Top Citlali Builds: Gear, Artifacts, Teams & Stats Guide

To effectively develop Citlali in Genshin Impact, it’s essential to grasp her function in team compositions and her gameplay mechanics. Citlali is a 5-star Cryo character who wields a catalyst. She debuted alongside Mavuika in Version 5.3, and her primary abilities focus on providing shields for her teammates and applying Cryo to enemies, paving the way for various elemental reactions within the game. Citlali’s Elemental Skill generates an Opal Shield when activated and summons Itzpapa.

Once Citlali has gathered a minimum of 50 Nightsoul points, Itzpapa activates a Frostfall Storm, unleashing Cryo damage in an area. Her Elemental Burst releases AoE Cryo damage aligned with Nightsoul and replenishes her Nightsoul points while summoning a Spiritvessel Skull. This summons a maximum of three Skulls targeting nearby enemies, with each Skull exploding to deal additional Cryo damage and restore a fixed number of Nightsoul points for her. After you collect Citlali’s materials and ascend her in Genshin Impact, you can proceed to optimize her build to maximize these skills.

Best Weapons for Citlali (Top Catalysts)

Focus on Catalysts that Enhance Elemental Mastery

The first step to optimizing Citlali’s setup is selecting the most suitable catalyst. Her best 5-star weapon is Starcaller’s Watch, her signature catalyst. This weapon has a modest base ATK (542 at level 90) but boasts a substantial Elemental Mastery sub-stat (265 at level 90). In addition to that, Starcaller’s Watch offers Citlali an extra 100 Elemental Mastery. When she creates a shield, players benefit from the Mirror of Night effect for the next 15 seconds. This effect allows the active character to deal 28% more damage to nearby foes, refreshing every 14 seconds.

Here’s a breakdown of the optimal builds for Citlali in Genshin Impact, listing the top weapons, recommended Artifacts, and preferred stat distribution:

Starcaller’s Watch is ideal for Citlali because it significantly boosts her Elemental Mastery, which is crucial for her kit as it affects her shield’s strength and the power of the elemental reactions she initiates. If Starcaller’s Watch isn’t available, A Thousand Floating Dreams is a viable alternative. This 5-star catalyst shares the same base ATK and Elemental Mastery stats, but functions differently, providing various buffs depending on the other members of the party.

If any character in the group also wields Cryo, Citlali’s Elemental Mastery increases by 32. If they possess a different element, her Elemental DMG Bonus increases by 10%. Each effect can stack up to three times. Additionally, A Thousand Floating Dreams grants 40 Elemental Mastery to all close allies. While this catalyst deviates from Citlali’s core abilities compared to Starcaller’s Watch, it still offers a considerable boost to her Elemental Mastery. In scenarios where neither of these catalysts is available, Citlali has reliable four-star options.

The top 4-star weapon for Citlali is Wandering Evenstar, featuring a base ATK of 510 and a lower Elemental Mastery sub-stat (165 at level 90). This catalyst activates every 10 seconds, allowing Citlali to gain 24% of her Elemental Mastery as an ATK bonus for 12 seconds. Nearby party members benefit from 30% of this buff, even triggering while Citlali is off-field. Given her high Elemental Mastery, both Citlali and her allies will see substantial ATK boosts.

Another option is Sacrificial Fragments, a 4-star catalyst with a lower base ATK (454 at level 90) but a better Elemental Mastery sub-stat (221 at level 90). It has a 40% chance to reset the cooldown of an ability after damaging an enemy with the Elemental Skill, which can trigger every 30 seconds.

While the ability to reset Skill cooldowns is beneficial, Sacrificial Fragments’ true strength lies in its Elemental Mastery sub-stat. For players seeking a F2P option, Mappa Mare is the best craftable 4-star catalyst for Citlali, with a higher base ATK (565 at level 90) but a lower Elemental Mastery sub-stat (110 at level 90). When Citlali triggers an elemental reaction, she gains an 8% Elemental DMG Bonus for 10 seconds, stackable up to two times. Although options for weapons can be limited, finding one that boosts Elemental Mastery is key in Genshin Impact.

Best Artifacts and Stats for Citlali

Two Solid Artifact Sets for the Cryo Character

When choosing Artifacts for Citlali, two strong sets are available. The Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City set offers a two-piece bonus that allows Citlali to regain 6 Elemental Energy when an ally triggers Nightsoul Burst, making it a complementary choice alongside Mavuika. With its four-piece bonus, when Citlali triggers a reaction, all nearby allies gain a 12% Elemental DMG Bonus for the involved element for 15 seconds. If she activates this while in the Nightsoul’s Blessing state, allies receive an additional 28% Elemental DMG boost for the involved elements for 20 seconds.

The other option is the Gilded Dreams Artifact set. Its two-piece bonus gives Citlali a solid boost of 80 Elemental Mastery. With the four-piece bonus, Citlali gains additional buffs based on her allies’ elements within eight seconds of triggering a reaction. For each ally with the same element (Cryo, in this case), her ATK rises by 14%, and for each different element, her Elemental Mastery increases by 50. Each of these buffs can stack up to three characters and can be triggered every eight seconds, even while she’s off-field.

When farming these Artifact sets for Citlali, aim to maximize her Elemental Mastery, as this enhances her shield’s potency and her elemental reaction damage. Elemental Mastery effects do not have a limit with Citlali’s abilities, so boosting this stat further is beneficial. Additionally, Energy Recharge is vital to replenish her Nightsoul points, increasing her damage output over time. For boosting her offensive presence, enhancing crit values and Cryo damage is useful, but focusing on Elemental Mastery will yield the best outcomes for Citlali in Genshin Impact.

Best Team Comps for Citlali

Citlali Excels in Freeze and Melt Teams

Citlali serves as a versatile Cryo shield for various team compositions. Her greatest potential shines in Freeze or Melt setups, where she can reduce enemies’ Pyro and Hydro resistance by 20% for 12 seconds after an ally triggers a Frozen or Melt reaction. Consequently, Citlali is an excellent support choice alongside characters like Neuvillette, Mualani, Arlecchino, or Mavuika in Genshin Impact.

Here’s a table of recommended team compositions for Citlali:

Using Citlali in other types of team compositions, such as Overloaded parties, isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. However, maximizing her potential in Freeze and Melt teams allows you to fully utilize her capacity to shred enemy Pyro and Hydro resistance. There are numerous setups she can fit into, but Freeze and Melt teams are the most effective.

Skill Priority for Citlali

Normal Attacks Can Be De-prioritized

Due to limited resources and slow farming, it’s crucial to prioritize which skills to enhance. Citlali’s Elemental Skill should take precedence since it generates her shield and deals consistent off-field Cryo damage. Next in line would be her Elemental Burst, as it contributes to enhancing her Skill damage. Citlali’s Normal Attacks are less important and can be skipped altogether, as she won’t be on the field dealing damage through normal attacks.

Citlali’s optimal configuration is relatively accessible given her straightforward stat requirements for maximum effectiveness. Building her without her signature weapon may be more complicated, but there are free-to-play options, albeit weaker than premium catalysts. While Citlali faces some restrictions in team selection, she can become one of the most powerful supports for Freeze and Melt compositions in Genshin Impact.