This is a guide to Citlali, the upcoming 5-star Cryo character wielding a catalyst. Her shield strength scales based on her elemental mastery. Her Elemental Skill generates a shield and deals initial damage upon activation. Both her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst damage output increase with higher Elemental Mastery values. The Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set is considered her optimal artifact choice. When Citlali triggers freeze or melt reactions, she reduces enemy resistance to either Hydro or Pyro by twenty percent. Characters protected by her shield receive a damage boost. In essence, Citlali serves as a superior alternative to Zhongli specifically for Hydro and Pyro teams, largely due to her compatibility with the Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City artifact set. Normal Attack, Shadow-Stealing Spirit Vessel. A traditional Night-Wind Masters technique that delivers: A three-hit sequence dealing Cryo damage. A charged aim-shot that launches a Frost Star, consuming stamina and dealing Cryo damage along its path. A plunging attack that deals Cryo damage both during descent and in an A.O.E. upon landing. Citlali's Elemental Skill, Dawnfrost Darkstar, creates an Opal Shield that scales with Elemental Mastery, two hundred fifty percent effective against Cryo. Summons Itzpapa, dealing A.O.E. Cryo damage. Grants twenty-four Nightsoul points and activates Nightsoul's blessing. Itzpapa mechanics are that it follows the active character. Enters Opal Fire state when Citlali has fifty or more Nightsoul points. During Opal Fire, create a Frostfall Storm that deals continuous Cryo damage while consuming Nightsoul points. Deactivates when Nightsoul points are depleted or when Itzpapa leaves field. Citlali's Elemental Burst, Edict of Entwined Splendor, is a summoning burst that creates an icy storm dealing A.O.E. Cryo damage. Restores Nightsoul points to Citlali. Spawns up to three Spiritvessel Skulls near opponents. Each Skull explodes after a delay, dealing Cryo damage and restoring additional Nightsoul points. Citlali’s Passive One, Five Days of Frigid Rain, states that while in Nightsoul's Blessing state, when nearby teammates trigger Frozen or Melt, it reduces affected enemies' Pyro and Hydro resistance by twenty percent for twelve seconds and restores sixteen Nightsoul points to Citlali, which has a cooldown of eight seconds. Citlali’s Passive Two, White Butterfly's Star Garments, says that Itzpapa's Frostfall Storm damage is increased by ninety percent of Citlali's Elemental Mastery. Her Elemental Burst's Ice Storm damage is boosted by two thousand four hundred percent of Citlali's Elemental Mastery. When nearby party members use Nightsoul Bursts, Citlali gains four Nightsoul points.
For Citlali’s artifact set, use the Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City because Citlali is an off-field shielder.
For Citlali’s sands main stat, use Elemental Mastery. Alternatively, she can use energy recharge for her sands. For Citlali’s goblet main stat, use Elemental Mastery. Alternatively, she can use cryodamage percent for her goblet. For Citlali’s circlet main stat, use Elemental Mastery. Alternatively, she can use H.P. percent for her circlet. Keep in mind that she receives Elemental Mastery from her ascension stat.
For Citlali’s energy recharge requirements, aim for around two hundred percent energy recharge as a solo cryo character. For a double cryo team, aim for one hundred fifty percent energy recharge. She might have to use her elemental burst every other rotation.
For Citlali’s substat priority, prioritize energy recharge until the optimal requirement, then prioritize elemental mastery, next prioritize H.P. percent, then flat H.P., and lastly defense percent.
Citlali’s weapons:
Citlali’s best weapon is obviously her five-star signature catalyst, Starcaller's Watch. It has a base attack of five hundred forty-two and an elemental mastery of two hundred sixty-four point six. When a shield is created, Citlali activates a ten-second Scrutiny effect that boosts the active character's damage output. At different refinement levels, this damage increase ranges from twenty-four percent to forty-eight percent when attacking opponents in close proximity. Additionally, the catalyst grants a scaling Elemental Mastery bonus from one hundred to two hundred. This Scrutiny mechanism can be triggered only once every fifteen seconds.
An alternative five-star catalyst for Citlali is A Thousand Floating Dreams, which is Nahida’s signature catalyst and has an elemental mastery main stat.
A four-star craftable catalyst that Citlali can use is prototype amber because it provides energy and heals allies.
A four-star gacha catalyst is Favonius Codex, which provides elemental particles for critical hits. With this catalyst, Citlali needs a critical rate main stat on her circlet or critical rate substats to trigger Favonius Codex’s effect more often.
An alternative four-star gacha catalyst is Wandering Evenstar, which has an Elemental Mastery main stat, and Citlali plus her teammates will gain a percentage of their elemental mastery as a bonus attack. This effect works off-field.
Another alternative four-star gacha catalyst is Sacrificial Fragments, which has a chance to reset Citlali’s elemental skill cooldown. Remember, her elemental skill is the one that provides a shield.
A three-star catalyst that Citlali can use is Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers since it provides an attack percent increase when switching characters. Given that Citlali is a shielder, she does not need to be on-field and swaps off-field often.
Citlali’s best teams:
Citlali is a universal character and can fit on most teams because she is a shielder. Citlali is even better than Zhongli on Pyro and Hydro teams. Citlali can be used with the best three main D.P.S. teams. For Neuvillette, the team is Citlali, Furina, and Kazuha. For Arlecchino, the team is Bennett, Kazuha, and Citlali. For Mavuika, the team is Xilonen, Bennett, and Citlali. Citlali can replace Layla and Zhongli on any of their teams.
If you are free to play, you can avoid Citlali's constellations, but I will go over them.
Constellation One, Bladed Light of Four Hundred Stars:
When Citlali uses Dawnfrost Darkstar, she gains Opalstar Vestments and receives ten Stellar Blades. During this state, nearby active characters can consume these blades to amplify their damage by two hundred percent of Citlali's Elemental Mastery. Additionally, when party members trigger Frozen or Melt reactions, Citlali gains three more Stellar Blades once every eight seconds. Using Dawnfrost Darkstar resets the Stellar Blade stacks. As a mobility bonus, Citlali's Phlogiston consumption is reduced by forty-five percent during mid-air actions like leaping, aiming, or performing charged attacks.
Constellation Two, Death Defier's Spirit Skull:
Citlali gains one hundred twenty five Elemental Mastery, and characters shielded by her Opal Shield receive an additional two hundred fifty Elemental Mastery. When using Dawnfrost Darkstar, nearby active characters are automatically granted an Opal Shield. The constellation enhances the Five Days of Frigid Rain passive talent. While in Nightsoul's Blessing state, when party members trigger Frozen or Melt reactions, affected opponents suffer an extra twenty percent Pyro and Hydro resistance reduction for twelve seconds.
Constellation Four, Heart Devourer's Travail:
During Dawnfrost Darkstar, when Itzpapa's Frostfall Storm hits opponents, an extra Obsidian Spiritvessel Skull is summoned. When this additional skull explodes, it deals damage equal to one thousand two hundred percent of Citlali's Elemental Mastery as Nightsoul-aligned Cryo Damage and restores sixteen Nightsoul points. This effect can occur once every eight seconds and is not classified as Elemental Burst damage.
Constellation Six, Secret Pact of Wisdom:
Itzpapa will always be in the Opal Fire state during Dawnfrost Darkstar and will remain active even when Nightsoul points are exhausted. When Dawnfrost Darkstar is used, Itzpapa consumes all Nightsoul points to grant nearby party members elemental damage bonuses. Each consumed Nightsoul point provides one point five percent bonus to Pyro, Hydro, and Cryo damage, with a maximum total damage bonus of sixty percent.
If you are a whale, Citlali’s best constellation stopping point is constellation two because it provides elemental mastery, nearby active characters gain a shield, and triggering melt or frozen decreases enemies’ pyro and hydro resistance. The shield for other active characters is very comfy for co-op.
For constellation one versus Citlali’s signature catalyst, I would recommend Citlali’s signature catalyst because it provides a lot of elemental mastery and provides the active character with increased damage. Meanwhile, constellation one only increases the active character’s damage.
I go over a guide to Lan Yan next.