A Detailed Guide to Chongyun

A young exorcist from Liyue, Chongyun was the first Cryo claymore user to be added to the Genshin Impact character roster. With his unique design and explosive playstyle, there are plenty of ways to use him in a team. In this guide, we’ll be covering everything there is to know about Chongyun and all the different ways that you can play him.

Elemental Skills

During his normal attack, Demon’s Bane, Chongyun hits enemies with four consecutive swings of his claymore. While his attacks are slow and have a low attack multiplier, the last hit deals the most damage. In a fight, it’s important to ensure that this attack lands in the direction of the enemies.

While using his elemental skill, Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost, Chongyun’s strikes the ground with his claymore, dealing AOE cryo damage. A frost field is created which infuses all attacks with cryo. On its own, Chongyun’s elemental skill can deal a lot of damage, however, it does have a drawback. If you’re using a Physical DPS, their attack can be decreased significantly as the frost layer, Chonghua’s Frost Field, turns all damage into cryo damage.

Chongyun’s elemental burst, Spirit Blade: Cloud-Parting Star, summons three giant frost blades that descend upon the enemy one by one and explode. This causes AOE cryo damage. If levelled properly, this burst can take out enemy mobs in the blink of an eye.

Ascension

For ascension, Chongyun needs a variety of materials. He needs Shivada Jade and Hoarfrost Core dropped by the Cryo Regisvine. While the task may seem daunting at first, as long as you have a good pyro character like Amber or Xiangling, you’ll be an expert in taking down angry flowers in no time. Other than that, he also needs Hilichurl masks and a lot of pieces of Cor Lapis.

This is the total number of items he will need:

Talents

Other than his three active talents – his normal attack, Demon’s Bane, his elemental skill, Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost, and his elemental burst, Spirit Blade: Cloud-Parting Star – Chongyun has three passive talents.

Steady Breathing is unlocked after his first ascension and increases normal attack speed by 8%. This talent applies as long as characters are fighting within the frost layer formed by Chongyun’s elemental skill.

Rimechaser Blade works in tandem with Chongyun’s elemental skills and summons a spirit blade to strike down enemies. The blade deals 100% of Chonghua’s Layered Frost’s skill damage as AOE cryo damage. It also decreases an opponent’s cryo resistance by 10% for 8 seconds.

Gallant Journey is helpful for those who depend on expeditions for certain resources. If Chongyun is sent on an expedition in Liyue, it will decrease the time taken by 25%.

For levelling talents, he needs Teachings of Diligence which can be obtained from the Taishan Mansion domain every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. He also needs Dvalin’s Sigh which is dropped by Dvalin and Hilichurl masks.  These are the total number of items he’ll need:

DPS Build

Chongyun isn’t a character who gains anything with a Physical DPS build. His elemental skill turns all damage into cryo damage so any investment in a physical build would be wasted. This is why to use Chongyun as a main DPS, it’s important to enhance his attack as well as his cryo damage.

Artifact

The recommended artifact set for this build would be Gladiator’s Finale. Thanks to its bonuses, Chongyun gains a lot of damage. The 2-piece bonus gives an 18% ATK bonus while the 4-piece bonus increases normal ATK DMG by 35%. Not only will this increase his initial DMG but with a Cryo DMG cup, his skills will benefit as well.

Alternatively, you can pair two pieces of Gladiator’s Finale with two pieces of Blizzard Strayer. This combination will not only increase his ATK but also increase the damage done by his skills. Chongyun’s strength lies in his elemental skill and burst so the more Cryo DMG Bonus he has, the better.

While four pieces of Blizzard Strayer are recommended for most cryo characters, the whole set isn’t recommended for Chongyun. The 4-piece bonus gives a massive Crit Rate increase but it isn’t easy to trigger in his case. For this bonus to work, the enemy has to be frozen which isn’t hard to achieve if you have a hydro character. The problem is keeping this effect since Chongyun, as a claymore user, causes shatter with every hit. Because of this, he sometimes triggers the effect and other times, it doesn’t work.

Weapon

For DPS Chongyun, the best weapon is the Wolf’s Gravestone. This claymore has an ATK substat which is good for Chongyun and the weapon effect increases his damage substantially. Most of all, this effect benefits the entire party. The drawback here is that this weapon can either be obtained from the weapon’s banner or the standard banner.

Serpent Spine is a good alternative since it has a Crit Rate substat. With this weapon, you can invest in a Crit DMG helmet for Chongyun which will increase his ATK by a lot. While in use, the Serpent Spine also increases the character’s DMG by 6%, an effect that stacks up to five times. There are cons to this weapon though. Chongyun will take 3% more DMG and this weapon can only be obtained after purchasing the Gnostic Hymn.

A F2P option is the Prototype Archaic. Much like the Wolf’s Gravestone this has an ATK substat and has a 50% chance of dealing an additional 240% ATK DMG on normal and charged attacks. All you need is a Northlander Prototype Claymore Billet and this weapon is yours. The best part is that as long as you have a prototype on hand, you can refine this weapon all the way up to refinement rank 5 and increase the damage dealt by the secondary effect.

Team

For a DPS Chongyun, the best character you can pair him with is Xingqui. His elemental skill, Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen, applies the wet status on enemies and increases resistance to interruption.

When paired with Chongyun, the constant wet status of the Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen will freeze enemies. This is very useful for those who don’t have a shield user in their party or those who can’t dodge to save their lives. The freeze can not only keep enemies in place but also interrupt their attacks. Damage reduction from the Rain Swords is an added bonus. If your Xingqui is equipped with a Sacrificial Sword that can reset his elemental skill’s cooldown, Chongyun’s enemies will have a hard time moving around.

If you don’t have Xingqui, you can always use Barbara. Not only will she be able to heal Chongyun but she can also provide constant hydro application with her elemental burst Let the Show Begin. If she uses the catalyst, Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, the weapon effect will give Chongyun a 24% ATK boost for 10s. Since this weapon is easy to roll and refine, this ATK boost can go up to 48% which is a significant increase in damage.

You want to use a cryo character in the team to activate cryo resonance which increases Crit Rate by 15% if the enemy is frozen or affected by cryo. For this, Diona is a good addition to the team. Her elemental skill, Icy Paws, creates a shield and applies cryo on the enemy which is important for the Crit Rate increase.

Her passive skill, Drunkard’s Farce, can decrease the opponent’s attack when they enter the AOE of her burst. Paired with her shield that absorbs 75% damage, this acts as a good defense against enemies. Finally, she gives her team increased movement SPD and decreases stamina consumption.

Kaeya is an alternative if you don’t have Diona. His elemental burst Glacial Waltz provides AOE cryo damage and his passive talent Hidden Strength decreases stamina consumption while sprinting by 20%. Since this elemental skill cooldown is lower than Chongyun’s, he can constantly apply cryo on enemies for the Crit Rate boost.

Being one of the best supports in the game, Bennett fits into any team with ease. His elemental burst, Fantastic Voyage, can not only heal characters but also increase attack while they are standing in the AOE of the burst.

Bennett’s elemental burst applies pyro to enemies as long as they are in its AOE. This effect paired with Chongyun’s elemental skill can apply a constant melt or vaporize status. If you haven’t been lucky enough to roll him, Xiangling is a good alternative as Guoba provides constant pyro application.

Support Build 

A support Chongyun is not only good for applying cryo on enemies to cause different elemental reactions but he can also cause AOE DMG thanks to his skills. You just need to know which team to fit him into.

Artifacts

For this build, the recommended set for Chongyun is 2-pieces of Noblesse Oblige to increase the damage of his elemental burst and 2-pieces of Blizzard Strayer cryo damage bonus. These two sets work together to give Chongyun’s attacks the extra edge that they need. You can also opt for 4 pieces of Noblesse Oblige. This way, not only will his burst benefit with the DMG boost but his entire party gets a 20% ATK increase for 12s.

Weapon

Support Chongyun would really benefit with Skyward Pride. With an Energy Recharge substat, this weapon’s effect increases damage by 18% but also creates a vacuum blade that does additional damage. With this weapon, not only do you ensure that Chongyun always has his burst ready but it also gives him additional damage which can be beneficial for the entire team while he’s on the field. The drawback is that the Skyward Pride can only be obtained from the weapon or standard banner.

An alternative would be the Sacrificial Greatsword. This claymore also has a Energy Recharge substat and the weapon effect can reset the cooldown for Chongyun’s elemental skill. Since his elemental skill has a 15s cooldown, this can be very useful.

Team

When using Chongyun in a team, it is important to remember the passive effect of his elemental skill. He cannot be paired with physical DPS characters like Razor or Keqing. The cryo infusion will just eat away at their damage. As a support, Chongyun is more suited for characters Klee or Xiao who can override his passive. The idea is to bring him onto the field for his elemental attacks and then switch him with your main or sub-DPS to take advantage of elemental reactions like melt, freeze, swirl or super-conduct.

Chongyun isn’t a very complicated character to build and he can be played in different ways. All you have to do is understand his skills to help him shine in your team composition.