Understanding Phase 3 Spending Landscape
Phase 3 features dual banners: Aglaea (Lightning Remembrance DPS) and Sunday (Imaginary Harmony support), plus signatures Time Woven Into Gold and A Grounded Ascent. 4-stars: Tingyun, Yukong, Dan Heng.
F2P income: 4,000-5,000 Jade total
- Daily Training: 1,800 Jade (120 × 15 days)
- Gift of Odyssey: 1,600 Jade + 10 Special Passes
- Memory of Chaos: 800 Jade (full clear)
- Pure Fiction: 800 Jade
- Apocalyptic Shadow: 800 Jade
- Events: 200-400 Jade
This covers 25-31 pulls—insufficient for hard pity without reserves.
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Why pressure exists: Sunday's 100% action advance mechanics fill a unique niche. A Grounded Ascent transforms his SP economy from neutral to positive—recovering 1 SP every 2 triggers. This can't be replicated by substitutes, making it a unique multiplier versus simple stat boost.
Mathematics: 12,800 vs 14,400 Jade
Light Cone Event Warp:
- Hard pity: 80 pulls = 12,800 Jade
- Soft pity: Starts pull 63 at 5-7% per pull
- Base rate: 0.8%
- Featured guarantee: 75% first 5-star, then 18.75%, then 6.25%
Character Event Warp:
- Hard pity: 90 pulls = 14,400 Jade
- Soft pity: Starts pull 74
- Base rate: 0.6%
- Featured guarantee: 50% first, 75% after losing 50/50
1,600 Jade difference = 10 pulls advantage for light cones.
Expected Value Calculations
Light Cone EV:
- 75% chance: 63 pulls for featured
- 25% chance: 126 pulls (63 + 63 for second)
- Weighted EV: (0.75 × 63) + (0.25 × 126) = 78.75 pulls (12,600 Jade)
Character EV:
- 50% chance: 72.5 pulls
- 50% chance: 145 pulls (guaranteed after 50/50 loss)
- Weighted EV: (0.5 × 72.5) + (0.5 × 145) = 108.75 pulls (17,400 Jade)
Takeaway: Light cones offer better worst-case protection (12,800 vs 14,400) but worse average-case when accounting for featured rates.
Hidden Costs
- Eidolons: Sunday E1 costs 14,400-28,800 additional Jade for 25% DEF ignore
- Superimposition: S2-S5 requires 320-400 total pulls (51,200-64,000 Jade)—poor value
- Rerun timing: Sunday reruns in 6-9 months; light cone reruns less predictable (12+ months)
- Opportunity cost: Pulling redundant supports vs addressing roster gaps
Sunday Analysis: Kit and Meta Position
Base stats (Lv80): 1,241 HP, 640 ATK, 533 DEF, 96 SPD
Core mechanics:
- Skill: 100% action advance, +30% DMG (+50% for summons), recovers 1 SP on Beatified targets
- Ultimate: Restores 20% Max Energy (min 40), grants CRIT DMG = 30% of Sunday's CRIT DMG +12% for 3 turns
- Talent: +20% CRIT Rate to Skill target for 3 turns
- Passive: +25 Energy at battle start
Best synergies:
- Summon DPS: Aglaea, Jing Yuan, Topaz (+50% summon DMG)
- High Energy cost DPS: 120+ Energy Ultimates benefit from 20% restoration
- CRIT-hungry attackers: Complete CRIT stat coverage
Meta position: Excels in Memory of Chaos (single-target), adequate in Pure Fiction (AoE-focused). Current data shows 0-1 cycle clears with premium DPS.
Eidolon value: E1's 25% DEF ignore = 8-12% final damage increase. Costs 14,400-28,800 Jade—worse value than signature light cone.
Long-term value: Summon-based DPS trend continues (Aglaea is third after Jing Yuan, Topaz). Action advance remains universally valuable. Rerun expected Version 4.2-4.3 (6-9 months).
A Grounded Ascent Deep Dive
Stats (Lv80 S1): 635 ATK, 396 DEF, 12 SPD, 54% CRIT DMG
Passive: After Skill/Ultimate use:
- Regenerates 6 Energy to target
- Adds 1 Hymn stack (+15% DMG, max 3 = +45% total)
- Recovers 1 SP every 2 triggers
Damage Calculations: Signature vs Best 4-Star
Best substitute: Memories of the Past (Energy Regen Rate + Break Effect)
With A Grounded Ascent:
- Sunday CRIT DMG: 54% (cone) + 62.2% (Body) + 40% (subs) = 156%
- Ultimate buff: (156% × 0.30) + 12% = 58.8% CRIT DMG to ally
- Aglaea receives 6 Energy per Sunday action (18/rotation)
- Team gains +3 SP per 6 turns (+0.5 SP/turn)
- Hymn stacks: +45% DMG after 3 triggers
With Memories of the Past:
- Sunday CRIT DMG: ~102% (no cone stat)
- Ultimate buff: (102% × 0.30) + 12% = 42% CRIT DMG (16.8% less)
- No direct Energy regen
- SP-neutral (0 SP/rotation)
- No additional DMG buffs
Aglaea damage comparison (2,600 ATK, 100% CRIT Rate, 120% base CRIT DMG):
A Grounded Ascent:
- Total CRIT DMG: 120% + 58.8% = 178.8%
- Total DMG%: 50% + 45% = 95%
- Multiplier: (1.95) × (2.788) = 5.44
Memories of the Past:
- Total CRIT DMG: 120% + 42% = 162%
- Total DMG%: 50%
- Multiplier: (1.50) × (2.62) = 3.93
Performance gap: 38.4% damage increase (excluding Energy/SP benefits = effective 45-50% total improvement)
Superimposition Value
S1→S5 gains:
- +8 SPD (12→20)
- +36% CRIT DMG (54%→90%)
- +2 Energy/trigger (6→8)
S5 provides ~5-6% damage improvement over S1 but costs 38,400-51,200 additional Jade. S1 = 90% of total value. Skip S2-S5.
Unique Mechanics
Three irreplaceable effects:
- SP recovery: Only Harmony light cone with SP regen
- Stacking DMG%: +45% at 3 stacks, multiplicative with kit buffs
- Targeted Energy regen: Flat 6 Energy/trigger, independent of hits/enemy actions
When 12,800 Beats 14,400: Case Studies
Scenario 1: Established Roster
Profile: Owns Aglaea/Jing Yuan; has 2-3 Harmony supports (Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Bronya); lacks premium light cones
Analysis: Sunday adds marginal value over existing Harmony options. Ruan Mei offers team buffs, Sparkle provides CRIT DMG + SP, Bronya grants action advance. Bottleneck is light cone quality, not character quantity.
Recommendation: Skip Sunday, invest 12,800 in A Grounded Ascent only if pulling Sunday on rerun. Otherwise save for DPS characters.
Scenario 2: Sunday Already Owned
Profile: Secured E0 Sunday early; has 12,800+ Jade remaining; no need for Aglaea
Analysis: E1 (25% DEF ignore for 14,400-28,800) vs S1 light cone (SP economy + Energy + DMG for 12,800). Light cone provides diverse benefits enabling new teams; E1 offers pure damage.
For SP-negative teams (Aglaea + summon, Jing Yuan), SP recovery solves rotation problems E1 can't fix. 38-50% damage improvement beats E1's 8-12%.
Recommendation: Invest 12,800 in A Grounded Ascent before considering E1.
Scenario 3: Light Cone Gap Bottleneck
Profile: Diverse roster but relies on 4-star cones; struggles with endgame despite meta characters
Analysis:Wide but shallow problem—many characters at low power. Adding E0 character perpetuates this. Signature light cone on universal support improves every team using that support.
Recommendation: Prioritize signature cones for Harmony/Abundance over expanding roster. 12,800 Jade investment provides better long-term value than 14,400 character pulls.
Decision Framework
Pre-Pull Checklist
Q1: Do I own Sunday?
- Yes → Consider A Grounded Ascent over E1
- No → Proceed to Q2
Q2: Harmony support count?
- 0-1 → Sunday high priority
- 2-3 → Medium priority
- 4+ → Low priority (redundant)
Q3: Own summon DPS (Aglaea/Jing Yuan/Topaz)?
- Yes → Sunday value increases significantly
- No → Generic support value only
Q4: Light cone to character ratio?
- <40% → Prioritize light cones
- 40-60% → Case-by-case
60% → Prioritize characters
Q5: Current Jade?
- <12,800 → Can't guarantee either; consider soft pity or skip
- 12,800-14,400 → Guarantee cone OR risk character 50/50
- 14,400-28,800 → Guarantee character OR cone + soft pity
28,800 → Can guarantee both
Q6: Top 3 priorities next 3 versions?
- Sunday/cone in top 3 → Pull
- Neither → Skip Phase 3
Q7: Full-clear endgame?
- Yes → Optimization, not necessity
- No → Identify bottleneck (DPS/support/sustain/gear)
Q8: Want vs FOMO?
- Want → Pull
- FOMO → Skip, reassess after 24hrs
Jade Budget Template
Current Resources:
- Jade on hand: [X]
- Current Character pity: [Y]
- Current Light Cone pity: [Z]
- 50/50 status: [Won/Lost]
Phase 3 Income: 4,000-5,000 total
Total Available: Current + Income = [Total]
Allocation:
- Option A: Sunday to hard pity = (90 - Y) × 160
- Option B: A Grounded Ascent = (80 - Z) × 160
- Option C: Soft pity attempts
- Option D: Skip, save for [future]
Remaining: Total - Choice = [X] Jade
Risk Assessment
Conservative (guarantee):
- 14,400 for guaranteed Sunday
- 12,800 for guaranteed cone
- 100% success, predictable cost
Aggressive (50/50):
- 7,200 attempting Sunday
- If win, use remainder on cone
- 50% both, 50% neither
Moderate (soft pity):
- 10,080 to cone soft pity (pull 63)
- If success, proceed to character
- ~40% success, preserves 2,000+ if fail
Choose based on risk tolerance.
Common Spending Traps
New Characters Always Better
Reality: New E0 character with 4-star cone may underperform optimized existing character with signature.
New character requires:
- 308,000 Credits + ascension materials
- 3,000,000+ Credits for traces
- Weeks of relic farming
- Additional jade for light cone/supports
Existing character + signature:
- Minimal leveling costs
- Immediate performance boost
- Enhanced across all teams
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Example: Spent 8,000 Jade (50 pulls) chasing Sunday, no 5-star. New Phase 4 banner announced with better value.
Fallacy:Must finish to not waste 50 pulls
Reality: 50 pulls aren't wasted—pity carries over. Only question: Do next 40 pulls toward Sunday beat saving 6,400 for Phase 4?
Avoidance: Decide max pull count before starting. Stop at limit regardless of pity.
FOMO vs Strategic Planning
Sunday reruns in 6-9 months. Skipping Phase 3 only delays acquisition by half a year—minimal impact with existing Harmony supports.
Mitigation:
- Maintain priority list (top 3 only)
- Accept missing limited items is inevitable for F2P
- Powercreep makes current meta replaceable
Light Cone Rerun Rarity
Character reruns: 6-9 months (popular), 9-12 months (niche) Light cone reruns: 12-18+ months (less predictable)
A Grounded Ascent may not rerun until Version 4.5+. Pulling cone now + waiting for Sunday rerun (6-9 months) beats reverse strategy (12+ month cone wait).
Alternative Strategies
Best 4-Star Substitutes
Memories of the Past:
- 18.4% Energy Regen Rate (S5)
- +56% Break Effect
- No SP recovery, no DMG buffs
Dance! Dance! Dance!:
- 16% action advance to all (S5)
- +24% DMG for 2 turns
- Requires Ultimate, team-wide not targeted
Planetary Rendezvous:
- +24% DMG (S5, element-restricted)
- No Energy/SP mechanics
Recommendation: Memories closest to signature but 30-40% performance loss.
Split Investment: Soft Pity Strategy
Light cone soft pity:
- Pull to 63 = 10,080 Jade
- 5-7% per pull from 63-80
- Stop at 70 if unsuccessful
- ~40% success, saves 2,000-3,000 vs hard pity
Character soft pity:
- Pull to 74 = 11,840 Jade
- Increasing rates 74-90
- Stop at 80 if unsuccessful
- ~50% success
Risk: May end with neither, 10,000-12,000 spent, no 5-star. Only for risk-tolerant players.
Saving for Future: Opportunity Cost
Known upcoming:
- Version 3.9 Phase 1: Rumored Quantum DPS
- Version 4.0: Major update, powerful limiteds
- Reruns: Acheron, Ruan Mei, Aventurine expected
Framework:
- Estimate total jade through 4.0
- List desired items, rank priority
- Calculate jade for top 3 at hard pity
- If insufficient, skip lower priorities
Smart Top-Ups
When Purchases Make Sense
Justified:
- Within 10 pulls of guarantee (1,600 Jade secures 80-pull investment)
- Securing both character + cone (7,200 bridges 20,000→27,200 gap)
- Capitalizing on won 50/50 (unexpected early success)
Unjustified:
- Just in case without plan
- 50/50 gambling without guarantee
- Last-hour FOMO impulse
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Break-Even Analysis
Time value:
- F2P: 8,000-10,000 Jade/month
- Sunday + cone improve clears by 2-3 cycles = 200-300 Jade/cycle
- 2 MoC rotations/month = 400-600 Jade from improved performance
- If purchase <$10 for 1,600 Jade to secure guarantee, performance gains offset cost
Only applies to small guarantee-securing purchases, not 50/50 gambling.
FAQ
How much jade guarantees light cone? 80 pulls = 12,800 Jade for hard pity. Featured has 75% rate first 5-star, dropping to 18.75% then 6.25%. Worst-case: 160 pulls (25,600 Jade) for guaranteed featured. Average: 63 pulls (10,080 Jade) with soft pity.
Is Sunday's signature worth pulling? Yes if you own Sunday and use him in summon teams (Aglaea/Jing Yuan). Provides 38-50% damage improvement over 4-stars via CRIT DMG, SP recovery, Energy regen, DMG stacks. Better value than E1 (25% DEF ignore for 14,400-28,800). Skip if you don't own Sunday or have critical roster gaps.
Can 4-stars replace 5-star signatures? 4-stars provide 60-70% of signature performance. Memories of the Past replicates Energy support but loses SP recovery, DMG stacks, direct Energy regen. 30-40% performance gap = 1-2 cycle difference in MoC. Sufficient for casual players; competitive players need signatures.
Constellations or light cones first? Support light cones > Support constellations. A Grounded Ascent (12,800) beats E1 (14,400-28,800) via SP economy + Energy enabling new teams. For DPS: E1 often > signature. Rule: Support cones > Support cons; DPS cons > DPS cones (exceptions exist).
F2P jade during Phase 3? 4,000-5,000 total over 15 days: 1,800 Daily Training, 1,600 Gift of Odyssey, 800 MoC, 800 Pure Fiction, 800 Apocalyptic Shadow, 200-400 events. Reduce 200-400 per incomplete endgame mode. Covers 25-31 pulls—insufficient for hard pity without reserves.
Damage difference: signature vs substitute? 38-50% higher team damage with A Grounded Ascent vs Memories of the Past when buffing Aglaea. From: 16.8% extra CRIT DMG on Ultimate buff, +45% Hymn DMG, 6 Energy/action for more Ultimates, +0.5 SP/turn for liberal Skills. Practical: 1-2 fewer MoC cycles, 15-20% higher damage-per-screenshot. Gap widens in long battles where Energy/SP compound.
