Genshin Impact has a variety of weapon types that players can choose from. From close combat weapons like Swords, Polearms, and Claymores to ranged weapons like Bows and Catalysts, each weapon type offers its own unique advantages and play styles. Although in Genshin Impact, characters' kits, elements, and unique play styles are more decisive factors for players to choose to play with, for some, weapon type can also be an important consideration.

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As the Genshin Impact characters are typically associated with a specific weapon type, with some exceptions being able to switch between weapon types in terms of animations, it outlines the basics of each character's play style. Limited-Time Weapon Banners are also an integral part of the Gacha system and should be taken into account when deciding which characters and weapons to pursue. Players should consider what weapon types are featured in the banners and make their choices based on their favorite characters and play styles, thereby ensuring they have a more enjoyable gaming experience.

5 Claymores

claymore s tier in genshin impact

Claymores used to be highly sought-after weapons at the beginning of the game, as many popular characters such as Diluc, Razor, and Noelle primarily used them. It was also primarily used for shield-breaking or shattering, even mining, as the game mechanics at the time required more of those activities than they do now. Since then, the number of popular Claymore users has not increased significantly, with the most often-used ones being Itto and Eula. These characters have great damage output but have become less useful as Genshin Impact focuses more on elemental reactions rather than physical or single-element heavy hitter builds.

Claymores have a decent range and can deal a considerable amount of damage, but their slow attack speed, charged attack animation, and lack of mobility make them better suited for taking on tougher foes, such as bosses, rather than large groups of enemies. Additionally, unlike many other weapon types, most Claymores are tailored to a specific character's play style, which may make them less appealing for pulling them on Weapon Banners.

4 Catalysts

best catalysts in genshin impact

The strong point of Catalysts in Genshin Impact is that their Normal Attacks always deal Elemental Damage based on the user's Elemental vision, allowing for great Elemental application without being limited by cooldowns. Additionally, their ranged attack capabilities make them perfect for dealing with enemies from a distance. While there are plenty of great Catalyst users, such as Nahida or Yae Miko, these characters are often associated with their unique kits rather than the weapon type itself.

Catalysts have some notable disadvantages that should be taken into account. One of the most obvious is that most Catalyst users have a lower defense value compared to other elements, making them more vulnerable to taking significant amounts of damage, especially if the enemy's attacks have a large AoE or the team composition has a lot of melee characters, which forces Catalyst users to be closer to the enemy.

Additionally, with the exception of newer characters such as Heizou and the Wanderer, most catalysts do not provide particularly dynamic gameplay, especially with their charged attack animations, making them better suited to support characters who rarely use Normal Attacks. Fortunately, Genshin Impact still offers a wide selection of excellent 4-star and 5-star catalysts that can be used for DPS or Support.

3 Bows

s tier bows in genshin impact

One of the major benefits of using Bows in Genshin Impact is their ability to deal both Physical and, in particular, Elemental damage with their Charge Attacks without any additional infusion. This is extremely useful for exploration since many puzzles require the use of elements to activate certain mechanisms, often located far away. Furthermore, Bows are much more efficient for ranged attacks than catalysts, making them invaluable for enemy mechanics that require hitting a specific weak spot that would be inaccessible to melee characters.

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Despite its versatility, Bow gameplay can feel lacking for many players, as it does require accurate aiming, which can be particularly difficult for mobile or console players. Charging the weapon also makes characters more vulnerable to interruption, so they may require more strategic positioning or team compositions to protect themselves compared to other weapons.

Furthermore, although there are certainly a variety of great Bow users, except for a few exceptions such as Yoimiya or Ganyu, most of them are mostly played off-field or based on their Elemental Skills or Bursts, rather than showcasing bow-like gameplay with examples such as Yelan and Childe. Although this weapon ranks relatively high due to its versatility, most of the limited 5-star bows also tend to be signature weapons, which often do not suit other characters, making this weapon type less sought after than some others.

2 Polearms

best polearm in genshin impact

Polearms have often been overlooked in Genshin Impact, as it was initially limited to only Xiangling as the sole polearm user. However, especially with the release of Xiao and Hu Tao, the first DPS polearm characters, the potential of polearm users has greatly increased. As two of the Archons, Raiden Shogun and Zhongli are renowned Polearm users, players can truly appreciate the unique and powerful playstyles that Polearm users bring to the game.

Additionally, polearms are the fastest weapon type in the game, boasting a significant range and multi-enemy hit capabilities, allowing for great damage potential. Some polearm characters' charged attack animations also let them dash forward, enabling them to close a gap or otherwise avoid certain hits, making polearm users the unique and dynamic weapon type in the game.

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The downside to choosing this type is the lack of general support characters offered, as many of them, such as Shenhe, Yunjin, and Thoma, are quite niche. Consequently, there is also a limited selection of free-to-play or low-cost support polearm weapons. The 5-star characters, which are the most popular, have signature weapons that are unique to the character and have limited applicability to other characters, with only a few exceptions. This can limit players' choices and funnel them into specific builds with limited variety. Nevertheless, the unique mechanics of this type may be worth the sacrifice, as they can provide a satisfying and rewarding gaming experience for some players.

1 Swords

s tier swords in genshin impact

The sword is an incredibly versatile weapon type in the game, primarily due to the diversity of Sword users for both support and DPS roles. Not only that, but many of the main DPS characters can use both charged and normal attacks in their combo-play style, making them faster and more agile than Claymore users and enabling them to Crit more often, thus dealing more damage. Additionally, the speed of the Sword allows players to dodge attacks more effectively in comparison to other weapon types. This weapon type is particularly favored by main DPS characters such as Ayaka, Ayato, and Alhaitham; luckily, many of these Sword users can infuse their weapons with Elements, allowing them to quickly perform elemental reactions.

Potentially, one of the biggest drawbacks of Swords is the fact that their charged attacks can push enemies away, which can be useful for grouping but can also create gaps between attacks, reducing damage output. Furthermore, there are plenty of main DPS character options for swords with relatively similar play styles, which can make it feel somewhat stagnant to some players. Fortunately, there are a variety of powerful limited-banner swords, such as the Primordial Jade Cutter or the Mistsplitter Reforged, that can provide a significant boost to many DPS characters, allowing players to switch weapons and experiment with new characters without having to spend additional Primogems.

Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.

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