Understanding the 3.8 Banner Dilemma
Version 3.8 runs Dec 16, 2026 - Feb 12, 2026. Phase 2 features Fugue (Jan 7-28), Phase 3 has Aglaea (Jan 28-Feb 12). Both require 90-pull hard pity (soft pity at 73-74). E0S1 investment needs 41,600-48,000 Stellar Jade (260-300 pulls).
The fundamental question isn't which performs better in isolation, but which addresses your account's weaknesses. Fugue transforms existing Break teams into MoC-dominating forces. Aglaea provides complete DPS solution for players lacking premium carries like Acheron or Feixiao.
Why This Decision Matters for MoC Progress
MoC resets Monday 04:00 server time across 12 stages. Floors 11-12 represent endgame challenge. 30-star vs 36-star clears = 225 Jade per reset—900 Jade monthly difference.
Fugue's impact is immediate for Firefly/Boothill/Ruan Mei owners. Testing shows Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha clearing MoC 12 in 4-5 cycles at E0S1—a 2-3 cycle improvement over standard Firefly teams.
Aglaea addresses different bottleneck: insufficient premium DPS for dual-team MoC. Her Lightning Remembrance path enables hypercarry comps with Sunday, Cyrene, Permansor Terrae competing with established meta carries. F2P alternatives using Remembrance TB, Asta, Lynx provide accessible entry.
Version 3.8 Meta Snapshot
Current MoC meta favors Super Break teams exploiting Exo-Toughness and hypercarry comps maximizing single-target burst. Fugue represents peak Break support, while Aglaea introduces first premium Remembrance DPS.
Break teams dominate MoC floors with multiple elites and substantial Toughness bars. Fugue's Skill grants allies 30% Break Effect + 50% Toughness Reduction ignoring weakness typing. Her Talent provides 40% extra Toughness damage + 100% Super Break conversion on broken enemies.
Hypercarry comps maintain relevance on boss-heavy floors. Aglaea's Ultimate (350 Energy) summons Garmentmaker with immediate action, entering Supreme Stance for SPD-stacking damage amplification. Her Talent marks enemies with Seam Stitch, providing 12% ATK as Additional DMG per stack.
Key Factors Determining Banner Value
Roster Synergy: Fugue requires existing Break carries (Firefly, Boothill, Ruan Mei). Aglaea functions as self-contained DPS needing only basic support.
Investment Depth: Fugue operates effectively at E0 with 4-star cones. Aglaea benefits significantly from signature Time Woven Into Gold (+12-20 SPD, +9-15% CRIT DMG).
Skill Floor: Fugue demands precise Exo-Toughness management. Aglaea follows straightforward Ultimate → Enhanced Skill patterns.
Future-Proofing: Break mechanics scale with enemy Toughness increases. Remembrance synergies expand as more characters join in 3.9+.
Fugue Deep Analysis: The Super Break Specialist
Kit Breakdown and Core Mechanics
Fugue: 5-star Fire Nihility, Level 80 stats: 1125 HP, 582 ATK, 557 DEF, 102 SPD.
Skill Foxian Prayer: 3-turn buff granting 30% Break Effect + 50% Toughness Reduction ignoring weakness types. Enables Physical dealers to break Fire-weak enemies or Ice carries to shatter Lightning-resistant targets.
Talent Cloudflame Luster: 40% extra Toughness damage + 100% Super Break conversion when hitting broken enemies. Transforms Break Effect stats into direct damage scaling.
Ultimate Solar Splendor: 200% ATK AoE Fire damage ignoring weakness typing. Functions as Exo-Toughness application tool.
Technique: 10-second Daze with 40% action advance + 100% DEF reduction lasting 2 turns.
Exo-Toughness System Explained
Exo-Toughness creates secondary Toughness bar on enemies that any damage type can deplete regardless of elemental weakness. When Fugue applies Foxian Prayer, ally attacks generate Exo-Toughness damage equal to 50% of normal Toughness damage.
This solves Break teams' historical limitation: elemental coverage gaps. Previously, Firefly struggled against Fire-resistant enemies. Fugue enables Firefly to break any enemy type, maintaining consistent Super Break uptime.
Optimal management involves coordinating team rotations to maximize Foxian Prayer uptime. 3-turn duration covers 2-3 character actions before reapplication, requiring SPD tuning.
Optimal Team Compositions
Premier comp: Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha. Achieves 4-5 cycle MoC 12 clears at E0S1.
Rotation: Fugue Skill → Ruan Mei Skill → Lingsha Skill → Firefly Ultimate → 3-4 Enhanced Skills targeting broken enemies.
F2P alternative: Harmony TB replaces Ruan Mei, sacrificing 15-20% team damage but maintaining core Break mechanics. Boothill replaces Firefly for single-target floors. Gallagher provides budget sustain (10-15% damage loss vs Lingsha).
Immediate MoC Impact
Fugue delivers immediate improvements exclusively for accounts with Break teams. E0+ Firefly owners experience most dramatic gains: 7-8 cycle clears → 4-5 cycles on MoC 12.
Performance gain stems from: Exo-Toughness enabling universal Break coverage, 30% Break Effect buff stacking multiplicatively, 100% Super Break conversion maximizing damage. Combined: 35-45% effective team damage increase.
Accounts lacking Firefly/Boothill see minimal value. Fugue specifically amplifies Break carries—without existing Break investment, she underperforms generalist supports.
Investment requirements: 220% Break Effect, 67% Effect Hit Rate, 145+ SPD. 2pc Thief + 2pc Iron Cavalry, Talia ornaments. Functions with 4-star cones Memories of the Past or Pearls of Sweat.
Aglaea Deep Analysis: The Remembrance Path DPS
Kit Breakdown and Damage Profile
Aglaea: 5-star Lightning Remembrance DPS, Level 80 stats: 1241 HP, 698 ATK, 485 DEF, 102 SPD.
Ultimate Dance Destined Weaveress (350 Energy): Summons Garmentmaker with immediate action, enters Supreme Stance. Supreme Stance accumulates SPD stacks multiplying Garmentmaker's damage.
Skill Rise Exalted Renown: Restores 50% Garmentmaker HP when active or summons Garmentmaker with immediate action if absent.
Talent Rosy-Fingered Garmentmaker: Garmentmaker inherits 35% Aglaea's SPD + 44% + 180 flat HP, marks enemies with Seam Stitch (12% ATK as Additional DMG per stack).
Remembrance Path Mechanics
Remembrance introduces summon-based combat where persistent entities execute independent actions. Garmentmaker acts immediately after Aglaea, effectively doubling action economy.
Damage scales with: Aglaea's ATK, accumulated SPD stacks from Supreme Stance, Seam Stitch marks. Baseline targets: 2600+ ATK, 134+ SPD, 100% CRIT Rate, +120% CRIT DMG.
Synergies: Sunday provides action advance + CRIT DMG buffs for summons. Cyrene offers Remembrance-specific buffs. Permansor Terrae provides sustain.
Relics: 4pc Hero of Triumphant Song maximizes Garmentmaker damage through SPD/CRIT DMG scaling. Wondrous BananAmusementPark ornament provides 48% CRIT DMG when fielding summon.
Best Team Compositions
Premium: Aglaea + Sunday + Cyrene + Permansor Terrae. Maximum Remembrance synergy.
Rotation: Aglaea Ultimate → Sunday Ultimate (advance Garmentmaker) → Aglaea Enhanced Skill → Garmentmaker coordinated attack → repeat.
F2P: Remembrance TB + Asta + Lynx. Maintains functional structure without limited characters. Damage differential: 30-40% vs premium, but viable for 36-star MoC.
MoC Performance Metrics
Aglaea delivers competitive single-target damage comparable to Acheron/Feixiao when properly invested. Primary advantage: Lightning coverage + Remembrance synergies.
Testing shows Aglaea + Sunday + Cyrene + Permansor Terrae clearing MoC 12 boss floors in 5-6 cycles at E0S1. Matches Acheron while providing distinct elemental coverage. AoE scenarios: 7-8 cycles on multi-elite floors.
Signature Time Woven Into Gold: +12-20 SPD, +9-15% CRIT DMG + Basic ATK DMG through Brocade stacks. Translates to 20-25% damage increase over 4-star alternatives.
Investment requirements: 2600+ ATK, 134+ SPD, 100% CRIT Rate, +120% CRIT DMG. Higher than Fugue—demands substantial relic farming and potential signature investment.
Head-to-Head MoC Performance Comparison
Clear Speed Analysis: Floor 11-12 Testing
Multi-elite floors: Fugue-enhanced Break teams dominate, achieving 4-5 cycle clears where Aglaea needs 6-7 cycles. Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha excels on MoC 12 first-half with 2-3 elite enemies.
Single-target boss floors: Aglaea's concentrated damage output favors extended encounters. Garmentmaker's Seam Stitch stacking creates exponential scaling. MoC 12 second-half: Aglaea 5-6 cycles vs Fugue 6-7 cycles.
Performance gap narrows vs non-Break teams. Aglaea provides 15-20% faster clears than generic hypercarry comps. Fugue offers minimal value without existing Break infrastructure.
Elemental coverage: Fugue's Exo-Toughness enables universal Break coverage. Aglaea provides Lightning element, filling gaps for accounts lacking Acheron/Jing Yuan.
Team Flexibility and Roster Requirements
Fugue: Demands specific prerequisites—minimum one premium Break carry (Firefly, Boothill) and ideally Ruan Mei. High team specificity.
Aglaea: Operates with broader flexibility. Functions with generic support: any action advance (Sunday, Sparkle, Bronya), sustain (Aventurine, Gallagher, Lynx), flex buffer. F2P alternatives maintain 70-75% premium performance.
Roster depth: Fugue slots into existing Break teams as fourth member, requiring three specific characters. Aglaea serves as primary DPS, requiring only two supports + sustain—roles fillable by 4-stars.
Long-term: Fugue's value compounds as more Break carries release. Aglaea's value depends on Remembrance path expansion in 3.9-4.0.
Investment Cost Comparison
Fugue: Low floor. Functions at E0 with 4-star cones, needing only 220% Break Effect, 67% Effect Hit Rate, 145+ SPD. Signature Long Road Leads Home provides 60-100% Break Effect + 18-30% enemy Break DMG taken—luxury optimization, not mandatory.
Aglaea: Higher baseline. Signature provides 20-25% damage increase, approaching mandatory for consistent 36-star clears. Relic requirements: 2600+ ATK, 134+ SPD, 100% CRIT Rate, +120% CRIT DMG.
Eidolons: Fugue E1 provides 50% Weakness Break Efficiency (15% team damage increase). Aglaea's early eidolons focus on QoL, E2 represents first major spike.
Total investment: Fugue E0 + 4-star cone + moderate relics (150-180 pulls). Aglaea E0S1 + premium relics (260-300 pulls). Differential: 110-120 pulls = 17,600-19,200 Jade.
Skill Floor vs Ceiling
Fugue: Moderately high skill floor—requires understanding Exo-Toughness, Break timing, rotation optimization. Mismanaging reduces performance 20-30%. Low skill ceiling—optimal play achieves only 10-15% improvement over competent execution.
Aglaea: Accessible skill floor—Ultimate → Enhanced Skill creates functional damage with minimal optimization. High skill ceiling—expert Garmentmaker HP management, Seam Stitch optimization, SPD tuning achieves 25-35% damage increases.
Practical implications: Casual players achieve better results with Aglaea's forgiving floor. Dedicated optimizers extract maximum value from Fugue's Break synergies.
Account Assessment Framework
Scenario 1: Players with Strong Break Teams
If you own E0+ Firefly/Boothill with Ruan Mei, Fugue represents highest-value 3.8 investment. Immediate MoC impact: 2-3 cycle improvements on floors 11-12.
Mathematical advantage compounds: 33-star → 36-star generates 225 Jade per reset = 900 Jade monthly. Over 6 months (3.8-4.0): 5,400 Jade = 33-34 pulls partially offsetting Fugue cost.
Choose Fugue if you:
- Own Firefly E0+ or Boothill E0+
- Own Ruan Mei or plan to acquire her
- Struggle with MoC 12 taking 7+ cycles
- Lack premium hypercarry for second team
- Prefer Break playstyle
Meeting 3+ criteria = prioritize Fugue over Aglaea.
Scenario 2: Players Lacking Premium DPS
Accounts without Acheron, Feixiao, or premium limited DPS gain maximum value from Aglaea. She provides complete DPS solution requiring only generic support, filling critical roster gap for dual-team MoC.
Opportunity cost favors Aglaea when DPS is primary bottleneck. MoC requires two teams—if one team is strong but second lacks damage, adding Fugue to existing team provides minimal overall progression vs establishing second viable team with Aglaea.
Choose Aglaea if you:
- Lack limited 5-star DPS (Acheron, Feixiao, Firefly, Boothill)
- Own premium supports (Sunday, Ruan Mei, Sparkle) without optimal carries
- Struggle with second-team damage output
- Need Lightning element coverage
- Prefer hypercarry over Break mechanics
Meeting 3+ criteria = prioritize Aglaea over Fugue.
Scenario 3: F2P and Low-Spender Considerations
F2P players face stricter Jade constraints, making banner efficiency paramount.
Fugue: Superior long-term value for F2P already committed to Break teams. Low investment floor (functional E0 with 4-star cones) + expanding synergy pool = compounding returns. 150-180 pull investment = 24,000-28,800 Jade—achievable within single patch.
Aglaea: Higher baseline investment but self-contained value. F2P teams (Remembrance TB, Asta, Lynx) achieve 70-75% premium performance. However, 260-300 pulls for E0S1 = 41,600-48,000 Jade—requires 1.5-2 patch cycles saving.
F2P decision criteria:
- Choose Fugue if: Own Firefly/Boothill, can reach 220% Break Effect, value incremental optimization
- Choose Aglaea if: Lack premium DPS, own generic supports, need immediate second-team establishment
- Skip both if: Jade reserves below 28,800 and upcoming patches feature higher-priority targets
Scenario 4: Endgame Players Chasing Meta Optimization
Endgame players consistently achieving 36-star clears face different criteria. Decision shifts from enabling clears to maximizing cycle efficiency and future-proofing.
Fugue: Peak Break optimization, pushing 5-6 cycle clears to 4-5 cycles. For leaderboard chasers or personal best times, efficiency gain justifies investment. Exo-Toughness future-proofs against unfavorable elemental distributions.
Aglaea: Roster diversification + Remembrance early adoption. Endgame benefits from maintaining multiple meta archetypes (Break, hypercarry, dual-DPS, Remembrance) to adapt to rotating MoC compositions.
Endgame criteria:
- Choose Fugue if: Optimizing existing Break teams, chasing cycle efficiency, anticipating Break-favorable content
- Choose Aglaea if: Diversifying team archetypes, investing in Remembrance early, lacking Lightning coverage
- Acquire both if: Jade reserves exceed 70,000 (sufficient for both E0S1 with guarantee)
Break Meta vs Hypercarry: Strategic Implications
Current State of Break Teams in MoC
Break teams dominate current meta through consistent AoE damage, Toughness exploitation, minimal CRIT requirements. Firefly + Ruan Mei + Harmony TB establishes baseline viability; Fugue elevates to peak performance.
Mechanical advantage: guaranteed damage scaling. Break Effect converts directly to Super Break damage without CRIT RNG. Toughness bars provide fixed damage windows—breaking triggers substantial burst regardless of enemy DEF/RES.
Limitations: elemental coverage gaps, single-target damage ceilings. Pre-Fugue Break teams struggle against resistant enemies. Single-target bosses see Break underperforming vs hypercarry.
Fugue addresses both: Exo-Toughness enables universal coverage, 100% Super Break conversion increases sustained damage against single targets.
Hypercarry and Dual-DPS Viability
Hypercarry maintains competitive viability through concentrated single-target damage and flexible team-building. Aglaea joins Acheron/Feixiao, providing Lightning coverage with Remembrance synergies.
Mechanical advantage: damage concentration + support flexibility. Hypercarries scale with generic buffs (ATK, CRIT DMG, action advance), enabling mix-and-match construction. Adapts to specific MoC requirements without rigid structures.
Limitations: CRIT stat requirements, support dependency. 100% CRIT Rate + 120% CRIT DMG demands extensive farming. Premium supports (Sunday, Sparkle) significantly amplify performance.
Aglaea mitigates support dependency through Remembrance mechanics. Garmentmaker's independent actions create inherent action economy advantages. F2P alternatives (Remembrance TB, Asta) maintain 70-75% premium performance.
How Fugue Elevates Break Team Ceiling
Fugue's impact manifests through three mechanisms:
Exo-Toughness universal coverage: Eliminates elemental weakness. Firefly previously required secondary carries for Fire-resistant enemies. Fugue enables Firefly to break any enemy at 50% efficiency, maintaining consistent Super Break uptime.
Multiplicative Break Effect scaling: 30% Break Effect buff stacks with Ruan Mei, Harmony TB, relic bonuses. Firefly with 200% base reaches 260% with Fugue = 30% increased Super Break damage without additional stat investment.
Super Break amplification: 100% conversion maximizes damage during Break windows. Traditional Break deals damage only during application; Fugue enables continuous Super Break while enemies remain broken. Extends damage windows from 2-3 seconds to 8-10 seconds per cycle, nearly tripling output per Toughness depletion.
How Aglaea Fits Modern Team Archetypes
Aglaea introduces Remembrance to premium DPS options, creating hybrid between traditional hypercarry and summon-based gameplay. Team-building overlaps with established hypercarry while introducing Remembrance-specific synergies.
Summon-based damage profile differentiates from traditional hypercarries. Garmentmaker's independent actions effectively double turn frequency, creating action economy advantages similar to dual-DPS. Enables rapid Ultimate cycling and sustained damage without external action advance dependency.
Remembrance synergies create forward-looking opportunities. Current options limited (Sunday, Cyrene, Permansor Terrae), but 3.9-4.0 likely introduces additional Remembrance supports. Early Aglaea investment positions favorably for future expansion.
Lightning coverage fills specific roster gaps. Accounts lacking Acheron or running Physical/Fire-heavy rosters benefit from elemental diversity. Lightning-weak MoC floors see Aglaea outperforming off-element alternatives by 15-20%.
Time-to-Value Analysis
Immediate MoC Improvement: Week 1 Performance
Fugue: Immediate, measurable improvements for accounts with Break infrastructure. Week 1 testing shows Firefly + Fugue achieving 4-5 cycle MoC 12 clears vs 7-8 without—40-50% efficiency improvement translating to 36-star accessibility. Minimal adjustment period—slots into fourth position without disrupting rotations. Near-optimal performance within 3-5 attempts.
Aglaea: Immediate impact depends on roster depth. Accounts lacking premium DPS experience dramatic improvements, establishing second-team viability. Accounts with established carries see minimal immediate value—provides alternative rather than superior performance. Learning curve: hypercarry playstyle translates familiar mechanics, but optimizing Garmentmaker HP/Seam Stitch requires 10-15 attempts for mastery.
3-Month Outlook: Patch 3.9-4.0 Considerations
Fugue: 3-month outlook favors sustained value. Break mechanics scale with enemy Toughness increases anticipated in future MoC difficulty. Exo-Toughness future-proofs against unfavorable elemental distributions.
Aglaea: 3-month value depends on Remembrance expansion. If 3.9-4.0 introduces additional Remembrance supports/synergy characters, value compounds through expanding team-building. If development stagnates, value remains static as alternative hypercarry.
MoC difficulty escalation suggests Break-favorable design trends. Recent patches feature increasing Toughness bars + multi-elite compositions—scenarios where Break excels. Trend continuation benefits Fugue more than Aglaea's single-target focus.
Rerun availability: Fugue rerun likely 4.2-4.3 (6-8 months). Aglaea follows similar pattern. Skipping means 6+ month wait, potentially missing multiple MoC cycles.
Future-Proofing Investment
Fugue: Break support role maintains relevance as long as Break mechanics remain viable—fundamental game system unlikely to depreciate. Expanding Break carry roster (current: Firefly, Boothill; future patches likely introduce more) increases Fugue's versatility, creating compounding value.
Aglaea: Future-proofing depends on Remembrance development trajectory. If HoYoverse commits to Remembrance as permanent path with expanding roster, Aglaea represents early adoption of growing archetype. If Remembrance remains niche, value stagnates vs traditional hypercarries.
Power creep: Support characters historically maintain longer meta relevance than DPS—Ruan Mei remains top-tier 12+ months post-release, while DPS face replacement within 6-8 months. Pattern suggests Fugue's support role provides superior future-proofing vs Aglaea's DPS position.
Rerun Availability and Opportunity Cost
Skipping Fugue/Aglaea in 3.8 means 6-8 month wait for next acquisition. 6-8 months = 24-32 MoC resets. At 225 Jade difference (33-star vs 36-star), potential 5,400-7,200 Jade opportunity cost = 33-45 pulls.
However, acquiring Fugue/Aglaea in 3.8 consumes 150-300 pulls unavailable for upcoming banners in 3.9-4.0. If future patches introduce meta-defining characters, current investment may represent suboptimal allocation.
Balanced approach: assess upcoming schedules and roster priorities. Players confident in current MoC performance and anticipating higher-value future characters benefit from skip-and-save. Players struggling with current content or lacking specific gaps addressed by Fugue/Aglaea should prioritize immediate acquisition.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Myth: Always Prioritize Supports Over DPS
Supports over DPS oversimplifies, failing to account for individual roster contexts. While supports generally maintain longer meta relevance, this applies only when accounts already possess functional DPS.
Reality: DPS enables team functionality, supports optimize existing teams. Account with Ruan Mei but no premium DPS struggles more than account with Firefly but no Ruan Mei. Former lacks damage output regardless of support quality; latter functions adequately with 4-star support alternatives.
Fugue exemplifies support-priority validity for specific contexts. Firefly owners gain more from Fugue than Aglaea because Fugue transforms good teams into exceptional ones. Without Break carries, Fugue gains minimal value.
Aglaea demonstrates DPS-priority validity for different contexts. Players lacking premium DPS establish second-team viability through Aglaea, enabling 36-star clears previously impossible. Immediate progression outweighs theoretical support longevity when DPS is primary bottleneck.
Myth: Fugue is Mandatory for All Break Teams
Fugue represents optimization, not mandatory requirement. Firefly + Ruan Mei + Harmony TB + sustain achieves 36-star MoC without Fugue, requiring 6-7 cycles instead of 4-5 but maintaining clear viability.
Performance differential matters primarily for cycle-chasing and efficiency optimization. Players satisfied with 6-7 cycles gain minimal practical value from Fugue's 2-3 cycle improvement—both achieve 36-star rewards with identical Jade payouts.
Fugue becomes high-priority when:
- Current Break teams fail 36-star clears (struggling at 30-33 stars)
- Elemental coverage gaps prevent Break deployment on specific floors
- Personal enjoyment derives from optimization and peak performance
Players achieving comfortable 36-star clears should evaluate whether Fugue's optimization justifies 150-180 pull investment vs saving for future characters addressing different needs.
Myth: Aglaea Requires Full Remembrance Team
Aglaea functions effectively with generic hypercarry support, not exclusively Remembrance-path teams. F2P comp (Remembrance TB, Asta, Lynx) achieves 70-75% premium performance—sufficient for 36-star clears with proper investment.
Remembrance synergies provide optimization, not mandatory requirements. Sunday's action advance benefits any hypercarry. Cyrene and Permansor Terrae offer Remembrance-specific advantages but represent luxury optimization.
Practical team-building prioritizes role fulfillment over path synergy:
- Action Advance: Sunday (premium) or Sparkle/Bronya (alternatives)
- Sustain: Aventurine (premium) or Gallagher/Lynx (F2P)
- Buffer: Cyrene (Remembrance-specific) or Asta/Tingyun (generic)
Players lacking premium Remembrance supports should build around Aglaea's hypercarry requirements rather than waiting for Remembrance-specific completion. Performance differential narrows to 15-20%—meaningful for optimization but not prohibitive for functionality.
Understanding Account-Specific Needs vs General Advice
General banner advice fails to account for individual roster contexts, progression stages, playstyle preferences. Correct choice varies dramatically based on specific account conditions rather than universal power rankings.
Account-specific assessment requires evaluating three dimensions:
Roster Gaps: Identify whether DPS, support, or sustain represents primary bottleneck. Fugue addresses support gaps in Break teams; Aglaea fills DPS gaps in hypercarry rosters.
Investment Capacity: Calculate available Jade and willingness to pursue signatures. Fugue functions at lower investment floors; Aglaea demands higher baseline for competitive performance.
Playstyle Preference: Consider personal enjoyment of Break mechanics vs hypercarry gameplay. Long-term engagement correlates more with preferred playstyle than raw character power.
Decision framework prioritizes personal context over tier lists. Assess specific roster, calculate investment requirements, evaluate which character addresses unique progression bottlenecks.
Stellar Jade Planning and Gacha Strategy
Pull Budget Requirements
Fugue: 150-180 pulls for guaranteed E0 with 4-star cone = 24,000-28,800 Jade. Signature adds 90 pulls (14,400 Jade), totaling 38,400-43,200 Jade for E0S1.
Aglaea: 180 pulls for guaranteed E0 (28,800 Jade) + 90 pulls for signature (14,400 Jade) = 43,200 Jade minimum. Accounting for average luck (winning 50/50 once), realistic budgets: 41,600-48,000 Jade for E0S1.
Version 3.8 provides ~12,000-15,000 Jade through events, daily training, MoC resets, Simulated Universe. Players starting 3.8 with zero reserves require pre-existing savings or purchases to guarantee either character with signature.
Budget allocation:
- F2P: E0 with 4-star cone (24,000-28,800 Jade)
- Low-Spender: E0S1 for chosen character (41,600-48,000 Jade)
- Moderate-Spender: E0S1 for both if roster justifies (85,000+ Jade)
Pity System and Guarantee Mechanics
Character banner: 90-pull hard pity, soft pity at 73-74. Soft pity increases 5-star rates progressively, average acquisition at pull 78-82.
50/50 system: First 5-star has 50% featured, 50% standard. Losing 50/50 guarantees next 5-star as featured, requiring maximum 180 pulls for guaranteed acquisition.
Light Cone banner: 80-pull hard pity, 65% featured rate. Losing 65/35 guarantees next 5-star cone as featured, requiring maximum 160 pulls.
Pity carries between banners of same type. Character pity from Fugue transfers to Aglaea, enabling split-pulling. Pity does NOT transfer between character and Light Cone banners—separate counters.
Maximize Pulls with BitTopup
BitTopup provides secure, efficient Stellar Jade and Oneiric Shard acquisition through competitive pricing and fast delivery. Players seeking to guarantee Fugue/Aglaea can supplement F2P earnings with BitTopup purchases.
Platform advantages:
- Competitive Pricing: Cost-effective Oneiric Shard acquisition vs direct in-game purchases
- Fast Delivery: Automated systems ensure rapid delivery, enabling immediate banner pulling
- Secure Transactions: Industry-standard security protects payment info and account credentials
- 24/7 Customer Support: Dedicated teams address purchase issues regardless of time zone
- High User Ratings: Established reputation demonstrates reliable service quality
Calculate exact Jade requirements based on current pity, available F2P earnings through 3.8, desired targets (E0 vs E0S1) before determining supplemental purchase quantities.
Banner Timeline and Decision Deadlines
Phase 2 Fugue: Jan 7 - Jan 28, 2026 (21 days) Phase 3 Aglaea: Jan 28 - Feb 12, 2026 (15 days)
Staggered timeline creates strategic windows. Players uncertain can wait until Jan 28 to observe both kits in practice, review community testing, assess roster needs before committing.
However, waiting until late January reduces earning time. Players targeting both should begin Fugue pulls early in Phase 2 to maximize event Jade accumulation before Aglaea concludes Feb 12.
Critical deadlines:
- Jan 7: Fugue banner begins—early testing available
- Jan 14: One week community testing provides benchmarks
- Jan 21: Final week Fugue—last opportunity for guaranteed acquisition
- Jan 28: Aglaea begins, Fugue ends—final decision point
- Feb 5: One week remaining Aglaea—last opportunity for guarantee
- Feb 12: Version 3.8 concludes—all banner opportunities expire
Establish decision frameworks before Jan 7 to avoid rushed choices. Assess roster, calculate Jade budgets, determine priority characters in advance.
Final Verdict: Data-Driven Recommendations
Choose Fugue If:
- Own Firefly E0+ or Boothill E0+
- Own or plan to acquire Ruan Mei
- MoC clears currently 30-33 stars
- Prefer Break Effect playstyle
- Lack premium hypercarry for second team
Choose Aglaea If:
- Lack limited 5-star DPS characters
- Own premium supports without optimal carries
- Need Lightning element coverage
- Prefer hypercarry playstyle
- Investing in Remembrance path early
Skip and Save Strategy:
- Account achieves comfortable 36-star MoC clears
- Jade reserves below 28,800
- Upcoming patches feature higher-priority targets
- Waiting for specific character reruns
Skip strategy enables accumulating 24,000-30,000 Jade over 8-week 3.8 period for future investments—equivalent to guaranteed 5-star in subsequent patches.
Action Plan for Next 48 Hours
Hour 1-4: Roster Assessment
- Document current 5-star characters (DPS/support focus)
- Identify MoC bottlenecks (struggling floors, team gaps)
- Calculate current Jade reserves + anticipated 3.8 earnings
Hour 5-12: Research Phase
- Review community testing for performance benchmarks
- Watch gameplay videos demonstrating rotations/teams
- Consult build guides for relic/cone requirements
Hour 13-24: Decision Framework
- Apply account-specific conditions from previous sections
- Calculate total investment (pulls, Jade, potential BitTopup purchases)
- Determine banner priority based on roster gaps
Hour 25-36: Trial Period
- Use character trials to test Fugue/Aglaea gameplay
- Evaluate personal enjoyment of playstyle/mechanics
- Assess whether theoretical benefits translate to practical satisfaction
Hour 37-48: Final Decision
- Commit to specific banner priority (Fugue, Aglaea, or skip)
- Initiate pulls on chosen banner or preserve Jade
- Document decision rationale for future reference
Structured approach prevents impulsive decisions driven by hype/FOMO, ensuring investments align with account-specific needs and long-term goals.
FAQ
Is Fugue or Aglaea better for MoC in 3.8?
Fugue excels for accounts with existing Break teams (Firefly, Boothill), delivering 4-5 cycle MoC 12 clears vs 7-8 without her. Aglaea provides superior value for accounts lacking premium DPS, establishing second-team viability with 5-6 cycle performance. Better depends entirely on specific roster gaps.
Does Fugue work without Firefly in break teams?
Fugue functions with any Break carry including Boothill, but value diminishes significantly without premium Break DPS. Running Fugue with 4-star Break carries (Sushang, Luka) provides minimal improvement over standard supports. Requires Firefly E0+ or Boothill E0+ to justify 150-180 pull investment.
Can Fugue replace Ruan Mei in super break teams?
No—Fugue and Ruan Mei serve complementary, not interchangeable roles. Ruan Mei provides team-wide Break Effect buffs, RES PEN, Weakness Break Efficiency. Fugue adds Exo-Toughness mechanics and Super Break conversion. Optimal Break teams run both together, with Fugue replacing Harmony TB or sustain rather than Ruan Mei.
Should F2P prioritize supports or DPS?
F2P should prioritize whichever role represents primary roster bottleneck. Accounts with functional DPS but lacking supports benefit from Fugue. Accounts with supports but no premium carries benefit from Aglaea. Supports over DPS applies only when DPS options already exist—without carries to amplify, support investment provides minimal value.
How many Stellar Jades for guaranteed Fugue or Aglaea?
Guaranteed E0: 28,800 Jade (180 pulls accounting for lost 50/50). Adding signature: additional 14,400 Jade (90 pulls weapon guarantee), totaling 43,200 Jade for E0S1. Average luck reduces to 24,000-26,000 Jade for E0, but budget for worst-case guarantees prevents wasted pulls.
Is Aglaea's signature necessary for MoC clears?
Aglaea achieves 36-star MoC with 4-star cones like Cruising in the Stellar Sea, but signature Time Woven Into Gold provides 20-25% damage increase through SPD and CRIT DMG scaling. F2P can function without signature, but performance gap becomes noticeable on tighter DPS checks in MoC 12. Budget E0 with 4-star for functionality, or E0S1 for optimization.
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