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Is The Black Sword a Good Weapon in Genshin Impact? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, The Black Sword is an excellent weapon in Genshin Impact, particularly for players who invest in the Battle Pass. It stands out as a strong contender amongst 4-star swords, offering a potent combination of Crit Rate and damage enhancement. While not universally optimal for every character, its specific benefits make it a powerful choice for many main DPS roles. The weapon’s self-healing passive also adds a unique layer of sustain, further increasing its value. This article delves deep into why The Black Sword is considered a valuable asset, discussing its strengths, weaknesses, ideal users, and more.

The Black Sword: An Overview

How to Obtain the Black Sword

The Black Sword is not obtainable through wishes; it is exclusively acquired by purchasing the Gnostic Hymn version of the Battle Pass and reaching level 30. This makes it a premium 4-star weapon, requiring some level of investment to acquire. Its exclusivity, however, is balanced by its strong stats and utility.

Stats and Passive Ability

This sword’s primary benefit is its Crit Rate substat, which is highly sought after for any damage-focused character. Crit Rate directly increases the chance of landing a critical hit, which greatly boosts damage output. Its passive ability at refinement rank 1 (R1) grants a 20% increase to Normal and Charged attack damage. This damage boost increases to a whopping 40% at refinement rank 5 (R5), making it a significant damage amplifier. Furthermore, the passive also provides healing equal to 60% of attack damage when landing a critical hit, which can increase to 100% at R5.

Strengths of the Black Sword

High Crit Rate: This is a core reason for its popularity; its substat drastically improves damage consistency.
Significant Damage Increase: The passive boosts the damage output of Normal and Charged attacks, key for many main DPS characters.
Self-Healing: The passive’s healing effect provides added survivability, reducing the reliance on healers.
Versatile: While best for specific roles, it can still be an upgrade for most sword users if no other good options are available.

Weaknesses of the Black Sword

Exclusive Acquisition: Not accessible to free-to-play players, requiring a Battle Pass purchase.
Passive Limitation: Its passive only affects Normal and Charged Attacks, making it less optimal for characters who rely primarily on Elemental Skills and Bursts.
Healing Dependent on Crits: The self-healing is only activated on crit hits, which can be unreliable if Crit Rate isn’t sufficiently high.

Ideal Characters for The Black Sword

The Black Sword shines brightest on characters who primarily use Normal and Charged attacks for their damage output and benefit greatly from Crit Rate. Some ideal characters include:

Keqing: She is a prime candidate due to her reliance on charged attacks and benefiting immensely from the crit rate.
Ayaka: Although her charged attack style also has an elemental damage element, she does gain a lot of damage from normal attacks, meaning the damage increase and crit rate is very valuable. The healing makes her even better when used in the field.
Alhaitham: As a Dendro DPS, the passive and crit rate are excellent for Alhaitham’s focused on-field damage, also making the heal passive useful.
Kaeya: Despite being more of a supportive character, Kaeya can serve as a solid main or sub DPS, making great use of Black Sword.
Traveler: The main character can also use the Black Sword and it’s always a suitable choice with any build that is focused on normal attacks.
Jean: Although her main role is to heal, she has great normal attack damage and the crit rate would improve that, also making her a more sustained character.

Characters Where the Black Sword is Less Optimal

Characters who primarily use Elemental Skills and Bursts for damage will not receive as much benefit from The Black Sword. These include:

Xingqiu: While he can use Normal Attacks, his primary damage output stems from his Elemental Burst.
Kazuha: His damage isn’t focused on his normal attacks, meaning the crit rate is more valuable.
Qiqi: Her healing scales from attack and she would not benefit much from this weapon.

Is The Black Sword Worth Refinement?

Absolutely. Refining The Black Sword to R5 is incredibly valuable. At R5, the Normal and Charged attack damage bonus increases to 40%, and the healing is scaled up to 100% of the damage dealt. This allows for self-sustain even on characters who do not possess healing. Although it does require purchasing the Battle Pass multiple times, its value is hard to argue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About The Black Sword

1. Is The Black Sword better than Lion’s Roar?

The Black Sword and Lion’s Roar serve different purposes. Lion’s Roar focuses on damage against enemies affected by Pyro or Electro, while The Black Sword boosts all Normal and Charged attacks while providing a healing passive. Black Sword is more versatile overall, making it the better option for consistent damage.

2. Is The Black Sword good for a DPS character?

Yes, the Black Sword is excellent for many DPS characters who rely on Normal and Charged attacks. The crit rate and damage boost greatly amplify their damage output.

3. Can a free-to-play player obtain the Black Sword?

No. The Black Sword is only obtainable through the Battle Pass’s Gnostic Hymn, making it unavailable to fully free-to-play players.

4. Is the Black Sword’s self-healing reliable?

The healing is tied to landing critical hits, so its reliability depends on the character’s crit rate. With a good Crit Rate ratio, the healing is more reliable and extremely useful.

5. What are the best alternative weapons if I don’t have The Black Sword?

Good alternatives would include weapons like the Prototype Rancour (craftable) or the Blackcliff Longsword (obtained through Starglitter exchange) however these aren’t as beneficial as the Black Sword for characters that rely on normal attack.

6. Is The Black Sword good for Ayato?

Ayato focuses on Elemental Skill damage, meaning The Black Sword is not the best option.

7. Is the Black Sword good for Jean?

Yes, The Black Sword is a great option for Jean due to its crit rate substat and it’s sustain, which makes her viable for on-field normal attack damage.

8. Is the Black Sword good for Qiqi?

No, Qiqi will not utilize the weapon to its full potential, as she doesn’t rely on normal attacks.

9. Is The Black Sword good for Bennett?

Bennett’s damage isn’t focused on normal attacks, making the black sword less useful.

10. What other characters can use The Black Sword effectively?

The Black Sword can be suitable for other characters who utilize Normal and Charged attacks such as Keqing, Ayaka, Kaeya, and even the Traveler.

11. Is The Black Sword better than Prototype Rancour?

The Black Sword is generally considered better than Prototype Rancour due to its crit rate substat and more powerful damage passive.

12. Does the Black Sword’s healing scale with character’s healing bonus?

No, The Black Sword’s healing scales based on the attack damage inflicted and not with a character’s healing bonus.

13. Is The Black Sword the best 4-star sword?

It is arguably one of the best 4-star swords, but it depends on the specific needs of the character. The Black Sword’s overall versatility and strong passive make it very valuable.

14. Can I use the Black Sword on Noelle?

Noelle primarily relies on her Claymore weapon and her defense to deal damage. This means the Black Sword is not a viable option for her.

15. How does The Black Sword affect team composition?

The self-healing passive can allow for greater flexibility in team compositions, as you can get away with less dedicated healing in the team.

Conclusion: A Worthwhile Investment

In conclusion, The Black Sword is a powerful and versatile weapon. Its Crit Rate substat, damage boosting passive, and healing capability make it a fantastic choice for many DPS characters in Genshin Impact. While it may not be optimal for all characters, its strength on the right ones makes it a highly desirable piece of equipment. If you’re willing to invest in the Battle Pass, The Black Sword is a worthwhile acquisition that will enhance your damage and survivability.

Is The Black Sword a good weapon?