Complete Timeline Overview
Launch Times:
- North America: December 16, 10:00 PM UTC-5
- Europe: December 17, 4:00 AM UTC+1
- Asia: December 17, 11:00 AM UTC+8
- Patch ends: February 12, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC-5
Phase Duration:
- Phase 1: 22 days (Dec 16/17 - Jan 7)
- Phase 2: 21 days (Jan 7 - Jan 28)
- Phase 3: 15 days (Jan 28 - Feb 12)
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Phase 1: The Dahlia & Firefly (Dec 16-Jan 7)
5-Stars: The Dahlia (Fire Nihility), Firefly (Fire Destruction)
4-Stars: Gallagher (Fire Abundance), Luka (Physical Nihility), March 7th (Ice Preservation)
Light Cones: Never Forget Her Flame (Nihility), Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest (Destruction)
Phase 2: Fugue & Lingsha (Jan 7-28)
5-Stars: Fugue (Fire Nihility), Lingsha (Fire Abundance)
4-Stars: Natasha (Physical Abundance), Sampo (Wind Nihility), Arlan (Lightning Destruction)
Light Cones: Long Road Leads Home (Nihility), Scent Alone Stays True (Abundance - 1164 HP/529 ATK/463 DEF at Lv80)
Phase 3: Aglaea & Sunday (Jan 28-Feb 12)
5-Stars: Aglaea (Lightning Remembrance), Sunday (Imaginary Harmony)
4-Stars: Tingyun (Lightning Harmony), Yukong (Imaginary Harmony), Dan Heng (Wind Hunt)
Light Cones: Time Woven Into Gold (Remembrance), A Grounded Ascent (Harmony)
Endgame Refresh Schedule
- Apocalyptic Shadow: Dec 22, Feb 2 (1,600 Jades total)
- Pure Fiction: Jan 5 (800 Jades)
- Memory of Chaos: Jan 19 (800 Jades)
Stellar Jade Income Breakdown
Total F2P: 13,500-14,310 Jades (84-89 warps)
Daily Sources:
- Daily Training: 60/day × 56-58 days = 3,360-3,480 Jades
Weekly Sources:
- Weekly Missions: 225/week × 8 weeks = 1,800 Jades
Endgame Modes:
- Memory of Chaos: 800 Jades
- Pure Fiction: 800 Jades
- Apocalyptic Shadow: 1,600 Jades (two refreshes)
- Divergent Universe: 1,800 Jades (Synchronicity Lv120)
- Total: 5,000 Jades
Events:
- Chrysos Awoo Championship: 1,200 Jades
- Remnants of Twilight: 600 Jades
- Treasure Hunt: 500 Jades
- Character Trials: 120 Jades (6 × 20)
- Total: 2,420 Jades
Compensation & Codes:
- Maintenance: 600 Jades
- Delay Compensation: 1,000 Jades + 10 Fuel
- Livestream Codes: 300 Jades
- HoYoLAB Check-in: 120 Jades (Dec 20, Jan 5/13/20, Feb 5/13)
- Total: 2,320 Jades
Express Supply Pass ($4.99):
- 2,700 Jades/30 days
- Two passes during 8 weeks = 5,400 Jades
- Increases total to 118-123 warps
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Pity System Mechanics
Character Event Warp:
- Hard pity: 90 pulls
- Soft pity: Starts pull 74 (0.6% → ~6%)
- Typical 5-star: Pulls 74-85
Light Cone Event Warp:
- Hard pity: 80 pulls
- Soft pity: Pulls 63-65 (0.8% base rate)
- Typical 5-star: Pulls 63-75
50/50 System:
- First 5-star: 50% featured, 50% standard
- Lost 50/50 guarantees next 5-star is featured
- Guarantee carries across banners and versions
Worst-Case Scenarios:
- Guaranteed featured character: 180 pulls max
- Realistic with soft pity: 148-170 pulls
Pity Tracking:
- Character banner pity carries between phases
- Light Cone pity is separate
- Standard Banner pity is completely separate
- Never spend Stellar Jades on Standard Banner
Phase 1 Analysis: The Dahlia & Firefly
The Dahlia (Fire Nihility):
- New debuff-focused mechanics
- Pull if lacking Nihility options or building Break teams
- Test thoroughly during 22-day window
Firefly (Fire Destruction):
- Rerun for Break-focused DPS
- Skip if you passed originally unless building specialized Break teams
Light Cones:
- Never Forget Her Flame: 15-25% damage increase over 4-stars
- Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest: Competes with existing Destruction options
- Skip both until you have 6-8 functional 5-stars
Pull Timing:
- Use full 22 days to test and evaluate
- Monitor community analysis first week
- Resist early FOMO—wait for meta confirmation
Phase 2 Analysis: Fugue & Lingsha
Fugue (Fire Nihility):
- Second Fire Nihility option
- Dual-Nihility synergy with The Dahlia
- Evaluate if specialization beats elemental diversity
Lingsha (Fire Abundance):
- Fire element healing
- Low priority—4-star healers like Gallagher suffice
- Pull only for unique utility beyond basic sustain
Light Cones:
- Long Road Leads Home: Competes with Phase 1 Nihility cone
- Scent Alone Stays True: Strong stats (1164 HP/529 ATK/463 DEF) but lowest ROI
- Skip both—Abundance cones offer minimal value
Strategic Considerations:
- 21-day window creates moderate pressure
- Calculate Phase 2-3 income: ~36 days = 2,160 daily + 1,125 weekly + events
- With 50/50 status, skip Phase 2 if targeting Phase 3 guarantees
- Losing 50/50 here exhausts Phase 3 resources
Phase 3 Analysis: Aglaea & Sunday
Aglaea (Lightning Remembrance):
- Debuts new Remembrance path
- New paths reshape meta and team building
- Early adoption provides endgame advantages
- Risk: First-iteration characters face power creep
Sunday (Imaginary Harmony):
- Premium support role
- Harmony characters amplify entire teams
- Imaginary coverage against Quantum-weak enemies
- Highest universal value in 3.8
Light Cones:
- Time Woven Into Gold: First Remembrance cone—potential BiS for future path characters
- A Grounded Ascent: Harmony weapons benefit multiple teams
- 15-day window limits earning—enter Phase 3 with resources ready
Time Pressure:
- Compressed 15-day timeline = highest pressure
- Calculate Jan 28 entry resources + remaining income (900 daily + 225 weekly)
- If short of 14,400 Jades (90 pulls), decide: skip or top-up for must-haves
Skip-Worthy Banners
Rerun Red Flags:
- Veterans rarely need reruns unless building specialized teams
- Firefly rerun: Skip if you passed originally
Narrow Specialists:
- Characters requiring specific team archetypes limit flexibility
- Generalists slot into multiple teams—better long-term value
Eidolon Traps:
- E0 characters perform adequately with proper builds
- Eidolons provide 10-20% increases per copy
- 74-90 pulls for one Eidolon vs. entirely new character
- New characters > marginal upgrades
Light Cone Mistakes:
- Don't pull cones before establishing 6-8 functional 5-stars
- 4-star S5 Light Cones = 70-85% of 5-star performance
- 15-30% gap costs 63-80 pulls
- Priority: Abundance/Preservation (lowest) < DPS < Harmony (highest)
E0S0 Strategy vs Vertical Investment
E0S0 Approach (Optimal for F2P/Low-Spenders):
- Zero Eidolons, zero signature Light Cones
- Maximizes roster diversity
- Enables flexible team compositions
- Could acquire 2-3 new characters in 3.8
Vertical Investment:
- Eidolons/signatures for fewer characters
- Suits whales or character preference over efficiency
- E2 breakpoints: 148-270 pulls = 1-2 additional characters instead
Roster Depth vs Specialization:
- Endgame demands multiple built teams
- Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow require different comps
- Audit coverage: DPS across elements/paths, support variety
- Fill gaps before pulling duplicates
When Eidolons Justify Investment:
- E1/E2 breakpoints with transformative upgrades
- Action advancement, additional skills, defensive capabilities
- Still rarely justified with incomplete rosters
- Only after 8+ functional 5-stars
Emergency Jade Farming
Before Banner Ends:
- Incomplete exploration zones: Check map completion %
- Achievement hunting: Nearly-completed categories
- Prioritize 1-2 hour achievements over long grinds
Trailblaze Power Refresh:
- First refresh: 50 Jades for 60 Power
- Rarely justified (50 Jades = 1/3 warp)
- Consider only when 1-2 pulls short of guarantee
- Spend capped Power (240 max) on materials for endgame teams
Last-Resort Top-Up:
- Evaluate if 5-10 pulls short of guarantee
- Calculate exact deficit vs. pricing
- $5-10 for months of use > missing banner entirely
- Avoid emotional spending with 40+ pulls needed
Planning Version 3.9 & Beyond
Leak Evaluation:
- Treat leaks with skepticism—plans change
- Distinguish confirmed announcements from unverified leaks
- Historical patterns: Story progression and element/path gaps
Anniversary Predictions:
- Special banners, increased rewards, limited events
- Maintain reserves approaching anniversary
- Timing varies by region (around launch date)
Long-Term Discipline:
- Identify must-pull characters only
- Skip everything else regardless of hype
- Create pull calendar: Upcoming banners, Jade income, guarantee thresholds
- Visual planning maintains discipline
Common Spending Mistakes
Never Do:
- Convert Jades to Standard Banner (use free Star Rail Passes only)
- Pull for specific 4-stars (no guarantees, eventual spooks)
- Chase meta without considering roster gaps
- Pull casually without committing to pity (74+ pulls minimum)
Account Progression Needs:
- Audit roster before every banner
- Three Fire DPS don't need a fourth
- Premium supports need DPS characters to support
- Match spending to progression stage
Pity Management:
- Commit fully to banners—reach soft pity minimum
- Don't spread 30-40 pulls across multiple banners
- After getting 5-star, pull to next 4-star (1-9 additional pulls)
FAQ
How much Stellar Jade can F2P earn in 3.8?
13,500-14,310 Jades (84-89 warps): 3,360-3,480 dailies, 1,800 weeklies, 3,200 endgame, 2,420 events, 1,900 compensation, 420 codes/check-ins, 1,800 Divergent Universe.
Best banner to pull in 3.8?
Sunday (Phase 3 Imaginary Harmony) offers highest universal value as premium support. Aglaea provides early Remembrance path access. Optimal choice depends on roster gaps—lacking Fire DPS prioritize Firefly despite lower general value.
Characters or Light Cones?
Characters until 6-8 functional 5-stars built. Cones provide 15-30% increases; new characters enable new strategies. Exception: Harmony cones for complete rosters.
When does Phase 2 start?
January 7, 2026, runs through January 28 (21 days). Features Fugue (Fire Nihility) and Lingsha (Fire Abundance).
How does pity work in 3.8?
Character: Hard pity 90, soft pity 74 (0.6% → ~6%). Light Cone: Hard pity 80, soft pity 63-65. 50/50 gives equal featured/standard chances; guarantees carry across banners.
Which banners to skip?
Reruns unless filling critical gaps, Light Cones until roster complete, narrow specialists not matching your comp, Phase 2 Lingsha (4-star healers suffice).
