With her banner live alongside Sparxie in Phase 1, players face a classic dilemma: pull her signature Light Cone (When She Decided to See) for S1, or chase E1 on her character banner? Both upgrades shine in her role as an Elation amplifier, but their value depends on your resources, team comps, and playstyle. Let's break it down.
Yao Guang's Signature Light Cone: When She Decided to See (S1 Breakdown)
This limited 5-star Elation LC is tailored for Yao Guang's high-SPD, energy-hungry rotations:
| Effect | S1 Value | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| SPD Boost | +18% | Pushes her base 101 SPD toward key breakpoints (160-200 SPD for max Elation via A2 trace and Diviner 4pc). +18% actions = faster Punchline gen and Zone uptime. |
| Great Fortune (3 turns on entry/Ult) | Team +10% CRIT Rate, +30% CRIT DMG, +12% ERR | Synergizes with her RES PEN; triples value in multi-DPS teams. Covers her CRIT needs without relic RNG. |
| Wave Start | +15 Energy | Covers ~8% of her 180-cost Ult, enabling 1 extra Aha Instant per 3-min fight (e.g., 4 vs. 3 in MoC). |
Pros: QoL king for any team. 25-30% total performance uplift over top 4-stars like Mushy Shroomy's Adventures S5 or Today's Good Luck S5, via more Aha cycles and team CRIT. F2P-friendly alternatives close the gap to ~70-75% in short fights, but sig pulls ahead in prolonged content like Apocalyptic Shadow.
Cons: Not essential; strong 4-stars provide similar Elation/CRIT. Less "burst" than E1.
E1: Chuckle Chimes Where Jade Falls (Breakdown)
E1 supercharges her core Ultimate loop:
| Effect | Value | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Aha Instant Punchline | 40 fixed (vs. base 20) | Doubles the instant's DMG/stacks (~100% uplift on this burst turn). Stored for 2 turns, ramps team output massively. |
| Elation DMG | Ignores 20% enemy DEF | Universal multiplier on all Zone Elation hits (procs, Skills, Aha). Stacks multiplicatively with RES PEN/vuln; shines in Elation hypercarry. |
Pros: Labeled "amazing/best stopping point" across guides. Transforms her from great to broken in Sparxie teams, where every Elation proc matters. DEF ignore is rarer and stronger than CRIT (especially vs. high-DEF bosses). Pairs perfectly with E4 (1.5x Elation Skills on Aha) for absurd bursts.
Cons: Slightly niche to Elation comps; less versatile than sig's SPD/CRIT/energy for generalist Archer teams.
Head-to-Head: Sig LC (E0S1) vs. E1 (E1S0)
No universal calc sheet pins an exact %, as it varies by content/team (e.g., MoC favors bursts, PF waves favor energy). However:
| Scenario | Winner | Why (Est. Uplift) |
|---|---|---|
| Elation Hypercarry (Sparxie + Sparkle) | E1 > S1 | Doubled Aha Punchline + 20% DEF ignore = 50-100%+ burst spike per Ult cycle. Sig's CRIT is nice, but E1 multiplies core kit directly. Calcs "misleading" outside this archetype. |
| Generalist/SP Spam (Archer/IL) | S1 ≈ E1 | Sig's SPD/energy/CRIT enables consistent procs; E1's DEF ignore helps but less than in pure Elation. ~25% sig edge over 4-stars, E1 ~20-30% via ignores. |
| F2P/Budget | E1 | 4-stars like Mushy suffice (70-75% sig perf); E1 is "free" damage amp on base kit. |
| Whale (Both) | E1 then S1 | E1 unlocks potential; sig polishes rotations. |
Key Stat: Sig enables ~33% more Aha Instants via SPD/energy (25% stage DMG), but E1 doubles each one's power. In Elation meta (4.0's focus), E1 edges out by 10-20% overall DPS amp.
Pull Advice
- Prioritize E1 if building Sparxie/Elation: It's her best single upgrade, future-proofing for E6 (+25% team Elation DMG). Skip sig if 4-stars overlaid.
- Go S1 first for flex teams or if you lack SPD relics/energy: QoL > raw power for consistency.
- F2P/Skippers: E0S0 clears content fine with Mushy S5 + Diviner 4pc (160+ SPD, CRIT DMG body, ERR rope). Save for Sparxie E0S1.