The Version 1.5 update for Genshin Impact includes a new housing system, new events, and new playable characters. It also features a Banner rerun for Zhongli, offering players a chance to once again pull him through the game's Wish system at a boosted rate. It's been a while since Zhongli's Banner in Version 1.1, so how have his character builds changed since then?

Hailing from the nation of Liyue, Zhongli is a Geo user who carries polearms into combat. When he originally released into Genshin Impact, many fans noted he was a bit weaker than usual 5-star characters. This prompted developer miHoYo to buff Zhongli and the Geo element. This is the first time Zhongli's Banner has been used since those buffs were implemented, meaning lots of players may be trying to obtain him now.

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Like many Geo users, Zhongli can summon a shield, but his moves are still aimed more at DPS than support. His Dominus Lapidus Elemental Skill can deal AoE damage for 30 seconds, and his Planet Befall Elemental Burst summons a meteor down to deal massive damage to all surrounding enemies. Because of this, the best character build for Zhongli still needs to focus on weapons and Artifacts that increase his DPS and Elemental stats, even though he can be fitted for more of a support role if needed.

Genshin Impact 1.5: Best Artifacts & Weapons For Zhongli

Best Zhongli Build Meme

The best Artifacts for Zhongli in Genshin Impact still come from the Archaic Petra set. With two of these Artifacts equipped, Zhongli will get a 15% Geo bonus. If four pieces are equipped, then all party members will receive a 35% DMG bonus any time that an Elemental Shard is created through the Crystallize reaction, which occurs when Geo attacks are paired up with Electro, Hydro, Pyro, or Cryo. For those who want to buff Zhongli's shield even more, the new Tenacity of Millelith Artifacts from Version 1.5 will be perfect for that.

Now that Zhongli has received buffs, his damage output is a lot better. The best weapon for Zhongli is probably still the Staff of Homa, since it boosts both his HP and ATK stats while also giving a nice bonus to CRIT DMG. A more common weapon that still works great is the Lithic Spear, which is a part of the new 1.5 weapon Banner and has a boosted pull rate, since it increases CRIT Rate and ATK stats for characters from Liyue, like Zhongli.

While Zhongli has been a bit of a controversial figure in the past due to his underwhelming abilities in Version 1.1, this Banner rerun gives players the opportunity to pull him through the Wish system now that his buffs - and the Geo element's buffs - have been implemented. With the right weapons and Artifacts in Genshin Impact 1.5, Zhongli can finally become pretty powerful.

Next: Genshin Impact: Yanfei's Best Character Builds Explained