In this Genshin Impact Guide I’m going to be showing you my Frost Shattering Warrior build for Chongyun, that utilizes his Elemental Skill to freeze every enemy, and then shatter them for additional damage. Composing a party for each situation in Genshin Impact can be a bit of a challenge, especially with the limited options for those focusing on free-to-play. In this Guide I’ll explain just how to make a damage dealer and crowd controller out of Chongyun, that can be used for most domains, world events, daily activities, and weekly bosses. I’ll go through what Weapons to use, what Artifacts to upgrade and which companions to pick up. If you’ve been looking for a Free to Play, Cryo and Shatter endgame Build, then check this one out!

Genshin Impact Build: Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior

Chongyun is a four star character, featured as a rate up character in Zhongli‘s Wish Banner during December. Due to these facts, you have a high chance to get Chongyun and several of his Constellations unlocked. Chongyun is a good support for Pyro characters, and that’s the easiest way to build him. But with one or two Constellations, his damage-dealing capabilities start to shine and this is a good reason to build him for DPS. It’s much safer to face difficult content with a freezing build, that can stop every enemy in their tracks. You can get behind the massive shields of Hilichurls, and freeze Ruin Guards in the middle of their whirlwinds. It offers a simple solution for many situations, and feels really good to be in control of on the battlefield.

The Frost Shattering Warrior uses a combination of Cryo and Hydro characters together in a party. You can either utilize Chongyun as the sole Cryo character, along with three Hydro characters for maximum freeze uptime. Or you can use two Cryo characters and two Hydro characters, for a Critical Rate bonus from Elemental Resonance. When it comes to Cryo, you can pick Kaeya alongside Chongyun. For Hydro, pick Xingqiu and Barbara for a free to play team. But for five stars team, you can replace Barbara with Mona, and replace Kaeya with Qiqi. But here in this guide, we will focus on the most likely free to play options.

Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior Attributes

We are putting Chongyun in a sustained carry role, with his normal attack converted to Cryo damage through his Elemental Skill. So our focus will be Cryo damage, then to deal some good Crit Rate and Crit damage. Finally, we can get % Attack and Elemental Mastery, as this last one affects his Shatter damage output.

You have to keep a 1:2 ratio between Crit Rate: Crit Damage, but consider adding a 15% to your Crit Rate calculations, as this comes from Elemental Resonance, and doesn’t show up on the character attributes page.

Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior Weapon

The Frost Shattering Warrior uses a Claymore, the two-handed version of swords in Genshin Impact. For the weapon, you might get some good four star weapons from the Wish system, but for Chongyun, the crafted weapon is plainly better. We use a three star weapon, Debate Club as an easy free to play choice for starting out. We can refine it to level 5 easily, creating a powerful weapon early on, that increases in power the more hits you score on enemies. If you plan on replacing it, don’t waste many resources on Ascending it though.

Crafting A Four Star Weapon

I recommend crafting Prototype Aminus, a weapon with a great base attack, high Attack bonus, and consistent damage output. Farm weekly bosses, or buy the Northlander Claymore Prototype from the Souvenir Shop located in Monstadt and Liyue. Also farm White Iron Chunks and Crystal Chunks, in order to craft the four star Claymore at The Blacksmith. You need more of them to craft another, to refine your crafted weapon. It’s an easy weapon to acquire, as well as to maintain, and doesn’t have a special condition to proc damage.

The Ultimate Weapon

The ultimate weapon in this case would either be the Battle Pass weapon Serpent Spine, or the Royal Greatsword from Paimon’s Bargains. The reason I prefer Serpent Spine for Chongyun over the 5 star weapons is the fact that Chongyun freezes everything. Meaning he will get hit less often, so he can maintain higher stacks of Serpent Spine damage passive than any other character.

The passive gives the character 6% more DMG and takes 3% more DMG per stack, and gains a stack every 4 seconds with the character on the field. This effect has a maximum of 5 stacks and will not be reset if the character leaves the field, but will be reduced by 1 stack when the character takes DMG. That’s why it’s very strong on Chongyun. It’s also a guaranteed weapon for 10 bucks, along with all the huge benefits of the Battle Pass, and doesn’t require spending hundreds of dollars gambling for a 5 star weapon.

Finally, the secondary stat on Serpent Spine is Crit Rate, versus % Attack on the 5 star weapon. Chongyun has a ton of % Attack from leveling and ascending him, so % Attack will have more diminishing returns. While Crit Rate on a weapon would allow you to pick up Crit Damage on Headpiece for a huge damage increase.

Royal Greatsword on the other hand is a free to play option to buy with 24 Masterless Starglitter from Paimon’s Bargains. It gives both % Attack and Crit Rate, but in smaller numbers than the Serpent Spine. It is still a very solid and competitive option.

Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior Artifacts

Figuring out how to customize your Artifact sets is one of, if not the hardest part of making a Build in Genshin Impact as there are a lot of components involved, and generally takes a try or two before getting it right. In this section, I want to show you how I’ve set this up for maximum performance in this build.

Gladiator’s Finale Set

For a free to play build it may be a little easier to obtain is the Gladiator’s Finale Set, it is the only suitable five stars artifact Set. It’s not ideal for Cryo characters, and doesn’t benefit Chongyun‘s elemental skill nor elemental burst. But it’s a good placeholder, that can help him clear endgame content for now.

Flower of Life & Plume of Death

The main stat on these artifacts is predetermined, with Flower always giving a primary HP stat, and Plume always giving Attack. This makes it easier to pick an Artifact with perfect sub stats on these two slots, because it has fewer variables. We want any combination of  Crit Rate, and Crit Damage on sub-stats here. With % Attack, and Elemental mastery being good bonuses, but with lower priority.

There’s a high chance you will have a five star Flower or Plume from any of the Sets you build. So make sure to not level any 4 star Gladiator’s Finale unless it has the absolute best sub-stats, because you will probably get a better 5 star later.

Sands of Eon

This is a more flexible Artifact, with the focus being on the main stat. It can roll different stats as main, and that’s why it’s harder to acquire the perfect pieces, but it also has a higher ceiling. We seek % Attack main stat, then seek a couple good sub-stats. These are % Attack, Crit Rate, Elemental Mastery and Crit Damage.

Goblet of Enotherm

We need a Cryo Damage Bonus on the main stat here. It’s harder to get the right bonus because Goblet can roll every elemental damage bonus, so the pool of modifiers is larger than any other piece. So Goblets don’t have to belong to your 4 piece set. You can have your four piece Set on all other slots, and get the Goblet from any set that has the right main stats, and some good sub stats. These are % Attack, Crit Rate, Elemental mastery and Crit Damage, with Critical stats having the highest priority.

Circlet of Logos

We need this Headpiece dedicated to either Crit Rate or Crit Damage as a main stat. It’s a very important stat, and kind of a build enabler. You will pass with % Attack as the main stat on Headpiece if you are using the Prototype Aminus in early game. But for Endgame you’ll need a good damage output, so it’s a good idea to concentrate on Critical stats here. Keep a 1:2 Crit rate: Crit Damage ratio, taking into consideration the 15% Crit Rate from Elemental Resonance from having two Cryo characters. Get some of the good sub-stats as well, these are % Attack, Elemental Mastery, Crit Rate, and Crit Damage.

Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior Talent Skills

Demonbane

Normal Attacks consist of a four time combo, with the first two swings being relatively quick, and later two swings being slower, but more impactful. Chongyun has a good AOE, and with Elemental Skill, he converts all normal and charged attacks into Cryo damage. With the first Constellation, the last hit in the combo launches three icy spikes that add more AOE, and deals more damage. So it’s important to continue the combo to the final hit, to benefit from the extra damage. It’s challenging to control the final hit direction, and takes some time to master.

Chongyun attacks have lower modifiers than many other Claymore users, that’s why many rank him as B tier. However, converting his attacks to Cryo allow scaling with Elemental damage modifiers, and allows a very important reaction to occur. With a character dedicated to applying Hydro element in the team such as Xingqiu, and a second Cryo character like Kaeya, you will have enemies frozen before you hit them with Chongyun. So while Kaeya‘s Burst is active, every hit from Chongyun will Shatter enemies, dealing secondary damage based on an Elemental level of Chongyun. Even though Shatter is the second strongest reaction after Overload, it’s commonly overlooked by content creators. It has to meet special conditions in order to happen, a Hydro and Cryo character for freeze, and then a heavy weapon to cause the reaction. With this Chongyun build however, we meet all these conditions, so it’s a very consistent source of damage.

Finally, with Steady Breathing passive, you will get to increase the attack speed of Chongyun by 8% within the range of his Elemental Skill. Attack speed is a rare DPS multiplier that’s hard to get normally, and Chongyun will have it for free.

Spirit Blade – Chonghua’s Layered Frost

The build defining Elemental Skill of Chongyun puts down a huge field of Ice. It deals damage initially, then converts all melee attacks to Cryo damage. At the end of its duration, Spirit Blade deals damage again. With Rimechaser Blade passive, enemies struck by the final blade will have their Cryo RES decreased by 10% for 8s.

Spirit Blade – Chonghua’s Layered Frost is the main reason to pick Chongyun, whether as a support or main DPS. It’s also the core talent of our build, so make sure to level it as high as possible. Leveling it up extends the duration of Cryo damage conversion buff, to last up to 3 seconds after the main buff ends.

Spirit Blade – Cloud-parting Star

Chongyun‘s Elemental Burst is another damage talent in your arsenal. With a low Energy Cost of 40, and a standard cooldown of 12 seconds, it deals damage three times with a 214% modifier at skill level 7, resulting in total 642% damage. It also launches enemy high into the air, causing them to lose their footing and knocking them off balance.

You can either use an Elemental Burst before the Elemental Skill, or after the end of the Elemental Skill duration. If you use it before Elemental Skill, it allows the Elemental skill to generate Energy and recharge Elemental Burst quickly. However, using it after the Elemental Skill duration, allows you to benefit from the Cryo resistance reduction on enemies to deal some major damage.

Chongyun, Frost Shattering Warrior Party Composition

Genshin Impact has a unique playstyle that relies on switching characters, and chaining combos across these characters. So a solid part of Chongyun‘s build is knowing which characters will accompany him, and what roles they will play. In this section, I’ll fill you in on some of the best characters that synergise well with this build. I’ll only use Four Star characters here, to make sure it’s achievable for free to play players or those who don’t want to invest too much.

 Xingqiu

The funny-speaking, book-reading, Guhua-geeking, Xingqiu is the best four star support in the game. He can heal, he can reduce incoming damage, and apply a good Hydro element passively for elemental reactions. He can also deal some decent damage with his Elemental Skill. We had an increased chance to get Xingqiu by using wishes on the “Klee Sparkling Steps” temporary banner, when it was available. Xingqiu was a good enough reason to use your free wishes on this banner for him alone, as he’s a solid character and his Constellations are great. So if you have used this banner, you probably have him and some Constellations unlocked.

We will build Xingqiu for spamming both Elemental Skill and Elemental Bursts on Cooldown, or even before cooldown. His Elemental Skill gives a damage reduction buff, and heals active characters whenever he takes damage. While his Elemental Burst keeps shooting Rain swords with Hydro damage with each normal attack, and persists after switching characters. That’s why it synergise well with normal attacks like Chongyun, Razor, or Diluc‘s. His skills are a very important component to keep enemies frozen, and this is needed all the time for shatter to proc.

Another good thing about using Xingqiu in a team built around Freeze and Shatter, is that the Element order doesn’t matter. Whether Hydro procs Cryo, or vice versa, things will always get frozen. By having Chongyun as a carry, he will always proc Shatter, and no one else. It’s a very convenient playstyle you will enjoy as it has some flexibility in terms of playstyle.

Stats

We should scale Xingqiu‘s HP, for maximum efficiency in healing. Then we will seek a Hydro damage bonus, because it increases both damage for Xingqiu and damage reduction for the entire party when his Elemental Skill is active. Energy Recharge and Attack are useful as a secondary stat, and that’s about it.

Weapon

For this build, we can use either the Sacrificial Sword or Favonius Sword for Xingqui, as it has a better Energy Recharge. Especially the Sacrificial Sword as it can reset the cooldown of Xingqiu‘s Elemental Skill. A 21 seconds cooldown is a really long time in this rotation, as Chongyun‘s Elemental Skill lasts only 10 seconds, and 3 more seconds with a temporary buff, before you switch characters. If the Sacrificial Sword allows the use of one more Elemental Skill, it’s doubling the effect of Xingqiu.

Artifacts

Use two pieces of the The Exile Set and two pieces of the Scholar Set in early game. It’s a good way to get the Energy Recharge for the Elemental Burst, because it really increases the overall damage of the party. However, in endgame, we seek four pieces of the Noblesse Oblige Set, to increase the entire party damage.

Get a Hydro Damage Bonus as the main stat on Goblet, and %HP on every other piece. For the secondary stats look for Energy Recharge and more HP.

Kaeya

Kaeya is guaranteed to join your party after doing the quest Crash Course during The Outlander Who Caught the Wind Prologue Chapter. He’s the easiest Cryo character to get, so we will be using him from the get-go. We prefer him over Diona, because he can apply Cryo element faster than her with his Elemental Burst. As for every Cryo element applied before Chongyun hits, there’s a guarantee Shatter reaction proccing. We build Kaeya in this team as a full support, since any damage he deals, Chongyun does better.

Stats

We want to stack Energy Recharge on Kaeya. He has a natural high Energy Recharge from Ascension, so his Elemental Burst will likely be ready before anyone else in party. Then we need some Cryo Damage, and Attack where Energy Recharge is not applicable.

Weapon

Just use the Favonius Sword or Sacrificial Sword more Energy recharge, for Kaeya. Though if you have either of these, you probably prioritise it for Xingqiu. So if you don’t have a spare four star weapon for him, the three star Skyrider Sword will do a sufficient job.

Artifacts

You have a choice here, whether to go full Instructor Set to boost Elemental Mastery for the entire team, which will buff Shatter damage for Chongyun. Or otherwise, get the four piece set The Exile for more Energy Recharge for the party. Both of these sets make Kaeya a great asset for the team, and you will switch to him often to use his Elemental Skill and burst.

Barbara

Barbara was free to acquire from Events after 1.1 patch. Another dupe of her was available if you reached AR 20 before patch 1.1, so most players will have her first Constellation by now. If you have rolled some wishes in Venti’s temporary Wish banner, you likely have even more Constellations. With Constellation 2 being the most impactful. Finally, a copy of Barbara is available to purchase from Paimon’s Bargains if you need one more Constellation. If we keep getting free copies of her every month, eventually, we will have her with 6 Constellations. That makes her the strongest healer support, because she can revive fallen party members, even in Spiral Abyss.

Barbara is important for this team, and if you want to replace her, you will need both a Cryo healer and another Hydro support, as she fills these both roles. She’s also amazing at bringing down shields of the Pyro Abyss mages, and stunning the Pyro Regisvine boss. Even if you don’t use Barbara in your main party, you will need her in a second party in the Spiral Abyss. She also helps Xingqiu recharge his Energy faster, with every Hydro particle she regenerates with her elemental skill.

Stats

Build her all out in HP, as well as Healing Bonuses. Barbara is the last character you need to worry about, you don’t have to maximize her levels or stats. While leveling, leave her at level 40, and at endgame get her to 60 for the last passive, and leave her there.

Weapon

The best weapon for Barbara in this composition is the three star Catalyst Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. Surprisingly it’s very strong for a three star weapon, mainly because it works best for support characters that stay on the field for a very short amount of time, and can be switched out quickly. The passive buff it gives is up to 48% Attack increased to the new character taking the field after Barbara. Now you see why it’s very good for Chongyun’s damage, and why it’s important to switch to Barbara as the third character in your rotation, and switch to Chongyun after her.

Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers is easy to refine to level 5, and cheap to level up, though it’s not that important to level it at all. Level 1 will give the same buff to your carry as a fully leveled weapon, you only miss out on slightly small amounts of healing, which is not that crucial with two healing supports in your party. Leave it at low level, and save your resources for other cruel weapons that scale your party damage.

Artifacts

Maiden Beloved is ideal for healers, and the four piece bonus is amazing to help healing coming from both Barbara and Xingqiu. In early levels, use any pieces with good HP rolls without caring about Sets, then slowly replace them with Maiden Beloved as you level up.

Get HP as the main stat on every piece, and Healing Bonus on circlet if possible.

We hope you found this build useful, and hopefully it gives you a good idea of how to maximize Chongyun ’s potential.

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Genshin Impact is available to play on PC, iOS, Android and PS4. If you enjoyed this Genshin Impact Guide be sure to check out more on our Genshin Impact Wiki. You can also keep an eye out for more guides for Genshin Impact 1.1, and be sure to not miss our Genshin Impact Getting Started Guide, as well as our Keqing The Driving Thunder -Free To Play Guide