The best way to take care of a fight is to end it even before it begins. In Genshin Impact, bows are the best tools to use if you believe in this mantra. Taking enemies down from afar keeps your team safe and sound, maximizing the damage dealt before your foes even realize what’s happening. In the massively expanding world of Teyvat, there are various options when it comes to budget-friendly and easy-access bows.
Read along to find out the best 4-star bows in the game so far (Patch 4.0). Take note that by “best” we mean to evaluate the weapon as a whole, whether it be utility or damage, both on and off-field. Also keep in mind that these bows are judged at refinement level 1, and we would not be including event exclusive weapons or any of the battle pass bows to keep our list free-to-play friendly.
5. Blackliff Warbow
This bow is a great option that you can get from the shop eventually
Starting off our list is an option that surely everyone has encountered at least once or twice. It is part of the Blackcliff collection that generally rotates in Paimon’s Bargains.
The Blackliff Warbow is a great free-to-play option for those aiming to build a bow-user as a DPS. It generally takes a bit of saving up before you can buy it, but it can be worth it compared to the other 4-star DPS bows, such as the craftable ones.
With this weapon, you can get a decent ATK stat while also getting the highly desired CRIT DMG stat. This helps a lot with trying to get your CRIT ratios in order and optimizing the damage dealt.
The only drawback to this weapon is the condition of the weapon’s effect. You have to be able to take down at least one enemy before you can get a boost. A tricky rule that makes the weapon lose most of its value, especially when it comes to boss fights.
What Makes The Blackliff Warbow Great:
- The most accessible DPS bow that has CRIT DMG as a secondary stat.
- Can be purchased from Paimon’s Bargains.
- When at max stacks, the weapon effect grants you a great boost in ATK.
Blackliff Warbow Details:
- Press the Advantage - After defeating an opponent, ATK is increased by 12% for 30s. This effect has a maximum of 3 stacks, and the duration of each stack is independent of the others.
- Level 90 Base ATK - 565
- Level 90 CRIT DMG - 36.8%
4. Favonius Warbow
Say goodbye to your energy recharge problems
If you’ve finished the Mondstadt Archon Quest, then you definitely have this in your inventory right now. Getting a weapon this good early in the game is a blessing and definitely worth building up first.
When you think about it, any bow-using support can use this weapon. It can be argued that there may be some characters who won’t be able to maximize the weapon effect, as getting CRITs isn’t really a priority for supports. Nonetheless, it serves as a really good stat stick, especially with that juicy energy recharge.
What Makes The Favonius Warbow Great:
- One of the best support bows in the game.
- Can be obtained for free by completing the quest “A Long Shot”
- Generally easy to build as the materials are easy to farm early in the game.
- Any damage that crits can activate the weapon effect.
Favonius Warbow Details:
- Windfall - CRIT hits have a 60% chance to generate a small amount of Elemental Particles, which will regenerate 6 Energy for the character. Can only occur once every 12s.
- Level 90 Base ATK - 454
- Level 90 ER - 61.3%
3. Rust
Raw power in one string
The best 4-star option in the game when it comes to normal attacking bow-users. This weapon boosts normal attacks so well, and the stats overall help maximize your character’s potential.
This weapon is as straightforward as it gets. You trade a bit of charged attack damage for a big chunk of normal attack damage. This might sound unreliable at first, but you’ll realize soon that the characters you’ll be using this on hardly do any charged attacks at all.
What Makes Rust Great:
- The best bow for normal attacking characters.
- Gives a decent bump to your overall ATK.
- Further refinements can make this weapon OP.
Rust Details:
- Rapid Firing - Increases Normal Attack DMG by 40% but decreases Charged Attack DMG by 10%.
- Level 90 Base ATK - 510
- Level 90 ATK - 41.3%
2. The Stringless
Elegance and danger
This weapon is probably the most beautiful in terms of design among those on our list. We won’t deny, however, that it’s a force to be reckoned with.
The Stringless is the go-to bow when it comes to sub-DPS characters. The weapon effect is just too perfect to pass on, and the accompanying stats just make it even better.
You can put this on almost any bow user, and you can make use of any of the benefits it offers.
What Makes The Stringless Great:
- Amplifies both your elemental skill and burst.
- Can be used for supports or sub-DPS characters.
- EM boost is great for teams that rely on elemental reactions.
The Stringless Details:
- Arrowless Song - Increases Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst DMG by 24%.
- Level 90 Base ATK - 510
- Level. 90 EM - 165
1. Sacrificial Bow
This bow does not care about cooldowns
The top bow on our list is the one that makes cooldowns almost nonexistent. A must-have weapon for any character that relies on their elemental skill, and a good stat stick for any support that needs the extra energy.
The Sacrificial Bow, much like its fellow Sacrificial weapons, provides so much value in the game. An instant cooldown of anything is generally a cheat, but the game gave us this weapon as a treat.
You can count on the majority of the player base having this weapon on their most reliable bow user, sometimes even surpassing the value of other 5-star weapons. That’s why this bow takes the top spot on our list.
What Makes The Sacrificial Bow Great:
- Is the best weapon for generating energy, right next to the Favonius Warbow.
- Can instantly refresh the cooldown of your skill, can’t get better than that.
- Skills that hit multiple times all have the chance to trigger the weapon effect.
- The ER secondary stat only helps build energy quicker.
Sacrificial Bow Details:
- Composed - After dealing damage to an opponent with an Elemental Skill, the skill has a 40% chance to end its own CD. Can only occur once every 30s.
- Level 90 Base ATK - 565
- Level 90 ER - 30.6%
