Applicable version: 7.1 "Requiem for the Realm of the Dead" (live 2026-09-23)
Genshin Impact 7.1 second-half banners: timing and pull order
7.1 launched on 2026-09-23 with Vesna and Vodyanitsa in the first half, and the second half brings back Skirk and Escoffier. It looks like a four-way pick, but it is really two systems each locked to a pair, with character and weapon banners competing for the same resources.
Banners and weapon banner
The two second-half banners are Unreal Star Crossing for Skirk and Berry-Coloured Chanson for Escoffier, with the weapon banner featuring a one-handed sword and a polearm . Expect them around 10-13 and closing 11-03, subject to the in-game schedule.
Cost comparison across systems
| System | Core units | Starting investment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar Swirl (first half) | Vesna + Vodyanitsa | About 5 gold | New in 7.1, at its peak |
| Freeze (second half) | Skirk + Escoffier | About 2 gold | Rerun twice, late in cycle |
| Superconduct (Puppet) | Puppet core | Depends on roster | Competes for the same supports |
If your Superconduct team is already built, opening a Freeze project has limited marginal value because both teams want the same core supports .
Genshin Impact 7.1 Skirk mechanics: why Freeze is closed
Skirk is a Cryo one-handed sword on-field main DPS whose full damage depends heavily on Escoffier, because the team relies on Frozen to spawn Void Rifts and keep the rotation alive.
Escoffier's hard requirement
Escoffier's talent forbids Pyro, Electro or Geo characters in the team; adding one disables it outright . That constraint locks the Freeze team into a closed shell, which is why "flexible team building" is a myth in a Skirk line-up.
How big the drop is
Without Escoffier, the team loses close to 40 percent of its damage, and bosses that cannot be Frozen or are Cryo-immune push the ceiling down further . Both numbers matter because players often look only at Skirk's own panel and ignore the rotation dependency.
Genshin Impact 7.1 Skirk and Escoffier teams
| Team | Line-up | Roles | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze high-end | Skirk, Escoffier, Furina, Shenhe | Furina applies Hydro and drains HP for buffs, Escoffier applies Cryo, shreds and heals, Shenhe buffs, Skirk stays on field | Yelan for Shenhe |
| Standard Freeze | Skirk, Escoffier, Qiqi, Xingqiu | Double Cryo plus double Hydro for constant Frozen and reliable Rifts | Ayaka or Ganyu for the Cryo slot |
| Budget | Skirk plus a four-star Cryo and Hydro pair | Covers Frozen and shredding basics | First week after pulling Skirk |
High-end versus budget
The high-end rotation runs Furina EQ for Hydro and HP-drain buffs, Escoffier EQ to apply Cryo, shred and heal, Shenhe EQ for the buff, then Skirk on field with a charged attack every two normal-attack cycles to absorb later Rifts . The budget team focuses on constant Frozen rather than maximum buffs .
Substitutes and rotation
Without Shenhe, use Yelan for Hydro application or swap in Ganyu or Ayaka. One rotation note: before casting Skirk's tap skill into enhanced normal attacks and the burst into super-enhanced attacks, confirm three Void Rifts are on the field or you waste a burst stage.
Genshin Impact 7.1 Constellations versus signature
| Priority | Item | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Escoffier C0 | The must-have for Freeze; the system does not work without her |
| 2 | Skirk C2 | The breakpoint tier, better than the signature |
| 3 | Skirk signature | Only with budget, competes with C2 |
| 4 | Higher constellations | Max-investment goals, not value plays |
C2 before the signature
Skirk's C2 is the breakpoint tier and beats putting the same pulls into the weapon banner. Escoffier follows the same rule, and at C0 she already provides Cryo and Hydro resistance shred, off-field Cryo damage and team healing.
Who should skip
Players with a finished Puppet Superconduct team who just want one more option should skip: everything Skirk handles, Puppet usually handles too, and Freeze's long-term value is already low . The banner suits players who already have Furina or Shenhe and no Superconduct team.
Genshin Impact 7.1 resource planning
| Budget tier | Plan | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Escoffier C0 only | The minimum Freeze set-up |
| Medium | Escoffier C0 plus Skirk C2 | Best value combination |
| High | Then the signature and more constellations | Diminishing returns |
Primogem budget
At 1,600 Primogems per ten-pull, safely landing one five-star usually needs a reserve of about 18,000 . If you want both systems, lock one and send the other's resources to a later patch .
Priority against other systems
Other games are updating in the same window, so line up cross-game schedules against the Genshin 7.1 banners timeline and the Genshin character tier list on gghubs.com rather than spreading the budget three ways . To save more, take Escoffier only and grab Skirk on a later rerun.
Genshin Impact 7.1 second-half FAQ
Can Skirk work without Escoffier?
A: She can, but the team loses close to 40 percent of its damage without Escoffier .
Should I take Skirk C2 or the signature weapon?
A: C2 first. It is the breakpoint tier and beats the signature in value .
Can the Freeze team mix other elements?
A: No. Adding Pyro, Electro or Geo disables Escoffier's talent outright .
Genshin Impact 7.1 second-half action checklist
- Check whether you own Furina or Shenhe before starting Freeze from zero.
- On a limited budget, take Escoffier C0 first as the must-have.
- Prioritise Skirk C2 and leave the signature for later.
- Confirm three Void Rifts before casting the burst.
- Skip this banner if you already run Superconduct and save for later patches.