Alright, let’s discuss Prototype Amber. This weapon feels old. We dive into Genshin Impact to review this four-star catalyst. Is it a hidden gem? Or just another piece of forgeable equipment? Let’s find out.
Prototype Amber: Your Pocket-Sized Emergency Room
First, let’s address the amber in the forge. Prototype Amber won’t win for damage. If you want to vaporize enemies, this isn’t it. Think of it as a first-aid kit. Sometimes a first-aid kit is necessary against tough foes like Ruin Guards.
Healing? It’s Got You Covered
For keeping your team alive, Prototype Amber performs well. It’s like comfort food, not fancy but comforting. For characters that heal off HP, like certain hydro ladies, this weapon boosts their healing abilities.
Take Barbara, Mondstadt’s idol. With Prototype Amber, she becomes a health fountain. Her Elemental Burst heals well. Add this catalyst and your team enjoys a solid HP regeneration after every Burst. It’s a spa day for health bars.
Kokomi, the pearl from Watatsumi, is also enhanced. She already excels at healing, but Prototype Amber boosts her further. Kokomi can damage, but sometimes she must be the team’s sustainer. In this role, Prototype Amber works wonders.
Energy, Who’s Got the Energy? Prototype Amber Does!
Prototype Amber has an extra trick: energy regeneration. This catalyst heals and refuels characters’ Elemental Bursts. It’s like getting a battery recharge with your healing.
But don’t expect a massive energy boost. It’s more of a steady trickle. For support characters relying on frequent Bursts, this energy gain is nice. For Barbara, this helps. She can heal everyone and build energy for her next Burst.
Even Mualani benefits. While she may focus on damage with HP scaling, energy regen ensures her Burst readiness. More healing means better team survivability. It’s about keeping up those vital support abilities.
Damage? We Don’t Know Her
Let’s be honest. If you choose Prototype Amber for damage, you’ll be disappointed. This weapon deals damage like a wet noodle in a sword fight.
For damage dealers like Nahida, Prototype Amber is not her top choice. Equipping Nahida with this weapon is like adding racing tires to a tractor. It might work, but you miss the point. Nahida spreads Dendro and generates elemental reactions.
Yet, there’s a tiny silver lining. The energy regen from Prototype Amber lowers Nahida’s Energy Recharge needs. You can prioritize offensive stats in her artifacts and gain some damage indirectly. The team-wide healing becomes important too, especially with Furina nearby.
Who Wields the Amber Best? The Usual Suspects
Who benefits most from this amber lifeline? The prime candidates are healers who scale with HP, like Barbara and Kokomi. These ladies make Prototype Amber shine.
For Barbara, it’s a clear choice in early to mid-game. Prototype Amber boosts her healing and energy generation, supporting her key functions. She maintains healing while improving Burst uptime.
Kokomi also significantly benefits. While other weapon options exist, Prototype Amber secures her as the ultimate sustain provider. It’s a reliable choice for keeping your team healthy through battles.
Prototype Amber vs. The Competition: A Weapon Showdown
Let’s compare Prototype Amber to some rivals. In Genshin Impact weapons, it’s not just about power; it’s utility and character needs. How does our amber friend compare?
Mappa Mare vs. Prototype Amber: The Mona Dilemma
Mona, a hydro astrologist, often faces the choice of Mappa Mare or Prototype Amber. It’s a duel of damage potential versus sustain.
Mappa Mare boosts Elemental Damage and triggers reactions. For Mona, whose Elemental Burst can change team dynamics, Mappa Mare enhances effectiveness. If you want high Vaporize numbers, Mappa Mare is the choice.
Prototype Amber offers value in other ways. If Mona struggles with survivability in longer fights or the Spiral Abyss, Prototype Amber adds healing and energy regen. It’s a trade-off: damage for survivability. Mappa Mare usually wins for damage, but Prototype Amber finds a place in comfort-focused teams.
TTODS vs. Prototype Amber: Barbara’s Burden of Choice
For Barbara, it’s often Prototype Amber vs. TTODS, the legendary Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. These catalysts support differently.
TTODS excels at Attack buffs. Its passive ability grants a big Attack bonus to the next character switched in. If you want Barbara to boost main DPS damage, TTODS is often preferred in late game.
Hold on. Prototype Amber has its appeal too. It focuses on healing and sustain. If your team deals enough damage and requires survivability, or if Barbara needs self-sufficiency, Prototype Amber shines. It’s useful during early to mid-game when compositions may not be optimized.
Late-game, TTODS usually prevails with its Attack buff for Barbara. However, there are scenarios where Prototype Amber’s healing excels, especially in domains with consistent damage or tough enemies.
Prototype Starglitter vs. Favonius Lance and The Catch: Spear Showdown
Let’s shift to Prototype Starglitter, not to be confused with Prototype Amber. Prototype Starglitter is a spear and, while decent, often outshone by other options like Favonius Lance and The Catch.
Favonius Lance and The Catch are often superior for many characters needing energy regeneration or burst support. Favonius Lance offers high base Energy Recharge and energy generation. The Catch is powerful for characters relying heavily on their Elemental Burst like Xiangling.
significantly boosts Burst damage and Crit Rate.
Prototype Starglitter is niche. It works on Physical DMG users, like Xiangling or Rosaria. It offers some Energy Recharge. Favonius Lance is generally better for energy. For damage, The Catch often beats Prototype Starglitter for burst characters. Prototype Starglitter struggles against these strong spear options.
Character Deep Dive: Prototype Amber in Action
Now, let’s zoom in on characters and how Prototype Amber interacts with them. We’ll explore some familiar faces and see how this catalyst fares.
Amber: The Outrider and… Catalyst?
Wait, Amber with Prototype Amber? Hold on a minute. Amber, Mondstadt’s energetic Outrider, usually wields a bow, right? Yes, that is true. But let’s humor this idea for thoroughness.
Amber is, well, she’s Amber. She has charm, she has Baron Bunny, but she’s not a meta powerhouse. Her best weapons are bows, either Mondstadt-themed or not. We’re talking Elegy for the End, Skyward Harp, The Stringless, Aqua Simulacra, Favonius Warbow, and Prototype Crescent – all bows. No catalyst in sight.
Amber typically fills a Pyro DPS or a physical DPS role, based on your build preferences (and how much you enjoy a challenge). Her key stats are ATK and Pyro DMG, emphasizing damage dealing. The best artifact set often is Wanderer’s Troupe, which boosts charged attacks and reaction damage. Team comps for Amber focus on enabling Pyro reactions or utilizing her as a Pyro applicator.
Is Prototype Amber good on Amber? No, it’s not. It’s like putting a bike helmet on a goldfish. It fits, but it’s pointless. Amber doesn’t scale with HP, she doesn’t require healing, and she clearly doesn’t want to use a catalyst unless some odd alternate universe Genshin Impact decides otherwise. Let’s steer Amber back to her bow.
Barbara: The Idol Healer and Prototype Amber’s Best Friend
Ah, Barbara, the familiar territory again. Prototype Amber and Barbara fit perfectly together. They complement each other.
Earlier, we talked about Prototype Amber versus TTODS for Barbara, stressing the balance between healing/energy and Attack buffing. Let’s reiterate: Prototype Amber boosts Barbara’s healing. Her best healing weapons are indeed Everlasting Moonglow and Prototype Amber. Moonglow is a five-star weapon, so Prototype Amber is the craftable champion for improving her restorative powers.
Can Barbara be DPS? Surprisingly, yes! With the right team and build, she can fill a DPS role. Teams built around Freeze and Melt reactions utilize Barbara as a Hydro applicator and reactor. Characters like Kaeya, Diona, and Diluc synergize with a DPS Barbara setup. But let’s admit it, DPS Barbara is more fun than effective. She primarily remains a healer and Hydro applicator.
As for Hydro application, Barbara is decent. There are better Hydro applicators. Characters like Xingqiu, Yelan, and Kokomi excel in Hydro application. But Barbara does the job, especially in Freeze teams or as a Hydro enabler for Pyro reactions. Prototype Amber solidifies her role as a great healer, making her reliable for team survival.
Lisa: The Librarian and… Energy Reactor?
Lisa, the knowledgeable librarian of the Knights of Favonius, is another underestimated starter character. But can Prototype Amber unlock her hidden potential?
Is Prototype Amber good on Lisa? Yes, surprisingly. While it may not be her best damage weapon, Prototype Amber provides valuable benefits. The HP and energy increase can significantly enhance her sustain and Burst uptime.
Lisa has considerable energy needs, especially when played as an off-field DPS. Off-field Lisa may need around 220% Energy Recharge without an energy battery like Fischl. On-field builds require around 150% ER without Fischl. Prototype Amber helps her energy concerns, allowing her to Burst off cooldown.
Should you build Lisa? Absolutely! Despite being a starter character, she has potential as off-field support and burst DPS. Her Electro application is reliable, and her Burst can shred enemy defenses. When built well, Lisa can greatly benefit many teams.
Prototype Amber on Lisa allows more self-sufficiency with healing and energy. While it won’t transform her into a top-tier DPS, it enhances her support role and eases playability. It’s a solid, unconventional choice for the librarian.
Mona: The Astrologist and Burst Nuker
Mona, the enigmatic astrologist, is known for her strong Elemental Burst and Hydro application. We’ve talked about Mappa Mare versus Prototype Amber for Mona, but let’s go deeper.
Mona’s best weapon for damage is often The Widsith, especially at high refinements. The Widsith offers random buffs upon switch-in; one buff is an Elemental DMG Bonus, ideal for maximizing damage with Mona’s Burst.
However, Prototype Amber presents its niche. Using Prototype Amber might lower Energy Recharge needed in her build since the weapon assists with energy regeneration. This allows a focus on offensive stats like Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and Hydro DMG Bonus.
How to vape Mona’s Burst? Vaporize is a classic Pyro-Hydro reaction. To maximize Mona’s Burst damage via Vaporize, timing is critical. After applying Pyro to the enemy, use Mona’s Elemental Burst. Note that the initial Hydro from her Burst might be consumed by Pyro. Let about 2.5 seconds pass after Hydro application before triggering the Vaporize reaction with a Pyro attack for optimal damage.
For Mona, Prototype Amber is a comfort option. It will not maximize damage like Mappa Mare or The Widsith but provides sustain and energy, ensuring reliability during longer fights. It’s a viable pick if you value survivability over raw damage.
Sucrose: The Alchemist and Anemo Buffer
Sucrose is the curious alchemist and Anemo support known for crowd control and Elemental Mastery buffing. Can Prototype Amber give her healing ability?
Sucrose as a healer? Not really. Sucrose is not a primary healer. Her kit revolves around crowd control, buffing, and enabling reactions, not healing. She can heal with Prototype Amber but only a limited amount, making her an unreliable healer.
Prototype Amber on Sucrose mostly adds a bit of sustain and energy for the team rather than converting her into a dedicated healer. Her primary role remains Anemo support, swirling elements while elevating Elemental Mastery. You’d find better healing options with characters like Barbara, Kokomi, or Bennett.
Sucrose versus Kazuha? A classic comparison in Anemo support. In pure support terms, Kazuha often surpasses Sucrose in high-end compositions because of his versatile buffing and crowd control. Yet Sucrose has merits. She’s easier to obtain (a four-star) and offers a larger Elemental Mastery buff. The 4-star weapon options available to Sucrose, including Prototype Amber, provide niche sustain while being budget-friendly yet effective.
Nahida: The Dendro Archon and… Healer Hybrid?
Nahida, the Dendro Archon, excels in Dendro application and damage. But can Prototype Amber work with Nahida?
Is Prototype Amber viable on Nahida? Surprisingly, yes, in specific scenarios. While Prototype Amber isn’t great for Nahida’s personal damage output, it offers significant benefits. It lowers Energy Recharge needs, freeing artifact stats for other offensive substats. Notably, its healing can greatly impact the team.
The healing from Prototype Amber on Nahida becomes crucial in Furina teams. Furina’s kit revolves around HP variation, making team-wide healing enhance Fanfare stacks and boost damage. In Furina-centric compositions, Prototype Amber can serve as a clever tech choice that reinforces defensive options.
Utility boosts and enables better Furina synergy. Nahida is mainly a damage dealer and Dendro enabler. Prototype Amber pivots her into a supportive, sustain role, especially in Furina teams. This is not her standard build, but it remains a viable and interesting option for specific team compositions.
Mualani: Hydro Surfer and HP Scaler
Mualani is a Hydro surfer from Fontaine. She scales with HP and focuses on Vaporize reactions. How does Prototype Amber fit in?
Is Prototype Amber good for Mualani? Yes! Prototype Amber is a great option for her. It provides 41% HP at max refinement, beneficial to her damage output, since she scales with HP. Team-wide healing and energy regeneration are nice bonuses too.
Mualani grants team healing with her Bursts, and Prototype Amber enhances this while regenerating energy for herself. It’s a win-win. Her best F2P weapon, Ring of Yaxche (craftable), also gives HP% and Normal Attack DMG bonus, emphasizing her HP scaling.
Mualani as Main DPS? Yes, she can do that! Version 5.0 shows Mualani as Main DPS. She utilizes her waveboard from Elemental Skill to tag enemies, then deals damage with enhanced Normal Attacks, specializing in Vaporize reactions. Prototype Amber supports this by providing HP, healing, and energy, making her resilient.
Mualani scales primarily with HP. She requires HP, Hydro DMG Bonus, Crit Rate, and Crit DMG. Prototype Amber’s HP aligns perfectly with her scaling, making it a synergistic weapon choice.
Furina: Hydro Archon and Self-Healer
Furina is the Hydro Archon with complex mechanics involving HP manipulation and Fanfare stacks. Can she heal herself? How does Prototype Amber fit into her kit?
Can Furina heal herself? Yes! At her C6 constellation, she becomes a team-wide healer. Even at C0, her Elemental Skill in Pneuma mode offers self-healing. Her Elemental Burst further amplifies her healing bonus.
Prototype Amber on Furina is interesting but not optimal. Furina generally prefers weapons boosting personal damage or support. Her signature weapon Splendor of Tranquil Waters or other energy recharge options are better. However, Prototype Amber could work in niche scenarios for team-wide healing.
Character Comparisons: Amber vs. Meg and More
Let’s compare some characters within Genshin Impact and beyond for perspective.
Amber (Genshin) vs. Meg (Brawl Stars): A Brawler Showdown
Amber from Genshin Impact faces off against Meg from Brawl Stars. They are both fiery characters in different games. In Brawl Stars, Amber is easier to learn and effective in various modes. She’s a solid pick for beginners.
Meg has a higher skill ceiling. In the right hands, she can be powerful in certain game modes. However, she’s not beginner-friendly. Meg needs strategic positioning and timing to maximize her mech form’s potential. While Amber is straightforward and accessible, Meg offers higher potential with skill and practice. In Genshin, Amber simply remains Amber.
Best vs. Weakest Brawlers in Brawl Stars
In Brawl Stars, the best and weakest brawlers spark debate. Doug is often seen as among the weakest brawlers due to his limited range and close-range focus. Other close-range brawlers outperform him significantly.
The “best” brawler changes often due to meta shifts and balance updates.
Best Healer in Genshin Impact
Back to Genshin Impact, who stands as the best healer? Baizhu often claims this title. His healing capabilities impress. Baizhu shields and heals with his Elemental Skill while his Burst provides continuous healing.
His output often surpasses other healers, securing his top-tier healer position.
Weakest 5-Star DPS in Genshin Impact
Who is the weakest 5-star DPS? Qiqi often gets this mention. While she excels as a healer, her damage output pales compared to other 5-star DPS characters. Many consider her underwhelming as a damage dealer.
Strongest DPS Characters in Genshin Impact
Who ranks as the strongest DPS? Alhaitham frequently appears among the strongest in Genshin. His Dendro damage shines along with varied team compositions. Other strong DPS contenders include Neuvillette, Hu Tao, and Raiden Shogun, based on scenarios.
Prototype Amber Mechanics: Energy and Healing Demystified
Let’s clarify some mechanics of Prototype Amber about energy regeneration and healing.
Energy Regeneration: Wielder Only!
Prototype Amber regenerates energy for the character wielding it only. Players often mistakenly think it regenerates energy for the entire team. This energy refund is solely for the catalyst user, helping them recharge Elemental Burst faster.
Healing Frequency and Amount: A Gentle Top-Up
The Prototype Amber effect description has changed over time. The old version mentioned energy regeneration for the wielder and HP regeneration for all party members. The new version focuses solely on energy regeneration for the wielder.
The healing and energy regeneration occur in pulses after using an Elemental Burst, not continuously. It’s a burst of healing and energy over a few seconds.
Prototype Amber Availability: Forge It ‘Til You Make It
Want Prototype Amber? Crafting is the answer! It’s a four-star catalyst from forging. You need a Northlander Catalyst Billet, Crystal Chunks, and White Iron Chunks. Head to any blacksmith in Teyvat to forge your Prototype Amber.
Prototype Starglitter: A Spear in the Dark?
Quickly, how good is Prototype Starglitter? It’s decent and craftable but not top-tier. It’s usually not the best spear for most characters compared to Favonius Lance or The Catch.
Who is it suitable for? It fits characters with physical damage scaling, like physical build Xiangling or Rosaria. Even Xiao could use it, but he prefers other weapons. Prototype Starglitter helps with energy issues for characters who struggle to Burst, but many weapons are more effective for energy regeneration.
Prototype Starglitter serves well but often gets overshadowed by specialized options.
Prototype (Game): Not Genshin, But Still Prototype
Lastly, a brief note about “Prototype,” the action-adventure game unrelated to Genshin Impact’s Prototype weapons.
Prototype 2, stylized as [PROTOTYPE2], debuted in 2012 and serves as a sequel to 2009’s Prototype. Developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision, it’s different from Genshin Impact’s style entirely. The protagonist, Alex Mercer, shifts from anti-hero to morally ambiguous over time.
Is Alex evil? He starts as an anti-hero but grows distrustful of humanity. His aim becomes to spread the Blacklight Virus among humankind, leaning villainous towards the end.
Alex Mercer boasts impressive skills: superhuman strength, agility, shapeshifting, and ability to consume others for their memories and skills. Quite distinct from wielding a catalyst!
Thus concludes our exploration of Prototype Amber, its uses, comparisons, and a brief detour into “Prototype,” the game. Though not flashy, Prototype Amber is reliable for enhancing healers and providing some extra energy. In battle, extra sustain is key for keeping your team fit. Go forth and forge!
