Wuthering Waves Weapon Compare
Compare two weapons side-by-side. See base ATK, sub-stat, passive scaling, and an estimated DPS uplift — before you spend a single Astrite.
How it works
- 1Pick weapon A (your current weapon)
- 2Pick weapon B (the one you're considering) + refinement
- 3See the stat diff + estimated DPS uplift + verdict
| Metric | Weapon A | Weapon B | B vs A |
|---|
About this Wuthering Waves Weapon Compare
Should you pull the new signature weapon? Is S0 of the limited weapon really stronger than your S5 standard 5-star? This tool gives you a fast, side-by-side answer using base ATK, sub-stat type, and passive scaling across all six refinement levels.
How the DPS index is calculated
We model a generic main-DPS profile: 1000 base ATK from character + echoes, 5% base crit rate, 50% base crit DMG. Then we layer on weapon base ATK, the sub-stat (ATK%, Crit Rate, Crit DMG, or Energy Regen), and the passive's headline damage bonus at the chosen refinement. The result is a relative multiplier — not your in-game DPS, but a fair apples-to-apples comparison between two weapons.
When to pull a signature weapon
Signature weapons in Wuthering Waves typically cost around 80 pulls on the weapon banner for a guaranteed copy — roughly 12,800 Astrites, or about two to three months of free-to-play saving. The decision framework is simpler than it looks: pull the signature only if you already own the matching character at S0 or higher, the character is your designated main DPS, and the weapon's passive provides at least a 25% effective damage uplift over your current option.
Skip the weapon banner if any of these are true: you're saving for the next character, your current weapon is already a strong 4-star best-in-slot like Helios Cleaver at S5, or the signature passive depends on a niche playstyle (heavy-attack-only, energy-regen-only) that doesn't match your build. The weapon banner has a 75% rate-up — the other 25% rolls a standard 5-star, which is rarely a meaningful upgrade for a main DPS.
Use this calculator before every weapon banner. Enter your current weapon as A and the signature at S0 as B. If the DPS uplift is below 15%, your Astrites are almost always better spent on the next character banner.
5 common mistakes when comparing weapons
Even experienced players misread weapon comparisons. These five mistakes account for most regret-pulled or regret-skipped decisions on Reddit and Discord.
1. Treating S5 standard as automatically better than S0 signature. A 5-star standard weapon at S5 only gains about 15–20% damage uplift from refinement, while signature weapons usually start 25–35% ahead in passive scaling alone. Unless the standard weapon's sub-stat perfectly matches your character, the signature S0 wins in roughly 80% of cases.
2. Ignoring sub-stat type when comparing base ATK. A 587 base ATK weapon with 25% Energy Regen sub-stat can underperform a 500 base ATK weapon with 36% Crit Rate sub-stat on a character that already has plenty of energy. Always check what your build actually needs before chasing raw ATK numbers.
3. Comparing weapons at S0 when you'd realistically use a 4-star alternative. If you're free-to-play, your real choice is usually "S0 limited vs S5 4-star", not "S0 limited vs S0 standard". A 4-star at S5 often matches a standard 5-star at S0 and only loses 20–25% to a signature S0.
4. Forgetting the weapon banner is friendlier than the character banner. The weapon banner has a hard pity at 80 pulls with a 75% rate-up — no 50/50 like the character banner. If you have 80+ pulls saved and the signature is a clear upgrade, the path is reliable.
5. Not accounting for character sequence before the weapon. A character at S6 with a standard weapon can deal more damage than the same character at S0 with their signature. If you don't already own the character at S0, the weapon comparison is moot — pull the character first.
Frequently asked questions
Is the S1 refinement of a signature weapon worth pulling for?
Almost never for free-to-play players. S1 typically adds 5–8% damage over S0, but costs another 80+ pulls (12,800+ Astrites). That same budget guarantees a different character. Only consider S1 if you're a long-time low-spender who owns most characters at S0, or if you specifically only play one character and want maximum damage on them.
How does this DPS index compare to in-game testing?
Our DPS index is a simplified estimate accurate to within 10–15% of in-game testing for typical main-DPS profiles. It will overestimate weapons with conditional passives that require specific team setups, and underestimate weapons that scale with character ascension passives. Use it for quick decisions; for absolute optimization, check a video benchmark for your specific character.
My character's signature isn't in the list. Should I assume it follows the same pattern?
Most signature 5-star weapons follow the same baseline: 587 base ATK, 36% Crit Rate or 72% Crit DMG sub-stat, and 25–35% passive uplift at S0. New signatures sometimes break this pattern with unique mechanics (energy-regen-on-skill, burst-DMG amplifiers, or condition-stacking buffs). When in doubt, default to "S0 signature beats S5 standard" for main DPS characters.
Why does base ATK matter less than I thought?
Base ATK is one input among many. A character's total damage scales with (Base ATK + ATK%) × (1 + Crit Rate × Crit DMG) × (1 + DMG bonuses). Going from 500 to 587 base ATK is only a 17% raw increase, which usually translates to 6–10% final damage after other multipliers compound. The bigger differences come from sub-stat type and passive uplift, both of which this tool already factors in.
What the verdict means
- Big upgrade (+15% or more) — Weapon B is clearly stronger. Worth pulling if you can afford it.
- Small upgrade (+5% to +15%) — Marginal gain. Pull only if you have spare Astrites or want the cosmetic.
- Tie (-5% to +5%) — Functionally identical. Stick with what you have.
- Downgrade (-5% or worse) — Weapon A is the better choice. Skip B.