Best Build for Zhongli in Genshin Impact
polearm character in Genshin Impact. This guide covers the best builds, weapons and artifacts for Zhongli.Pros & Cons
- Strongest Shield
- Can eliminate the need for a dedicated healer
- Not dependent on Artifact Set bonuses
- Only needs HP% stats
- Tenacity of the Milelith has caveats
- Good Weapon selection
- Good Tactical value
- Many characters have synergy but not dependent
- Greatest floor-raiser in Genshin Impact
- Zhongli's value is extremely variable
- Lacks access to reactions that scale up his own damage
- Crystallize is not a great reaction
- While his Burst is low-cost his low energy generation is not helpful
- Teams optimized with Zhongli are teams that value the defensive option and have more than enough damage for the content
Skills
Normal Attack
Performs up to 6 consecutive spear strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to lunge forward, causing stone spears to fall along his path.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Every mountain, rock and inch of land is filled with the power of Geo, but those who can wield such powers freely are few and far between.
Press
Commands the power of earth to create a Stone Stele.
Hold
Causes nearby Geo energy to explode, causing the following effects:
- If their maximum number hasn't been reached, creates a Stone Stele.
- Creates a shield of jade. The shield's DMG Absorption scales based on Zhongli's Max HP.
- Deals AoE Geo DMG.
- If there are nearby targets with the Geo element, it will drain a large amount of Geo element from a maximum of 2 such targets. This effect does not cause DMG.
Stone Stele
When created, deals AoE Geo DMG.
Additionally, it will intermittently resonate with other nearby Geo constructs, dealing Geo DMG to surrounding opponents.
The Stone Stele is considered a Geo construct that can both be climbed and used to block attacks.
Only one Stele created by Zhongli himself may initially exist at any one time.
Jade Shield
Possesses 150% DMG Absorption against all Elemental and Physical DMG.
Characters protected by the Jade Shield will decrease the Elemental RES and Physical RES of opponents in a small AoE by 20%. This effect cannot be stacked.
Brings a falling meteor down to earth, dealing massive Geo DMG to opponents caught in its AoE and applying the Petrification status to them.
Petrification
Opponents affected by the Petrification status cannot move.
Passives
Refunds 15% of the ores used when Forging Polearm-type weapons.
When the Jade Shield takes DMG, it will Fortify:
Fortified characters have 5% increased Shield Strength.
Can stack up to 5 times, and lasts until the Jade Shield disappears.
Zhongli deals bonus DMG based on his Max HP:
- Normal Attack, Charged Attack, and Plunging Attack DMG is increased by 1.39% of Max HP.
- Dominus Lapidis' Stone Stele, resonance, and hold DMG is increased by 1.9% of Max HP.
- Planet Befall's DMG is increased by 33% of Max HP.
Constellations
Increases the maximum number of Stone Steles created by Dominus Lapidis that may exist simultaneously to 2.
Planet Befall grants nearby characters on the field a Jade Shield when it descends.
Increases the Level of Dominus Lapidis by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Increases Planet Befall's AoE by 20% and increases the duration of Planet Befall's Petrification effect by 2s.
Increases the Level of Planet Befall by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
When the Jade Shield takes DMG, 40% of that incoming DMG is converted to HP for the current character.
A single instance of regeneration cannot exceed 8% of that character's Max HP.
Ascension
| Rank | Level | Cost 
|
Materials | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 20,000 | ||||
| 2 | 40 | 40,000 |
 10 |
|||
| 3 | 50 | 60,000 |
20 |
|||
| 4 | 60 | 80,000 |
30 |
|||
| 5 | 70 | 100,000 |
45 |
|||
| 6 | 80 | 120,000 |
60 |
|||
Teams
For a detailed breakdown of the best Zhongli teams go to the Zhongli team guide page.
Builds
Shield Support Build
While Zhongli's shield provides a universal 20% RES shred, the overall value of that shred isn't much more than the damage of another DPS support. Zhongli's animations can cost a lot of field time and have split-scaling; this means at normal investments, its better to fully invest into Zhongli's shielding rather than to split your resources trying to get some damage.
Skill
At normal investments, your priority is to make his shield as powerful as possible.
Main stats: HP/HP/HP
Substats: HP/ER/Crit Rate
Crit is a good but expensive stat, and goes up in priority when you want to upgrade Zhongli's build. Crit Rate circlet is perfectly fine if you're running Favonius Lance.
WeaponsGreat weapon for a low-investment tank Zhongli since it is a F2P 3★ weapon, so leveling it up is relatively cheap.
A fairly expensive option as you need Crit Rate for its consistency. This benefits the whole whole team since Zhongli doesn't have great particle generation.
Luxury option for extra HP, but not really recommended on a low investment shieldbot Zhongli.
ArtifactsWith HP% main stats, Zhongli usually doesn't need set bonuses. 4PC Tenacity can make his shield unnecessarily tanky, while providing a 20% ATK bonus to the team. This can be expensive to farm though.
It can be a little hard maintaining the 4PC effect since Zhongli has to pick up the crystallize shield himself, but the 4PC effect along with Zhongli's 20% RES shred makes him similar to a 4PC VV support. Do not take this set if he is supporting a Geo, Anemo, or Physical DPS.
Physical DPS Build
Zhongli's personal damage isn't inherently great but this build utilizes his strong Normal Attacks and their animations by using Crescent Pike. His A4 talent does make his Physical damage benefit from HP so HP substats shouldn't be as frustrating.
Skill > Normal Attack
With Crescent Pike the damage you deal is more dependent on your raw stats rather than your talent multipliers so even though it is the focus of this build, you don't need to worry about investment.
Main stats: ATK/Physical DMG/Crit
Substats: Crit/ATK/HP
As we focus on damage in this build, we bump the priority of offensive stats but must not neglect the value of HP. HP improves his shield uptime (20% RES shred) and his normal attack damage.
WeaponsZhongli synergizes very well with the Crescent Pike's passive, and this F2P weapon can easily outperform even 5★ weapons.
Although these weapons provide a ton of raw stats to Zhongli, they still are inferior to Crescent Pike. These should only be taken if you are unwilling to craft the Crescent Pike.
Artifacts4PC Pale Flame is very powerful on Zhongli. The pillar placed when using his skill constantly pulses and can keep the 4PC effect active, maximizing his damage output.
2PC Pale Plame/Bloodstained Chivalry is a cheaper option to build. Though it is slightly weaker, the 50% Physical DMG bonus is unconditional.
4PC Gladiator is more accessible early into the game, but it does not synergize with Crescent Pike since it only buffs Normal Attacks.
A more defensive version of 4PC Gladiator but it has the same problem with Crescent Pike.
A more offensive version of 4PC Gladiator but it has the same problem with Crescent Pike.
These 2PC set combinations are easier to farm but provide less damage. Pale Flame and Bloodstained Chivalry should be prioritized.
Burst Support Build
This build is mainly enabled by Staff of Homa. It solves Zhongli's "split-scaling" by converting % of his HP into raw ATK stat as well as providing lots of HP% for his shielding and Crit value for more damage. You can use this build without Staff of Homa but you sacrifice Shield power for damage making him less of a Support and more of a Burst Nuke Build.
Homa: Skill > Burst
Else: Burst = Skill
Reminder that Zhongli's value really comes from his shielding, but for this build, we invest into Zhongli's Burst.
Homa Stats: HP/Geo/Crit
Main Stats: ATK/Geo/Crit
Substats: Crit/ATK/HP/ER
Zhongli will miss out on a lot of HP% so keep in mind that your shield will not be as strong. Stacking ER isn't important since his burst cost is low, but he does need a battery to provide energy.
WeaponsThese 5★ weapons provide a ton of raw stats, boosting Zhongli's damage.
The ER helps Zhongli recharge his burst and powers up the 4PC Emblem effect.
Though these weapons provide great ATK and Crit, their passives have to be carefully maintained to be effective.
ArtifactsProvides the most damage assuming Zhongli has some ER stats.
This set combination provides less damage but is easier to farm. If Zhongli has less than 140 ER, this combination actually does more damage than 4PC Emblem.
The utility from this set is very valuable especially on Zhongli. Only recommended if there is no other 4PC Noblesse user in the team.
