Castorice Build Guide: HP vs Crit Stats for 3.8 Meta

Castorice Character Overview and Scaling Mechanics

Castorice is a 5-star Quantum Remembrance character (banner: Nov 4-26, 2026). Level 80 base stats: 1629 HP, 523 ATK, 485 DEF, 95 SPD. She uses dual-scaling—HP and Crit stats convert to Quantum damage via memosprite mechanics.

Netherwing memosprite operates at 165 SPD with 100% Max HP scaling, capping Newbud at 34,000 (68,000 with overflow). Contained Dark Tide trace converts 100% healing to Newbud (max 12% per ally). Inverted Torch trace: +40% Netherwing SPD when HP ≥50% Max HP; +100% SPD for 1 turn after fatal damage.

Where The West Wind Dwells: +30% Breath Scorches the Shadow DMG (6 stacks). Lost Netherland Territory debuff: -20% enemy All-Type RES. Minor traces: +18.7% Crit Rate, +13.3% Crit DMG, +14.4% Quantum DMG.

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HP Scaling vs Traditional Crit Scaling

Castorice's damage formula: Base damage (from Max HP) × (1 + Crit Rate × Crit DMG). Both stats multiply—neither alone optimizes output.

Stat targets: 7000-8000+ HP, 80-100% Crit Rate, 200-220% Crit DMG, SPD <95. SPD restriction activates Poet of Mourning Collapse 4pc (+32% memosprite Crit Rate when SPD <95).

Why Build Choices Matter for 3.8

Version 3.8 Apocalyptic Shadow Node 2: Primate Knight (Ice/Lightning weaknesses). Buffs:

• Shatterstrike: +10% Weakness Break DMG, +5% DMG during Weakness Break
• Linebreaker: Ignore 15% enemy DEF
• Unto Apotheosis: +6% Crit DMG per stack (max 10)
• Past Life Shadow Reverie: +60% DMG with 3+ memosprites

Teams (Castorice/Evernight/Cyrene/Hyacine) achieve 2-cycle Node 2 clears. Precise stat optimization determines 2-cycle vs 3-cycle performance.

HP vs Crit Relic Rolls: Statistical Analysis

Damage Formula Breakdown

E1 Snowbound Maiden: 120% damage when enemies <80% HP, 140% when <50% HP. These percentages multiply current HP pool—every 1000 HP = proportional damage gain.

Bone Collection's Serene Demesne: +12% Max HP (2pc), +28% memosprite Crit DMG when HP ≥5000. Critical breakpoint: builds <5000 HP lose significant Crit DMG; builds >7000 HP unlock max base damage. Optimal zone: 7000-8000 HP.

Crit Build Performance

Pure Crit: Crit Rate Body + Crit DMG substats. Poet 4pc grants +10% Quantum DMG (2pc), +32% memosprite Crit Rate (SPD <95). With minor traces (+18.7%), base Crit Rate ≈50-52% before substats.

100% Crit Rate needs 48-50% from substats/main stats. Crit Rate Body (+31.1% at +15) leaves 17-19% from substats (3-4% per piece). This caps HP at 6000-6500 without HP% pieces.

200%+ Crit DMG: Base 50% + minor traces 13.3% + Bone Collection 28% = 91.3%. Reaching 220% needs 128.7% from substats/main stats—Crit DMG Body (62.2%) + 66.5% substats (13.3% per piece).

HP Build Performance

HP-focused: HP% Body/Feet/Sphere/Rope. Each HP% main stat: 43.2% at +15. Four pieces = 172.8% HP. With Bone Collection (+12%), total HP: 7500-8500.

Sacrifices Crit Rate main stats. Poet 4pc (+32%) + minor traces (+18.7%) = 50.7% base. 80% Crit Rate needs 29.3% substats (5.9% per piece)—demanding but achievable. Struggles reaching 200%+ Crit DMG without sacrificing other stats.

Survivability advantage: larger HP pools maintain Inverted Torch's 50% HP threshold for +40% Netherwing SPD.

Hybrid Build Viability

Recommended: Crit DMG Body, HP% Feet/Sphere/Rope. Three HP% main stats (129.6% HP) + Crit DMG scaling.

Substat priority: Crit DMG = Crit Rate > HP% > SPD (<95). Targets: 7000-7500 HP, 85-95% Crit Rate, 200-210% Crit DMG.

Testing Results

Pure Crit (6500 HP, 100% Crit Rate, 230% Crit DMG): 15-18% higher per-hit damage but reduced survivability and smaller ultimate ceilings.

Pure HP (8500 HP, 75% Crit Rate, 180% Crit DMG): Larger base damage but 75% Crit Rate = 20-25% DPS loss vs hybrid. One in four attacks miss Crits.

Hybrid (7200 HP, 90% Crit Rate, 205% Crit DMG): 95-98% of pure Crit damage with better survival. 90% Crit Rate minimizes variance.

Optimal Relic Main Stat Selection

Body Piece

• Crit DMG%: 62.2% at +15. Highest damage ceiling with sufficient Crit Rate from other sources.
• Crit Rate%: Simplifies 100% Crit Rate but sacrifices Crit DMG. Only use if substats heavily favor Crit DMG (7%+ per piece).
• HP%: 43.2% HP (700-900 HP). Demands exceptional Crit substats (25%+ Crit Rate, 80%+ Crit DMG combined).

Recommended: Crit DMG% Body for balanced/Crit builds; HP% Body only with godly substats.

Feet

SPD% pushes above 95 threshold, losing +32% memosprite Crit Rate. HP% Feet: 43.2% HP (700-900 HP). Synergizes with Bone Collection's 5000 HP threshold. Inverted Torch provides +40% SPD buffs—no SPD% needed.

Recommended: HP% Feet universally. Never SPD%.

Planar Sphere

• Quantum DMG%: 38.88% at +15. Direct multiplicative increase.
• HP%: 43.2% HP (700-900 HP).

Quantum DMG% outperforms when HP >6500 and Crit stats meet minimums (80% Crit Rate, 180% Crit DMG). Below 6500 HP, HP% provides better returns.

Recommended: HP% for hybrid builds (7000-7500 HP target); Quantum DMG% for Crit builds >6500 HP.

Link Rope

• ERR%: 19.44% at +15. Reduces ultimate from 140 to 115 effective energy (3-turn vs 4-turn rotations).
• HP%: 43.2% HP (700-900 HP).

ERR% suits skill point-starved teams. HP% better for most comps with abundant skill points (Hyacine/Cyrene teams).

Recommended: HP% Link Rope for most teams; ERR% only in SP-limited comps or when HP >7500.

Sub-Stat Rolling Priority

HP Build Priority

1. Crit Rate (3.89% max/roll): Reach 80%+ without Crit Rate Body. Target 25-30% from substats (5-6% per piece, 1-2 rolls each).
2. Crit DMG (7.77% max/roll): Reach 180-200%. Target 60-80% from substats (12-16% per piece, 2-3 rolls each).
3. HP% (4.32% max/roll): Push toward 8000+. Each 1% HP% ≈16-17 HP. Target 15-20% from substats with three HP% main stats.
4. Flat HP (42.34 max/roll): Filler. Ten flat HP rolls ≈ one HP% roll.

Avoid: SPD, ATK%, Flat ATK, DEF%, Flat DEF, Break Effect, Effect Hit Rate, Effect RES.

Crit Build Priority

1. Crit DMG (7.77% max/roll): Reach 220%+. Target 80-100% from substats (16-20% per piece, 3-4 rolls each).
2. Crit Rate (3.89% max/roll): Reach 100%. With Crit Rate Body, target 15-20% from substats (3-4% per piece, 1 roll each).
3. HP% (4.32% max/roll): Maintain 6500 HP minimum. Target 20-25% from substats with zero HP% main stats.
4. Flat HP: Filler.

Efficiency Thresholds

Minimum Acceptable: 2 useful substats, 3+ rolls into Crit Rate/Crit DMG/HP%. Example: Crit Rate +7.8%, Crit DMG +15.5%, HP% +4.3%.

Good: 3 useful substats, 4-5 rolls. Example: Crit Rate +11.7%, Crit DMG +23.3%, HP% +8.6%.

Excellent: 3-4 useful substats, 6+ rolls. Example: Crit Rate +15.6%, Crit DMG +31.1%, HP% +12.9%.

Value Calculations

Relative Damage = (New Crit Rate × New Crit DMG × New HP) / (Current Crit Rate × Current Crit DMG × Current HP)

Example: Piece increases Crit Rate 85%→92% (+7%), Crit DMG 200%→208% (+8%), HP 7200→7100 (-100): (0.92 × 2.08 × 7100) / (0.85 × 2.00 × 7200) = 1.111 = 11.1% damage increase

Best Relic Sets: Tier List

Cavern Relic Sets

Poet of Mourning Collapse 4pc (S-Tier):

• 2pc: +10% Quantum DMG
• 4pc: -8% SPD; SPD <110 = +20% Crit Rate; SPD <95 = +32% memosprite Crit Rate

+32% memosprite Crit Rate ≈ 8-10 substat rolls. Memosprites deal 40-50% total damage, so effectively +16-20% overall Crit Rate. -8% SPD helps maintain <95 threshold. No other set compares.

Longevous Disciple 4pc (B-Tier):

• 2pc: +12% Max HP
• 4pc: +8% Crit Rate for 2 turns when hit (stacks 2×)

+12% HP ≈ 195-260 HP. 4pc grants up to +16% Crit Rate but requires taking hits—unreliable. Inferior to Poet for optimized builds.

2pc+2pc (A-Tier situational): Poet 2pc (+10% Quantum DMG) + Longevous 2pc (+12% HP). Unconditional bonuses but loses +32% memosprite Crit Rate. Use only when 4pc Poet substats are significantly worse.

Planar Ornament Sets

Bone Collection's Serene Demesne (S-Tier):

• 2pc: +12% Max HP; HP ≥5000 = +28% memosprite Crit DMG

5000 HP threshold trivially easy. +28% Crit DMG ≈ 3-4 substat rolls. Combined with Poet 4pc: +32% Crit Rate + 28% Crit DMG for memosprites = 10-12 perfect rolls.

Inert Salsotto (A-Tier):

• 2pc: +8% Crit Rate; Crit Rate ≥50% = +15% ultimate/follow-up DMG

Helps reach 100% Crit Rate. Conditional +15% DMG. Inferior to Bone Collection for most builds. Use only with significantly better substats.

Set Bonus Damage Comparison

• Poet 4pc + Bone Collection 2pc: 100% baseline
• Longevous 4pc + Bone Collection 2pc: 82-87% (13-18% loss)
• Poet 2pc + Longevous 2pc + Bone Collection 2pc: 85-90% (10-15% loss)
• Poet 4pc + Inert Salsotto 2pc: 94-97% (3-6% loss)

F2P Light Cone Ranking

S-Tier 4-Star

Sweat Now, Cry Less (S5):

• +20% Crit Rate (S5)
• +36% memosprite on-field DMG (S5)

+20% Crit Rate ≈ 5 substat rolls. +36% memosprite DMG (40-50% of total) = 14-18% overall damage. Performs within 8-12% of signature 5-stars. Premier F2P choice.

S1→S5 scaling: +8% Crit Rate, +12% memosprite DMG (15-20% total damage increase). Highest superimposition priority.

A-Tier 4-Star

The Flower Remembers (S5):

• +40% Crit DMG (S5)
• +40% memosprite Crit DMG (S5)

Combined +80% Crit DMG ≈ 10 substat rolls. Lacks Crit Rate—must reach 100% from relics/sets. Suits builds with exceptional Crit Rate substats. At 85% Crit Rate/240% Crit DMG, matches Sweat Now performance but higher variance.

Good To Evernight's Stars (S5):

• +60% Max HP (S5)
• Ignore 20-30% DEF, +30-60% DMG, recover 8-16 Energy (S5)

+60% HP ≈ 975-1300 HP (pushes to 8000-8500 range). 30% DEF ignore = multiplicative damage vs high-DEF bosses. 16 Energy enables 3-turn ultimates. Lacks Crit stats—demands 100% Crit Rate + 200%+ Crit DMG from relics. Suits HP builds prioritizing survivability.

Signature vs F2P Gap

Signature 5-stars: 10-15% advantage over S5 4-stars. Gap narrows to 5-8% comparing S1 signature vs S5 Sweat Now.

10-15% gap ≈ 0.2-0.3 cycle difference in Apocalyptic Shadow—meaningful for leaderboards, negligible for rewards. Prioritize character acquisition and E1 before signature light cones.

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Apocalyptic Shadow Primate Knight Strategy

Boss Mechanics

Primate Knight (Blaznana Monkey Trick): Ice/Lightning weaknesses, 800k-900k HP.

Two phases.

Key mechanics:

• Monkey Trick Counter: Boss buffs when players use specific skills. Memosprite attacks bypass this—Castorice's 40-50% memosprite damage ignores mechanic.
• Ice Vulnerability Window: Every 3 turns, -30% All-Type RES for 1 turn. Time ultimates here.
• Lightning Retaliation: Counters Lightning attacks with AoE. Castorice's Quantum typing avoids this.

Optimal Teams

Premium (Castorice/Evernight/Cyrene/Hyacine): 2-cycle clears. Leverages Past Life Shadow Reverie (+60% DMG with 3+ memosprites).

F2P (Castorice/Trailblazer Ice/Pela/Gallagher): 3-cycle clears. 15-20% less damage but viable.

• Trailblazer: Sub-DPS, Ice weakness exploitation
• Pela: -40% DEF (ultimate), -20% All-Type RES
• Gallagher: Sustain, healing→Newbud conversion

Rotation Guide

Pre-Battle: Activate Linebreaker (ignore 15% DEF), Past Life Shadow Reverie (+60% DMG), Unto Apotheosis (+6% Crit DMG/stack).

Cycle 1 (Turns 1-4):

1. Castorice Skill → Generate Newbud
2. Support buffs → Cyrene/Pela apply DEF shred
3. Castorice Skill → Continue Newbud
4. Sustain healing → Convert to Newbud

Cycle 2 (Turns 5-8): 5. Castorice Ultimate → Release Newbud during Ice Vulnerability 6. Memosprite attacks → Capitalize on buffs 7. Castorice Skill → Rebuild Newbud 8. Support ultimate → Final buffs

Common Mistakes

1. Ignoring Vulnerability Windows: Using ultimate outside Ice Vulnerability costs 20-30% damage. Wait for -30% RES window.
2. Newbud Overcapping: Cap is 34,000 (68,000 overflow). Skills after cap waste skill points. Switch to basic attacks near cap.
3. Memosprite Mismanagement: Memosprites contribute 40-50% damage. Wasting turns on basic attacks reduces DPS. Manage energy/SP for skill usage.
4. Poor Buff Timing: Coordinate Linebreaker/Past Life/Unto Apotheosis with ultimate timing for max burst.

Team Building and Synergy

Best Supports

Cyrene (S-Tier): Damage amp, memosprite synergy, activates Past Life buff. SP neutral/positive.

Hyacine (S-Tier): Sustain with healing→Newbud (12% per ally). Accelerates ultimates. SP neutral.

Pela (A-Tier F2P): -40% DEF (ultimate), -20% All-Type RES. Multiplicative damage. SP negative but manageable.

Gallagher (A-Tier F2P): Sustain, frequent healing for Newbud. Less efficient than Hyacine but accessible.

Trailblazer Ice (B-Tier F2P): Memosprite for Past Life buff, exploits Ice weakness. Free. SP neutral.

Speed Tuning

Castorice SPD must stay <95 for Poet 4pc max bonuses.

Optimal Turn Order:

1. Support (110-120 SPD) → Apply debuffs/buffs first
2. Sustain (100-110 SPD) → Heal before Castorice for Newbud conversion
3. Castorice (90-94 SPD) → Act after buffs/heals
4. Memosprite (165 SPD fixed) → Independent actions

Never tune Castorice >95 SPD—losing +32% memosprite Crit Rate costs more than any turn order gain.

Energy Management

Ultimate needs ≈140 energy (standard ERR).

3-Turn Rotation:

• Turn 1: Skill (30) → 30 total
• Turn 2: Skill (30) + Memosprite (20) → 80 total
• Turn 3: Skill (30) + Memosprite (20) + Hits (10) → 140 → Ultimate ready

4-Turn (SP conservative):

• Turn 1: Basic (20) → 20
• Turn 2: Skill (30) + Memosprite (20) → 70
• Turn 3: Skill (30) + Memosprite (20) → 120
• Turn 4: Basic (20) → 140 → Ultimate ready

Good To Evernight's Stars S5 (+16 Energy) or ERR% Rope converts 4-turn to 3-turn.

F2P vs Premium Teams

Premium (Castorice/Evernight/Cyrene/Hyacine): 100% damage, SP neutral/positive, excellent survival. High cost (multiple limited 5-stars).

F2P (Castorice/Trailblazer/Pela/Gallagher): 80-85% damage, slightly SP negative, good survival. Low cost (only Castorice limited).

15-20% gap ≈ 0.3-0.5 cycle difference. F2P achieves 3-cycle where premium achieves 2-cycle—still max rewards.

Trace Priority

Upgrade Order

1. Ultimate (1→10): Largest damage instances, scales with Newbud. +8-12% per level.
2. Skill (1→10): Newbud generation, consistent damage. +6-10% per level.
3. Talent (1→10): Passive Newbud, additional damage. +5-8% per level.
4. Major Traces: Inverted Torch, Contained Dark Tide, Where The West Wind Dwells.
5. Minor Traces: Crit Rate → Crit DMG → Quantum DMG (+18.7% Crit Rate, +13.3% Crit DMG, +14.4% Quantum DMG total).
6. Basic Attack (1→6, stop): <15% total damage. Level to 6 for energy, then stop.

Materials

• Credits: 3M total (2-3 weeks farming)
• Bija/Seedling/Flower: 15/72/139 (3-4 weeks Calyx runs)
• Auspice Sliver: 12 (3-4 weeks weekly boss)
• Tracks of Destiny: 8 (4-6 weeks mixed content)

Daily Route: Assignments → 240 Power on Calyx (Crimson) → Weekly boss → Events.

Eidolon Priority

E1 Snowbound Maiden (Highest Priority): Enemies <80% HP = 120% damage; <50% HP = 140% damage. 20-40% damage increase during execute. Transforms strong DPS to top-tier. E0→E1 = best value.

E2-E6 (Lower Priority): 5-15% each. E2+ costs 130-160 pulls per eidolon—better spent on new characters. E0→E1 optimal stopping point for F2P/low-spenders.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

Myth: Always Prioritize HP

Reality: HP provides base, Crit multiplies. 9000 HP/60% Crit Rate/150% Crit DMG < 7000 HP/90% Crit Rate/210% Crit DMG.

Math: 9000 × 0.60 × 1.50 = 8,100 vs 7000 × 0.90 × 2.10 = 13,230. Build B deals 63% more damage despite 22% lower HP.

Mistake: Ignoring SPD Breakpoints

Every SPD point >95 costs +32% memosprite Crit Rate. One SPD substat (+2.3) pushing 94→96.3 costs more than three Crit Rate rolls (+11.7%). Always reject SPD substats.

Misconception: F2P Can't Clear Endgame

F2P teams achieve 3-cycle Apocalyptic Shadow clears—sufficient for max rewards. S5 Sweat Now performs within 8-12% of signature. Poet 4pc + Bone Collection 2pc are farmable. Only Castorice herself is limited.

Expert Tips

1. Time Ultimates During Vulnerability: Ice Vulnerability (-30% RES) every 3 turns. Timing ultimate here = +30% damage.
2. Max Newbud Before Ultimate: 25k vs 34k Newbud = 26% damage loss. Wait for cap unless boss in execute range.
3. Leverage Memosprite Actions: 165 SPD creates extra actions. SP-free damage/energy. Adds 15-20% total damage.
4. Stack Multiplicative Buffs: Linebreaker (+15% DEF ignore) + Pela (-40% DEF) + Lost Netherland (-20% RES) = 85-95% damage increase combined.

FAQ

Should Castorice use HP or Crit relics in 3.8? Hybrid: Crit DMG Body, HP% Feet/Sphere/Rope. Target 7000-7500 HP, 85-95% Crit Rate, 200-210% Crit DMG. Pure builds sacrifice multiplicative scaling.

Best F2P light cone? Sweat Now, Cry Less S5: +20% Crit Rate, +36% memosprite DMG. Performs within 8-12% of signature 5-stars. Prioritize S5 superimposition.

How much HP needed? 7000-8000 HP optimal. <7000 = insufficient base scaling. >8000 = diminishing returns, sacrifices Crit stats. 5000 HP threshold (Bone Collection) is trivial.

Best relic sets? Poet of Mourning Collapse 4pc + Bone Collection's Serene Demesne 2pc. Grants +32% memosprite Crit Rate + 28% memosprite Crit DMG ≈ 10-12 perfect substat rolls.

Which main stats? Body: Crit DMG%; Feet: HP%; Sphere: HP% (<6500 HP) or Quantum DMG% (>6500 HP); Rope: HP% (most teams) or ERR% (SP-limited). Never SPD%.

Sub-stat priority? Crit DMG = Crit Rate > HP% > Flat HP. Avoid SPD, ATK%, DEF%, Break Effect, Effect Hit/RES. Target 25-30% Crit Rate, 60-80% Crit DMG from substats for hybrid builds.

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