But their passives are different. Here are their passives at Refinement Rank 1 or R1. These passives’ chances and cooldowns reduce at higher refinements. This can only occur once every 30s. This can only occur once every 12s. Additionally, they can’t be triggered when off-field – this is important to keep in mind for characters that spend most of their time off-field. Sacrificial and Favonius weapons are especially great for characters that need or appreciate Energy Recharge. In most cases, one can outperform the other for certain characters. But generally, Favonius weapons are the more comfortable option. This is because its passive’s energy particles benefit the entire team – and at R5, it guarantees proccing this passive every CRIT hit per 6s. Favonius weapons effectively help charge your entire team’s bursts. Still, here are the different situations when it’s better to use one over the other.
Sacrificial Sword vs. Favonius Sword
At level 90, Sacrificial and Favonius Sword have the same Base ATK of 454 and Energy Recharge of 61.3%.
For Xingqiu
Favonius Sword is Xingqiu’s better weapon. Sacrificial is still really good for Xingqiu, but Favonius is far more consistent. If you can’t proc Sacrificial’s passive every rotation, Xingqiu will lack energy – thus can’t charge his burst. This is especially worse for a Sacrificial Sword with lower refinements. But, if you can’t proc Favonius’ passive with his skill, you can simply perform a few normal attacks to proc it. This easily solves any energy issues he encounters. Additionally, Xingqiu is already a character that builds CRIT rate, so proccing Favonius’ passive isn’t an issue.
For Bennett
Both Sacrificial and Favonius Sword are generally not recommended for Bennett. Bennett’s ATK buff scales off his Base ATK, and this counts the weapon’s Base ATK. Both weapons have the same low Base ATK. Still, Favonius Sword is the better option. Since his buff scales entirely from his Base ATK, his artifact main stats aren’t significant. So, he can simply use a CRIT rate circlet to better proc Favonius’ passive. Doing so also generates bonus energy particles for the entire team. Sacrificial Sword performs worse because Bennett doesn’t need the extra Pyro particles. He already generates enough energy for his burst.
For Jean
Sacrificial and Favonius Sword are equally great options for Jean. Favonius Sword will generate a lot of extra energy for the team. This is great for teams where she’s mainly an off-field DPS or battery – like Xiao and Raiden teams. Sacrificial Sword is more inconsistent, but it can generate a lot of Anemo energy particles. It helps Jean charge her burst faster – and can be a good option for Xiao teams. Because of its passive, it also lets her skill group or launch opponents twice consecutively.
For Qiqi
In this case, it depends on the situation. Sacrificial Sword provides more skill uptime for Qiqi. Her skill has a 15s duration and a 30s cooldown – this is a massive period of downtime. Qiqi’s skill deals 9 hits over 15s. So it’s very likely for her to proc Sacrificial’s passive throughout that duration. Sacrificial Sword is a great option for Co-op if you want to maximize your healing uptime. In contrast, Favonius is better for energy generation. Qiqi doesn’t generate any energy particles – even Sacrificial’s passive can’t help her here. Instead, Favonius’ passive is a great way to solve this. It lets her generate particles both for herself and the team.
Sacrificial Warbow vs. Favonius Warbow
At level 90, Sacrificial Warbow has a higher Base ATK of 565 and lower Energy Recharge of 30.6%. Favonius Warbow has a lower Base ATK of 454 and higher Energy Recharge of 61.3%.
For Diona
Sacrificial and Favonius are equally great for Diona. Since Diona’s hold skill can hit opponents 5 times, it’s more likely for her to proc their passives. But it breaks down like this:
The Sacrificial Warbow is the safest option Favonius Warbow is the more versatile option
The Sacrificial Warbow doesn’t require Diona to build CRIT rate for its passive, and it increases her shield’s uptime. Even at R1, she has a high chance of proccing its passive. As a battery for freeze teams, Sacrificial lets her generate more Cryo energy particles. Then onto the Favonious Warbow – instead of strictly generating Cryo particles, she can also generate extra particles for the team. However, it does require Diona to build some CRIT rate and lose some HP stats — this can decrease her shield strength. Still, its passive is very accessible to Diona. Since she’s mostly used with Cryo Resonance, she gains additional CRIT rate. And as a bow user, performing a headshot lets her guarantee a CRIT hit. And it has a higher Energy Recharge stat which helps Diona charge her burst faster.
For Gorou
Favonius Warbow is easily Gorou’s best weapon. Gorou’s DEF buffs don’t scale from his artifacts. So he can simply use a CRIT rate circlet to help proc Favonius’ passive. This lets him use his skill and generate extra energy particles without consuming much field time – thus allowing more field time for the team’s DPS. Additionally, its higher Energy Recharge stat is especially useful for charging his expensive 80 energy cost burst. The Sacrificial Warbow still performs well with Gorou, but it’s more inconsistent. His skill only hits opponents once, so it’s harder to proc its passive. In contrast, performing a headshot can guarantee CRIT hits for Favonius’ passive. Gorou’s skill also has effectively zero downtime – it has a 10s duration and 10s cooldown. So the second skill cast from Sacrificial’s passive is never needed.
For Venti
Neither Sacrificial nor Favonius is Venti’s best 4-star weapon – it’s The Stringless. Still, their Energy Recharge substats can help charge Venti’s burst faster. In this case, Favonius Warbow is the better option. Venti has more opportunities to proc its passive through his normal attacks, skill, burst, and headshotting. This makes it much more consistent than Sacrificial.
For Sara
The Sacrificial Warbow is the better weapon here. Sara’s ATK buff scales entirely from her Base ATK, so she benefits more from Sacrificial’s higher Base ATK. However, she can’t properly use its passive. This is because she’s off-field when her skill deals damage – Sacrificial’s passive can’t be triggered when off-field. Still, its high Base ATK and Energy Recharge stat is always useful. Favonius Warbow is still a decent option, but it falls behind because of its low Base ATK.
Sacrificial Greatsword vs. Favonius Greatsword
At level 90, Sacrificial Greatsword has a higher Base ATK of 565 and lower Energy Recharge of 30.6%. Favonius Greatsword has a lower Base ATK of 454 and higher Energy Recharge of 61.3%.
For Chongyun
The Sacrificial Greatsword is easily Chongyun’s better weapon. Most Chongyun teams take advantage of his skill’s Cryo infusion, and Sacrificial Greatsword greatly increases his skill’s uptime. Favonius Greatsword is a viable option, but it’s never recommended.
For Sayu
The Favonius Greatsword is one of Sayu’s best weapons. Even with lower CRIT rate, her 10s skill duration gives her a lot of opportunities to proc its passive. This is also especially helpful in charging the team’s bursts. However, Sacrificial Greatsword is still a good option. This helps her quickly charge her burst because of the additional Anemo energy particles.
Sacrificial Fragments vs. Favonius Codex
At level 90, Sacrificial Fragments have a Base ATK of 454 and Elemental Mastery stat of 221. Favonius Codex has a higher Base ATK of 510 and an Energy Recharge stat of 45.9%.
For Mona
The Favonius Codex greatly helps Mona reach her Energy Recharge requirements. With enough CRIT rate, she can consistently proc this passive for both herself and the team. In contrast, Mona doesn’t benefit from Sacrificial Fragments at all. She can’t reliably proc its passive, and she gains nothing from its Elemental Mastery stat.
For Sucrose
In this case, Sacrificial Fragments is Sucrose’s best weapon. Sucrose’s utility and damage scales mostly from her Elemental Mastery or EM. So she benefits a lot from the weapon’s EM stat. In contrast, Sucrose gains nothing from Favonius Codex. Its Energy Recharge stat is nice, but not needed.
