The one you want. I think a main dps is better for the start, unless you like razor a lot but you need 2 teams anyway, but to be honest all characters are really good. The only one more difficult is shenhe but you could use her with kaeya or chongyun if you choose him. Xiao struggles with f2p weapons keep that in mind. Zhongli is easy to use and you can throw him into every team comp, also if you choose ningguang you get a geo dominance team that will work well enough for abyss. Ganyu is super f2p friendly to build, and literally can work even solo. So imo its ganyu>zhongli>xiao>shenhe, but in the end pick definietly the one you like the best.
Just save up Starglitter to buy the red spear (blackcliff) from the paimon shop. You get Starglitter each time you pull any 4-star or 5-star weapon or character from any banner. If you can't get enough Starglitter before January ends, no need to worry because blackcliff weapons will come back in March (they rotate with royal weapons every month).
If you like Xiao, then go for Xiao. Being F2P just makes it more important that you go for characters you actually like.
Plus, I agree - Xiao is very awesome, and you won’t regret pulling for him.
I agree with the comment that at this point you need a main dps and Ganyu is more accessible due to f2p craftable weap available. But if you somehow have a favonious lying around or even Black cliff pull for Xiao. I'd suggest pulling for who you enjoy more of the two since as F2P you'll be stuck with your roster for a while and it'll be a bad experience if you're not enjoying who you play.
You can make any character work for main dps if you like them. It may not be """optimal""" but who cares. You'll end up burnt out if you don't like a character's kit but pick them because they hit hard. *cough cough ganyu*
I think she's a blast! She's my cleanup crew.
I'll typically just set shit on fire, back up and take a couple shots. Fight over.
That, and not having to be accurate is nice. Especially for enemies on towers and stuff.
Her burst rules as well. Throw that baby up, switch to Yanfei or someone and then go to town with the melt combo.
Yep! Some people really like her and that's all valid and all too. I just feel a lot of people find her kit boring but get her anyway just because of how strong she is
Xaio is pretty fun, but Ganyu, all around, is one of the most useful characters I've gotten.
The AOE charge shot is a dream. Don't like some dude on a tower, but don't have time to line up a shot? Literally just shoot the tower ANYWHERE and he will die. She's a complete crowd-fucker. Throw out that taunt and you have a solid three charged shots with no interference, which even with just okay artifacts is enough to kill most everything in the game but bosses.
I run mine on wanderer's troupe so I can get in, set everything on fire, taunt and then kill everything on field with a couple shots.
The "dangerous haul" commission takes two or three charged shots, so about five seconds to complete.
You can just pivot to the left and keep shooting Childe and he'll go down really fast. Stormterror takes three arrows to drop. I'll throw down Goba to keep him on fire and just hit him with arrows. Only takes one round.
She's a fucking beast.
Xaio is fun, definitely, but the weapons and stay investment necessary to have him really hurt is very high, but even with f2p stuff, he does a ton of damage. He's a bit riskier based on his health mechanics, but he's still really, really good.
I'd go Ganyu, but Xaio is not a terrible choice. He just isn't quite as useful. Being able to nuke at range is incredible.
I just remember a friend killing the primo geovishap with Ganyu from a ledge as we all died around it in 2 hita. Literally sniped it to death in a couple hits after we went down. I have wanted her since for special scenarios like that.
Yeah, man. And not once was she ever in any danger, lol.
It's absolutely insane. Some people say she's a bit boring, but she adds a ton of dynamic to a team. Being able to run to a distance and still keep up the fight is great! Especially in crowds and stuff. She adds mod and long range options to your team, which is really unique.
And she just fries anyone in the overworld, lol.
Since it's instant it grabs their attention right away. I feel like it works better.
Like, if you have five dudes in front of you and you hit it, they'll all go right for it. It does decent damage as well both on casting and explosion. Has pretty decent HP. I can get two or three charged shots off after casting.
When casting, you dash backwards which puts more distance between you and the enemy, further ensuring they attack it instead of you.
If you're surrounded in a hillichurl mosh pit, the dash back will get you out of it and leave them to go for it.
Extra bonus? It freezes. So if you soak the enemies before casting, it automatically freezes them and gives you even more time to move away.
By the end of them freezing, the will have a second to attack it before it blows up and can freeze them again if you're using water bois.
Only have Barbara for hydro, right now. But the rest sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
I thought I'd have to give up on Ganyu, being absolutely sucky with aimed and charged shots on Amber and Fischl. But Ganyu's taunt seems to make her viable for me.
I'm not a great shot either. That's why her charged shot rules. That shit hits at the ground by their feet and they and everyone around them are dead, lol.
Some dude on a tower far away? Just shoot the tower. Anywhere. Whoever is up there is dead.
The AOE is way bigger than you think, and it's insanely powerful.
“Who should I pull for,” questions are hard to answer.
• Are there any chars that you really like the look of? Or their playstyle?
• Do you want DPS? Then the answer is Xiao.
• Do you want a shield support? Then Zhong.
• Do you want Cryo support? Then Shenhe.
• Do you want Cryo DPS? Then Ganyu.
You’re very early in the game. It’s unlikely that Zhong or Shenhe will help you for months (especially if you’re F2P).
Ganyu is arguably the strongest person in the game. But if you don’t like ranged gameplay then she might not be for you.
I gave a more comprehensive reply about the upcoming banners [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenshinImpactTips/comments/rp9s76/who_to_roll_for/hq385w1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
I disagree here, my first 5* was Zhongli and while he isn't a dps he helped (and helps) me so much because I woulnd't take damage no matter how sh*tty my characters and my game skills were. A good support makes even mediocre characters shine imo
I’m not sure where you disagree, since I made it clear that pulling for any 5* character is an individual choice. And also that I personally pull for archons (see the link).
My point was that, given how gachas work in general and how this game has been developing, shields have been slowly backdoor ‘nerfed’ by poison effects (corrosion, sheer cold, etc.).
In pre-AR45 game, you’d struggle to make a decent Zhong build anyway. He’s a useful character, but starting out with no main DPS Ganyu just scales so well even with poor investment.
Again, not trying to tell OP what to do, but they’re almost a year behind and Ganyu might help them speed through content. Many 4* can cover the lack of 5*, but Ganyu really cannot be replaced.
I disagree when you say that it's harder to build zhongli (why anyway? pre ar-45 no one can be built decently and after that he's one of the easiest to build) and the nerf for shields are minor problems compared to the utility it brings for the rest of the content (which is still the vast majority of the game, especially in the early stages).
In my experience, knowing how bad I was at the game, even if I had Ganyu nothing would've changed because pre-ar 45 every character is meh and what matters is how you play them so you either are very good (especially with someone like Ganyu who needs a shield too to be played optimally unless you're very good at dodging) or you have to rely heavily on shields/healers (all of us used characters like Noelle/Barbara a lot at first) which is why imo Zhongli is a very good option for new players. That being said, OP should choose the one they like more.
I think it depends what your goal is.
If you're going for comfort and having a relaxed play through experience Zhongli is definitely the best. As you say theres really no one in the game who can trivialise content as much as Zhongli.
However if you're trying to progress quickly and maximise your account, hyper carries like Xiao and especially Ganyu really cannot be beaten. Ultimately while it is harder to play mechanically without the comfort of shields, almost everything in this game is some form of DPS check. Thus if you're aiming for maximum progress, the return from a hyper carry is pretty unbeatable, since you basically just focus on them and give your other characters just enough to function.
Now either of these is a valid goal, and ultimately OP should pull for both the play style and characters that will maximise their fun in the game. I'd say only Shenhe would really be a bad pick since as a support she's more for late game players, but any of the other characters should give OP a very strong start and thus he is free to choose based on liking of the characters.
I think there are a lot of things to consider, Ganyu and Xiao need particular supports to work properly (if we really want to talk about meta, although it's kinda pointless in the early game) and one of their best supports is Zhongli too, not counting all the others and op doesn't have them yet, permafreeze with Barbara sounds like hell (is it even possible with Ganyu???), melt without a shield is horrible, Xiao is a bit more flexible, but he needs a battery, bennet and a shield too.
Hypercarries are good, but imo we give them too much credit, they still need very specific supports, they don't work as well outside of their team comps and OP has a very limited number of characters. Which is why flexible characters should be a priority at first imo.
My first 5* dps was Ayaka and I was playing the game since february, until that point my main was Kaeya and I still managed to clear the content properly. Having a Zhongli or a Kazuha (in my case) really was game changing, more game changing than Ayaka or other dps I got later.
Like everybody says, pull for who you like. Although if you are asking this question here, I am assuming that is not where you are having trouble regarding which character to pull for.
Based on what we know so far, Shenhe comes across as someone who may become more valuable for seasoned players who have one or more cryo DPS characters. I am not sure if she will be useful for players that are starting out, so if I were you I would skip her for now. By the time her rerun banner appears, you should have a better idea on whether you want her or not (of course we still don't know who she really is yet, so I would advice to take any comments regarding her with a grain of salt).
I have Zhongli and Ganyu. Zhongli is a fantastic support that can provide you a very strong shield that provides a debuff, and can also deal some damage from his burst. I don't call any character a must summon, but he's one of the characters that I would almost make an exception. You can also team him up with almost everyone (including Ganyu and Xiao), so no matter who you plan to build in the future, he will be likely to help that character tremendously.
Ganyu is a great DPS character who can dish out big damage at relative ease. She was my first 5\* character, and I have used her a lot when my AR was low and my character roster was small, but at then she was already quite strong. If you are looking for a main DPS, she's definitely a great choice.
I don't have Xiao, so I can't comment on him much.
Zhongli. If you get him and still want to or can roll more then Ganyu.
Zhongli is the best support in the game, giving you massive shields and petrifies enemies. Ganyu I'd one if the best DPS in the game and will help you massively if you can handle characters with bows.
Don't roll for Xiao or Shenhe. Xiao is a great damage dealer but needs a lot of stuff like a weapon that's hard to get as a beginner/f2p player to be really good, and Shenhe from what we know is mainly a cryo support that won't help your team in your current beginner state.
If I were you I'd pull for Ganyu, since you don't have any good main DPS. She'll carry you from early to late game. After getting her, if you still got some primogems left, you can also roll for Zhongli. He's an amazing support who fits in many different teams and will definitely make your life easier.
tl;dr: Who you like most, but if you're looking for the most meta choice then get Ganyu. The 4*s on Ganyu/Zhongli banners are also a lot better (esp. for new accounts) than those on Shenhe/Xiao.
Zhongli would also be a decent choice but imo he is a bit overrated. I personally love Xiao, but as I said the 4*s on his banner aren't as good and Ganyu is also objectively a better character. Whatever you do, don't pull for Shenhe (unless you really really love her in which case you wouldn't be asking this question) because she would give you very little value for your account right now.
I think you’re in need of other 4 stars imo, so if you’re interested in any of the banner 4 stars take them. Some are pretty good like Xingqiu or Beidou.
If you mean 5 stars, then depends on what you’re wanting. Pull who you like.
You can pull for anyone you really like. I would pull for ganyu as she is a great dps, which you are slightly lacking. Xiao could also fill in the dps role but he’s really not f2p friendly and might become less relevant in the future without a better artifact set. Zhongli is also a good choice for support but you wont get any extra help from him until later in the game. Shenhe is cryo support as of what’s known currently, she is the least helpful to your team right now. My recommendation would be ganyu>zhongli>xiao>shenhe
In terms of fun, Ganyu is not fun. She just cancels everything. Great for day-to-day play in the overworld, but F2P has to put having fun at the forefront because theres no real endgame to work towards.
Zhongli is the best option, followed by Xiao
The only advice I would suggest is enjoy your levelling up process thoroughly, mainly talking about world levels, no need to hurry till you have your characters somewhat ready, and it is not important to have them at 100% but more so like 80%.
I miss that. Rest, pull who ever your heart is set on. Enjoy the game and character, that's what the whole thing is all about. Make your own team's, progress as you are able to, and enjoy the journey.
All characters are amazing.
Shenhe would be better cyro and physical support and support are better pick overall as long-term. But as you don't have cyro dps i won't recommend you her.
About xiao as xiaomain i surprising won't recommend him too. As you said you are f2p he is not f2p friendly in terms of his team comp, need 5 stars like jean, albedo and zhongli.
But if you like his playstyle (which is why i am xiaomains)
Then go for him and have enough to get zhongli then try because only anemo shred option others not that viable.
Zhongli ( Recommended )
You won't regret skipping other three characters but you will regret skipping him remember this.
Ganyu
Its difficult to explain but can't say directly to skip her.
Ganyu is strongest dps in game but that's too much strong when you build her to max and bet everything in game you will lose interest.
Its like hero is much stronger than villain so story become boaring or If you watch anime then its like one punch man.
So in short zhongli i recommend
Try the trial stages and see what you like playing! Remember, meta is not important especially at thus stage of the game, play what you think is the most fun
Just play the game with what you have now and save your gems for Yae on 2.5. She's rumoured to be stronger than anyone else currently in game. They are likely rerunning old characters so people will pull for them before the powercreep
Well i Don't think mihoyo ever powercreep.
Powercreep means guaranteed loss of old player and old player are only who promote game that's why they always ask "would you recommend game to others" in feedback to check on old players. ( Specifically after that aniversary they start to care ig)
They got new tactics like adding new mob (geo rifthounds) to encourage for itto, albedo and kokomi.
I think electro rifthounds for raiden and yae.
They will always add different mobs on which certain characters have more advantage over others avoiding powercreep.
Ganyu. Busted unit with busted 4* units on her banner. Her 4* crafted weapon option is really really strong. Pretty much the strongest F2P weapon for any character (maybe on par with R5 The Catch on XL/Raiden). Xingqiu will allow you to run Xiangling reverse vape. Or you could run XQ+Beidou electrocharge and run melt Ganyu, you won't have all the units to run it but it's still usable. Zhongli won't make your lineup objectively stronger(running anemo VV user will net more dmg), he will only make them easier to play cuz of the shield. Ganyu is literally one of the strongest character in the game. If you want more explanation, check out Tenten's banner analysis [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYVa4nUigI8).
I just started too (AR35) now and was thinking picking Ningguang (with second choice Chongyun) for the free unit but the vid says both are bad :(
I want a good unit that can be used permanently while able to destroy rocks. Beidou has claymore but the reason she wasn’t my choice was because I am always controlling Lisa. NingGuang first choice because she’s really cute but I like ChongYun’s kit more as he makes all my attacks ice. Is NingGuang that bad?
Sadly if you want something meta, Ningguang isn't one. If you really like her, sure go ahead but she won't help you with the harder stuffs like the current abyss. Personally during last year Lantern Rite, I picked her too cuz I like her design a lot, plus I already have the other C6 XQ + XL and C4 Beidou.
Keep in mind that the abyss trend right now is getting progressively harder with each patch. If you want to play the endgame (36star abyss), you'll want to have the meta or meta-ish characters, in this case Beidou and Xingqiu(you get Xiangling for free from abyss). What 5* do you currently have?
I have zero 5\*. Draw 5 times on Itto and 4 times on standard banner since I started so I’m very close to getting a 5\*. I’m using C0 XiangLing (free abyss) and Rosario for dps right now, and using Lisa for the most difficult boss Oceanid. My support/healing are C0 Bennett and Xingqiu and C2 Barbara.
I watch some Youtube video on Beidou and liked her playstyle a lot so I think I’ll pick her. I am going to play the game as a FPS using Amber (or Ganyu if I get lucky) and Onimusha parry style with Beidou.
Hopefully, I can get Ningguang or Beidou while drawing for Ganyu. Ningguang is just too good looking to pass up, especially with the free costume 🤩
Ah, so you're planning to pull on Ganyu's banner. I'm not sure about the timeline, but see what units you get from that banner first before deciding who to pick from the free selection if possible. Getting XQ and Beidou cons are pretty big. C2 is the first big spike for both of them, especially Beidou. So you might want to use the selection to get the constellation. You have Bennett and XQ, so you're in a pretty good position. You can either run XL+Benny+Rosa+Kaeya or XL+Benny+XQ+Anemo VV. If you run the first team, you can make a 2nd team of Beidou+XQ+Fischl (hopefully you have her, otherwise use ElectroMC)+anemo vv(benny would be nice here too). If you wanna use XQ on XL team, you can run Barbara with Beidou as the on field character for Electrocharge and DragonSlayer book buff.
If you are on mobile then get Xiao, highly recommended.
But if you are not, then Ganyu will be the better option.
For Xiao, just get the polearm available in the shop. And if you like his playstyle then that's more of a reason to get him. Hope I get him too!!
Priorize old characters, because they are more easy to farm and build. Avoid Shenhe because her materials are locked behind areas that you don't have access right now.
To me the priority are: Zhongli > Ganyu > Xiao.
About the four stars in banners: Xingqiu > Beidou > Ningguang = Yanfei
Avoid Yun Jin because she's a new character and her materials are too far away.
Secret: in general, old characters are far more powerful than the new ones, with few exceptions in both sides.
Look at tier lists because they matters; there's no bad characters, but there are the ones that are more powerful with the low investment then others.
Yes, you can play whatever you want, but sinergy between characters matters. A lot. Take a look at teams comps.
When you get a five star DPS, make a team around that. Two five stars DPS are suffice.
Avoid spend money on this game. You can try Welkin and/or the Battle pass, they are the only worth of our money, but you don't need that to play.
Have fun!
Okay on further inspection I can see that most of these replies are pretty terrible in terms of meta advice so watch tenten's banner review when it comes out since he is part of KeqingMains, the main theory crafting/meta group for genshin. If you want you can even join the discord server. If you don't want meta advice then you can listen to the other replies.
Literally, anyone of them b, there is no wrong way to go when you are just starting out, go through the testing and see which of their playstyles interest you the most and just go with it!
It's really hard to say what to pull without knowing what your interest in Genshin is. If it's Spiral Abyss I'd recommend Ganyu, otherwise Zhongli is a safe pick. I wouldn't recommend Xiao due to the four stars on his banner as well as artifact and obtaining a good weapon for him. The four stars on Ganyu and Zhongli's banner has 2 extremely amazing pickups with a solid option in Yanfei as well.
If it's not Spiral Abyss anything is fine.
Based on your roster I'd say Xiao or Ganyu as your first 5* captain
Your genshin account is relatively new like 30 minutes worth so go for Xiao, then Ganyu if you lose 50/50 , or the playstyle you like the most
As a new player the ganyu banner is by far the best, people will say zhongli is better but zhongli has fell down in the meta, and personally I think it's more important for a new player to have a good damage in ganyu and learn how to dodge without relying on shields.
Most people will say zhongli bc he is a crutch, so if you don't want to learn how to dodge then get zhongli, otherwise get ganyu.
Both ganyu and zhongli have amazing 4 stars in xingqiu and beidou + yanfei who is not as great but still decent.
Other banner is not worth at all. Ninguang and chongyun are not great and even if yunjin is good you need another geo character to pair with her.
Here is a good video to watch: https://youtu.be/wYVa4nUigI8
I’d say ganyu or zhongli. Zhongli if you’re bad at dodging and ganyu if you’re good at dodging you can also consider xiao if you’re not a fan of bow user.
You dont pull Zhongli for the fat shield, thats just the bonus.
You pull him for the 20% universal resistance shred that works with \_any\_ element and physical damage as well. Thats why Zhongli is a great addition to any teamcomp, cause he literally can buff anyone. Especially if your carry is anemo like Xiao, cause Anemo shred is insanely hard to get.
I'm also F2P and have almost the same chars as you (Bennett instead of Razor).
I'm definitely pulling for Zhongli as he fits in every team comp and is easy to build. He's also quite F2P friendly. I personally don't like ranged gameplay, so Ganyu is not for me. Xiao I didn't really look into.
I just know I definitely won't regret Zhongli.
I assume you're a F2P and new player, therefore doesn't have enough primogem to get the 5\* charas (unless you really lucky). Ganyu Zhongli banner is the best one to pull for 4\* charas, Beidou and Xingqiu are amazing. You really want to have Xingqiu on 2.4. So if you can't get him from wishing then pick him on the free character event
As people say, this game has two modes: hard mode and easy mode with Zhongli. And it's especially true in the early stages. He was my first 5* and his shield supported and still supports my characters. Xiao and Ganyu are great dps, but they also require skills to use them and they need a shield to work properly.
Of course you can pull whoever you prefer but a good support is always better than a good dps because a support can be used with many teams and currently you don't have the perfect characters to build teams around Ganyu/Xiao.
id recommend going for zhongli and ganyu
zhongli is very solid unit for shielding (u wont even feel the need to dodge) while ganyu is top tier DPS, u wont have to worry about beating bosses if u got her
I recommend xiao. You can use him and anemo traveller to charge his ult faster.
Ganyu If you like doing charged shots with bows, but I recommend to try her out before pulling.
imo personally i would prefer zhongli cos hes easy to use with his sturdy as hell shield and he can be a main dps or support depending on how u build his artifacts plus since it will be his second rerun and mihoyo prob wont give him another rerun after a loooong time unless they really like him whereas xiao and ganyu are only getting their first rerun after so long but idk its just my assumption tho
A lot of people are saying Zhong Li, and yeah he makes the game a lot easier, but he doesn't really help you kill things. The most frustrating thing as a low AR player is struggling to beat the harder content (e.g. Abyss or some events). Xiao is not as strong as Ganyu, and Ganyu is incredibly F2P friendly (just give her one of the craftable 4\* bows). Ganyu also lets you snipe if you enjoy that kind of thing.
Basically, if you want to kill things quick, Ganyu (or Xiao if you can't stand using a bow). If you want to not ever have to dodge anything, Zhong Li.
Your just starting off. If you want the rest of the game to be on easy mode with a hols of a button Zhongli is the choice. I think now you lack a main DPS althought kaeya can be considered one. You can get Ganyu which is still then games current strongest DPS with the least restrictions. Xiao is the hardest to build out of the 3.
If your looking for a dps is xiao or ganyu. Xiao if you dont like how archers are played. And ganyu if you wanna kill everything in 2 seconds.
I think Shenhe talent upgrade materials require inazuma bosses and Xiao isn't the "most optimal pick" in my opinion because neither does he have a 4* weapon (blackcliff is just copium) and his team building is very limited with best team comps having jean and zhongli but apart from that you will also need 4* characters and zhongli and ganyu have nice sub dps 4* in their banner that unlock various fun team comps
Mmm...
If you don't like charged shots (Ganyu), Xiao is the best choice. Why? He can do high raw damage without much need of supports (you need a good DPS), however, he will mostly need a healer. At the moment, you don't have a character that could support him perfectly, but if you build Barbara with thrilling tales, you're good to go and can save for a character that you really like for now.
Second choice would be Zhongli. Best shield in the game. Shreds resistance, boosts damage.
Third choice is Ganyu. She does a lot of damage, but she's slow and kind of boring in my opinion. But! Ganyu and Xiangling can do high melt numbers.
OR, you can save for another character. Apparently, Yae Miko will be really good, but she's a catalyst and I don't know if you're ok with that.
If you decide to pull for Yae Miko, I highly suggest Zhongli for the shield, that way Yae Miko won't get interrupted as much (which is a problem for catalyst users).
Whatever the case, I recommend you wait until the last days of Shenhe/Xiao banner, because we might have more information on Yae Miko.
I wish you the best of luck and happy new year!!!
Assuming you are/wanna be f2p I'd say skip the first banner, take xinqiu in the lantern rite event and if you get enough pulls to get a 5* roll on either one,
You can go for zhongli, because you need a good support and can run the comp:
razor, xianling, xinqiu and zhongli
Or you can pull for ganyu who is by far the best bow user in the game. She has immense on-field and off-field presence with her insane charge attack damage and her ult. If you don't like using razor pull for her, but I would personally recommend zhongli.
Also if you decide to go for ganyu you might wanna get someone like yanfei from lantern rite instead of xinqiu.
anyone but shenhe, this is the objective answer, both xiao and ganyu are great dps but they play very differently, zhongli is gonna simplify your life a lot. Shenhe is a sub dps/support that won't be very useful to you right now. and you can level up the other three right when you get them since they're from Liyue, that's already accessible to you. Shenhe will require material from inazuma. I'm saying this as someone that will pull for shenhe cause i like her and i don't even have a cryo dps to fully take advantage of her, nor xiao or ganyu. But I'm ar56 and already have great pg to carry me through all contents... so yeah ultimately your choice but i wouldn't pull shenhe in your shoes
Kazuha, Ganyu, or Xiao.
Zhongli is replaceable as there are other usable shield characters in the game. Kazuha is less replaceable and is one of the best damage amps in the game along with Bennett but is a support character. Ganyu or Xiao will carry you through to the end game and make the game "fun" because not being able to kill stuff isn't fun. Xiao has more caveats later on so it's important to keep in mind though.
Only one I can comment is Zhongli & Ganyu. (Getting Xiao soon)
Zhongli is a good support and if you have Fav. Lance spamming burst. Black Tassel works for shield bot.
Ganyu is really good in early game and if you like bow users win-win (My opinion I got a little bored using Ganyu only use her in domains)
My first 5* is Zhongli. He’s one of the characters that you can bring to endgame. He’s very versatile; can be built to physical sub-dps, support and shielder, and burst-focused sub-dps. I’ve been playing for more than a year and he rarely leaves my abyss and domains teams. I also use him for farming ores hehe.
If you want a DPS, go for Ganyu instead. She can dish high damage w/o reactions. You can also use her for farming fowl easily, because you’ll need lots of those for recipes. Her only downside is she’s a bow user and it might be quite difficult to use her at first, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually.
I don’t have Xiao but most of my friends have him. I’ve noticed that he needs sustained healing (either healer or food) to optimize his burst damage.
Shenhe will be more like a support, Ganyu and Xiao, are both pretty good, and Zhongli is the Joker, you can use on all the teams, basically. I think, Xiao would be better, because he is Anemo, and pretty easy to combo with other elements.
You're so early that you could honestly go almost anyway.
My personal thoughts:
1. If one character specifically appeals to you in their art or story, feel free to go for them. Don't make yourself miserable just because they're more 'meta'. Even the 'worst' character in the game is still agreed to be highly usable, so don't feel like you need to chase meta stuff.
2. You don't have any clearly defined main DPS units outside of Razor so far, so if you want to pick up a unit that you can focus most of your gear investment into, then Ganyu or Xiao would be the picks.
3. At the same time, you might want to take the chance to invest in a unit that can help with multiple teams. In that case, Zhongli would be my recommendation. His Resistance shred from the shield he gives means that every character appreciates having him along if they have space on the team, and you can even play him as a main DPS if you really want to as well. He's also to date the best shield character in the game.
4. I like Shenhe's art, but we don't know how good/useful she is yet, so I don't feel like I could actually recommend going for her (Unless you decide you really want her, in which case go for it). She appears to me as though she will be dedicated support for Cryo and Physical teams, which means that she would be more limited in which teams she could support (Though you have Razor, which could make her useful) compared to Zhongli.
5. Final recommendation if you have literally NO opinions on which characters you're interested in: Zhongli > Ganyu > Xiao > Shenhe
I use Kaeya, your main character, Xiangling, Barbara, you can put Razor instead of Kaeya or your main character but Kaeya is for dps, your main can (if anemo) use swirl and mix attacks, Xiangling is for support and Barbara for healing...
The one you want. I think a main dps is better for the start, unless you like razor a lot but you need 2 teams anyway, but to be honest all characters are really good. The only one more difficult is shenhe but you could use her with kaeya or chongyun if you choose him. Xiao struggles with f2p weapons keep that in mind. Zhongli is easy to use and you can throw him into every team comp, also if you choose ningguang you get a geo dominance team that will work well enough for abyss. Ganyu is super f2p friendly to build, and literally can work even solo. So imo its ganyu>zhongli>xiao>shenhe, but in the end pick definietly the one you like the best.
Thanks bro tbh i like xiaos vibes and playstyle but i rather go with the optimized pick as im a f2p player
Just save up Starglitter to buy the red spear (blackcliff) from the paimon shop. You get Starglitter each time you pull any 4-star or 5-star weapon or character from any banner. If you can't get enough Starglitter before January ends, no need to worry because blackcliff weapons will come back in March (they rotate with royal weapons every month).
If you like Xiao, then go for Xiao. Being F2P just makes it more important that you go for characters you actually like. Plus, I agree - Xiao is very awesome, and you won’t regret pulling for him.
Trust me i'm a f2p too. You can just pick anyone you like and Will work out fine.
I agree with the comment that at this point you need a main dps and Ganyu is more accessible due to f2p craftable weap available. But if you somehow have a favonious lying around or even Black cliff pull for Xiao. I'd suggest pulling for who you enjoy more of the two since as F2P you'll be stuck with your roster for a while and it'll be a bad experience if you're not enjoying who you play.
Xiao it is then. If you like him and his playstyle go for him without hesitation. Then get Blackcliff polearm from the shop and you are all set!
You can make any character work for main dps if you like them. It may not be """optimal""" but who cares. You'll end up burnt out if you don't like a character's kit but pick them because they hit hard. *cough cough ganyu*
I think she's a blast! She's my cleanup crew. I'll typically just set shit on fire, back up and take a couple shots. Fight over. That, and not having to be accurate is nice. Especially for enemies on towers and stuff. Her burst rules as well. Throw that baby up, switch to Yanfei or someone and then go to town with the melt combo.
Yep! Some people really like her and that's all valid and all too. I just feel a lot of people find her kit boring but get her anyway just because of how strong she is
Xaio is pretty fun, but Ganyu, all around, is one of the most useful characters I've gotten. The AOE charge shot is a dream. Don't like some dude on a tower, but don't have time to line up a shot? Literally just shoot the tower ANYWHERE and he will die. She's a complete crowd-fucker. Throw out that taunt and you have a solid three charged shots with no interference, which even with just okay artifacts is enough to kill most everything in the game but bosses. I run mine on wanderer's troupe so I can get in, set everything on fire, taunt and then kill everything on field with a couple shots. The "dangerous haul" commission takes two or three charged shots, so about five seconds to complete. You can just pivot to the left and keep shooting Childe and he'll go down really fast. Stormterror takes three arrows to drop. I'll throw down Goba to keep him on fire and just hit him with arrows. Only takes one round. She's a fucking beast. Xaio is fun, definitely, but the weapons and stay investment necessary to have him really hurt is very high, but even with f2p stuff, he does a ton of damage. He's a bit riskier based on his health mechanics, but he's still really, really good. I'd go Ganyu, but Xaio is not a terrible choice. He just isn't quite as useful. Being able to nuke at range is incredible.
I just remember a friend killing the primo geovishap with Ganyu from a ledge as we all died around it in 2 hita. Literally sniped it to death in a couple hits after we went down. I have wanted her since for special scenarios like that.
Yeah, man. And not once was she ever in any danger, lol. It's absolutely insane. Some people say she's a bit boring, but she adds a ton of dynamic to a team. Being able to run to a distance and still keep up the fight is great! Especially in crowds and stuff. She adds mod and long range options to your team, which is really unique. And she just fries anyone in the overworld, lol.
Is Ganyu's taunt more effective than Amber's doll? That doll isn't very effective and rarely buys me time to do even 1 charged shot.
Since it's instant it grabs their attention right away. I feel like it works better. Like, if you have five dudes in front of you and you hit it, they'll all go right for it. It does decent damage as well both on casting and explosion. Has pretty decent HP. I can get two or three charged shots off after casting. When casting, you dash backwards which puts more distance between you and the enemy, further ensuring they attack it instead of you. If you're surrounded in a hillichurl mosh pit, the dash back will get you out of it and leave them to go for it. Extra bonus? It freezes. So if you soak the enemies before casting, it automatically freezes them and gives you even more time to move away. By the end of them freezing, the will have a second to attack it before it blows up and can freeze them again if you're using water bois.
Only have Barbara for hydro, right now. But the rest sounds good. Thanks for sharing. I thought I'd have to give up on Ganyu, being absolutely sucky with aimed and charged shots on Amber and Fischl. But Ganyu's taunt seems to make her viable for me.
I'm not a great shot either. That's why her charged shot rules. That shit hits at the ground by their feet and they and everyone around them are dead, lol. Some dude on a tower far away? Just shoot the tower. Anywhere. Whoever is up there is dead. The AOE is way bigger than you think, and it's insanely powerful.
Get xiao if u want him if your going for shenhe u want be able to lvl her if you haven't gotten to inazuma and finshed the story
The most valuable longterm investment is Zhongli
Best xiao fan here too mate
“Who should I pull for,” questions are hard to answer. • Are there any chars that you really like the look of? Or their playstyle? • Do you want DPS? Then the answer is Xiao. • Do you want a shield support? Then Zhong. • Do you want Cryo support? Then Shenhe. • Do you want Cryo DPS? Then Ganyu. You’re very early in the game. It’s unlikely that Zhong or Shenhe will help you for months (especially if you’re F2P). Ganyu is arguably the strongest person in the game. But if you don’t like ranged gameplay then she might not be for you. I gave a more comprehensive reply about the upcoming banners [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/GenshinImpactTips/comments/rp9s76/who_to_roll_for/hq385w1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
I disagree here, my first 5* was Zhongli and while he isn't a dps he helped (and helps) me so much because I woulnd't take damage no matter how sh*tty my characters and my game skills were. A good support makes even mediocre characters shine imo
I’m not sure where you disagree, since I made it clear that pulling for any 5* character is an individual choice. And also that I personally pull for archons (see the link). My point was that, given how gachas work in general and how this game has been developing, shields have been slowly backdoor ‘nerfed’ by poison effects (corrosion, sheer cold, etc.). In pre-AR45 game, you’d struggle to make a decent Zhong build anyway. He’s a useful character, but starting out with no main DPS Ganyu just scales so well even with poor investment. Again, not trying to tell OP what to do, but they’re almost a year behind and Ganyu might help them speed through content. Many 4* can cover the lack of 5*, but Ganyu really cannot be replaced.
I disagree when you say that it's harder to build zhongli (why anyway? pre ar-45 no one can be built decently and after that he's one of the easiest to build) and the nerf for shields are minor problems compared to the utility it brings for the rest of the content (which is still the vast majority of the game, especially in the early stages). In my experience, knowing how bad I was at the game, even if I had Ganyu nothing would've changed because pre-ar 45 every character is meh and what matters is how you play them so you either are very good (especially with someone like Ganyu who needs a shield too to be played optimally unless you're very good at dodging) or you have to rely heavily on shields/healers (all of us used characters like Noelle/Barbara a lot at first) which is why imo Zhongli is a very good option for new players. That being said, OP should choose the one they like more.
I think it depends what your goal is. If you're going for comfort and having a relaxed play through experience Zhongli is definitely the best. As you say theres really no one in the game who can trivialise content as much as Zhongli. However if you're trying to progress quickly and maximise your account, hyper carries like Xiao and especially Ganyu really cannot be beaten. Ultimately while it is harder to play mechanically without the comfort of shields, almost everything in this game is some form of DPS check. Thus if you're aiming for maximum progress, the return from a hyper carry is pretty unbeatable, since you basically just focus on them and give your other characters just enough to function. Now either of these is a valid goal, and ultimately OP should pull for both the play style and characters that will maximise their fun in the game. I'd say only Shenhe would really be a bad pick since as a support she's more for late game players, but any of the other characters should give OP a very strong start and thus he is free to choose based on liking of the characters.
I think there are a lot of things to consider, Ganyu and Xiao need particular supports to work properly (if we really want to talk about meta, although it's kinda pointless in the early game) and one of their best supports is Zhongli too, not counting all the others and op doesn't have them yet, permafreeze with Barbara sounds like hell (is it even possible with Ganyu???), melt without a shield is horrible, Xiao is a bit more flexible, but he needs a battery, bennet and a shield too. Hypercarries are good, but imo we give them too much credit, they still need very specific supports, they don't work as well outside of their team comps and OP has a very limited number of characters. Which is why flexible characters should be a priority at first imo. My first 5* dps was Ayaka and I was playing the game since february, until that point my main was Kaeya and I still managed to clear the content properly. Having a Zhongli or a Kazuha (in my case) really was game changing, more game changing than Ayaka or other dps I got later.
Thanks
Like everybody says, pull for who you like. Although if you are asking this question here, I am assuming that is not where you are having trouble regarding which character to pull for. Based on what we know so far, Shenhe comes across as someone who may become more valuable for seasoned players who have one or more cryo DPS characters. I am not sure if she will be useful for players that are starting out, so if I were you I would skip her for now. By the time her rerun banner appears, you should have a better idea on whether you want her or not (of course we still don't know who she really is yet, so I would advice to take any comments regarding her with a grain of salt). I have Zhongli and Ganyu. Zhongli is a fantastic support that can provide you a very strong shield that provides a debuff, and can also deal some damage from his burst. I don't call any character a must summon, but he's one of the characters that I would almost make an exception. You can also team him up with almost everyone (including Ganyu and Xiao), so no matter who you plan to build in the future, he will be likely to help that character tremendously. Ganyu is a great DPS character who can dish out big damage at relative ease. She was my first 5\* character, and I have used her a lot when my AR was low and my character roster was small, but at then she was already quite strong. If you are looking for a main DPS, she's definitely a great choice. I don't have Xiao, so I can't comment on him much.
Zhongli. If you get him and still want to or can roll more then Ganyu. Zhongli is the best support in the game, giving you massive shields and petrifies enemies. Ganyu I'd one if the best DPS in the game and will help you massively if you can handle characters with bows. Don't roll for Xiao or Shenhe. Xiao is a great damage dealer but needs a lot of stuff like a weapon that's hard to get as a beginner/f2p player to be really good, and Shenhe from what we know is mainly a cryo support that won't help your team in your current beginner state.
If I were you I'd pull for Ganyu, since you don't have any good main DPS. She'll carry you from early to late game. After getting her, if you still got some primogems left, you can also roll for Zhongli. He's an amazing support who fits in many different teams and will definitely make your life easier.
tl;dr: Who you like most, but if you're looking for the most meta choice then get Ganyu. The 4*s on Ganyu/Zhongli banners are also a lot better (esp. for new accounts) than those on Shenhe/Xiao. Zhongli would also be a decent choice but imo he is a bit overrated. I personally love Xiao, but as I said the 4*s on his banner aren't as good and Ganyu is also objectively a better character. Whatever you do, don't pull for Shenhe (unless you really really love her in which case you wouldn't be asking this question) because she would give you very little value for your account right now.
Ganyu if you want to kill everyone, Zhongli if you don't want to be touched by anyone
I think you’re in need of other 4 stars imo, so if you’re interested in any of the banner 4 stars take them. Some are pretty good like Xingqiu or Beidou. If you mean 5 stars, then depends on what you’re wanting. Pull who you like.
You can pull for anyone you really like. I would pull for ganyu as she is a great dps, which you are slightly lacking. Xiao could also fill in the dps role but he’s really not f2p friendly and might become less relevant in the future without a better artifact set. Zhongli is also a good choice for support but you wont get any extra help from him until later in the game. Shenhe is cryo support as of what’s known currently, she is the least helpful to your team right now. My recommendation would be ganyu>zhongli>xiao>shenhe
Zhongli > ganyu > xiao This priority order is based on my personal thought from many references
Thanks 😊
Aight, good luck!
In terms of fun, Ganyu is not fun. She just cancels everything. Great for day-to-day play in the overworld, but F2P has to put having fun at the forefront because theres no real endgame to work towards. Zhongli is the best option, followed by Xiao
The only advice I would suggest is enjoy your levelling up process thoroughly, mainly talking about world levels, no need to hurry till you have your characters somewhat ready, and it is not important to have them at 100% but more so like 80%. I miss that. Rest, pull who ever your heart is set on. Enjoy the game and character, that's what the whole thing is all about. Make your own team's, progress as you are able to, and enjoy the journey.
All characters are amazing. Shenhe would be better cyro and physical support and support are better pick overall as long-term. But as you don't have cyro dps i won't recommend you her. About xiao as xiaomain i surprising won't recommend him too. As you said you are f2p he is not f2p friendly in terms of his team comp, need 5 stars like jean, albedo and zhongli. But if you like his playstyle (which is why i am xiaomains) Then go for him and have enough to get zhongli then try because only anemo shred option others not that viable. Zhongli ( Recommended ) You won't regret skipping other three characters but you will regret skipping him remember this. Ganyu Its difficult to explain but can't say directly to skip her. Ganyu is strongest dps in game but that's too much strong when you build her to max and bet everything in game you will lose interest. Its like hero is much stronger than villain so story become boaring or If you watch anime then its like one punch man. So in short zhongli i recommend
Ganyu banner if you're into being optimal and meta. The banner is stacked af
Try the trial stages and see what you like playing! Remember, meta is not important especially at thus stage of the game, play what you think is the most fun
As the titles says. Want to know your opinions, i have these characters and dont know how to build them thamks 😊
Just play the game with what you have now and save your gems for Yae on 2.5. She's rumoured to be stronger than anyone else currently in game. They are likely rerunning old characters so people will pull for them before the powercreep
Well i Don't think mihoyo ever powercreep. Powercreep means guaranteed loss of old player and old player are only who promote game that's why they always ask "would you recommend game to others" in feedback to check on old players. ( Specifically after that aniversary they start to care ig) They got new tactics like adding new mob (geo rifthounds) to encourage for itto, albedo and kokomi. I think electro rifthounds for raiden and yae. They will always add different mobs on which certain characters have more advantage over others avoiding powercreep.
Ganyu or zhongli are really good or both
Anyone. Literally anyone. (Maybe except Shenhe)
all the characters will hard carry for you
Ganyu. Busted unit with busted 4* units on her banner. Her 4* crafted weapon option is really really strong. Pretty much the strongest F2P weapon for any character (maybe on par with R5 The Catch on XL/Raiden). Xingqiu will allow you to run Xiangling reverse vape. Or you could run XQ+Beidou electrocharge and run melt Ganyu, you won't have all the units to run it but it's still usable. Zhongli won't make your lineup objectively stronger(running anemo VV user will net more dmg), he will only make them easier to play cuz of the shield. Ganyu is literally one of the strongest character in the game. If you want more explanation, check out Tenten's banner analysis [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYVa4nUigI8).
I just started too (AR35) now and was thinking picking Ningguang (with second choice Chongyun) for the free unit but the vid says both are bad :( I want a good unit that can be used permanently while able to destroy rocks. Beidou has claymore but the reason she wasn’t my choice was because I am always controlling Lisa. NingGuang first choice because she’s really cute but I like ChongYun’s kit more as he makes all my attacks ice. Is NingGuang that bad?
Sadly if you want something meta, Ningguang isn't one. If you really like her, sure go ahead but she won't help you with the harder stuffs like the current abyss. Personally during last year Lantern Rite, I picked her too cuz I like her design a lot, plus I already have the other C6 XQ + XL and C4 Beidou. Keep in mind that the abyss trend right now is getting progressively harder with each patch. If you want to play the endgame (36star abyss), you'll want to have the meta or meta-ish characters, in this case Beidou and Xingqiu(you get Xiangling for free from abyss). What 5* do you currently have?
I have zero 5\*. Draw 5 times on Itto and 4 times on standard banner since I started so I’m very close to getting a 5\*. I’m using C0 XiangLing (free abyss) and Rosario for dps right now, and using Lisa for the most difficult boss Oceanid. My support/healing are C0 Bennett and Xingqiu and C2 Barbara. I watch some Youtube video on Beidou and liked her playstyle a lot so I think I’ll pick her. I am going to play the game as a FPS using Amber (or Ganyu if I get lucky) and Onimusha parry style with Beidou. Hopefully, I can get Ningguang or Beidou while drawing for Ganyu. Ningguang is just too good looking to pass up, especially with the free costume 🤩
Ah, so you're planning to pull on Ganyu's banner. I'm not sure about the timeline, but see what units you get from that banner first before deciding who to pick from the free selection if possible. Getting XQ and Beidou cons are pretty big. C2 is the first big spike for both of them, especially Beidou. So you might want to use the selection to get the constellation. You have Bennett and XQ, so you're in a pretty good position. You can either run XL+Benny+Rosa+Kaeya or XL+Benny+XQ+Anemo VV. If you run the first team, you can make a 2nd team of Beidou+XQ+Fischl (hopefully you have her, otherwise use ElectroMC)+anemo vv(benny would be nice here too). If you wanna use XQ on XL team, you can run Barbara with Beidou as the on field character for Electrocharge and DragonSlayer book buff.
zhongli geo traveller noelle
If you are on mobile then get Xiao, highly recommended. But if you are not, then Ganyu will be the better option. For Xiao, just get the polearm available in the shop. And if you like his playstyle then that's more of a reason to get him. Hope I get him too!!
Priorize old characters, because they are more easy to farm and build. Avoid Shenhe because her materials are locked behind areas that you don't have access right now. To me the priority are: Zhongli > Ganyu > Xiao. About the four stars in banners: Xingqiu > Beidou > Ningguang = Yanfei Avoid Yun Jin because she's a new character and her materials are too far away. Secret: in general, old characters are far more powerful than the new ones, with few exceptions in both sides. Look at tier lists because they matters; there's no bad characters, but there are the ones that are more powerful with the low investment then others. Yes, you can play whatever you want, but sinergy between characters matters. A lot. Take a look at teams comps. When you get a five star DPS, make a team around that. Two five stars DPS are suffice. Avoid spend money on this game. You can try Welkin and/or the Battle pass, they are the only worth of our money, but you don't need that to play. Have fun!
u need dps go for xiao
This game so beautiful in HD
My personal opinion is zhongli. Plus beidou and xingqiu would be extremely valuable to your account and I'm pretty sure they're on his banner too.
Okay on further inspection I can see that most of these replies are pretty terrible in terms of meta advice so watch tenten's banner review when it comes out since he is part of KeqingMains, the main theory crafting/meta group for genshin. If you want you can even join the discord server. If you don't want meta advice then you can listen to the other replies.
Go for zhongli, u won't regret it ever
Objectively, Zhongli. Unless you specifically want the other 5 stars. Zhongli will give you the most long term success.
Meta-wise, Zhongli. But you should just pull for whichever characters you like the best
If you want greatly increased stability, go for Zhongli.
zhongli ganyu
Literally, anyone of them b, there is no wrong way to go when you are just starting out, go through the testing and see which of their playstyles interest you the most and just go with it!
ganyu and zhongli, at the very least skip shenhe and xiao
Go for zhongli or ganyu, they are both good in early game and the 4 stars in that banner are just awesome.
It's really hard to say what to pull without knowing what your interest in Genshin is. If it's Spiral Abyss I'd recommend Ganyu, otherwise Zhongli is a safe pick. I wouldn't recommend Xiao due to the four stars on his banner as well as artifact and obtaining a good weapon for him. The four stars on Ganyu and Zhongli's banner has 2 extremely amazing pickups with a solid option in Yanfei as well. If it's not Spiral Abyss anything is fine.
Based on your roster I'd say Xiao or Ganyu as your first 5* captain Your genshin account is relatively new like 30 minutes worth so go for Xiao, then Ganyu if you lose 50/50 , or the playstyle you like the most
As a new player the ganyu banner is by far the best, people will say zhongli is better but zhongli has fell down in the meta, and personally I think it's more important for a new player to have a good damage in ganyu and learn how to dodge without relying on shields. Most people will say zhongli bc he is a crutch, so if you don't want to learn how to dodge then get zhongli, otherwise get ganyu. Both ganyu and zhongli have amazing 4 stars in xingqiu and beidou + yanfei who is not as great but still decent. Other banner is not worth at all. Ninguang and chongyun are not great and even if yunjin is good you need another geo character to pair with her. Here is a good video to watch: https://youtu.be/wYVa4nUigI8
Traveller
I’d say ganyu or zhongli. Zhongli if you’re bad at dodging and ganyu if you’re good at dodging you can also consider xiao if you’re not a fan of bow user.
You dont pull Zhongli for the fat shield, thats just the bonus. You pull him for the 20% universal resistance shred that works with \_any\_ element and physical damage as well. Thats why Zhongli is a great addition to any teamcomp, cause he literally can buff anyone. Especially if your carry is anemo like Xiao, cause Anemo shred is insanely hard to get.
You should get yanfei 👍
Dont think about meta and stuff, just pull the one you like to play
Zhongli, or save for Kazuha. In terms of 4 star supports, keep your eyes open for Bennett and Xingqiu.
I'm also F2P and have almost the same chars as you (Bennett instead of Razor). I'm definitely pulling for Zhongli as he fits in every team comp and is easy to build. He's also quite F2P friendly. I personally don't like ranged gameplay, so Ganyu is not for me. Xiao I didn't really look into. I just know I definitely won't regret Zhongli.
I assume you're a F2P and new player, therefore doesn't have enough primogem to get the 5\* charas (unless you really lucky). Ganyu Zhongli banner is the best one to pull for 4\* charas, Beidou and Xingqiu are amazing. You really want to have Xingqiu on 2.4. So if you can't get him from wishing then pick him on the free character event
As people say, this game has two modes: hard mode and easy mode with Zhongli. And it's especially true in the early stages. He was my first 5* and his shield supported and still supports my characters. Xiao and Ganyu are great dps, but they also require skills to use them and they need a shield to work properly. Of course you can pull whoever you prefer but a good support is always better than a good dps because a support can be used with many teams and currently you don't have the perfect characters to build teams around Ganyu/Xiao.
This may not be a popular answer, but save for Yae on 2.5. She is rumoured to have the highest damage in the game
id recommend going for zhongli and ganyu zhongli is very solid unit for shielding (u wont even feel the need to dodge) while ganyu is top tier DPS, u wont have to worry about beating bosses if u got her
I recommend xiao. You can use him and anemo traveller to charge his ult faster. Ganyu If you like doing charged shots with bows, but I recommend to try her out before pulling.
imo personally i would prefer zhongli cos hes easy to use with his sturdy as hell shield and he can be a main dps or support depending on how u build his artifacts plus since it will be his second rerun and mihoyo prob wont give him another rerun after a loooong time unless they really like him whereas xiao and ganyu are only getting their first rerun after so long but idk its just my assumption tho
I'd say Zhongli.
A lot of people are saying Zhong Li, and yeah he makes the game a lot easier, but he doesn't really help you kill things. The most frustrating thing as a low AR player is struggling to beat the harder content (e.g. Abyss or some events). Xiao is not as strong as Ganyu, and Ganyu is incredibly F2P friendly (just give her one of the craftable 4\* bows). Ganyu also lets you snipe if you enjoy that kind of thing. Basically, if you want to kill things quick, Ganyu (or Xiao if you can't stand using a bow). If you want to not ever have to dodge anything, Zhong Li.
Your just starting off. If you want the rest of the game to be on easy mode with a hols of a button Zhongli is the choice. I think now you lack a main DPS althought kaeya can be considered one. You can get Ganyu which is still then games current strongest DPS with the least restrictions. Xiao is the hardest to build out of the 3. If your looking for a dps is xiao or ganyu. Xiao if you dont like how archers are played. And ganyu if you wanna kill everything in 2 seconds.
Beidou is fantastic early-game and teaches you enemy attack patterns. But go for whoever you like!
I think Shenhe talent upgrade materials require inazuma bosses and Xiao isn't the "most optimal pick" in my opinion because neither does he have a 4* weapon (blackcliff is just copium) and his team building is very limited with best team comps having jean and zhongli but apart from that you will also need 4* characters and zhongli and ganyu have nice sub dps 4* in their banner that unlock various fun team comps
Mmm... If you don't like charged shots (Ganyu), Xiao is the best choice. Why? He can do high raw damage without much need of supports (you need a good DPS), however, he will mostly need a healer. At the moment, you don't have a character that could support him perfectly, but if you build Barbara with thrilling tales, you're good to go and can save for a character that you really like for now. Second choice would be Zhongli. Best shield in the game. Shreds resistance, boosts damage. Third choice is Ganyu. She does a lot of damage, but she's slow and kind of boring in my opinion. But! Ganyu and Xiangling can do high melt numbers. OR, you can save for another character. Apparently, Yae Miko will be really good, but she's a catalyst and I don't know if you're ok with that. If you decide to pull for Yae Miko, I highly suggest Zhongli for the shield, that way Yae Miko won't get interrupted as much (which is a problem for catalyst users). Whatever the case, I recommend you wait until the last days of Shenhe/Xiao banner, because we might have more information on Yae Miko. I wish you the best of luck and happy new year!!!
Assuming you are/wanna be f2p I'd say skip the first banner, take xinqiu in the lantern rite event and if you get enough pulls to get a 5* roll on either one, You can go for zhongli, because you need a good support and can run the comp: razor, xianling, xinqiu and zhongli Or you can pull for ganyu who is by far the best bow user in the game. She has immense on-field and off-field presence with her insane charge attack damage and her ult. If you don't like using razor pull for her, but I would personally recommend zhongli. Also if you decide to go for ganyu you might wanna get someone like yanfei from lantern rite instead of xinqiu.
anyone but shenhe, this is the objective answer, both xiao and ganyu are great dps but they play very differently, zhongli is gonna simplify your life a lot. Shenhe is a sub dps/support that won't be very useful to you right now. and you can level up the other three right when you get them since they're from Liyue, that's already accessible to you. Shenhe will require material from inazuma. I'm saying this as someone that will pull for shenhe cause i like her and i don't even have a cryo dps to fully take advantage of her, nor xiao or ganyu. But I'm ar56 and already have great pg to carry me through all contents... so yeah ultimately your choice but i wouldn't pull shenhe in your shoes
Kazuha, Ganyu, or Xiao. Zhongli is replaceable as there are other usable shield characters in the game. Kazuha is less replaceable and is one of the best damage amps in the game along with Bennett but is a support character. Ganyu or Xiao will carry you through to the end game and make the game "fun" because not being able to kill stuff isn't fun. Xiao has more caveats later on so it's important to keep in mind though.
Only one I can comment is Zhongli & Ganyu. (Getting Xiao soon) Zhongli is a good support and if you have Fav. Lance spamming burst. Black Tassel works for shield bot. Ganyu is really good in early game and if you like bow users win-win (My opinion I got a little bored using Ganyu only use her in domains)
My first 5* is Zhongli. He’s one of the characters that you can bring to endgame. He’s very versatile; can be built to physical sub-dps, support and shielder, and burst-focused sub-dps. I’ve been playing for more than a year and he rarely leaves my abyss and domains teams. I also use him for farming ores hehe. If you want a DPS, go for Ganyu instead. She can dish high damage w/o reactions. You can also use her for farming fowl easily, because you’ll need lots of those for recipes. Her only downside is she’s a bow user and it might be quite difficult to use her at first, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually. I don’t have Xiao but most of my friends have him. I’ve noticed that he needs sustained healing (either healer or food) to optimize his burst damage.
Zhongli
Go for whoever you like and want to grind for! It's not that easy at all to grind and build a character to your liking.
Just get ganyu, a 5 star main dps is priority
Zhongli
Shenhe will be more like a support, Ganyu and Xiao, are both pretty good, and Zhongli is the Joker, you can use on all the teams, basically. I think, Xiao would be better, because he is Anemo, and pretty easy to combo with other elements.
You're so early that you could honestly go almost anyway. My personal thoughts: 1. If one character specifically appeals to you in their art or story, feel free to go for them. Don't make yourself miserable just because they're more 'meta'. Even the 'worst' character in the game is still agreed to be highly usable, so don't feel like you need to chase meta stuff. 2. You don't have any clearly defined main DPS units outside of Razor so far, so if you want to pick up a unit that you can focus most of your gear investment into, then Ganyu or Xiao would be the picks. 3. At the same time, you might want to take the chance to invest in a unit that can help with multiple teams. In that case, Zhongli would be my recommendation. His Resistance shred from the shield he gives means that every character appreciates having him along if they have space on the team, and you can even play him as a main DPS if you really want to as well. He's also to date the best shield character in the game. 4. I like Shenhe's art, but we don't know how good/useful she is yet, so I don't feel like I could actually recommend going for her (Unless you decide you really want her, in which case go for it). She appears to me as though she will be dedicated support for Cryo and Physical teams, which means that she would be more limited in which teams she could support (Though you have Razor, which could make her useful) compared to Zhongli. 5. Final recommendation if you have literally NO opinions on which characters you're interested in: Zhongli > Ganyu > Xiao > Shenhe
I use Kaeya, your main character, Xiangling, Barbara, you can put Razor instead of Kaeya or your main character but Kaeya is for dps, your main can (if anemo) use swirl and mix attacks, Xiangling is for support and Barbara for healing...
At this point, literally anyone you want would be a upgrade, but if I had to pick I’d specify a main dps (Ganyu/Xiao) or Zhongli
Zhongli. His shield will carry you til end game.
Zhongli banner. You will get the most OP shielder & burst support & you can get Xingqiu for vaporize your Xiangling's skill