Genshin Impact: Complete Guide

A practical guide to Genshin Impact in Version 7.1: how progression and Resin work, elemental reactions and team building, artifacts, the gacha, endgame modes, what is new in Snezhnaya, and how to spend as a free-to-play player.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Version 7.1 "A Rekviem for the Underworld" (released September 23, 2026; Phase 1 banners run to October 13). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Follow the Archon Quests first. They unlock regions, teleporters, co-op, daily Commissions and big Primogem payouts. The 7.1 Archon Quest alone grants 620 Primogems and gates the 6th-anniversary free 5-star.
2. Spend Original Resin every day. It caps out, and capped Resin is wasted progression. Early on, put it into character EXP/Mora Ley Lines and talent books; later, artifacts.
3. Build a small core, not a big roster. One well-built team of four beats eight half-built characters. Level weapons and talents on the characters you actually use.
4. Do daily Commissions (plus claim the reward from Katheryne/Adventurers' Guild). They are the most reliable daily Primogem and AR EXP source.
5. Level Adventure Rank carefully. Higher World Level means better drops but harder enemies. Do not rush ascension quests if your team cannot keep up.
6. Understand pity before pulling. Character banner hard pity is 90 wishes, and losing a 50/50 guarantees the featured character next time.
7. Use Stygian Onslaught, Spiral Abyss and Imaginarium Theater as your recurring Primogem sources once your account can handle them.
8. Claim the anniversary rewards in 7.1 — a free selectable event-exclusive 5-star (after the new Archon Quest), a standard 5-star, 1,600 Primogems and 10 Intertwined Fates were announced.
9. Explore for chests, Oculi and Statues of the Seven. Oculi raise stamina and unlock Reputation rewards; this is where a lot of early Primogems come from.

What Is Current (Version 7.1)

The new characters

• Vesna — 5-star Anemo Sword, the first dedicated Stellar-Swirl hypercarry. Her Skill enters an "Armed for Action" state that builds Sword Essence, spent on escalating Windborne Sword attacks; her Burst summons Spirit Blades for frontloaded AoE Anemo damage. Out of combat, holding Sprint or Jump enters a flying "Coursing" state (like Wanderer). Core team per Game8: Vesna + Odette + Cryo Traveler + Faruzan (C6) or Vodyanitsa.
• Vodyanitsa — 5-star Hydro Catalyst support: HP-scaling healing and Cryo/Hydro RES shred from her Skill; team ATK buffs come mainly from her signature weapon and constellations. Build HP. Holding her Skill out of combat turns her into a Water Imp that can swim across water briefly.

Snezhnaya (7.0+) Primer

Snezhnaya is the seventh nation: a frozen land linked by a rail network, with the capital Snezhnograd and the Fatui headquarters. Things that are new or different:

• Cold. A low-temperature mechanic similar to Dragonspine drains your party in exposed zones. Stay near heat sources and plan routes.
• Eye of Graeae. Gadget that helps you resist the cold, stores Kresnik Energy and lets you harvest Prime Ice to build contraptions (launching platforms, grappling points, heat sources and more).
• Shooter sections. Third-person shooting sequences in corrupted areas, using customizable elemental firearms.
• Rail travel. Trains connect stations; the train itself acts as a mobile hub with an armory and crafting bench.
• Stellar-Swirl. With a "Stellar Glimmer" character in the party (Odette, Cryo Traveler, Vesna, and some older units via a Radiance passive), Cryo Swirls become Stellar-Swirls that create an expanding Stellar Vortex which explodes for Cryo damage.

The region is story-gated: follow the Chapter VII Archon Quests to open the full map instead of wandering into areas you cannot survive yet.

Core Systems

Resin and daily routine

Resin regenerates one point every 8 minutes and caps at 200, so log in at least once a day. Condensed Resin lets you claim double rewards in one run; Fragile Resin refills 60 and is best saved for events or emergencies. Transient Resin (60, from the Realm Depot weekly) expires 7 days after purchase, so use it that week. Daily loop: spend Resin, do four Commissions, claim the Commission bonus, check the Realm Currency and any event dailies.

Characters, weapons and talents

• Ascension needs boss drops, local specialties and common enemy drops. Check requirements before you hit a level cap so you are not stuck.
• Talents (Normal Attack, Skill, Burst) use talent books from domains that rotate by day of the week; Sunday has all of them.
• Weapons matter more than most new players think. A leveled 4-star weapon that fits the character usually beats a mismatched 5-star.
• Constellations come from duplicate copies. C0 is fine for almost every character; for 4-stars, specific constellations (e.g. C6 on many supports) are big upgrades.

Artifacts

Artifacts are the long-term grind: a 5-piece set of Flower (flat HP), Plume (flat ATK), Sands, Goblet and Circlet.

• Rule of thumb for damage dealers: CRIT Rate to CRIT DMG ratio near 1:2, then enough Energy Recharge to have your Burst up every rotation.
• Start farming artifacts seriously around World Level 6+, when 5-star drops are common.
• Use the Artifact Strongbox (Mystic Offering) and Artifact Transmuter to target sets and main stats with fodder you do not need.

Elements and reactions

Nod-Krai (the 6.x region) added the Lunar reactions and Moonsign system, so check each new character's kit for which reaction family it supports.

Team building

Every team wants roughly:

• One main DPS (on field most of the time),
• One or two sub-DPS or enablers (off-field elemental application),
• One support (healer/shielder or buffer).

Reliable free or common picks: Bennett (healing plus ATK buff), Xingqiu and Xiangling (off-field Hydro/Pyro), Kazuha or Sucrose (Swirl and resistance shred), Fischl (off-field Electro), Zhongli or Layla (shields). Faruzan, Chongyun and Diona are on the current 4-star rate-up and fit Anemo/Cryo teams like Vesna's.

Wishes (Gacha) Explained

• 160 Primogems = 1 Intertwined Fate or Acquaint Fate.
• Pity carries over between character banners of the same type and version phases.
• Soft pity makes 5-stars much more likely in the 70s range, so plan budgets around about 75-90 wishes per 5-star.
• Starglitter from duplicates buys Fates and 4-stars in Paimon's Bargains each month.

Endgame and Recurring Rewards

Tip: Imaginarium Theater rewards roster width (you need many built characters across its elements), while Spiral Abyss and Stygian Onslaught reward a few strong teams.

Progression Order (New to Mid Players)

1. AR 1-16: story until co-op; build Traveler, Amber/Kaeya/Lisa plus whatever 4-stars you pull.
2. AR 16-30: Commissions, first domains, pick your main DPS and put all EXP into them first.
3. AR 30-45: Ascension to World Level 4/5; farm talent books on your main team.
4. AR 45+: artifact farming, Spiral Abyss Floor 9-12 practice, Imaginarium Theater.
5. Regions: Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, Nod-Krai, Snezhnaya. The Archon Quests gate Snezhnaya content, so catch up on story before you rush there.

F2P Spending Priorities

1. Welkin Moon if you spend at all — best value.
2. Primogems: character banners over weapon banners. Weapons only when you want to push one specific character.
3. Masterless Stardust (from 3-star pulls): the monthly Intertwined Fates first.
4. Masterless Starglitter (from 4-star and 5-star pulls/duplicates): Fates first, then 4-star constellations you need.
5. Genesis Crystals: do not refresh Resin with them; save for wishes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Letting Resin cap. It is the single biggest progression leak.
• Leveling too many characters at once. Materials are finite; focus.
• Pulling on every banner. Pick characters that fill a team role or that you love; skip the rest.
• Wishing on the weapon banner without a plan. The 75/25 split and two featured weapons make it expensive.
• Artifact farming at low World Level. The 5-star drop rate is poor until later.
• Ignoring Energy Recharge. A Burst that is never ready is worthless damage.
• Skipping the 7.1 Archon Quest. It gates the anniversary 5-star selector and 620 Primogems.

Advanced Tips

• Rotations over stats. Learn each team's rotation (buffers and off-field units first, then DPS). This often adds more damage than better artifacts.
• Swirl first, then trigger. Swirling an element spreads it and applies Viridescent Venerer shred before your big hits.
• Snapshot and duration. Some summons snapshot buffs when cast; others update live. Check character pages before building buffs around them.
• Save for kit-defining 5-stars in the new region. Stellar Swirl and Lunar reactions are expanding; characters that enable a reaction family age better than generic DPS units.
• Pre-farm ascension materials (local specialties, boss drops like the new ones for Vesna) during the banner so your pull is usable the same day.
• Use the Serenitea Pot's trust rank and Parametric Transformer every week for free materials.

FAQ

Who should I pull in 7.1: Vesna or Vodyanitsa? Vesna if you want a new main DPS for Stellar-Swirl teams (she works best with Odette, who is the key Stellar Glimmer support); Vodyanitsa if you need a Hydro healer/buffer with resistance shred. If you are unsure, wait for Phase 2 (Skirk/Escoffier reruns) and compare against your roster.

What free 5-star can I get for the 6th anniversary? Finishing the new Archon Quest lets you choose one event-exclusive 5-star from a select lineup, plus one standard 5-star. Check the in-game event page for the exact choices.

How do I unlock Snezhnaya? Progress the Chapter VII Archon Quests. The region is story-gated.

When does Spiral Abyss reset? On the 16th of every month. Imaginarium Theater resets on the 1st.

Is Genshin free-to-play friendly? Yes. All story content is clearable with free and 4-star characters; gacha only speeds things up and adds variety.

Does pity carry to the next banner? Yes, within the same banner type (character to character, weapon to weapon), including your 50/50 guarantee.

Sources

• HoYoverse: Genshin Impact Version 7.1 launches September 23
• RPG Site: Genshin Impact Version 7.1 details and anniversary rewards
• Game8: Current and Next Banner Schedule
• The Click: Genshin Impact 7.1 — everything new
• Game8: Version 7.0 release date and characters
• Teyvat Vault: Snezhnaya guide
• Genshin Impact Wiki: Version 7.1
• Game8: Vesna builds and teams
• Game8: Vodyanitsa preview
• Game8: Stellar-Swirl reaction
• Game8: Stygian Onslaught
• Game8: Imaginarium Theater
• Game8: Original Resin