Quick Answer: Prioritize refining Serpent Spine, The Catch, Sacrificial series, and The Widsith to R5 first. These weapons offer dramatic passive scaling that can outperform R1 5-star alternatives. Avoid refining versatile support weapons like Favonius series - keep multiple R1 copies instead for team flexibility.
Understanding Weapon Refinement in Genshin Impact 2025
The Refinement Game - What You Need to Know
Here's the deal with weapon refinement: you're essentially feeding duplicate weapons to boost passive effects. The Mora costs? They start reasonable at 1,000 for R2, then escalate to 2,000 for R3, 4,000 for R4, and finally 8,000 for that coveted R5. Simple process - just head to your inventory, select the weapon, hit the details tab, find the refine option, pick your duplicate, and confirm.
One crucial warning though: any levels on those consumed weapons vanish forever. I've seen too many players accidentally sacrifice a leveled weapon and immediately regret it.
What makes this system fascinating (and honestly, a bit addictive) is how R5 4-star weapons frequently demolish R1 5-star performance. Take R5 The Catch versus R1 Skyward Spine on Raiden Shogun - it's not even close. For players looking to maximize their weapon investments efficiently, BitTopup offers competitive budget Genshin top up pack options with fast delivery and secure transactions.
The Numbers Game
Passive scaling varies wildly between weapons - and this is where strategy becomes critical. Sacrificial weapons nearly double their effectiveness from R1 (40% chance every 30 seconds) to R5 (80% chance every 16 seconds). That's not just an improvement; that's a fundamental transformation of how the weapon functions.
The Widsith's random buffs? They jump from 60% ATK/48% Elemental DMG/240 EM at R1 to substantially higher R5 values. My general rule of thumb: keep one copy of each 4-star gacha weapon, then refine to R5 before even thinking about using extras as fodder.
S-Tier Priority: Must-Refine 4★ Weapons
The Heavy Hitters
Serpent Spine sits at the absolute top of my refinement priority list.
Why? Because the damage scaling is frankly ridiculous. You get 27.6% CRIT Rate at level 90, plus that sweet 6% DMG increase every 4 seconds on field (stacking up to 5 times). When fully refined, this thing competes with actual 5-star claymores for characters like Itto, Noelle, Diluc, and Beidou.
The difference between R1 and R5 at maximum stacks? We're talking about a 40-60% damage differential. That's not a minor upgrade - that's game-changing.
The Catch represents the ultimate F2P success story.
You fish for it in Inazuma (yes, literally fishing), and at R5 it becomes an absolute monster with 32% Elemental Burst DMG and 12% Elemental Burst CRIT Rate. Combined with 45.9% Energy Recharge, it becomes best-in-slot for Raiden Shogun and Xiangling.
The jump from 16% burst damage at R1 to 32% at R5 translates to roughly 15-20% overall damage increase. For a completely free weapon? Incredible value.
The Widsith offers something unique - unparalleled burst damage through those random 10-second buffs. At R1, you're looking at 60% ATK, 48% Elemental DMG, or 240 EM. These values scale significantly with refinement, making it a powerhouse for characters like Mona, Yae Miko, and Wanderer. That 55.1% CRIT DMG substat doesn't hurt either.
The Support Superstars
Sacrificial series deserves immediate R5 investment
, and here's why: the passive scaling from 40% chance every 30 seconds (R1) to 80% chance every 16 seconds (R5) is transformative. This enables double skill usage in most rotations for Xingqiu (Sword), Sucrose (Fragments), and Diona (Bow).
Sacrificial Fragments particularly shines - 221 Elemental Mastery while essentially doubling Sucrose's crowd control potential? Yes, please.
A-Tier Priority: Situational R5 Investments
Character-Specific Powerhouses
Deathmatch provides that reliable 36.8% CRIT Rate substat plus ATK%/DEF% passive based on nearby enemies. Refinements boost these percentages, making it consistently powerful for Xiangling and other ATK-scaling polearm users.
Dragon's Bane has experienced a massive renaissance following Dendro's introduction. That 221 Elemental Mastery plus damage increase against Hydro/Pyro-affected enemies? It excels for Hu Tao, Xiangling, and EM-built Raiden in Hyperbloom compositions.
The Stringless delivers 24% Elemental Skill/Burst damage increase plus 165 Elemental Mastery - perfect for Venti and Fischl in reaction teams. Xiphos' Moonlight does something fascinating: it converts the wielder's EM into Energy Recharge for party members, solving energy issues for entire team compositions when used on EM-stacking supports like Kazuha.
The Dendro Revolution
Dendro reactions fundamentally shifted weapon priorities, elevating EM-providing weapons across the board. Characters like Kuki Shinobu and Thoma experienced dramatic value increases due to their Hyperbloom/Burgeon triggering capabilities. For optimizing Primogem spending on these crucial refinements, BitTopup provides excellent Genesis Crystals promo offer deals with instant delivery.
B-Tier Priority: Consider Your Roster
The Middle Ground
Solar Pearl sits in medium priority territory with 27.6% CRIT Rate and a passive that increases Skill/Burst damage when you land Normal Attack hits. Blackcliff series provides 36.8% CRIT DMG and ATK% stacking (up to 3 times upon defeating enemies) - excellent in Spiral Abyss wave content but underwhelming against single bosses.
B-tier refinements require careful resource management. Make sure your S-tier and relevant A-tier options are maxed first. Always consider the opportunity cost versus saving resources for future S-tier acquisitions.
C-Tier Priority: Generally Not Recommended
The Underwhelming Options
The Black Sword receives low priority despite solid R1 performance. It increases Normal/Charged Attack damage with healing on CRIT hits, but refinements don't dramatically improve performance. The Viridescent Hunt faces similar limitations - that 27.6% CRIT Rate is valuable, but the cyclone damage scales minimally with refinement.
C-tier weapons represent opportunity cost in its purest form. Those duplicates could be enhancing S-tier options instead. Modest improvements rarely justify the investment compared to the dramatic scaling of top-tier weapons.
Prototype Weapons Refinement Strategy
The Guaranteed Path
Billets come from weekly bosses, exploration rewards, souvenir shops, and events. Prototype Amber transforms catalyst users into team healers through energy regeneration and HP-based healing after Elemental Burst. Amenoma Kageuchi excels for burst-reliant characters like Ayaka through those Succession Seeds that restore energy, significantly reducing ER requirements.
Systematic exploration yields multiple billets through regional progression systems. The Frostbearing Tree, Sacred Sakura, and Tree of Dreams all provide additional billets at specific levels.
Gacha 4★ Weapon Refinement Guide
The Special Cases
Favonius series represents a unique situation where multiple R1 copies often provide more value than a single R5 version.
That 60% energy particle generation at R1 already performs excellently, and multiple copies enable flexible team building. Favonius Sword particularly benefits from the multiple-copy strategy due to numerous support users (Kazuha, Jean, Furina, Xingqiu).
Event weapons like Cinnabar Spindle provided exceptional character-specific value and should always be refined to R5 during availability - those refinement materials become permanently unavailable afterward.
Character-Weapon Synergy Analysis
Making the Right Matches
Sacrificial weapons excel for impactful, long-cooldown Elemental Skills, while Favonius suits general battery roles. The distinction between personal energy generation (Sacrificial) and team support (Favonius) determines optimal selection. The Catch's burst enhancement perfectly complements Emblem of Severed Fate sets for Raiden Shogun and Xiangling.
Dendro's introduction elevated EM weapons significantly. Dragon's Bane, The Stringless, and Xiphos' Moonlight gained substantial value in Hyperbloom, Burgeon, and Aggravate compositions where reaction damage scales with EM investment.
F2P vs Spender Refinement Strategies
Resource Management Philosophy
F2P players should prioritize guaranteed acquisition paths and dramatic refinement scaling. The Catch represents the gold standard - completely free with exceptional R5 performance rivaling 5-star options. Prototype weapons offer reliable progression through billet farming.
Even spenders benefit from prioritizing high-impact refinements before niche options. R5 4-star weapons outperforming R1 5-star weapons applies regardless of spending level, making strategic refinement better value than additional 5-star pulls.
Common Refinement Mistakes to Avoid
Learning from Others' Pain
The most common mistake? Refining versatile support weapons too early, reducing team flexibility. Favonius weapons' R1 effectiveness combined with universal utility makes multiple copies more valuable than single R5 versions.
Another error involves emotional attachment without objective analysis - Battle Pass weapons aren't automatically priorities just because you paid for them.
Players should evaluate refinement impact objectively rather than following general recommendations blindly. Focus on weapons with broad character compatibility and strong R1 base performance to minimize regret through meta shifts.
2025 Meta Updates and Future Planning
What's Coming Next
Dendro's continued expansion influences weapon priorities significantly. EM weapons and reaction-supporting passives maintain elevated value as new characters emerge. The rise of Kuki Shinobu and Thoma demonstrates how dramatically meta shifts can alter weapon priorities.
Reaction-based gameplay appears likely to remain dominant, supporting continued investment in EM and reaction-supporting weapons. Energy management remains crucial across compositions, maintaining the value of The Catch and Sacrificial series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 4-star weapons should I refine to R5 first in Genshin Impact? Prioritize Serpent Spine, The Catch, Sacrificial series, and The Widsith. These offer dramatic passive scaling that outperforms R1 5-star alternatives. The Catch provides a 32% burst damage increase at R5 as a completely free weapon.
Is it worth refining 4-star weapons to R5 in Genshin Impact? Absolutely - strategic refinement often provides better value than pulling R1 5-star weapons. R5 4-stars typically offer 30-50% passive improvement versus R1, with Sacrificial series nearly doubling their utility.
Should F2P players refine 4-star weapons in Genshin Impact? Definitely prioritize specific refinements, particularly The Catch and prototype weapons with guaranteed acquisition. The Catch provides best-in-slot performance for Raiden Shogun and Xiangling.
What are the best 4-star weapons for main DPS characters? Serpent Spine leads for claymore users, The Widsith excels for catalyst DPS through powerful random buffs, Dragon's Bane serves reaction-focused polearm users, and The Stringless provides consistent value for bow users.
How much damage increase do weapon refinements give in Genshin Impact? Refinements typically provide 15-25% overall damage increases. The Catch jumps from 16% to 32% burst damage (R1 to R5), representing a 15-20% total improvement. Serpent Spine creates 40-60% damage differentials at maximum stacks.
Which prototype weapons are worth crafting and refining? Amenoma Kageuchi, Prototype Amber, and Song of Stillness represent top priorities. Amenoma reduces ER requirements for burst-reliant characters, while Prototype Amber transforms catalyst users into team healers with unique utility unavailable through gacha alternatives.