Zhongli |
Geo |
Polearm |
Liyue |
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Guides |
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Player Mistakes |
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In Genshin Impact, Zhongli is the Consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Hu Tao refers to him as the "walking encyclopedia", and it's not hard to see why. This dashing character has a deeper story than he initially shows. Eventually, Genshin Impact revealed Zhongli to be the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis himself (better known as Morax in Teyvat).
Zhongli has decided to live the life of a mortal, as he feels like he has finished his duty for Liyue, and so it's time to retire. Unfortunately for Zhongli, he won't be retiring from the player's team anytime soon. His flexibility and ease of use make the Geo Archon a great fit for any kind of team. However, players should still be strategic when using this character. Here are some examples of common mistakes players should avoid when using Zhongli.
Updated on February 2, 2022, by Nahda Nabiilah: With Zhongli having the second rerun in Genshin Impact 2.4, most players now have the Geo Archon in their roster. This character is too impeccable to miss, making his banner a success on every turn. However, this popularity also causes the developer to realize that he's overused. Because of this, many mobs now exist to counter Zhongli's shield. But considering many people still keep the Geo Archon in their party, one can assume that this effort hasn't gone very well so far. Even so, it's clear that there are now more mistakes players can do with Zhongli.
12 Not Using Tenacity Of The Millelith
In Genshin Impact 1.5, two new artifacts were released; Pale Flame and Tenacity of the Millelith. The former is currently the best-in-slot for Eula, while the latter is an excellent choice for many supports.
The two-piece of Tenacity grant +20% HP, a stat needed by many characters. For instance, Diona and Thoma, two of the most favored shield supports in Genshin Impact, can further strengthen their protection with the extra health. Meanwhile, the four-piece set buff the team's ATK by 20% for 3s each time the wearer's Elemental Skill deals damage.
Popular choices to wield the 4-Tenacity of the Millelith include Albedo, Kokomi, and of course, Zhongli. All three can constantly trigger the +20% ATK buff with their Elemental Skill damage. However, only Zhongli can easily benefit from the second effect of the set: increase the party's Shield Strength by 30%.
11 Using Zhongli Against Shield-Ignoring Effects
Ever since Zhongli was released, many people claimed to have forgotten how to dodge. Zhongli's unbreakable shield allows players to focus on brute-forcing the enemy without having to worry about damage. In recent versions, it's highly plausible that the developer is trying to reduce the viability of shields. To do so, Genshin Impact now has enemies that can ignore shields to trigger their effects.
For example, Corrosion debuff from the Rifthounds will periodically reduce the party's health, piercing through any shield. The Vishaps of Enkanomiya will also reduce HP if the unit has no Energy when hit by their Cleansing Shower. Other than that, effects like Sheer Cold or Blazing Heat will continuously lower the active character's health if it's left at maximum value.
In these cases, players should remember to have a healer in the team. For spenders, they can also opt to maximize Zhongli's Constellation, allowing him to be a minor healer along with a shielder.
10 Not Building Him On HP
Zhongli's main feature is his shield. With it, players can freely fight the enemies without worrying about getting damaged and staggering. However, it's important to note that Zhongli's shield scales with HP, unlike Noelle's and Xinyan's shields which scale with defense.
This means that players can't build the Geo Archon as both a DPS and a shielder. Although all of Zhongli's attacks scale with HP, building him with attack will always be better for DPS. Players need to choose a role for him, and in terms of Zhongli's potential, support build is the best choice.
9 Not Considering Black Tassel
Black Tassel is a 3-star Polearm in Genshin Impact that is often not accounted for because it has a niche passive and a rather useless sub stat. With this weapon, players will deal more damage to Slimes. Most players favor its cousin, White Tassel, which allows players will obtain Critical Rate through its sub stat and extra damage on Normal Attacks from its passive.
However, Black Tassel's sub stat is actually great for Zhongli. It grants him more HP, which means more shields. Players should consider using this Polearm if they wish to make their Zhongli a full-time support.
8 Underestimating His Stone Stele
When compared to other 5-star Geo units like Albedo, the damage of Zhongli's Elemental Skill clearly feels underwhelming. Unlike the Mondstadt Alchemist who can easily deal 20,000 damage in a massive AoE, Zhongli's ability has both low damage and a small range.
However, players should not underestimate this skill. If players use Zhongli with other Geo characters that can build a construct, this damage can quickly accumulate. Be careful, though, like other Geo constructs, Zhongli's Stele will be destroyed if it's summoned on top of a big enemy. Therefore, Travelers should be wary and ensure the Stele will appear next to the enemy instead.
7 Not Using His Hold Skill to Break Geo Shields
The Geo Archon's hold skill also breaks nearby Geo shields. Although the number is limited to two shields at one time, this can be extremely helpful. The shield destruction does not only apply to Hilichurl's shield, but to Large Geo Slimes and Geo Lawachurl as well.
Additionally, Zhongli's skill is the most efficient way to mine Ores, which are considered to contain Geo elements in them. Unlike with Geo shields, Ore mining with Zhongli's hold skill has no limitations.
6 Not Using His Shield to Reduce Resistance
This feature did not exist when Zhongli was released in Genshin Impact 1.1. However, after a huge uproar among the fans, miHoYo finally gave in and buffed this character. In 1.3, a buffed Zhongli was released with an awesome Resistance reduction debuff.
When a character using Zhongli's shield stands near an enemy, the opponent will have a 20% Resistance reduction against all kinds of damage, allowing players to do more lethal attacks. This effect has a decent AoE, but if players use a long-ranged unit like Ganyu or Yoimiya, there's a chance that they're way too far for this debuff to trigger.
5 Not Using His Burst For Safety Measures
Zhongli's Elemental Burst has a low energy requirement. With 40 Energy, players can abuse his burst for non-stop crowd control. In addition to decent damage, this Burst also does 4-second petrification, which means players will be safe from damage during that time.
Zhongli also has a rather long I-frame, a short window in which a character is invincible. This means players can use his burst as an emergency button to avoid incoming damage. Not all characters have an I-frame on their Elemental Burst, though; for example, Fischl can still take damage while merging with Oz. Luckily, when it comes to Zhongli, players shouldn't be shy about using this feature.
4 Not Considering Geo Resonance
In addition to buffs for Zhongli himself, Genshin Impact 1.3 also came with a rework on Geo Resonance. The Resonance was never bad, and in fact, it was better than Pyro Resonance. However, the effect can only be obtained if players are protected by a shield, which isn't practical.
With the update, Geo shields are now stronger, and the resonance also further enhances Geo damage. If players have an extra slot in their party, another Geo character would be an excellent addition to the team.
3 Using 2-Retracting Bolide
This is a common misconception among players. Since 2-Retracting Bolide allows players to have a 35% Stronger Shield, many believe that this set can be used on a support, and the effect will transfer to another character.
However, this is incorrect. Rather than enhancing a shield, 2-Retracting Bolide provides damage reduction instead. To put it simply, the set protects the wearer rather than enhancing the wearer's skill. This means that using 2-Retracting Bolide on Zhongli will only be beneficial for the Geo Archon himself, and not for the whole team.
2 Moving Straight Forward After Building His Stele
Another change that came with Genshin Impact 1.3 was how Zhongli's hold skill works. Previously, players had to use his hold skill, then use the unit's tap skill to create a Stone Stele. For practicality, this system is enhanced with his buff.
Now, when players use Zhongli's hold skill, a Stone Stele will be built in front of him (if existing Stele does not exceed the maximum quota). Players who move forward will find themselves climbing the construct, losing precious fighting time. Thus, it's crucial that players move to the side after casting Zhongli's hold skill. This way, they can avoid the stone, and comfortably get back into fighting enemies.
1 Not Constantly Refreshing His Shield
So far, Zhongli and Thoma are the only characters that can maintain a 100% uptime with their shield without weapon effects. The Geo Archon's skill has a 12-second Cooldown, but the shield's duration is 20 seconds.
It's understandable that some people may get overly comfortable with Zhongli's shield, but it's important to constantly refresh it. Players might have unknowingly taken damage, resulting in the shield falling to a low strength (Unfortunately, there's no way to keep track of the shield's current HP.) Refreshing Zhongli's shield constantly can make a huge difference in battles. Not only it will keep players' DPS safer, but it will also allow a more consistent Resistance reduction.
Genshin Impact is available on PS5, PS4, PC, and Mobile. A Nintendo Switch version is in development.
