Essential 4-star weapons like The Widsith, Sacrificial series, and Favonius weapons offer exceptional value through high refinement potential and versatile character compatibility, often outperforming 5-star alternatives at R5.
Understanding 4-Star Weapon Value in Genshin Impact
Here's something that might surprise newer players: those lesser 4-star weapons sitting in your inventory? Some of them are absolute powerhouses that'll serve you better than shiny 5-stars. I've seen too many players make costly mistakes with weapon management, so let's dive into what actually matters.
What Makes a 4-Star Weapon Worth Keeping
The math here is pretty straightforward – and honestly, it shocked me when I first ran the numbers. A fully refined 4-star weapon (R5) frequently demolishes a fresh 5-star weapon (R1) in terms of raw performance. Take The Widsith at R5: you're looking at a potential 120% ATK bonus, 96% Elemental DMG bonus, or 480 Elemental Mastery. Those aren't typos. These numbers compete directly with premium weapons that cost hundreds of dollars to guarantee.
Now, the investment isn't trivial. You'll need 607 Mystic Enhancement Ore and a substantial Mora pile to max out any weapon to Level 90. But here's the thing – that investment pays dividends across multiple characters and team compositions.
For players looking to maximize their weapon collection efficiently, Genshin Impact top up center platforms like BitTopup offer competitive pricing and fast delivery for Genesis Crystals. This enables more frequent weapon banner pulls with significant cost savings compared to direct purchases – though I'd argue character banners usually offer better value for 4-star weapon acquisition.
When I evaluate whether a 4-star weapon deserves vault space, I look for four key factors: versatility across multiple characters, unique passive abilities that scale meaningfully with refinement, high-demand secondary stats (CRIT Rate, Energy Recharge, Elemental Mastery), and future-proofing potential. That last point? Crucial. New character releases consistently breathe life into previously overlooked weapons.
Common Weapon Management Mistakes
Let me be blunt: using valuable 4-star weapons as enhancement fodder is the most expensive mistake you can make in this game. Period.
I've watched players feed Sacrificial Swords to level up mediocre weapons, only to pull Xingqiu later and realize they've destroyed his best-in-slot option. The community consensus here is rock-solid – maintain at least one copy of every 4-star weapon before you even think about using anything as enhancement material.
Another trap? Over-refining versatile weapons too quickly. Sure, that R5 Sacrificial Sword looks impressive, but keeping three R1 copies often provides more value for Spiral Abyss teams where you need multiple supports running simultaneously.
Tier S: Must-Keep 4-Star Weapons
The Widsith - Versatile DPS Catalyst
This weapon is basically three different 5-star catalysts rolled into one chaotic package. Level 90 stats: 510 Base ATK, 55.1% CRIT DMG – already respectable numbers before we even discuss the passive.
The Debut passive is where things get spicy. Every 30 seconds, you get one of three random buffs for 10 seconds: Recitative (ATK boost), Aria (Elemental DMG bonus), or Interlude (Elemental Mastery). At R5, we're talking +120% ATK, +96% Elemental DMG, or +480 EM respectively. The randomness might seem like a drawback, but in practice? All three buffs are incredibly strong.
Perfect for quick-swap teams where your DPS gets their rotation done within that 10-second window. Mona, Yae Miko, Klee, and Nahida absolutely love this weapon – especially when you can time their burst windows around the buff activation.
Sacrificial Sword - Energy Recharge Champion
If The Widsith is chaotic good, Sacrificial Sword is lawful good. Level 90 stats: 454 Base ATK, 61.3% Energy Recharge. The Composed passive gives you a 40% chance at R1 (scaling to 80% at R5) to reset your Elemental Skill cooldown after dealing skill damage.
This weapon single-handedly solves energy problems for multiple characters. Xingqiu with Sacrificial Sword achieves 100% Elemental Burst uptime – something that's borderline impossible with other weapons. The skill reset means double particle generation, double damage, and consistent Hydro application.
Kazuha, Qiqi, Kuki Shinobu, and Layla all benefit massively from this weapon's utility. It's not flashy, but it's reliable in a way that wins Abyss clears.
The Stringless - Elemental Mastery King
Here's where bow users get their moment to shine. Level 90 stats: 510 Base ATK, 165 Elemental Mastery. The Arrowless Song passive increases Elemental Skill and Burst damage by 24% at R1, scaling to 48% at R5.
This is the definitive choice for off-field DPS characters like Venti and support Fischl. The EM scaling enhances Swirl and Electro-Charged reactions beautifully, while the passive damage bonus affects the abilities you actually care about for these characters.
In reaction-heavy team compositions, The Stringless proves its worth repeatedly. I've seen R5 Stringless outperform 5-star bows on characters who prioritize EM and off-field damage over raw ATK scaling.
For optimizing weapon pulls efficiently, Genshin Impact top up via card through BitTopup provides secure payment processing and instant delivery for weapon banner opportunities – though again, I'd recommend patience and character banner pulls for most players.
Tier A: Highly Valuable Situational Weapons
Dragon's Bane - Reaction Specialist
This polearm got a massive glow-up with Dendro's introduction. Level 90 stats: 454 Base ATK, 221 Elemental Mastery. The Bane of Flame and Water passive increases damage against Hydro or Pyro-affected opponents by 20% at R1, scaling to 36% at R5.
Hu Tao mains know this weapon well – it's exceptional for Vaporize teams where the conditional damage bonus and EM scaling create multiplicative damage increases. But here's what's interesting: Dendro reactions like Burning, Burgeon, and Hyperbloom scale exclusively with Elemental Mastery, making Dragon's Bane suddenly relevant for entirely new team compositions.
Xiangling in reaction-heavy teams also benefits significantly from this weapon's unique stat distribution.
Favonius Series Overview
The Favonius weapon family shares the Windfall passive and Energy Recharge secondary stat across all weapon types. The passive triggers on CRIT hits with a 60% chance at R1, generating Elemental Particles that restore 6 Energy to the wielder. Effect occurs once every 12 seconds, which means you need to build some CRIT Rate to make it work consistently.
But when it works? Game-changing for team energy management.
Key applications include Favonius Sword for Kazuha, Jean, Furina, and Xingqiu; Favonius Lance for Thoma, Zhongli, Rosaria, and Yun Jin; Favonius Warbow for Diona, Faruzan, Gorou, and Yelan; and Favonius Codex for catalyst supports who need energy consistency.
The beauty of this series lies in its universal applicability. Almost every support character can make use of these weapons when team energy becomes an issue.
Rust - Physical DPS Excellence
Level 90 stats: 510 Base ATK, 41.3% ATK. The Rapid Firing passive increases Normal Attack damage by 40% at R1 (80% at R5) while decreasing Charged Attack damage by 10%.
This weapon is laser-focused on one thing: making Normal Attacks hit like trucks. For Yoimiya, it's often best-in-slot even compared to 5-star options. Normal Attack-focused Childe builds also love the massive damage bonus.
Just don't put this on Ganyu. The Charged Attack penalty makes it actively detrimental for characters who rely on aimed shots.
Best 4-Star Weapons by Category
Swords: Versatility Champions
Amenoma Kageuchi deserves special mention as a craftable weapon that punches above its weight class. Level 90 stats: 454 Base ATK, 55.1% ATK. The Iwakura Succession passive generates Succession Seeds through Elemental Skill usage – each seed restores 6 Energy when consumed by your Elemental Burst.
This significantly reduces ER requirements for characters like Ayaka and Ayato, freeing up artifact substats for damage optimization. Plus, it's craftable, meaning you can guarantee R5 with enough billets.
Xiphos' Moonlight brings something unique to the table: Level 90 stats of 510 Base ATK and 165 Elemental Mastery, with a passive that grants the wielder 0.036% Energy Recharge per point of EM for 12 seconds. Nearby party members receive 30% of this buff, making it exceptional for EM-scaling supports like Kazuha who can share energy benefits with the team.
The Black Sword from the Battle Pass offers 510 Base ATK and 27.6% CRIT Rate at Level 90. The passive increases Normal and Charged Attack damage by 20% while providing healing on CRIT hits – solid all-around performance for DPS sword users.
Claymores: Raw Power Options
Serpent Spine is arguably the best Battle Pass weapon available. Level 90 stats: 510 Base ATK, 27.6% CRIT Rate. The Wavesplitter passive grants 6% damage increase per stack (maximum 5 stacks) while increasing damage taken by 3% per stack.
At R5, the maximum damage bonus reaches 50% – numbers that often outclass 5-star alternatives for characters like Itto, Noelle, Diluc, and Eula. The damage taken penalty sounds scary, but most DPS characters want to avoid damage anyway, and shields or healing easily mitigate the downside.
Sacrificial Greatsword offers 565 Base ATK and 30.6% Energy Recharge at Level 90. The skill reset passive proves valuable for Chongyun's Cryo infusion extension and Beidou's energy generation, though it's more situational than its sword counterpart.
Polearms: Elemental Specialists
The Catch represents perfect event weapon design. Level 90 stats: 510 Base ATK, 45.9% Energy Recharge. The Shanty passive increases Elemental Burst damage by 32% and Burst CRIT Rate by 12% at R5.
This weapon is best-in-slot for Raiden Shogun and Xiangling – characters who form the backbone of multiple meta team compositions. The fact that it's free and guarantees R5 through the fishing system makes it accessible to every player willing to invest the time.
Wavebreaker's Fin brings interesting scaling with 620 Base ATK and 13.8% ATK at Level 90. The Watatsumi Wavewalker passive increases Elemental Burst damage by 0.12% per point of the party's combined maximum Energy capacity, maxing out at 40% bonus damage.
Deathmatch from the Battle Pass offers 454 Base ATK and 36.8% CRIT Rate. Conditional ATK bonuses based on nearby enemy count make it excellent for characters like Xiao and Hu Tao who appreciate both the CRIT Rate and situational damage bonuses.
Bows: Precision Tools
Sacrificial Bow provides 565 Base ATK and 30.6% Energy Recharge at Level 90. It's invaluable for Diona's double shield application and enhanced particle generation – turning her into an energy battery while maintaining her defensive utility.
The Viridescent Hunt from the Battle Pass offers 510 Base ATK and 27.6% CRIT Rate. The Verdant Wind effect creates a cyclone that pulls nearby enemies, providing both damage and utility for characters like Childe and Tartaglia who can capitalize on grouped enemies.
Catalysts: Magical Mastery
Sacrificial Fragments combines 454 Base ATK with 221 Elemental Mastery at Level 90. The skill reset passive becomes exceptionally powerful on Sucrose, enabling three consecutive skill casts with C1. The high EM scaling enhances reaction damage significantly.
Prototype Amber deserves mention for its unique utility. The Gilding passive regenerates Energy and HP for the entire party after Elemental Burst usage, effectively transforming any catalyst user into a team healer. It's niche, but incredibly valuable in specific team compositions.
Solar Pearl from the Battle Pass provides 510 Base ATK and 27.6% CRIT Rate. The Solar Shine passive creates synergy between Normal Attacks and Elemental abilities, making it solid for catalyst DPS characters who weave attacks between abilities.
Character-Weapon Synergy Guide
DPS Character Optimal Pairings
The relationship between Hu Tao and Dragon's Bane exemplifies perfect weapon-character synergy. In Vaporize teams, the EM scaling and conditional damage bonus create multiplicative damage increases that often surpass 5-star alternatives. Similarly, Yoimiya achieves optimal performance with Rust, where the massive Normal Attack damage bonus directly enhances her primary damage source.
These aren't just stat sticks – they're weapons designed around specific playstyles that happen to align perfectly with certain characters' kits.
Support Character Weapon Priorities
Xingqiu with Sacrificial Sword represents the gold standard for support weapon synergy. The skill reset enables double Elemental Skill usage, maximizing both damage and Hydro application while solving energy problems entirely. You achieve 100% Elemental Burst uptime, which is the difference between a functional team and a struggling one.
Sucrose paired with Sacrificial Fragments becomes a crowd control monster, combining multiple skill casts with EM sharing and reaction triggering. The weapon transforms her from a decent Anemo support into an essential team component.
Elemental Reaction Team Builds
Dendro's introduction fundamentally changed the weapon meta for reaction-focused teams. Burning, Burgeon, and Hyperbloom reactions scale exclusively with Elemental Mastery, making weapons like Dragon's Bane and Sacrificial Fragments essential for maximizing reaction damage output.
This shift caught many players off-guard – weapons that seemed niche suddenly became core components of powerful team compositions.
Refinement Strategy & Priority System
Which Weapons to Refine First
Tier 1 Priority includes weapons where refinement provides massive value jumps. The Widsith sees its passive buffs literally double from R1 to R5. Sacrificial series weapons increase proc chance from 40% to 80% – the difference between unreliable utility and consistent performance. The Catch gains significant Burst damage and CRIT Rate improvements that directly translate to clear DPS increases.
Tier 2 Priority covers weapons with solid but less dramatic scaling. Dragon's Bane's conditional damage bonus scales well for specialized users. Rust's Normal Attack bonus reaches 80% at R5, providing substantial improvements for Normal Attack-focused characters. The Stringless sees its Skill and Burst damage bonus double, though the base effect is already quite strong.
Multiple Copy vs Refinement Decision
This decision often separates experienced players from newcomers. For Favonius series weapons, the high demand across multiple characters usually justifies keeping separate copies rather than rushing to R5. Same logic applies to Sacrificial Sword – you'll often want multiple Hydro or Anemo supports running simultaneously in Abyss.
Conversely, weapons like The Widsith benefit dramatically from refinement due to the passive scaling, and their usage tends to be more character-specific anyway.
Acquisition Methods & Availability
Gacha Pool Weapons
Standard Banner and Limited Character Banners provide your primary source for valuable 4-star weapons. The guaranteed 4-star pity system ensures consistent weapon acquisition every 10 pulls, though you can't control whether you get weapons or characters.
Weapon Banner rate-ups offer increased acquisition chances for specific weapons, but the cost-benefit analysis usually favors character banner pulls unless you can utilize both featured 5-star weapons and multiple featured 4-star weapons.
Event-Limited Weapons
The Catch exemplifies perfect event weapon design – best-in-slot performance for multiple characters while remaining permanently accessible through the fishing system. The refinement materials require dedicated farming, but you can guarantee R5 completion through effort rather than luck.
I'd love to see more weapons follow this model, providing guaranteed acquisition paths for essential gear.
Shop Rotation Schedule
Paimon's Bargains offers the Blackcliff series through Starglitter exchange. The monthly rotation provides predictable acquisition opportunities, and the 24 Starglitter cost represents reasonable value for CRIT stat weapons – though they're generally outclassed by gacha alternatives.
Investment Optimization Guide
Enhancement Material Efficiency
The total cost for Level 90 weapon ascension – 607 Mystic Enhancement Ore plus substantial Mora – demands strategic thinking about investment priorities.
My Resource Priority Framework goes like this: active team weapons requiring immediate performance improvements first, followed by versatile weapons serving multiple characters
, then specialized weapons for specific compositions, and finally future-proofing weapons for anticipated character acquisitions.
Ascension Priority Framework
Monday/Thursday/Sunday domains provide the most valuable ascension materials, including Decarabian series for The Stringless and Boreal Wolf series for Sacrificial weapons. Coordinating multiple weapon projects around domain schedules maximizes farming efficiency and prevents resource waste.
Plan your weapon ascensions around your resin schedule rather than trying to force immediate upgrades.
Future-Proofing Your Weapon Collection
Upcoming Character Considerations
Here's something I've learned from three years of playing: new character releases consistently create demand for previously overlooked weapons. Dendro's introduction dramatically increased the value of EM-focused weapons like Dragon's Bane and Sacrificial Fragments practically overnight.
The pattern of new characters requiring specific weapon types makes comprehensive 4-star weapon retention a valuable long-term strategy. That useless weapon sitting in your inventory might become essential with the next character release.
Long-term Value Assessment
Weapons with irreplaceable utility maintain value regardless of meta shifts. Energy generation, skill reset mechanics, and EM scaling represent fundamental game mechanics that aren't going anywhere.
My general recommendation? Maintain at least one copy of every 4-star weapon. The storage cost is relatively low compared to the potential future utility, and you'll thank yourself later when that perfect character-weapon synergy emerges.
F2P vs Spender Weapon Strategies
Budget-Friendly Weapon Builds
F2P Priority Weapons should focus on guaranteed acquisition and maximum versatility. The Catch provides best-in-slot performance for multiple characters through fishing rather than gacha luck. Amenoma Kageuchi offers excellent craftable sword performance. Prototype Amber brings unique healing utility unavailable elsewhere. The Stringless represents high-value gacha weapon worth pursuing.
The guaranteed acquisition timeline for craftable weapons enables precise planning – you know exactly when you'll have the billets and materials needed.
Weapon Banner Pull Strategies
Spenders gain access to Battle Pass weapons providing valuable CRIT stats unavailable through F2P methods. These weapons often bridge the gap between craftable options and premium gacha weapons.
For weapon banner pulls, target banners featuring multiple desired 4-star weapons to maximize value while minimizing disappointment. Never pull weapon banner unless you can utilize both featured 5-star weapons – the opportunity cost is simply too high otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 4-star weapons should I never use as enhancement material?
Never sacrifice Sacrificial series, Favonius series, The Widsith, The Stringless, or Dragon's Bane. These provide irreplaceable utility through unique passives and high-demand secondary stats. Keep at least one copy of every 4-star weapon before considering any as enhancement material – trust me on this one.
Are 4-star weapons worth refining in Genshin Impact?
Absolutely, but priority varies dramatically. The Widsith sees its buffs double from R1 to R5, making refinement incredibly valuable. Sacrificial series weapons jump from 40% to 80% proc chance – the difference between frustration and reliability. For versatile weapons like Favonius Lance, consider keeping multiple copies instead of refining past R2-R3.
What's the best 4-star weapon for each character type?
For DPS: The Widsith dominates catalyst users, Serpent Spine excels for claymore characters, and Rust serves bow users focused on Normal Attacks. Support characters benefit from Favonius series for energy generation and Sacrificial series for skill reset utility. Reaction-focused builds prioritize The Stringless, Dragon's Bane, and Sacrificial Fragments for EM scaling.
Should I pull on weapon banner for 4-star weapons?
Generally no, unless the banner features multiple desired 4-star weapons AND you can utilize the featured 5-star weapon. Character banners provide more consistent value through guaranteed character acquisition while still offering 4-star weapon opportunities. The weapon banner pity system favors spenders over F2P players.
How do I know if a 4-star weapon is better than a 5-star?
Compare based on character synergy, refinement levels, and team composition requirements. A well-refined 4-star weapon (R3-R5) with optimal character synergy often outperforms an R1 5-star with poor matching. R5 The Catch typically outperforms most R1 5-star polearms for Raiden Shogun – it's that simple.
Which 4-star weapons work on multiple characters?
Favonius Sword serves Kazuha, Jean, Furina, and Xingqiu effectively. Sacrificial Sword works across multiple Hydro and Anemo supports. The Widsith fits most burst-oriented catalyst DPS characters. The Stringless suits various sub-DPS bow characters. Dragon's Bane serves reaction-focused polearm users. These versatile weapons justify higher investment priority due to their broad applicability.