Best F2P 4-Star Weapons in Genshin 2026: Craftable, BP & Event Picks
A refined 4-star often beats a base 5-star, and it costs almost nothing. Stack a few by type and your early game doubles in comfort.
How to Get Them
| Source | Notes |
|---|---|
| Blacksmith craft | Blueprint + ore + billet; free and multi-copy — the most stable F2P source |
| Events / Fishing | Time-limited events, fishing association; The Catch is a free Xiangling / Raiden god-tier |
| Gnostic Hymn (free BP) | Gives Favonius Sword, Stringless, Favonius Lance and more |
| Gnostic Chorus (paid BP) | Gives Serpent Spine, Rust, Kitain Cross Spear, Jadefalls Sanctum — extremely universal |
Best by Type
Swords
Amaurayuu Hagiri (craft): Ayaka's F2P bis, refund solves ER. Sapwood Blade (craft): Bennett's bis, free. Iron Sting (craft): Anemo EM sword for Kazuha / Sucrose.
Claymores
Prototype Archaic (craft): enough for Noelle / Razor. Snow-Tombed Starsilver (craft): physical claymore. Serpent Spine (paid BP): top claymore, R5 beats base 5-star.
Bows
Rust (paid BP): Yoimiya's F2P bis, tiny gap at R5. Stringless (free BP): Fischl / Venti reaction god-tier. Favonius Warbow: ER support for Collei / Diona.
Catalysts
Mappa Mare (craft): EM catalyst. Prototype Amber (craft): healer catalyst with ER. Hakushin Ring (craft): Electro-reaction buffer.
Polearms
The Catch (free fishing): Xiangling / Raiden bis, R5 smooths rotation. Kitain Cross Spear (paid BP): Hu Tao / Xingqiu. Favonius Lance: support ER.
Refinement Advice
Common Mistakes
- Chasing 5-star weapons: in most cases R5 4-star ≥ base 5-star; wishing on the weapon banner is terrible value.
- Wasting BP tokens: paid-BP exchanges are precious — only take the three universal weapons, never a niche you cannot use.
- Ignoring craftables: the blacksmith's free weapons are often the character's bis — refine those first.
Quick Answers
How big is the gap between 4-star and 5-star weapons?
In most cases a refined (R5) 4-star equals or beats a base (R1) 5-star, especially for burst-focused users. The Catch at R5 on Xiangling matches a base 5-star in both uptime and damage.
Which weapons should a beginner refine first?
Start with craftables: Sapwood Blade (Bennett), Amaurayuu Hagiri (Ayaka), The Catch (Xiangling / Raiden), Prototype Archaic (Noelle / Razor). They are free and often bis.
Which paid-BP weapon is the best value?
Serpent Spine, Rust and Kitain Cross Spear are the most universal and stay relevant for patches. Skip niche ones you cannot use yet.
Is the weapon banner worth it?
Strongly no. It has its own pity plus Epitomized Path and needs ~240 pulls to secure. F2P players should spend Primogems on character banners instead.