Understanding Phainon's Zero-Cycle Potential
Phainon (released Version 3.4, July 2-23, 2026) is a Physical hypercarry built for high-difficulty content. Zero-cycle clears require defeating bosses within one action cycle before their first turn—demanding perfect stats, team synergy, and execution.
His kit revolves around Coreflame stacks: Skill Let There Be Light grants +2 stacks, ally single-target attacks grant +1 stack (with 15-30% CRIT DMG bonus for 3 turns). At 12 stacks, Ultimate He Who Bears the World Must Burn triggers transformation into Khaslana Territory—8 extra turns at 60% base SPD with massive buffs: +48-80% ATK, +135-270% HP, 20% Max HP regen per attack, complete CC immunity.
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Anomaly Arbitration 3.8: Septimus Mechanics
The Great Septimus features:
- Resilient Armor+: 3 stacks, 15% DMG reduction each (loses one at Toughness zero)
- Depowered: -50% Energy and Energy Regen Rate for 2 turns
- Unending Refinement: -2% DMG taken, -4% CRIT DMG taken per stack (max 10, clears at turn start/Weakness Break)
Three-star requirements: Victory within 2 cycles, no downed characters. Zero-cycle strategies compress this by eliminating the boss before it acts.
Why Phainon Excels Here
Despite CRIT focus, Phainon synergizes with Physical Weakness infliction. His Ultimate applies Physical Weakness to all enemies, enabling Toughness depletion against resistant targets. Transformation abilities create sustained pressure:
- Bloodthorn Ferry (Basic): 125-250% ATK single-target + 37-75% adjacent + 2 Scourge stacks
- Soulscorch Edict (Skill): 75% DMG reduction counter, 20-40% AoE + 4×15-30% per Scourge stack
- Stardeath Verdict (finisher): Dispels debuffs, 585-1170% ATK + 4×22.5-45% per Scourge + 225-450% AoE at 4 Scourge stacks
- Final Hit: 480-960% ATK AoE
Phainon Kit Breakdown
Level 80 base stats: HP 1435, ATK 582, DEF 703, SPD 94. Trace bonuses: +12% CRIT Rate, +37.3% CRIT DMG, +5 SPD (99 effective SPD).
Ultimate and Transformation
Transformation grants 8 fixed turns at 60% base SPD (~59.4 effective). ATK buff (+48-80%) amplifies all multipliers. 20% Max HP regen per attack provides sustain without dedicated healers, though F2P teams benefit from shields against chip damage.
Skill and Basic Synergy
Let There Be Light: 300% ATK primary + 120% ATK adjacent, +2 Coreflame per use. Adjacent damage pressures Septimus's summons while building Ultimate.
Stride to Deliverance (Basic): 100% ATK single-target, SP-neutral filler. In transformation, Bloodthorn Ferry replaces it with higher multipliers and Scourge generation.
Talent Passive
Triggers on ally single-target attacks: +1 Coreflame (max +3 overflow), applies 15-30% CRIT DMG buff to attacker for 3 turns. Enables rapid Coreflame accumulation with fast supports like Tingyun, creating a feedback loop where support actions enhance Phainon's performance.
Technique
Grants +3 Coreflame before combat, reducing setup to 9 additional stacks—achievable in 3-4 turns with optimal rotation.
Speed Breakpoints
134 SPD: Minimum Viable
At 134 SPD, Phainon achieves 2 actions within most enemy first-turn windows. Rotation: Technique (+3) → Skill (+2) → ally support (+1) → Skill (+2) → support (+1) → Skill (+2) → support (+1) → Ultimate (12 stacks) within 4 turns.
Requires ~35-40 SPD from substats (6-7 per piece). Feet main stat (+25 SPD) makes this achievable F2P.
143 SPD: Sweet Spot
Enables 3 actions before slower enemies (120-130 SPD) complete second turn. Provides Skill Point flexibility: Turn 1 Skill (+2), Turn 2 Skill (+2), Turn 3 Skill (+2), Turn 4 Ultimate (with +6 from allies). Reduces dependency on perfect ally coordination.
160+ SPD: Hypercarry Territory
Requires dedicated speed buffers (Sunday/Bronya 160+). Resource-intensive for F2P (8-10 SPD per piece). Diminishing returns beyond 160 SPD—transformation's 8 turns already provide sufficient actions. Investment better spent on CRIT/ATK.
Team Speed Tuning
Optimal distribution: Sunday/Bronya (160+), Tingyun (145-155), Phainon (134-140), sustain (120-130). Ensures supports act before Phainon, granting Coreflame stacks, while sustains don't disrupt action order.
Tingyun at 145-155 SPD acts between Phainon's turns, maximizing Coreflame efficiency.
Relic Optimization
Wavestrider Captain 4pc: Premium Choice
2pc: +16% CRIT DMG
4pc: +48% ATK on Ultimate with 2 Help stacks (accumulate when allies use Skills/Ultimates)
ATK buff applies during transformation, amplifying all abilities. Combined with Phainon's transformation buff (+48-80%), total ATK reaches 2500+ easily.
Scholar Lost in Erudition 4pc: Alternative
2pc: +8% CRIT Rate
4pc: +20% Skill/Ultimate DMG, +25% next Skill damage post-Ultimate
Benefits pre-transformation Skill spam. Post-Ultimate buff applies once—less valuable during 8-turn transformation. Use if lacking Wavestrider pieces with good substats. CRIT Rate bonus reduces substat pressure.
Arcadia of Woven Dreams 2pc: Planar Ornament
+9-12% DMG per missing/extra ally (up to 4/3 stacks). In 4-character teams, provides consistent +9-12% damage without conditions.
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Rutilant Arena 2pc
+8% CRIT Rate, +20% Basic/Skill DMG at ≥70% CRIT Rate. Applies to pre-transformation abilities and Bloodthorn Ferry, excludes Ultimate damage. Suits builds struggling to reach 100% CRIT Rate. +8% CRIT Rate replaces 3-4 substat rolls.
Main Stat Priority
- Body: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG (aim 100% CRIT Rate total; if substats provide 60%+, use CRIT DMG Body)
- Feet: SPD for 134+ threshold (ATK% only if substats provide 35+ SPD elsewhere—rare F2P)
- Sphere: Physical DMG% (15-20% more damage than ATK% via multiplicative scaling)
- Rope: ATK% (Energy Regen Rate unnecessary—Coreflame generation is self-sufficient)
F2P Sustain Synergies
Lynx: Cleanse and Targeted Healing
Single-target healing with cleanse removes Depowered debuffs. Skill grants continuous healing over time, maintaining Phainon during transformation without consuming his turns. Talent triggers emergency healing below HP thresholds. At 120-130 SPD, acts after Phainon.
Gallagher: Break Effect and AoE Healing
Ultimate provides AoE healing with Break Effect buffs. While Phainon prioritizes CRIT over Break Effect, the buff enhances Toughness damage against Resilient Armor+, accelerating vulnerability windows. Skill debuffs reduce enemy effect resistance. Lower SP consumption (1 SP per 3 turns) preserves resources.
F2P Team Templates
Core Team: Phainon, Trailblazer Remembrance, Tingyun, Lynx
Rotation: Turn 1 Technique (+3) + Skill (+2) = 5; Turn 2 Tingyun attack (+1) + Skill (+2) = 8; Turn 3 support (+1) + Skill (+2) = 11; Turn 4 support (+1) = 12 → Ultimate.
SP Economy: Phainon -3 SP, Tingyun +1 SP, Lynx neutral, Trailblazer +1 SP. Net: -1 SP across 4 turns—sustainable.
Alternative: Phainon, Trailblazer Remembrance, Tingyun, Gallagher
Advantages: AoE healing, Break Effect buff accelerates Toughness breaks.
Disadvantages: No cleanse for Depowered.
Harmony/Nihility Options
Trailblazer Remembrance: CRIT buffs (+20-30% CRIT Rate) and action advance reduce Phainon's substat requirements.
Tingyun: Energy restoration (+50 Energy) and ATK buff (+25-50% ATK) amplify Coreflame generation and damage. Lightning element doesn't conflict with Physical damage.
Light Cone Selection
On the Fall of an Aeon S5: Best F2P
4★ Destruction: +16% ATK (up to 4 stacks, +4% per attack/hit), +24% DMG for 2 turns post-Weakness Break. At S5, ATK buff reaches +64% max stacks—comparable to 5★ base ATK.
Post-Weakness Break DMG synergizes with Phainon's Physical Weakness application, activating during transformation. Acquired via Herta's Store or events.
Thus Burns the Dawn S1: Signature
+12% SPD, ignores 18% DEF, +60% DMG for 1 turn post-Ultimate. SPD bonus frees 12 SPD worth of rolls for CRIT stats. DEF ignore amplifies damage vs high-DEF bosses.
+60% DMG applies to transformation's first turn only. Performance gain over S5 On the Fall of an Aeon: ~15-20% in zero-cycle contexts.
Superimposition Priority
F2P: Prioritize On the Fall of an Aeon to S5 before pulling signature. Resource investment (Herta Store vs Stellar Jade) favors guaranteed progression over gacha.
Substat Strategy
Priority Hierarchy: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > SPD > ATK%
Target distribution:
- CRIT Rate: 100% total (12% Trace + 8% set + 58.3% Body + 21.7% substats, or 12% Trace + 43.2% Body + 44.8% substats)
- CRIT DMG: 150%+ total (37.3% Trace + 16% set + 64.8% Body + 31.9%+ substats)
- SPD: 134+ total (99 base + 25 Feet + 10+ substats)
- ATK%: 2500+ total ATK
Each piece needs 2+ desired substats to qualify for upgrading. CRIT Rate + CRIT DMG + SPD tri-stats are premium.
Lock/Upgrade Criteria
Lock if:
- 3+ desired substats
- Correct main stat
- At least one substat rolled twice by +12
Upgrade to +15 only if:
- 4 desired substats present
- CRIT Rate + CRIT DMG both present with 2+ rolls each
- SPD present with 1+ roll
Acceptable Ranges
Minimum per piece (averaged across 6 relics):
- CRIT Rate: 3.5%+ (21% total from substats)
- CRIT DMG: 5.3%+ (32% total)
- SPD: 1.7+ (10 total with Feet main stat)
- ATK%: 4%+ (24% total)
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Over-investing flat ATK. Flat ATK gives 10-20 per roll vs ATK% giving 4-5% (23-29 ATK at 582 base). ATK% scales with buffs; flat doesn't.
Mistake 2: Neglecting SPD for CRIT. Missing 134 SPD costs entire actions, reducing total damage more than 10% CRIT DMG gains.
Mistake 3: Using Break Effect/Effect Hit Rate pieces. Dead substats—Phainon doesn't scale with these.
Rotation Guide
Pre-Combat Setup
- Activate Phainon's Technique (+3 Coreflame)
- Position team for Phainon's first turn
- Ensure Tingyun's Ultimate charged (if possible)
Starting at 3 stacks reduces setup from 4 to 3 turns.
Turn-by-Turn Sequence
Turn 1 (Phainon): Skill → 5 stacks
Turn 2 (Tingyun): Single-target attack → Phainon +1 (6 total) + CRIT DMG buff
Turn 3 (Phainon): Skill → 8 stacks
Turn 4 (Trailblazer): Skill/Ultimate → +1 (9 total)
Turn 5 (Phainon): Skill → 11 stacks
Turn 6 (Lynx/Gallagher): Heal/Shield → +1 (12 total)
Turn 7 (Phainon): Ultimate → Transformation
Transformation (8 turns at 60% SPD):
- Turns 1-2: Bloodthorn Ferry (build Scourge)
- Turn 3: Soulscorch Edict (75% DR counter)
- Turns 4-6: Bloodthorn Ferry (max Scourge to 4 stacks)
- Turn 7: Stardeath Verdict (dispel debuffs, massive nuke with 4 Scourge)
- Turn 8: Final Hit (480-960% ATK AoE)
Skill Point Management
Phainon consumes 3 SP during setup. Tingyun/supports use Basics (+1 SP each) except when refreshing buffs. Net: 0 SP neutral.
During transformation, Phainon's turns don't consume SP. Supports can use Skills freely.
Septimus Phase Adaptation
Septimus transitions at 75%, 50%, 25% HP. Each resets Resilient Armor+ to 3 stacks.
Time transformation to begin at 80-85% boss HP, ensuring Stardeath Verdict (Turn 7) and Final Hit (Turn 8) land during 50% phase when Resilient Armor+ is partially depleted.
If Depowered applies mid-transformation, prioritize Bloodthorn Ferry (energy-independent). 20% Max HP regen sustains Phainon without healer intervention.
Trace Leveling Priority
Essential Traces (10/10/10 Minimum)
Level Skill and Talent to 10 first. Skill multipliers (300% ATK primary, 120% adjacent) scale 15-20% per level at high tiers. Talent's Coreflame generation and CRIT DMG buff improve consistency.
Ultimate to 10 follows, enhancing transformation buffs. Basic Attack lowest priority—100% ATK multiplier contributes minimally.
Crown Investment: 12/10/10 vs 10/10/10
Crowning Skill (Level 12) increases multipliers ~8-10% over Level 10. In zero-cycle contexts: 5-7% total damage increase—meaningful but not essential for 3-star clears.
Crown Talent if resources permit (CRIT DMG buff 15-30% → 18-33% affects all allies). Crown Ultimate last—transformation buffs scale minimally beyond 10.
Material Farming
Ascension: Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Ire. Farm during double drops.
Traces: Crimson Calyx domains. Prioritize Planar Fissure events for bonus drops. Weekly bosses drop advanced materials—farm on reset days.
Use Fuel to refresh Trailblaze Power only during double-drop events or approaching breakpoints (9→10, 10→12).
Build Misconceptions
Why CRIT Stats Are Essential
Unlike Break Effect characters (Boothill, Rappa), Phainon's multipliers scale with ATK and CRIT. Transformation abilities use ATK% scaling with CRIT Rate/DMG application.
100% CRIT Rate ensures consistent damage—critical for zero-cycle where variance causes failures. 150%+ CRIT DMG amplifies high base multipliers (585-1170% Stardeath Verdict) into one-shot thresholds.
Break Effect/Effect Hit Rate Errors
Phainon's Physical Weakness application doesn't scale with Effect Hit Rate—applies unconditionally during Ultimate. Break Effect increases Toughness damage but doesn't amplify primary damage sources.
Investing substats in Break Effect sacrifices CRIT stats, reducing overall output. Reserve Break Effect for dedicated Break DPS.
Speed vs CRIT Balance
Sacrificing SPD for CRIT below 134 SPD costs entire actions, reducing total damage more than additional CRIT gains.
Conversely, pushing SPD beyond 143 without team speed buffs desynchronizes rotations. Phainon acts before supports, missing Coreflame from ally attacks. Maintain 134-140 SPD unless running dedicated speed buffers.
Execution Issues
Builds meeting thresholds (100% CRIT Rate, 150% CRIT DMG, 134 SPD, 2500 ATK) but failing zero-cycles often suffer:
- Mistiming transformation (triggering Ultimate before support buffs)
- Wasting Scourge stacks (using Stardeath Verdict below 4 stacks)
- Ignoring Resilient Armor+ (attacking during full 3-stack phases)
Record attempts to identify rotation mistakes. Adjust support speeds to fix desynchronization.
Trace Bonus: Bide in Flames
A4 Trace grants +45% DMG for 4 turns when receiving healing/shields. Applies to all damage sources including transformation abilities.
Lynx/Gallagher trigger this consistently (shields/heals every 2-3 turns). 4-turn duration ensures near-permanent uptime during transformation's 8 turns.
Coordinate sustain abilities before transformation (Turn 6-7), ensuring buff applies to Stardeath Verdict and Final Hit.
Anomaly Arbitration 3.8 Strategies
Resilient Armor+ Management
Each stack: 15% DMG reduction (45% total at 3 stacks). Prioritize Toughness breaks to remove stacks before transformation.
Trailblazer Remembrance (Imaginary) and Tingyun (Lightning) contribute to Toughness depletion. Time Ultimate when Resilient Armor+ is at 1-2 stacks.
Depowered Counterplay
Reduces Energy by 50%, Energy Regen Rate by 50% for 2 turns. Phainon's Coreflame-based generation bypasses energy mechanics—resistant to this debuff.
Supports relying on energy (Tingyun's Ultimate) suffer. Prioritize Lynx's cleanse to remove Depowered from key supports.
Unending Refinement Exploitation
Boss gains -2% DMG taken, -4% CRIT DMG taken per stack (max 10). Stacks clear at turn start or Weakness Break.
Force Weakness Breaks before transformation to reset stacks. Phainon's Physical Weakness application enables breaks even against resistant phases.
Advanced Compositions
Phainon + Sunday + Cerydra + Trailblazer Remembrance
Sunday: Action advance and CRIT buffs accelerate Coreflame generation.
Cerydra: Debuffs reduce enemy DEF.
Achieved Knight 3 clears in testing.
Sunday's 160+ SPD acts before Phainon, granting action advance that increases turn frequency. Combined with Trailblazer's CRIT buffs, reaches 120%+ CRIT Rate, allowing CRIT DMG Body.
Phainon + Bronya + Tingyun + Gallagher
Bronya: Action advance and DMG% buffs. Skill grants immediate extra turns, compressing Coreflame generation.
Tingyun's ATK buff stacks with Bronya's DMG%, multiplicatively scaling damage. Gallagher provides sustain with Break Effect buffs.
Memory of Chaos Benchmarks
Stage 12 performance:
- E0S0 (F2P Light Cone): 6.5-8 cycles for 3-star
- E0S1 (Signature): 5.5-7 cycles for 3-star
Assumes optimal rotations and stat thresholds. Deviations increase cycle counts proportionally.
Anomaly Arbitration's 2-cycle requirement for 3 stars demands tighter execution than MoC.
F2P Resource Strategy
Stellar Jade Income
Daily Training: 60 Stellar Jade daily (1,800 monthly)
Simulated Universe weekly: 225 Stellar Jade (900 monthly)
Events: 300-600 per patch
Total F2P: ~3,500-4,000 monthly (21-25 pulls). Across 6-week patch: 90-100 pulls—enough for soft pity.
Trailblaze Power Allocation
Priority:
- Ascension materials until Level 80
- Trace materials to 10/10/10
- Relic farming (Wavestrider Captain, Arcadia)
Avoid relic farming before securing Ascension/Traces—character levels provide guaranteed stats, relics involve RNG.
Use Fuel only during double-drop events or critical breakpoints (79→80, Trace 9→10).
FAQ
What speed does Phainon need for zero-cycle?
134+ SPD minimum for 2 actions within enemy first-turn windows. 143 SPD provides SP flexibility. 160+ SPD demands dedicated speed buffers with diminishing returns.
How much CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG for Septimus?
100% CRIT Rate, 150%+ CRIT DMG. CRIT Rate ensures no variance during critical turns. 150% CRIT DMG amplifies high multipliers into one-shot thresholds.
Which F2P sustain works best in 3.8?
Lynx: Cleanse removes Depowered, targeted healing maintains Phainon.
Gallagher: AoE healing, Break Effect buffs accelerate Toughness breaks.
Choose Lynx for Depowered phases, Gallagher for multi-target phases.
Can Phainon 3-star Septimus without limited characters?
Yes—F2P teams (Phainon, Trailblazer Remembrance, Tingyun, Lynx/Gallagher) achieve 3-star clears when meeting stat thresholds and executing optimal rotations.
What relic sets are best?
Wavestrider Captain 4pc (+16% CRIT DMG, +48% ATK on Ultimate) + Arcadia 2pc (+9-12% DMG). Alternative: Scholar Lost in Erudition 4pc for +8% CRIT Rate and Skill/Ultimate DMG.
ATK% Rope or Energy Regen Rope?
Always ATK% Rope. Coreflame-based generation bypasses energy mechanics. ATK% Rope contributes 43.2% ATK, scaling all transformation multipliers toward 2500+ thresholds.
