Best 4-Star Weapons for Every Free Character in Genshin Impact

How to Unlock Forged Weapon Blueprints in Genshin Impact

Getting your hands on powerful 4-star weapons in Genshin Impact doesn’t always require wishes and luck—the game’s extensive forging system offers a reliable path to great gear. This guide covers the essential mechanics of unlocking weapon blueprints and the materials you need to start crafting, setting you up for the rest of your adventure.

Choosing the right weapons for the Traveler in Genshin Impact.

Your journey begins with the basics: heading to a blacksmith. In Mondstadt, you’ll find Wagner at his smithy, and in Liyue, Hanfeng runs the Ironmongers. Talking to either NPC opens the crafting menu where the magic happens.

To forge any 4-star weapon, you’ll need three core items:

• A Northlander Billet: This is the rare component, a boss drop you can farm from weekly trounce domains like the ones featuring Dvalin or Andrius.
• Crystal Chunks and White Iron Chunks: These are your common mining materials. You'll find them all over the world map at glowing ore nodes. Simply attack them with a character's normal attack or use a Claymore's [Elemental Skill] to break them faster and collect your haul.

But having the materials isn't enough—you need the knowledge. That’s where blueprints come in. For your earliest craftable weapons, you’ll unlock a few by default as you progress:

• When you reach Adventure Rank 10, claim your reward from Katherine at the Adventurers' Guild to receive the Prototype Rancour blueprint.
• Others, like the Iron Sting, Crescent Pike, and Prototype Amber blueprints, are automatically unlocked for crafting at the Liyue smithy.

With your basic blueprints secured and a stockpile of ores, you’re ready to craft your first powerful weapons and tackle the challenges ahead.

Best 4-Star Weapons for Traveler (Anemo/Geo) in Genshin Impact

Every character in Genshin Impact starts with a basic weapon, but your journey’s namesake—the Traveler—deserves better. Whether you're harnessing the swirling winds of Anemo or the unyielding power of Geo, the right 4-star sword can turn this free starter character into a genuine asset for your team.

Best weapons for Anemo Traveler

Focusing on stats is key here. Your Stat Priority: Traveler (Anemo/Geo) should lean heavily on ATK% and Energy Recharge to maintain Burst uptime. This ensures you can consistently use their powerful Elemental Bursts, which are core to their gameplay. Let's break down the best free-to-play friendly swords for both roles.

For the Geo Traveler (Sub-DPS Build)

The Geo Traveler shines as an off-field damage dealer who creates Geo Constructs like the Starfell Sword for platforms and the Wake of Earth wall for defense. Their main contribution comes from spamming their high-scaling Burst. For this direct damage role, you want a sword that boosts their offensive power.

Your best free-to-play option here is the Prototype Rancour. This craftable sword offers a Physical DMG Bonus substat and increases ATK and DEF on hit, perfectly complementing a Traveler Physical Build. While the Physical DMG isn't ideal for their Geo skills, the significant ATK and DEF boost from its passive makes it a solid, accessible stat stick. Equip Prototype Rancour and you can lean into a hybrid playstyle, using [Left Click] spam for high physical scaling between your Geo skill cooldowns.

For the Anemo Traveler (Support Build)

The Anemo Traveler's role is different. They excel at crowd control and triggering the Swirl reaction to shred enemy elemental resistances. For this, you need a sword that enhances their supportive capabilities, not just their raw attack.

This is where the Iron Sting becomes your best friend. Its Elemental Mastery substat directly increases the damage of your Swirl reactions, and its passive increases DMG after dealing Elemental DMG, which is easy to trigger. When you Equip Iron Sting, your strategy changes: focus on using your [E] Elemental Skill to trigger Swirl/Crystallize and watch as your crowd control also starts dealing significant reaction damage. This setup turns the Anemo Traveler into a potent enabler for your main damage dealers.

Don't worry if you don't have the perfect 4-star sword yet. In Genshin Impact, the Favonius Sword (from wishes) is a superb fallback for both elements, as its Energy Recharge substat ensures your Burst is always charged and ready. With these weapons, your Traveler is no longer just the protagonist of the story—they're a cornerstone of your party's success.

Best 4-Star Weapons for Amber and Kaeya in Genshin Impact

Mondstadt has given you two invaluable allies early on, but without the right gear, Amber and Kaeya might struggle to keep up. In Genshin Impact, picking a weapon that matches their unique strengths is the key to unlocking their potential.

Amber and Kaeya are two of the first free characters players unlock.

Best Bow for Amber: Prototype Crescent & Hamayumi

Amber is all about hitting those perfect headshots, and her best 4-star bows enhance that playstyle perfectly. For a main DPS, go for the Prototype Crescent. Its ATK% substat is exactly what you want, and its passive synergizes beautifully: hitting an opponent's weak point with a [Hold Aimed Shot] grants an ATK and Movement SPD buff. This makes her a formidable sniper.

Alternatively, the craftable Hamayumi is a fantastic choice if you prefer using her Charged Attacks without managing the weak-point mechanic. Its passive increases both Normal and Charged Attack DMG based on how full your Energy is. Just keep your Burst unused for maximum damage output.

Stat Priority for Amber: Focus on Crit DMG and ATK% to make those pinpoint shots count. Energy Recharge is a bonus to ensure you can use her Explosive Puppet to create openings.

Best Sword for Kaeya: Sacrificial Sword & Amenoma Kageuchi

Kaeya shines as a flexible Cryo support, constantly freezing enemies and fueling your team's reactions. To keep his skills flowing, you need Energy Recharge. The Sacrificial Sword is his best-in-slot for this role. Its Energy Recharge substat is ideal, and its chance to reset his Frostgnaw cooldown lets you apply Cryo even more frequently.

If you don’t have the Sacrificial Sword or prefer a more offensive option, craft the Amenoma Kageuchi. Its ATK% substat is solid, and its unique passive restores Energy after you use your Elemental Skill. This directly solves Kaeya's energy needs, letting you spam his Burst, Glacial Waltz, without heavy investment into Energy Recharge artifacts.

Stat Priority for Kaeya: Build Energy Recharge first to ensure 100% Glacial Waltz uptime, followed by Crit Rate to make his off-field icicles hit harder. A Cryo DMG Bonus goblet will further amplify his damage.

With the Prototype Crescent turning Amber into a precision marksman and the Sacrificial Sword keeping Kaeya's icy onslaught non-stop, you’ve given Mondstadt’s first responders the tools they need to carry you far into your adventure.

Best 4-Star Weapons for Lisa and Barbara in Genshin Impact

Now we turn our attention to the magic users you meet right at the start. In Genshin Impact, your early party wouldn’t be complete without Lisa, the Electro librarian, and Barbara, the Hydro idol. As Catalyst wielders, they both scale in unique ways, so picking the right book or orb for them is key to unlocking their potential—especially if you’re saving your Primogems. Here’s how to gear up your starting spellcasters for maximum impact.

Choosing 4-star weapons for your party members.

Best Weapons for Lisa

Lisa thrives on creating powerful Electro reactions. Her primary goal is to drop her Lightning Rose Elemental Burst and then amplify the damage it does.

For Damage & Reactions: The craftable Mappa Mare is your best F2P bet. Its Elemental Mastery substat directly boosts the damage of her Electro-Charged and Overloaded reactions, and its passive grants an Elemental DMG bonus every time she triggers one. If you pulled it from a wish, The Widsith is a fantastic 4-star alternative, offering a massive CRIT DMG boost and a powerful random buff whenever she takes the field.

For Burst Support: If you want Lisa to primarily debuff enemies with her Burst’s DEF shred and provide Electro for reactions, energy is king. The Favonius Codex solves her high energy cost. Landing a CRIT hit with it generates particles for the whole team, ensuring her Burst is always ready.

Best Weapons for Barbara

Barbara’s entire kit revolves around one thing: healing. Your weapon choice should maximize her HP and her team’s survivability.

For Pure Healing: The craftable Prototype Amber is tailor-made for her. Its HP% substat boosts her healing scales, and its passive is a game-changer: after using her Elemental Burst, it restores Energy for Barbara and triggers team-wide HP regeneration over time. It effectively turns her Burst into both a panic heal and a sustain tool.

For Buffing Your Main DPS: Never underestimate the humble 3-star Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. This book provides a massive HP% substat for her heals and harbors a secret powerhouse passive. When you switch characters from Barbara, your next active character receives a whopping 48% ATK boost for 10 seconds. It’s the ultimate support tool for amplifying your main damage dealer’s output.

Stat Priority: For both characters, focus on Max HP% (for Barbara’s healing) and Elemental Mastery (for Lisa’s reaction damage) in your artifacts. Energy Recharge is also valuable for Lisa to ensure her Burst is available off-cooldown.

With the right Catalyst in hand, Lisa becomes a formidable Electro engine, and Barbara transforms from a simple healer into a cornerstone of your team’s survival and strength. Equip them wisely, and they’ll carry you far beyond the early game.

Best 4-Star Weapons for Xiangling and Noelle in Genshin Impact

Two of Genshin Impact’s most powerful and accessible characters share a secret: their best-in-slot 4-star weapons are completely free. For Xiangling, the off-field Pyro queen, and Noelle, the unbreakable Geo maid, equipping the right F2P polearm and claymore transforms them from good supports into absolute team-carrying powerhouses.

Pyro characters benefit from specific 4-star weapon stats.

For Xiangling: The Ultimate Off-Field Pyro Engine

As an S-Rank Sub-DPS, Xiangling’s entire value comes from her devastating Elemental Burst, Pyronado. The catch? It costs a massive 80 Energy. This makes your Stat Priority: Xiangling laser-focused on Energy Recharge first, then Elemental Mastery and CRIT stats to maximize her Pyronado uptime and reaction damage.

Your undisputed best weapon for this role is 'The Catch'. This polearm has an Energy Recharge substat and its passive directly buffs what matters most: it increases Elemental Burst DMG and Crit Rate. It’s the perfect stat stick for her needs and is obtained purely through fishing—no Wishes or Billets required.

Your core Strategy: Xiangling Off-field DPS is straightforward: equip 'The Catch', use her Pyronado with [Q], then immediately switch to your Main DPS. Her ring of fire will snap to the active character, dealing massive AoE Pyro damage and enabling constant Vaporize or Melt reactions while she’s safely off the field.

For Noelle: From Shield to Unstoppable DPS

Noelle operates on a completely different principle. Her shield strength, healing, and most importantly, the Geo infusion from her Elemental Burst all scale directly with her DEF. Therefore, your Stat Priority: Noelle should focus on stacking DEF% while also building a healthy Crit Rate to make those big Geo slashes actually crit.

This makes the craftable claymore Whiteblind her ideal 4-star weapon. Its DEF% substat is exactly what she needs, and its passive increases ATK and DEF on hit, stacking up to four times. At maximum stacks, it provides a massive boost to both her survivability and her burst damage potential.

The Strategy: Noelle Main DPS unleashes her full potential. Equip Whiteblind, activate her Elemental Burst with [Q], and then go to town with [Left Click] for DEF-scaled Geo DMG. With her shield up, she becomes a relentless, self-sustaining whirlwind of Geo destruction.

While a weapon like Crescent Pike (a polearm with Physical DMG Bonus that triggers extra DMG on hits when you [Pick up Elemental Orb]) exists, it’s generally not recommended for Xiangling. Building her for Physical damage wastes her incredible Pyronado, which is why focusing on her Burst with 'The Catch' is the community-proven path to victory.

By securing these two F2P weapons, you unlock the true endgame potential of two characters you likely got for free. With 'The Catch' fueling endless Pyronados and Whiteblind empowering Noelle's sweeping strikes, your roster's power level just took a massive leap forward.

Genshin Impact F2P Weapon Rewards and Quest Loot

Building a powerful team in Genshin Impact doesn't always require wishes or resin—some of the best 4-star weapons are hidden in the world, waiting to be claimed through quests and exploration. Let's track down these essential free rewards.

Inazuma quests provide unique 4-star weapons for the Electro Traveler.

Your first major treasure hunt takes you to Dragonspine. Deep within the Starglow Cavern, you'll find the quest 'The Festering Fang'. Completing it rewards you with the blueprint for the Dragonspine Spear, a powerful polearm perfect for a physical damage carry like Rosaria. Not far from there, seek out the Ancient Carvings puzzle scattered across the mountain. Interact with all 8 stone tablets to unlock a grand chest containing the claymore Snow-Tombed Starsilver, another fantastic physical weapon.

Over in Inazuma, a lengthy but rewarding world quest chain holds another blueprint. In Konda Village, begin the 'Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual'. Seeing this multi-part quest through to the end grants you the diagram for the Hakushin Ring, a niche but powerful catalyst that boosts Electro-based reaction teams.

Don't forget to check in with Katherine at any Adventurers' Guild desk regularly. As you hit key Adventure Rank milestones, she provides rewards including the Northlander Billet Trove, a box that lets you choose the billet type you need most for forging.

Once you have these weapons, power them up. Head to any blacksmith and select the Refine menu. Here, you can consume duplicate weapons to increase the passive ability strength of your main copy, turning a good weapon into a great one.

With these quests complete, you’ve secured a solid foundation of powerful gear without spending a single Primogem. Now you’re ready to tackle any challenge Teyvat throws your way.