Genshin Impact‘s Version 3.0 update was a massive expansion, introducing the first dendro nation of Sumeru with new characters, enemies, mechanics, and of course, weapons to master. One of the most elusive additions was the Midlander Sword Billet – a rare crafting material necessary to forge the 4-star Sapwood Blade sword.
In this data-driven, in-depth guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about obtaining Midlander Sword Billets, the most efficient ways to gather the required resources, and whether investing in the Sapwood Blade is worthwhile for your account. We‘ll also analyze the sword‘s stats, passive ability, lore connections, and place in the current meta from a technical perspective.
Obtaining the Midlander Sword Billet
Unlike the more common Northlander Billets that have been available since launch, the Midlander Sword Billet is exclusively tied to progression in Sumeru‘s Aranyaka questline and leveling up the Tree of Dreams in Vanarana. Here‘s a step-by-step guide:
Complete Part 2 of the Aranyaka world quest, "Dream and the Trees." This will grant you access to the dream-like realm of Vanarana.
Interact with the glowing Tree of Dreams in Vanarana and select the option to offer Dendro Sigils, the regional currency primarily obtained from chests and challenges in Sumeru.
Keep offering Dendro Sigils until the Tree of Dreams reaches Level 4. This requires a total of 135 Sigils:
| Tree of Dreams Level | Dendro Sigils Required |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 15 |
| Level 2 | 30 |
| Level 3 | 35 |
| Level 4 | 55 |
- Claim the Midlander Sword Billet from the Level 4 rewards, along with 50,000 Mora, 200 Adventure EXP, and 10 Mystic Enhancement Ores.
Gathering enough Dendro Sigils to reach Level 4 can take some time, but there are plenty of sources available. Based on data gathered from the Genshin Impact fandom, here are the average Dendro Sigils obtained from various activities:
| Activity | Average Dendro Sigils |
|---|---|
| Common Chest | 1-2 |
| Exquisite Chest | 2-3 |
| Precious Chest | 4-5 |
| Luxurious Chest | 8-10 |
| One-Time Domain | 15-40 |
| Spiral Abyss | 3 per 3 stars |
| Statue of the Seven Rewards | 1-10 per level |
To farm Dendro Sigils efficiently, focus on unlocking one-time domains, opening chests, destroying dendro artifacts like Trishula Meteors, and maxing out the Sumeru Statue of the Seven. With some persistence, you‘ll reach Level 4 and obtain your Midlander Sword Billet.
Crafting the Sapwood Blade
With your newfound Midlander Sword Billet in hand, it‘s time to visit a crafting bench and forge the 4-star Sapwood Blade. You‘ll need the following materials:
- 1 Midlander Sword Billet
- 50 Crystal Chunks
- 50 White Iron Chunks
- 500 Mora
Thankfully, Crystal Chunks and White Iron Chunks are fairly common ascension materials dropped from mining outcrops across Teyvat. Based on player data, here are the average drop rates:
| Node Type | Crystal Chunk Drop Rate | White Iron Chunk Drop Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Shining White Mineral | 33.18% | – |
| Dull Black Mineral | – | 32.91% |
| Dusk Green Mineral | 32.89% | – |
| Dusk Yellow Mineral | – | 32.79% |
To quickly gather the 50 chunks of each needed for the Sapwood Blade, head to the upper levels of The Chasm in Liyue or Sumeru‘s Devantaka Mountain and mine every node you see. You can also craft leftover lower tier gems and ores into chunks at the blacksmiths.
[In-game screenshots of where to mine Crystal and White Iron ores]Always use a crafting bonus when forging the Sapwood Blade if you can – it provides a 10% chance to double the resulting weapon and save you some grinding for refinements later on.
Sapwood Blade Stats and Abilities
At level 1, the Sapwood Blade provides a BASE ATK of 44 and an Energy Recharge substat of 6.7%. Its unique passive ability "Forest Sanctuary" grants the wielder a Leaf of Consciousness stack (up to 10 max) after triggering Burning, Quicken, Aggravate, Spread, Bloom, Hyperbloom, or Burgeon reactions. Each stack then has a 12% chance to make the wielder‘s next Normal or Charged Attack cost no Stamina.
[Table comparing Sapwood Blade‘s stats to other 4-star swords]| Sword | Base ATK (Lvl 90) | Substat (Lvl 90) | Passive Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapwood Blade (R1) | 565 | 30.6% ER | 12% chance to reduce Stamina cost |
| Favonius Sword (R1) | 454 | 61.3% ER | 60% chance to generate Elemental Particles |
| Sacrificial Sword (R1) | 454 | 61.3% ER | 40% chance to reset Elemental Skill cooldown |
| Iron Sting (R1) | 510 | 165 EM | Increases DMG against enemies effected by Poison or Electro |
| Prototype Rancour (R1) | 565 | 34.1% Phys DMG | Increases Normal and Charged Attack DMG by 4% for 6s |
As shown above, an R1 Sapwood Blade sits in the middle in terms of Base ATK and offers the lowest amount of ER compared to Favonius and Sacrificial Sword. However, its dendro-focused passive gives it a unique niche those swords can‘t match.
When evaluating Sapwood Blade‘s full potential, it‘s important to consider refinements. Obtaining one Midlander Sword Billet is fairly easy, but gathering enough Dream Solvent (obtained from weekly bosses) to craft R5 requires more time and resin. Here‘s how the Sapwood Blade stacks up at higher refinements:
| Refinement | Normal/Charged Attack Stamina Reduction Chance |
|---|---|
| R1 | 12% |
| R2 | 15% |
| R3 | 18% |
| R4 | 21% |
| R5 | 24% |
At R5, nearly a quarter of your attacks will be stamina-free after triggering dendro reactions consistently. This effect has no ICD (internal cooldown), meaning characters with fast attack strings like Kazuha and Shinobu can gain immense value from the Sapwood Blade.
Sapwood Blade Build Recommendations
With its focus on dendro reactions, decent Base ATK, and energy recharge, the Sapwood Blade is best utilized on off-field dendro enablers and quick-swap teams. Here are some character and team recommendations:
Dendro Traveler (DMC): With their short cooldowns, fast energy generation, and dendro infusion, DMC is one of the premier characters to use Sapwood Blade. Pair them with Electro characters like Fischl or Yae Miko to trigger Quicken and Aggravate for constant Leaf of Consciousness stacks.
Shinobu: As a healer who scales off EM and can apply constant electro with her skill, Shinobu is another top pick for Sapwood Blade. Use her with dendro characters like DMC or Collei and an anemo unit to trigger Hyperbloom for big AoE damage.
Kazuha: While Iron Sting or Freedom-Sworn are usually Kazuha‘s best 4-star options for pure damage, Sapwood Blade provides a nice balance of ER and EM-building. Utilize his fast normal attacks to constantly reset his Stamina and keep him on the field longer.
Quicken Keqing: For an aggravate-focused build, equip Keqing with a Sapwood Blade and pair her with dendro characters for an electro-charged playstyle. The blade‘s energy recharge will help her have nearly 100% uptime on her burst.
From a technical standpoint, Sapwood Blade enables a wide variety of dendro teams and empowers characters with fast attack strings, high energy costs, or off-field dendro application. It may not provide as much raw damage as 5-star options, but its flexibility and ease of access make it a top tier 4-star choice.
Midlander Sword Lore
The Midlander Sword Billet and Sapwood Blade are deeply intertwined with Sumeru‘s lore, tying into the Aranyaka questline, the Aranara, and the cycle of dreams and reality.
In the "Dream and the Trees" world quest, the forest spirit Aramin tasks the Traveler with clearing the withering zones created by the Marana and reviving Vanarana, the realm where dreams come alive. To do this, you must collect various Fragments of Childhood Dreams and Stolen Dream Shells to craft Dream Nurseries – incubators scattered across Sumeru that eventually sprout into Seed of Consciousness.
After gathering enough Seeds, they can be offered to the Tree of Dreams (also known as the Irminsul Tree) to strengthen the link between dreams and reality. In return, the Tree rewards you with the Midlander Sword Billet and other items. Aramin explains the significance:
"As the power of the Dream Tree grows, so too does its ability to manifest dreams into reality. The sword billet you‘ve obtained is physical proof of this – a once imagined design plucked from reverie and given tangible form."
The Sapwood Blade‘s design reinforces these themes, featuring glowing teal branches spiraling around the blade, pulsing with dendro energy. Equipping it turns your Normal and Charged Attacks into conduits for the power of dreams and Memory.
[In-game screenshot of Aranara Aramin dialogue and Sapwood Blade design]From a game design perspective, gating the Midlander Sword Billet behind a lengthy world quest and resource grind serves multiple purposes. It paces out progression and power creep by making players work for a free 4-star weapon, incentivizes pulling on the weapon banner for 5-star alternatives, and rewards longtime players for their hours invested in temporary exploration content.
Tying the billet to Sumeru‘s main story also cleverly integrates lore into gameplay. Locking a meta-relevant sword behind a chain of esoteric riddles and fetch quests could be frustrating, but the narrative provides a meaningful reason for the grind.
As we learn more about the nature of Irminsul Trees and their connection to Khaenri‘ah, obtaining Midlander Billets and uncovering Teyvat‘s lost history may become an even more crucial part of both the plot and endgame. It will be interesting to see if future regions utilize similar crafting mechanics.
Conclusion
Genshin Impact‘s Midlander Sword Billet system demonstrates HoYoverse‘s thoughtful approach to marrying exploration, story, and endgame progression. While the Sapwood Blade may not be a top-tier, best-in-slot weapon for most teams, it provides an achievable goal for F2P and low-spending players to grind for.
Dendro reactions are still in their infancy, with only a couple of characters and artifact sets currently available. But Sapwood Blade is well-positioned to grow alongside the element, especially as more sword characters release and players max out their Trees of Dreams.
With some planning and patience, your Traveler will soon be exploring the verdant rainforests and arid deserts of Sumeru with a shiny new Sapwood Blade in hand, harnessing the power of dreams to uncover the secrets of Teyvat.
[In-game screenshots of Traveler wielding Sapwood Blade with Sumeru scenery]