So, What's a Weapon Banner Trap Anyway?
Picture this: a shiny niche 5-star like Vortex Vanquisher tanks to B-tier in 6.0's CRIT Lunar meta, especially against those beefy shields. Base rates? 0.7% for 5-stars, 75% chance it's the featured one—no Fate Points carrying over. Vortex at Lv90 packs 608 ATK and 49.6% ATK%. Sure, it pumps out 4k+ Zhongli shields with Archaic Petra, but it's only 75% of Homa's output on Hu Tao. Heck, 70% of players swear by Crimson Moon for that 15-25% DPS bump.
- Skip it unless you're all-in on Arlecchino or Zhongli (R1 Vortex hits 200% ATK under shields).
- Pity math: 106 pulls for 50% odds, 160 for 75%; splits 60% characters, 30% weapons.
- Slap Epitomized Path on those universals.
Natlan's 5.0 P1 ran August 28 to September 17, 2025—Surf's Up Pyro synergy? Fading fast against 6.0 Cryo. Fontaine weapons flop 20-30% in Sumeru EM setups. Now 6.0's Lunar-Bloom/Charged demands CRIT at 1:2 ratio, averaging 70-75 pulls.
Quick Natlan Weapon Banner Rundown
6.1 P2 hits November 12 to December 3, 2025 (UTC+8): Vortex Vanquisher and Crimson Moon reruns. Backtrack to 5.8 P1 (July 30–August 19): Ineffa; 5.0 P1 had Surf's Up and Freedom-Sworn. 4-stars drop every 10 pulls at 5.1% rate, max 160 for guarantee. Natlan hands out 1,600+ Nod-Krai and 1,000 Sunspray Primogems for free.
- Track those reruns—they cycle every 6-8 months.
- Zero-pity pull on Crimson Moon for Arlecchino's 300k+ Burst.
- F2P reality: 12-15k Primogems per patch.
5.8 P2 (August 19–September 9) featured Mualani/Chasca. 6.0 P1 (September 10–30): Lauma/Nahida. Monthly F2P haul? 8-10k Primogems (50-60 pulls), plus 240 Epitomized for guarantees.
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6.0's Icy Crew: Cryo Stars to Watch
6.0 (September 10, 2025) goes full CRIT/ER Lunar—think Flins Lunar-Charged in Bloodsoaked Ruins. Nod-Krai (Lempo/Hiisi/Paha) scales icy, shoving Pyro aside. Bloodsoaked Ruins (674 ATK, 22.1% CRIT Rate) lands S-tier, boosting +36% Lunar-Charged post-Burst. Homa (608 ATK, 66.2% CRIT DMG) crushes at 109% over Dragon's Bane for Hu Tao/Zhongli/Xiao/Raiden.
- Main DPS wants 50% CRIT Rate/200% DMG.
- CRIT trumps EM—test 20s rotations for +30% Vaporize.
- ER? 200%+ for mains, 180-200% subs, Favonius if CRIT Rate's 50%+.
Natlan freebie: Kachina (AR28 Geo Polearm). Swap Mavuika/Mualani/Bennett/Kazuha into Raiden National with R5 Catch/Engulfing. (Editor note: I've run this—feels buttery smooth.)
5-Stars That Actually Slap—No Traps Here
Universals rule: Homa (S-tier, 90%+ effective), Crimson Moon (S-tier for Arlecchino) in 6.0 CRIT. Crimson Moon (674 ATK, 22.1% CRIT Rate) amps Bond of Life to 25% Max HP on Charged, +12% DMG (84% at R5); hits 200k NAs, 1.5M dmg/20s with Arlecchino/Xilonen/Yelan/Bennett.
- R1 pulls give 80-90% efficiency—10-15% shot at R5.
- Refine Homa: +20% HP, converts 1% Max HP to ATK.
- Synergy clears 2-3 rotation 9-star Abyss.
Homa pumps +25% DMG on Hu Tao Vaporize (Yelan/Xingqiu/Bennett). Crimson Moon? 15-25% DPS edge (Burst > Skill > NAs). Mistsplitter (674 ATK, 44.1% CRIT DMG): 100% Ayaka Freeze, 91.6% Clorinde, +28% Ele DMG.
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Weapons to Straight-Up Skip
Niche Vortex Vanquisher (B-tier) gathers dust in 6.0 Lunar. 608 ATK, Golden Majesty (20% Shield +4% ATK/stack, 400% R5); decent Xiao plunge, but 10-20% behind R5 Catch.
- Skip unless it's your guarantee or main.
- Grab Prototype Starglitter polearms instead.
- Low shield uptime kills it.
Vortex trails Homa by 70% on Hu Tao—total Lunar mismatch. Natlan craftables like Earth Shaker (Pyro Skill DMG, 30M cheers) smoke these niche 5-stars. (My take: Why chase B-tier when crafts flex harder?)
Pull or HODL? Your Strategy
F2P leans 80% characters, 20% universals—save 25,600 Primogems (1.8 guarantees). 12-15k per patch; R5 4-stars like Catch (45.9% ER, +32% Burst) outpace R1 5-stars by 10-20%. Welkin Moon? 300/day.
- Crafts need 1 Northlander +50 ores/chunks.
- One per type (Archaic/Starglitter).
- Monthly 8k Primogem buffer.
160 pulls per weapon; Natlan events gift 160 free/banner. F2P crafts Deathmatch/Prototype; whales snag sigs for +20-30% DPS.
F2P Crafts and Solid Swaps
R5 4-stars hit SS-tier: Catch/Deathmatch (polearm), Freedom-Sworn (sword). Prototype Archaic (565 ATK, 27.6% ATK%): 240-480% AoE/15s; Earth Shaker via Condessence.
- Farm billets (12% boss drops, shops).
- Refine SS first (80% resets).
- Iron Sting/Amber deliver 80-90% 5-star power.
Ever tried R5 Catch on Xiangling? 88% Engulfing vibes—game-changer.
Pitfalls and Myths to Dodge
Overcrafting junk like Archaic on Noelle. Blind pulls ignoring 6.0 CRIT. ER stacking without reactions; newbies crafting one/type.
- Validate with role ID, stats, 5-step rotations.
- Ditch EM—Lunar loves CRIT.
- Cover your bases first.
FAQ
What even is a weapon banner trap in Genshin?
Niche 5-stars like Vortex Vanquisher crater to B-tier after 6.0 CRIT Lunar—bye, 25,600 Primogems.
Safe Natlan 5-stars pre-6.0?
Staff of Homa (S-tier CRIT DMG, 109% efficiency), Crimson Moon (15-25% Arlecchino DPS).
How's 6.0 icy roster screwing Natlan weapons?
CRIT/ER Lunar reactions; Pyro niches like Vortex lose 10-20% viability.
Cryo alternatives to Natlan gear?
R5 Catch (88% Engulfing Xiangling), Prototype Archaic—80-90% 5-star power.
Skip Natlan banner for 6.0?
Yep, F2P—unless guarantee on universals. HODL 160 pulls.
Stats on top Natlan 5-stars?
Crimson Moon: 674 ATK, 22.1% CRIT Rate, 84% R5 DMG; Homa: 608 ATK, 66.2% CRIT DMG.
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