Understanding Phainon: More Than Just Another DPS
Let's cut through the hype. Phainon's a 5-star Physical Destruction unit, sure, but his Territory mechanics make him fundamentally different from anything we've seen before. At Level 80, his base stats look modest—1435 HP, 582 ATK, 703 DEF, 94 SPD—but here's where it gets interesting.
His Enhanced State (that flashy Khaslana transformation) kicks in after you stack 12+ Coreflame charges. Once active, you get 8 turns of solo mayhem with a ridiculous +270% Max HP boost and the ability to slap Physical Weakness on literally everything. It's like watching a hypercarry go full berserker mode.
The numbers speak for themselves: Memory of Chaos T0 ranking with 5.62 average cycles, Pure Fiction T0.5 at 28,985 average score, Apocalyptic Shadow T0 hitting 3,583 average score. At E0, this guy's pushing damage multipliers up to 1170% ATK plus 450% AoE during Enhanced State. That's SS-tier territory, folks.
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His rotation's actually pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Build 12+3 Coreflame through Skills (2 stacks each), let your allies target him (1 stack per action), then pop that Ultimate. Territory phase gives you CC immunity, 75% damage reduction during counters, and self-healing that's honestly a bit broken (20% per attack, 25% when you should've died).
The Relic Hierarchy: What Actually Works
Wavestrider Captain 4-piece dominates the meta with a 96.98% usage rate
—and there's a reason for that 100% relative DPS rating. The 2-piece gives you +16% CRIT DMG (solid but not groundbreaking), but the 4-piece effect is where the magic happens. Those Help stacks from ally targeting (max 2) convert into +48% ATK for one turn when you Ultimate. It syncs perfectly with his hypercarry nature and Coreflame mechanics.
Now, if you're struggling with Wavestrider pieces—and trust me, that domain can be brutal—Scholar Lost in Erudition 4-piece hits 95.73% relative DPS. The +8% CRIT Rate from 2-piece helps with those breakpoints I mentioned, while the 4-piece delivers +20% Skill/Ultimate DMG plus another +25% Skill DMG after your Ultimate. Perfect for builds where your CRIT Rate substats aren't cooperating.
Champion of Streetwise Boxing 4-piece sits at 95.58% relative DPS, focusing purely on Physical damage. You get +10% Physical DMG from 2-piece, then +5% ATK per stack (max 5) from Basic ATK hits. During Enhanced State, you'll maintain maximum stacks easily thanks to all those attacks and counters flying around.
Here's something most guides won't tell you: flexible 2-piece combinations can achieve 93.69% relative DPS when your 4-piece substats are garbage. Sometimes it's better to prioritize hitting that 60%+ CRIT Rate threshold over forcing a complete set with terrible rolls.
Ornament Selection: Where the Real Damage Lives
Arcadia of Woven Dreams 2-piece claims the crown with 80.85% usage and that perfect 100% relative DPS rating.
The scaling is honestly ridiculous—+9-12% DMG per missing or extra ally, maxing out at 36-48% during solo Territory phases. When your allies become Departed (game's fancy way of saying they're out of the picture), this set goes absolutely nuclear.
Rutilant Arena 2-piece offers a solid 98.66% relative DPS alternative if you can't get good Arcadia pieces. +8% CRIT Rate plus +20% Basic ATK/Skill DMG when you hit that 70% CRIT Rate threshold. It's great for Enhanced State focus, but you absolutely must meet that CRIT Rate requirement—no exceptions.
Space Sealing Station 2-piece provides +6% ATK per 120 SPD, which sounds interesting for speed-tuned builds. At those 134+ SPD breakpoints, it contributes meaningful ATK scaling while supporting faster rotations. Problem is, it typically can't compete with Arcadia's consistent amplification unless you're running some very specific team comps.
Main Stats: The Foundation of Everything
Body slot priorities: CRIT Rate% dominates with 76.62% usage
, and for good reason. You need that 60-70% base CRIT Rate for reliable criticals—there's no negotiating here. CRIT DMG% becomes viable once you hit 60%+ through substats and traces (traces give you +12%, by the way).
Feet are interesting: ATK% claims 84.55% usage for teams running 160+ SPD supports, maximizing damage in slower compositions. But SPD Boots enable those crucial 134+ breakpoints for faster Coreflame stacking and improved turn economy. Your team comp determines which route you take.
Sphere and Rope are straightforward: Physical DMG% sphere (91.51% usage) provides direct damage amplification that synergizes beautifully with his Physical Weakness infliction. ATK% Link Rope (99.76% usage) because Energy Regeneration becomes completely irrelevant thanks to Coreflame mechanics.
Substat Optimization: The Devil's in the Details
Priority goes like this: CRIT Rate = CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD > Flat ATK. You're targeting +33% CRIT Rate from substats to hit that 60-70% base total I keep mentioning. CRIT DMG substats should contribute +78% for 150-180%+ total. ATK% substats providing +16% keep your damage scaling healthy.
SPD substats need +4.3 average for breakpoints when you're running ATK% Boots. Here's a pro tip: prioritize pieces with 15+ CRIT Value (CRIT Rate + CRIT DMG/2) before enhancement. If a piece is sitting below 12 CRIT Value, replace it unless it's providing essential SPD breakpoints.
Resource management becomes crucial here. Cheap Stellar Jade recharge via BitTopup offers significant savings with secure transactions and 24/7 support—essential when you're burning through resin for relic farming materials.
The Breakpoints That Make or Break Your Build
134 SPD is your primary breakpoint for Memory of Chaos optimization. This enables faster Coreflame generation when paired with 134+ SPD supports. 136 SPD hits that sweet spot with Sunday (135 SPD) and Bronya (134 SPD) for proper action order without taunt risks—trust me, getting your rotation messed up because of poor speed tuning is painful.
ATK targets: 2500+ pre-buffs, scaling to 3000-4000+ with support buffs and set bonuses. Wavestrider's +48% ATK combined with traces providing +50-80% ATK during Territory creates some absolutely massive multipliers.
CRIT breakpoints: 100% CRIT Rate pre-buffs for consistency (though this is more aspirational), 150%+ CRIT DMG for proper scaling. Base traces contribute +12% Rate and +37.3% DMG, so your substats need to provide the remaining 60-70% Rate and 78%+ DMG.
Don't sleep on survivability either. 3200+ HP for effective +270% scaling during Territory, 1000+ DEF for tankiness during those 8-turn solo phases where you're taking all the heat.
Team Synergies: Who Plays Well with Phainon
Sunday dominates with 83.36% usage and 6.47 cycles.
Turn advance and Coreflame generation through targeting, plus CRIT DMG buffs that persist through Territory. That 100% Advance Forward enables precise Ultimate timing—it's like having a personal assistant for your DPS.
Bronya sits at 58.76% usage with 6.37 cycles. Turn advance, ATK%/CRIT DMG buffs, Ultimate refills SP while providing +2 Coreflame. Those extra turns extend short-duration buffs, which becomes crucial for optimization.
F2P players aren't left out in the cold. Remembrance Trailblazer (CRIT DMG buffs, turn advance), Tingyun (+1/+2 Coreflame, ATK buffs), Gallagher/Lynx (sustain plus targeting) create viable teams. F2P compositions achieve 85-90% premium performance with 7-8 cycle averages—not bad at all.
Build Variations: Adapting to Your Resources
F2P builds using On the Fall of an Aeon S5 with flexible relics achieve 100% relative DPS baseline. A Trail of Bygone Blood provides +12% CRIT Rate and +24% Skill/Ultimate DMG. Target the same breakpoints as premium builds—the fundamentals don't change.
Premium builds with Thus Burns the Dawn S1 achieve 133.69% relative DPS, reducing cycles to 6.25 average. You get +12-20% SPD reduction, 18-36% DEF ignore, +60-132% DMG post-Ultimate. It's expensive, but the performance jump is real.
Content adaptations matter too. Memory of Chaos prioritizes single-target with ATK% Boots. Pure Fiction favors SPD Boots for wave clearing. Apocalyptic Shadow combines beautifully with Ruan Mei for Break efficiency.
Avoiding the Common Pitfalls
Low SPD tuning kills your efficiency. Don't run <134 SPD in fast compositions—use SPD Boots/substats for breakpoints with supports at 134-135 SPD. CRIT Rate deficiency is another killer. Prioritize CRIT Rate Body pieces and substats over CRIT DMG until you hit that 60% reliability threshold.
Resource allocation requires patience. Focus 180 daily resin on Cavern of Corrosion for 2-3 months. Farm Arcadia through Simulated Universe (expect 50+ runs). Target 5-cycle Memory clears at E0, 28,000+ Pure Fiction scores.
Material planning gets expensive fast. Ascension requires 308,000 Credits plus various materials. Trace investment demands 3,000,000 Credits total. Plan for 2-3 months of consistent farming for complete optimization.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
What are the must-hit stat breakpoints? 60-70% CRIT Rate base, 150%+ CRIT DMG, 2500+ ATK pre-buffs, 134+ SPD. Miss these and your performance tanks.
Is Wavestrider Captain absolutely necessary? Wavestrider provides 100% relative DPS, but Scholar Lost achieves 95.73% as a viable alternative. Focus on stat breakpoints over perfect sets initially.
How critical is speed tuning? Extremely. Set Phainon to 136 SPD with supports at 134-135 SPD. Poor tuning significantly reduces efficiency and extends clear times.
Can F2P builds compete? F2P builds achieve 85-90% premium performance with proper optimization. Use On the Fall of an Aeon S5 and focus on breakpoints over premium light cones.
Best beginner team? Phainon, Remembrance Trailblazer, Tingyun, Gallagher provides essential buffs, Coreflame generation, and sustain while you learn his mechanics.
How long for full optimization? 2-3 months of consistent farming for complete optimization. Prioritize Skill/Talent traces and CRIT Rate pieces for immediate improvements.
