Ruan Mei Light Cone Guide: Past Self vs Dance! (HSR 3.1)

Light Cone Overview: Your Ruan Mei Options

Light Cone selection directly impacts Ruan Mei's effectiveness in version 3.1's Break Effect meta. Her kit amplifies team damage through Break Effect buffs, RES penetration, and Weakness Break efficiency.

Ruan Mei's Level 80 stats: 1086 HP, 659 ATK, 485 DEF, 104 SPD. Optimal build targets: 180% Break Effect, 134+ SPD, 3800+ HP, 1000+ DEF. These ensure consistent Ultimate uptime (130 Energy cost) and endgame survivability.

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Why Light Cone Choice Matters

Harmony supports function as force multipliers. Past Self in Mirror's Break Effect synergizes with Ruan Mei's A2 trace (+20% Break Effect to allies) and Skill (+50% Weakness Break Efficiency). This creates multiplicative scaling that dramatically boosts Break damage from DPS like Firefly.

Dance! Dance! Dance! advances allies' actions 16% at S1, 24% at S5 after Ultimate. This accelerates rotations but lacks Break Effect contribution.

The 3.1 meta emphasizes Break teams. Ruan Mei's Ultimate provides 25% All-Type RES PEN for 2 turns. Your Light Cone determines whether you maximize Break scaling or action economy.

Ruan Mei's Kit Requirements

Skill Overtone: +32% DMG, +50% Weakness Break Efficiency for 3 turns
Ultimate: 25% All-Type RES PEN for 2 turns
A6 Trace: +6% Skill DMG per 10% Break Effect over 120% (caps at +36%)
A4 Trace: 5 Energy per turn start

Her A6 trace alone justifies prioritizing Break Effect. Past Self in Mirror provides 10 Energy per wave at S1 (20 at S5), solving Ultimate uptime.

Trace priority: Skill/Ultimate > Talent > Basic Attack

Materials: 15 Immortal Scionette, 15 Immortal Aeroblossom, 15 Immortal Lumintwig, 65 Gelid Chitin, 308,000 Credits

Light Cone Banner Economics

5-star Light Cone rate: 0.8%, soft pity at 65, hard pity at 80. Featured rate-up: 75%.

Guaranteed featured 5-star costs up to 12,800 Stellar Jade (80 pulls × 160). 4-star Light Cones accumulate naturally—10x cost difference makes pull priority critical.

Dance! Dance! Dance! Analysis

Level 80 stats: 952 HP, 423 ATK, 396 DEF. Value lies in passive, not stats.

Passive advances all allies 16% (S1) to 24% (S5) when using Ultimate. S5 represents 50% improvement over S1.

Ascension 70→80: 8 Worldbreaker Blade, 7 Conqueror's Will, 160,000 Credits

Superimposition Scaling

Base stats identical across S1-S5. Only passive scales.

Progression: S1 (16%) → S2 (18%) → S3 (20%) → S4 (22%) → S5 (24%)

Linear scaling—each superimposition equally valuable. The 8% S1-S5 gap equals 3-4 SPD substats in turn frequency.

Action Advance Mechanics

Action advance reduces allies' action value by 16-24% when Ruan Mei uses Ultimate. Triggers before Ultimate buffs apply, letting allies capitalize on 25% RES PEN immediately.

Diminishing returns in speed-optimized teams. If DPS already acts twice per cycle, additional advance may not grant extra turns. Benefit scales inversely with existing SPD investments.

Practical Performance

In standard rotations (Skill → Ultimate → Basic → Skill), action advance compresses team actions within buff windows. At S5, allies at 50% AV receive 12% reduction, potentially squeezing extra turns before buffs expire.

Energy weakness: No Energy Regen Rate or flat Energy. Requires A4 trace (5 Energy/turn) + relic sets. With 4pc Watchmaker + Sprightly Vonwacq (+10% total Energy Regen), reaches ~115% Energy Regen—needs 3-4 turns per Ultimate.

Team Synergies

Excels in hypercarry teams (Ruan Mei + Firefly + HMC + Gallagher). Action advance lets Firefly execute more Enhanced Skills during buff windows.

Underperforms in Break teams where damage scales from Break multipliers, not action frequency. Break damage occurs on enemy turn start—action advance less impactful than raw Break Effect stacking.

Speed-tuned teams need careful calculation. 24% advance may disrupt specific turn orders.

Past Self in Mirror Deep Dive

Level 80 stats: 1058 HP, 529 ATK, 529 DEF. The 529 DEF helps reach 1000+ benchmark.

Passive S1: +60% Break Effect, +24% DMG for 3 turns after Ultimate, 1 SP at 150% Break Effect, 10 Energy per wave
Passive S5: +100% Break Effect, +40% DMG, 1 SP at 150%, 20 Energy per wave

Massive Break Effect injection lets Ruan Mei hit 180% with minimal relic requirements, freeing substats for SPD/HP/DEF.

Stat Distribution

Base stats identical S1-S5. Only passive scales.

Break Effect: 60% (S1) → 100% (S5)
DMG Buff: 24% (S1) → 40% (S5)
SP Recovery: 1 SP at 150% Break Effect (all levels)
Energy: 10/wave (S1) → 20/wave (S5)

SP recovery triggers once per battle when first meeting 150% threshold—easily achievable with S1 (+60%) + Watchmaker 2pc (+16%).

Energy scaling doubles from S1 to S5. In multi-wave content, this significantly impacts Ultimate frequency.

Break Effect Synergy

Multiplicative scaling through multiple sources:

• A2 trace: +20% Break Effect to allies
• Skill: +50% Weakness Break Efficiency
• 4pc Watchmaker: +30% Break Effect to allies after Ultimate
• Past Self in Mirror: +60-100% Break Effect

With S1 (+60%) + Watchmaker 2pc (+16%), Ruan Mei easily exceeds 180% Break Effect, maximizing A6 trace (+36% Skill DMG).

When Ruan Mei reaches 180% Break Effect, allies gain +20% (A2) + 30% (Watchmaker) = 50% Break Effect bonus, before accounting for +50% Weakness Break Efficiency multiplier.

Investment Considerations

Expected cost: 6,400-12,800 Stellar Jade (soft/hard pity). For efficient buy hsr shards, BitTopup offers secure transactions.

Ascension: 20 Immortal Scionette, 4 Harmonic Tune, 12 Ancestral Hymn, 20 Immortal Aeroblossom, 15 Stellaris Symphony, 14 Immortal Lumintwig, 385,000 Credits

S1-S5 value diminishes. Usage data shows S1 maintains 51.92% usage rate with 7.71 average MoC cycles—strong performance without superimposition.

Real Performance Benchmarks

In Ruan Mei + Firefly + HMC + Gallagher teams, Past Self in Mirror S1 enables 180%+ Break Effect without perfect relics. MoC Floor 12 averages 7.71 cycles.

+24% DMG buff (S1) stacks multiplicatively with existing buffs—represents ~15-20% total team damage increase. 3-turn duration covers most DPS cycles.

Energy at 10/wave (S1) + 5/turn (A4) + 10% relic Energy Regen = Ultimate every 2-3 turns in optimal conditions.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Fundamentally different philosophies: Past Self in Mirror prioritizes Break Effect scaling, Dance! Dance! Dance! focuses on action economy.

Stat comparison (Level 80):

• HP: 1058 vs 952 (+106)
• ATK: 529 vs 423 (+106)
• DEF: 529 vs 396 (+133)

DEF difference most significant—helps reach 1000+ DEF, potentially saving one relic main stat slot.

Passive Effectiveness

Past Self in Mirror: Permanent +60-100% Break Effect, post-Ultimate +24-40% DMG for 3 turns, 1 SP at 150%, 10-20 Energy/wave

Dance! Dance! Dance!: 16-24% action advance on Ultimate cast—immediate but temporary value

SP recovery from Past Self solves economy in SP-negative teams. Firefly's Enhanced Skills consume significant SP; recovering 1 SP offsets 1-2 turns of deficit.

Damage Calculations

Ruan Mei + Firefly + HMC + Gallagher (Break team):

Past Self S1: 180% Break Effect on Ruan Mei → allies gain +50% Break Effect + 50% Weakness Break Efficiency → Firefly's Break damage increases ~35-40%

Dance! Dance! S5: 120% Break Effect on Ruan Mei → allies gain +50% Break Effect → 24% action advance allows one additional Enhanced Skill per cycle → ~20-25% damage increase

Net difference favors Past Self by 10-15% in Break scenarios.

Non-Break teams (crit-based DPS):

Dance! Dance! Dance!'s action advance benefits all damage types equally. Past Self's Break Effect bonuses underutilized. Action advance provides ~15-20% team damage increase, reversing performance hierarchy.

Superimposition Value

Past Self S1→S5: 64,000-76,800 Jade (5 copies). Gain: +40% Break Effect, +16% DMG buff = ~15-20% performance improvement. Poor cost-efficiency vs new characters.

Dance! Dance! Dance! S1→S5: Accumulates naturally through standard pulls. +8% action advance = ~10-12% effective damage increase. Superimpose copies as they appear.

Cost-benefit strongly favors stopping at Past Self S1 unless high-spender.

Endgame Performance Testing

MoC Floor 12 and Apocalyptic Shadow reveal practical differences.

Ruan Mei + Firefly + HMC + Gallagher:

• Past Self S1: 7.71 average cycles
• Dance! Dance! S5: 8.2-8.5 cycles (~10% longer)

Performance gap widens in Break-weak enemy lineups.

Clear Time Comparisons

MoC Floor 12 First Half (single-target):

• Past Self: 90-100 seconds
• Dance! Dance!: 95-105 seconds (5-10 second gap)

Second Half (multi-target):

• Past Self: 85-95 seconds
• Dance! Dance!: 100-115 seconds (15-20 second gap, ~15% improvement)

Past Self's Energy/wave accelerates Ultimate frequency across multiple enemies.

Apocalyptic Shadow (multi-wave):

Energy/wave compounds across 3-4 waves = 30-80 total Energy (S1-S5). Enables 1-2 additional Ultimates vs Dance! Dance! Dance! = 20-30% faster clears.

Break Effect Impact

Current endgame favors Break mechanics. Many stages feature multiple Weakness types, allowing frequent Breaks. Ruan Mei's +50% Weakness Break Efficiency multiplies Break damage.

Past Self's +60-100% Break Effect enables 180%+ with moderate relics. Maximizes A6 trace (+36% Skill DMG) while providing substantial ally buffs. Achieves 30-40% higher damage vs non-Break builds in Break-weak stages.

Dance! Dance! Dance! caps around 120-140% Break Effect without perfect gear. Reduces ally buffs by ~40-60% vs Past Self setups.

Team Composition Variables

Pure Break team (Ruan Mei + Firefly + HMC + Gallagher): Past Self outperforms by 15-20%

Non-Break team (Ruan Mei + Acheron + Pela + Aventurine): Dance! Dance! Dance! performs comparably or slightly better. 24% action advance helps Acheron build stacks faster. Performance difference ≤5%.

Hybrid teams: Depends on which DPS contributes majority damage—typically Break DPS in current meta.

Cycle Count Analysis

MoC Floors 9-11: Negligible difference. Both enable comfortable clears.

MoC Floor 12: Past Self S1 achieves 7-8 cycles, Dance! Dance! S5 averages 8-9. The 1-cycle difference determines 3-star clears.

Apocalyptic Shadow highest difficulty: Past Self S1 enables 9-10 cycles vs Dance! Dance!'s 11-12. 2-cycle gap (~20% difference) often determines completion before enrage.

Alternative Light Cones

Memories of the Past (4-star): Break Effect main stat—closest F2P alternative to Past Self. Provides ~40-50% Break Effect at max level/superimposition. Reaches 150-160% total Break Effect with optimal relics (falls short of 180% target).

Passive increases Effect Hit Rate—minimal value for Ruan Mei. Wasted passive reduces efficiency.

Acquisition: Herta's Store (limited stock, ~1 copy per version). Performance trails Past Self S1 by ~20-25% in Break teams but significantly outperforms Dance! Dance! Dance!.

Meshing Cogs (3-star): Energy Regen Rate main stat. At S5, grants ~16% Energy Regen, reducing turns/Ultimate from 3-4 to 2-3.

Passive grants Energy when attacking enemies >50% HP—marginal value, inconsistent in multi-target.

Universal availability through standard pulls/shops.

Performance Rankings

Break Effect teams:

1. Past Self in Mirror S5
2. Past Self in Mirror S1
3. Memories of the Past S5
4. Dance! Dance! Dance! S5
5. Dance! Dance! Dance! S1
6. Meshing Cogs S5

Non-Break teams:

1. Dance! Dance! Dance! S5
2. Past Self in Mirror S1 (24% DMG buff, wasted Break Effect)
3. Dance! Dance! Dance! S1
4. Meshing Cogs S5
5. Past Self in Mirror S5 (expensive, partially wasted stats)

When to Use Alternatives

Memories of the Past: Break teams when you can't afford Past Self. Guaranteed Break Effect ensures functional performance. Prioritize S1 through Herta's Store early-game.

Meshing Cogs: Energy regeneration bottleneck. If relics lack Energy Regen substats and you struggle with 2-3 turn Ultimate cycles. Transition to Break Effect Light Cones once relics optimize.

Dance! Dance! Dance!: Non-Break teams or universal acceleration. Benefits all compositions equally—safest generalist option. Prioritize S5 superimposition.

Pull Priority Framework

Account progression determines Light Cone priority:

**Early-game (TL <50)**: Prioritize character acquisition over Light Cones. Roster flexibility > individual optimization.

Mid-game (TL 50-65): Targeted Light Cone investments for main DPS/supports after establishing core teams.

Late-game (TL 65+): Signature Light Cones for endgame optimization gain maximum value.

Stellar Jade Budget Planning

Version 3.1 features multiple reruns. Monthly Jade income: 8,000-10,000 (F2P), 12,000-15,000 (Battle Pass).

Priority hierarchy:

1. Essential characters (12,800 Jade/guaranteed)
2. Character Eidolons for main DPS (12,800/copy)
3. Signature Light Cones (12,800/guaranteed)
4. Light Cone superimposition (high-spenders only)

Acquiring Ruan Mei's character > Past Self if you lack her. Her kit provides irreplaceable Break support.

Character vs Light Cone Priority

Character acquisition provides more value than Light Cone optimization. New 5-star enables new team compositions. Signature Light Cone improves one character by 15-25%.

Exception: Completed roster focusing exclusively on endgame optimization. Past Self for Ruan Mei ranks among highest-value support Light Cones.

Eidolon vs Light Cone: Ruan Mei's E1 (Ultimate ignores 20% DEF) = ~10-12% damage. Past Self S1 = 15-20% improvement. Light Cone superior value.

Long-Term Value

Past Self's value depends on Break meta longevity. Current endgame heavily favors Break, but future updates may shift. However, Ruan Mei's kit fundamentally revolves around Break Effect—Light Cone remains optimal regardless.

Universality across Harmony characters provides future-proofing. Any future Harmony with Break Effect scaling can use Past Self effectively.

Dance! Dance! Dance!'s action advance provides timeless value—benefits all compositions regardless of meta. Lower ceiling but consistently functional floor. Safer long-term investment for risk-averse players.

Common Mistakes

Overvaluing signature Light Cones: Ruan Mei performs effectively with 4-star alternatives. Past Self optimizes but doesn't enable fundamentally different gameplay.

Support Light Cones provide lower relative value than DPS Light Cones. DPS signature improves personal damage 30-40% directly. Support improves buff effectiveness 15-25% indirectly.

Past Self represents exception due to Break Effect's multiplicative scaling. +60% Break Effect enables reaching 180% threshold that fundamentally changes team damage.

Misunderstanding Break Effect scaling: Break Effect exhibits multiplicative scaling through multiple buffs—non-linear damage increases. 180% Break Effect threshold maximizes Ruan Mei's A6 trace (+36% Skill DMG).

Reaching 180% through relics alone requires ~104% from substats (6-7 Break Effect rolls). Past Self S1 provides 60%, leaving 44% from substats—much more achievable.

Superimposition trap: Past Self S1→S5 costs 64,000 Jade for +40% Break Effect, +16% DMG = ~15-20% improvement. Poor cost-efficiency vs new characters.

Light Cone banners offer 75% rate-up (25% off-banner risk). Pursuing S5 risks unwanted off-banner Light Cones.

Dance! Dance! Dance! superimposition costs minimal resources—superimpose copies as they appear.

Ignoring team context: Past Self excels in Break teams, underperforms in non-Break where primary stat remains underutilized. Players pulling without Break DPS waste potential.

Dance! Dance! Dance! provides consistent value across all types but lower ceiling in optimized compositions. Running dedicated Break teams sacrifices 15-20% performance vs Past Self.

Expert Recommendations

Best-in-slot: Past Self in Mirror for Break Effect teams. Unmatched Break Effect scaling and damage amplification.

Versatile alternative: Dance! Dance! Dance! for diverse compositions or limited resources.

Player Type Recommendations

F2P: Use Dance! Dance! Dance! or Memories of the Past. Avoid Light Cone banners—prioritize character acquisition. Superimpose Dance! Dance! Dance! to S5 naturally. Transition to Past Self after completing core teams.

Low-spenders (Battle Pass): Consider Past Self S1 after completing character roster. Provides meaningful gains for 3-star clears. Budget 2-3 months Jade income.

Moderate spenders (BP + Monthly): Prioritize Past Self S1 for Break teams. 12,000-15,000 monthly Jade allows balancing characters and Light Cones. Avoid superimposition beyond S1.

High spenders: Pursue Past Self S5 for maximum optimization. +40% Break Effect, +16% DMG provides competitive advantages.

Optimization Tips

Past Self in Mirror: Target 180% Break Effect (60% Light Cone + 76% relics + 44% substats). Prioritize Break Effect% substats. SPD Boots for 134+ SPD. Maintain 3800+ HP, 1000+ DEF.

Dance! Dance! Dance!: Compensate missing Break Effect through relics—target 120-140%. Prioritize Energy Regen substats. Use Sprightly Vonwacq (+5% Energy Regen, 40% action advance at 120+ SPD).

Memories of the Past: Focus entirely on Break Effect—target 150-160% total. Break Effect% Rope + substats on all pieces. Accept lower Ultimate uptime; compensate through Energy Regen substats + Sprightly Vonwacq.

Pull Strategy for 3.1

Lacking Ruan Mei: Prioritize character banner until securing her. Evaluate remaining Jade—if 12,800+ remains and you run Break teams, consider Past Self. Otherwise save and use Dance! Dance! Dance!.

Have Ruan Mei: Evaluate current Light Cone and team. Using 3-star options + Break teams = Past Self significant upgrade. Using Dance! Dance! Dance! S5 = 10-15% gap—consider if this justifies 12,800 Jade vs saving.

Pity management: Character and Light Cone pity separate. If close to character pity (60+), complete character pulls first. Light Cone pity resets between different rate-ups.

Maximize Efficiency with BitTopup

Strategic resource management maximizes pulling power. BitTopup offers competitive rates for Stellar Jade, instant delivery, secure transactions.

Plan budget before banner: 80 pulls × 160 Jade = 12,800 total. BitTopup's transparent pricing allows accurate cost calculation.

Fast delivery during limited banners ensures completing pulls within windows. Instant processing avoids missing opportunities due to delayed transactions.

FAQ

Is Past Self in Mirror necessary for Ruan Mei?

No. Ruan Mei functions effectively with 4-star alternatives. Past Self optimizes performance (15-20% improvement) but isn't mandatory. Players using 4-star options achieve endgame clears with proper building.

How much better is S5 vs S1?

S5 provides +40% Break Effect, +16% DMG buff, double Energy (20 vs 10/wave) = ~15-20% performance improvement. Resource cost 5x higher. S1 most cost-efficient for most players.

Should I pull without Firefly/Break DPS?

No. Past Self's value diminishes without Break DPS. 60-100% Break Effect underutilized in non-Break teams. Dance! Dance! Dance! provides better universal value. Wait until acquiring compatible Break DPS.

Can Dance! Dance! Dance! S5 replace Past Self S1 in Break teams?

Performs ~10-15% worse. Missing 60% Break Effect reduces reaching 180% threshold, lowering team damage. Costs fewer resources and provides acceptable performance—functional replacement, not equivalent.

Best F2P Light Cone?

Memories of the Past for Break teams (Break Effect main stat, Herta's Store). Dance! Dance! Dance! for non-Break teams (universal action advance, standard pulls). Prioritize whichever aligns with team composition.

Does Light Cone affect Energy regeneration?

Yes, dramatically. Past Self provides 10 Energy/wave (S1), 20 (S5)—significantly improves Ultimate uptime in multi-wave. Dance! Dance! Dance! provides none—requires Energy Regen substats/relics. Meshing Cogs offers Energy Regen Rate main stat for budget option.