The Flute is a 4-star sword in Genshin Impact that has maintained its popularity due to its accessible stats and distinctive passive effect. Combining a high base ATK with an ATK% sub-stat and a unique Harmonic-triggered AoE burst, The Flute is an appealing weapon for both new and veteran travelers, making it a reliable option for sword-wielding characters who favor frequent normal attacks.
Unlocking the Melodies: The Flute’s Stats and Overview
Weapon Type: Sword
Rarity: 4-Star
Base ATK (Level 90): 510
Sub-stat: ATK +41.3% (at level 90)
Series: Wanderer’s Troupe
The Flute stands out for being a versatile, pure ATK sword. Its high base ATK and strong ATK% scaling make it a favorite for early and mid-game progression, as well as a legitimate F2P option for certain DPS and hybrid support builds. The in-game design features classic, musical-inspired motifs, with lore that ties it to the melodies of Mondstadt.
The Flute’s Passive: How “Chord” Works
The Flute’s signature mechanic, Chord, sets it apart from many other swords. Here’s how it functions:
- Normal or charged attacks grant a Harmonic on hit (max 1 every 0.5s).
- After collecting 5 Harmonics, the wielder triggers a musical burst that inflicts AoE damage equal to a percentage of their ATK (100% at R1, scaling up to 200% at R5).
- Harmonics last up to 30 seconds; if you do not trigger the burst in time, the Harmonies dissipate.
This passive is exceptionally well-suited for on-field attackers who spam normal or charged attacks, rewarding sustained offense with free AoE damage procs. The frequency and scaling of this effect improve greatly with higher refinements, making duplicate pulls genuinely impactful for this weapon.
How to Obtain The Flute in Genshin Impact
The Flute is acquired exclusively through the Wish system (gacha), making it a weapon that appears both on Standard and rate-up banners. Unlike event-limited swords, it’s part of the permanent 4-star pool, so players can expect to obtain it through consistent wishing over time, either on the Weapon Event Wish or Character Event Wish banners when available.
Best Characters for The Flute
The Flute excels most on sword users who:
- Rely on frequent normal/charged attack damage.
- Benefit directly from high ATK scaling (either for damage or healing).
- Can make use of on-field time and trigger the passive regularly.
Recommended Characters:
- Qiqi – The Flute’s high ATK boosts Qiqi’s healing output, and her playstyle favors normal attacks.
- Jean – Already a normal-attack-heavy character, benefiting both her DPS and teamwide healing.
- Kaeya – As a physical or hybrid DPS, consistent hits make good use of The Flute’s Harmonic passive.
- Kamisato Ayato – With rapid slashes in his skill, Ayato can reliably trigger Chord for AoE damage.
- Lynette, Keqing, Layla, Kirara – These sword users benefit from the ATK%, and some team setups enable them to fully utilize The Flute’s passive.
- Bennett – Functions as an ATK stat stick if no other weapon is available, but less optimal for him.
Important: The Flute is NOT optimal for off-field DPS units like Xingqiu, as it requires on-field attacks to build Harmonics and utilize the passive.
Refinement and Ascension Costs
Refinement
The Flute’s passive AoE burst scales by refinement rank:
- Refinement 1: 100% ATK damage
- Refinement 2: 125% ATK
- Refinement 3: 150% ATK
- Refinement 4: 175% ATK
- Refinement 5: 200% ATK
Extra copies exponentially increase the value for normal attack-centric sword users.
Ascension Materials
To ascend The Flute from level 1 to 90, you’ll need:
- Boreal Wolf materials: Boreal Wolf’s Milk Tooth, Cracked Tooth, Broken Fang, Nostalgia
- Ley Line materials: Dead Ley Line Branch, Dead Ley Line Leaves, Ley Line Sprout
- Common drops: Slime Condensate, Slime Secretion, Slime Concentrate
For a full breakdown of quantities by ascension level, refer to GameWith’s weapon guide.
Strategic Considerations and Team Building
While The Flute is often not a “top of the meta” pick, it remains a competitive, flexible option thanks to easy activation, no energy requirements, and free AoE burst damage. For players who lack 5-star swords, or F2P/casual users building classic characters, The Flute is highly recommended for early to mid-game. As you collect higher-tier or more synergistic swords, The Flute remains useful for secondary teams or alternative builds.
Overall, The Flute is best paired with characters and playstyles that maximize normal attacks and stay on the field, making it a “hidden gem” in the right hands.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Flute in Genshin Impact
What is The Flute’s weapon type and rarity?
The Flute is a 4-star sword, suitable for any sword-wielding character in Genshin Impact.
How do I obtain The Flute?
You can get The Flute from the Wish system only. It can appear in any standard, weapon, or select event banners that include standard 4-star weapons.
What are The Flute’s base stats at level 90?
At level 90, The Flute provides 510 base ATK and a 41.3% bonus ATK sub-stat.
How does The Flute’s passive “Chord” work?
Normal or charged attacks grant a Harmonic every 0.5 seconds. After collecting 5 Harmonics (which must be triggered within 30 seconds), an AoE burst is triggered, dealing ATK-scaling damage. The amount of damage increases at higher refinements.
Which characters does The Flute work best on?
Top recommended users include Qiqi, Jean, Kaeya, Kamisato Ayato, Lynette, Keqing, Layla, and Kirara. Any character who spends time on-field and uses normal attacks can make use of The Flute’s passive.
Is The Flute good for F2P players?
Yes. The Flute is accessible through standard banners and offers strong stats for F2P and early-game builds. It’s particularly useful until rarer, more specialized weapons are acquired.
Can The Flute’s passive trigger Elemental Reactions?
The AoE damage from Chord is Physical and does not trigger elemental reactions by itself. However, it can contribute Physical damage within multi-element teams.
How does The Flute compare to other 4-star swords?
The Flute is one of the best ATK stat sticks among 4-star swords. While it may not outperform weapons like Sacrificial Sword for support or Amenoma Kageuchi for energy, it remains a powerful choice for raw ATK builds and AoE burst damage.
Does weapon refinement make a big difference on The Flute?
Absolutely. Each refinement boosts the passive’s AoE damage by 25% of ATK, doubling the effect from R1 to R5. Duplicate pulls truly enhance The Flute’s value, especially for normal attack-focused playstyles.
Where can I find more information and guides about The Flute?
Check out these resources for detailed statistics, recommendations, and community analysis:
Is The Flute’s AoE burst affected by Crit stats?
Yes, the AoE damage triggered by the passive can crit and is affected by the wielder’s Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and physical damage bonuses.
What ascension materials are needed for The Flute?
To fully ascend The Flute you’ll need Boreal Wolf’s Tooth (and variants), Dead Ley Line Branch and related items, plus Slime drops from Hilichurls and other slime-based monsters.
Can The Flute be used on all sword characters?
Technically, yes, but its passive and statline are best optimized on on-field attackers. Support or burst-cast characters gain less value, while off-field units cannot trigger the Harmonics consistently.
For more evergreen Genshin Impact weapon and build guides, visit ExploreGenshin.
