If you've ever hit a wall fighting a high-level Tideborne boss or struggled to 3-star abyss floors in Wuthering Waves because your team's damage feels way too low, you're not alone. Most new players rush to level up their Resonators first, but forget that upgrading your gear is half the battle when it comes to clearing endgame content efficiently. I've spent 120+ hours testing every method to farm and upgrade gear across two playthroughs, and this guide breaks down exactly how to get better weapons in Wuthering Waves without wasting all your in-game currency or premium pulls.
Reliable F2P Methods to Get Better Weapons in Wuthering Waves
You don't have to spend a single cent to get top-tier weapons that will carry you through 90% of the game's content. If you're wondering how to get better weapons in Wuthering Waves without touching the gacha system, these methods are your best bet, and I still use them regularly even after hitting endgame.
Event limited weapon rewards are the first thing you should prioritize every patch. Every update drops at least one free 4-star weapon that's often best-in-slot for a specific free or limited Resonator, and you don't even have to clear hard content to get it. Most events only require you to complete 10 to 15 minutes of daily tasks for 7 to 10 days to claim the weapon, plus upgrade materials for it.
Overworld luxury and premium chests are another underrated source of free high-rarity weapons. The chests locked behind puzzles, timed combat challenges, or hidden exploration paths have a 15% chance to drop 4-star weapons, and I've gotten three of my main team's core weapons this way in my first playthrough. Make sure to explore every region thoroughly, especially the hidden caves and floating islands that most players skip.
Guild and Honor Point shops also have consistent, no-pull weapon rewards. The guild shop resets every week with a 4-star weapon selector you can buy for 300 guild points, which you can earn just by completing 3 daily guild tasks. The Honor Point shop, earned from clearing PvP and weekly boss fights, also has a rotating selection of 4-star weapons every two weeks.
If you're just starting out, these are the highest priority free weapons to grab first for your core team:
- Resonant Shock (sword): Perfect for Rover, boosts electro damage by 20% when you trigger a resonance reaction
- Tidal Roar (catalyst): Top pick for Verina, increases healing output by 18% for all party members when her skill is active
- Stonebreaker (greatsword): Ideal for Jiyan, ignores 12% of enemy defense when you land a charged attack
Don't waste your honor points on low-level upgrade materials first. Save up for the weapon selector if you don't have a 4-star weapon for your main DPS, it will make a way bigger difference in your damage output.
How to Make the Most of Limited Weapon Banners Without Overspending
If you do decide to spend some stellar crystals or real money on gacha, there are right and wrong ways to go about it to avoid wasting your resources. I learned this the hard way when I wasted 50 pulls on a weapon banner for a catalyst I didn't need just because it had a cool design, and I regretted it when the next banner dropped a sword that was perfect for my main Rover.
Only pull on banners that align with your main team first. Don't pull for a 5-star weapon that's only good for a Resonator you don't use, even if it looks powerful on paper. For example, if you main a sword user, there's no point pulling for a limited greatsword just because it has higher base attack stats.
Use your free 10-pulls first before spending any premium currency. Every patch gives at least 2 free 10-pulls for the limited weapon banner, plus additional single pulls from event rewards. If you're F2P, I recommend only pulling on weapon banners if you have enough saved for pity, which sits at 80 pulls for 5-star weapons. The 50/50 system means your first 5-star pull has a 50% chance of being the featured weapon, and if you lose the 50/50, the next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured one.
So if you only have 60 pulls saved, it's better to hold off unless you're okay with not getting the featured weapon. You're usually better off saving your stellar crystals for Resonator banners first if you're on a tight budget, since a new Resonator will make a bigger difference to your roster than a new weapon for an existing character most of the time.
Upgrading Existing Weapons to Unlock Hidden Power
A lot of players get caught up in chasing new 5-star weapons, but upgrading the weapons you already have will give you a way bigger damage boost in the short term, and it's way cheaper than pulling for new gear. I've cleared every endgame abyss floor with mostly level 90 4-star weapons, no premium 5-stars required.
Prioritize leveling your main DPS's weapon to level 90 first before upgrading any other team member's gear. A level 90 3-star weapon actually does more damage than a level 40 4-star weapon, that's a stat difference most new players completely ignore. You don't need to level every character's weapon to max, only your main 3 or 4 team members that you use for all content.
Ascend weapons as soon as you hit the level cap to unlock their full stat potential. Ascending a weapon not only raises its level cap, but also boosts its passive effect strength by up to 15% at max ascension. The materials you need for ascension drop from weekly world bosses and elite overworld enemies, so make sure to farm those every reset.
Refine duplicate weapons instead of selling them for extra mora. Refining a 4-star weapon to level 5 makes its passive effect twice as strong, which is often better than pulling a new unrefined 5-star weapon for a Resonator you don't main. If you have a bunch of duplicate 3-star weapons, you can use them as enhancement material for higher rarity weapons too, they give more XP than generic enhancement crystals so you'll save mora in the long run.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming for Weapons
Even if you follow all the tips above, there are a few common mistakes that can slow down your progress and waste your resources. I've made all of these at some point, so you don't have to.
The first mistake is wasting enhancement materials on weapons you only use temporarily while leveling up. If you're using a 3-star weapon for a new character until you get a 4-star one, don't level it past level 20. Any materials you put into it will be lost when you swap it out, and you'll have to re-farm those materials later for your actual permanent weapons.
Another big mistake is pulling on the standard banner for weapons. The standard banner has a way lower drop rate for 5-star weapons, and you can't target the specific one you want, so it's never worth spending stellar crystals on. Save your standard banner pulls for the free ones you get from event rewards and level up milestones, don't waste premium currency on them.
Finally, don't ignore weapon passives for raw stat numbers. A 4-star weapon with a passive that perfectly matches your Resonator's kit is way better than a 5-star weapon with a passive that does nothing for their playstyle. For example, if you main a healer, a 4-star weapon that boosts healing output is way more useful than a 5-star weapon that only boosts attack damage, even if the 5-star has higher base stats. Always check the passive effect first before you decide to invest in a weapon.
At the end of the day, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on gacha pulls to get a team that can clear every piece of content in the game. The tips in this guide have helped me clear all endgame boss fights and max difficulty abyss floors with 90% F2P weapons, no premium 5-stars required. Take your time to test what works for your playstyle, prioritize upgrading your main team's gear first, and you'll figure out how to get better weapons in Wuthering Waves that fit your roster perfectly without wasting resources.