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Chongyun Quick Guide

Updated for Version 3.5

Chongyun is a 4-star Cryo Claymore character in Genshin Impact who provides Cryo Infusion and respectable damage through his Burst.

The full-length guide is available here.

Infographic

Chongyun Infographic


Design: cuppacote
Content: mocha_biscuit

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DendroCryo does not react with Dendro; as such, Chongyun does not find much use in Dendro teams. In niche teams, Chongyun can enable consistent Melt reactions off of Burning auras (known as Burnmelt) or apply Cryo to benefit Bloom teams (known as Fridge). Chongyun’s Dendro teams are not covered in this Quick Guide.
ShenheShenhe provides a powerful buff to Cryo damage through her Skill’s Icy Quill effect and her Burst’s Cryo RES Shred. She also grants various DMG Bonuses via her Ascension 4 Passive, which synergizes well with Chongyun’s Burst and Cryo Infusion in Mono Cryo and Freeze teams.
Beacon of the Reed SeaProvides ATK% and CRIT Rate — two stats Chongyun appreciates. However, it may be better used on a different character.
Mailed FlowerFree from the Version 3.5 Event, a viable option for personal damage if Chongyun is able to Melt his attacks, particularly his Burst. If you can start your rotation with his Skill, Mailed Flower is his best free-to-play option in Melt teams.
Gilded DreamsIntroduced in Version 3.0, 4pc Gilded Dreams does not provide any supportive capabilities but can help Chongyun deal good Melt damage. Since it shares a domain with Deepwood Memories, it may be worthwhile depending on your other characters’ artifacts.

Character Overview

Playstyles

Cryo Reaction Enabler

At the time of writing, Chongyun is the only unit who provides Cryo Infusion to other characters, enabling unique Melt and Freeze teams. Note that this playstyle requires little investment into Chongyun, but it is recommended to build him as a Burst support as well.

Burst Support

Chongyun’s Burst deals sizable damage for its low Energy cost, making him a good 4pc Noblesse Oblige holder to buff the team. He can act as both a Burst support and a Cryo reaction enabler in the same team.

Talent Priority

Talent Priority
Burst > Skill

Chongyun’s Normal Attacks should only be leveled if he is used as a Shatter DPS — a niche playstyle that will not be covered in this Quick Guide. Otherwise, Chongyun is played mainly off-field, only switching in to use his Skill and Burst.

Talents

Normal Attack

Normal Attack | Demonbane

Normal Attack
Performs up to 4 consecutive strikes.

Charged Attack
Drains Stamina over time to perform continuous spinning attacks against all nearby opponents.
At the end of the sequence, performs a more powerful slash.

Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

A rather lackluster set of Normal Attacks that should rarely be used outside of Shatter teams. Not recommended to level.

Elemental Skill

Elemental Skill | Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost

Chongyun strikes the ground with his greatsword, causing a Cryo explosion in a circular AoE in front of him that deals Cryo DMG.

After a short delay, the cold air created by the Cryo explosion will coalesce into a Chonghua Frost Field, within which all Sword, Claymore and Polearm-wielding characters’ weapons will be infused with Cryo.

The most unique part of Chongyun’s kit that provides easy Cryo Infusion to all Sword, Polearm, and Claymore characters within its AoE. This Skill generates 4 Cryo Particles on cast. While the Talent description states that the field lasts 10s, the Cryo Infusion actually lasts between 12-13s depending on Talent level.

Note that characters whose Normal Attacks are infused with Cryo will follow their own Internal Cooldown (ICD). Rapidly swapping between characters and using a Normal Attack will result in a higher rate of Cryo application and potentially more reactions. However, building stats such as EM on Chongyun do not transfer with the Infusion.

Elemental Burst

Elemental Burst | Spirit Blade: Cloud-Parting Star

Performing the secret hand seals, Chongyun summons 3 giant spirit blades in mid-air that fall to the earth one by one after a short delay, exploding as they hit the ground.

When the spirit blades explode, they will deal AoE Cryo DMG and launch opponents.

With a short cooldown and no ICD, Chongyun’s Burst is very straightforward and his most notable source of damage, especially from C3 onwards.

Ascension 1 Passive

Ascension 1 Passive | Steady Breathing

Sword, Claymore, or Polearm-wielding characters within the field created by Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost have their Normal ATK SPD increased by 8%.

Attack SPD buffs are more beneficial to characters with lower hitlag — namely, Bow and Catalyst users who unfortunately cannot receive this buff. Additionally, the buff is relatively small and only affects Normal Attacks, not Charged Attacks. It is an overall negligible Passive.

Ascension 4 Passive

Ascension 4 Passive | Rimechaser Blade

When the field created by Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost disappears, another spirit blade will be summoned to strike nearby opponents, dealing 100% of Chonghua’s Layered Frost’s Skill DMG as AoE Cryo DMG. Opponents hit by this blade will have their Cryo RES decreased by 10% for 8s.

Free damage and valuable Cryo RES Shred, although the RES Shred won’t apply during the first rotation without Sacrificial Greatsword. Chongyun’s A4 Passive counts as Elemental Skill damage, so it can trigger Sacrificial Greatsword’s passive.

Recasting Chongyun’s Skill with Sacrificial Greatsword removes the existing field, triggers his A4 Passive, and places down a new field. This allows him to shred Cryo RES in the first rotation.

Utility Passive

Utility Passive | Gallant Journey

When dispatched on an expedition in Liyue, time consumed is reduced by 25%.

Decreases Liyue Expedition duration, a Passive shared with Keqing.

Constellations

Constellation 1

Constellation 1 | Ice Unleashed

The last attack of Chongyun’s Normal Attack combo releases 3 ice blades. Each blade deals 50% of Chongyun’s ATK as Cryo DMG to all opponents in its path.

Even in the rare cases where Chongyun uses his Normal Attacks, he rarely uses the last attack in the sequence. Not a very useful Constellation.

Constellation 2

Constellation 2 | Atmospheric Revolution

Elemental Skills and Elemental Bursts cast within the Frost Field created by Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost have their CD time decreased by 15%.

An extremely rare source of teamwide cooldown reduction that has varying mileage depending on his teammates. In general, cooldown reduction does not change rotations but shortens them; this effectively increases team DPS. Chongyun’s C2 synergizes well with his already short cooldowns. Overall, his best Constellation.

Constellation 3

Constellation 3 | Cloudburst

Increases the Level of Spirit Blade: Cloud-Parting Star by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.

An appreciated damage increase to Chongyun’s Burst.

Constellation 4

Constellation 4 | Frozen Skies

Chongyun regenerates 1 Energy every time he hits an opponent affected by Cryo.
This effect can only occur once every 2s.

This Constellation requires Chongyun to be on-field to have a significant effect on his Energy management. This is rarely the case and often unnecessary since Chongyun’s Burst already has a low Energy cost.

Constellation 5

Constellation 5 | The True Path

Increases the Level of Spirit Blade: Chonghua’s Layered Frost by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.

A simple damage increase to Chongyun’s Skill. This Constellation is less impactful than his C3 since it does not significantly affect his personal damage or Cryo Infusion duration.

Constellation 6

Constellation 6 | Rally of Four Blades

Spirit Blade: Cloud-Parting Star deals 15% more DMG to opponents with a lower percentage of their Max HP remaining than Chongyun.
This skill will also summon 1 additional spirit blade.

A massive DPS increase to Chongyun’s Burst that makes it much more worthwhile to invest in his damage. It is possible to Melt all four hits of Chongyun’s Burst, though it requires specific setups.

Artifacts

ER Requirements

Solo Cryo150–175%
Double Cryo125–135%
Triple Cryo100–125%

Assumptions: 20s rotation, average particle generation, Chongyun primarily off-field.

Chongyun has relatively low ER requirements due to his low Burst cost. He can easily meet his ER requirements through artifact substats alone. If necessary, using Chongyun’s Skill twice with Sacrificial Greatsword lowers his ER requirements by ~40–60%, which means no further ER investment is needed beyond what the weapon already provides. Favonius procs by another teammate lower Chongyun’s ER requirement by ~10–15%.

Use the Energy Recharge Calculator by Zakharov to determine more precise requirements for your team and rotation.

Artifact Stats


Sands

Goblet

Circlet
ATK% / EM / ERCryo DMG%CRIT Rate / DMG

Substats: ER (until requirement) > CRIT > (EM ≥) ATK%

Chongyun primarily builds as a quickswap Burst DPS in his teams. EM should only be prioritized if Chongyun is able to Melt his Burst. Chongyun’s ER requirements are generally low enough to be met with substats alone, but Chongyun can use an ER Sands in a pinch if he is the only Cryo unit in his team. As an off-field Burst DPS with relatively low damage contribution, Chongyun should prioritize 4pc set bonuses over stats in order to maximize his team’s damage output.

Artifact Sets

4pc Noblesse Oblige (4NO)Chongyun can use 4NO to provide a teamwide ATK% buff with his Burst. He almost always holds 4NO in Forward Melt and Freeze teams. He can also use 4NO to allow Bennett to run another set like 4pc Instructor. Chongyun on 4NO sacrifices some personal damage for a much valued contribution to team damage.
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate
(4ESF)
One of Chongyun’s best sets for personal damage. However, since 4ESF is widely contested among DPS units and Chongyun may not be the main damage dealer, other options may be optimal.
4pc Gilded Dreams (4GD)Provided that Chongyun is able to Melt his Burst, 4GD is viable due to the EM and ATK%. However, it is not significantly better than the other options and may not be Resin-efficient to farm if you don’t also need pieces of Deepwood Memories.
2pc + 2pc NO / Blizzard Strayer / EM / ATK% / ERUniversally viable options, but lack any team buff. You can use these as a transitional set while farming 4NO. 2pc NO + 2pc Blizzard Strayer can be comparable to 4ESF in terms of Chongyun’s personal damage. Note that EM is only viable if Chongyun is able to Melt his Burst.
4pc Lavawalker (4LW)4LW is a strong choice for Reverse Melt teams, but is not recommended to farm unless you are also farming 4pc Crimson Witch of Flames for another character.

Weapons

Wolf’s GravestoneWolf’s Gravestone is Chongyun’s most recommended weapon due to its teamwide ATK% buff, despite its inconsistent uptime. While it offers slightly lower personal damage than Serpent Spine, it offers higher overall team damage.
Beacon of the Reed SeaOne of the best weapons for Chongyun’s personal damage due to its CRIT Rate secondary stat and ATK% passive. Its passive is conditional, but rather easy to trigger. However, other characters may take better advantage of this weapon.
Serpent SpineSerpent Spine is another strong choice for personal damage. If possible, Chongyun should stack its passive prior to combat by waiting on-field for 20s. If Serpent Spine is contested among your characters, using another weapon on Chongyun is likely better for your overall damage.
Sacrificial GreatswordSacrificial Greatsword allows Chongyun to proc his A4 Passive in the first rotation and fit a second Skill use if necessary e.g., to generate Energy in solo Cryo scenarios. However, even with Sacrificial Greatsword, it may not be feasible to use his Skill twice due to Chongyun’s short rotations. However, it can still permit more flexible team rotations, fully cover Chongyun’s ER requirements, and generate more Cryo Particles.

Sacrificial Greatsword is on par with Lithic Blade for the first rotation, but performs slightly worse in further rotations.
Lithic BladeLithic Blade is a competitive option when it has at least 2 stacks on its passive (requiring at least one teammate from Liyue). It allows Chongyun to deal slightly more damage than with Redhorn Stonethresher.
Redhorn StonethresherAs a stat stick, Redhorn Stonethresher is comparable to Sacrificial Greatsword and Lithic Blade. It is not worth pulling this weapon solely for Chongyun.
AkuoumaruAkuoumaru can be a good option to increase Chongyun’s Burst damage in Melt teams. The Burst DMG Bonus it provides if the team’s combined Burst cost is 240 is equivalent to Lithic Blade at 2 stacks.
Luxurious Sea-LordR5 Luxurious Sea-Lord grants hefty amounts of ATK% and Burst DMG Bonus. It is Chongyun’s best free-to-play option if you have it. The fish aesthetic is also fun.
Mailed FlowerChongyun’s best free-to-play option in Melt teams if you start the rotation with his Skill and can Melt his Burst. Mailed Flower provides a good EM secondary stat and an additional EM and ATK boost from its passive.
Bloodtainted GreatswordFree-to-play option if Chongyun is able to Melt his Burst. Both Claymores have an EM secondary stat; Bloodtainted Greatsword has decent uptime with its DMG% uptime and has a welcome EM secondary stat.
Blackcliff SlasherBlackcliff Slasher is a free-to-play option available to purchase with Starglitter. Its damage is respectable, but other options with similar availability deal comparable or greater damage. It is not recommended to purchase Blackcliff Slasher solely for Chongyun.
Prototype ArchaicPrototype Archaic can be used if you have nothing else, since it is the only permanent free-to-play option worth using. However, all other options mentioned are better in terms of damage or team utility.
Favonius GreatswordFavonius Greatsword lags behind in terms of Chongyun’s personal damage, but it lowers his team’s ER requirements. As such, his teammates can invest into more offensive stats,  which can lead to higher damage output.
Skyward PrideSkyward Pride may seem like a good option since it has a high Base ATK, provides both ER, and slightly buffs DMG%. However, in practice, it is often worse than the other options; this is especially true if Bennett is on the team.

Teams

Chongyun appears in a variety of teams that center around Cryo damage and related reactions. Chongyun’s Dendro and Shatter teams are not covered in this guide.

This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level. 

Notable Teammates

Chongyun synergizes well with Cryo units in Freeze, Mono Cryo, and Melt teams. His Cryo Infusion allows them to deal Cryo damage with their Normal Attacks, which benefits from how they are often already built for Cryo damage.

RosariaRosaria is a great off-field Burst DPS, a decent battery, and a potent CRIT Rate buffer. With Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion, Rosaria becomes a viable on-field Cryo DPS in Freeze, Mono Cryo, and Reverse Melt teams.
KaeyaKaeya provides good Cryo damage with his Burst and excellent particle generation with his Skill. He makes for a good on-field Cryo DPS at high investment.
ShenheShenhe is incredibly potent in Mono Cryo and Freeze teams due to her Icy Quill effect, DMG% Buffs, Cryo RES Shred, and respectable personal damage.
AyakaAyaka benefits from Chongyun’s Cryo RES Shred and Cryo Particle generation. However, Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion is redundant since Ayaka has her own Cryo Infusion that can also give her a Cryo DMG% buff.
LaylaLayla grants a strong shield, good Cryo Particle generation, and some off-field Cryo damage. She can hold 4pc Noblesse Oblige or 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith to boost team damage. Layla is better used as a tertiary support in Mono Cryo teams since they can benefit from a shield.

Hydro units are essential to Freeze teams. Kokomi, Mona, and Ayato are viable in AoE, while Xingqiu and Yelan are excellent in single-target.

KokomiKokomi provides AoE Hydro application and healing. She can provide buffs when equipped with R5 Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers (TTDS) and 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith.
MonaMona can be used similarly to Kokomi. However, she provides lower AoE Hydro application and cannot heal without Prototype Amber. The most powerful part of her kit is the Omen buff applied by her Elemental Burst.
XingqiuXingqiu provides excellent single-target Hydro damage and application. He additionally grants damage reduction and minor healing via his orbital Rain Swords, which is more notable in Freeze teams lacking a healer.

If played on-field, Xingqiu can take advantage of Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion and buffs provided by his teammates (e.g., Bennett’s Flat ATK buff).
YelanYelan offers incredibly strong single-target Hydro damage with her Burst at the cost of lower Hydro application and defensive utility in comparison to Xingqiu. Despite this, her A4’s ramping DMG% buff is appreciated.
AyatoAyato can be used as an off-field Burst DPS, providing AoE Hydro application. He can also buff the Normal Attacks of an on-field Cryo DPS within his Burst’s radius. Ayato is not an effective on-field DPS with Chongyun due to their Skill cooldowns and interactions.
BarbaraBarbara is a free-to-play option who grants very limited Hydro application but good healing. She should hold TTDS to grant the on-field DPS an ATK% buff.

Anemo units are appreciated in Chongyun’s teams as they provide valuable Elemental RES Shred through 4pc Viridescent Venener (4VV).
 

KazuhaKazuha grants fantastic grouping and an appreciable Elemental DMG Bonus buff with his A4 Passive. He can also provide Pyro application in Melt teams with his Burst’s Pyro Absorption.
VentiVenti’s Burst is incredibly strong in AoE content against liftable enemies. If his Burst absorbs Cryo, he provides an Energy refund to all Cryo characters. Venti is best used in Freeze or Mono Cryo teams.
SucroseSucrose gives an EM buff that is appreciated in Melt teams, but her EM sharing isn’t useful in Freeze or Mono Cryo teams. She can also supply an ATK% buff for the on-field DPS with TTDS.
HeizouHeizou fulfills a similar role to Sucrose: he can hold TTDS and share some EM as well. Heizou offers higher personal damage, but lacks the grouping utility of Sucrose.
Sayu / JeanSayu and Jean are good Anemo healers but offer almost no grouping. As melee units, they can weave in a Normal Attack to apply Cryo before swapping out.

In Reverse Melt teams, Jean can be used for Pyro application alongside Bennett via the “Sunfire” interaction.
Anemo TravelerAnemo Traveler can be used in Freeze and Mono Cryo teams. Their Elemental Absorption uniquely prioritizes Cryo over any other Element. In conjunction with their C6, their Elemental Burst consistently reduces enemy Cryo RES by an additional 20%.

Pyro units are a key part of Chongyun’s Melt teams as they trigger or enable potent Melt damage. 

BennettBennett is irreplaceable in Chongyun’s Melt teams. The Pyro application from Bennett’s Skill and Burst allows Chongyun to Melt all the hits of his Elemental Burst.

In Reverse Melt, Bennett acts as a Burst support granting the team a large Flat ATK buff. He can funnel Pyro Particles to Xiangling and enables Kazuha or Jean to apply Pyro with their Bursts. He can opt to hold 4pc Instructor if Chongyun is holding 4NO.

In Forward Melt, Bennett becomes a venerable Pyro DPS. He weaves Cryo-infused Normal Attacks between uses of his Elemental Skill in order to trigger Melt. Note that Bennett should not unlock his C6 if you want to play him as a Melt DPS since his Pyro Infusion overrides Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion.
XianglingXiangling is incredibly potent in Reverse Melt teams, dealing substantial damage through her Elemental Burst while providing consistent Pyro application.

Melt

Chongyun works well in two different Melt team archetypes: Reverse and Forward Melt. Bennett is necessary to make either team archetype viable.

Reverse Melt teams use Cryo abilities on a Pyro aura to trigger Melt. Xiangling’s Burst, an Anemo unit’s Pyro Absorption, and the Bennett-Jean Sunfire duo can provide enough Pyro application to allow Chongyun and another Cryo unit to consistently trigger Melt. Most Reverse Melt teams are oriented toward a quickswap playstyle, which involves constantly swapping in and out characters to use their abilities. This also increases Cryo application via Normal Attacks from Chongyun’s Infusion.

Forward Melt teams use Pyro abilities on a Cryo aura to trigger Melt. Chongyun’s most notable Forward Melt team uses Bennett as an on-field DPS; he weaves Cryo-infused Normal Attacks between uses of his Elemental Skill. An Anemo support is recommended to provide Elemental RES Shred, among other potential buffs. Note that Bennett should not unlock his C6 for this playstyle.

Freeze

Chongyun is a powerful Cryo enabler and Burst support in Freeze teams. Freeze teams take advantage of the CRIT Rate buffs from Cryo Resonance and 4pc Blizzard Strayer to gear more toward ATK and CRIT DMG. With his Elemental Skill’s melee Cryo Infusion, Chongyun enables some Cryo characters to become potent on-field Cryo damage dealers. His particle generation and Cryo RES Shred are also appreciated. All of Chongyun’s Talents are Blunt Attacks, which will trigger Shatter and remove the Frozen aura on enemies. This issue can be mitigated with enough Hydro and Cryo application.

Mono Cryo

Mono Cryo works exceptionally well against enemies that cannot be Frozen. The abundant Cryo Particle generation lowers the team’s ER requirements, which allows further investment into damage.

Shenhe, while non-obligatory, is an incredibly valuable asset to Mono Cryo teams because of her kit. Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion allows units like Kaeya and Rosaria to serve as on-field Cryo DPS units who can trigger additional procs of Shenhe’s Icy Quill effect.

Example Teams


Freeze: Chongyun — Kaeya — Xingqiu — Jean

Mono Cryo: Chongyun — Shenhe — Kaeya — Kazuha

Reverse Melt: Chongyun — Rosaria — Xiangling — Bennett

Forward Melt: Chongyun — Rosaria — Sucrose — Bennett (On-field DPS)

Vapemelt: Chongyun — Xingqiu — Xiangling — Bennett

Credits

Contributors: Chasing Haze#3014, irokei#6189, Sir_pick_the_prick#2209, Nikatosaurus#5639, Polomo#8430, idkanonymized#4166, Sew#2409, Nociii#0111, Davjac123#0413, Chameleon#9008

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