Look, I've been testing Zhongli builds since his release, and weapon choice in Version 6.1 really comes down to one thing: what role do you actually need him to fill? His kit revolves around HP scaling for those beefy shields (you're aiming for 50k+ Max HP if you're serious) and CRIT stats when you want his meteor to actually hurt people (+33% Max HP scaling on burst damage).
Staff of Homa absolutely dominates this space. That HP-to-ATK conversion paired with 66.2% CRIT DMG? Chef's kiss. Meanwhile, Vortex Vanquisher sits in this weird spot where it's his signature weapon but honestly underperforms in most real scenarios. And then there's Black Tassel – the little 3-star that could, sporting a ridiculous 46.9% HP substat that makes it the F2P king.
Here's the math that matters: Shield absorption uses Base 1232 + 12.8% Max HP with 150% effectiveness against most damage types. Burst damage tacks on 33% Max HP to Planet Befall's already chunky 401% AoE multiplier. Energy-wise, you're looking at 120-140% ER for mixed teams, dropping to 100-110% with proper batteries.
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Zhongli Weapon Tier List Overview & Ranking Methodology
How I Actually Rank These Things
I use three core metrics that actually matter in practice: shield absorption scaling (because what's the point of a shield that breaks?), burst damage optimization (33% Max HP bonus is no joke), and energy management (nobody likes waiting for burst).
Jade Shield gets interesting with fortification stacks – each hit you take adds +5% strength, maxing at 25%. That's exponential scaling when you've got high base HP. The 20% All Elemental RES shred? That's constant regardless of your weapon choice, so don't factor it into weapon decisions.
Shield support builds are all about hitting that 50k+ Max HP sweet spot. Trust me, once you're there, corrosion becomes a minor inconvenience rather than a death sentence. Burst support builds need to juggle HP with CRIT optimization – aim for 30%+ CRIT Rate with proper 1:2 ratios while keeping shields functional.
Here's where people mess up: hybrid builds. They sound great on paper but usually end up mediocre at everything instead of excellent at one thing.
The Budget Reality Check
F2P players, Black Tassel is your best friend. That 46.9% HP substat comes from crafting – no gacha gambling required. Premium 5-stars offer major improvements, sure, but they'll cost you serious primogems.
Mid-tier options like The Catch (fishing grind, but free) and Favonius Lance bridge that gap nicely with specialized perks for energy or burst enhancement.
S-Tier: Staff of Homa - The Premium Choice
Why This Thing's Broken (In a Good Way)
608 ATK and 66.2% CRIT DMG at Level 90. But here's the kicker – Reckless Cinnabar gives you +20% HP unconditionally, PLUS 0.8% Max HP converted to ATK (bumps to 1% when you're below 50% HP).
At 50k Max HP, you're looking at 400-500 additional ATK while still getting all those HP benefits. The CRIT DMG substat enables 50k+ burst damage with proper artifact optimization. It's honestly kind of ridiculous.
Build Synergies That Actually Work
Pairs beautifully with 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate for burst builds (that +75% maximum Burst DMG bonus hits different) or 4-piece Tenacity for shield builds (+20% HP plus team ATK buffs).
Your main stats should be: HP% Sands, Geo DMG% Goblet, CRIT Rate/DMG Circlet. Target 45k+ Max HP with 1:2 CRIT ratios. Substat priority goes CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > HP% > Energy Recharge.
Is It Worth Your Primogems?
Here's the thing – this weapon works on Hu Tao, Xiao, and basically any polearm user you'll ever pull. That's long-term account value right there. R1 to R5 improvements mostly affect CRIT DMG (66.2% to 82.75%) with diminishing returns, but R1 performance already justifies the investment for dedicated Zhongli users.
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A-Tier: Vortex Vanquisher - The Signature Weapon Debate
When It Actually Shines
This weapon performs best when Zhongli gets sustained field time for ATK stacks. Golden Majesty provides +20% Shield Strength baseline plus ATK stacking (+4% per hit, maxing at 40% under shield protection).
It excels in on-field Zhongli builds and teams where you maintain shield uptime religiously. That +20% Shield Strength translates to 6k-8k effective HP improvement at typical values – nothing to sneeze at.
The Honest Homa vs Vortex Comparison
Staff of Homa gives immediate value in quick-swap teams. Vortex Vanquisher needs 1.5-2 seconds to reach optimal stacks – and in today's fast-paced meta, that's an eternity.
Homa achieves higher burst damage through CRIT DMG scaling. Vortex provides consistent auto-attack damage when properly maintained. But here's the reality check: resource efficiency strongly favors Homa due to broader compatibility and immediate effectiveness.
B-Tier: Black Tassel - The F2P King for Shield Support
Why This Little Guy Punches Above Its Weight
46.9% HP substat at Level 90 represents the highest HP scaling among 3-star weapons. Period. You'll hit 48k-52k Max HP with proper artifacts, creating 7k-8k base shield absorption (10k-12k effective against most damage types).
Accessible through crafting with easy R5 refinement. The passive (+80% slime damage) is completely irrelevant, making this a pure HP stat stick – and that's perfectly fine.
The HP Scaling Magic
Enables 100% shield uptime (20-second duration, 12-second cooldown) with exponential scaling through fortification stacks. At 50k Max HP, each fortification stack adds 400-500 effective shield HP.
Universal 150% effectiveness provides consistent value regardless of what you're fighting. This enables fragile DPS characters to operate without dedicated healing support – game-changing for certain team comps.
Comfort Build That Just Works
Optimal setup: HP% main stats on Sands/Goblet/Circlet with 4-piece Tenacity (+20% HP, team ATK buffs). Artifact substats focus HP% > Flat HP > Energy Recharge – ignore CRIT stats entirely.
Talent priority: Elemental Skill to 9+, burst 6-8. Character ascension to 90/90 provides significant HP gains through base stat scaling. Simple, effective, cheap.
Alternative Weapons: Primordial Jade & The Catch Analysis
Primordial Jade's Niche Appeal
22.1% CRIT Rate substat addresses optimization headaches for burst builds. Stack mechanic (+3.2% ATK per hit, maximum 7 stacks, +12% DMG at max) requires sustained field time – sound familiar?
Excels in physical DPS builds with easier CRIT optimization than CRIT DMG weapons. Competitive burst damage but lacks HP synergy for optimal shield strength. It's... fine.
The Catch for Burst Enthusiasts
Specialized burst optimization (+16% Burst CRIT Rate, +60% Burst CRIT DMG at R5) with 45.9% Energy Recharge substat. F2P accessible through fishing – though that's a significant time investment.
Enables consistent burst rotation without ER artifact substats. R5 refinement is absolutely essential for competitive performance. High damage ceiling potential when properly invested.
Favonius Lance's Utility Role
Serves as energy battery with CRIT-based particle generation (6 energy particles, 3-second cooldown at R5). 61.3% Energy Recharge substat enables burst spam builds.
Excels in energy-hungry compositions or when batterying other Geo characters. Limited damage output due to lack of HP/CRIT DMG scaling makes it a specialized utility choice.
Build-Specific Weapon Recommendations
Shield Support Priorities
Black Tassel optimal for most players through exceptional HP% substat and accessibility – you'll hit 50k+ Max HP builds easily. Staff of Homa provides superior performance (+20% HP passive) but requires significant investment for what amounts to marginal shield improvements.
Vortex Vanquisher offers unique +20% Shield Strength bonus, but its ATK-focused scaling provides minimal support value. Hard pass for pure support builds.
Burst DPS Hierarchy
Staff of Homa dominates through CRIT DMG substat, HP scaling, and ATK conversion – enabling 60k+ burst damage with 45k+ Max HP. It's not even close.
The Catch provides F2P burst optimization, but R5 is essential for competitive performance. Primordial Jade offers balanced CRIT Rate scaling but lacks HP synergy optimization.
Hybrid Build Reality
Staff of Homa uniquely satisfies both HP scaling and CRIT requirements without significant compromises. Alternative approaches involve performance trade-offs: Black Tassel with CRIT circlet or The Catch with HP% substats.
Resource allocation typically exceeds specialized builds while often resulting in suboptimal performance. Just pick a lane and commit.
Weapon-Artifact Synergy Guide
Tenacity Pairings That Work
4-piece Tenacity provides +20% HP and +20% party ATK buffs – excellent synergy with HP-focused weapons. Black Tassel combinations achieve 52k+ Max HP optimization for hypercarry teams.
Staff of Homa synergy creates versatile builds maintaining excellent shields with meaningful burst damage through CRIT DMG compensation. Best of both worlds.
Stat Priority by Weapon Choice
Staff of Homa builds: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > HP% > Energy Recharge. Target 30%+ CRIT Rate, 1:2 ratios, 45k+ Max HP, 120%+ ER.
Black Tassel builds: HP% > Flat HP > Energy Recharge exclusively. Target 50k+ Max HP, 100-110% ER. Ignore everything else.
Vortex Vanquisher/Primordial Jade: ATK% > CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > HP% for damage optimization.
Investment Priority & Resource Planning
F2P Player Game Plan
Prioritize Black Tassel for 90% shield strength of premium alternatives with zero gacha investment. The Catch serves as optimal F2P burst option – fishing time investment required, R5 essential.
Resource allocation should prioritize character ascension to 90/90 and talent levels (Skill 9+, Burst 8+) before weapon upgrades beyond F2P options. Get the fundamentals right first.
Spender Strategy
Staff of Homa primary target due to versatility and cross-character compatibility – maximizing account value per primogem spent. Vortex Vanquisher represents luxury choice for dedicated mains prioritizing aesthetics over optimization.
Investment timing should align with favorable weapon banner conditions and adequate primogem reserves (up to 240 pulls worst-case scenario). Plan accordingly.
Refinement vs New Weapon Logic
Refinements show diminishing returns. R1 to R5 improvements rarely justify cost compared to new weapon acquisition for different characters. Black Tassel refinements offer minimal value due to irrelevant passive.
The Catch refinements provide meaningful burst improvements worth pursuing to R5 through fishing. Decision framework should prioritize roster coverage over refinement levels – always.
Common Mistakes & Expert Tips
Weapon Selection Pitfalls I See Constantly
Choosing Vortex Vanquisher over Staff of Homa based solely on signature designation ignores performance differences in typical quick-swap usage. Don't fall for the marketing.
Underestimating Black Tassel effectiveness leads to unnecessary gacha investment when 85-90% shield strength suffices for pure support builds. Sometimes good enough is actually good enough.
Ignoring Energy Recharge requirements causes inconsistent burst rotation and reduced utility. Don't be that person.
Team Synergy Considerations
Weapon selection must align with team composition and Zhongli's actual role. Hypercarry teams benefit from Black Tassel's maximum shields. Mono-Geo teams favor Staff of Homa's damage contribution.
Energy-hungry teams require Favonius Lance particle generation or The Catch ER scaling consideration. Elemental reaction teams may benefit from Archaic Petra synergy influencing weapon choice.
Future Meta Thoughts
Version 6.1 trends toward HP scaling and shield utility make weapon choices increasingly relevant. Staff of Homa's versatility aligns with meta evolution and provides future-proofing.
Corrosion mechanics favor shield strength optimization, supporting Black Tassel's F2P value proposition. New weapon releases should be evaluated against Staff of Homa's comprehensive stat distribution benchmark.
FAQ
What's the best weapon for Zhongli in Genshin Impact 6.1? Staff of Homa ranks best overall – optimal HP scaling (+20% HP), CRIT DMG (66.2%), and ATK conversion (0.8% Max HP). Excels in both shield support and burst DPS with excellent cross-character compatibility.
Is Black Tassel actually viable compared to 5-star weapons? Absolutely. Provides 85-90% of premium shield strength through that 46.9% HP substat. At 50k+ Max HP, you're creating unbreakable shields for all content while requiring zero gacha investment. F2P king for a reason.
Should I use Vortex Vanquisher or Staff of Homa? Staff of Homa outperforms in most scenarios due to immediate effectiveness and superior quick-swap performance. Vortex Vanquisher requires sustained field time for stacks and offers limited account value despite being his signature weapon.
How much Energy Recharge does Zhongli actually need? Target 120-140% ER for consistent burst rotation in mixed teams, reducible to 100-110% with team batteries. The Catch (45.9% ER) or Favonius Lance (61.3% ER) reduce artifact ER requirements significantly.
What weapon for Zhongli burst support builds? Staff of Homa provides optimal burst performance through CRIT DMG and HP synergy – enabling 60k+ damage with strong shields. F2P alternatives: The Catch (R5 essential) for burst CRIT bonuses or Primordial Jade for CRIT Rate scaling.
Is refining Zhongli weapons worth the investment? Refinements offer diminishing returns across the board. Black Tassel refinements provide minimal value, Staff of Homa improvements don't justify cost. Only The Catch refinements (through fishing) offer meaningful performance gains worth pursuing to R5.
