Learn how to optimize Sitlali’s potential in Genshin Impact with this comprehensive character guide. Unleash her lightning fury and dominate the battlefield.Lovers of sleeping in any convenient place here? Grab a pillow and get comfortable. Especially for you, HoYoverse in Genshin Impact released Citlali – a new Cryo character from Natlan.

If you are interested in Citlali, we have prepared a guide with the best builds for Grandmother Itztli. We will tell you everything about the character and how to assemble her correctly.

Genshin Impact Character Description .

Citlali is a 5-star legendary character from Natlan. In-game, she is known as “Grandmother Itztli” to most of her tribe and has the Cryo Eye of God. Citlali was officially announced by the game’s developers on November 25, 2024.

From the plot we can learn that she is over 200 years old, and in the Night Wind Lords tribe she is an extremely respected person. So much so that many are petrified just by the mention of her name and would prefer not to run into the shaman’s eyes once again… But deep down she is a very vulnerable and dreamy person.

In combat, Citlali acts as a shielder and support, and uses the catalyst. Like other Natlan characters, she has the Night Spirit mechanic, which allows her to move in a unique way: Citlali flies around the field in a relaxed manner, lying on a large soft pillow, and also uses this in combat.

How to get Sitlali

Sitlali was available in her “Whisper of the Starry Night” banner, which was released in the first half of the game version 5.3 – January 1, 2025, and was replaced by banners of the second half of the version on January 21. At the moment, it is impossible to get her in other ways and you can only wait for the banner to repeat.

Strengths and weaknesses of the character

Pros

Cons

An extremely effective support with a narrow specialization focused on strengthening Pyro and Hydro characters by cutting down enemy resistances. Capable of imposing Cryo effects on opponents even outside of combat. Can act as a Sub-DD due to the cheap ult and good damage. Provides protection against Cryo attacks. Quite easy to assemble, as it only requires elemental mastery and energy restoration. Can use the wonderful artifact set “Scroll of the Hero of the Burnt City”. Makes it much easier to move around Natlan thanks to its ability to fly.

Almost useless for heroes of other elements, except Pyro and Hydro. At the same time, even with Hydro DD, things are not so smooth, since it cannot effectively implement Freeze. The shield is practically useless unless you’re fighting against Cryo enemies. You need to get used to the gameplay, as it is important to correctly build rotations for accumulating Night Spirit and correctly closing reactions. While Sitlali can do her job as a support even without constellations, C2 boosts her too much and it is advisable to get two constellations. Not so useful for travel outside of Natlan.

 

Talents and abilities

Basic skills

Skill name	Purpose	Skill Description
Spiritual Vessel of Shadow Capture	Normal attack	Attacks enemies with a pillow, performing up to three hits in a row.
	Charged attack	Switches to aiming mode and throws a Frost Star. Attacks with ice on impact.
	Attack in the fall	Concentrating the power of Cryo, he rushes downwards, dealing lightning damage to all enemies in his path. Upon landing, he strikes an area with Cryo.
Dark Star of Morning Frost	Elemental Skill (E-class)	Deploys a protective barrier and summons an Obsidian Tzitzimitl Itzpapu, a creature that deals Cryo damage in an area with the effects of Night Spirit. The effectiveness of the shield directly depends on Sitlali’s elemental mastery. Cryo attacks are absorbed 250% more effectively. When the shield is activated, the Cryo status is activated and Sitlali replenishes 24 units of Night Spirit and simultaneously enters the Blessing state. Night Spirit’s Blessing: Sitlali  ends if Itzpapa disappears from the battlefield. Itzpapa: Follows the hero. If Sitlali has 50 or more Night Spirit points, she activates the White Flame state and launches a Frost Hurricane that attacks villains within the area of ​​effect. The White Flame effect ends when the Night Spirit count drops to 0.
Decree of the luminaries	Elemental Burst (Ulta)	Unleashes an icy storm on enemies. The hit uses the Night Spirit bonus and restores some points. On hit, summons up to three Spirit Skull Vessels, one for each nearby enemy. Spiritual Skull Vessels explode over time, dealing Cryo damage and restoring Night Spirit.

Passive skills

Skill name	Activation	Skill Description
Songs of the Hidden Mystery	Immediately upon receipt	When Nightwraith Outburst is triggered in regions with Phlogiston Mechanisms, it restores 20 Phlogiston. This effect is not available in Dungeons, Twisted Abyss, or Boss Battles.
Gift of the Night Realm: Mirrors, Smoke, and Flowing Wind	Immediately upon receipt	In locations with phlogiston, the shaman gains the ability to use Night Spirit Transfer. If the current active character changes to her during flight, a bonus is activated: Sitlali rushes upward and uses the power of the Tzitzimitl of White Obsidian: Sitlalin, and then enters hover mode. Can be activated no more than once every 10 seconds. By long-pressing the crosshair, Sitlali enters the state of the Spirit Talker, which allows you to interact with the drawings and signs of the Night Spirit. By long-pressing the jump button, she can spend some stamina and perform a powerful jump. In areas with phlogiston mechanics, she uses 5 units of phlogiston to gain altitude. If you hold down a normal attack while hovering, Sitlali can enter the aiming mode. During this time, she performs charged strikes, spending a supply of phlogiston or stamina.
Cold Rain Mamaloaco	1 elevation	When Itztli is under the effect of Night Spirit’s Blessing and allies use Freeze or Melt, enemies lose 20% resistance to Pyro and Hydro elements. In addition, 16 Night Spirit points are restored. Triggers once every 8 seconds.
Star Robe of Itzpapalotl	4th rise	While using E, Frost Hurricane’s damage is boosted by 90% of Sitlali’s Elemental Mastery. When activating the ult, Frost Hurricane’s damage is boosted by 1200% of this hero stat. If allies activate Night Spirit Flash, the character will gain 4 Night Spirit.

Gameplay with Sitlali is fairly simple: activate her E-Shka, then switch to another character. Elemental Burst should be used immediately after it is charged, as it prolongs the effects of the skill and increases the bonuses Sitlali provides to the team.

Citlali’s Base Stats and Rise

The Rise of Citlali

Level	Mora	Material 1	Material 2	Local curiosity	Additional material
40	20,000	x1 Shivada Jade Shard	—	x3 Quenepa Berry	x3 Young Fang
50	40,000	x3 Shivada Jade Fragment	x2 Talisman of the Mysterious Land	x10 Quenepa Berry	x15 Young Fang
60	60,000	x6 Shivada Jade Fragment	x4 Talisman of the Mysterious Land	x20 Quenepa Berry	x12 Adult Fang
70	80,000	x3 Shivada Jade Piece	x8 Talisman of the Mysterious Land	x30 Quenepa Berry	x18 Adult Fang
80	100,000	x6 Shivada Jade Piece	x12 Talisman of the Mysterious Land	x45 Quenepa Berry	x12 Tyrant’s Fang
90	120,000	x6 Shivada Precious Jade	x20 Talisman of the Mysterious Land	x60 Quenepa Berry	x24 Tyrant’s Fang

Talents

Level	Books	Common materials	Material from the boss	Mora
2	x3 The Teaching of “Burning”	x6 Young Fang	—	12,500
3	x2 Instruction on “Burning”	x3 Adult Fang	—	17,500
4	x4 Instruction on “Burning”	x4 Adult Fang	—	25,000
5	x6 Instruction on “Burning”	x9 Adult Fang	—	30,000
6	x9 Instruction on “Burning”	x9 Adult Fang	—	37,500
7	x4 Philosophy of “Burning”	x4 Tyrant’s Fang	x1 Denial and Verdict	120,000
8	x6 Philosophy of “Burning”	x6 Tyrant’s Fang	x1 Denial and Verdict	260,000
9	x12 Philosophy of “Burning”	x9 Tyrant’s Fang	x2 Denial and Verdict	450,000
10	x16 Philosophy of “Burning”	x12 Tyrant’s Fang	x2 Denial and Verdict	700,000 + x1 Crown of Insigh

 

Once you have obtained Sitlali, her stats will look like this:

• HP—905;
• Attack– 9;
• Defense– 59.

Having pumped Sitlali to the maximum, level 90, you will receive the following characteristics without artifacts and weapons:

• HP— 11,633;
• Attack– 126;
• Defense– 763.

Talent upgrade priority:

1. Elemental skillis the main source of shield creation and pocket Cryo status, it is recommended to upgrade it first.
2. Elemental Burst is a secondary source of damage that also extends the duration of an Elemental Skill, and is ranked second in priority.
3. Normal attacks– can be upgraded at will, as they are practically never used in combat.

Best weapons for Citlali

When choosing a catalyst, it is recommended to give preference to weapons that increase elemental mastery and energy regeneration, as well as provide additional buffs for the team. If you plan to use Sitlali as a sub-DD, pay attention to catalysts that increase crits.

Name	Rarity	Basic indicators	Description of action
The Vigil of the Caller to the Stars	☆☆☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 58-265; Base Attack: 44-542.	Increases Elemental Mastery by 100-200. After forming a protective barrier, the owner gains the Mirror of Night effect for 15 seconds: the damage of the current hero of the squad to nearby enemies increases by 28-56%. The effect can only be triggered once every 14 seconds.
Dreams of a Thousand Nights	☆☆☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 58-265; Base Attack: 44-542.	Increases the character’s Elemental Mastery by 32-64 if the party includes heroes of the same element, or increases their Elemental Damage by 10-26% if the other party members’ Elements are different. In addition, the Elemental Mastery of all party members (except the owner of this catalyst) increases by 40-48.
Wandering Star	☆☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 36-165; Base Attack: 42-510.	Every 10 seconds, the hero gains 24-48% of his elemental mastery in attack power, even if he is not in combat. The effect lasts for 12 seconds, and nearby allies receive 30% of this boost. If several heroes have weapons with this effect, the bonuses stack.
Ceremonial Memoirs	☆☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 48–221; Base Attack: 41–454.	Dealing damage with an elemental skill has a 40-80% chance to instantly reset its cooldown. This effect can occur once every 30-16 seconds.
Codex Favonius	☆☆☆☆	Energy Regen: 10-45.9%; Base Attack: 42-510.	When dealing critical hits, has a 60-100% chance to create elemental particles that restore 6 energy. This effect can occur once every 12-6 seconds.
Marine Atlas	☆☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 24-110; Base Attack: 42-510.	Increases elemental damage by 8-16% for 10 seconds after an elemental reaction is triggered. The boost can stack up to two times.
Epic of Dragon Slayers R5	☆☆☆	HP: 7.7–35.2%; Base Attack: 39-401.	When switching heroes, increases the current hero’s attack potential by 24-48% for 10 seconds. The effect can occur once every 20 seconds.
R5 Magic Guide	☆☆☆	Elemental Mastery: 41–187; Base Attack: 38-54.	Increases damage by 12-24% when attacking enemies under the influence of Electro or Hydro elements.

Best Artifact Sets for Sitlali

First, let’s look at the necessary optimal characteristics for leveling up Grandmother Itzli:

• Elemental Mastery: Shield durability and Sitlali bonuses require 800-1000 units and above (including weapons);
• Energy Recovery: To extend Sitlali’s skill; 140-160%;
• Critical Hit Chance/Critical Damage: 60/120% and above (only for sub-DD build).

With a good build, the artifacts on it should be mainly for elemental mastery. That is, the main stat in the clock, cup and hat should be MS.

In the lower characteristics we look for:

• energy restoration;
• mastery of the elements.

Here are some complete sets that will fit the character:

Name	Where to get	Characteristics
Scroll of the Hero of the Burnt City	Sanctuary of Myriad Spirits	2 parts : When a squad member uses the Night Spirit’s Flash, the wearer restores 6 energy points. 4 pieces : When the wearer triggers a reaction related to their element, the entire team gains a 12% damage boost of the corresponding element for 15 seconds. If the wearer is under the Blessing of the Night Spirit when the buff is triggered, the rest of the party gains an additional 28% elemental damage bonus for 20 seconds. Triggers even if the wearer is “in the pocket”.
Millelite’s Resilience	Mountain Patrol	2 parts : Increases maximum health by 20%. 4 parts : Increases the attack power of all characters in the team by 20% and the strength of their shields by 30% when an elemental skill hits enemies. The bonus lasts 3 seconds and can be triggered once every 0.5 seconds. Works even if the carrier is “in the pocket”.

Of course, in the case of Sitlali, just like with other characters in the game, 2/2 builds are possible. Any sets of artifacts that increase elemental mastery will be a priority, since this is our key parameter. And if you want to get a little more energy recovery, you can consider other options.

Name	Where to get	Characteristics
Traveling ensemble	World and weekly bosses, chests.	2 parts: Increases elemental mastery by 80.
Gilded Dreams	The Spire of Lonely Enlightenment	2 parts : Increases elemental mastery by 80. We will also write about the possibility of installing this set in full: 4 pieces : Increases attack power by 14% for each team member with the same element, and adds 50 points to elemental mastery for each hero with a different element. The effect activates once every 8 seconds and lasts even if the owner is not in combat.
Flower of Lost Paradise	City of Gold	2 parts: Increases elemental mastery by 80.

Selecting a pack

To understand who to put in Granny Itztli’s squad, let’s summarize a little. We found out that Sitlali in the game has the role of a shielder (secondary) and a support, applying cryo status from the pocket (primary). When calling reactions Melt or Freeze simultaneously reduces the resistance of enemies to Pyro and Hydro elements.

Sitlali is NOT recommended for use in the following situations:

• Squads where you don’t need a pocket Cryo status. For example, from Dendro reactions, Mono-packs or packs with the game from Electro.
• Troops with high HP loss, as Sitlali does not provide healing.

Sitlali is not very demanding in terms of rotations, which makes her easy to use in a team. She always enters the field before the main damage dealer to set the stage for maximum effectiveness.

There are two ideal examples for character positioning:

Remember to use the elemental skill in a timely manner, as its cooldown ends before the shield and Izpapa disappear, unless the defense is destroyed by enemies. Elemental Burst can be used either before or after the elemental skill, depending on the situation.

Squad options

Here are examples of squads that will not be hindered by Citlali’s Cryo status from playing comfortably together in one squad. This way the character does not conflict with their mechanics, and increases potential through reactions.