 3 coordinated attacks, each dealing 150% ATK as Cryo DMG (Normal Attack DMG).
When Skirk takes damage in Seven-Phase Flash mode:
- 1 stack consumed to reduce the damage by 80% and retaliate with 3 Cryo attacks at 150% ATK each (Charged Attack DMG).

Ascension & Talent Materials – What You’ll Need

Talent Level-Up Materials

To max out all three of Skirk’s talents, you’ll need:

3x Crown of Insight
9x Teachings of Contention
18x Meshing Gear
18x Ascended Sample: Knight
63x Guide to Contention
66x Mechanical Spur Gear
93x Artificed Dynamic Gear
114x Philosophies of Contention
4,957,500 Mora

Character Ascension Materials

1x Shivada Jade Sliver
9x Shivada Jade Fragment
9x Shivada Jade Chunk
6x Shivada Jade Gemstone
18x Meshing Gear
30x Mechanical Spur Gear
36x Artificed Dynamic Gear
46x Ensnaring Gaze
168x Skysplit Gembloom
420,000 Mora

Final Thoughts: Is Skirk Worth Pulling?

With her stack-driven playstyle, reaction-based synergy, and no-energy Burst, Skirk stands apart from the typical Cryo DPS mold. She's perfect for players who love strategic combat, precise timing, and burst windows that feel incredibly satisfying when executed well.

If you are interested in building her, make sure to check our articles for a full build guide after the release!

More From Ifomex Gaming:

Escoffier Build Guide: https://ifomex.com/articles/genshin-impact-escoffier-guide---the-flavorful-future-of-cryo-meta