The Best 4-Star Polearm for Hu Tao in Genshin Impact: A Comprehensive Guide
When it comes to maximizing the damage output of the fiery funeral director, Hu Tao, in Genshin Impact, choosing the right weapon is crucial. While 5-star polearms like the Staff of Homa are undeniably powerful, they aren’t always accessible to every player. This begs the question: What is the best 4-star polearm for Hu Tao? The answer isn’t as straightforward as one might hope, as it depends on your specific needs and playstyle. However, based on analysis and player experience, the Dragon’s Bane and Deathmatch tend to stand out as the top contenders, with Dragon’s Bane being the preferred choice in specific team compositions that heavily utilize reactions. The Deathmatch, while not reliant on reactions, is also strong, and easier to obtain for players who have purchased the battle pass. Let’s delve into a detailed exploration of why these weapons shine and the alternatives available for Hu Tao.
Understanding Hu Tao’s Needs
Before diving into specific 4-star weapons, it’s essential to understand what stats are most beneficial for Hu Tao. Her damage scales significantly with HP, and her elemental skill consumes HP in exchange for an attack boost, making HP% a priority. Additionally, as a Pyro damage dealer, Elemental Mastery (EM) and Critical Rate/Critical Damage (Crit) are important stats for Vaporize reactions and consistent damage output. With all this in mind, a good 4-star weapon for Hu Tao should prioritize at least one of these stats while still allowing for other stats to be prioritized through artifacts.
Dragon’s Bane: The Reaction-Focused Powerhouse
Why Dragon’s Bane is Strong for Hu Tao
The Dragon’s Bane stands out as a prime choice due to its Elemental Mastery substat and passive. With a base ATK of 41, and an EM substat of 48 at level 1 and increasing to a respectable 221 at level 90, this 4-star polearm substantially boosts damage when you’re triggering elemental reactions such as Vaporize. Hu Tao is a pyro damage dealer, so this is easy to achieve. The weapon’s passive increases damage against enemies affected by Hydro or Pyro by 20-36% at Refinement 1 to 36-72% at refinement 5. Given that she’s often paired with Hydro characters like Xingqiu or Yelan to consistently trigger Vaporize, the Dragon’s Bane passive becomes extremely potent for consistent damage.
Considerations for Dragon’s Bane
The primary drawback of Dragon’s Bane is that its efficacy hinges on consistent elemental reactions, specifically, Hydro or Pyro. Without these reactions, its damage output is significantly lower than other options. Additionally, the base attack of 41 is quite low and requires compensation through artifacts and team buffs. In situations with inconsistent elemental applications, another weapon might perform better.
Who should use Dragon’s Bane?
- Hu Tao with Xingqiu or Yelan for reliable Vaporize reactions
- Hu Tao with characters that apply hydro or pyro off-field
- Players who focus on elemental reactions over raw attack
Deathmatch: The Battle Pass Contender
Why Deathmatch is a Viable Option for Hu Tao
Deathmatch is a 4-star polearm obtainable through the Battle Pass and is a decent option for Hu Tao as a more universally usable option. It provides a substantial Crit Rate substat that, at level 1 starts at 8.0% and reaches 36.8% at level 90, and its passive increases ATK and DEF when facing 2 or more opponents, making it a great option when fighting multiple enemies. Crit Rate is one of the most important stats for any DPS. This helps with consistent damage, and also makes it much easier to build artifacts.
Considerations for Deathmatch
The Deathmatch passive works less effectively when battling single-target enemies. Unlike Dragon’s Bane, it doesn’t directly boost Hu Tao’s Elemental Mastery or HP, relying more on its crit rate and consistent damage. While Deathmatch’s passive is less dependant on having certain units for reactions, it is more difficult to obtain compared to the Dragon’s Bane.
Who Should use Deathmatch?
- Players who prefer consistency in single target and multi-target battles
- Players who want a high crit rate substat for a more consistent damage
- Players who have access to this weapon through the Battle Pass
Other Notable 4-Star Options
White Tassel: The Surprisingly Effective F2P Choice
White Tassel, a 3-star weapon, may seem like an odd choice, but its Crit Rate substat and a passive that boosts Normal Attack damage make it surprisingly effective. For Free-to-play (F2P) players who haven’t invested in other options, it can be a solid budget choice, especially if you can refine it to Rank 5. This weapon has a significantly lower base ATK of 39. This means you’ll have to prioritize the ATK% stat in artifacts if you are using this.
Prototype Starglitter: The Energy Recharge Option
Prototype Starglitter offers Energy Recharge as its substat. This allows Hu Tao to use her burst frequently. It’s primarily useful if you have issues with her burst uptime, but generally, this weapon is outperformed by Dragon’s Bane and Deathmatch. It’s still a useful option if you need the extra energy recharge.
The Blackcliff Pole
The Blackcliff Pole has a Crit Damage substat that starts at 12% and increases to 55% at level 90 and a passive that increases ATK after defeating enemies. If you have the Blackcliff Pole, it can be a decent choice. However, Deathmatch is overall a better option if you have the battle pass. If not, this weapon is decent, but not as easy to refine as the Dragon’s Bane, and also less reliable when fighting single target enemies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Staff of Homa the absolute best weapon for Hu Tao?
Yes, the Staff of Homa is generally considered Hu Tao’s best weapon. Its passive boosts HP and ATK based on max HP. However, it’s a 5-star weapon, making it harder to obtain.
2. Can Hu Tao work well with a 4-star weapon?
Absolutely! As mentioned before, Dragon’s Bane and Deathmatch are excellent 4-star options that allow Hu Tao to reach impressive damage potential. They are more accessible and can perform well when built properly.
3. Is Elemental Mastery important for Hu Tao?
Yes, Elemental Mastery is crucial for Hu Tao because it amplifies her damage when triggering Vaporize reactions, which is a significant part of her kit.
4. Is HP% or ATK% more important for Hu Tao?
HP% is more important than ATK% for Hu Tao because her damage scales with her max HP, and her Elemental Skill converts HP into Attack. You will want to look out for substats on your artifacts to make sure that you have adequate ATK, but your main stats will generally want to be focused on HP%.
5. How important is Crit Rate/Crit Damage on Hu Tao?
Critical Rate and Critical Damage are also very important for any DPS character, including Hu Tao. Try to aim for a 1:2 ratio of Crit Rate to Crit Damage for optimal consistency.
6. How much HP should Hu Tao have?
A good target HP range for Hu Tao is around 30,000-35,000. With weapons such as Homa, you can go up to about 50,000 HP. With a 4-star weapon, you will need to focus on building a good balance between HP, crit, and EM stats.
7. Is Hu Tao C1 important?
Yes, Hu Tao’s C1 constellation is highly desired as it allows her to cancel charged attacks without stamina consumption, boosting her overall damage output and ease of gameplay.
8. Is Hu Tao a must-pull character?
Hu Tao is an exceptionally strong Pyro DPS, and one of the best in the game. Whether or not she is a “must pull” depends on your current roster. If you need a strong Pyro main DPS, Hu Tao is a top choice.
9. How does Hu Tao lose HP?
Hu Tao’s Elemental Skill reduces her current HP by 30% when activated. This mechanic is central to her gameplay.
10. Can Rainslasher be a good claymore option for Hu Tao?
No. Rainslasher is a claymore and Hu Tao is a polearm user. The weapon would not be useful on her.
11. Is Blackcliff Pole better than Dragon’s Bane?
The Blackcliff Pole can be a decent weapon, but it’s generally outclassed by Dragon’s Bane when reactions are consistent or by Deathmatch if you value single target damage over EM.
12. Can Hu Tao use The Catch?
The Catch is a great 4-star option for polearm users, but is not the best for Hu Tao. Other weapons work better due to her scaling.
13. What teams are best for Hu Tao?
Hu Tao works very well with Hydro applicators like Xingqiu and Yelan for Vaporize reactions, as well as support characters who buff her damage.
14. Is White Tassel worth using on Hu Tao?
Yes, White Tassel is a viable option, especially at higher refinements for F2P players who lack other alternatives. However, other 4-star options, such as Dragon’s Bane or Deathmatch are better.
15. How do I increase Hu Tao’s damage?
Focus on building HP, Crit, and EM through artifacts, talents and weapons. Pair her with support characters who buff her damage and make sure your team is maximizing reactions.
Conclusion
Choosing the best 4-star weapon for Hu Tao in Genshin Impact involves considering your available options, team composition, and play style. While the Dragon’s Bane shines when leveraging consistent elemental reactions, the Deathmatch offers consistency with Crit Rate and damage and the White Tassel provides a surprisingly potent budget option. Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your individual needs and preferences, but knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon is essential to optimizing your Hu Tao build. Happy gaming!