Wriothesley, a highly anticipated character in Genshin Impact, is a Cryo 5-star from Fontaine. His unique playstyle and abilities make him stand out from the crowd, and players are eager to build him properly to take advantage of his strengths. In this guide, we’ll explore the best weapon options, artifacts, teams, and strategies to make Wriothesley Build a formidable force in your party.
Who is Wriothesley in Genshin Impact?
Wriothesley is a Cryo Polearm user with a strong affinity for both physical and elemental damage. His kit allows him to deal consistent Cryo damage and set up powerful reactions, making him a versatile DPS option. Unlike other Cryo characters who rely heavily on freeze compositions, Wriothesley can fit into a variety of team setups.
Wriothesley’s Abilities Overview
Before diving into the best builds, let’s briefly go over his abilities:
- Normal Attack – Icy Talon: Performs up to five consecutive polearm strikes, dealing physical damage.
- Elemental Skill – Frost Surge: Wriothesley dashes forward, dealing Cryo damage and leaving a trail of icy wind that deals AoE Cryo damage to enemies.
- Elemental Burst – Arctic Command: Summons a large wave of Cryo energy, dealing massive AoE Cryo damage. This burst can be a game-changer in crowd control situations.
With this kit in mind, you want to focus on enhancing his Cryo damage output while maintaining a balance of physical and elemental DPS. Let’s explore how you can maximize his potential.
Best Weapon Choices for Wriothesley Build
Choosing the right weapon for Wriothesley Build will drastically impact his performance. Here are the top options:
- Primordial Jade Winged Spear (5-Star)
- Primary Stat: Crit Rate
- Secondary Effect: Increases attack by 3.2% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 7 times.
This spear is considered one of the best options for Wriothesley, as it boosts his Crit Rate and provides additional attack power with every hit. Since he performs consecutive hits with his abilities and normal attacks, this weapon ensures consistent DPS.
- Staff of Homa (5-Star)
- Primary Stat: Crit Damage
- Secondary Effect: Increases HP and grants an ATK bonus based on max HP when HP is below 50%.
For players who prefer a hybrid approach focusing on both survivability and damage, Staff of Homa is an excellent choice. Its Crit Damage scaling complements Wriothesley’s high burst potential.
- Deathmatch (4-Star)
- Primary Stat: Crit Rate
- Secondary Effect: Increases ATK when there are at least two enemies nearby.
Deathmatch is a more accessible option that still works well with Wriothesley’s kit. It provides a solid Crit Rate bonus and additional attack when in the middle of fights, ensuring you’re always dishing out damage.
- The Catch (4-Star)
- Primary Stat: Energy Recharge
- Secondary Effect: Increases Elemental Burst Damage.
If you’re focused on optimizing Wriothesley’s burst damage, The Catch is a free-to-play friendly option that also helps with Energy Recharge. It’s an excellent choice for players who want to ensure his burst is always available.
Best Artifacts for Wriothesley
To get the most out of Wriothesley, you’ll need to select the right artifact set that complements his playstyle. Here are the top recommendations:
- Blizzard Strayer (4-Piece)
- 2-Piece Bonus: Cryo DMG Bonus +15%
- 4-Piece Bonus: Increases Crit Rate by 20% against enemies affected by Cryo. If the enemy is frozen, Crit Rate increases by an additional 20%.
The Blizzard Strayer set is the best option for Wriothesley if you’re running him in a freeze team composition. The Crit Rate bonuses allow you to focus on Crit Damage for your weapon and substats, resulting in huge damage spikes.
- Gladiator’s Finale (4-Piece)
- 2-Piece Bonus: ATK +18%
- 4-Piece Bonus: Increases Normal Attack damage by 35% if the wielder uses a sword, claymore, or polearm.
Gladiator’s Finale is great for those who want to boost Wriothesley’s physical damage, particularly his normal attacks. This set pairs well with his consistent damage output from both normal and charged attacks.
- Shimenawa’s Reminiscence (4-Piece)
- 2-Piece Bonus: ATK +18%
- 4-Piece Bonus: When casting an Elemental Skill, if the character has 15 or more Energy, they lose 15 Energy and normal/charged/plunging attack damage is increased by 50% for 10 seconds.
This set is ideal for players looking to focus on Wriothesley’s normal attack damage after using his skill. It synergizes well with high Crit builds, allowing for significant DPS boosts in extended fights.
Artifact Stat Prioritization:
- Main Stats:
- Sands: ATK% or Energy Recharge
- Goblet: Cryo DMG Bonus
- Circlet: Crit Rate or Crit Damage
- Substats:
- Crit Rate / Crit Damage
- ATK%
- Energy Recharge
- Elemental Mastery (if focusing on reaction-based teams)
Best Teams for Wriothesley Build
Wriothesley Build is versatile and can fit into several team compositions depending on how you want to utilize him. Here are some top team options:
- Permafreeze Team: This team focuses on freezing enemies to gain massive Crit Rate bonuses from the Blizzard Strayer set.
- Main DPS: Wriothesley
- Sub-DPS: Xingqiu or Mona (Hydro)
- Support: Diona (Cryo), Venti (Anemo)
- Flex Slot: Any healer or buffer
- Superconduct Team: A team focused on reducing enemy physical resistance with Superconduct reactions.
- Main DPS: Wriothesley
- Sub-DPS: Fischl (Electro)
- Support: Zhongli (Geo), Diona (Cryo)
- Flex Slot: Bennet (Pyro) for healing and ATK boost
- Cryo Hypercarry: A team dedicated to maximizing Wriothesley’s Cryo damage output.
- Main DPS: Wriothesley
- Sub-DPS: Shenhe (Cryo)
- Support: Kazuha (Anemo), Zhongli (Geo)
How to Play Wriothesley Effectively
- Use Elemental Skill Often: Wriothesley’s Elemental Skill should be used to dash through enemies, dealing Cryo damage while positioning yourself for follow-up attacks.
- Maximize Elemental Burst Damage: Build up your Energy Recharge to ensure Wriothesley’s Elemental Burst is always ready. This burst deals a huge amount of AoE Cryo damage and is crucial for high-damage rotations.
- Trigger Cryo Reactions: Since Cryo reactions like Freeze and Superconduct are integral to maximizing Wriothesley’s damage, ensure you’re pairing him with Hydro or Electro characters to consistently trigger these effects.
- Positioning and Dodging: As a polearm user, Wriothesley has a quick attack animation. Take advantage of his mobility to dodge enemy attacks and reposition during fights.
Conclusion
Wriothesley is a highly adaptable DPS character who can excel in various team compositions. By equipping him with the right weapons, artifacts, and teams, you can unlock his full potential. Whether you focus on his Cryo damage or his normal attacks, Wriothesley will be a valuable addition to any Genshin Impact team.
For players looking to invest in a Cryo DPS, Wriothesley is a great option. With this guide, you should be well-prepared to build him into a powerhouse capable of tackling the toughest content in the game.