Genshin Impact 7.1 Phase 1 Banners: Complete Guide to Vesna and Vodyanitsa

The Genshin Impact 7.1 Phase 1 banners feature Vesna and Vodyanitsa, running from September 23 to October 13, 2026. Vesna debuts as Anemo’s first dedicated main DPS, while Vodyanitsa delivers premium Hydro support with healing that sustains aggressive teams. Both characters arrived with Version 7.1 “A Requiem for the Underworld” when Snezhnaya opened its gates.

This guide covers banner schedules, character analysis, weapon recommendations, four-star lineups, Primogem requirements, and anniversary rewards to help you make informed pulling decisions.

When Do the Version 7.1 Phase 1 Banners Run?

Phase 1 runs September 23 through October 13, 2026, giving you three weeks to wish for Vesna or Vodyanitsa. The window closes at 17:59 server time, with Phase 2 beginning one minute later at 18:00. Server times differ by region, so Asia, Europe, and America players see different real-world cutoffs.

How Anniversary Timing Affects Your Wish Strategy

The 6th Anniversary lands on September 28, 2026, five days into Phase 1. Waiting for anniversary rewards before committing Genesis Crystals to top-ups is advisable since free pulls might push you over pity without additional spending. Skirk and Escoffier return in Phase 2 with strong Freeze team potential, so budget accordingly if you want characters from both halves.

Vesna Banner: Anemo’s First True Main DPS

Vesna shatters expectations as a sword-wielding Anemo damage dealer who stays on field rather than quick-swapping. She commands the Druzhna as Snezhnaya’s “Snowy Banquet’s Sharp Blade” and serves as the flagship character for Stellar-Swirl, the new reaction system introduced in this region.

How Vesna’s Stellar-Swirl Mechanics Work

Vesna wields an Anemo Stellar Linchpin that transforms traditional Swirl into Stellar-Swirl, a sustained damage state rewarding extended combat. Unlike conventional Anemo supports who spread elemental damage briefly, she creates prolonged reaction windows that scale with active fighting time.

Her playstyle emphasizes aggressive on-field presence through highly mobile aerial attacks. Ground-to-air combat flows seamlessly, making exploration more fluid while overworld traversal speeds up significantly.

Best Weapons and Artifacts for Vesna

Beyond the Chrysalis ranks as her optimal weapon, providing CRIT DMG alongside passives boosting Stellar-Swirl damage specifically. No alternative matches this synergy perfectly, though several options perform competitively.

Primordial Jade Cutter deserves special mention for existing owners. Performance reaches striking distance of the signature weapon since raw stats compensate for missing Stellar-Swirl-specific buffs.

Should You Pull for Vesna?

Vesna fills a role no other Anemo character currently occupies. Accounts lacking strong main DPS options benefit significantly, as do players wanting to explore Stellar-Swirl compositions. However, her value scales with proper support since solo performance underwhelms compared to well-supported configurations.

Vodyanitsa Banner: Premium Hydro Support and Healing

Vodyanitsa functions as a 5-star Hydro Catalyst support-healer hybrid offering remarkable utility in a single character slot. She serves as Prima Donna of Snezhnaya’s Korolevskiy Troupe, carrying the title “Lingering Siren-Song.”

What Makes Vodyanitsa Valuable for Team Building

Her kit combines off-field Hydro application, team healing, interruption resistance, and dual resistance shredding affecting both Anemo and Cryo. This flexibility lets one character support two completely different archetypes.

Vodyanitsa Team Comps and Synergies

Stellar-Swirl Teams: Vodyanitsa arguably serves as Vesna’s single best support. She applies Hydro for reaction triggers, heals through extended combat, reduces Anemo resistance, and extends the Radiance state. Running both creates a premium Stellar-Swirl core handling most content.

Freeze Teams: Planning to pull Skirk in Phase 2? Vodyanitsa supports Freeze compositions beautifully through Cryo resistance reduction amplifying Skirk’s damage while off-field Hydro enables consistent Freeze uptime.

General Support: Even outside specific reaction teams, healing plus Hydro application plus utility makes her welcome anywhere sustained support matters.

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Recommended Weapons for Vodyanitsa

Hymn of the Maelstrom serves as her signature catalyst, scaling with HP to boost healing while buffing active characters. Budget-conscious players can run Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers effectively since the 3-star catalyst’s massive ATK buff for swapped characters remains powerful for pure support builds.

Four-Star Characters Featured in Phase 1

Both Event Wish Banners share identical four-star lineups: Faruzan, Chongyun, and Diona. Pulling on either banner can yield these characters.

Faruzan stands out as the most valuable four-star here. Her Anemo damage buffs and resistance shredding directly amplify Vesna’s output, making constellation stacking worthwhile for players building Stellar-Swirl teams. Diona remains solid universal support, while Chongyun offers niche Cryo-infusion value.

Weapon Banner Value: Beyond the Chrysalis and Hymn of the Maelstrom

This weapon banner becomes attractive specifically if you want both featured weapons. Beyond the Chrysalis elevates Vesna significantly while Hymn of the Maelstrom transforms Vodyanitsa into an even more effective team anchor. Getting either outcome works favorably.

Standard Epitomized Path rules apply, requiring up to 240 wishes for a guaranteed specific weapon. Players pulling for only one character should probably skip since the chance of getting the “wrong” weapon makes the gamble unfavorable. Alternative weapons perform adequately while preserving Primogems.

How Many Primogems Do You Need for Phase 1?

Soft pity activates around wish 75-80, with hard pity guaranteeing a five-star at wish 90. The 50/50 system means potentially needing two pity cycles for a specific character.

Pity carries over between banners of the same type. Building pity on one banner then stopping transfers progress to subsequent character banners.

Anniversary Rewards Arriving Mid-Banner

The 6th Anniversary on September 28, 2026 delivers substantial freebies during Phase 1. Claim these before making final pulling decisions.

Combined anniversary rewards deliver 20 free limited banner pulls, potentially pushing you from soft pity into a five-star without additional spending.

Pull Priority: Vesna or Vodyanitsa First?

Your account state determines which character provides more value. Neither is universally superior since both excel in different situations.

Vesna rewards commitment through dedicated Stellar-Swirl teams, with full investment yielding a powerhouse while casual builds underperform. Vodyanitsa offers broader utility across multiple team types, working effectively with both new and returning characters regardless of which DPS you own.

These banners deliver two genuinely compelling characters complementing each other beautifully. Vesna brings something fresh to Anemo as a dedicated main DPS, while Vodyanitsa provides flexible support enhancing multiple team archetypes including Stellar-Swirl and Freeze compositions.

For most players, pulling at least one makes sense given anniversary rewards arriving mid-banner and valuable four-stars like Faruzan strengthening the lineup. Budget across both phases if Skirk or Escoffier interest you, remembering that Vodyanitsa supports returning characters effectively through her dual resistance shredding.

Check your pity, calculate your Primogems, wait for anniversary rewards, then make your move with confidence. Good luck with your pulls, Traveler.