Genshin Impact 7.1 Phase 2 Banner Guide: Skirk or Escoffier, Weapons, and Primogem Plan

Genshin Impact Version 7.1 Phase 2 brings back a pair that is unusually easy to understand together and much harder to judge separately. Skirk is a Cryo Sword damage dealer whose strongest teams stay almost entirely inside the Hydro and Cryo roster. Escoffier is a Cryo Polearm support who adds off-field damage, healing, and valuable Cryo and Hydro RES reduction. Put them together and the purpose is obvious. Pull only one, however, and the correct choice depends on what the account already owns.

The banner opens on October 13, 2026 and runs through November 3. Skirk and Escoffier share Dahlia, Candace, and Mika as their featured 4-star characters. The weapon banner pairs Azurelight with Symphonist of Scents, alongside Sturdy Bone, Sacrificial Greatsword, Favonius Lance, The Widsith, and Sacrificial Bow. That is enough value to tempt several different account types, but it is not a reason to divide one Primogem budget across every banner.

This guide turns the confirmed lineup into a practical decision. It covers Skirk vs Escoffier, the value of both signature weapons, realistic alternatives, pity and Epitomized Path rules, and a Genshin Primogem calculator that does not count the same resources twice.

Genshin Impact 7.1 Phase 2 schedule and banner lineup

The official Version 7.1 Phase 2 Event Wishes notice confirms that all three banners run from October 13 at 18:00 until November 3 at 14:59, based on the selected server's clock. On the Asia server, that is 18:00 UTC+8. On the Europe server, the clock is UTC+1, which corresponds to 19:00 CEST at opening and 14:59 CET at closing after the daylight-saving change. On the America server, 18:00 UTC-5 corresponds to 19:00 EDT or 16:00 PDT on October 13. The in-game notice is the safest reference if a player travels or uses a server outside their physical region.

Skirk appears in “Void Star's Advent,” while Escoffier appears in “La Chanson Cerise.” These are Character Event Wish and Character Event Wish-2, so their pity count and promotional-character guarantee are shared. A player at 68 pity on Skirk does not have a second, separate 68 pity on Escoffier. Switching between the two banners keeps the same count and guarantee.

The weapon banner is separate. Azurelight and Symphonist of Scents share Epitome Invocation, but its pity does not combine with character pity. Before making any wish, record three lines: character pity, whether the next 5-star character is guaranteed, and weapon pity. Add a fourth line for the current Epitomized Path selection, because its Fate Point does not survive the end of the banner.

What Skirk adds to an account

Skirk is a 5-star Cryo Sword character who can function as an on-field carry through her enhanced Normal Attacks or as a quickswap Burst damage dealer. Her combat resource, Serpent's Subtlety, replaces the usual Energy-centered rhythm, and her teams generate Void Rifts that feed her damage pattern. The result is a character who feels complete when the rotation, teammates, and field time are built around her rather than treating her as a generic Cryo slot.

Her biggest account-building condition is team composition. The KQM Skirk guide explains that most of her kit strongly favors parties made only of Hydro and Cryo characters. Escoffier is the premium partner because she combines healing, off-field Skill damage, and large Cryo/Hydro resistance reduction. Furina supplies team damage amplification and off-field pressure, while Yelan, Shenhe, Citlali, Mona, Dahlia, Mika, Charlotte, Xingqiu, and other Hydro or Cryo options fill different needs.

Skirk is most attractive when the account wants a new main damage dealer, can reserve several Hydro/Cryo teammates for one side of endgame content, and enjoys a rotation built around a concentrated damage window. She is less urgent when the account already has multiple well-invested carries but lacks universal supports, or when its best Hydro and Cryo teammates are permanently committed elsewhere.

Do not judge Skirk only through a boss that cannot be Frozen. Freeze control is useful, but her damage system is not identical to “the enemy must stay Frozen.” The more important question is whether the account can satisfy her teammate restrictions and support her preferred rotation. Use the Test Run to check movement, attack cadence, camera comfort, and the difference between her on-field and Burst-focused patterns.

What Escoffier adds to an account

Escoffier is a 5-star Cryo Polearm character who deals damage from off field, heals, and reduces enemy Cryo and Hydro resistance. Her value rises sharply in teams composed only of Cryo and Hydro, where the resistance reduction reaches its strongest form. This makes her Skirk's most natural partner, but her usefulness is not limited to one carry.

The KQM Escoffier guide highlights her role in Freeze teams and in lineups that use Furina. Healing helps build Fanfare, off-field Skill damage continues while another character takes the field, and resistance reduction benefits both Cryo and Hydro damage dealers. Ayaka, Wriothesley, Neuvillette, Furina, Yelan, and other compatible units can all give her a reason to leave the bench, although the exact gain depends on whether the party preserves her Hydro/Cryo condition.

Escoffier is usually the broader account upgrade when a player already owns Skirk, has more than one developed Cryo or Hydro team, or needs a healer who also contributes damage and offensive utility. She is less compelling for an account centered on teams that rarely use Cryo or Hydro, and her maximum resistance reduction should not be assumed in mixed-element teams.

Energy Recharge deserves attention. Escoffier's Burst provides healing and helps activate the full value of Symphonist of Scents. Teams with weak particle generation may prefer Favonius Lance and sufficient CRIT Rate over a greedier damage weapon. A support who misses the Burst when it matters can be worse than a modest build with stable rotations.

Skirk vs Escoffier: which banner should you choose?

If the account owns neither character, Skirk is the choice for players who need and genuinely want a new on-field Cryo carry. Escoffier is the choice for players who already have damage dealers and want a support with longer account life. Pulling Escoffier without an immediate perfect team can still create future value; pulling Skirk means committing more of the roster and field time to her specific game plan.

If the account already owns Skirk, Escoffier is normally the first upgrade to examine before Skirk constellations or Azurelight. She improves the full team through healing, resistance reduction, off-field damage, and Furina synergy. Azurelight gives Skirk a large personal increase, but it does not replace the roles Escoffier consolidates.

If the account already owns Escoffier, Skirk offers a clear premium team destination. Still, players who already clear comfortably with Ayaka, Wriothesley, Neuvillette, or another Escoffier team do not need Skirk simply because the pair is marketed together. A new carry is valuable only when the player wants the playstyle and can supply a second side for endgame modes.

If Primogems can guarantee only one limited 5-star, use a simple order: favorite character and playstyle first; missing role second; existing teammates third; signature weapons last. The phrase “Skirk vs Escoffier” does not have one universal winner. A Skirk account missing Escoffier has a different answer from a new account missing a main DPS.

Dahlia, Candace, and Mika on the character banners

Dahlia is the most directly relevant featured 4-star for Skirk. He supplies Hydro application, shielding, and Attack Speed support while remaining inside Skirk and Escoffier's preferred Hydro/Cryo structure. Extra constellations can improve his support package, but a player should not keep pulling after the desired 5-star merely to force a specific Dahlia constellation.

Candace is a Hydro support whose value depends heavily on the active character's Normal Attack pattern and on whether her infusion or damage bonus fits the team. She can be useful in specialized compositions, but she is not a universal substitute for Furina or Yelan. Mika brings Cryo healing and Attack Speed support, and he can help a Skirk or Furina team function when Escoffier is absent, although his Physical-focused parts do not all translate into the same value.

There is no Epitomized Path for a featured 4-star character. A player can receive many 4-star drops without seeing the specific one they want. Treat Dahlia, Candace, and Mika as useful outcomes while pursuing a chosen 5-star, not as guaranteed milestones. The moment the target 5-star arrives, reassess before making another ten-pull.

Is Azurelight worth it for Skirk?

Azurelight is Skirk's signature Sword. It combines high Base ATK, CRIT Rate, and a passive that Skirk can maintain to gain substantial ATK and CRIT DMG. KQM's current comparison places it roughly 18 to 22 percent ahead of her closest practical alternatives in the tested setups, which is a meaningful personal-damage increase but not proof that every account should pull the weapon.

The weapon makes the most sense after Skirk's team is functional. If Escoffier or another key support is missing, a signature Sword can improve the wrong part of the account. Players with Primordial Jade Cutter, Haran Geppaku Futsu, Mistsplitter Reforged, a refined Finale of the Deep, or Calamity of Eshu may already have enough weapon quality to clear their goals.

Azurelight is also less universal than its attractive CRIT profile suggests. Other Sword users can equip it as a stat stick, but not all can maintain its complete passive naturally. “Azurelight worth it” should therefore be answered in the context of Skirk's current team, existing Swords, and the cost of delaying another character.

Is Symphonist of Scents worth it for Escoffier?

Symphonist of Scents is Escoffier's best-in-slot Polearm. It provides CRIT DMG and rewards healing with ATK bonuses for Escoffier and the active character. Her Burst and periodic healing keep the effect relevant, which gives the weapon both personal and team value. It can also work on some other healing Polearm supports, but Escoffier uses the package most naturally.

Its main competitor is not another premium Polearm; it is account utility. Favonius Lance can reduce Energy pressure for Escoffier and the rest of the party. If a rotation fails because Bursts are unavailable, replacing Favonius with a signature weapon may improve a spreadsheet while making actual play less stable. Other offensive 5-star Polearms can cover personal damage, but they do not reproduce the same team buff.

This weapon banner is comparatively coherent because both featured 5-stars belong to the two featured characters. Even so, a player who owns only Skirk should not assume that an early Symphonist is automatically useful, and an Escoffier-only account should apply the same caution to Azurelight. Pull only after selecting Epitomized Path and accepting that the first 5-star may be the other rate-up weapon or a standard weapon.

Four-star weapon value and the trap of chasing refinements

Sturdy Bone is an event-exclusive Sword that supports Normal Attack damage after sprinting, which gives it some relevant users but not the universal value of a general CRIT weapon. Sacrificial Greatsword and Sacrificial Bow can reset Skills for characters whose rotations benefit from a second cast. Favonius Lance is one of the most useful support Polearms because team Energy can matter more than the holder's personal damage. The Widsith remains a strong burst-oriented Catalyst when its random buff aligns with the user.

This is a respectable four-star lineup, but there is no guarantee for one specific featured four-star weapon. Do not spend enough wishes to reach a 5-star just because Favonius Lance is one refinement short. Count every weapon as a bonus inside a planned five-star budget. If neither Azurelight nor Symphonist improves the account, the presence of several good four-stars does not make Epitome Invocation efficient.

Primogem calculator, pity, and guarantee rules

One wish costs 160 Primogems. From zero pity, one limited character requires at most 90 wishes for a 5-star. If the promotional character is guaranteed, the maximum is 14,400 Primogems. Without a guarantee, the conventional hard-ceiling budget remains two 5-stars, or 180 wishes and 28,800 Primogems, even though Capturing Radiance raises the consolidated chance of receiving the promotional character when a 5-star appears.

Two limited characters from zero pity and no guarantee have a theoretical ceiling of 360 wishes or 57,600 Primogems. This is a risk ceiling, not an expected cost. Existing pity, a current guarantee, Intertwined Fates, Stardust shop Fates, event rewards, commissions, exploration, achievements, and monthly-card income all reduce the real gap. Only count resources that will be available before November 3 on the selected server.

Weapon pity reaches a 5-star no later than 80 wishes. Since Version 5.0, Epitomized Path requires one Fate Point, so a selected weapon can require up to two 5-star weapon results, or 160 wishes and 25,600 Primogems from zero pity. Weapon pity carries to future weapon banners, but the Fate Point and selected course do not. Starting the path without enough resources to finish is therefore riskier than stopping on a character banner with preserved pity.

A useful calculator is: available Primogems divided by 160, plus Intertwined Fates, plus confirmed wishes before the deadline, then subtract the conservative wishes needed from current pity. Keep character and weapon calculations in separate columns. Do not count Genesis Crystals as Primogems until deciding to convert them.

A sensible pull order and Genesis Crystals plan

For a new Skirk team, the most stable order is usually Skirk, then Escoffier, then a signature weapon after testing the complete team. For an account that already owns Skirk, Escoffier generally comes before Azurelight. For an account that already owns both, Azurelight improves Skirk's personal output, while Symphonist of Scents adds Escoffier damage and team ATK support. The better weapon depends on which part of the rotation is limiting performance and what alternatives are already built.

Before topping up, claim available event rewards, commissions, mail, Battle Pass or monthly-card income, and Stardust shop Fates. Check current pity from Wish History, confirm the guarantee state, and decide on one stopping point. Good stopping points include “one copy of Escoffier,” “the next 5-star character,” or “one weapon-banner 5-star only.” A budget without a stopping point tends to expand after an unlucky result.

If a verified shortfall remains, compare the live packages and final regional price on the Treabar Genshin Impact top-up page. Check UID or account requirements, supported region, delivery method, and whether a first-purchase bonus is actually available on the account before paying. Choose the smallest package that covers the confirmed gap. A normal Genesis Crystals top up should not require handing over the game account password.

Frequently asked questions

When do the Genshin Impact 7.1 Phase 2 banners start?

They open on October 13, 2026 at 18:00 server time and end on November 3 at 14:59 server time. Check the in-game notice for the selected America, Europe, or Asia server.

Should I pull Skirk or Escoffier?

Choose Skirk if the account wants a new Cryo carry and can build a Hydro/Cryo team around her. Choose Escoffier if the account already has damage dealers and values healing, off-field damage, and Cryo/Hydro resistance reduction.

Is Escoffier more important than Azurelight for Skirk?

For many Skirk accounts, yes. Escoffier fills several team roles that a weapon cannot replace. Azurelight becomes easier to justify after the team already functions well.

Is Azurelight worth it if I have Finale of the Deep?

Azurelight is a substantial personal upgrade, but a refined Finale of the Deep is a strong free alternative. The signature is optional when the Primogems could secure a missing teammate or future character.

Do Skirk and Escoffier share pity?

Yes. Their two Character Event Wishes share pity and the promotional-character guarantee. The weapon banner uses a separate pity count.

How many Primogems guarantee a selected signature weapon?

From zero weapon pity, budget up to 25,600 Primogems for 160 wishes under the current one-Fate-Point Epitomized Path. Select the course before wishing, and remember that the Fate Point expires with the banner.