Emerald Orb Genshin Impact Guide ⇒ Best Builds & How to Get

The Emerald Orb is a beloved 3-star Catalyst weapon in Genshin Impact, favored by both new and veteran players for its accessibility and potent capability to enhance elemental reaction teams. Though outclassed by high-rarity counterparts, it stands out with its synergy for Hydro-related reactions and its utility as an easy refining option early in any adventurer’s journey.

Emerald Orb at a Glance: Weapon Stats & Rarity

Weapon Type: Catalyst
Rarity: 3-Star
Base ATK at Level 90: 448
Substat: Elemental Mastery (+94 at Level 90)
Passive: Rapids

Emerald Orb’s beautiful design features luminous green jade crafted in Liyue, echoing its ties to elemental mastery and ancient traditions. Characters wielding Catalysts can utilize it, making it a common early option for popular supports and sub-DPS units.

Unlocking and Refining the Emerald Orb

Obtaining the Emerald Orb is simple. Unlike exclusive or event-based weapons, it can be acquired at any time through the standard wish/gacha system, allowing most players to get and refine it easily by pulling on any Genshin Impact banner.

Thanks to its 3-star rarity, you’ll find enough duplicates to reach Refinement Rank 5 quickly, doubling the power of its passive effect and maximizing team synergy for reaction-driven rosters.

Rapids Passive Skill: How It Works

Rapids, Emerald Orb’s signature passive, reflects its elemental focus. On triggering key reactions – Vaporize, Electro-Charged, Frozen, Bloom, or a Hydro-based Swirl – the wielder’s ATK increases by a substantial percentage for 12 seconds. Importantly, this buff has zero cooldown, making it easy to keep active with aggressive play.

ATK Buff by Refinement:
- Refinement 1: 20% ATK for 12s
- Refinement 2: 25% ATK for 12s
- Refinement 3: 30% ATK for 12s
- Refinement 4: 35% ATK for 12s
- Refinement 5: 40% ATK for 12s

Note: The buff can be refreshed endlessly as long as you repeatedly trigger qualifying reactions.

Ideal Characters and Best Builds for Emerald Orb

The Emerald Orb finds its best value on Catalyst users who repeatedly create the right elemental reactions. Its Elemental Mastery substat and ATK buff fit units focused on support or reaction-based damage. Here are the top pairings:

Barbara: Perfect for Hydro resonance in Electro-Charged or Freeze teams.
Lisa: Reliable for Electro-Charged setups with rapid elemental attacks.
Sucrose: Can Swirl Hydro with her skills, benefiting from EM and spreading reactions.
Ifa: (If available) Anemo catalyst users enjoy Hydro Swirl and EM scaling.
Yanfei: Excels in Pyro-Vaporize team builds for extra damage uptime.
Heizou: Anemo Catalyst with strong Swirl synergy and versatile roles.
Klee, Mona, Ningguang: Usable, but benefit more in reaction-heavy lineups.

Optimal Team Compositions Using Emerald Orb

This weapon shines in teams that consistently trigger Hydro and related reactions. Consider these setups for best results:

Electro-Charged: Hydro main (Barbara or Mona) plus Electro (Lisa or Fischl), buffing elemental and ATK stats.
Vaporize: Pair Hydro (Barbara, Mona) with Pyro DPS (Yanfei or Xiangling) for consistent buffs.
Frozen/Frost: Combine Hydro (Barbara) and Cryo (Chongyun, Kaeya) to maximize freeze time and maintain ATK up.
Bloom: Use in Dendro-Hydro teams for extra reaction damage potential.
Swirl Spam: Anemo characters like Sucrose or Heizou paired with fast elemental applicators re-trigger “Rapids” continuously.

For new players and F2P adventurers, Emerald Orb is an excellent placeholder or even long-term support weapon in reaction-oriented roles.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Is Emerald Orb Worth It?

Advantages:

Obtained easily through any wishing banner
Great synergy with support and reaction-based teams
Elemental Mastery helps both reaction-focused main and sub DPS
No cooldown on passive – easy to maintain the buff
Low cost to ascend and refine

Disadvantages:

Lower base stats than any 4- or 5-star Catalyst
Relies on triggering specific reactions – not optimal for mono-element teams
End-game value declines once better Catalyst weapons are obtained

The Emerald Orb excels as a stopgap, a backup for alternate builds, and a support pick during early and mid-game phases. Its effectiveness is most apparent in elemental reaction-heavy strategies and for characters scaling with Elemental Mastery.

Where to Learn More and See Builds

For more insights, stat tables, or build references, check out these in-depth resources:

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerald Orb in Genshin Impact

What is the Emerald Orb and what does it do?

The Emerald Orb is a 3-star Catalyst weapon in Genshin Impact. Its unique “Rapids” passive increases the wielder’s ATK after triggering specific elemental reactions such as Vaporize, Electro-Charged, Frozen, Bloom, or a Hydro-infused Swirl. This makes it a strong early-game option for reaction-focused teams.

How do you obtain the Emerald Orb in Genshin Impact?

Emerald Orb is acquired by wishing on the standard, character, or weapon event banners. As a 3-star weapon, it’s among the most common Catalyst drops.

Which characters are best suited to equip the Emerald Orb?

It works best with Barbara, Lisa, Sucrose, Yanfei, Heizou, and other Catalyst users that consistently trigger reactions such as Hydro, Electro, Anemo, and Pyro. Sucrose and Barbara especially shine with this option in support or sub-DPS builds.

What is the maximum stats for Emerald Orb?

At level 90 and maximum ascension, Emerald Orb has a base ATK of 448 and 94 Elemental Mastery. At Refinement 5, the Rapids passive grants a 40% ATK buff after triggering eligible reactions.

Is Emerald Orb good for Sucrose or other Anemo characters?

Yes, Sucrose and other Anemo Catalyst users like Heizou benefit from both the Elemental Mastery substat and the ability to Swirl Hydro, easily refreshing the ATK buff.

Does Emerald Orb’s Rapids passive have a cooldown?

No, Rapids has no cooldown. The ATK buff effect can be activated and refreshed infinitely as long as qualifying reactions keep being triggered.

How does Emerald Orb compare to other 3-star Catalysts?

Emerald Orb offers one of the best elemental reaction-focused passives among 3-star Catalysts, making it preferable for support or sub-DPS roles over weapons like the Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers (which is more buff-centric) or Magic Guide (which is more niche).

Should I refine Emerald Orb or save for higher rarity weapons?

Since duplicates are easy to attain, refining Emerald Orb to level 5 is highly recommended if you depend on it. However, it is generally replaced by 4- or 5-star Catalysts once you acquire them.

Can Emerald Orb be used as an endgame weapon?

While usable in late-game reaction teams, the lower base stats limit its competitive edge compared to stronger weapons. It’s a great starter but not optimal for Spiral Abyss or high AR content against tough bosses.

What team compositions benefit most from Emerald Orb?

Teams relying on frequent Vaporize, Electro-Charged, Bloom, or Hydro-based Swirl reactions gain the most – such as Hydro/Electro/Anemo or Hydro/Pyro pairings, with units like Sucrose, Barbara, and Yanfei.