Why Phainon's Breaking the Destruction Meta
Forget everything you know about Energy management. Phainon runs on something called the Coreflame system—think of it as his personal rage meter that caps at 15 stacks. Once he hits 12 stacks, boom. Ultimate time.
And what an Ultimate it is. He transforms into Khaslana, enters this Territory state, and basically becomes a one-man wrecking crew for 8 turns. Your allies? They're in Departed status, which is a fancy way of saying they're taking a coffee break while Phainon handles business.
Here's the kicker—he slaps Physical Weakness onto every enemy, regardless of their original typing. Got a boss that laughs at Physical damage? Not anymore. Plus, he gets massive stat boosts and becomes immune to crowd control. It's honestly a bit ridiculous (in the best way).
What really sets him apart is the self-healing during transformation. We're talking 20% HP per attack, which opens up some wild sustainless team compositions. As someone who's been covering gacha meta shifts for years, this kind of self-sufficiency is rare in hypercarries.
E0S1 gives you immediate value—perfect for newer players. But here's the reality check: if you're pushing endgame content with its HP inflation madness, you'll want E2. Release window is v3.4 first half, July 2-23, 2025.
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Pre-Farming: What You Actually Need
Getting Him to Level 80
- 15 Ethereal Omen, 15 Echoing Wail, 15 Eternal Lament, 65 Invasive Clot
- 308,000 Credits (pocket change, really)
- That Invasive Clot? Only drops from Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Deepsheaf. No shortcuts here.
Maxing Everything Out
The full trace development is where things get spicy:
- 56 Ethereal Omen, 71 Echoing Wail, 73 Eternal Lament, 65 Invasive Clot
- 18 Borisin Teeth, 69 Lupitoxin Sawteeth, 139 Moon Rage Fang
- 12 Daythunder Anamnesis from that weekly boss Glance of Twilight
- Total damage to your wallet: 3,888,100 Credits
Planning to grab his signature Light Cone Thus Burns the Dawn? Tack on another 20 Ethereal Omen, 20 Echoing Wail, 14 Eternal Lament, plus some Borisin materials and 385,000 Credits.
Light Cone Breakdown: Signature vs. Alternatives
The Signature Weapon
Thus Burns the Dawn isn't just good—it's 131.9% relative DPS good.
The SPD boost (12-20%) is clutch for hitting that sweet 137 SPD breakpoint without burning substat rolls. Then there's the DEF ignore (18-36%) and that chunky DMG bonus (60-132%) after you pop Ultimate.
Honestly? The SPD component alone makes this worth considering. Building efficient SPD setups used to be a nightmare of substat hunting.
When You Don't Have Signature Money
- On the Fall of an Aeon: Your 100% baseline. Stackable ATK bonuses that actually matter (8-16% per stack, max 4), plus Weakness Break damage.
- Something Irreplaceable: 99.3% efficiency with solid ATK/DMG bonuses when enemies die or when Phainon takes hits. Pretty reliable triggers.
- A Trail of Bygone Blood: The 4-star hero at S5. 99.2% DPS with CRIT Rate and Skill/Ultimate damage boosts. Budget kings, this is your pick.
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Relic Builds: CRIT Rate is King
The Top Performers
Wavestrider Captain takes the crown at 100% performance.
The 2-piece gives you 16% CRIT DMG, but the 4-piece is where magic happens—48% ATK for one turn after Ultimate when you've got 2 Help stacks. Since Phainon's all about those post-Ultimate power plays, this synergy is chef's kiss.
Scholar Lost in Erudition sits at 97.6%. The 8% CRIT Rate from 2-piece is solid, and the 4-piece effect (20% Skill/Ultimate DMG plus 25% next Skill DMG after Ultimate) keeps the damage train rolling.
Hybrid 2-piece combinations clock in at 94.3%. Lower on paper, but the flexibility for optimal substats can make up the difference. Sometimes the math doesn't tell the whole story.
Planar Ornament Picks
Arcadia of Woven Dreams is your Territory state best friend. 9-12% DMG per missing ally means 36% damage boost when you're flying solo. Perfect synergy.
Rutilant Arena works if you can maintain 70%+ CRIT Rate (you should). 8% CRIT Rate plus 20% Basic/Skill DMG is reliable value.
Inert Salsotto needs 50%+ CRIT DMG, which shouldn't be hard. Ultimate and Follow-up DMG bonuses align with his kit.
The Numbers Game
Main stats are straightforward: CRIT Rate body (over CRIT DMG—trust me), SPD or ATK% feet, Physical DMG sphere, ATK% rope.
Substat priority: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD = Flat ATK
Targets to hit: 80-100% CRIT Rate, 137 SPD, 140%+ CRIT DMG, 3200+ ATK. The CRIT Rate target isn't negotiable—Phainon's damage windows are too important to leave to RNG.
Understanding His Kit (The Important Bits)
Coreflame: His Personal Battery
Starts with 1 stack. Skill gives 2 stacks while dealing 300% ATK to main target plus 120% to adjacent enemies. Ally targeting effects add 1 stack (plus 30% CRIT DMG bonus—nice touch). Ally Energy regen also adds 1 stack. Post-transformation, he gets 3 stacks.
Ultimate needs 12 stacks, then Territory mode activates.
Territory Mode: Where Things Get Wild
8 Extra Turns at 60% base SPD. Your allies enter Departed status (they're fine, just... watching). All enemies get Physical Weakness slapped on them.
Phainon's stat boosts are insane: +80% ATK, +270% Max HP, 20% HP healing per attack, and fatal blow immunity. If he would die, he revives with 25% HP and unleashes a 960% ATK Final Hit. It's as overpowered as it sounds.
Bruises and Scourge Management
He starts with 4 Bruises (max 7). Basic ATK adds 2, Skill adds based on enemy count. Foundation: Stardeath Verdict consumes Bruises for 4x45% ATK damage, with a 450% bonus when consuming exactly 4 Bruises.
The exactly 4 part matters. Plan your Bruise consumption accordingly.
Upgrade Priority
Skill first (★★★★), then Ultimate (★★★), Talent (★★), Basic ATK last (★). For Major Traces: March to Oblivion > Shine with Valor > Bide in Flames.
Eidolons: When to Stop Pulling
The Big Ones
E1 gives 15-25% DPS with SPD stacking (1.5% per enemy defeated, max 84%) and 50% CRIT DMG for 3 turns. Solid value.
E2 is the real game-changer: 84-176% DPS improvement. Physical RES penetration and turn extension with 4-Bruise Stardeath. This is your optimal stopping point for serious players.
E6 is whale territory: 110.4-123.4% DPS, unlimited Coreflame, +6 starting stacks, 36% True DMG. Completely unnecessary but completely broken.
My take: E0S1 for casual players (31.9% DPS over F2P options). E2S1 if you're serious about optimization.
Team Building: Who Plays Well with Phainon
Premium Setup
Phainon + Sunday + Bronya/Sparkle + Huohuo/Robin. Sunday's Action Advance and CRIT DMG bonuses are tailor-made for this. Huohuo provides targeting effects for Coreflame generation plus Energy restoration—perfect synergy.
F2P Friendly
Phainon + Remembrance Trailblazer/Tingyun + Lynx/Huohuo + Yukong. You'll have slower Coreflame generation, but the core functionality remains intact. Sometimes budget builds surprise you.
Combat Strategy: Making It Work
Rotation Tips
Pre-Ultimate buffing is crucial. Use Ultimate after ally actions to preserve Action Value—those buffs persist through all 8 Extra Turns thanks to snapshot mechanics.
During Territory: avoid Foundation: Stardeath Verdict on the penultimate turn if you have less than 4 Bruises. Basic ATK generates 2 Bruises, Soulscorch Edict adds enemy count plus 75% damage reduction.
It's a bit of a dance, but once you get the rhythm, it flows naturally.
Should You Pull? The Real Talk
Phainon's beginner-friendly with immediate E0S1 impact. The self-sustaining capabilities and Physical coverage provide consistent value across content types. It's a high floor, low ceiling design—reliable but not revolutionary.
Pull if: You need your first Destruction DPS or lack Physical coverage Skip if: You've got established DPS options and you're being resource-conscious
As someone who's seen plenty of meta shifts, Phainon feels like a safe investment rather than a game-breaking must-pull. Sometimes safe is exactly what you need.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
When's he dropping? Version 3.4 first half, banner runs July 2-23, 2025.
What should I pre-farm first? 65 Invasive Clot from Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Deepsheaf, 139 Moon Rage Fang from Calyx Crimson, and 12 Daythunder Anamnesis from weekly boss Glance of Twilight.
Is his signature worth the pulls? Yeah, 31.9% DPS improvement with valuable SPD, DEF penetration, and damage bonuses. It's not just about the damage—the SPD component simplifies builds significantly.
What SPD should I aim for? 137 SPD to outspeed Action Advance supports. Usually needs SPD Boots plus 1-2 substat rolls.
Can he really work without a healer? Absolutely. That 20% HP healing per attack during Territory enables some crazy sustainless speed-clear strategies. It's one of his most underrated features.
E1 or E2 for stopping point? E2 if you can afford it. The 84-176% DPS improvement through Physical RES penetration and turn extension is substantial. E1's nice, but E2 is where he really comes alive.
