The weapon banner in Genshin Impact is both enticing and intimidating. Featuring two powerful 5-star weapons in 5.3, it’s a tempting option for players who want to optimize their characters. However, securing both featured weapons can feel like a monumental task due to the RNG mechanics involved. Fortunately, there’s a strategic trick to increase your chances of obtaining both weapons. Here’s how it works.
Understanding the Weapon Banner Mechanics
The weapon banner operates under a system called the Epitomized Path, which allows players to choose one of the two featured 5-star weapons. When you don’t pull your chosen weapon, you earn a "pity point." After accumulating two pity points, your next 5-star pull is guaranteed to be the weapon you selected.
This system seems straightforward if you only want one of the two weapons. However, if you aim to obtain both, using this system naively can actually lower your chances of success. The trick lies in strategically resetting your Epitomized Path under certain conditions.
The Core Trick: Resetting the Epitomized Path
Here’s the key insight: when you pull a standard 5-star weapon (one that isn’t featured on the banner), your next 5-star pull is guaranteed to be one of the two featured weapons. Additionally, the weapon banner prevents you from pulling a standard weapon twice in a row. This mechanic opens up an opportunity for optimization if you’re aiming for both featured weapons.
Let’s break it down step by step:
Start Pulling Normally
Evaluate Your Pull
If you pull a standard 5-star weapon, reset your Epitomized Path as well.If you pull a featured weapon, great! Now reset your Epitomized Path to the second featured weapon and keep going.
Why Reset After a Standard Weapon?
Resetting your Epitomized Path after pulling a standard weapon ensures that your pity system doesn’t "waste" its guarantee limited weapon. The pity mechanics already prevent you from pulling a standard weapon twice in a row. By resetting, you maximize your chances of securing the second featured weapon.Continue Pulling
With the Epitomized Path now set to the second weapon, your next 5-star pull will either be the second featured weapon or another standard weapon (which the banner prevents from happening consecutively). This cycle increases the likelihood of obtaining both weapons without unnecessary losses.The Math Behind the Strategy
The Genshin Impact weapon banner has three possible outcomes when you pull a 5-star item:
- Featured Weapon #1
- Featured Weapon #2
- Standard Weapon
At baseline, each has a 37.5% chance, while standard weapons have a 25% chance. However, the pity system guarantees that after a standard weapon, you’ll pull one of the featured weapons next. By resetting your Epitomized Path after pulling a standard weapon, you effectively "save" your pity for the second featured weapon.
Without resetting, the Epitomized Path’s guarantee could overlap with the standard weapon pity mechanic, reducing your chances of obtaining both weapons efficiently. Resetting avoids this overlap.
A Practical Example
Imagine a banner featuring A Thousand Blazing Suns and Starcaller’s Watch. You want both weapons and start pulling with the Epitomized Path set to A Thousand Blazing Suns.
Situation 1:
You get A Thousand Blazing Suns.
- It’s a win! Reset the Epitomized Path to Starcaller’s Watch and continue pulling as usual.
Situation 2:
You get Starcaller’s Watch.
- This is also a win! Your next pity pull is 100% guaranteed to be A Thousand Blazing Suns.
Situation 3:
You get a standard weapon (e.g., Skyward Blade).
- Reset the Epitomized Path to Starcaller’s Watch.
- Your next 5-star pull is now guaranteed to be one of the featured weapons—either A Thousand Blazing Suns or Starcaller’s Watch.
If you get Starcaller’s Watch, you’ve saved some pulls since your next pity will now be 100% guaranteed to give A Thousand Blazing Suns.
If you get A Thousand Blazing Suns, reset the Epitomized Path to Starcaller’s Watch and continue pulling. Your next 5-star pull will either be Starcaller’s Watch, another standard weapon, or A Thousand Blazing Suns again.
- If you get Starcaller’s Watch, success! You’ve obtained both weapons with minimal risk.
- If you get A Thousand Blazing Suns, your next pity is guaranteed to be Starcaller’s Watch.
- If you get another standard weapon, your next pity is also 100% guaranteed to be Starcaller’s Watch.
When to Use This Strategy
This strategy is only effective if you’re specifically aiming for both featured weapons. If you only want one weapon, there’s no need to reset your Epitomized Path after pulling a standard weapon. Simply let the pity system work as intended to guarantee your chosen weapon after two pity points.
Important Considerations
- Primogem Investment Pulling on the weapon banner is a significant investment, as each pull costs 160 Primogems. The Epitomized Path trick requires several pulls to be effective, so ensure that you have enough resources before attempting this method.
- Patience is Key The weapon banner operates on RNG, so even with this trick, there’s no 100% guarantee you’ll pull both weapons in a reasonable timeframe. Be prepared for some patience.
- Resetting Too Early Avoid resetting the Epitomized Path too early, as it could waste valuable pulls. Ensure that the reset only happens after you pull a standard weapon and when you're actively aiming for both featured weapons.
Final Thoughts
The trick to getting both weapons from the Genshin Impact weapon banner isn’t about pure luck—it’s about optimizing your pulls and leveraging the mechanics at your disposal. With patience and strategy, you can increase your chances of obtaining both featured weapons without burning through your Primogems unnecessarily.
Good luck!
