Skyward Harp guide — BestBuild

Skyward Harp

CRIT-focused bow with an additional periodic Physical AoE hit on attacks.

Released Sep 28, 2020

Skyward Harp is a five-star bow with CRIT Rate as its secondary stat and a CRIT DMG passive. Consider it when a bow user benefits from both CRIT stats and can make use of a small Physical AoE attack that can trigger on hits.

WeaponBowRarity5Base ATK48Secondary statCRIT Rate

Skyward Harp GUIDE

Understand Skyward Harp

Useful when…

Adding CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG to an attack-focused bow build.
Using its periodic AoE attack against clustered opponents.

What does the passive do?

At R1, CRIT DMG increases by 20%. Hits also have a 60% chance to inflict a small AoE attack dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG; the effect can occur once every four seconds. At R5, the CRIT DMG bonus is 40%, and the chance is 100% with a two-second limit between triggers. The AoE hit's stated damage ratio remains 125% at every refinement.

How does it suit different attack patterns?

Its CRIT stats are broadly useful for damage, while the secondary hit rewards landing hits often enough to encounter its chance and cooldown. Alley Hunter's damage bonus builds while its wielder is off-field and fades after the wielder stays on-field more than four seconds, so it has a distinct off-field orientation. Amos' Bow increases Normal and Charged Attack damage and adds more based on arrow flight time. Aqua Simulacra grants CRIT DMG and a damage increase when opponents are nearby, including off-field. Those triggers determine when the alternatives' effects apply.

How should investment be prioritized?

Ascension advances the weapon's level through six stages. Refinement consumes a duplicate and improves CRIT DMG, the proc chance, and the interval before another AoE hit can occur. The proc's 125% Physical ATK DMG does not rise in the listed ranks, so refinement's value lies in more reliable and frequent triggers plus CRIT DMG. Consider ascension before sacrificing another copy if you need to preserve it as a separate bow.

What should players avoid assuming?

The AoE effect is not a constant damage bonus: it has a chance to trigger and a cooldown, even at R1. Its damage is Physical ATK DMG, so do not treat it as the bow user's elemental damage. Refinement does not change its 125% ratio.

Limitations and tradeoffs

The secondary AoE hit has a chance and cooldown rather than applying on every hit.
Refinement requires another copy, while the proc's listed damage ratio stays at 125%.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the AoE hit as guaranteed at low refinement or available on every hit.
Counting the Physical proc as elemental damage or expecting its ratio to increase with refinement.

Effects and reference details

Refinement effects

R1 Increases CRIT DMG by 20%. Hits have a 60% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 4s.

R2 Increases CRIT DMG by 25%. Hits have a 70% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 3.5s.

R3 Increases CRIT DMG by 30%. Hits have a 80% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 3s.

R4 Increases CRIT DMG by 35%. Hits have a 90% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 2.5s.

R5 Increases CRIT DMG by 40%. Hits have a 100% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 2s.