Yao Guang Banner Overview: Version 4.0 Planarcadia
Version 4.0 introduces Planarcadia with Duomension City, Doverbrook District, and Graphia Academy. Yao Guang headlines as Physical Elation support-DPS, deploying a Zone for 3 turns that increases allies' Elation stat by 20% of her own.
Banner Launch Times:
- NA: Feb 12, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC-5
- EU: Feb 13, 2026, 4:00 AM UTC+1
- Asia: Feb 13, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC+8
Duration varies by server (22 days most regions). Verify in-game end dates. Top up Honkai Star Rail Oneiric Shards through BitTopup for instant delivery before banner launch.
Sparxie (5-star Fire Elation DPS) follows in the second banner slot, reportedly March 6-26 or March 3-24 depending on server.
Yao Guang's Meta Role
Functions as Physical Elation support-DPS hybrid. Ultimate grants 5 Punchline points; 20 Punchlines trigger Aha's extra turn. Optimal teams:
- Sparkle/Gallagher/Topaz (sustained damage)
- Fu Xuan/Evanescia (defensive)
- Yao Guang/Sparkle/Dan Heng (Physical-focused)
Signature Light Cone When She Decided to See: 1058 HP, 529 ATK, 529 DEF, +18% SPD. Requires additional 12,800 Jades (80-pull hard pity).
Gacha Rates
Character Event Warp: 0.6% base rate (5-star), 5.1% (4-star). Single pull: 160 Jades. 10-pull: 1,600 Jades (no discount).
Understanding HSR's Pity System
Hard Pity: 90-Pull Guarantee
Hard pity triggers at exactly 90 pulls (14,400 Jades), guaranteeing a 5-star. First 5-star has 50% chance of being featured character. Losing this 50/50 means your next 5-star within another 90 pulls is 100% guaranteed featured character.
Worst-case: 180 total pulls = 28,800 Jades (180 × 160). Pity persists between limited character banners but NOT across different banner types.
Soft Pity: Pull 74+
Soft pity starts at pull 74 with substantially increased 5-star probability each pull. Most players get 5-stars between pulls 75-85, averaging 12,800-13,600 Jades per 5-star. Light Cone soft pity: pulls 63-75, hard pity at 80 (12,800 Jades).
50/50 System
First 5-star on limited banner: 50% featured character, 50% standard 5-star. Losing activates guarantee status for next 5-star on any limited character banner. Guarantee persists indefinitely across rotations.
Check Pity Status
Warp menu > View Details > Records. Count pulls since last 5-star. If last 5-star wasn't featured character, you have guarantee active.
Calculating Exact Top-Up Requirements
Cost Scenarios
- Worst-case (0 pity, no guarantee): 28,800 Jades
- Average with 50/50: ~25,600 Jades (160 pulls, accounting for soft pity)
- Average with guarantee: ~12,800 Jades (80 pulls)
- 45 pity + guarantee: 7,200 Jades (45 pulls)
- 60+ pity + guarantee: 4,800 Jades (30 pulls)
Free Resources in Version 4.0
- Planarcadia exploration: 1,500-2,500 Jades
- Chrysos Awoo Championship: 1,200 Jades
- Livestream codes: 300 Jades
- Version events: 3,000-4,800 Jades
- Daily Training: 60 × 22 days = 1,320 Jades
- Weekly missions: ~675 Jades (3 weeks)
- Endgame modes (MoC, PF, AS, DU): 4,800 Jades
F2P estimate: 12,000-14,000 Jades during banner period.
Pull Calculator
- Check current pity (Warp > Records)
- Determine guarantee status
- Calculate pulls needed:
- No guarantee: 180 - current pity
- Guarantee active: 90 - current pity
- Convert to Jades (pulls × 160)
- Subtract existing + expected free Jades
- Result = top-up needed
Example: 30 pity, no guarantee, 5,000 saved, 12,000 expected free
- Pulls needed: 180 - 30 = 150
- Jade cost: 150 × 160 = 24,000
- Available: 5,000 + 12,000 = 17,000
- Top-up: 7,000 Jades
Stellar Jade Top-Up Packs
Oneiric Shards convert 1:1 to Stellar Jades.
Standard Pricing (USD)
- Small: $0.99-$4.99 (60-330 Shards)
- Medium: $9.99-$29.99 (600-1,980 Shards)
- Large: $49.99-$99.99 (3,280-6,480 Shards)
First-Time Double Bonus
Each pack tier doubles Shards on first purchase. $99.99 pack: 6,480 → 12,960 Shards first time. Prioritize first-time bonuses on larger packs for maximum value.
Express Supply Pass
$4.99 provides:
- 300 Shards immediately
- 90 Jades daily × 30 days
- Total: 3,000 Jades
Best long-term value (600 Jades per dollar) but requires 30-day wait. Purchase Feb 12 = full 3,000 by March 14.
For immediate needs, buy Stellar Jade for Yao Guang banner through BitTopup (5-15 minute delivery).
Optimizing Top-Up Strategy
First-Time Bonus Strategy
Never waste on small packs. For 15,000 Jades needed:
- Optimal: First-time $99.99 (12,960) + first-time $29.99 (~3,960) = ~16,920 Jades
- Suboptimal: Multiple small packs
Plan total needs (character + Light Cone) before purchasing. Both guaranteed worst-case: ~27,200 Jades. Two largest first-time packs = ~19,440 Jades.
Maximize Free Sources
- Daily Training: Never miss (1,320 Jades over 22 days = 8 pulls)
- Exploration: Use maps for all chests/achievements (1,500-2,500 Jades)
- Events: Prioritize limited-time over permanent (3,000-4,800 Jades)
- Endgame modes: 4,800 Jades total—worth the team investment
- Livestream codes: Redeem immediately (300 Jades, expire quickly)
Purchase Timing
Pull early with guarantee + sufficient resources (allows Light Cone attempts). Pull late if relying on banner-period free Jades. Never pull final day—server issues may delay top-ups.
Real Cost Examples
Scenario 1: F2P from Zero Pity
- 0 pity, no guarantee, 2,000 saved
- Free during banner: 13,000
- Total: 15,000 Jades = 93 pulls
~60% chance of Yao Guang via 50/50. If lost, need 13,800 more Jades (86 pulls) for guarantee.
Strategy: First-time $99.99 bonus (12,960) + small pack, or accept 50/50 gamble.
Scenario 2: Monthly Card + 50 Pity
- 50 pity, no guarantee, 8,000 saved, active Pass
- Free: 13,000 + 2,700 (Pass) = 15,700
- Total: 23,700 Jades = 148 pulls
Needs 40 pulls to first 5-star. If won: 108 pulls left for Light Cone. If lost: needs ~1,280 more Jades.
Strategy: Pull character first. Top up $4.99-$9.99 if 50/50 lost.
Scenario 3: Guarantee Active at 65 Pity
- 65 pity, guarantee, 12,000 saved
- Free: 13,000
- Total: 25,000 Jades = 156 pulls
Needs only 25 pulls (4,000 Jades) for Yao Guang. Leaves 21,000 Jades (131 pulls) for Light Cone—strong probability for both without spending.
Strategy: Secure character immediately, attempt Light Cone with ~80% success rate.
Scenario 4: C6 Whale
- Goal: 7 copies
- Worst-case: 201,600 Jades
- Average: ~140,000 Jades
At $99.99 per 6,480 standard-rate Shards, 140,000 Jades ≈ $2,160 USD.
Strategy: Research constellation breakpoints before committing.
Secure Top-Up Through BitTopup
BitTopup Advantages
- Instant delivery (5-15 minutes)
- Competitive pricing + promotions
- Encrypted transactions with buyer protection
- 24/7 multilingual support
- Multiple payment methods (credit, PayPal, regional)
Uses official top-up channels (never account-sharing).
Purchase Process
- Visit BitTopup > Honkai: Star Rail
- Select Oneiric Shard package
- Enter UID (in-game settings)
- Select server (NA/EU/Asia/TW-HK-MO)
- Choose payment method
- Verify Shards in mailbox within 15 minutes
Double-check UID before confirming. Wrong UID = wrong account delivery.
Security
BitTopup uses HTTPS encryption. Never share HoYoverse password—legitimate services only need public UID. Keep transaction emails until Shards verified. Contact support with transaction ID if delays exceed timeframe.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Misconception: Pity Resets Between Limited Banners
Reality: Pity persists across all limited character banners indefinitely. 50 pulls on previous banner = 50 pity on Yao Guang's. Pity does NOT transfer between banner types (Character/Light Cone/Standard separate).
Ignoring Soft Pity
Most 5-stars arrive pulls 75-85, not 90. At pull 80, next pulls have much higher rates than 0.6% base. Don't quit at pull 85 thinking you need five more.
Wrong Banner Type
Yao Guang only on Character Event Warp. Verify banner shows her artwork before pulling. Standard Warp can't provide her.
Not Planning for Light Cone
When She Decided to See requires separate 12,800 Jades (80-pull pity, own 50/50). Budget both if wanting optimal build, or evaluate 4-star alternatives.
Advanced Banner Planning
Version 4.1 Considerations
Sparxie follows (March 6-26 or March 3-24). Both guaranteed worst-case: 57,600 Jades total. Prioritize based on team needs:
- Yao Guang: Physical Elation support
- Sparxie: Fire Elation DPS, Light Cone grants +36% CRIT DMG
Long-Term Budgets
Resource rates:
- F2P: 50-70 pulls/patch (8,000-11,200 Jades)
- Monthly Card: 70-90 pulls/patch (11,200-14,400 Jades)
F2P guarantees one 5-star every 2-3 patches. Light spenders: one per patch.
Constellation vs. diversity: Most characters function at C0. Diverse rosters more valuable for multi-team endgame.
Spending Limits
Set hard limits before pulling. If you hit $50 at 70 pity without Yao Guang, evaluate if additional $30-40 for guarantee beats saving for future banners.
Reruns
Limited characters rerun 6-12 months post-release. Popular characters rerun faster (4-6 months). Missing initial banner = delayed acquisition with better resource efficiency on rerun.
FAQ
How much does it cost to guarantee Yao Guang?
Worst-case: 28,800 Jades (180 pulls) ≈ $300-400 USD depending on packs and first-time bonuses. With existing pity/guarantee: 12,800-25,600 Jades. Average: 12,800 Jades with guarantee, 25,600 without.
Does pity carry over between banners?
Yes, pity carries over between all limited character banners indefinitely. Does NOT transfer between banner types (Character/Light Cone/Standard separate).
What is soft pity vs hard pity?
Soft pity starts pull 74 with increased 5-star rates each pull. Hard pity at pull 90 guarantees 5-star. Most get 5-stars pulls 75-85, averaging 12,800-13,600 Jades vs 14,400 hard pity.
Can F2P players get Yao Guang?
Yes. F2P earns 12,000-14,000 Jades during banner from exploration, events, dailies, endgame. Combined with saved resources and existing pity/guarantee, dedicated F2P can secure her. Both character + Light Cone typically requires top-up.
How does 50/50 work?
First 5-star on limited banner: 50% featured, 50% standard. Losing activates guarantee—next 5-star on any limited character banner is 100% featured. Guarantee persists across rotations until used.
Cheapest way to top up?
Maximize first-time bonuses on $49.99/$99.99 packs (best Jade-per-dollar). Express Supply Pass ($4.99 = 3,000 Jades over 30 days) offers best long-term value but requires patience. Use BitTopup for competitive pricing and instant delivery before banner expiration.
