Zhongli, also known as the God of Contracts, is an incredibly popular character in Genshin Impact, primarily due to his outstanding shielding abilities. At present, he is considered the best shielder in the game, and his versatility allows him to be used as a Support, Burst DPS, DPS, or Sub-DPS character. This is why we have placed Zhongli in the S-Tier of our Genshin Impact character tier list. Zhongli, or Rex Lapis, used to be the ruler of Liyue and the protector of the nation’s contracts for centuries. However, he now lives as a mortal, wandering the streets of Liyue, having entrusted the nation to its people. Whether you already have Zhongli or plan to pull for him, here is our Zhongli guide with some of the best builds for him in Genshin Impact.
Zhongli Talents and Passives in Genshin Impact
In case you’re not familiar, Zhongli is a Geo character who wields a Polearm as his weapon to deal damage. Here’s an overview of Zhongli’s abilities and what he brings to your team.
Zhongli Talents
Zhongli’s Normal Attack, “Rain of Stone,” consists of six consecutive strikes that deal physical damage. His charged attack has a unique animation where he lunges forward, creating stones during the attack. The plunging attack is similar to other characters, inflicting AoE damage.
His Elemental Skill, “Dominus Lapidis,” summons a stone pillar that lasts for 30 seconds, dealing damage upon creation and continuous AoE Geo damage while on the field. Holding the skill releases both the stone pillar (up to two can be active simultaneously) and a jade shield. The shield’s damage absorption depends on Zhongli’s max HP and has 150% damage absorption against all elemental and physical damage. Additionally, it reduces the Elemental Resistance of enemies in a small area by 20%.
Zhongli’s Elemental Burst has two functions: dealing heavy damage to enemies with a meteor and applying Petrification, causing enemies to turn to stone and be frozen for four seconds.
Zhongli Passives
Zhongli’s first passive, “Resonant Waves,” provides a valuable shield enhancement. When the Jade Shield takes damage, it gains the “fortify” effect, increasing the shield’s strength by 5% with each hit. This effect can stack up to a maximum of 5 times and persists until the shield disappears, making his shield even more durable during battles.
Zhongli’s second passive, “Dominance of Earth,” enhances his Elemental Burst by adding extra damage. Specifically, this passive causes his Elemental Burst to deal additional damage equal to 33% of his Max HP. This bonus damage can significantly increase his burst damage output, making it advantageous to stack HP on him using artifacts to maximize its effect.
Zhongli’s last passive, “Acranum of Crystal,” provides a useful benefit for crafting Polearm weapons. It refunds 15% of the ores used when Zhongli crafts a Polearm weapon, which can save resources when forging new weapons for your characters.
Zhongli’s ascension and talent level-up materials are tied to Liyue. Some of the essential materials for his ascension are the Basalt Pillar, obtained from the Geo Hypostasis, and the Tusk of Monoceros Caeli, acquired by defeating Childe in his Trounce Domain. If you have other Childe materials like “Shard of Foul Legacy” or “Shadow of the Warrior,” you can craft Tusk of Monoceros Caeli using Dream Solvent.
Talent Level-Up and Ascension Materials for Zhongli
As Zhongli hails from Liyue, he requires materials for Ascension and Talent Level-up that are exclusive to the region. Some of the essential materials for his Ascension include Basalt Pillar, which can be acquired by defeating the Geo Hypostasis, and Tusk of Monoceros Caeli, obtainable by vanquishing Childe in his Trounce Domain. If you possess the other Childe materials, “Shard of Foul Legacy” or “Shadow of the Warrior,” you can craft Tusk of Monoceros Caeli using Dream Solvent.
Ascension Materials for Zhongli in Genshin Impact
Materials Required to Level Up Zhongli’s Talents
For talent level-up priority, it’s recommended to focus on Zhongli’s Elemental Skill (Dominus lapidis) first, followed by his Elemental Burst (Planet Befall), and his Normal Attack. Zhongli excels as a shielder, support, and sub-DPS character, with his shield being the key to his potential and primary utility in the game.
Optimal Builds for Zhongli in Genshin Impact
The best build for Zhongli involves using the 4-Piece Tenacity of the Millelith artifact set along with the weapon Staff of Homa. Given that Zhongli’s talents scale with his HP, it’s essential to prioritize HP% on all three artifact types: Sands, Goblet, and Circlet. This setup will make his shield very durable, and his Elemental Burst will deal significant damage, especially with his Talent “Dominance of Earth,” which boosts Elemental Burst damage by 33% of his Max HP.
While Staff of Homa is an excellent choice, there are other polearms that work well with Zhongli due to the variety available in the game. However, none surpass the Staff of Homa in terms of performance. Here are the recommended stats for Zhongli.
The 4-Piece Tenacity of the Millelith artifact set is great for a support Zhongli. If you want to build him as a sub-DPS, you can consider substituting 2-Piece Noblesse Oblige for 2-Piece Millelith. The 2-Piece Noblesse Oblige set adds a valuable 20% extra Elemental Burst Damage. If you lack suitable Noblesse Oblige artifacts, you can replace it with the 2-Piece Archaic Petra set, which grants Zhongli 15% Geo damage, making it a great choice for Burst DPS.
Top Weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact
The Vortex Vanquisher is Zhongli’s designated weapon, the Staff of Homa stands out as a superior choice for him. While the Vortex Vanquisher can work well with Zhongli, the Staff of Homa is a top-tier weapon that not only complements Hu Tao, its intended user, but also synergizes nicely with Zhongli and many other characters in Genshin Impact.
1. Staff of Homa – Top Weapon for Zhongli
The Staff of Homa is one of the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact. It has a solid base attack and scales with Crit Damage. However, what truly sets this spear apart are its passives, which are highly synergistic with Zhongli’s abilities. It increases a character’s HP by 20%, provides an attack bonus based on the character’s max HP, and, when the character’s HP drops below 50%, grants an additional attack bonus based on max HP. These effects align perfectly with Zhongli’s playstyle, enhancing both his damage output and shield strength.
2. Vortex Vanquisher
While not the absolute best weapon for Zhongli, the Favonius Lance is still a viable option. It boasts a base attack of 608 and a sub-stat of 49.6% attack, though the sub-stat isn’t particularly useful for Zhongli. What makes this weapon appealing are its passives. The Golden Majesty passive increases Zhongli’s shield strength by 20% and provides an attack bonus of 4% for 8 seconds (stacking up to 5 times). When Zhongli is shielded, this attack bonus effect is doubled to 40% in total for 5 stacks. This weapon complements Zhongli’s shielding abilities and provides a boost to his attack when protected by a shield.
3. Black Tassel – Top F2P Weapon for Zhongli
Black Tassel, while often overlooked due to its three-star rating, is actually an excellent free-to-play weapon for Zhongli. Since Zhongli’s strength and shield capabilities are tied to his HP, this weapon is a great choice for characters that rely on HP scaling. In this regard, it’s one of the top weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact.
Honorable Mentions:
- Primordial Jade Winged-Spear
- Favonius Lance
- The Skyward Spine
Zhongli Best Team Compositions in Genshin Impact
Zhongli is a versatile character who can fit into various team compositions, particularly those featuring on-field DPS characters that engage closely with enemies or those who rely on sacrificing HP for damage. Here are some of the best team compositions for Zhongli in Genshin Impact.
Hu Tao Team
- Hu Tao (DPS)
- Xingqiu (Support)
- Zhongli (Burst DPS, Shielder)
- Kazuha (Crowd control) (Substitutes: Bennett for Attack buff and healing)
Raiden Shogun Team
- Raiden Shogun (DPS, Battery)
- Zhongli (sub-DPS)
- Bennett (Attack Buff and Healer)
- Kazuha (Crowd control)
Geo Mono Team
- Zhongli (DPS/sub-DPS/Support)
- Albedo (sub-DPS)
- Ningguang (DPS/sub-DPS)
- Gorou (Buff) (Substitute: Yun Jin)
Ayaka Team
- Ayaka (DPS)
- Yelan (Support)
- Zhongli (sub-DPS)
- Kazuha (Crowd Control)
Are Zhongli’s Constellations a Worth?
While it’s true that all five-star characters are generally strong even without their constellations, unlocking constellations can significantly enhance a character’s abilities and versatility. So, while Zhongli is effective at C0, unlocking his constellations can make him even more powerful and versatile.
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