So you're planning to pull for Columbina when she drops in January 2026? Smart move – but here's the thing about Harbingers: they're notoriously demanding when it comes to materials. And Columbina? She's no exception.
After diving deep into the leaked requirements and testing optimal farming routes, I can tell you that proper pre-farming will make the difference between having her battle-ready on day one versus waiting weeks to see her true potential.
What You're Actually Getting Into: Columbina's Material Requirements
Let's be honest – Columbina's material list reads like a Nod-Krai shopping spree. As a 5-star Hydro Catalyst character, she demands specific regional materials that you simply can't substitute.
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The Full Ascension Breakdown
Here's what complete ascension actually costs:
Core Materials:
- 46 Radiant Antler (exclusively from Level 30+ Frostnight Herras)
- 168 Winter Icelea (Nod-Krai specialty with that annoying 48-hour respawn)
- Varunada Lazurite progression: 1 Sliver, 9 Fragments, 9 Chunks, 6 Gemstones
- 419 Hero's Wit and 7-8 million Mora
That Mora requirement? Yeah, it's brutal. But experienced players know that's actually the easy part.
Talent Investment Reality Check
Lightless Capital Domain haul (Monday/Thursday/Sunday only):
- 9 Teachings of Moonlight
- 63 Guide to Moonlight
- 114 Philosophies of Moonlight
- Slime materials: 36 Condensate, 96 Secretions, 129 Concentrate
- 3 Crown of Insight (good luck with that)
The domain restriction is what kills most farming schedules. Three days a week means you can't just brute-force this with resin.
Boss Farming Routes That Actually Work
Frostnight Herras: The Real Challenge
Location specifics: Hiisi Island hosts 2-3 encounters daily, but here's the catch – only Level 30+ guarantees Radiant Antler drops. Lower levels? You're gambling with your resin.
Team composition that works: Pyro DPS for elemental advantage, Electro support for reaction damage, Hydro support (ironic, I know), and Anemo for crowd control. Don't overthink it.
The Hiisi Island Circuit (10-12 minutes if you know what you're doing): Start at central shrine waypoint, hit the Frostnight Herras spawns, then optimize your waypoint usage for 2-3 encounters per session. In practice, this becomes muscle memory after a few runs.
Nod-Krai Specialty Routes (30-minute commitment)
- Lempo Isle: 8 minutes around Blue Amber Lake
- Paha Isle: 12 minutes circling Kuuvahki Bureau
- Hiisi Island: 10 minutes at central shrine area
Co-op efficiency tip: Coordinate simultaneous boss encounters with friends, share specialty locations, and always use condensed resin for those doubled 40-resin rewards. It's basic math, but you'd be surprised how many players skip this.
Domain Strategy: Where Your Resin Actually Goes
Artifact Priorities (Because RNG Hates Us All)
Primary sets worth farming:
- Dawn Song: 2-piece gives +80 EM, 4-piece delivers +20-40% Lunar DMG
- Emblem of Severed Fate: That sweet 75% Burst DMG increase
Resin reality: 3,000-4,000 resin at AR45+ yields roughly 1.065 five-star artifacts per 20-resin run. That's a 71% efficiency improvement over lower AR farming – and why rushing to AR45 matters more than most guides admit.
Talent Book Grinding
Lightless Capital commitment: 120 resin weekly, but only on Monday/Thursday/Sunday. Your daily 180 resin translates to 9 domain runs, generating 18-20 fiv
e-star artifacts weekly with condensed resin optimization.
What works best is treating this as a long-term investment rather than a sprint.
Weekly Boss Planning (The Expensive Part)
Resin structure breakdown: First 3 weekly clears cost 30 resin each, then it jumps to 60. Focus on Varunada Lazurite bosses for those 6 Gemstones – you'll need multiple weeks regardless.
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Strongbox alternative consideration: 34% four-substat artifact drops versus 20% from direct domain farming. Sometimes the indirect route is smarter.
Resin Optimization: Making Every Point Count
Daily 180 Resin Allocation
- 120 resin: talent domains (6 runs maximum)
- 160+ resin: boss encounters when available
- Always reserve 15-20 Fragile Resin for intensive weekend sessions
Weekly mathematics: 1,260 total resin enables comprehensive material acquisition when properly allocated. But properly is doing the heavy lifting in that sentence.
Condensed resin usage: Doubles domain rewards for 40 resin investment. Optimal for those 30-90 second clear times that experienced players achieve.
Winter Icelea Collection: The Time Gate
The 168-Item Challenge
Requirements breakdown: 168 total Winter Icelea with that painful 48-hour respawn cycle across Lempo Isle, Paha Isle, and Hiisi Island.
Party optimization: Lauma for enhanced movement, Anemo resonance for stamina reduction, Northern Smoked Chicken for stamina boost. Every second saved adds up over dozens of collection runs.
Collection scheduling: Every other day following optimized waypoint sequences. This isn't optional – it's the bottleneck that determines your timeline.
Six-Week Pre-Farming Timeline
Weeks 1-2: Foundation Building
Radiant Antler priority, Winter Icelea route establishment, weekly boss routine development.
Weeks 3-4: Domain Focus
Lightless Capital talent books, AR45+ artifact farming, specialty maintenance runs.
Weeks 5-6: Final Push
Material completion, artifact optimization via strongbox, Mora preparation (that 7-8 million won't farm itself).
Weekly targets that matter: 1,260 resin allocation, 480,000 Mora from dailies, 600 Spiral Abyss rewards bi-weekly.
Mistakes That'll Cost You Weeks
Critical errors I see constantly:
- Farming common materials before securing rare ones
- Using EM Goblet for DPS builds (check your math first)
- Upgrading artifacts to +20 before confirming substats
- Ignoring weekly boss resin advantages
Solutions that actually work: Hybrid domain/strongbox farming reduces time investment by 50-120%. Prioritize universal sets like Emblem that benefit multiple characters. Begin rare material collection 6 weeks pre-release, not 4.
Advanced Strategies for Serious Players
Multi-Character Efficiency
Coordinate shared materials like Varunada Lazurite across multiple Hydro characters. Plan event participation around farming schedules for Crown of Insight supplementation.
Crown sources worth tracking: Offering Systems, Paimon's Bargains, Limited Events, Imaginarium Theater (620 points bi-weekly).
Resource management reality: Save Fragile Resin for guaranteed five-star runs, coordinate co-op for difficult encounters, maintain out-of-resin boss farming when possible.
Your Most Common Questions, Answered
What materials does Columbina actually need for ascension? 46 Radiant Antler from Frostnight Herras, 168 Winter Icelea from Nod-Krai regions, Varunada Lazurite gems from weekly bosses, plus slime materials for complete level 80 ascension.
How much resin are we talking about for complete pre-farming? 3,000-4,000 resin for artifacts plus boss/talent materials. That's 4-6 weeks of dedicated farming for F2P players – longer if you're splitting focus.
Which domains should I prioritize for Columbina artifacts? Dawn Song domains for that 2-piece +80 EM and 4-piece +20-40% Lunar DMG, plus Emblem of Severed Fate for 75% Burst DMG. Always prioritize AR45+ for optimal efficiency.
When should I actually start pre-farming? Begin 4-6 weeks before January 2026 release. Prioritize time-gated materials like Radiant Antler and Winter Icelea – these have acquisition restrictions you can't bypass with resin.
How do I optimize resin for Columbina pre-farming? Daily 180 resin split: 120 for domains, 160+ for bosses when available. Use condensed resin for doubled rewards, prioritize weekly boss first clears at 30 resin, save Fragile Resin for intensive weekend sessions.
The bottom line? Columbina's pre-farming isn't just about having enough resin – it's about timing, efficiency, and understanding which materials will actually bottleneck your progress. Start early, stay consistent, and don't underestimate how long those specialty items take to collect.
