Genshin Impact 5.3 Phase 1: Should You Pull Mavuika or Citlali?

If you’re deciding on whether to pull Mavuika or Citali in the brand-new Genshin Impact 5.3 update then you’re in the right place. We are analyzing the two concurrent Genshin Impact banners, Ancient Flame Ablaze and Starry Night’s Whispers, containing the two eagerly anticipated 5-star characters to see which of the two is right for you.

Both Mavuika and Citlali were first teased back in August with the beginning of the Genshin Impact 5.0 update. However, now the two Genshin Impact characters are finally able to be pulled and played with for a limited time. Keep in mind that you only have from today (January 1, 2025) until January 21, 2025, to make your choice, so don’t delay.

For more on the popular Gacha game, we’re also bringing you our list of the best Genshin Impact characters and comparing this title to the developer’s back catalog with the best HoYoverse games in 2025.

Genshin Impact 5.3 Phase 1 Banners

There are two concurrent new Genshin Impact banners available in the 5.3 update, which are Ancient Flame Ablaze, featuring Mavuika, and Starry Night’s Whispers, containing Citlali.

The banners debuted on January 1, 2025, and will be running until January 21, 2025. Don’t miss your chance to pull two of the most exciting new Genshin Impact characters that we’ve seen for some time.

As noted above, the two new Genshin Impact banners are near-identical with the exemption of which 5-star Genshin Impact character you want to pull. Now that we know what’s included in the two new wish events it’s time to go over the two characters’ strengths and weaknesses and if they are the right pick for your play style.

Mavuika

Mavuika made her first appearance in Genshin Impact during the 5.0 Natlan update of the game. She’s one of five Pyro Archon (gods who oversee the region) alongside Xbalanque, Scarlet-Eyed Youth, Murata, and Cochanina. She sports a head of flaming hair and a burning motorcycle, making her one of the more visually distinct characters in the game seen to date.

Strengths

Generally speaking, Mavuika is a DPS character that also offers strong support capabilities. Her normal attack, Flames Weave Life, has a ton of versatility. This includes up to four consecutive strikes, a powerful charged attack, and a devastating plunging attack, which not only hurts on impact but even causes sizable AoE damage.

Furthermore, with Natlan teammate skills, you can charge up her ultimate ability without the need for collecting orbs. This ultimate can give a huge damage boost to your party members, meaning she can play support just as effectively.

Her elemental skill and elemental burst are incredibly strong; The Named Moment can be used by either tapping or holding on the screen as either “Divine Name Unleashed” or “Ancient Name Unbound”. Here, her Flamestrider, the motorcycle, can do massive damage, especially to bosses.

Weaknesses

While Mavuika has some excellent usability with her special moves and solid normal attacks, her ideal application appears to be best utilized as a secondary Genshin Impact character in your lineup instead of the leader. She can come in and deal massive damage or help to chip away at a challenging boss, but as the party leader, her application seems less universal.

Mavuika’s effectiveness will depend on whether you have other Natlan characters in your party that can best compound her abilities. This early into the game, early reports suggest that she’s a weaker Archon than what was expected, however, as more players learn how to properly optimize the character, this sentiment may be reversed in the next few weeks.

Citlali

Citlali also made her first appearance during Genshin Impact’s Ignition Teaser with the unveiling of the Natlan region 5.0 update. A high priestess of the Mictlan tribe, she is known for her predictions and has a strong connection with the 4-star character, Ororon. While she has some offensive capabilities, her best role usage is as a support character.

Strengths

Granny Itztli is primarily a support character who can help level the playing field by utilizing shields and other off-field attacks for sizable damage to keep the heat off your team. She’s most at home when paired with a team, either focusing on Freeze or Melt, but you need to have a consistent lineup to ensure there are no obvious gaps in your play style.

Citlali’s shield is solid, stronger than Layla’s by a considerable margin but ever so slightly worse than Zhongli’s. For the best attack power, you’re going to want to pair her with her signature weapon, the Starcaller’s Watch. Paired with the Scroll of the Hero artifacts, you can really boost her Elemental Mastery for the Dawnfrost Darkstar skill and Edict of Entwined Splendor burst, respectively.

Weaknesses

As touched upon above, Citlali is a supporting character through and through, with average damage and a decent (but not leading) shield. To make the most out of her abilities and skills, you’re going to need to stack as many buffs as you can and then keep her in the background for strategic implementation.

This isn’t the character for you if you want to deal tons of damage and protect your team wholesale as stock; instead, you will need to kit her out properly before going into battle. She’s the definition of a team player, for better or worse.

Which Genshin Impact 5.3 Character Should You Pull?

To accurately assess which Genshin Impact character you should pull, we need to contrast their pros and cons side-by-side. Fortunately, given the fact that Mavuika and Citlali are vastly different, it becomes easier to see who may be right for you at a glance.

Mavuika

Citlali

Who Should You Pull in Genshin Impact 5.3 Phase 1?

While there’s no universal consensus for the best Genshin Impact character of 5.3 Phase 1, the choice either comes down to wanting a DPS character with good off-field damage or a support character that thrives on buffs. To make the choice of either Mavuika or Citlali, you need to look at the rest of your team to see who slides in the best.

Mavuika impresses with her traversal options, strong skill, and decent on-field and off-field damage options, with the drawback of the average range of her burst attack. In contrast, Citlali has a great (but not the best) shield and can be stacked with buffs to make her one of the stronger support characters in Genshin Impact to date. She also excels in both Melt and Freeze teams, so there’s a degree of versatility here, too.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of who you choose in Genshin Impact 5.3, you’re getting an excellent 5-star character in these two concurrent banners. Be advised that you won’t have long to make your choice, as both Mavuika and Citlali will only be available to pull until January 21, 2025. After this time, it’s unknown when (or if) they will resurface again. Both characters were first teased all the way back in the 5.0 update in August 2024, so it’s been a long time coming.

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