Farming is one of the most essential activities players can do in Genshin Impact. But after a while, this may cause frustration as RNG is a problematic system in the game. Not only that, but Genshin Impact is also terrible when it comes to transparency. Without community effort, players wouldn't have known how much the drop rate for each item is.
Of course, just like any randomized thing, some items have higher odds to drop than others. When it comes to low chances, these items are the rarest to drop in Genshin Impact.
Note: The following information is based on unofficial rates obtained from community gatherings.
Updated on February 23, 2022, by Nahda Nabiilah: It's been over a year since Genshin Impact was first released, and many things have changed while some others have stayed the same. Unfortunately, when it comes to artifact farming, Travelers are still facing the same struggle as they did in the early game. Even with the existence of the Artifact Strongbox, getting the correct stat is still as hard as ever. Now, with more artifact sets available, getting the correct set and main stat can be an even tougher task. So if players are struggling with their farming and would like to know the chances of getting a certain item, this list of rarest Genshin Impact drops have been expanded to include more things.
14 Gemstone Chunks (14%)
When ascending their Genshin Impact characters, players need some Slivers, Fragments, Chunks, or Gemstones of their corresponding Element. By the fourth and fifth ascension, Travelers need three and six Chunks, respectively.
However, when farming the Normal Bosses, people would find that they rarely get Chunks from their runs. This is because this item only has a 14% drop rate. So on average, players can expect one Chunk in every seven runs. Instead of counting on the odds, sadly, it's better for Travelers to rely on the traditional grind.
13 Prototype/Billet (12%)
A Weapon Billet, previously known as a Prototype, is the core material to forge a weapon. The only sustainable way to get this item is by defeating the Weekly Boss. But even then, the chance is as low as 12%.
Not only that, but to forge the weapon players want, the Billet they obtain must match that weapon's type. So, for example, to forge a Catalyst, Travelers need a Catalyst Billet. Assuming there's an even distribution among the five types of Billets, players only have a 2.4% chance to get the material they need. That translates to one usable Prototype every 42 times fighting a Weekly Boss.
12 Critical Circlet (10%)
Critical Rate or Damage is likely the most desirable main stat on a Circlet. While it's not as rare as Healing Bonus or Elemental Mastery, the chance is still really low at 10% (for each Critical Rate and Damage).
Even if players manage to get one, this particular piece usually has a horrible sub stat. This is because, unlike other main stats, this Circlet can't have both a Critical Rate and Damage sub stat. As a result, people often settle with a Critical Circlet with mediocre subs.
11 Energy Recharge Timepiece (9%)
There are five types of artifacts available in Genshin Impact. Some main stats can only be found on certain equipment. For example, Energy Recharge (ER) is only available on a Timepiece. Other than that, players can also get ATK, HP, DEF, and Elemental Mastery.
It's easy to get ATK, HP, or DEF artifacts (on Timepiece) as they have a 25%, 30%, and 25% chance to drop, respectively. However, the same can't be said for ER. For this main stat, Travelers only have 9% chance.
10 Healing Bonus Circlet (7% to 8%)
Meanwhile, for a Circlet, the unique main stats are Critical Rate, Critical Damage, and Healing Bonus. Because Critical Rate and Critical Damage are far more wanted than Healing Bonus, it may seem that these two are rarer. But in truth, Healing Bonus is more scarce, with a 7 to 8% chance of dropping.
This may seem like good news for people who don't need it, but it's a nightmare for players farming Ocean-Hued Clam artifacts in Genshin Impact. It appears that more patience is needed before Travelers can get the correct main stat.
9 A Second 5-Star Artifact (7%)
At the highest level of an Artifact Domain, players are guaranteed to get one 5-star drop on every run. This is why Travelers should start farming once they reach Adventure Rank 45, and not before. With a lot of luck, people can get two 5-star artifacts in their farming runs. But this chance is highly unreliable, being as low as 7%.
If players are using Condensed Resin, then it's also possible to get four gold artifacts at once. However, the chance is even lower at 0.49%.
8 Gold-Tier Weapon Ascension Material (7%)
There are four tiers of Weapon Ascension Materials: green, blue, purple, and gold. Similar to getting a second 5-star artifact, the odds to get a gold drop in this domain are also a 7% chance. Players can get up to two at once, but the odds are even lower. Luckily, the purple tier isn't that tough to get. Players can obtain one with a 64% chance.
For a 4-star weapon, Travelers will need four gold drops for the final ascension. Meanwhile, for a 5-star, they require six gold materials.
7 The Correct Elemental Goblet (5%)
The chances of getting an Elemental Goblet are actually quite high, with around a 32% chance. However, assuming there's an even distribution, this odds become about 5% (32 divided by six). Due to the minuscule probability, this slot of equipment is regularly used as an off-piece. This reality is another reason why a bad Critical Circlet is really common.
Once Dendro is released in Genshin Impact, it's highly likely that the odds of getting an Elemental Goblet will not be boosted. So instead, players will have to struggle with 32% divided by seven which further lowers the probability to 4.5%.
6 Physical DMG Goblet (4%)
Curiously, a Physical Damage Goblet has an even lower drop rate. The chance of getting one is only around 4%, which translates to around one in 25 drops. Assuming players spend 160 Resin daily, then they’ll get one Physical Goblet every three to four days (on average).
While not many characters use Physical compared to Elemental, this probability can be excruciating when farming for units that highly rely on it. Luckily though, an off-piece is always a viable alternative, so players shouldn't sweat it too much.
5 Elemental Mastery Artifact (2% to 10%)
Elemental Mastery can be found on a Timepiece, Goblet, or Circlet. So it's not a unique primary stat like Healing Bonus or Energy Recharge. However, it's actually the toughest to get among all other main stats. Here are the odds for every artifact piece:
- Timepiece: 8.9% to 10%
- Goblet: 2% to 4%
- Circlet: 4.3% to 5%
So if players get an Elemental Mastery artifact, then they should consider keeping it, even if the sub stat is mediocre. It's better to have the correct main stat than not at all.
4 Gemstone (1.4% to 3.1%)
For a character's final ascension, players will need six Gemstones. It's possible to get this item from Normal Bosses, but the probability is only 1.4%. Meanwhile, from Weekly Bosses, the odds are doubled, but still extremely low with a 3.1% chance. This makes Gemstones some of the rarest drops in Genshin Impact.
Previously, Travelers also needed to get the correct Element from a Weekly Boss. But now, thanks to the Dust of Azoth, they can easily convert the ascension materials to other Elements. This item is obtainable via the Shop.
3 Three Ore Chunks (1%)
An Ore Vein is a common sight in Genshin Impact. When breaking this Geo object, players may find one to three drops from each node. While getting one to two Ores isn't that uncommon, getting three drops from one Chunk apparently only has a 1% chance.
But of course, since there are over 1,000 Ores to break in the open-world, players can easily get one triple drop (at least once per day). So with this fact considered, the low chance isn't a very big deal.
2 5-Star Characters (0.6%)
The guarantee system (also known as the pity system) in Genshin Impact makes it far easier for Travelers to get the 5-star character they want. Without it, there's a 0.6% chance that a premium character will appear from their wishes. On average, that's one off-pity 5-star for every 167 tries.
But of course, expected value doesn't always reflect reality. So people shouldn't count on the odds for their resources planning. On top of the low chance, Primogems are scarce for F2P players, making a 5-star character drop even rarer.
1 Honorary Mention: The Perfect Artifact (0.00...%)
Let's say players would want a Critical Rate Circlet with a Critical Damage sub stat upgraded five times. In this case, here are the multiple layers of RNG:
- Get a Circlet among the five available artifact pieces (20.7% chance).
- Acquire the Critical Rate main stat among the available seven main stats (10.1%).
- Secure four sub stats at level 0 (21.3%).
- Obtain the Critical Damage sub stat in one of the four possible stats (7.3%).
- Only hit the Critical Damage sub stat in all five upgrades (0.1%).
That translates to a 0.0000325083% chance to get a Critical Rate Circlet with only the Critical Damage sub stat upgraded. On average, that's one in 3,076,138!
Should we mention that the sub stat upgrade also has four tiers of RNG? No? Well, you got the idea. However, in all honesty, most players must've gotten a near-perfect artifact. So don't sweat the odds too much and just enjoy the game.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
Source: Genshin Impact Data Gathering, Artifact Stat Distribution, Genshin Fandom Wiki