Genshin Impact F2P Weapon Guide

For Travelers on a budget, the world of Teyvat can feel like a showcase for 5-star weapons you'll never see. But true strength isn't bought—it's earned through strategy, knowledge, and patience. This guide will arm you with the best free and craftable weapons, transforming your 4-star arsenal into a force capable of conquering the Spiral Abyss and all overworld challenges without spending a single Primogem on the weapon banner.

Understanding the F2P Weapon Philosophy

As a free-to-play player, your most valuable resources are Prototype Billets, event-exclusive weapons, and time. The goal isn't to replicate whale loadouts, but to maximize your account's potential with the tools you are given. A well-chosen and refined R5 craftable weapon can often outperform a poorly chosen 5-star weapon at R1 for specific characters.

Key Principles for F2P Weapon Success:

Prioritize Refinements: A weapon's passive ability often scales dramatically with refinement. An R5 Prototype Amber is a completely different tool than an R1. Focus on refining one key weapon at a time.
Match the Weapon to the Character's Role: Don't just look at the base ATK. A character whose damage comes from their Elemental Skill (like Fischl) will benefit more from a weapon with a Skill DMG bonus than one with a generic ATK% boost.
Don't Overlook 3-Stars: Some 3-star weapons are exceptional stat sticks and remain useful deep into the endgame for their sub-stats or unique effects (like Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers).

Top-Tier Craftable & Free Swords

Swords are versatile, and several craftable options are best-in-slot for many 4-star characters.

Amenoma Kageuchi (Inazuma Craftable)

Base ATK: 454 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: ATK% (55.1% at Lv. 90)
Passive: After using an Elemental Skill, gain 1 Succession Seed. When casting an Elemental Burst, all Succession Seeds are consumed, and after 2s, the character regenerates 6/7.5/9/10.5/12 Energy for each seed consumed. Can occur once every 5s.
Best For: Energy-hungry sub-DPS and support characters who use their Burst frequently. It's a game-changer for Jean, Ayaka (as a placeholder for Amenoma's energy refund), and Kazuha before obtaining his signature or Favonius Sword. At R5, it can refund up to 36 Energy, effectively reducing a Burst's cooldown dependency.
How to Get: Forged from the Amenoma Kageuchi Blueprint obtained from the "The Farmer's Treasure" world quest in Inazuma.

Iron Sting (Mondstadt Craftable)

Base ATK: 510 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: Elemental Mastery (165 at Lv. 90)
Passive: Dealing Elemental DMG increases all DMG by 6/7.5/9/10.5/12% for 6s. Max 2 stacks.
Best For: Anemo and reaction-based DPS characters. This is the go-to F2P sword for Kazuha and Alhaitham. The high Elemental Mastery stat boosts Swirl and Aggravate/Spread damage, while the passive provides a simple, universal DMG% increase. For Kazuha, it directly scales his A4 passive buff for the team.
How to Get: Forged from the Northlander Sword Billet.

Powerful Craftable & Free Claymores

The claymore category boasts some of the strongest F2P weapons in the game, rivaling some 5-star options.

Prototype Archaic (Mondstadt Craftable)

Base ATK: 565 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: ATK% (27.6% at Lv. 90)
Passive: On hit, Normal or Charged Attacks have a 50% chance to deal an additional 240/300/360/420/480% ATK DMG to opponents. Can only occur once every 15s.
Best For: Any Physical or ATK-scaling main DPS claymore user. It's the universal "good on everyone" weapon. Razor, Eula (if lacking better options), Diluc, and even Itto can use it effectively. The passive proc is a nice damage bonus that doesn't require any playstyle adjustment.
How to Get: Forged from the Northlander Claymore Billet. You can get a free billet from the Liyue souvenir shop.

Snow-Tombed Starsilver (Dragonspine Free)

Base ATK: 565 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: Physical DMG Bonus (34.5% at Lv. 90)
Passive: Hitting an opponent with Normal and Charged Attacks has a 60% chance of forming and dropping an Everfrost Icicle above them, dealing 80/95/110/125/140% AoE ATK DMG. Opponents affected by Cryo are instead dealt 200/237.5/275/312.5/350% ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 10s.
Best For: Pure Physical DPS characters, most notably Eula. The Physical DMG sub-stat is a massive stat stick. While its passive is less consistent than the Archaic's, the sheer value of its main stat makes it a top-tier F2P option for her. Pair it with a Cryo character like Rosaria for the boosted icicle damage.
How to Get: Complete the "The Festering Fang" world quest in Dragonspine.

Essential Polearms for Support and DPS

Polearms have some of the most impactful F2P options, fundamentally changing how characters play.

"The Catch" (Inazuma Fishing)

Base ATK: 510 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: Energy Recharge (45.9% at Lv. 90)
Passive: Increases Elemental Burst DMG by 16/20/24/28/32% and Elemental Burst CRIT Rate by 6/7.5/9/10.5/12%.
Best For: This is arguably the single best F2P weapon in the game. It is the best-in-slot 4-star weapon for Raiden Shogun, and is also phenomenal on Xiangling, Zhongli (Burst support), and Rosaria. The combination of ER, Burst DMG, and Burst CRIT Rate is perfectly tailored for off-field burst DPS characters. Maxing it out to R5 should be a top priority for every player.
How to Get: Exchanged for fish at the Inazuma Fishing Association. Requires fishing up specific rare fish from various locations.

Missive Windspear (Mondstadt Event Free)

Base ATK: 510 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: ATK% (41.3% at Lv. 90)
Passive: Within 10s of triggering an Elemental Reaction, ATK is increased by 12/15/18/21/24% and Elemental Mastery is increased by 48/60/72/84/96.
Best For: Reaction-focused DPS like Hu Tao (if you lack Dragon's Bane or Deathmatch), Cyno, and Xiangling. The passive is easy to trigger in most team comps and provides a solid mix of offensive stats. Its value is slightly lower if you already have a high-refinement Dragon's Bane.
How to Get: Was a reward from the "Of Ballads and Brews" limited-time event. If you have it, use it!

Top Picks for Bows and Catalysts

Prototype Crescent (Mondstadt Craftable - Bow)

Base ATK: 510 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: ATK% (41.3% at Lv. 90)
Passive: Charged Attack hits on weak points increase Movement SPD by 10% and ATK by 36/45/54/63/72% for 10s.
Best For: Aim-shot focused DPS like Ganyu and Amber. If you can consistently hit weak points, this weapon's ATK buff is massive. It's less reliable against enemies without obvious weak points (like most bosses), but for open-world exploration and certain abyss floors, it's a powerhouse.
How to Get: Forged from the Northlander Bow Billet.

Hakushin Ring (Inazuma Craftable - Catalyst)

Base ATK: 565 (at Lv. 90)
Sub-stat: Energy Recharge (30.6% at Lv. 90)
Passive: After the character equipped with this weapon triggers an Electro-related Elemental Reaction, nearby party members of an Elemental Type involved in the Elemental Reaction receive a 10/12.5/15/17.5/20% Elemental DMG Bonus for their element for 6s.
Best For: Electro reaction support catalysts. This is the best F2P catalyst for Sucrose or Lisa in Electro-Charged (Taser) teams. It buffs your entire team's Hydro and Electro damage. In a team with Beidou, Fischl, Xingqiu, and Sucrose, this weapon can provide a significant team-wide DPS increase.
How to Get: Forged from the Hakushin Ring Blueprint obtained from the "Yougou Cleansing" questline in Inazuma.

General F2P Weapon Tips and Summary

Actionable Advice for Your Account:

Fish for "The Catch" First: This is non-negotiable. The investment in fishing time pays off exponentially. R5 it before focusing on other fishing weapons.
Spend Your Billets Wisely: Don't craft every weapon. Focus on the ones listed here that match your main carries. A R5 Amenoma for your Jean is better than an R1 of five different weapons.
Don't Sleep on the Battle Pass: If you ever consider spending a small amount, the Gnostic Hymel (Battle Pass) offers incredibly strong weapons like Serpent Spine (Claymore) and Deathmatch (Polearm). They are the best "low-spender" weapons.
Participate in All Events: Many events, like the recent "Alchemical Ascension," give out free 4-star weapons that are often very strong. Never miss these.

Key Takeaways:

"The Catch" is your #1 priority polearm.
Amenoma Kageuchi and Prototype Archaic are versatile craftable kings for swords and claymores.
Refinements matter. An R5 craftable is a serious weapon.
Match the weapon's stats and passive to the character's kit, not just the base attack.
With the right strategy, your F2P arsenal is more than capable of clearing all content in Genshin Impact.