Introduction
Genshin Impact's free-to-play roster is remarkably strong. While 5-star characters headline the meta, several 4-star characters—available from the Starglitter shop, permanent events, or given for free through the story—compete with and sometimes outperform their 5-star counterparts. This guide ranks the absolute best F2P-accessible characters, with complete weapon, artifact, main stat, talent priority, and Constellation recommendations for each. Every character on this list is obtainable without spending Primogems on limited banners, either through the permanent roster, monthly Starglitter rotation, or permanent free events.
The tier definitions below are calibrated for Spiral Abyss Floor 12 at C0-6 investment. Characters in higher tiers see usage in speedrun and 36-star clears even among whale accounts.
F2P Tier List
| Tier | Characters | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SS | Bennett, Xiangling, Xingqiu | Meta-defining. Core of the strongest teams. Used by whales and F2P alike. 90%+ Abyss usage rate in CN. |
| S | Fischl, Sucrose, Kuki Shinobu | Extremely strong. Enables entire team archetypes (Fischl for Aggravate, Sucrose for VV+TTDS, Kuki for Hyperbloom). |
| A | Yaoyao, Chevreuse | Strong role consolidation. Yaoyao: Dendro healer. Chevreuse: Overload enabler + healer. |
| B | Barbara, Collei, Lynette, Noelle (C6) | Niche but viable. Barbara: early-game healer/Hydro app. Collei: budget Dendro. Lynette: budget Anemo VV. Noelle C6: Geo DPS. |
Characters excluded from this list (despite being 4-star) due to requiring specific 5-star banner pulls: Faruzan (needs C6 + Wanderer/Xiao), Gorou (needs Itto/Albedo), Sara (needs Raiden + C6), Mika (needs Eula), Kaveh (strictly worse than other Dendro options).
SS Tier
Bennett — The Pyro Archon
Role: ATK Buffer, Healer, Pyro Battery Obtained From: Starglitter Shop (November/May), Standard Banner, all limited banners Why He's SS: Bennett's Elemental Burst (Fantastic Voyage) provides the single largest ATK buff in Genshin Impact. At C1 with a Level 90 Aquila Favonia, he grants ~1,200 flat ATK to all party members standing in his circle. This single ability enables entire team archetypes (National, Melt, Mono Pyro, Hypercarry). He also heals at 7-8K per tick, consolidating healer and buffer into one slot.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Base ATK | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aquila Favonia | 674 | Highest base ATK in game — maximum ATK buff. Equip on Bennett regardless of Physical DMG substat. |
| Mistsplitter Reforged | 674 | Same base ATK as Aquila, slightly worse due to 5-star opportunity cost for your DPS. |
| Skyward Blade | 608 | Good base ATK + ER substat — balances buff and burst uptime. |
| Sapwood Blade (craftable) | 565 | Best F2P option. ER substat + craftable from Sumeru. Leaf buff provides 60-120 EM to pick-up character. |
| Prototype Rancour | 565 | Physical DMG substat wasted, but high base ATK if you lack ER swords. |
| Alley Flash | 620 | High base ATK, but EM substat is low-value. Only if lacking ER swords. |
| Favonius Sword | 454 | Low base ATK = smaller ATK buff. Only use if your team has critical ER issues. |
Rule of thumb: Maximize Base ATK. ER from artifacts can compensate; Base ATK only comes from the weapon and Bennett's own level.
Artifact Set
4-piece Noblesse Oblige (mandatory). The 4-piece effect grants 20% ATK to the entire party for 12 seconds after using Elemental Burst — stacking perfectly with Bennett's Fantastic Voyage.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | ER% (or HP% if ER is >220% from substats) | ER% > HP% > Flat HP |
| Goblet | HP% | ER% > Flat HP > any |
| Circlet | Healing Bonus% (or HP%) | ER% > HP% > Flat HP |
ER Target: 200%+ in most teams. 220%+ in teams without a second Pyro character (solo Pyro). 250%+ with low-refinement Favonius/Sacrificial weapons.
Talent Priority
- Elemental Burst (Q) — Crown it. Every level increases the ATK buff ratio.
- Elemental Skill (E) — Level 6. Used for particle generation, damage is secondary.
- Normal Attack — Leave at Level 1. Never used.
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Removes HP restriction on ATK buff. ATK buff gains 20% of Base ATK. | MANDATORY — Bennett without C1 loses ~20% of his buff value and can't buff characters below 70% HP. |
C2-C5 are minor QoL improvements. C6 is controversial — it infuses melee characters with Pyro. Do NOT activate C6 if you use Bennett with Physical DPS (Eula, Razor) or characters who are overridden by Pyro infusion (Keqing, Ayaka).
Xiangling — The Polearm Archon
Role: Off-Field Pyro DPS Obtained From: Clearing Spiral Abyss Floor 3, Chamber 3 (free permanent reward). Additional constellations from Starglitter Shop (January/July), all banners. Why She's SS: No other 4-star character has maintained S-tier relevance for 5+ years. Xiangling's Pyronado has no ICD on Pyro application, snapshots all buffs at cast time (Bennett's ATK, Sucrose's EM, Kazuha's DMG%), and deals damage in a massive 360-degree AoE. At C4, Pyronado lasts 14 seconds with a 20-second cooldown — 70% uptime. In National teams, Xiangling typically accounts for 40-50% of total team damage.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Staff of Scarlet Sands (Cyno's) | Best-in-slot for Vape Xiangling. EM → ATK conversion + high Crit Rate. |
| Engulfing Lightning | ER → ATK conversion. Solves ER needs while providing high ATK. |
| The Catch R5 (free from Inazuma Fishing) | F2P best-in-slot. 32% Burst DMG + 12% Burst Crit Rate. Free. Get this. |
| Wavebreaker's Fin R3+ | High base ATK + Burst DMG. Only good at high refinements on high-Energy-cost teams. |
| Deathmatch | Crit Rate stat stick. Worse than The Catch R5 for Vape. |
| Dragon's Bane R5 | High EM + DMG% against Hydro/Pyro-affected enemies. Great for Vape if you can meet ER requirements. |
| Favonius Lance | Low damage, high team utility. Use only if ER is severely lacking. |
Artifact Set
4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate (mandatory). Xiangling has an 80-cost burst. At 200% ER, Emblem provides 50% Burst DMG bonus. This scales directly with Vaporize multiplier.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | ER% (or EM, if you have 200%+ ER from substats) | ER% > Crit > EM > ATK% |
| Goblet | Pyro DMG% | Crit > EM > ATK% > ER% |
| Circlet | Crit Rate or Crit DMG (balance for 1:2) | Crit > EM > ER% > ATK% |
ER Target: 180-200% with Bennett battery (dual Pyro). 220-240% without Bennett. 240%+ in Mualani teams (solo Pyro, zero Xiangling particle generation from teammates).
Talent Priority
- Elemental Burst (Q) — Crown it. This is her entire damage profile.
- Elemental Skill (E) — Level 6-8. Guoba provides supplemental damage and Pyro application.
- Normal Attack — Leave at Level 1. Never used.
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C4 | Pyronado duration extends from 10s to 14s. 40% total damage increase. | Highest priority. C4 Xiangling transforms from "good" to "meta-defining." |
C1 (Guoba reduces Pyro RES by 15%) and C6 (15% Pyro DMG during Pyronado) are nice additions but not transformative.
Xingqiu — The Hydro Archon
Role: Off-Field Hydro DPS, Damage Reduction, Minor Healing Obtained From: Starglitter Shop (March/September), Standard Banner, all limited banners. Also a free Lantern Rite pick (Yearly event). Why He's SS: Xingqiu's Rain Swords provide the best off-field Hydro application in the game at C6. His burst fires 2-3-5 sword waves (C0/C1/C6) every normal attack, with each wave dealing ~5,000 damage per sword. His Rain Swords also provide damage reduction (up to 29% at Talent 10), interruption resistance, and minor healing when they expire. At C6, Xingqiu generates 15-17 Hydro particles per rotation while dealing 300K+ total burst damage — on a character built for ER and support.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sacrificial Sword R3+ | Best-in-slot. Double E procs double the Hydro particles, solves his ER completely. The E deals massive damage (two hits, 700%+ total scaling at Talent 10). |
| Favonius Sword | Team battery alternative. Lower personal damage than Sacrificial. |
| Skyward Blade | High base ATK + ER. Good stat stick. |
| Festering Desire | Event-exclusive. Skill DMG + Skill Crit Rate. Great if you have it. |
| Fleuve Cendre Ferryman (Fontaine fishing) | Free ER sword. Works if no Sacrificial. |
| Amenoma Kageuchi | F2P craftable. Only use if you have no ER sword. |
Artifact Set
4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate (standard DPS build). Alternative: 2pc Heart of Depth + 2pc Noblesse Oblige if substats are significantly better — but Emblem is approximately 8-12% better overall.
Energy-focused support build: 4pc Noblesse Oblige if no other team member is using it. However, this sacrifices significant personal damage — only recommended if Xingqiu's damage is <10% of team total.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | ATK% (or ER% if below 180% ER) | Crit > ATK% > ER% > EM |
| Goblet | Hydro DMG% | Crit > ATK% > ER% |
| Circlet | Crit Rate or Crit DMG | Crit > ATK% > ER% |
ER Target: 180-200% with Sacrificial Sword R3+. 220-240% without Sacrificial in solo Hydro. 160-180% with Sacrificial in double Hydro (Yelan/Xingqiu). At C6, Energy regeneration improves significantly — ER requirement drops by ~20%.
Talent Priority
- Elemental Burst (Q) — Crown it. Rain Sword damage scales with levels.
- Elemental Skill (E) — Level 8+. High scaling (two-hit combo with Sacrificial = 1400%+ total).
- Normal Attack — Leave at Level 1.
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | Extends burst duration from 15s to 18s. Reduces enemy Hydro RES by 15% for 4s when hit by Rain Sword. | High priority. The Hydro RES shred affects Yelan, Childe, and other Hydro DPS. |
| C6 | Increases Rain Sword waves from 3 to 5 on the third wave. Massive Energy regeneration boost (3 particles → 5 particles per third wave). | Highest priority. C6 Xingqiu is the ceiling — he deals 50% more damage and completely solves his own ER. |
S Tier
Fischl — The Prinzessin
Role: Off-Field Electro DPS, Battery Obtained From: Starglitter Shop (January/July), Standard Banner, all limited banners. Why She's S: Fischl's A4 passive (Undone Be Thy Sinful Hex) deals an additional 80% ATK as Electro DMG whenever an Electro-related reaction is triggered while Oz is on-field. In Aggravate teams, this procs on every Quicken → Aggravate trigger — effectively doubling Fischl's damage output. At C6, Oz attacks alongside your active character, providing near-permanent off-field Electro at 1s intervals. Fischl is the core enabler for Aggravate teams (Keqing, Yae Miko, Cyno) and Taser variants.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Polar Star / Aqua Simulacra / Skyward Harp | 5-star Crit bows — all perform similarly. |
| The Stringless R5 | 4-star best-in-slot. 48% Skill+Burst DMG. Oz's damage is entirely Skill damage. |
| Alley Hunter R5 | Slightly higher ceiling than Stringless when Oz is off-field. |
| Favonius Warbow | Team battery, lower personal damage. |
| Slingshot R5 | 3-star Crit Rate stat stick. 31.2% Crit Rate at Level 90. Surprisingly competitive at low investment. |
Artifact Set
4-piece Golden Troupe (best-in-slot). Provides 70% Skill DMG when off-field — Oz is always off-field, so 100% uptime on the 4pc effect. Farm Domain: Marechaussee Hunter / Golden Troupe (Fontaine).
Alternative: 2pc Thundering Fury + 2pc Gladiator/Shimenawa or 2pc+2pc ATK% — functional but 12-18% weaker.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | ATK% (or EM in Aggravate teams) | Crit > ATK% > EM > ER% |
| Goblet | Electro DMG% | Crit > ATK% > EM |
| Circlet | Crit Rate or Crit DMG | Crit > ATK% > EM |
Talent Priority
- Elemental Skill (E) — Level 9+. Oz's damage is all Skill scaling.
- Elemental Burst (Q) — Level 6. Refreshes Oz duration, damage is secondary.
- Normal Attack — Level 1 (unless C6 physical Fischl meme build — not recommended).
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C6 | Oz attacks with active character (30% ATK as Electro). Extends Oz duration by 2s to 12s. | Highest priority. C6 doubles Fischl's Electro application rate and adds massive supplemental damage. |
Sucrose — The Budget Kazuha
Role: Anemo Grouper, EM Buffer, VV Shredder Obtained From: Standard Banner, all limited banners. Why She's S: Sucrose shares 20% of her Elemental Mastery with the party (A4 passive) + an additional 50 EM on Elemental Skill/Burst hit. With a full EM build (800+ EM), she provides 210+ EM to the team — directly buffing Vaporize, Melt, Aggravate, and Hyperbloom damage. She also holds 4pc Viridescent Venerer for 40% RES shred and can equip Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers for 48% ATK transfer.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sacrificial Fragments R3+ | Best-in-slot. 221 EM + double E procs for grouping and particle generation. |
| A Thousand Floating Dreams | 265 EM (highest), but 5-star opportunity cost. |
| Mappa Mare R5 | Craftable EM catalyst. 110 EM + 32% Elemental DMG. |
| Magic Guide R5 | 3-star EM stat stick (187 EM at Level 90). Surprisingly effective. |
| Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers R5 | 48% ATK transfer for hypercarry support. Low personal EM but massive team buff. |
Artifact Set
4-piece Viridescent Venerer (mandatory). 40% RES shred on swirled element is the primary reason to bring any Anemo character.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | EM | ER% > EM (flat) > ATK% |
| Goblet | EM | ER% > EM (flat) |
| Circlet | EM | ER% > EM (flat) |
ER Target: 160-180% with Sacrificial Fragments. 180-200% without Sacrificial. C1 provides a second E charge, reducing ER needs by ~20%.
Talent Priority
Sucrose's talents contribute minimal damage. Swirl damage scales only with character level and EM — talent levels do not affect Swirl.
- Elemental Skill + Burst: Level 6 each. Function over damage.
- Normal Attack: Leave at Level 1.
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Gains a second charge of Elemental Skill. | High priority. Two E charges double grouping potential and particle generation. |
C6 provides 20% Elemental DMG bonus to swirled element — significant but requires C6 RNG.
Kuki Shinobu — The Hyperbloom Queen
Role: Hyperbloom Trigger, Healer Obtained From: Standard Banner, all limited banners. Why She's S: Kuki Shinobu is the best Hyperbloom trigger in the game for most teams. Her Elemental Skill creates a ring that deals Electro damage every 1.5 seconds in a circle around her — perfect pacing for triggering Hyperbloom on Dendro Cores (max 2 instances of Hyperbloom damage per 0.5 seconds per target). With a full EM build (900-1000 EM), each Hyperbloom deals 30-35K damage, and she heals for 2.5-3.5K per tick simultaneously. At C2, her skill has 100% uptime.
Weapon Options
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Freedom-Sworn | Best 5-star EM sword. 198 EM + team buff. |
| Xiphos' Moonlight R3+ | EM + team-wide ER based on Kuki's EM. |
| Iron Sting (craftable) | F2P best-in-slot. 165 EM at Level 90. Free from forging. |
| Toukabou Shigure (event) | Event-exclusive EM sword. 165 EM. |
| Dark Iron Sword | 3-star EM sword (141 EM at Level 90). Only one exists in-game (from Chen the Sharp NPC in Liyue). |
| Key of Khaj-Nisut | HP sword — not for Hyperbloom Kuki (EM is everything). Only for healer-focused builds. |
Artifact Set
4-piece Gilded Dreams — Best-in-slot. Provides 80 EM baseline + additional EM based on team elements (150 EM total with 2 non-Electro/Dendro teammates).
Alternative: 4-piece Flower of Paradise Lost — Slightly higher Hyperbloom damage (~5%), but tied to a less resin-efficient Domain. Not worth farming specifically for Kuki.
Budget: 2pc Gilded + 2pc Wanderer's Troupe (160 EM total) — perfectly serviceable.
Main Stats
| Piece | Main Stat | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | EM | EM (flat) > HP% > ER% |
| Goblet | EM | EM (flat) > HP% |
| Circlet | EM | EM (flat) > HP% |
EM Target: 900-1000. Every point of EM directly increases Hyperbloom damage. HP% substats are secondary — they only affect healing, which is already adequate at full EM.
Talent Priority
Hyperbloom Kuki's talent levels are nearly irrelevant — Hyperbloom damage scales with character level and EM, not talent multipliers.
- Elemental Skill (E) — Level 6-8 for marginal healing increase.
- Everything else — Level 1.
However, LEVEL KUKI TO 90. The Hyperbloom reaction damage formula includes a level multiplier. At Level 80, the level multiplier is 1011. At Level 90, it's 1446 — a 34% damage increase from levels alone.
Key Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | Extends Sanctifying Ring duration from 12s to 15s. Cooldown is 15s → 100% uptime. | High priority. Without C2, there's a 3-second gap between rings. |
C4 adds supplemental Electro damage. C6 grants a one-time cheat-death (prevents lethal damage, 60s cooldown).
A Tier
Yaoyao — The Dendro Nurse
Role: Dendro Healer, Dendro Applier Obtained From: Free from "A Parade of Providence" event (permanent) or Lantern Rite invite. Standard and limited banners. Why She's A: Yaoyao is the only 4-star Dendro healer aside from Kirara (who is more of a shielder). Her Elemental Skill (Yuegui: Throwing Mode) deploys a radish that periodically heals and applies Dendro to nearby enemies. Her Burst sends out three additional radishes and makes Yaoyao on-field for 5 seconds while healing the entire party. In Nilou Bloom teams, Hyperbloom, and Aggravate teams, she consolidates Dendro application and healing — freeing a team slot.
Weapon and Artifact Build
| Slot | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Favonius Lance (team battery), Black Tassel (max HP for healing), Kitain Cross Spear (craftable, EM + Energy refund) |
| Artifact | 4pc Deepwood Memories (Dendro RES shred for team) or 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith (team ATK buff) |
| Main Stats | HP% / HP% / Healing Bonus% (healer build). EM / EM / EM (Bloom teams) |
| Talent Priority | E ≥ Q. Normal Attack irrelevant. |
Chevreuse — The Overload Specialist
Role: Overload Enabler, Healer, ATK Buffer Obtained From: Limited banners (not permanently free, but 4-star accessible). Why She's A: Chevreuse is the sole enabler of Overload teams. When her team consists of only Pyro and Electro characters, her Elemental Skill reduces enemy Pyro and Electro RES by 40% for 6 seconds — equivalent to a free Viridescent Venerer set without needing an Anemo character. She also heals and provides up to 40% ATK (from her A4 passive, scaling with her max HP up to 40,000 HP).
| Slot | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Favonius Lance, Black Tassel (HP stat stick), Rightful Reward (Fontaine craftable HP spear) |
| Artifact | 4pc Noblesse Oblige or 4pc Song of Days Past |
| Main Stats | HP% / HP% / Healing Bonus% or HP% |
| ER Target | 180%+ for consistent burst uptime |
| Talent Priority | E ≥ Q. Normal Attack irrelevant. |
Investment Priority Roadmap for F2P Players
If you're starting from zero, invest in this order:
- Xiangling → Get The Catch R5 (free, ~4 hours of fishing). Level 80/90. C4 from Lantern Rite or Starglitter.
- Bennett → Level 80/90. C1 from Starglitter (34 Starglitter, save from wishing). Sapwood Blade from crafting.
- Xingqiu → Level 80/90. Sacrificial Sword if available; otherwise Favonius/ER sword. C2 minimum, C6 target.
- Kuki Shinobu → Level 90 (mandatory — Hyperbloom scales with level). Full EM Gilded Dreams. C2.
- Fischl → Level 80/90. Stringless R5. C6 eventually but functional at C0.
- Sucrose → Level 80/90 (Swirl scales with level). Full EM VV. Sacrificial Fragments.
With Bennett, Xiangling, Xingqiu at C4/C1/C6 and reasonable investment (Level 80, relevant Talents at 8+, Level 90 weapons, +20 artifacts with correct main stats), you can clear Spiral Abyss Floor 12 consistently.
