Best Weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact

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Morax the Geo Archon is a mysterious figure in Liyue, and one of the oldest Archons in Teyvat. At the height of his power, there was almost no enemy he couldn’t destroy with a flick of the wrist. As a playable character, though, he tends to take more of a backseat and is most useful in a Support role. His incredible strength is now dedicated to shielding your party from even the strongest of foes. To make the most of his shield, you’ll need the right weapon. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a guide on the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact! 

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Foreword on the Best Weapons for Zhongli

Below, you’ll find the top five best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact. Any of these weapons will help you play to Zhongli’s strengths, regardless of your personal playstyle. Whether you want to use him offensively or defensively, there is a weapon recommendation for you.

We’ve included the best 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star polearms in the game for Zhongli. You’ll also find their stats, quick explanations of why/how their effects work, and the materials you’ll need to fully ascend them. 

Just keep in mind that some of the weapons on our list aren’t always available. If you don’t have them already, they may be tricky to get your hands on, even with primogems. Keep an eye out in the future for weapon announcements, though, and you should be able to get them sooner or later. 

How to Choose a Weapon for Zhongli

It’s important to know what kind of weapon works best for Zhongli. Certain weapons will work very well with his Talents and synergize with your team comps, while others just won’t match up. 

Choosing the right weapon will help create an impenetrable shield for your team, while others will ignore the best things about the Geo Archon and contribute nothing. To help you figure things out, we’re going over the basics of weapons and polearms in Genshin Impact. 

Stats

There are a lot of different weapons to choose from in Genshin Impact and finding the right one can be tricky. There are five different rarities but those of 1-star and 2-star rarity are really only good for leveling up higher rarity weapons. 

The reason for this is because 1-star and 2-star weapons only have a single stat and no effects. 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star weapons, on the other hand, all have a secondary stat and passive effects. 3-star and 4-star weapons are also not that hard to come by, so there’s no reason to settle for a 1-star or 2-star weapon. 

In general, the primary stat of every weapon in the game is going to be ATK. The secondary stat and the effect of each weapon can vary. Secondary stats can even vary between weapon types. 

Secondary polearm stats can be any of the following:

• ATK%
• CRIT DMG%
• CRIT Rate%
• Elemental Mastery
• Energy Recharge%
• HP%
• Physical DMG Bonus%

As of Version 3.3, there have not been any DEF% polearm weapons, though it does seem likely one will be released in a future update.

Catering Zhongli’s Weapon to His Best Role

Zhongli is a great Support character to have on your team. His Elemental Skill, Dominus Lapidis, creates a Jade Shield when held, which is one of the strongest shields in the game. This shield also decreases the Elemental and Physical RES of nearby enemies by 20%, which is a great buff for literally any character. 

The key to increasing Zhongli’s Jade Shield is by increasing his Max HP. Which means the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact are the ones that increase his Shield Strength and/or his HP. 

Depending on how you want to use Zhongli, weapons that increase his ATK can also be pretty helpful. Zhongli’s Normal Attacks naturally deal low DMG, which makes it hard for him to normally fulfill DPS roles. Players wanting him on-field more often will definitely benefit from ATK buffs. 

If you’re having trouble finding weapons that can increase Zhongli’s Shield Strength, the next best thing can be Energy Recharge over ATK. This is because the best way to deal DMG with Zhongli is through his Elemental Burst. Unfortunately, his Elemental Burst requires a hefty Energy cost, which makes investing in Energy Recharge well worth it. 

Takeaway

If you remember nothing else when looking for weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact, at least remember that you want high HP. There are unfortunately few polearms that increase HP, so Energy Recharge weapons will be second best. 

ATK buffing weapons can be a decent choice, but we really only recommend those if they can increase Zhongli’s Jade Shield strength, too. 

5 Best Weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact, Ranked

Now that you know the basics of weapons and what kind to look for, let’s get into the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact.

We ranked the top five weapons for the Geo Archon below, including a 3-star option, some 4-stars, the best free-to-play friendly option, and the overall best 5-stars.

5/5

Black Tassel (3-Star Polearm)

Kicking off our list of the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact is the 3-star Black Tassel!

Don’t let its 3-star status fool you, the Black Tassel is hands down one of the best weapons for Zhongli. It’s also much easier to get and ascend than most of the other weapons on our list, so don’t write it off until you see what it can do.

Stats and Effects

As we mentioned above, the Black Tassel is a 3-star weapon. This unfortunately means that its stats aren’t the best. Its Base ATK tops out at just 354, which is pretty much as low as you can go before getting into 2-star and 1-star weapons.

We’re not interested in the Black Tassel for its Base ATK stat, though. What we want is its secondary stat, which is HP. The Black Tassel just so happens to be the first (and only) HP% polearm in the game, at least as of Version 3.3. 

When fully leveled, the Black Tassel increases Zhongli’s HP by up to 46.9%. This huge HP increase does a lot for his Jade Shields, and can help compensate for sub-par artifact stats. The HP increase alone makes it easy to see why the Black Tassel is such a great fit for the Geo Archon. 

The Black Tassel’s main effect is a little less helpful than its secondary stat. Bane of the Soft increases Zhongli’s DMG against Slimes by 40%. At higher refinement levels, DMG against Slimes can be increased up to 80%. 

Since Zhongli isn’t the greatest at dealing DMG anyway, the HP boost can be worth losing out on a better weapon effect. 

Drawbacks

As we mentioned above, the Black Tassel’s main effect isn’t great. While getting increased DMG against a specific enemy type is good for fighting that enemy, it doesn’t mean anything if you’re fighting anything else. Which means in most combat situations, the Black Tassel is maybe not the best polearm choice.

Still, it’s hard to pass up the increased HP that few other weapons can reliably offer. A base increase to Zhongli’s most important stat is hard to say no to, even if it doesn’t have much else to offer. 

Materials

To fully ascend the Black Tassel, you will need the following materials:

• 105k Mora
• 2 Grain of Aerosiderite (2-star weapon material)
• 6 Piece of Aerosiderite (3-star weapon material)
• 6 Bit of Aerosiderite (4-star weapon material)
• 3 Chunk of Aerosiderite (5-star weapon material)
• 10 Fragile Bone Shard (2-star enemy drop)
• 12 Sturdy Bone Shard (3-star enemy drop)
• 18 Fossilized Bone Shard (4-star enemy drop)
• 6 Firm Arrowhead (1-star enemy drop)
• 10 Sharp Arrowhead (2-star enemy drop)
• 12 Weathered Arrowhead (3-star enemy drop)

4/5

Wavebreaker’s Fin (4-Star Polearm)

Our next polearm on the list of the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact originated in Inazuma. A foreign weapon doesn’t mean it isn’t a good fit for the mighty Geo Archon, though.

This particular polearm is great for players who want to see higher DMG from their Zhongli builds. 

Stats and Effects

Even if you don’t end up equipping Zhongli with the Wavebreaker’s Fin, you’ll still definitely want to have it in your inventory. Its Base ATK is the highest on our list, topping out at 620 when fully leveled. To complement that power, its secondary stat can further increase Zhongli’s ATK by 13.8%.

Having such high ATK stats helps make up for Zhongli’s otherwise low Normal ATK DMG. This weapon’s main effect, Watatsumi Wavewalker, also helps compensate for his low DMG by increasing his Elemental Burst DMG.

For every point of the party’s combined Energy capacity, Zhongli’s Elemental Burst DMG is increased by 0.12%. Elemental Burst DMG can be increased by up to 40% in this way, which is pretty impressive. 

The Wavebreaker’s Fin is a pretty good 4-star weapon choice for players who want to use Zhongli a little more offensively than his usual Support role. The high ATK stats added to the impressive Elemental Burst DMG buff can really help increase his overall DMG output.

Drawbacks

While the primary ATK stat for the Wavebreaker’s Fin is pretty impressive, the secondary stat leaves something to be desired with less than a 15% increase. Even when fully leveled to 90. 

It’s great that Zhongli’s Elemental Burst DMG is buffed, but it doesn’t do anything for his shields. Which is what most players use him for. Having higher damage also doesn’t really do much to compensate for the long Elemental Burst cooldown time.

In general, the Wavebreaker’s Fin is a decent choice for players who don’t have anything to support Zhongli’s Jade Shields. Unless you really want an offensive build, we suggest looking into other polearm options. 

Materials

To fully ascend the Wavebreaker’s Fin, you will need the following materials:

• 150k Mora
• 3 Mask of the Wicked Lieutenant (2-star weapon material)
• 9 Mask of the Tiger’s Bite (3-star weapon material)
• 9 Mask of the One-Horned (4-star weapon material)
• 4 Mask of the Kijin (5-star weapon material)
• 15 Concealed Claw (2-star enemy drop)
• 18 Concealed Unguis (3-star enemy drop)
• 27 Concealed Talon (4-star enemy drop)
• 10 Old Handguard (1-star enemy drop)
• 15 Kageuchi Handguard (2-star enemy drop)
• 18 Famed Handguard (3-star enemy drop)

3/5

The Catch (4-Star Polearm)

Players wanting a totally Wish-free weapon will definitely be interested in this polearm. The Catch is not only one of the best weapons for Zhongli, it is also the most free-to-play friendly option out there.

Stats and Effects

A bit higher than our first weapon on the list, The Catch’s Base ATK tops out at 510. It still isn’t the highest Base ATK, but it’s much more respectable than 354. 

After its Base ATK, The Catch’s secondary stat is Energy Recharge. At Level 90, it increases Zhongli’s Energy Recharge by 45.9%, which helps compensate for his naturally low stat. Higher Energy Recharge means more Elemental Bursts, which is the primary way Zhongli deals damage.

Aside from its stats, The Catch is also great for Elemental Bursts thanks to its primary effect. Shanty increases Elemental Burst DMG by 16% and Elemental Burst CRIT Rate by 6%. This gives a very clean and simple damage boost to Zhongli’s highest DMG move. 

At higher refinement levels, the DMG increase is upped to 32% and the CRIT Rate to 12%. Normally refining weapons is tough since it consumes primogems or other hard-to-obtain materials, but for The Catch, all you’ll need to do is get to fishing. It will still take some time, but you won’t lose out on anything by gambling with Wishes.

Drawbacks

While The Catch is great for boosting Zhongli’s Elemental Burst, it doesn’t actually do much to strengthen his shields. For Burst Sub-DPS builds, it’s a fantastic weapon. It’s a little less effective for Support builds, unfortunately, which is what most players want. 

Another drawback to The Catch is that it can take awhile to get the resources together to actually buy. You won’t need primogems but you also can’t use them to quicken the process either.  We’ll go over those specifics more in the materials section a little later.

In all, The Catch is a great weapon. It’s a good weapon for Zhongli with potential to be great for other characters. Even if you don’t have the Geo Archon, you’ll definitely want to put some time into getting your hands on it.

Materials

Now let’s talk a bit more about the trade-off for being free-to-play. Players will need to spend a good amount of time fishing in Inazuma to get this polearm. It may seem like a lot, but keep in mind you’ll also be able to get all the refinement materials, too. 

To obtain The Catch, you will need the following Inazuman fish:

• 6 Raimei Angelfish
• 20 Golden Koi
• 20 Rusty Koi

For each Ako’s Sake Vessel item (required for refinement), you will need the following Inazuman fish:

• 3 Raimei Angelfish
• 10 Pufferfish
• 10 Bitter Pufferfish

Once you’ve gotten all those fish, you can purchase The Catch and its refinement materials from the Inazuma Fishing Association just outside of Inazuma City. 

After getting the polearm, you will also need some more typical weapon materials to get it into fighting shape. With enough resin, these materials hopefully won’t take as long as the fishing does.

To fully ascend The Catch, you will need the following materials:

• 150k Mora
• 3 Mask of the Wicked Lieutenant (2-star weapon material)
• 9 Mask of the Tiger’s Bite (3-star weapon material)
• 9 Mask of the One-Horned (4-star weapon material)
• 4 Mask of the Kijin (5-star weapon material)
• 15 Chaos Gear (2-star enemy drop)
• 18 Chaos Axis (3-star enemy drop)
• 27 Chaos Oculus (4-star enemy drop)
• 10 Spectral Husk (1-star enemy drop)
• 15 Spectral Heart (2-star enemy drop)
• 18 Spectral Nucleus (3-star enemy drop)

2/5

Vortex Vanquisher (5-Star Polearm)

Coming in at second place in the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact is the first 5-star weapon on our list! The Vortex Vanquisher polearm is a phenomenal weapon and is usually the weapon Zhongli is seen wielding in official art. 

Not only does this weapon have strong stats, it also has an ability very well suited to the Geo Archon.

Stats and Effects

The Vortex Vanquisher’s Base ATK maxes out at 608, only slightly below the Wavebreaker’s Fin polearm and very respectable for a polearm ATK stat. Its secondary stat further increases Zhongli’s ATK by 49.6%. This is the highest ATK% increase you can get from a polearm and helps increase Zhongli’s low Normal Attack DMG.

The real reason the Vortex Vanquisher is so desirable for Zhongli is its main effect. Golden Majesty increases Shield Strength by a base 20%, which is incredibly helpful for Zhongli’s Jade Shields. 

On top of the base Shield Strength increase, scoring hits on enemies increases Zhongli’s ATK by 4% for up to 8 seconds. This effect can stack up to five times for a total ATK increase of up to 20%! The ATK increase effect is further increased by 100% when protected by a shield. 

For players who want to use Zhongli in a more active role, this is the perfect weapon to increase his on-field DMG. It also increases his shield strength, which is the best part of his kit. That alone makes it worth Wishing for the Vortex Vanquisher. 

Drawbacks

Availability is of course a drawback on pretty much any 5-star weapon. It means spending an unknown number of primogems that could be spent on getting new 5-star characters. Not to mention having to wait until the next time the limited time weapon banner rolls around. 

The upside is that the Vortex Vanquisher’s Banner usually runs alongside Zhongli’s Banner re-runs. If you already have Zhongli, you can focus on getting his weapon, though that does mean potentially giving up the chance to increase his Constellation level. 

Along with the Vortex Vanquisher’s low availability, it is also primarily a weapon to increase Zhongli’s efficacy on-field rather than in a Support role. It’s still a good weapon to have even when he is off-field, but there are other weapons that can still increase Shield Strength without putting as much focus on straight ATK. 

Materials

To fully ascend the Vortex Vanquisher, you will need the following materials: 

• 225k Mora
• 5 Grain of Aerosiderite (2-star weapon material)
• 14 Piece of Aerosiderite (3-star weapon material)
• 14 Bit of Aerosiderite (4-star weapon material)
• 6 Chunk of Aerosiderite (5-star weapon material)
• 23 Fragile Bone Shard (2-star enemy drop)
• 27 Sturdy Bone Shard (3-star enemy drop)
• 41 Fossilized Bone Shard (4-star enemy drop)
• 15 Treasure Hoarder Insignia (1-star enemy drop)
• 23 Silver Raven Insignia (2-star enemy drop)
• 27 Golden Raven Insignia (3-star enemy drop)

1/5

Staff of Homa (5-Star Polearm)

Taking the overall top spot when it comes to weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact is the 5-star Staff of Homa polearm!

While this weapon is usually associated with characters like Hu Tao, it is still a fantastic weapon to have and will work well with many different polearm characters. Even if you don’t have Zhongli, we highly recommend putting in the resources to obtain this weapon. 

Stats and Effects

Just like the Vortex Vanquisher, the Staff of Homa’s Base ATK also tops out at 608. Few other polearms have such a high ATK. Unlike the Vortex Vanquisher, though, the Staff of Homa’s secondary stat increases Zhongli’s CRIT DMG by an impressive 66.2%. With the right build, higher CRIT DMG can increase Zhongli’s DMG more than an ATK% increase. Which helps the Staff of Homa place higher on our list. 

After the impressive stats, the Staff of Homa’s primary effect, Reckless Cinnabar, increases HP by 20%. Since more HP translates to stronger shields for Zhongli, this is a very desirable effect for the Geo Archon. On top of the HP increase, Zhongli gains an ATK Bonus based on 0.8% of his Max HP, too. 

Another part of this effect is that when his HP is less than 50%, Zhongli’s ATK Bonus will further increase by 1% of his Max HP. The ATK Bonuses may not sound very impressive, but considering most Zhongli builds will have 40,000+ HP, his ATK boost will easily be a consistent +320–400. 

The nice thing about getting buffs that scale with HP is that it allows players to focus more directly on Zhongli’s HP, further strengthening his Jade Shields and indirectly increasing his ATK. 

Drawbacks

Similarly to the Vortex Vanquisher, the Staff of Homa is not often available. As a 5-star weapon, it can only be obtained during certain limited time event banners. Unlike the Vortex Vanquisher, though, the Staff of Homa doesn’t usually run alongside Zhongli. Players wanting to nab this particular polearm will need to wait for a Hu Tao Banner re-run.

Thrifty players who would rather spend their primogems on getting Zhongli may appreciate that, since they can save up for the weapon separately. 

Unfortunately, the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor doesn’t seem to see Banner reruns very often. Her Banner Moment of Bloom (and the concurrent Epitome Invocation weapon banner) only ran twice in 2021 and didn’t see any reruns in 2022.  

That may mean a long wait for players who don’t already have the Staff of Homa. At least you’ll have plenty of time to save up. 

Materials

To fully ascend the Staff of Homa, you will need the following materials:

• 225k Mora
• 5 Grain of Aerosiderite (2-star weapon material)
• 14 Piece of Aerosiderite (3-star weapon material)
• 14 Bit of Aerosiderite (4-star weapon material)
• 6 Chunk of Aerosiderite (5-star weapon material)
• 23 Dead Ley Line Branch (2-star enemy drop)
• 27 Dead Ley Line Leaves (3-star enemy drop)
• 41 Ley Line Sprout (4-star enemy drop)
• 15 Slime Condensate (1-star enemy drop)
• 23 Slime Secretions (2-star enemy drop)
• 27 Slime Concentrate (3-star enemy drop)

Join the High Ground

That’s it for our list of the best weapons for Zhongli in Genshin Impact! Let us know in the comments below which polearm you’ve given the Geo Archon. You can also let us know which character weapon guides you’re looking forward to next. In the meantime, check out our list of the best weapons for Kazuha here! Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter if you more guides and articles on Genshin Impact and more!

Until next time, ad astra abyssosque, and happy gaming!