The Viridescent Hunt is a 4-star bow in Genshin Impact renowned for its substantial critical rate substat and unique crowd control passive. As part of the Gnostic Hymn Series, this weapon stands out as a dependable choice for bow characters who prioritize consistent critical hits and battlefield utility. Its combination of stats and skill effects has kept it popular among players seeking a reliable damage boost for their ranged DPS units.

Key Features and Weapon Overview

  • Weapon Type: Bow
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Base ATK at Level 90: 510
  • Secondary Stat: CRIT Rate (27.6% at Level 90)
  • How to Obtain: Gnostic Hymn (Battle Pass premium track)

Unique Passive: Verdant Wind

The defining feature of The Viridescent Hunt is its passive, Verdant Wind:

  • Normal or Aimed Shot hits have a 50% chance to generate a cyclone, which attracts nearby enemies and deals AoE damage equal to 40% of ATK every 0.5 seconds for 4 seconds (once every 14 seconds).
  • Refinement increases the passive’s cyclone damage to a maximum of 80% ATK at R5, but the activation chance and cooldown remain the same.

This skill provides both extra damage and crowd control, making it valuable for teams or solo play where clustering enemies is advantageous for AoE abilities or reactions.

How to Obtain The Viridescent Hunt

The Viridescent Hunt is exclusive to the Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass. Players must:

  • Purchase the premium Gnostic Hymn tier (real-money transaction required).
  • Reach Battle Pass Level 30 to select The Viridescent Hunt from the available weapon options.

Because it is not available via gacha banners, forging, or events, The Viridescent Hunt is only accessible to those who invest in the Battle Pass. For more details, visit the official Genshin Impact Wiki.

Detailed Weapon Stats by Level

Level Base ATK CRIT Rate %
1 42 6.0
20 108 10.6
40 205 15.5
60 366 22.6
90 510 27.6

While its base attack is not the highest among 4-star bows, the consistent critical rate offers significant value for most bow DPS users.

Ideal Characters and Best Uses

The Viridescent Hunt finds its strongest users among bow characters who:

  • Depend on Normal or Charged Attacks for damage output
  • Benefit from increased CRIT Rate to reach ideal damage ratios
  • Utilize crowd control or benefit from grouping enemies

Top Synergy Characters

  • Yelan: Uses both Normal and Elemental Skill/ Burst attacks, so the CRIT Rate and cyclone passive fit her playstyle.
  • Fischl: Her Oz summon can capitalize on grouped enemies, and increased CRIT helps boost her overall DPS.
  • Tartaglia (Childe): Can utilize the crowd control and critical rate boost for consistent melee/ranged output.
  • Yoimiya: Normal Attack-focused kit benefits greatly from higher CRIT Rate.
  • Amber: For Charged Shot-focused builds, the cylinder effect and CRIT are a boon.

For comparison of weapon fit on more bow users, see GameWith’s The Viridescent Hunt tier list.

Artifact and Stat Optimization

  • Artifact Stats: With The Viridescent Hunt’s high CRIT Rate, prioritize CRIT DMG, ATK%, and Elemental DMG on artifacts.
  • Recommended Artifact Sets:
    • 2-piece Noblesse Oblige + 2-piece Shimenawa’s Reminiscence for raw damage
    • 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate for energy recharge scaling bow DPS
    • 2-piece Hydro + 2-piece Emblem for hybrid Hydro DPS users like Yelan

This flexibility enables easier artifact farming and lets players push for higher DPS without worrying about hitting CRIT Rate thresholds.

Strengths, Limitations, and Weapon Comparisons

Strengths

  • High CRIT Rate substat simplifies artifact builds
  • Provides unique crowd control through passive cyclone effect
  • Consistent passive damage against grouped mobs
  • Easy to use and accessible as a Battle Pass purchase for spending players

Downsides

  • Relatively lower base ATK compared to other options
  • Passive triggers only from Normal/Aimed attacks (won’t proc from skills/bursts)
  • Not available through free or F2P means — exclusive to paid Gnostic Hymn
  • Cyclone passive has a long cooldown (14s) and cannot group heavy enemies

Comparison to Other Bows

  • Weapons like Skyward Harp (5-star): Higher base stats, but require luck from gacha pulls
  • Thundering Pulse/Polar Star (5-star): Push higher damage ceilings but are harder to obtain
  • Stringless/Blackcliff Warbow (4-star): Offer different stat profiles but may lack the critical consistency that Viridescent Hunt brings
  • Rust (4-star): High auto-attack damage, but lacks the CRIT Rate for consistent DPS; less versatility

Ultimately, The Viridescent Hunt is most valuable for its unique mix of CRIT utility and crowd control unavailable from most craftable or gacha-only bows. See a full breakdown at Game8’s Viridescent Hunt page.

Refinement Insights: Is R1 Enough?

Refinements enhance the cyclone’s damage but do little to improve its core value: the CRIT Rate substat. Even at refinement rank 1, the weapon delivers on reliability and flexibility for most use cases. Further investment boosts cyclone DPS for content with densely packed mobs, but most players derive the primary benefit at R1.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Viridescent Hunt in Genshin Impact

What type of weapon is The Viridescent Hunt?

The Viridescent Hunt is a 4-star bow, suitable for all characters who equip bows in Genshin Impact.

How can you obtain The Viridescent Hunt?

The bow is exclusively obtained through the Gnostic Hymn, Genshin Impact’s premium Battle Pass. You must purchase the pass and reach level 30 to claim it. More information can be found on the Viridescent Hunt Wiki page.

What are the base stats and substat for The Viridescent Hunt?

At level 90, the bow has a base attack of 510 and a CRIT Rate secondary stat that reaches 27.6%, making it one of the best critical rate sources among 4-star bows.

What is the unique skill (passive) of The Viridescent Hunt?

The Verdant Wind passive gives Normal/Charged Attacks a 50% chance to spawn a cyclone that sucks in enemies and deals AoE physical damage every 0.5 seconds for 4 seconds. Only one cyclone can be created every 14 seconds.

Which characters benefit most from The Viridescent Hunt?

Yelan, Fischl, Tartaglia (Childe), Yoimiya, and Amber are among the top choices. Characters who rely on Normal and Aimed Shots or Charged Attacks and benefit from extra CRIT Rate excel with this weapon.

Is The Viridescent Hunt good for free-to-play players?

No, as it requires a paid Battle Pass, it is not accessible for pure F2P players. However, it is a strong weapon for low spenders looking for critical rate solutions.

How does The Viridescent Hunt’s cyclone crowd control work?

The cyclone effect groups lightweight enemies together, facilitating AoE attacks and reactions, but has limited effect on large or boss-type enemies. The ability has a cooldown, so positioning and timing are important for maximizing its impact.

Does refining The Viridescent Hunt make a big difference?

Refinement increases the cyclone’s damage output from 40% at R1 to 80% at R5, but the CRIT Rate remains unchanged. Most users are satisfied with the weapon at R1 since the substat is the primary value.

How does The Viridescent Hunt compare to other Battle Pass weapons?

Among the Battle Pass set, it is generally considered weaker compared to Serpent Spine (claymore) and Deathmatch (polearm) for meta impact, but remains valuable for bow users seeking CRIT Rate and crowd control.

What artifact sets best synergize with The Viridescent Hunt?

The weapon’s CRIT Rate allows artifact flexibility. DPS units can focus on CRIT DMG/ATK% and use sets like 2-piece Noblesse + 2-piece Shimenawa, 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate, or mixes that prioritize your character’s elemental damage.

Can the cyclone effect trigger Elemental Reactions?

While the cyclone itself deals physical damage, grouping enemies can enable you to land multi-target elemental skills or bursts for easier Elemental Reactions.

Is The Viridescent Hunt viable in late-game Spiral Abyss?

Yes, especially for players who have not acquired 5-star bows. Its CRIT Rate and crowd control aid in both single-target and mob phases, though it gets outperformed by top-tier 5-star weapons.

Resources and Further Reading

The Viridescent Hunt remains a respected, evergreen weapon choice for Genshin Impact bow users, offering consistent crit support, valuable crowd control, and strong synergy with a broad roster—provided you are able to invest in the Battle Pass.