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Keqing’s Arsenal: Choosing the Best 4-Star Sword

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The best 4-star weapon for Keqing in Genshin Impact largely depends on your team composition, playstyle, and what you want to emphasize in her kit. There isn’t a single universally “best” option, but rather a selection of strong contenders, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. However, generally, the Blackcliff Longsword and The Black Sword stand out as top choices due to their damage-boosting passives and valuable stats. The Lion’s Roar is a conditional option, shining in specific Electro-centric team compositions, while Amenoma Kageuchi is an excellent choice for maximizing her burst uptime. Choosing the right weapon requires understanding Keqing’s playstyle and the weapon’s capabilities.

Diving Deep: Keqing’s Weapon Options

Let’s break down the most effective 4-star swords for Keqing and analyze when each one shines:

Blackcliff Longsword: Obtained from Paimon’s Bargains, this weapon boasts a high Crit DMG substat. Its passive grants an ATK boost upon defeating an enemy, stacking up to three times. This makes it incredibly potent in content with multiple enemies, significantly boosting Keqing’s damage output. The Blackcliff Longsword truly edges out the competition due to its sheer damage and stack capabilities.
The Black Sword: This is a Battle Pass weapon, known for its Crit Rate substat and passive that increases Normal and Charged Attack DMG, and heals the wielder based on a percentage of their ATK when Normal and Charged Attacks score a Crit Hit. As Keqing relies heavily on her Normal and Charged Attacks, this sword offers a perfect balance of damage and survivability, making it a strong all-around option. The Black Sword is a great overall weapon for most sword users.
Lion’s Roar: Its passive increases DMG against enemies affected by Electro or Pyro. This makes it a powerful choice specifically when Keqing is used in teams focused on applying these elements (such as Electro-Charged or Overload compositions). If you’re running an Electro-heavy team, Lion’s Roar will drastically increase her damage output on enemies. Lion’s Roar is Keqing’s best 4-star weapon in Genshin Impact, when paired with Electro-charge team compositions.
Amenoma Kageuchi: A craftable sword that provides ATK% as a substat and restores Energy based on the number of “Succession Seeds” accumulated after using an Elemental Skill. This weapon is an excellent choice for players who want to frequently use Keqing’s Elemental Burst, allowing for more consistent uptime and damage output.
Prototype Rancour: While primarily a physical damage weapon, Prototype Rancour can be a decent option if you’re building Keqing for a physical DPS build (though this is generally not recommended). The weapon’s passive increases ATK and DEF upon dealing damage, offering some degree of consistent damage increase.
Favonius Sword: While not a primary damage option, the Favonius Sword is a decent support choice for generating energy for the team. Its passive has a chance to generate Elemental Particles on Crit Hits, making it good for team compositions that are energy hungry. The Favonius Sword is considered to be one of the best four-star swords for any sword user in Genshin Impact due to the Elemental Orbs it generates.

Analyzing Keqing’s Playstyle

Before committing to a specific weapon, consider your Keqing’s role and playstyle.

Electro DPS: If Keqing is your main source of Electro damage, prioritize weapons like the Blackcliff Longsword, The Black Sword, or Lion’s Roar (in the right team).
Quickswap Burst DPS: If you want to use Keqing’s burst often, Amenoma Kageuchi is the optimal choice.

Artifact Synergies

Weapon choice also interacts with artifact selection. The Thundering Fury artifact set remains a strong option for Keqing, particularly for Electro builds, as it increases Electro DMG Bonus and reduces Elemental Skill cooldown on triggering Electro reactions. Pairing this set with a weapon that enhances Electro damage (like Lion’s Roar) can yield impressive results.

Considerations for F2P Players

For free-to-play players, the Amenoma Kageuchi is an easily accessible and effective option due to its craftability. The Prototype Rancour is also craftable and can serve as a temporary option.

Weapon Comparison Chart

Weapon	Substat	Passive	Ideal Team Composition	Playstyle Focus
:——————–	:———-	:——————————————————————————————-	:———————————————————————————–	:——————————————–
Blackcliff Longsword	Crit DMG	ATK increase on enemy defeat (stacks)	Content with multiple enemies	High burst damage
The Black Sword	Crit Rate	Increased Normal/Charged Attack DMG, heals on Crit Hits	Versatile, works in most teams	Balanced damage and survivability
Lion’s Roar	ATK%	Increased DMG against enemies affected by Electro/Pyro	Electro-Charged or Overload compositions	Electro DMG focus
Amenoma Kageuchi	ATK%	Restores Energy after using Elemental Skill	Any team where frequent Burst usage is desired	Burst uptime and consistency
Prototype Rancour	Physical DMG	ATK and DEF increase on dealing damage	(Not recommended) Physical DPS build, if specifically desired	Physical damage
Favonius Sword	Energy Recharge	Has a chance to generate Elemental Particles on Crit Hits	Any team composition	Support and energy generation

Conclusion

Ultimately, the best 4-star sword for Keqing is the one that best complements her role in your team and your preferred playstyle. Experimentation and careful consideration of your available resources will lead you to the optimal choice. Consider your team composition, desired playstyle, and the specific stats you want to amplify to make the best decision for your Keqing build.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Keqing’s Weapons

1. What is Keqing’s BiS (Best in Slot) 4-star weapon overall?

While subjective, The Black Sword is generally considered the best overall 4-star weapon for Keqing due to its Crit Rate substat and passive that boosts Normal and Charged Attack damage, along with healing on crit hits. It offers a consistent damage increase and survivability, making it suitable for various team compositions.

2. Is Lion’s Roar a good weapon for Keqing?

Yes, but only in specific team compositions. Lion’s Roar is excellent if you’re running Keqing in an Electro-Charged or Overload team where enemies are consistently affected by Electro or Pyro. In such scenarios, the increased DMG against affected enemies is highly effective.

3. Is the Blackcliff Longsword better than The Black Sword for Keqing?

It depends. Blackcliff Longsword provides higher potential damage in content with multiple enemies, thanks to its stacking ATK buff. However, it requires consistently defeating enemies to maintain its effectiveness. The Black Sword offers more consistent damage and survivability, making it better in situations where enemy defeat isn’t guaranteed.

4. Can I use the Prototype Rancour on Keqing?

While you can, it’s not recommended unless you’re specifically building Keqing as a physical DPS. Prototype Rancour increases physical damage, which is not Keqing’s strength in most builds. There are better options for Electro DPS builds.

5. Is Amenoma Kageuchi a good choice for Keqing?

Yes, especially if you want to use Keqing’s Elemental Burst frequently. Amenoma Kageuchi‘s passive helps with Energy Recharge, allowing you to cast her burst more often. It’s a solid choice for quickswap or burst-focused playstyles.

6. What artifact sets should I use with Keqing?

The most popular artifact sets for Keqing are Thundering Fury (for Electro DMG and skill cooldown reduction) and Gladiator’s Finale or Shimenawa’s Reminiscence (for consistent ATK bonuses). You can also mix and match 2-piece sets for ATK and Electro DMG bonuses.

7. How important is Crit Rate/Crit DMG for Keqing?

Crit Rate and Crit DMG are very important for Keqing. Aim for a ratio of around 1:2 (e.g., 60% Crit Rate and 120% Crit DMG). This ensures consistent critical hits and maximizes her damage output.

8. What main stats should I look for on Keqing’s artifacts?

For main stats, prioritize:

Sands: ATK% or Elemental Mastery (for Aggravate teams)
Goblet: Electro DMG Bonus
Circlet: Crit Rate or Crit DMG (depending on what you need more)

9. Should I use a Physical or Electro build for Keqing?

Electro builds are generally preferred due to Keqing’s Electro Vision and the synergy with the Thundering Fury artifact set. Physical builds are less optimal but can still be viable with the right setup.

10. What are Keqing’s best team compositions?

Good team compositions for Keqing include:

Electro-Charged: Keqing, Xingqiu, Fischl, Sucrose
Aggravate: Keqing, Dendro Traveler/Nahida, Fischl, Kazuha/Sucrose
Overload: Keqing, Xiangling, Bennett, Sucrose

11. Is Keqing worth pulling for?

Keqing is a capable DPS character, but her value depends on your account and team needs. If you like her playstyle and need an Electro DPS, she can be a good addition. However, other characters might offer more significant power gains depending on your current roster.

12. Does Keqing scale off of HP?

No, Keqing does not scale off of HP. Her damage scales primarily off of ATK, Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and Electro DMG Bonus.

13. What talents should I prioritize leveling up for Keqing?

Prioritize leveling up Keqing’s Normal Attack and Elemental Burst. Her Elemental Skill is also important but can be leveled slightly after the other two.

14. Is the Royal Longsword a good choice for Keqing?

The Royal Longsword is generally not recommended for Keqing. While it provides ATK, its passive is unreliable and doesn’t offer consistent damage boosts compared to other options.

15. What are some F2P weapon options for Keqing?

For F2P players, the craftable Amenoma Kageuchi is an excellent option due to its Energy Recharge and ATK%. The Prototype Rancour can be a temporary choice, though less optimal.