Qiqi vs. Diona: The Cryo Healer Showdown – Who Reigns Supreme in Genshin Impact?
In Teyvat, you battle Hilichurls and tackle quests. Your team may feel weak. But don’t worry! Genshin Impact offers many healers. Today, we examine two Cryo healers: the youthful Qiqi and the shielded Diona. Let’s find out who is the best choice for your team.
1. Character Comparison: Qiqi vs. Diona
Healing Capabilities: The HP Restoration Race
Let’s discuss healing. Qiqi is a powerhouse of HP restoration. This tiny zombie offers immense healing, more than Barbara. Her healing scales with Attack, meaning more damage translates to more healing. With good multipliers, she can quickly revive your team from defeat.
Diona is not lacking in healing, either. She is versatile. Qiqi focuses solely on healing, while Diona combines healing and shielding. If you ask, “Who heals better, Diona or Qiqi?“, the answer is Qiqi, hands down, for pure HP recovery.
Qiqi’s Elemental Skill, Adeptus Art: Herald of Frost, summons a Herald that heals based on her ATK. Her Elemental Burst, Adeptus Art: Preserver of Fortune, marks enemies with a Talisman. Attacking those enemies heals your active character, consistently keeping your team healthy.
Shielding Abilities (Diona): Fort Knox in Paws
Now, onto shields. Diona brings a shield with her as a 4-star Cryo bow user. Her Elemental Skill, Icy Paws, provides a shield for the active character. This shield’s strength scales with her HP, offering surprising tankiness. It helps mitigate damage, especially against tough foes.
While Qiqi can heal through damage, preventing that damage is better. Diona’s shield offers proactive defense, which is essential when anticipating heavy hits or maintaining damage output. Think of Qiqi as the ambulance after the fall and Diona as the guardrail protecting you.
Cryo Application: Frosty Fights
Qiqi and Diona apply Cryo differently. Diona uses her Elemental Skill and Burst to target enemies specifically. Her Burst, Signature Mix, creates a field of Drunken Mist that heals allies and continuously applies Cryo to enemies.
Qiqi’s Cryo application is passive. Her Elemental Skill applies Cryo to nearby enemies. Her Burst marks enemies that apply Cryo when they are attacked. Diona excels in targeted application while Qiqi’s consistent application supports reactions in long battles, like Superconduct or Freeze.
In co-op play, Layla’s Cryo application is less valuable than Diona’s healing. In chaotic battles, consistent healing and shielding tends to be more crucial than niche Cryo applications. Thus, Diona’s skillset shines in multiplayer situations.
Overall Utility: More Than Just Healing and Shields
Diona’s overall utility gives her an edge. She brings useful perks beyond just healing and shielding. As a bow user, she can break Geo shields and solve puzzles found in the world. Her shield resists interruptions, which is vital for attack combos or casting Bursts without disruption.
Qiqi’s utility focuses primarily on healing. While her Cryo application is helpful, it lacks the versatility found in Diona’s kit. Diona is a better choice for exploration. Her shield helps with environmental hazards, and her bow skills are invaluable for solving tasks in the game.
Suitability for Different Team Compositions and Playstyles: Team Player or Solo Star?
Diona fits well into diverse team compositions thanks to her versatility. As a accessible 4-star Cryo bow character, she adapts easily into many roles. She thrives as a support unit, providing healing, shielding, and Cryo application while generating energy particles for Cryo DPS characters like Ayaka or Ganyu.
Diona works brilliantly in numerous teams, especially those revolving around Cryo DPS or seeking a steadfast healer and shielder. Her robust shield and energy generation keep Cryo Bursts ready to go. She harmonizes with characters benefiting from Cryo resonance or consistent Cryo application for reactions like Melt and Freeze.
Qiqi is an exceptional healer but fits niche team roles. Her lack of energy generation and versatility limit her in meta teams. Yet, she shines in teams emphasizing survival or raw healing, such as specific Physical DPS setups or those receiving sustained damage.
Diona’s Energy Generation for Cryo DPS: Battery Boost
Let’s focus on Diona’s energy generation. As a Cryo character, she generates particles when her Elemental Skill hits enemies. This is vital for energizing power-hungry Cryo DPS characters. Diona effectively supports many Cryo DPS, allowing them to utilize their Elemental Bursts consistently for maximum damage.
Conversely, Qiqi suffers from energy issues. Her Elemental Skill does not generate particles, exacerbating her energy problems and limiting her support capabilities for teammates needing energy boosts. This drawback puts her at a disadvantage compared to Diona and other support characters.
2. Qiqi: Strengths and Weaknesses
Healing Potential (High Healing Output): The Undead Healer Supreme
Qiqi’s healing is undoubtedly top-tier. Her healing ranks among the best in Genshin Impact. If healing is your main goal, she competes for the title of best healer in the game. Her ATK scaling enhances her heal power significantly, offering massive recovery that often overheals.
Qiqi ranks as one of the best healers, fully restoring team HP swiftly. Her heals are powerful and reliably available. Her Elemental Skill has a short cooldown while her Burst provides ongoing healing and Cryo application despite its high energy cost.
However, from a meta viewpoint, her value is limited. This isn’t due to poor healing – quite the opposite. In the current meta, damage mitigation, buffs, and versatile utility outweigh pure healing output. While survival matters, higher damage output often gets prioritized for quick clear times.
Cryo Application Issues: Frozen in Place (Not in a Good Way)
Qiqi does have problems with her Cryo application. Her Elemental skill fails to generate energy particles, making her Cryo application slow and inefficient for triggering important reactions. It requires considerable energy investment while attacking marked enemies can be an inefficient method of applying Cryo.
Compared to other Cryo characters like Kaeya or Diona, Qiqi’s Cryo methods seem clumsy and less effective. This diminishes her use in teams focused heavily on excellent Cryo reactions such as Freeze or Melt; reliable responses are critical.
Energy Generation Problems: Energy Vampire (Ironically)
The key issue with Qiqi lies in her energy generation problems…
Energy generation is an issue for Qiqi. Her elemental skill does not create energy particles. This is a huge drawback. Qiqi struggles to recharge her Elemental Burst, which costs 80 energy. She also does not help her team’s energy economy. This makes her a selfish unit in terms of energy.
This energy issue worsens her Cryo application problems. It restricts her utility further. You can build her with Energy Recharge, but this often lowers her ATK. Lower ATK directly affects her healing. Managing Qiqi’s energy is always a struggle. This makes her playstyle less smooth compared to energy-generating supports.
Viability in the Current Meta: Meta-phorically Speaking, She’s Not Top Tier
From a meta viewpoint, she’s not highly valued. This does not mean Qiqi is unusable or “bad.” She is a great healer, and there are situations where her healing is very useful. Yet, in the current Genshin Impact meta, which often values damage and utility, Qiqi’s healing niche may not yield top-tier performance.
Characters like Bennett, Jean, and Kokomi provide healing with useful utilities. They offer ATK buffs, crowd control, Hydro application, and energy generation. These characters usually provide more team value than Qiqi, even if they do not match her raw healing output. In the Spiral Abyss, where speed is key, Qiqi’s lack of utility can hinder performance.
Qiqi’s Constellations, Especially C6 (Revival Ability): Get Up, Get On Up!
Qiqi’s constellations enhance her kit, like many 5-star constellations. Her Constellation 6, “Never Let Death Stop You,” is unique and game-changing. Never Let Death Stop You: When facing the Spiral Abyss, if an important character dies, starting from zero is your only option. Qiqi mitigates these issues with her last constellation by gaining the ability to revive all allies.
C6 Qiqi can revive all fallen allies when she casts her Elemental Burst. This full revive is rare and potent. This Constellation is mainly useful in the Spiral Abyss. In the Spiral Abyss, a full team revive can save you time during retries when mistakes happen or burst damage occurs.
However, obtaining C6 Qiqi is a large investment. Although the revival ability is powerful, it is situational. It serves as a “panic button” in emergencies rather than impacting core gameplay. For most players, other constellations yield more consistent, smaller improvements.
Qiqi’s Skill and Burst Mechanics: How the Healing Happens
Now, let’s discuss how Qiqi performs her healing magic. Indeed, Qiqi heals the active character with her Skill and marks enemies with her Burst. Her Elemental Skill, Adeptus Art: Herald of Frost, summons Herald of Frost. This guardian orbits the active character, dealing Cryo damage and healing based on Qiqi’s ATK every few seconds.
Her Elemental Burst, Adeptus Art: Preserver of Fortune, marks nearby enemies with a Fortune-Preserving Talisman. The active character receives healing based on Qiqi’s ATK when attacking a marked enemy. This allows for timely healing as long as enemies are marked and targeted.
Both her Skill and Burst significantly contribute to her healing output. Together, sustained healing from her Skill and on-demand healing from her Burst keep your team healthy during fights.
Best Weapon for Qiqi: Arming the Undead
For Qiqi’s weapon choice, focus on those boosting her ATK or providing utility. Her best Weapons include Summit Shaper: 5-Star (acquired through Epitome Invocation) and Sacrificial Sword: 4-Star (accessible through all Wish Banners) for Healing. Almost any Sword with an ATK% Main Stat or High Base ATK will suffice.
Sacrificial Sword is a great 4-star choice. Its Skill can reset Elemental Skill cooldowns, leading to more Herald of Frost activations and healing.
Summit Shaper offers a large ATK boost, enhancing Qiqi’s healing. However, it’s limited and less accessible. Nevertheless, any Sword with ATK% Main Stat or High Base ATK will work. Weapons like Festering Desire (event-exclusive), Favonius Sword (for energy recharge), or craftable options like Amenoma Kageuchi are viable.
Best Team Comp for Qiqi: Who Plays Well with the Zombie Child?
While Qiqi can work in various teams as a healer, she excels with specific characters and compositions. Great pairing candidates are Chongyun, Keqing, and Razor. These characters form a comp with decent synergy. Teams benefiting from sustained healing and working around her energy issues suit her well.
An example is a Physical DPS team. Characters like Razor or Eula rely on Physical damage and Superconduct reactions (Cryo + Electro) and gain from Qiqi’s reliable Cryo application and extensive healing. Chongyun and Qiqi create Cryo Resonance for boosts in CRIT Rate, which helps in Cryo teams or for CRIT Rate seekers.
A team of Chongyun (Cryo), Keqing (Electro), and Razor (Electro) builds a Superconduct-focused team, with Qiqi healing and providing Cryo application to enable reactions. However, these aren’t necessarily meta-defining compositions. Qiqi’s teams often revolve around enabling her healing rather than maximizing peak damage.
Talents and Abilities: The Tools of the Trade (of Healing)
Let’s review Qiqi’s core talents and abilities. Certainly, Qiqi heals the active character with her Skill and marks enemies with her Burst. Her Normal Attack features a standard sword attack sequence. Her Elemental Skill, Adeptus Art: Herald of Frost, serves as her primary healing tool, providing sustained healing and Cryo application.
Her Elemental Burst, Adeptus Art: Preserver of Fortune, marks enemies for on-demand healing and delivers a burst of Cryo damage. Her Passive Talents amplify her healing and provide some minor utility. “Life-Prolonging Gaze” increases healing for characters under Herald of Frost. “A Glimpse into Arcanum” pins nearby Liyue specialties on the mini-map, aiding exploration.
Build Considerations (ATK Scaling): Stacking the Stats for Superior Sustenance
When building Qiqi, remember that she is among the best healers in the game. Her heals depend on attack stats and solid multipliers. She can rapidly heal herself or others in a matter of seconds. Focus on ATK. Her healing scales directly with her ATK stat, so prioritize ATK% on her artifacts and weapon for maximum healing output. You can consider Energy Recharge, but ATK should remain primary.
For artifact sets, think about Ocean-Hued Clam, converting overhealing into Physical damage for additional damage output. Maiden Beloved serves as another option for pure healing focus, enhancing her healing effectiveness further. Ideally, set the main stats as follows: ATK% on Sands, ATK% or Healing Bonus on Goblet (ATK% is generally favored), and Healing Bonus or ATK% on Circlet.
3. Diona: Strengths and Weaknesses
Healing and Shielding Combination: The Dynamic Duo
Diona’s standout feature is her mix of healing and shielding within one package. Diona is a 4-star Cryo bow character who excels at shielding while healing. This pairing makes her efficient in team setups, freeing slots for other roles. She enhances survivability while supporting your team.
Her shield from Icy Paws and healing from Signature Mix work together to protect your team. The shield absorbs damage while her healing maintains your team’s HP. This duality proves effective against foes causing consistent damage or in tough situations.
where you need both damage mitigation and healing.
Cryo Application: Icy Support
Diona offers solid and versatile Cryo application. Her Elemental Skill and Burst apply Cryo to enemies. In co-op, Layla’s cryo application is less helpful, while Diona’s healing is much more beneficial. Her Skill applies Cryo to specific enemies. Her Burst creates a field that applies Cryo continuously.
This application is critical for reactions like Freeze and Melt. Who benefits from Diona’s support? Characters like Ayaka or Ganyu, appreciate Diona’s Cryo application and battery capabilities.
Battery Potential for Cryo DPS: Energy on Tap
Diona excels as an energy battery for Cryo DPS characters. She is a 4-star cryo bow character who serves as a shielder and healer. She supports different teams, providing a strong shield and energy for many cryo DPS. Her Skill generates Cryo particles that recharge Elemental Bursts for Cryo DPS. This is vital for characters like Ayaka or Ganyu.
This energy potential gives Diona an edge over Qiqi, who offers no energy generation. Diona’s healing, shielding, and battery capabilities make her an efficient support unit in Cryo teams.
Flexibility in Exploration: Adventure Buddy
Diona’s utility goes beyond combat into exploration. In co-op, Layla’s cryo application is less effective while Diona’s healing is much better. Diona is more suited for casual gameplay. She is flexible for exploration. As a bow user, she can solve bow puzzles and break Geo constructs. Her shield protects against hazards and enemy attacks during exploration.
Her bow allows for ranged attacks and interaction with distant objects. This mix of combat and exploration utility makes Diona valuable for adventuring parties. She excels in casual gameplay and world exploration.
4. Qiqi as a 5-Star Character: Star Power or Stardust?
Whether Qiqi is the Weakest 5-Star Character: The Unfortunate Title
There is a common belief in the Genshin Impact community that Is Qiqi the weakest 5 star? Yes, Qiqi is often deemed the worst 5 star character. This perception stems from her limited utility beyond healing and energy generation issues, especially compared to other 5-star characters who provide more support or damage.
Her healing is remarkable, yet the meta favors characters contributing more than raw healing. Players believe Qiqi’s 5-star rarity doesn’t match her overall impact in team compositions, as 4-star healers like Diona often provide greater value.
Rarity Compared to Other 5-Star Characters: Rarity Doesn’t Equal Power
Despite being perceived as “weak,” Qiqi remains a 5-star character, harder to obtain than 4-star characters like Diona. Rarity in Genshin Impact does not always relate to strength or meta relevance. Some 4-star characters are very powerful while some 5-star characters, like Qiqi, are niche.
Community polls show Rarest 5* Character Albedo, Diluc, Ganyu, Jean, Keqing, Klee, Mona, Qiqi. Qiqi’s “weakness” does not influence her rarity compared to other 5-stars. Rarity is determined by gacha rates and banners, not character power levels.
Whether Qiqi is Worth Pulling For: Pull or Pass?
The question Is Qiqi worth pulling? is complex. This depends heavily on player needs. New players needing healing may find value in Qiqi. Her healing keeps teams alive, aiding progression.
For experienced players focused on endgame optimization, pulling for Qiqi may not be the best use of Primogems. More versatile and meta-relevant 5-stars often exist alongside useful 4-star healers like Diona. If obtained off-banner, she remains a strong healer; actively pulling for her may not suit meta-focused players.
5. Diona as a Healer and Shielder: The Support Specialist
Role in Team Compositions: The Team Player
Diona excels as a support character across various compositions. Diona is a 4 star cryo bow character who serves as a shielder and healer. She fits into diverse teams with strong shields and batteries. Her healing, shielding, Cryo application, and energy generation make her versatile. She suits Cryo-centric, reaction-based, and exploration teams.
Her shield provides protection and interruption resistance. Healing enhances survivability while Cryo application enables reactions. Her energy generation supports Cryo DPS units. This multifaceted support capability positions Diona as a top-tier support character.
6. Character Synergies and Team Compositions: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Qiqi’s Best Team Compositions: Finding Her Niche
Qiqi’s team options are limited by her kit. She thrives in teams maximizing her healing without relying heavily on energy generation or complex reactions. Who pairs well with Qiqi? Chongyun, Keqing, Razor Players should try Chongyun (Cryo), Keqing (Electro), and Razor (Electro) for good synergy. Physical DPS teams work too.
Teams focusing on sustained damage rather than burst can benefit from Qiqi’s healing. However, her compositions often compensate for her weaknesses instead of maximizing strengths in meta contexts.
Diona’s Support Capabilities for Various Characters: Supporting Cast Superstar
Diona excels as a support when paired with various characters, especially Cryo DPS units. Diona provides support to Ayaka, another Cryo user.activate Cryo resonance, boosting their CRIT Rate. Additionally, Diona can shield Ayaka while healing her with her Elemental Skill and Burst.
For Cryo DPS characters like Ayaka or Ganyu, Diona serves as an ideal partner. She generates Cryo resonance, enhancing CRIT Rate against Cryo or Frozen enemies. Her shield prevents interruptions; her healing maintains health; energy generation ensures Bursts are ready.