The Ultimate Guide to Craftable Claymores in Genshin Impact: Choosing the Best Forgeable Blade

The world of Teyvat in Genshin Impact is vast and brimming with adventure. As you journey through its diverse regions, battling formidable foes and uncovering ancient secrets, you’ll quickly realize the importance of a reliable weapon. While gacha pulls offer a chance at powerful 5-star options, craftable weapons provide a consistent and accessible path to equipping your characters, especially in the early to mid-game. Among these, claymores stand out as a versatile choice for many main damage dealers and certain support roles. But with several forgeable options available, which claymore reigns supreme?

The answer, surprisingly, isn’t a simple one. The “best” craftable claymore depends heavily on your specific character, team composition, and current stage of the game. However, if forced to name one as the most universally useful and recommended, it would be the Prototype Archaic. Its ease of access, ATK% substat, and impactful passive make it a solid choice for a wide range of characters and situations, particularly in the early to mid-game.

Why Prototype Archaic Often Takes the Crown

While not always the absolute best in every scenario, the Prototype Archaic stands out for its consistent performance across a broad spectrum of characters. Here’s why:

• Accessibility: It’s craftable! Meaning anyone can obtain it relatively easily as long as they progress through the story and unlock the necessary recipes. This removes the reliance on gacha luck.
• ATK% Substat: Damage scaling in Genshin Impact often revolves around increasing your character’s Attack stat. The ATK% substat on the Prototype Archaic directly contributes to this, making it a valuable asset for any damage dealer.
• Straightforward Passive: The passive ability triggers an AoE damage nuke every 15 seconds. This adds significant burst damage, especially in the early game when your characters and talents are less developed. It simplifies the gameplay experience because the effect is easy to understand and use.
• Refinement Potential: Craftable weapons are easier to refine than gacha weapons. Refining the Prototype Archaic increases the damage multiplier of its passive, further boosting your damage output.

Beyond Prototype Archaic: Other Notable Craftable Claymores

While Prototype Archaic is a strong contender, it’s essential to consider other options that might better suit specific characters or team compositions:

• Snow-Tombed Starsilver: This claymore boasts a Physical DMG Bonus substat and a passive that deals AoE Cryo damage. It’s an excellent choice for Physical DPS characters like Razor or a Physical DPS Eula if you don’t have better alternatives. However, its reliance on Physical damage makes it less effective against enemies with high Physical resistance.
• Whiteblind: This claymore focuses on Defense (DEF). It’s the go-to choice for characters who scale with DEF, such as Noelle and Arataki Itto. Its passive increases both ATK and DEF, providing a substantial boost to their damage and survivability. Especially useful for Noelle when played as a main DPS.
• Katsuragikiri Nagamasa: This is an Inazuma craftable weapon that boosts Energy Recharge and Elemental Skill Damage. While niche, it can be useful on characters who heavily rely on their Elemental Skill and need help with energy generation, such as Beidou.

Considerations When Choosing a Craftable Claymore

Before committing your resources to crafting a specific claymore, consider the following factors:

• Character Scaling: Does your character scale primarily with ATK, DEF, or Elemental Mastery? Choose a claymore whose substat aligns with their primary stat.
• Team Composition: Does your team focus on Physical damage or Elemental Reactions? Select a claymore that complements your team’s overall strategy.
• Playstyle: Do you prefer a straightforward playstyle with consistent damage, or do you prefer burst damage with elemental reactions? Choose a claymore that suits your preferred style of gameplay.
• Availability of Alternatives: Do you have access to gacha weapons that might be a better fit for your character? Craftable weapons are a great option, but a well-suited gacha weapon will almost always outperform them.

Ultimately, the best craftable claymore is the one that best complements your character’s strengths, your team’s composition, and your overall playstyle. Experiment with different options and see what works best for you!

Crafting and Refining: Maximizing Your Claymore’s Potential

Once you’ve chosen your claymore, the next step is to craft it. You’ll need the appropriate Northlander Claymore Billet, which can be obtained from weekly bosses, the Souvenir Shop, or limited-time events. You’ll also need crystals (often crystal chunks) and white iron chunks, which can be found throughout the world.

After crafting, focus on refining your weapon. Refining increases the effectiveness of its passive ability, providing a significant boost to your character’s damage output. Refine materials are obtained by crafting duplicate weapons. So, save those claymore billets!

F2P Freedom

Craftable weapons represent the freedom that Free-to-Play (F2P) and low-spending players have in Genshin Impact. Understanding how to best leverage the benefits of these weapons will help you get the most out of the game. Remember, your knowledge of the game mechanics and your ability to strategize will always be more important than what weapon your character is holding. Consider resources like GamesLearningSociety.org, to build a solid foundation of understanding.

Claymore Mastery: A Journey of Discovery

The world of Genshin Impact is constantly evolving, with new characters, weapons, and challenges being added regularly. Keep experimenting, researching, and adapting your strategies to stay ahead of the curve. The journey to mastering the art of claymore combat is a continuous process of learning and discovery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Craftable Claymores

1. Can I obtain Northlander Claymore Billets from anywhere other than Weekly Bosses?

Yes, but it’s less reliable. You can sometimes purchase them from the Souvenir Shops in Mondstadt and Liyue, and they are occasionally rewards in limited-time events. The most consistent source remains weekly bosses.

2. Is the Snow-Tombed Starsilver good for Diluc?

Generally no. Diluc primarily deals Pyro damage, so a Physical DMG Bonus substat is wasted. Other claymores like Prototype Archaic or even a good gacha option will be more beneficial.

3. What characters is Whiteblind best for?

Whiteblind is best for characters who scale with DEF, most notably Noelle and Arataki Itto. It can also be useful for Xinyan in certain shield-focused builds.

4. How do I unlock the crafting recipes for different claymores?

Crafting recipes are usually unlocked by completing specific quests or reaching a certain reputation level in a particular region. For example, the Inazuma craftable weapons require reaching a certain reputation level in Inazuma.

5. Are there any craftable 5-star claymores?

No, all craftable weapons in Genshin Impact are 4-star weapons.

6. Can I use a Northlander Claymore Billet to craft any claymore?

No, a Northlander Claymore Billet is specifically required for crafting Mondstadt and Liyue claymores. Inazuma claymores require a different billet: Midlander Claymore Billet.

7. How important is refining craftable weapons?

Refining is very important, especially for craftable weapons, as it significantly boosts the effectiveness of their passive abilities, ultimately increasing your damage output or utility.

8. Should I prioritize crafting a claymore over pulling for a 5-star weapon?

It depends on your resources and goals. If you’re F2P or low-spending, crafting a reliable 4-star claymore is a great option. If you’re willing to spend money, pulling for a 5-star weapon can provide a significant power boost, but it’s not guaranteed.

9. What are the best team compositions for characters who use Whiteblind?

Noelle: Geo characters for Geo resonance (e.g., Gorou, Albedo), characters who provide off-field damage or energy generation. Arataki Itto: Similar to Noelle, Geo supports are crucial (Gorou is essential).

10. Is the Prototype Archaic’s passive reliable?

The passive has a 15-second cooldown, making it generally reliable for consistent damage. However, it’s still RNG-dependent on whether it triggers when you need it most.

11. Which craftable claymore is best for Beidou?

The Katsuragikiri Nagamasa or the Prototype Archaic can be good choices depending on your build and team needs. Katsuragikiri helps with energy recharge, while Prototype Archaic offers more raw ATK.

12. Where can I find more information about Genshin Impact weapon builds?

Numerous online resources, including Genshin Impact wikis, community forums, and YouTube guides, offer detailed information about weapon builds for specific characters.

13. How does the damage from Snow-Tombed Starsilver’s passive scale?

The damage from Snow-Tombed Starsilver’s passive scales with Physical DMG Bonus. The Superconduct reaction will boost this physical damage as well.

14. Can I use multiple claymore billets to craft one weapon and automatically refine it?

No, refining requires crafting separate instances of the weapon and then using them as refinement materials. You cannot combine billets to create a refined weapon directly.

15. Does weapon choice matter in the early game?

Yes, weapon choice matters even in the early game. Having a suitable weapon can significantly improve your character’s performance and make it easier to progress through the story and challenges.