Genshin Impact contains several different features directly related to character enhancement, one of which is the straightforward weapons system. Much like playable characters, weapons in the game each boast a "star" rating that falls between one and five, but thankfully, powerful weapons can be found and crafted, rather than strictly summoned, like characters.
While five-star weapons in Genshin Impact are currently reserved for players willing to spend Primogems on Wishes, there are more than a handful of remarkable four-star choices that Travelers can endlessly forge, provided they have the required materials. Among these four-star weapons are the formidable Whiteblind, and and the series of "Prototype" weapons, all of which require a rare material known as a Northlander Weapon Prototype to be crafted.
Travelers making their way through the game will usually first encounter these Prototypes when reaching new Adventure Rank levels, if not when finally confronting one of the game's Weekly Bosses. Nonetheless, Northlander Weapon Prototypes are available in five different varieties, each representing one of the types of weapon available in Genshin Impact. Players hoping to craft the defense-leaning Whiteblind, the explosive Prototype Archaic, or the recently added Snow-Tombed Starsilver, however, will specifically want to pursue Northlander Claymore Prototypes.
The Northlander Claymore Prototype is generally only available as a random reward drop from the Genshin Impact's more powerful bosses, but of course, there are some select exceptions:
- Liyue Souvenir Shop (one available for purchase)
- "Break the Sword Cemetery Seal" Quest (one given as reward upon completion)
Travelers will need to spend just over 200 Geo Sigils to purchase the Liyue Souvenir Shop's singular Northlander Claymore Prototype, and the Break the Sword Cemetery Seal quest is available in Mondstadt's Dadaupa Gorge. Travelers will either need to speak to Dr. Livingstone, found near the gorge/large lake, or any of the three monuments relevant to the quest in order to to trigger it. Upon completion, they'll be able to access a Luxurious Chest containing the Prototype.
Aside from the above two options, players can only obtain these coveted materials from Weekly Bosses, which are currently: Dvalin, Andrius, and Tartaglia/Childe. Players should note that although these Weekly Bosses can be challenged repeatedly, they are "weekly" because rewards only drop once per week. Moreover, all three of the Bosses can drop all five of the different Northlander Weapon Prototypes, which already have an abysmal drop rate as it is. This means that players need to hope they not only receive a Prototype, but also luck out with the correct one of five.
Genshin Impact is available now on the App Store, Google Play, PC, and PS4, and is currently in development for PS5 and Switch.