Genshin Impact v6.6 Phase 2 Lohen: A Must-Pull or C1 Bait?

Genshin Impact v6.6 Phase 2 Lohen is now available, and the Cryo polearm knight has already sparked widespread excitement in the theorycrafting community.

If you’ve been saving your Primogems since Phase 1, now is the time to use them.

Phase 2 of Version 6.6 “Luna VII” (full title: Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana) begins on June 9, 2026 and lasts until June 30, 2026, giving you enough time to decide whether Lohen deserves your next 90 pulls or your skip finger.

Spoiler, he’s not a skip.

Genshin Impact v6.6 Phase 2 Release Date & Banner Overview

Version 6.6 originally dropped on May 20, 2026, kicking off Phase 1 with Nicole Reeyn (the new Hexenzirkel Pyro Catalyst shielder/buffer) and a Durin rerun. Phase 2 shifts the spotlight entirely to the cold side of Mondstadt’s finest.

Active banners from June 9 to June 30, 2026:

• Frostedge Nocturne: Lohen (Cryo, Polearm, debut 5-star)
• Ancient Flame Ablaze: Mavuika rerun (Pyro Archon, Claymore)
• Epitome Invocation: Lohen’s signature Disaster and Remorse (Polearm) + Mavuika’s A Thousand Blazing Suns (Claymore).

4-Star Rate-Ups on both character banners: Mika (Cryo), Xiangling (Pyro), Bennett (Pyro).

That 4-star lineup is actually decent. If you’re still missing Mika for your Cryo-heavy roster or need yet another Bennett for a second account, building pity here has real value.

Bennett and Xiangling together are basically a Melt starter kit on a silver platter with Lohen himself. Practical? Extremely. Intentional banner design? Absolutely.

The shared guarantee between Banner 1 and Banner 2 applies here, where your 50/50 and hard pity counter carry across both character banners, so plan your pulls accordingly.

See Also: Top Up Genshin and ZZZ with UID Only: No Login Needed & Zero Chargeback Risk

Genshin Impact v6.6 Luna VII Phase 2 Lohen: Profile & Lore Context

Lohen is the Vice Captain of the Knights of Favonius Fifth Company (the Ranged Company), tied directly to the Mondstadt/Varka expedition lore that’s been simmering since early Genshin.

His Story Quest, Lepus Miles Chapter: Act I – A Knight’s Legacy, drops with Phase 2 and includes Varka and Diluc cameos, plus accelerated ascension materials up to level 60 through the Test Run integration.

Quick stats:

• Rarity/Element: 5-Star Cryo
• Weapon: Polearm
• Role: On-field Main DPS, Melt/Freeze Driver
• Model: Medium Male (Tall/Teen frame).

His aesthetic has already taken over HoYoLAB and X, silver-green hair, glowing red/purple eyes, ornate blue-white-gold Favonius armor, and an ice polearm dripping with ethereal blue energy.

Nick Wolfhard voices him in English, and judging by the “YES, haha, YES!” reaction during showcase previews, even the VA is hyped. The Japanese VO was specifically optimized in the patch notes for his quest Varka interactions. Hoyo went all in on the presentation.

Lohen’s Kit & Talents

Lohen runs on a dual-resource mechanic, Joy and Will to Win (Triumph), that rewards aggressive on-field play while demanding proper team construction. Here’s how it actually works in practice:

1. Normal Attack: Spear of Favonius – Broken Oath

Standard polearm chain. Most of this damage gets converted to Cryo while in Masterstroke state, so you’re not building Normal Attack talent high. Keep it at 1–4 and move on.

2. Elemental Skill: Unforeseen Strike / Etched Into Bone and Soul

Using the Skill enters Masterstroke state, which:

• Infuses Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks with Cryo
• Grants ATK% and Energy Recharge buffs
• Starts accumulating Joy (the outer bar) from landing Cryo hits.

Once Joy fills up, the Skill button upgrades, letting you cast Etched Into Bone and Soul, a powerful Cryo DMG instance with up to 3 uses per rotation.

This is Lohen’s primary damage output. Talent priority here is 9–10, non-negotiable.

3. Elemental Burst: Manifest Judgment

A rapid frontloaded series of 6 Cryo slashes that:

• Consumes Will to Win (Triumph) stacks for a massive DMG multiplier
• Extends the Masterstroke state duration (similar to how Kinich handles his field time)
• Keeps the rotation flowing without forcing you off-field prematurely.

Talent priority: 9–10, same as Skill.

4. The Will to Win (Triumph) Mechanic

This is where team building matters. Triumph stacks are generated when your off-field teammates deal damage.

There’s also a passive that checks whether nearby teammates deal hits exceeding 4000% of Lohen’s Base ATK, which rewards running strong sub-DPS units like Mavuika or Xiangling who pump constant off-field numbers.

High Triumph means higher multipliers on both Skill and Burst. You want teammates swinging hard off-field to fuel this constantly.

Talent Priority Summary: Elemental Skill ≥ Burst >> Normal Attack (basically ignore NA leveling past 4)

Lohen’s Constellations

1. C1: Yesterday’s Breeze, Laden With Sorrowful Song

Increases the Triumph (Will to Win) cap to 250% and teammates generate Triumph 500% faster during Masterstroke.

This is a meaningful rotation smoothness upgrade, especially when you’re timing your Burst usage. It’s a solid C1 without being predatory.

2. C2: All Who Fly High Become Targets in Time (Best Stopping Point)

After using Skill or Burst, Lohen gains the “Evilsbane Blade” effect for 4s; dealing a follow-up Cryo AoE hit at 300% ATK and granting the entire party +200 Elemental Mastery for 8 seconds.

That’s enormous for Melt teams where every point of EM on your applicators is pure reaction damage multiplier. C2 is widely called the premium sweet spot by the theorycrafting community. Stop here if you’re a dolphin or a lucky whale.

3. C3

+3 to Elemental Skill level. Straightforward damage increase, no mechanics change.

4. C4

Auto-fills Triumph to max on Burst use and restores 15 Energy. This effectively removes the tension between spending Triumph on Skill casts versus saving it for Burst; one of the more frustrating rotation decisions at C0.

If C4 fixes energy issues this cleanly, that’s borderline predatory design sitting behind two paid constellations. Worth flagging: at C0, you’ll need to manage your rotation carefully and potentially slot some Energy Recharge substats depending on your team.

5. C5

+3 to Elemental Burst level. More damage. Nothing exciting mechanically.

6. C6: The Hyper-Carry Unlock

C6 is a completely different character. Zero downtime, massive CRIT DMG ceiling, extended field time. 

If you’re whaling to C6, Lohen becomes one of the strongest Cryo hypercarries the game has seen. For the rest of us: C0 is functional, C2 is the investment target if you’re going beyond guaranteed.

• Removes Triumph cost from enhanced attacks entirely
• Joy refills immediately on Burst use
• Masterstroke extends by 1.25s every 7s
• +175% CRIT DMG to Skill and Burst
• +2 additional Etched Into Bone and Soul uses.

See Also: Best Genshin Impact Collei Build Guide

Lohen’s Signature Weapon: Disaster and Remorse

Disaster and Remorse (5-Star Polearm); featured on Phase 2’s Epitome Invocation alongside Mavuika’s A Thousand Blazing Suns.

Stat	Value
Base ATK	674
Secondary	22.1% CRIT Rate

Passive (Dolorous Stroke / Path of Conflict): After using Elemental Skill, enter Path of Conflict (17s). Gain:

• +40% Normal/Charged Attack DMG (Unforgivable buff)
• +40% Skill/Burst DMG (Irreparable buff)
• Both buffs extend dynamically, hitting with NA/CA extends Irreparable; using Skill/Burst extends Unforgivable.

Hexerei: Secret Rite Bonus: All the above DMG boosts increase by an additional +75% when Hexenzirkel teammates are on the team. This is the Nicole + Lohen synergy payoff.

The sig is genuinely best-in-slot and the Hexerei bonus makes it feel designed exclusively for his teams. That said, F2P and budget alternatives exist:

• Staff of Homa — CRIT DMG sub-stat, strong generalist pick
• Primordial Jade Winged-Spear — solid if you have it
• Staff of the Scarlet Sands — EM-to-CRIT DMG conversion, good in Melt
• Deathmatch — F2P-accessible through BP, CRIT Rate sub-stat
• White Tassel — 3-star stat stick if you’re in the absolute trenches, still decent at high refinement.

Avoid pulling the weapon banner unless you specifically need Disaster and Remorse AND have Fate Points banked from a previous phase.

The weapon banner is a trap for your Primogem economy. One 5-star weapon costs effectively up to 240 pulls with Epitomized Path guarantees. Your Primogems are better spent getting C2 on Lohen himself.

Best Artifacts for Lohen

1. A Day Carved From Rising Winds (Best in Slot)

This new 6.6 Hexerei-themed set was clearly built around Lohen:

• 2-Piece: ATK +18%
• 4-Piece: ATK +25% on hit (upgrades to Resolve with CRIT Rate +20% if Witch’s Homework condition is met, triggers off-field)

The Witch’s Homework CRIT Rate bonus essentially gives you free stat budget on the Circlet; lean into CRIT DMG there and let the set carry your CRIT Rate. Farm this set for Lohen if you’re running him in Hexerei teams, which is his intended environment.

2. Alternative Sets

• Blizzard Strayer (4-Piece): Excellent for Freeze teams; free CRIT Rate from enemies being Frozen/Cryo-afflicted. Largely wasteful in Melt builds where enemies rarely stay Frozen long enough.
• Marechaussee Hunter (4-Piece): Good for NA/CA-focused builds, especially in Furina teams where HP fluctuation triggers the set.
• 2-Piece Mixes (ATK% + Cryo DMG%): Solid temporary option while farming for Rising Winds.

3. Main Stats

Slot	Recommended Stat
Sands	ATK% (general) / Elemental Mastery (deep Melt builds)
Goblet	Cryo DMG Bonus
Circlet	CRIT DMG (with Rising Winds CRIT Rate bonus) or CRIT Rate

Substat Priority: CRIT DMG > CRIT Rate > ATK% > Energy Recharge

His kit naturally provides CRIT Rate through passives and set bonuses, so you can prioritize CRIT DMG substats more aggressively than most DPS characters.

Watch your ER cause at C0, you may need 130–140% depending on team, especially without C4’s energy restoration.

Lohen’s Ascension & Talent Materials

Ascension Materials (1–90):

• Boss Drop: Prismatic Severed Tail (from the Radiance Selenogekko in the new Natlan/expanded area)
• Local Specialty: Etherwing Moth (new Mondstadt expansion area)
• Common Drop: Arrowheads (Hilichurl Shooters)
• Gem: Shivada Jade (Cryo).

Talent Materials:

• Books: “Resistance” domain (Mondstadt: Tuesday/Friday/Sunday)
• Weekly Boss Material: Ascended Sample: Knight (Chess Pieces / Gatekeeper Trounce Domain).

His Story Quest drops in Phase 2 and pushes you to level 60 quickly via the Test Run integration, which means your early ascension grind is partially front-loaded by the content itself.

Take advantage of that before Resin-grinding the Selenogekko for Prismatic Severed Tails.

Best Teams for Lohen

1. Hexerei Melt (Optimal)

Slot	Character	Role
Main DPS	Lohen	On-field Cryo carry
Pyro Support	Nicole (Phase 1 new 5-star)	Hexenzirkel shielder/buffer, Pyro application
Pyro Off-field	Mavuika	Constant off-field Pyro, generates Triumph for Lohen
Anemo Support	Prune (new 4-star)	VV Shred, grouping, EM reduction

This is his flagship team. Nicole’s Hexenzirkel tag activates the Hexerei: Secret Rite bonus on Disaster and Remorse, Mavuika pumps off-field Pyro for Melt reactions and Will to Win generation simultaneously, and Prune handles Viridescent Venerer shred to magnify reaction damage. If you pulled Nicole in Phase 1, yeah, good call.

2. Classic F2P Melt

Slot	Character
Main DPS	Lohen
Pyro Sub-DPS	Xiangling
Pyro Support	Bennett
Anemo/Cryo	Kazuha / Shenhe

Xiangling’s Pyronado is still one of the best off-field Pyro appliers in the game for enabling Melt, and Bennett’s ATK buff and healing slot in naturally.

Kazuha brings VV and personal EM buffs. This team requires zero new 5-star investment beyond Lohen himself and performs extremely well at C0.

3. Freeze (Shenhe Variant)

Lohen / Shenhe / Furina / Escoffier

Shenhe’s Cryo DMG bonus stacks synergize with Lohen’s high-frequency Cryo application, Furina drives Marechaussee Hunter or provides team HP fluctuation buffs, and Escoffier handles Hydro application for Freeze.

Less raw damage than Melt but significantly more comfortable to play against Abyss mobs that abuse interruption.

See Also: Ineffa Genshin Build: Best Weapons, Artifacts, Skills

F2P Primogem Economy: Is Phase 2 Worth It?

Phase 2 free Primogem estimates from dailies, events (Miliastra Wonderland, co-op events), and phase milestones sit around 3,570–4,000+ Primos for the entire phase window.

That’s a healthy chunk but not enough to guarantee both Lohen and Mavuika from scratch on your first 50/50 loss. If you’re sitting on a guarantee from Phase 1, you’re in prime position.

The Reddit complaints about Phase 2 being “worst phase value” (two new meta-relevant 5-stars plus an Archon rerun) are valid from a purely mathematical Primogem standpoint.

Hoyo knows what they’re doing by stacking Lohen and Mavuika in the same window. Decide your priority before June 9, don’t drift into the “I’ll pull a bit on both” spiral that costs you a guarantee without getting either character.

So, if you need a Cryo main DPS and have zero existing Cryo carry (or your Ayaka/Ganyu are starting to feel the power creep), Lohen is the pull. If you’re already satisfied with your Cryo roster and your Mavuika is unconstellation-ed, Phase 2 Mavuika is the easier rerun case.

See Also: Genshin Impact 6.6 Banners Leaks: New Characters, Banner Schedule, and Meta Impact

Genshin Impact v6.6 Phase 2 Lohen lands as one of the stronger Cryo main DPS options the game has released, not because he does anything mechanically unprecedented, but because his Dual-Resource system rewards skilled rotation management, his synergy with the new 6.6 Hexerei ecosystem is deep and intentional, and his C0 is genuinely functional without needing constellation bailouts to feel complete.

His signature weapon is excellent but not mandatory. Deathmatch and Staff of Homa keep him highly competitive. Skip the weapon banner unless you have Fate Points and the budget for it.

If you’re F2P and holding back, the Classic Melt team with Xiangling and Bennett (both on rate-up here) costs you nothing extra and performs at a high level. The banner is genuinely generous in that regard.

Test him in the Phase 2 Trial Run the moment it goes live on June 9. Feel the Masterstroke rotation, check your Triumph generation in your specific team context, and make the call with real gameplay data rather than spreadsheet anxiety.

Need to secure your 50/50? Don’t get caught lacking on Fate Points; buy Genshin Crystals at Joytify for instant, secure top-ups to guarantee your pulls.