Summary
Having just had a rerun last patch,Genshin Impact’sZhongli has landed in many players' teams once more. Whether players know him as a retired archon, funeral parlor director, a Geo polearm user, or one the tankiest shields in-game, he’s become a staple in numerousGenshin Impactteam comps. With him being such a well-known character, no one can fault players for wanting to pull for and then use him, and they should know where to begin when he’s been acquired.
Sometimes, reading long talent descriptions can fry the brain. There’s so much to read and know when playing any given character, for some it can feel like defeat before a chance is even given to them. However, players who’ve just gotten their hands on Zhongli are in luck: he’s not hard to play at all.Zhongli’sGenshin Impactkit is very straightforward, and he’s easy to use without having to invest much in him at all.
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Breaking Down Zhongli’s Kit in Genshin Impact
Like every otherGenshin Impactcharacter,Zhongli has 3 levellable talents: normal attack, elemental skill, and elemental burst. In most teams, his normal attack is not used nor is it reccommended to use. His normal attack allows a 6-hit physical damage combo, but has very low-scaling. The final hit in the combo will do just over 100% of his attack at level 10 - which requires a lot of investment to reach. Overall, it’s best to avoid focusing on his normal attack.
His elemental skill is the bread and butter of his kit. Even the in-game “talent reference” (which takes data from all players who use him) puts his skill at number one priority for leveling. Just hitting the skill button once will drop a Stone Steele that does AOE Geo damage. However, holding his skill will not only produce a Stone Steele but also his Jade Shield.
His shield’s absorption (how good it will be at protecting the player) scales off of his health points, or HP. The higher his HP is, the better protected the player is. This, unlikeZhongli’s normal attack inGenshin Impact, has very high-scaling. At level 10, his shield will be 23% of his HP with an additional flat 2.7k HP added on. This may not sound like much initially, but with Zhongli being the unit with the second-highest base HP in-game, players already have a huge buff behind them. In addition to that, his passive talent “Resonant Waves” gives players the extra cushion of a potential 25% bonus shield strength when enemies attack.
His elemental burst is a helping hand for pressured players. For 3–4 seconds, depending on how high his talent level is, enemies in an AOE will be petrified. They will be unable to move and this gives players a moment to get reorganized or recast his shield when in a pinch. Though this damage scales off of his attack (with some help from his passive talent “Dominance of the Earth”, players can get an extra 33% damage based off his HP), it’s nothing to scoff at. While it might not be the most popular move to focus on his burst as a damage dealer, even when building him for full HP, his burst can do a sizable amount of damage. At level 10, his burst will do 900% of his attack.
Even without the numerous benefits his skill in particular has, at the base level,Zhongli offers players a shield. Shields are invaluable and free up a space on the team that a healer might have previously used. Unless the specific team comp calls for a healer whose particular kit is a better fit, Zhongli is a safe choice. He’s a tank-y shield and a good crutch for new players to lean on.
Genshin Impactis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5.
