To compare, they have the following stats and passives at Refinement Rank 1 (R1) Level 90: They’re among the two strongest weapons in-game that work well with every ATK-scaling DPS sword user. But one can outperform the other depending on the character and situation. At stacks 1/2/3, it provides an 8/16/29% Elemental damage bonus for the wielder’s element. 1 stack can be gained by each scenario:
Normal attack deals elemental damage (stack lasts 5s). Casting the wielder’s burst (stack lasts 10s). Wielder’s energy is less than 100% (stack disappears upon reaching 100% Energy).
Each stack duration is independent. Provides an ATK bonus based on 1.2% of the character’s max HP. As a rule of thumb, Mistsplitter Reforged is best when the character can fully utilize its passive. Otherwise, Jade Cutter will pull ahead. This is simply because its passive is unconditional – every ATK-scaling character will benefit from it. Here’s a more detailed comparison of the two weapons for every DPS sword user.
For Albedo
Among the two weapons, Primordial Jade Cutter performs better on a C0 Albedo. His skill – aka his main source of damage – scales entirely off DEF, so he doesn’t benefit from Mistsplitter’s high Base ATK. Instead, he does greatly benefit from Jade Cutter’s high CRIT rate stat. It makes balancing his CRIT stats significantly easier. But Albedo still appreciates Mistsplitter’s damage bonus, so it doesn’t fall far from Jade Cutter. Either weapon works great on Albedo – use whichever one you have. However, R5 Cinnabar Spindle is Albedo’s best weapon by far. If you have this weapon, use it. It’ll perform much better than both Mistsplitter and Jade Cutter.
For Bennett
Both weapons work great, but Mistsplitter Reforged pulls ahead. Bennett’s ATK buff scales from his Base ATK – this includes the weapon’s Base ATK. So Mistsplitter’s high Base ATK is basically perfect for him. It greatly boosts his and his team’s damage. Jade Cutter is definitely still a great weapon on Bennett. It follows Mistsplitter as his 2nd best weapon for an on-field DPS build. And it’s his 3rd best weapon for a support build (just after Mistsplitter and Aquila Favonia).
For Jean
Primordial Jade Cutter is Jean’s best-in-slot weapon – then followed closely by Mistsplitter Reforged. Mistsplitter is generally her 2nd best weapon. It only falls behind Jade Cutter because she can’t fully utilize its passive. Still, it’s a great option – use whichever one you have.
For Kaeya
Both Mistsplitter and Jade Cutter are great weapons for Kaeya – but they vary situationally. Generally, Mistsplitter Reforged is your safest bet. He greatly benefits from this weapon in all of his builds, especially in freeze teams. Jade Cutter is only better when Kaeya is paired with an ATK buffer (most notably Bennett). This supplements the weapon’s low Base ATK, thus making it a really strong option. But, in freeze teams, Jade Cutter can easily overcap on CRIT rate. In this case, Mistsplitter is undoubtedly the best option.
For Ayaka
Mistsplitter Reforged is Ayaka’s signature weapon – and it’s her best option by far. Its passive is tailor-made for Ayaka, and there’s simply no other weapon that can compete with it. Jade Cutter is also a viable option, but it’s very easy to overcap on CRIT rate. Freeze Ayaka only needs 45% CRIT rate – with this weapon, she already gains 49.1% CRIT rate. This makes it harder to balance her artifacts since CRIT rate is no longer needed. Still, it’s a good option. It is a 5-star weapon with a very versatile passive.
For Ayato
Primordial Jade Cutter is among Ayato’s best weapons – it can even be his situational best-in-slot. Plus he actually benefits from its HP passive since he partially scales off HP. So it’s easily better than Mistsplitter. But still, Mistsplitter is a great option. Its stats and damage bonus are always appreciated, especially in a Burst DPS build.
For Keqing
Mistsplitter Reforged is Keqing’s best-in-slot weapon. Keqing is one of the few characters that can fully utilize its passive – and it’s really easy for her to trigger. This lets her greatly benefit from every aspect of the weapon. Jade Cutter follows Mistsplitter as her 2nd best weapon. Its high CRIT rate is just always useful.
For Geo Traveler
Primordial Jade Cutter is Geo Traveler’s best weapon option. This is simply because it’s a very versatile CRIT rate stat stick – and they can unconditionally benefit from its passive. Mistsplitter is also a great option, but Traveler can’t fully benefit from its passive. Still, its damage bonus and CRIT stats are always great.
For Xingqiu
Primordial Jade Cutter is Xingqiu’s best universal weapon. Its high CRIT rate makes it significantly easier to balance Xingqiu’s CRIT ratio – especially since he doesn’t ascend with CRIT stats. He also unconditionally benefits from his passive – he’ll always gain the ATK buff. Plus, the HP increase is appreciated. It slightly increases Xingqiu’s micro-healing. Mistsplitter Reforged follows Jade Cutter as his 2nd best option. It only falls behind because of its passive – Xingqiu can’t consistently get 3 stacks. Regardless, it’s a very competitive weapon that’s very close to Jade Cutter. Just use whichever one you have.
