The Version 6.6 Luna VII livestream just wrapped up, and the Genshin Impact community is reeling from a massive bait and switch. For months, leakers and theorycrafters agreed that the new Cryo Polearm user Lohen would join the standard banner. Instead, HoYoverse revealed him as a limited five-star character.
Genshin Impact Version 6.6: Banner & Pull Priority
| Category | Character | Status | Pull Recommendation |
| New 5★ (Phase 1) | Nicole Reeyn | Pyro Support | Must-Pull: Elite ATK buff + Shield; mandatory for Varka and Hexerei teams. |
| New 5★ (Phase 2) | Lohen | Cryo Main DPS | Niche: High investment required; skip if you are F2P and saving for 7.0. |
| New 4★ (Phase 2) | Prune | Anemo Catalyst | Value: A specialized “ATK Kazuha”; great if pulling for Mavuika anyway. |
| Rerun (Phase 1) | Durin | Hexerei Support | High: Strong synergy with Nicole, but pull Nicole first. |
| Rerun (Phase 2) | Mavuika | Pyro Main DPS | God-Tier: The Pyro Archon is still the best on-field DPS for Melt/Vaporize. |
This change forces a brutal decision right before the Snezhnaya region launches. You now have to choose between saving your Primogems or spending them on an extremely crowded patch featuring Nicole, Durin, Prune, Lohen, and Mavuika.
We will break down exactly who deserves your hard earned wishes, how the four-star characters factor into the math, and who you should skip entirely to protect your account.
Why the Lohen banner is a trap for your Primogems
Lohen outputs solid numbers, sitting right around the power level of Skirk. The catch is that he requires a highly expensive premium team to reach that ceiling. To get the most out of him, you need Nicole, Durin, and a fully built C6 Prune or Xilonen.
As a standard banner character, he made sense. As a limited character pulling from your Snezhnaya savings, he is a tough sell. His first two constellations are weak, and his signature weapon is barely an upgrade over the standard Primordial Jade Winged-Spear. Unless you absolutely love his voice lines and design, skipping Lohen is the safest play.
Nicole and Durin offer actual value in Phase 1
While Phase 2 feels like a trap, Phase 1 is packed with account upgrades. Nicole is a top tier support who provides instant buffing, strong shields, and requires zero energy to do her job. She is an immediate upgrade for Varka teams and most Night Soul characters.
Durin is running alongside her. He is strong, but if you have to pick one, Nicole gives you far more flexibility. Phase 1 also features Prune as a four-star Anemo Catalyst. She acts like a specialized Kazuha, trading crowd control for massive attack and damage buffs. Getting a few copies of Prune while pulling for Nicole is a massive win.
Mavuika is still an absolute monster
If you already have a strong support roster and want a main DPS, Mavuika is the real prize of Phase 2. She requires a high skill level to play correctly. If you take the time to master her charge dash combos, she outputs ridiculous damage and can easily clear the hardest content.
She has amazing early vertical investment value. Her signature weapon and her second constellation provide huge power spikes. If you are bad at managing combos and miss your Melts, her damage falls off hard. Know your own skill level before spending your gems on her banner.
The weapon banner risk you need to know about
The Phase 1 weapon banner is highly rewarding. Both Nicole and Durin have signature weapons that boost your total team damage. Even if you lose your 50/50 to the other featured weapon, your account still gets stronger.
Phase 2 is a completely different story. Lohen’s weapon does not offer enough of a damage jump to justify the Primogem cost. Mavuika’s weapon is excellent, but risking your pulls on a banner tied to Lohen’s spear is a massive gamble.
What you should do next
If you own Varka, pull Nicole on day one. Her quality of life improvements make her the top priority for this update. If your account already clears the Spiral Abyss easily, hold your Primogems. Sandrone and the Snezhnaya characters are dropping next patch, and they will likely define the new meta.
Wait until the first week of the new banners. By then, we will have reliable kit leaks for the upcoming patch, making it much easier to decide if you want to skip Version 6.6 entirely.
