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Is There a Sword with HP in Genshin Impact? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, there absolutely is! Genshin Impact recently introduced a 4-star sword, The Dockhand’s Assistant, which has an HP% substat as its primary bonus. This marks a significant shift, as previously, swords primarily focused on ATK, Crit, or Elemental stats. The introduction of an HP% sword opens up new possibilities for character builds and team compositions, making it a highly anticipated addition to the game. This article will delve into the specifics of HP scaling weapons, their potential, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about them.

The Significance of an HP Scaling Sword

The arrival of The Dockhand’s Assistant addresses a need within the community. Many characters, particularly those with supportive or defensive roles, scale exceptionally well with HP. Before, using such characters as DPS or Sub-DPS roles often required compromising on stats because weapons did not directly amplify the HP stat. This led to suboptimal builds or the necessity of relying on artifact substats, which are often unreliable.

This new sword allows players to focus on building characters like Nilou, Kirara, and Layla who have abilities directly tied to their HP. By using a weapon that has HP% as its primary stat, players can maximize their character’s effectiveness, whether it’s in healing, shield strength, or damage based on HP, without having to worry about sacrificing other important stats. This is a significant improvement in weapon design and will undoubtedly influence how players approach character builds.

Potential Impact on Character Builds

The impact of The Dockhand’s Assistant is profound for several characters. Here’s how it might change the game for some specific character builds:

Nilou: Nilou’s abilities scale heavily on HP. Her Hydro application and Bountiful Cores are further enhanced by increasing her health. With this new sword, Nilou can focus even further on maxing her HP, thus enhancing her role in Bloom teams.
Kirara: Kirara, as a support character, benefits from increased HP for her shield’s damage absorption. With an HP% sword, she will be able to provide more robust protection for the team.
Layla: Like Kirara, Layla’s shield strength is directly tied to her HP. An HP% sword means that she can provide more sturdy shield support and be even more reliable in protecting the team.
Future HP Scaling Characters: This type of weapon also opens the door for future characters who may have even more complex HP scaling abilities. The presence of an HP% sword ensures these new characters will have access to powerful weapons without the hassle of trying to optimize artifacts to hit certain HP thresholds.

Frequently Asked Questions About HP Scaling Swords in Genshin Impact

This section addresses common questions about the implications of HP scaling weapons in Genshin Impact.

1. What is the Dockhand’s Assistant’s primary stat?

The Dockhand’s Assistant has HP% as its primary substat. This is the first sword to provide this bonus, differentiating it from other weapons that prioritize Attack, Crit Rate, or Crit Damage.

2. Who are the best characters to use the Dockhand’s Assistant sword?

Currently, Nilou, Kirara, and Layla benefit the most from this sword because their abilities scale directly with their HP. Characters with HP scaling in their kit will always be the primary candidates for such a sword.

3. Will there be other HP% swords in the future?

While it is impossible to say for certain, the introduction of The Dockhand’s Assistant suggests that more weapons with HP-scaling stats might be introduced in the future, considering that it makes character builds more flexible and increases variety.

4. How does an HP% sword differ from traditional ATK swords?

Traditional swords in Genshin Impact typically provide ATK%, Crit Rate%, Crit DMG%, or Energy Recharge as their primary or secondary stats. HP% swords, on the other hand, cater to characters whose abilities scale with their HP, offering more focused builds for defensive or support roles or HP based DPS.

5. Does a higher base HP affect weapon choice?

Characters with higher base HP might not necessarily benefit more from an HP% sword. The main criterion is whether the character’s abilities scale with HP and if the character’s role revolves around those abilities.

6. Is The Dockhand’s Assistant a 5-star weapon?

No, The Dockhand’s Assistant is a 4-star weapon, making it relatively accessible to most players. This is crucial, as it allows a wide range of players to take advantage of the HP scaling option.

7. How do I obtain The Dockhand’s Assistant?

Typically, 4-star weapons like The Dockhand’s Assistant are available through the gacha system on weapon event banners. You can also obtain these weapons from standard banner.

8. Can HP% swords be used for DPS characters?

While it may not be the ideal weapon for typical Attack-scaling DPS characters, HP% swords can be valuable for DPS characters like Nilou, whose damage output relies on HP. This allows players to build them with a high-damage output, using HP as a resource.

9. What are the best artifacts to pair with HP% swords?

The best artifacts to pair with an HP% sword are those that further enhance HP or those that complement the character’s skill sets, like Tenacity of the Millelith, Vourukasha’s Glow, and Heart of Depth, depending on the character and their role.

10. How do HP% swords affect a team’s overall survivability?

HP% swords, when used on characters with shield or healing capabilities that scale on HP, significantly increase a team’s survivability by providing stronger shields, increased healing, and enhanced HP-based defensive utility.

11. What’s the difference between HP% and flat HP?

HP% provides a percentage bonus based on the character’s base HP, making it more potent as base HP increases. Flat HP, on the other hand, offers a static value that doesn’t scale, so HP% is generally preferable on most characters in terms of character progression.

12. Can an HP% sword be effective on a character that doesn’t scale with HP?

While not ideal, an HP% sword can still provide some marginal survivability. However, the sword’s passive and the HP stat won’t be fully utilized. It’s usually better to choose weapons that align with the character’s scaling and role.

13. How does HP% from a sword interact with artifact bonuses?

The HP% bonuses from a sword and artifacts stack multiplicatively with the base HP stat, thus maximizing the benefit of these bonuses. This leads to a very significant HP pool, further supporting the character’s capabilities and survivability.

14. Is the Dockhand’s Assistant better than other four-star swords for specific characters?

For Nilou, Kirara, and Layla, The Dockhand’s Assistant is arguably one of the best 4-star options due to its HP% substat, which makes it a better fit than other traditional 4-star ATK-focused swords, especially for maximizing their unique HP scaling abilities.

15. Can an HP sword replace characters with other stats?

An HP sword might not replace characters with other stats, but will complement their unique skills and scaling, making them shine in their intended role. These weapons should be seen as tools to enhance a specific style of play or improve a specific character’s capabilities, instead of replacing the usefulness of other characters.

Conclusion

The introduction of a sword with an HP% substat like The Dockhand’s Assistant is a significant step in the evolution of Genshin Impact’s combat mechanics. It provides much-needed build diversity for characters who scale with HP, opening up new strategies and team compositions. As the game continues to evolve, this type of weapon promises to be a game-changer and will further cement the game’s unique character building options. Players should look out for more such unique weapons in future updates and take advantage of these new mechanics.

Is there a sword with HP in Genshin?