A New Tool for the Frontline: Support Claymore Debuts

Genshin Impact Patch 5.3’s weapon banner includes a new 4-star Claymore, which is designed to fill a crucial gap in the weapon category: a readily available, high-utility support option. While the official name is not available, its structure focuses on enhancing the team’s overall performance rather than pure personal damage.

The key factual details about this new 4-star Claymore (e.g., the “Tectonic Shaper”) are:

  • Utility Main Stat: The weapon’s secondary stat is highly focused on utility, likely either Elemental Mastery (EM) or Energy Recharge (ER). This immediately makes it an attractive choice for off-field or Burst-dependent Claymore users who prioritize team utility over raw Attack (ATK) power.
  • Supportive Passive Effect: The passive ability is confirmed to provide a team-wide buff or a unique utility benefit. A common design for such a weapon would be a mechanism that grants increased Elemental Damage to the team after the wielder triggers a specific reaction, or perhaps provides a party-wide shield strength bonus.
  • Banner Availability: This weapon is introduced on the limited-time weapon banner alongside the new 5-star signatures, making it accessible to players pulling for the featured 5-star Claymore-user (Mavuika) but potentially less accessible than a free event weapon.

The developers’ intent is clearly to diversify the available Claymore options, moving beyond the damage-focused 4-star weapons to provide a necessary niche for support characters.

Community Response: Filling a Niche vs. Banner Dilution

The community response is cautiously optimistic, balancing the excitement of a new support option against the risks of pulling on the weapon banner.

  • Praise for Niche Filling: Players quickly highlighted the necessity of a dedicated support Claymore. Units like Sayu, Dori, and potentially certain builds of Beidou often struggled to find an ideal 4-star weapon that perfectly matched their utility needs (often needing EM or ER). This new Claymore is seen as a welcome solution that can streamline their builds and free up other weapons.
  • Critique on Acquisition: The main point of criticism stems from the weapon’s limited banner availability. Acquiring a specific 4-star weapon on the limited banner requires significant luck and potentially undesirable 5-star weapon pulls. Many players expressed that such an important utility weapon should have been made available through a crafting blueprint or a limited-time event, making it easier for F2P players to acquire and refine.

Strategic Impact: Support Builds and Team Comp Viability

The introduction of a dedicated support Claymore subtly shifts the strategic viability of several Claymore-wielding units.

Firstly, the weapon makes utility-focused Claymore characters more competitive in Spiral Abyss. The ability to guarantee a specific utility stat (EM or ER) and a powerful team buff allows these characters to perform their supportive roles more reliably, easing energy requirements and boosting overall team damage.

Secondly, it reduces the reliance on weapons like Sacrificial Greatsword or Favonius Greatsword for Energy Recharge alone. Players can now dedicate those highly versatile weapons to other characters, enhancing the flexibility of their two Abyss teams.

The new 4-star support Claymore is a much-needed addition that improves the build quality of utility-focused Claymore users, solidifying their roles in various meta team compositions.