The Definitive Build & Analysis

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Cryo
Weapon	Claymore
Best Role	Physical / Shatter DPS
CV Priority	CRIT > ATK% > ER
Tier	B (Niche Physical)

Freminet is a diver from Fontaine who utilizes a unique "Pressure" mechanic. Unlike Eula, who focuses purely on raw Physical damage, Freminet encourages a mix of Cryo and Physical damage, specifically incentivizing the Shatter reaction (breaking frozen enemies) to buff his skills.

Pros

Unique playstyle blending Cryo and Physical damage.
Makes the "Shatter" reaction actually viable.
Excellent synergy with off-field Hydro (Xingqiu/Yelan).
Very F2P friendly (Craftable weapon is his 4-star BiS).

Cons

Lower damage ceiling than Eula or Hyperbloom teams.
Dependent on Shatter (requires Hydro + Freeze).
Fragile interruption resistance without a shield/Xingqiu.
Single-target focused; struggles in heavy AoE.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact: 4pc Pale Flame (Physical BiS).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Golden Troupe (Skill DMG focus).
Best Weapon: Beacon of the Reed Sea (5⭐) or Song of Broken Pines.
F2P Weapon: Tidal Shadow (Craftable - R5 is amazing) or Snow-Tombed Starsilver.
Support Weapon: Serpent Spine (BP - Critical Rate stick).
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% | GOBLET: Physical DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT Rate/DMG.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill > Normal Attack > Elemental Burst.
Top Team: Freminet + Xingqiu + Fischl + Mika (Shatter-Conduct).

Pro Tip: When Freminet's helmet is on (Skill Active), do NOT just spam attack. You want to weave Normal Attacks until you see "Pressure Level 4" (the gauge fills up), then press E again to unleash a massive Physical hit.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Romaritime Flower	Underwater in Fontaine (Salacia Plain)
Boss Drop	Artificed Spare Clockwork Component	Coppelius (Icewind Suite - Fontaine)
Talent Books	Teachings of Justice	Pale Forgotten Glory (Tue/Fri/Sun)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Pressurized Floe

Pers Timer: Upon casting, Freminet summons Pers and enters the "Pers Timer" for 10s. During this time, his Normal Attacks deal Cryo DMG and increase his Pressure Level.
Level 0-3 (Cryo): If you press E again early, he deals Cryo DMG.
Level 4 (Physical): If you hit Normal Attack 4 times (filling the gauge), Pers unleashes a massive Physical DMG shockwave. This is his main damage source.

Elemental Burst: Shadowhunter's Ambush

Cost: 60 Energy | Cooldown: 15s
Subnautic Hunter Mode: Resets Skill Cooldown immediately. Reduces Skill Cooldown by 70% for 10s.
Hyper-Speed: Normal Attacks now grant 2 Pressure Stacks instead of 1. This means you only need 2 hits to reach Level 4 Pressure.

Passive: Saturation Deep Dive

Shatter Synergy: If Freminet triggers Shatter (breaking freeze with Claymore), his Skill DMG increases by 40%. This incentivizes bringing a Hydro character to keep enemies Frozen before you smash them.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Skill (Level 10) - The Shattering Pressure damage is here.
Normal Attack (Level 9) - You weave these constantly.
Elemental Burst (Level 8) - Boosts rotation speed.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Freminet needs his Burst to maximize his DPS window (reducing Skill CD). Do not neglect ER.

Constellation	Team Context	ER Requirement
C0 - C1	Double Cryo (w/ Mika/Rosaria)	130% - 150%
C2+	Double Cryo	110% - 130%
Any	Solo Cryo (Not Recommended)	160%+

Substat Priority:

CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (Target 60/120+)
ATK%
Energy Recharge (Until requirement met)
Elemental Mastery (Only incidental for Shatter damage, don't focus it)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Pale Flame	BiS	Provides 50% Physical DMG and 18% ATK. Freminet can stack this easily due to his low skill cooldown in Burst mode.
4pc Golden Troupe	Skill DMG	Massive +70% Skill DMG. His "Shattering Pressure" nuke counts as Elemental Skill DMG. A very strong contender.
4pc Blizzard Strayer	Cryo Meme	Only use if playing "Cryo Freminet" with Chongyun infusion. Not recommended for standard play.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Beacon of the Reed Sea	CRIT Rate	S+	Highest raw stats. Freminet is often unshielded to trigger Shatter, so he can activate the passive easily.
Serpent Spine (R5)	CRIT Rate	S	BP Weapon. Requires a shielder (Layla/Zhongli) or careful play to maintain stacks.
Tidal Shadow (R5)	ATK%	S (F2P)	Fontaine Craftable. Massive ATK boost when healed. Since you run him with a healer (Mika/Kuki), this is consistent.
Snow-Tombed Starsilver	Phys DMG	A	Aesthetically perfect, but generally weaker than Tidal Shadow R5 due to the passive being unreliable.

Constellation Value

Freminet is a 4-star, so aiming for constellations is realistic over time.

C1: Dreams of the Seething Deep - (Crit) Pressurized Floe: Shattering Pressure CRIT Rate increased by 15%. Makes building him much easier.
C2: Penguins and the Land of Plenty - (Energy) Using Shattering Pressure restores 2 Energy. Allows you to drop ER substats for more ATK/Crit.
C6: Moment of Waking and Resolve - (Damage) After triggering Freeze, Superconduct, or Shatter, CRIT DMG increases by 12% (Max 3 stacks = 36% CD). Massive damage boost.

Verdict: C2 makes him comfortable. C6 makes him competitive.

Top Team Compositions

1. Shatter-Conduct (Physical)

Main DPS: Freminet
Hydro: Xingqiu / Yelan / Furina
Electro: Fischl / Kuki Shinobu
Support: Mika (Phys Buff/Heal)

Why it works: Hydro + Cryo freezes enemies. Electro + Cryo creates Superconduct (Phys Shred). Freminet breaks the freeze (Shatter), boosting his E damage. Mika heals and buffs Phys speed/damage.

2. Hyperfridge

Driver: Freminet
Dendro: Nahida / Baizhu
Hydro: Xingqiu / Yelan
Electro: Kuki Shinobu (Full EM)

Why it works: Freminet triggers Shatter on frozen enemies while Kuki triggers Hyperbloom on the seeds generated by Hydro+Dendro. Freminet's Cryo preserves the Dendro aura (Fridge), generating more seeds than usual.

Rotations & Combos

Burst Rotation:
Supports Setup > Freminet Q > E > N2 (Normal x2) > E (Shattering Pressure) > Repeat.

Note: Under his Burst (Q), Freminet gains 2 Pressure stacks per hit. This means you only need 2 Normal Attacks to reach Level 4 Pressure, instead of the usual 4. This speeds up his nuke cycle significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is he better than Eula?
Generally, no. Eula has a much higher damage ceiling with her Burst. However, Freminet's damage is more consistent (frontloaded on Skill) and he doesn't suffer as much if enemies teleport away.

Do I build EM for Shatter?
No. Shatter damage is nice, but it's not high enough to justify sacrificing ATK/Crit. Build him like a standard DPS; let the Shatter just be a bonus that triggers his passive buffs.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

The Immutable Stone: The Ultimate Zhongli Guide (2025 Edition)

While the meta shifts constantly, Zhongli remains the "CEO of Geo" and the gold standard for comfort in Genshin Impact. He doesn't just shield you; he fundamentally changes the difficulty of the game. Whether you are protecting a glass-cannon like Arlecchino or enabling Neuvillette to attack without interruption, Zhongli is the timeless pick that never fails.

1. The Secret Power: "Universal Shred"

Most players pull Zhongli for the shield, but his hidden power is offensive.

The Effect: While the Jade Shield is active, enemies within a small radius lose 20% Elemental and Physical Resistance.
Why It’s Broken: This is one of the only reliable ways to shred Anemo, Geo, Dendro, and Physical resistance. It stacks with artifact sets like Deepwood Memories or Viridescent Venerer, making him a universal damage booster for any DPS.

2. Ascension & Farming Guide

To maximize shield strength, you generally want to push Zhongli to Level 90. Below is the exact breakdown of what you need for every stage of his growth.

Phase-by-Phase Ascension Table

Ascension Phase	Level Cap	Mora	Prithiva Topaz (Gems)	Basalt Pillar (Boss)	Cor Lapis (Local)	Slime (Enemy)
Phase 1	Level 20	20,000	1x Sliver	—	3x	3x Condensate
Phase 2	Level 40	40,000	3x Fragment	2x	10x	15x Condensate
Phase 3	Level 50	60,000	6x Fragment	4x	20x	12x Secretions
Phase 4	Level 60	80,000	3x Chunk	8x	30x	18x Secretions
Phase 5	Level 70	100,000	6x Chunk	12x	45x	12x Concentrate
Phase 6	Level 80	120,000	6x Gemstone	20x	60x	24x Concentrate
Total (Lv. 90)	90	420,000	6x Gemstone (+lower)	46x	168x	36x Concentrate (+lower)

Quick Farming Locations

Basalt Pillar: Dropped by the Geo Hypostasis in Guyun Stone Forest, Liyue.
Cor Lapis: Found on cliffs throughout Liyue. Best farming spot is Mt. Hulao.
Talent Books: "Gold" series (Taishan Mansion - Wed/Sat/Sun).

3. Weapon Analysis: The Definitive Tier List

Zhongli's weapon choice depends entirely on whether you want him to be a Shieldbot (maximum survival) or a Burst Support (dropping 100k+ meteors).

Shield Support (The "Comfort" Build)

Rank	Weapon	Why it's the best
SSS	Black Tassel (3★)	The King of Shields. Provides 46.9% HP—more than any 4-star. Cheap to upgrade. Do not refine.
SS	Favonius Lance (4★)	The Team Player. Generates energy for the team. Essential for energy-hungry DPS units. Requires ~40% Crit Rate.
S	Dialogues of the Desert Sages (4★)	The HP Runner-up. Event exclusive. 41.3% HP. Excellent if you own it, but unobtainable if you missed the event.
A	Rightful Reward (4★)	The Backup. Craftable HP% spear. Use only if you deleted your Black Tassels.

Burst Support / Hybrid (The "Nuke" Build)

Rank	Weapon	Why it's the best
SSS	Staff of Homa (5★)	Best in Slot. Massive Crit DMG + HP boost. Allows for strong shields AND high damage simultaneously.
S	"The Catch" (4★)	Best F2P Damage. Boosts Burst DMG and Crit Rate significantly.
A	Wavebreaker's Fin (4★)	The Burst Specialist. At high refinements, this outperforms many 5-stars for pure Meteor damage in energy-hungry teams.
A	Deathmatch (4★)	The Consistency King. Battle Pass weapon. Huge Crit Rate boost makes balancing your artifact stats incredibly easy.

⚠️ Trap Warning: Avoid Vortex Vanquisher. Despite being his signature weapon, it provides ATK% which does not help his shield. Stick to Black Tassel or Homa.

4. The Build: Artifacts & Stats

Option A: The "Shieldbot" (Recommended)

Aims for 50,000+ HP. Zero skill required; just hold E and become invincible.

Artifacts: 4-Piece Tenacity of the Millelith (+20% HP, +ATK for team).
Main Stats: HP% Sands / HP% Goblet / HP% Circlet.

Option B: The "Support Hybrid"

Aims for a strong shield but also heavy Burst damage.

Artifacts: 4-Piece Emblem of Severed Fate or Noblesse Oblige.
Main Stats: HP% Sands / Geo DMG Goblet / Crit Rate or DMG Circlet.

5. How to Play: Mechanics & Tips

Hold E vs. Tap E: Always Hold E. Tapping only creates a pillar; Holding creates the Shield AND the pillar.
Pillar Placement: Aim slightly to the side when fighting bosses. If you cast the pillar inside a boss's hitbox, it will break instantly.
The "Microwave": Place his pillar near other Geo constructs (like Chiori's dolls) to chain resonant Geo damage pulses.

6. Top Team Compositions (Version 5.x)

The "Bond of Life" Savior (Arlecchino)

Team: Arlecchino + Yelan + Bennett + Zhongli

Arlecchino cannot be healed in combat. Zhongli is mandatory to prevent her from being one-shot, while his Universal Shred boosts her Pyro damage.

The Hydro Sovereign (Neuvillette)

Team: Neuvillette + Furina + Kazuha + Zhongli

Prevents Neuvillette from being knocked out of the air during his hover attack. Also generates Crystallize shards to stack his passive damage buff.

The Classic Walnut (Hu Tao)

Team: Hu Tao + Xingqiu + Yelan + Zhongli

The safest team in the game. Keeps Hu Tao alive at low HP, allowing her to maintain maximum damage buffs without risk.

7. Constellations

Zhongli is complete at C0. However, if you plan to invest vertically:

C1 (Two Pillars): Mostly useless for shielding. Good for Chiori synergy or AFK farming.
C2 (The Game Changer): Planet Befall (Burst) grants a shield to all party members. This allows you to shield via Burst, guaranteeing 100% uptime. It is also the only way to shield teammates in Co-op Mode.
C6 (The Healer): When the shield takes damage, it heals the active character.

⚠️ C6 Warning: Do not unlock this if you play Hu Tao. Hu Tao needs to stay below 50% HP; C6 Zhongli will overheal her, ruining her damage potential.

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