Intro:
I've never been a fan of claymore user, but I finally gave up and raise my Razor specifically for Spiral Abyss only.
I gave him Snowtombed Starsilver as a weapon, since I don't have Archaic forged (I could tho, I just don't want to).
But this week, I got another prototype claymore. So with 3 claymores in hand, I started to wonder:
Should I refine my Snowtombed, or should I make Archaic?
With these questions in mind, I started researching which one is better for Razor.
I found some spreadsheets, but I was not satisfied as they only show general damage comparison.
So I decided to make an analysis of my own.
Assumptions:
The calculations below will follow the following assumptions:
1. Razor is lv90.
2. The enemy is a lv90 hilichurl.
3. The weapon considered will be:
(1) Skyrider Greatsword (3★) (SG)
(2) Prototype Archaic (Previously known as Aminus) (PA)
(3) Snowtombed Starsilver (STS)
On the case of PA and STS, I will test their performance on R1, R3, and R5.
4. Talent lv6, C0.
5. It'll be assumed that all of the hits crit.
6. Simulation will be done in ~70 seconds field play, where he will do:
Normal = 18 sequences (4-hit every sequence)
Skill = 9 times
Ult = 3 times
Soul Companion = 60 hits
7. In the case of PA and STS, their passive will proc different amount of times.
- R1
• PA = 2 times
• STS = 4 times
- R3
• PA = 2 times
• STS = 5 times
- R5
• PA = 2 times
• STS = 7 times
(PA does not get an increase in proc chance when you refine it, while STS does.)
I will test STS' performance with and without cryo application.
8. Artifact used in this analysis is 4-set gladiator.
9. The "Soul companion" damage will be a straight "Attack times multiplier" instead of thorough calculations.
The exact number will be different if I did like so, but the conclusion remains roughly the same, so don't worry!
Thanks to hamsterzagard for reminding me
Results:
Stat overview for each weapon:
Note that the +40% attack bonus from R5 SG is included in "Attack" stat.
Damage overview:
Passive damage for PA and STS (Without Cryo):
Simulation Result:
Here you can see that PA outperform STS by 0.22%, while SG is outperformed by both by ~3%.
Comparison between PA and STS on R3 and R5:
PA still outperform STS on R3 by 0.2%, but STS finally takes the lead on R5, with 1.14% difference.
Passive damage for STS with Cryo:
Simulation Result:
If Cryo is present everytime STS proc, STS easily outperform PA.
The difference between each refinement is shown on the table below:
Pros and Cons:
- Prototype Archaic
• Has Atk% substat, so can be used effectively by most claymore users.
• Atk% enhances normal attack, skill and burst.
• Very nice damage from passive even at R1.
- Snowtombed Starsilver:
• Has Phy% substat, limiting its uses for some claymore users.
• Phy% only enhance normal attack.
• Refinement increases passive proc chance, making the passive more stable than Prototype Archaic.
• Has a lot of potential when paired with cryo user, which is not a bad idea for Razor since superconduct enhances physical damage
Conclusion:
In general, PA is better to forge than STS, mostly for the fact that PA can be used by any claymore user.
Without cryo support, STS only beat PA's performance on R5.
With cryo support, STS has better potential than PA.
SG falls behind both PA and STS, so it's not much of an option.
Personal Opinion:
Seems like I'll be hoarding the prototypes for a little longer, since I don't feel like STS is worth refining and I still don't want to forge Archaic.
But if you like claymore characters, I'd personally recommend PA over STS for the flexibility.
I hope this helps in giving some insights between the two weapons!
My other posts:
[Analysis] Albedo's Artifact and Weapon
[Analysis] Zhongli's Buff (First and Second adjustment)
[Analysis] Best Artifact for Ningguang DPS
[Analysis] Chongyun's ice field as Cryo DPS support
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