Claymores, also referred to as “greatswords,” are one of five weapons currently available for use inGenshin Impact. They’re much slower than most other weapons, but generally offer increased damage output in exchange for reduced mobility inGenshin Impact.
Normal Attacks with a claymore consist of wide sweeping moves for the most part, while Charged Attacks tend to involve either the wielder spinning in a circle or widely slashing away, non-stop until their stamina is depleted. Once stamina is depleted, theGenshin Impactcharacterwill perform a powerful finishing slash.
RELATED:Genshin Impact: What To Expect From Future Updates
Genshin Impact: The Claymore
Claymores also offer the added bonus of dealing extra damage to Geo-aligned entities. So, for example, players who attack enemy shields will deal bonus damage when using a claymore. At the moment, there are five characters inGenshin Impactwho wield claymores, but this number is likely to grow as characters are added to the game. There are currently claymore users aligned with Pyro (Diluc), Electro (Razor, Beidou), Cryo (Chongyun), and Geo (Noelle) elements, so at the very least, players can expectswordspeople who use Hydro and Anemo in the works.
These five characters use claymores in slightly different ways, but for the most part, they’re ATK heavy fighters who take advantage of the occasional Elemental reactions. When looking at the currentselection ofGenshin Impactclaymores, players will want to focus on two main components: utility and practicality. Utility should be a focus, because players will want their weapon to serve its purpose. Needless to say, an ideal weapon inGenshin Impactwould provide functionally beneficial stat boosts and/or bonuses to its wielder. This is half the battle when choosing the right arms to bear. The other half is practicality.
Without a doubt, there are more than a handful of uber-powerful 5-star weapons lurking in the depths ofGenshin Impact’s loot-box depths. That being said, is a 5-star weapon really all that valuable if it’s near impossible to obtain? Practicality should absolutely affect a player’s decision when ranking weapon choices, because at the end of the day, a weapon can only help a player if they’re actually able to obtain it.
For example, a powerful weapon that insta-kills any enemy may be more powerful than any other weapon in the game, but if it’s only obtainable by paying $1,000 cash, it probably isn’t as overall valuable as a slightly weaker weapon that can be looted from common enemies. Bearing that in mind, below are some of the best claymores thatGenshin Impactcurrently has to offer.
Weapon(rarity) |Passive Ability- Rank 5 (max level) Passive Bonuses
GenshinImpactaficionados are raving about the Prototype Animus. Superficially, the greatsword offers an impressive passive ability as is. Once afully upgradedGenshin Impactweapon, the blade’s “Crush” ability makes it so that every attack has a 50 percent chance of generating a follow-up that deals nearly 500 percent of the user’s ATK as Damage. This sheer power alone makes Prototype Animus notable, but that being said, the Animus' true power lies in its affordability.
This powerhouse can be crafted with a Northlander Claymore Prototype and 50 each ofeasily farmedCrystal Chunksand White Iron Chunks, which means that it can be enhanced to Rank 5 rather easily. For this reason, it reigns supreme in the realm of claymores. Sure, players may get lucky and Wish upon a Wolf’s Gravestone, but upgrading that beast of a sword would require five additional (insanely) lucky Wishes.
RELATED:Genshin Impact: How To Get the Gladiator’s Set
A-Tier
Whiteblind is asolid defensive choice, especially considering how easy it is to acquire. Players can craft one using the same ingredients required by the Prototype Animus, so enhancing this weapon would be a breeze too. That said, it really only shines defensively, so it’s not really thebest claymore inGenshin Impactunless players are shopping for Noelle, and even then, the lower-ranked Debate Club could be a better option. As such, the Blackcliff Slasher or Skyward Pride would be better choices if available.
B-Tier
The Serpent Spine is unique in that it’s simple to acquire, but rare. The sword is earned as one ofthis season’s uniqueGenshin ImpactBattle Pass rewards, so players who’ve opted to purchase theGenshin Impact"Gnostic Chorus" pass simply need to select it as their prize when they reach Battle Pass Level 30. If players happen to have the Battle Pass (and don’t care for the other available weapons,) Serpent Spine would be an easy get.
That said, both Serpent Spine and The Bell’s passive abilities are hardly substantial enough to merit their four-star labels. The Debate Club tends to make many lists at the C-level, but realistically speaking, it’s easier to find than theWolfhook players need for Razor. That makes upgrading it an absolute cakewalk, and for that, it deserves much more than a “C.” Not to mention, its ability is essentially a minor version of the Prototype Animus' super strong AoE attack.
Honorable Mentions
Both admirable weapons, but their lack of availability makes them tough to love. If a player has them, they should certainly use them—Rainslasher would be a wonderful complement to Razor or Beidou’s Electro skills, for example. But even still, it’d be difficult to justify spendinghard-earned Primogems and Fateson one of these two candidates when the Debate Club and Prototype are at arm’s reach for all.
Genshin Impactis available now on Mobile, PC, and PS4.
