I've been exploring the frosty peaks of Natlan with Citlali for months now, and I must say, she's transformed my Genshin Impact experience completely. There's something incredibly satisfying about watching enemies struggle against her Cryo application while my DPS characters tear through them like paper. As we venture into 2025, Citlali remains one of the most valuable support characters in the game, especially if you know how to maximize her potential.

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What makes Citlali truly special is her scaling with Elemental Mastery. I've spent countless hours farming artifacts to get her EM as high as possible, and the results have been absolutely worth it. Her shield absorption becomes nearly unbreakable when properly built, allowing me to face even the most challenging content without worry. I still remember the first time I successfully shielded my entire team through the new Abyssal Corridor without a single character taking damage – that feeling of invincibility was intoxicating!

Best Weapons for Citlali in 2025

Finding the perfect weapon for Citlali was a journey of trial and error for me. Since her shield absorption scales directly with Elemental Mastery, I initially focused solely on EM stats. However, I quickly learned that Energy Recharge is equally important if you want to maximize her Elemental Burst uptime.

Weapon Rarity Why I Love It
Starcaller's Watch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Her signature weapon has been my go-to since I lucked out on the banner. The EM boost is phenomenal, and I've noticed my shields absorbing nearly twice the damage!
A Thousand Floating Dreams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Before getting Starcaller's, this was my favorite. The elemental damage bonus it provides to the team is incredible for reaction-based comps.
Sacrificial Fragments ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This has saved me countless times with its skill reset. Nothing beats double shielding in tough situations!
Favonius Codex ⭐⭐⭐⭐ When I run energy-hungry teams, this weapon's particle generation is a lifesaver.
Wandering Evenstar ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect for sub-DPS builds when I want Citlali to contribute more damage.
Magic Guide ⭐⭐⭐ Don't laugh! This budget option carried me through early AR ranks with its surprising EM stats.

Artifact Builds That Transformed My Citlali

I've tried every possible artifact combination on Citlali, and I can confidently say that focusing on her shield strength and Elemental Mastery yields the best results. The difference between a properly built Citlali and a mediocre one is night and day!

Artifact Set My Experience
Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City This set has been game-changing for me. The shield strength bonus makes her practically invincible, and my entire team benefits from the damage boost.
Gilded Dreams When I was struggling with EM stats, switching to this set immediately solved my problems. The additional EM from reactions makes Citlali shine in reaction-heavy teams.
Tenacity of The Millelith I love using this set when I want Citlali to be more of a pure support. The ATK boost for the entire team is substantial.
2 Gilded Dreams + 2 Wanderer's Troupe This combination gave me the flexibility to use pieces with amazing substats while still getting good EM bonuses.
Noblesse Oblige As a day one player, I have so many good Noblesse pieces that sometimes this is just the most resin-efficient option!

For artifact stats, I've found that going all-in on Elemental Mastery yields the best results. Here's my priority list:

Piece Main Stat Substats I Hunt For
Flower HP EM > ER > ATK%
Feather ATK EM > ER > ATK%
Sands EM ER > ATK% > Flat HP
Goblet EM ER > ATK% > Flat HP
Circlet EM ER > ATK% > Flat HP

I remember spending three weeks straight in the Gilded Dreams domain until I finally got an EM circlet with ER substats. Was it worth it? Absolutely! My Citlali's shield now absorbs damage that would have wiped my entire team before.

Team Compositions That Changed My Game

The versatility of Citlali in different team comps is what keeps me coming back to her. I've experimented extensively with both Melt and Freeze teams, and each offers a unique playstyle that keeps the game fresh.

My Favorite Team: The Reaction Powerhouse

Character Role How I Play Them
Citlali Support I start every challenging fight by deploying her shield and summoning Itzpapa for consistent Cryo application. Her pillow-gliding passive also makes exploration a breeze!
Mavuika Main DPS The synergy between Mavuika and Citlali is unmatched. I rotate between Mavuika's skills while protected by Citlali's shield, creating massive Melt reactions.
Bennett Support/Healer His ATK buff combined with healing makes him irreplaceable. I time his burst with Mavuika's for insane damage numbers.
Furina Sub-DPS/Healer Her off-field Hydro application creates Freeze reactions with Citlali's Cryo, keeping enemies locked down while Mavuika melts them away.

Melt Team: When I Need Raw Damage

For Spiral Abyss floors with high HP enemies, this team has never failed me:

Character Role My Strategy
Citlali Support I use her primarily for her shield and Cryo application, allowing my Pyro characters to trigger massive Melt reactions.
Kaeya Sub-DPS His burst provides additional Cryo application when Citlali's skill is on cooldown. The continuous Cryo damage creates perfect setups for Melt.
Mavuika Main DPS Her Nightsoul abilities combined with Melt reactions regularly hit for over 100k damage in my build!
Xiangling Sub-DPS Guoba and her Pyronado create a constant Pyro field that, combined with Citlali's Cryo, results in non-stop Melt reactions.

Freeze Team: When I Need Control

When facing multiple aggressive enemies, I switch to this team:

Character Role My Approach
Citlali Support Her Cryo application becomes the foundation of the freeze strategy, though ironically, her shield becomes less necessary as enemies rarely get to attack!
Sangonomiya Kokomi Healer Her consistent Hydro application combined with healing makes her perfect for this team. I place her jellyfish strategically to maximize freeze coverage.
Neuvillette Main DPS His charged attacks against frozen enemies are simply devastating. I've cleared entire chambers in seconds with this setup.
Ganyu Sub-DPS Her burst creates a beautiful field of Cryo that, combined with Kokomi's Hydro, keeps everything frozen solid.

Talent Priority: Lessons Learned

After triple-crowning several characters, I've become much more strategic with my talent investments. For Citlali, I've found that prioritizing her Elemental Skill is non-negotiable. The increased shield strength has saved my team countless times, especially in the new boss fights introduced this year.

Her Elemental Burst comes second, as it provides excellent Cryo damage and application. I've left her Normal Attack at level 1 because, honestly, who uses Citlali for normal attacks? That would be like using a premium shield as a flyswatter!

The most satisfying part of mastering Citlali has been watching Itzpapa (her summon) deal surprising amounts of Nightsoul damage. In the right team composition, those numbers really add up, and I've found myself actually building for that damage in certain specialized teams.

As we move further into 2025, I wonder how the upcoming characters might synergize with Citlali. Will we see new Nightsoul characters that could elevate her support capabilities even further? Or perhaps new artifact sets that could revolutionize how we build her?

What do you think the future holds for Citlali mains like us? Have you found any unconventional builds or team compositions that bring out her hidden potential? After all, isn't the joy of Genshin Impact found in discovering these unique synergies that the developers themselves might not have anticipated?