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Is the Crescent Pike Good? A Deep Dive into Genshin Impact’s Forged Polearm

Yes, the Crescent Pike can be exceptionally good, but its effectiveness is highly character and build dependent. It shines brightest on characters built around Physical Damage, providing a significant damage boost thanks to its passive ability. However, due to the limited number of polearm users who effectively utilize Physical Damage, its overall utility is narrower compared to other polearms in Genshin Impact. This article will explore the Crescent Pike’s strengths, weaknesses, ideal users, and comparisons to other weapons, offering a comprehensive guide for players to determine its value for their teams.

Understanding the Crescent Pike

Stats and Passive Ability

The Crescent Pike is a forgeable 4-star polearm that boasts a decent Base ATK of 565 at level 90 and a Physical DMG Bonus substat that reaches 34.5% at max level. This combination is already promising for characters focusing on physical attacks. However, its true potential lies in its passive ability, “Interlude”:

After picking up an Elemental Orb/Particle, Normal and Charged Attacks deal an additional 20% ATK as DMG for 5s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.5s. At Refinement Rank 5 (R5), this bonus increases to 40% ATK as DMG.

This passive ability essentially adds extra instances of damage based on the character’s ATK, and importantly, this damage is considered Physical Damage, which is then further boosted by the polearm’s substat and any other sources of Physical DMG Bonus on the character. This is crucial because it bypasses enemy defenses more effectively than elemental damage in many situations.

Strengths of the Crescent Pike

High Physical Damage Output: The Crescent Pike’s primary strength lies in significantly boosting the Physical Damage output of characters who rely on Normal and Charged Attacks.
Forgeable: It’s a forgeable weapon, making it accessible to all players without relying on the gacha system. This accessibility allows players to refine it to R5 relatively easily, maximizing its potential.
Independent Damage Source: The passive effect provides extra instances of damage separate from normal attack scaling, meaning the additional damage isn’t diluted by the target’s defense as easily.
Synergizes Well with Fast Attackers: Characters with rapid Normal Attack strings can proc the passive effect multiple times during its duration, leading to a substantial overall DPS increase.

Weaknesses of the Crescent Pike

Limited Character Pool: Only a handful of polearm users in Genshin Impact are effectively built for Physical Damage. This limits the Crescent Pike’s overall usefulness.
Elemental Damage Neglect: Focusing solely on Physical Damage means neglecting Elemental Reactions, which are a core component of many team compositions.
Energy Dependency: The passive is dependent on picking up Elemental Orbs or Particles, which can sometimes be inconsistent, especially in teams with low Energy Recharge.
Outclassed by 5-Star Weapons (Generally): While an R5 Crescent Pike can outperform some 5-star weapons in specific Physical DPS builds, 5-star polearms generally offer more versatile benefits and higher overall damage potential.

Ideal Characters for the Crescent Pike

The Crescent Pike is most effective on characters who:

Primarily deal Physical Damage through Normal and Charged Attacks.
Have relatively fast attack animations to trigger the passive multiple times.
Benefit less from Elemental Reactions or are built specifically for Physical Damage.

Some characters that can utilize the Crescent Pike effectively include:

Rosaria: As highlighted earlier, Rosaria can make good use of the Crescent Pike when built as a Physical DPS. Her fast attack animations and inherent Physical DMG Bonus ascension stat synergize well with the weapon.
Zhongli: While not his optimal build, Zhongli can be built as a Physical DPS with the Crescent Pike, leveraging his strong Normal Attack string and resistance shred from his Jade Shield.
Xiangling (Physical Build): While Xiangling is primarily known as a Pyro Sub-DPS, she can be built as a Physical DPS with the Crescent Pike, though this build is generally less effective than her Pyro build.

Crescent Pike vs. Alternative Polearms

Crescent Pike vs. Dragonspine Spear

The Crescent Pike is generally superior to the Dragonspine Spear for Physical DPS characters. While the Dragonspine Spear deals Cryo DMG, which can be triggered with Normal and Charged Attacks, its damage is often lower and less consistent than the Crescent Pike’s passive. The consistent Physical DMG bonus provided by Crescent Pike is more reliable.

Crescent Pike vs. Prototype Starglitter

The Prototype Starglitter is generally a better choice for characters who rely on their Elemental Burst, particularly for support roles, where Energy Recharge is paramount. Crescent Pike’s Physical DMG focus is wasted on characters primarily using Elemental Bursts, and the Starglitter’s Energy Recharge helps them use their Burst more frequently.

Crescent Pike vs. “The Catch”

“The Catch” is a superior choice for Xiangling if she’s being used as an Elemental Burst Sub-DPS. “The Catch” significantly boosts Elemental Burst DMG and CRIT Rate, aligning perfectly with her role. Crescent Pike is only better if Xiangling is being built as a Physical DPS, which, as mentioned before, is less common and less effective than her Pyro-focused build.

Conclusion

The Crescent Pike is a solid weapon for specific Physical DPS builds in Genshin Impact. Its accessibility, high Physical DMG Bonus, and independent damage instances make it a viable option for characters like Rosaria and potentially Zhongli. However, its limited character pool and focus on Physical Damage make it less versatile than other polearms. Players should carefully consider their character builds and team compositions before investing in the Crescent Pike. Remember to research and understand different builds and playstyles. You can learn more about video games and their impact on learning at the GamesLearningSociety.org website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is Crescent Pike worth crafting?

Yes, if you plan on building a Physical DPS character who uses a polearm, particularly Rosaria or Zhongli. Its accessibility and effectiveness at R5 make it a worthwhile investment for these specific builds.

2. Who is the Crescent Pike best for?

The Crescent Pike is best for characters like Rosaria and Zhongli who are built as Physical DPS and rely on Normal and Charged Attacks for damage.

3. Is Crescent Pike still good for Xiangling?

Only if you intend to build Xiangling as a Physical DPS. However, she’s generally much more effective as a Pyro Sub-DPS, making other weapons like “The Catch” or Dragon’s Bane better choices.

4. Is Crescent Pike better than Dragonspine Spear?

Yes, generally, for Physical DPS polearm users. The consistent Physical DMG bonus from Crescent Pike is more reliable and often results in higher overall damage output.

5. Which is better, Crescent Pike or Starglitter?

It depends on the character and their role. Crescent Pike is better for Physical DPS, while Prototype Starglitter is better for characters needing Energy Recharge for their Elemental Bursts.

6. Is Crescent Pike good for Hu Tao?

No, the Crescent Pike is not a good choice for Hu Tao. She primarily relies on Pyro DMG infused Normal and Charged Attacks after using her Elemental Skill, and the Physical DMG bonus from Crescent Pike is largely wasted on her. The Staff of Homa is Hu Tao’s best weapon.

7. Which is better, Crescent Pike or “The Catch?”

“The Catch” is better for characters who are primarily Elemental Burst Sub-DPS, like Xiangling. Crescent Pike is better for dedicated Physical DPS characters who primarily deal damage with Normal/Charged Attacks.

8. What is the best 4-star polearm?

The “best” 4-star polearm depends on the character and their role. Deathmatch, obtainable through the Battle Pass, is excellent for DPS and support. For pure Physical DPS, R5 Crescent Pike is also a top contender.

9. Is Crescent Pike good for Mika?

Crescent Pike can be viable on Mika if you are focusing on a physical damage build. However, keep in mind Mika primarily provides support, so it’s not the most common or optimal build.

10. Is Crescent Pike good for Zhongli?

Yes, if you are building Zhongli as a Physical DPS. His strong Normal Attack string and resistance shred from his Jade Shield make him a decent candidate for the Crescent Pike.

11. Is Crescent Pike or Dragonspine better for Rosaria?

Crescent Pike is generally better for Rosaria when built as a Physical DPS. Despite her Cryo element, the consistent Physical DMG bonus is more reliable.

12. Is White Tassel or Crescent Pike better for Xiangling?

Crescent Pike is generally better, even as a F2P option. The White Tassel’s passive is useful early game but falls off later.

13. What is the best 4-star weapon for Xiangling?

Dragon’s Bane is typically considered one of the best 4-star weapons for Xiangling if focusing on her Elemental reactions, as it provides a massive Elemental Mastery buff. “The Catch” is the best F2P option.

14. What is the best F2P spear for Xiangling?

“The Catch” is widely considered the best F2P spear for Xiangling. It boosts Elemental Burst damage and CRIT Rate, aligning perfectly with her typical role as a Pyro Sub-DPS.

15. Are any of the Starglitter weapons worth it?

Yes, some Starglitter weapons are worth it, depending on the character. Prototype Starglitter is a good option for characters who need Energy Recharge.

Is the Crescent Pike good?