Banner Overview: Critical Investment Decision
Dissonant Sonata launches February 6, 2026 at 11 AM UTC+8 through March 4, 2026. Both signatures compete for limited Polychrome during the same window, forcing strategic prioritization.
Pity Mechanics:
- Hard pity: 80 pulls (12,800 Polychrome)
- 50/50 loss: 14,400-28,800 total cost
- 26-day window generates only 1,560 daily commission Polychrome
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Investment Impact: Signatures represent vertical investment—strengthening existing characters versus expanding rosters. Mid-game players face toughest choices balancing character acquisition with optimization. Endgame veterans chasing Shiyu Defense rankings prioritize different metrics than early-game accounts building core teams.
Hidden Costs: Leveling 50→60 requires 300,000 EXP, 200,000 Dennies, 20 Specialized Components. Complete upgrades demand 400,000 Dennies total—Thoughtbop needs Support Components (4 base, 32 Reinforced, 30 Specialized), Qingming Birdcage needs Rupture Components.
Thoughtbop (Sunna): Performance Breakdown
Base Stats (Level 60):
- 713 ATK (14.3% higher than Kaboom's 624)
- 60% Energy Regen
- 0.6 energy/second off-field generation
Passive Effect:
- 12.5% EX Special Physical DMG per stack (R1)
- Max 2 stacks = 25% total Physical DMG
- 40-second duration
- Additional 10% ATK at max stacks
Sunna Synergy
Thoughtbop solves Sunna's energy economy without requiring field time. Off-field generation enables optimal rotations—apply buffs, swap to DPS, continue energy accumulation. Players report 100% Ultimate uptime in Shiyu Defense, enabling permanent buff coverage alternatives can't match.
The 25% Physical DMG buff multiplies with Sunna's existing kit bonuses rather than diluting through additive stacking, creating exponential scaling for Physical teams.
Performance vs Alternatives
vs Kaboom the Cannon (Craftable A-Rank):
- 15-20% team DPS increase
- Kaboom: 624 ATK, 50% Energy Regen, 10% squad ATK at max stacks
- Thoughtbop's 40-second duration vs Kaboom's active-hit requirement creates 8-12 second faster Shiyu Defense floor 15 clears
vs Weeping Cradle (S-Rank):
- 8-12% performance gap
- Weeping Cradle: 684 ATK, 24% PEN Ratio, 0.6/s energy, 10.2% squad damage
- Gap narrows in mixed-element teams where generic buffs compete with Physical specialization
Refinement Strategy
R1 delivers complete functionality. R5 (20% per stack, 0.96/s energy, 16% ATK) costs 64,000+ Polychrome for 8-12% DPS increase—poor ROI. F2P players should never refine. Only dedicated Sunna mains chasing leaderboards benefit from refinement beyond R1.
Qingming Birdcage (Yixuan): Performance Breakdown
Base Stats (Level 60):
- 743 ATK (highest among both signatures)
- 30% HP
- 20% CRIT Rate (R1, scales to 32% R5)
Passive Effect:
- 2 stacks on combat start (15-second duration)
- 8% Ether DMG per stack (16% total)
- 10% EX Special/Ultimate Ether Sheer DMG per stack (20% total)
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Yixuan Synergy
The 743 ATK provides 4% advantage over Thoughtbop, compounding through Yixuan's ATK-scaling abilities. 20% CRIT Rate solves consistency issues without perfect Disc substats, allowing CRIT DMG focus.
Immediate two-stack activation aligns with Yixuan's frontloaded burst patterns. Her optimal rotation deploys EX Special and Ultimate within opening seconds—Qingming ensures full 16% Ether DMG and 20% Sheer DMG bonuses without buildup delays.
Performance vs Alternatives
vs Radiowave Journey (A-Rank):
- 30-35% team DPS increase
- Radiowave: 594 ATK, 25% HP, +128 Sheer Force stacks
- 25% base ATK deficit creates massive damage gap passive can't overcome
- 15-20 second faster floor 15 clears, frequently determining success vs failure
vs Puzzle Sphere (A-Rank):
- 20-25% performance advantage
- Puzzle Sphere: 594 ATK, 25% ATK, 25.6% EX Special CRIT DMG (32% below 50% HP)
- Conditional HP threshold and lack of Ether specialization reduce average effectiveness
Refinement Strategy
R1 provides complete core functionality (20% CRIT Rate, 16% Ether DMG, 20% Sheer DMG). R5 (32% CRIT Rate, 25.6% Ether DMG, 32% Sheer DMG) improves performance 12-15% but costs 64,000+ Polychrome.
CRIT Rate scaling creates overcapping concerns at R5 with optimized Discs. R1's 20% allows flexible optimization without forcing specific substats. Only Deadly Assault leaderboard chasers benefit from refinement.
Direct Comparison: Which Delivers More Value?
Performance Gaps:
- Thoughtbop: 15-20% over Kaboom, 8-12% over Weeping Cradle
- Qingming Birdcage: 30-35% over Radiowave, 20-25% over Puzzle Sphere
Qingming Birdcage offers objectively larger improvements. The gap stems from alternative quality—Sunna has competitive S-Rank Weeping Cradle, while Yixuan's best options remain A-Rank with significant stat deficits.
Team Impact: Sunna's support role means her 15% improvement amplifies teammate damage. Yixuan's DPS role makes her 30% personal increase directly translate to team performance. However, account-specific factors override generalized comparisons—highly invested Physical DPS with suboptimal Sunna gain more from Thoughtbop than undergeared Yixuan teams.
Endgame Testing:
Shiyu Defense Floor 15:
- Thoughtbop: 8-12 second reductions
- Qingming Birdcage: 15-20 second reductions
Deadly Assault Scores:
- Thoughtbop: 5-8% improvement (rarely shifts ranking brackets)
- Qingming Birdcage: 10-15% improvement (frequently crosses reward tiers)
Alternative W-Engines: Competitive Options
Sunna Alternatives (Ranked)
S-Tier: Weeping Cradle
- 684 ATK, 24% PEN Ratio, 0.6/s energy
- 10.2% squad damage buff
- 8-12% gap to Thoughtbop
- Best for players who already own from previous banners
A-Tier: Kaboom the Cannon
- 624 ATK, 50% Energy Regen
- Craftable F2P accessibility
- 10% squad ATK at max stacks
- 15-20% gap but endgame viable
Yixuan Alternatives (Ranked)
A-Tier: Puzzle Sphere
- 594 ATK, 25% ATK
- 25.6% EX Special CRIT DMG (32% below 50% HP)
- 20-25% gap to signature
- Best F2P CRIT-focused option
B-Tier: Radiowave Journey
- 594 ATK, 25% HP
- +128 Sheer Force stacks
- 30-35% gap to signature
- Functional placeholder
F2P Accessibility: Kaboom's craftable status ensures guaranteed Sunna equipment. Yixuan lacks craftable Rupture options, forcing standard banner reliance for competitive alternatives—creating equipment gaps that limit F2P viability.
Investment Priority Framework
Early Game: Characters Over W-Engines
New accounts should exclusively prioritize character acquisition. Roster diversity enables flexible team building, while signatures only optimize owned characters. Broad character pool with A-Rank W-Engines outperforms narrow rosters with signatures.
Focus on establishing two complete Shiyu Defense teams (6-8 characters) before considering signatures.
Mid-Game: Balancing Expansion vs Optimization
Players with established cores face genuine dilemmas. Decision hinges on upcoming character desirability and roster gaps.
Priority: Qingming Birdcage generally ranks higher due to 30-35% performance gaps versus Thoughtbop's 15-20% gains. Choose Qingming unless running highly invested Physical teams where Sunna optimization delivers disproportionate value.
Endgame: Min-Maxing for Competition
Veterans chasing Deadly Assault leaderboards gain maximum signature value. 10-15% improvements directly translate to ranking brackets.
Hierarchy: Ensure all primary DPS possess signatures before investing in support signatures. Yixuan's DPS function elevates Qingming Birdcage priority over Sunna's support-role Thoughtbop.
F2P Strategy
General Priority: Character acquisition > signatures in 95% of scenarios.
Exception: Qingming Birdcage worth consideration for Yixuan mains due to transformative 30-35% gains. Requires 3-4 months dedicated saving (28,800 Polychrome worst-case).
Skip Thoughtbop unless you already own Yixuan's signature and run dedicated Physical teams.
Spender Strategy
Monthly card (90 daily Polychrome = 2,700 monthly) delivers superior value versus direct top-ups. Battle pass adds Polychrome plus materials.
Priority: Qingming Birdcage first due to larger gaps. Consider Thoughtbop only for optimized Physical teams. Pull R1 only—refinement provides poor value even for whales.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: Signatures Are Mandatory
Both Sunna and Yixuan achieve endgame clears using alternatives with proper teams and Discs. Signatures enhance performance but don't gate viability. Owning characters with alternatives outperforms not owning characters at all.
Myth: Higher Rarity = Better Performance
Weeping Cradle (S-Rank) performs within 8-12% of Thoughtbop despite lacking signature status. Passive synergy determines performance more than rarity. Evaluate specific mechanics versus blindly chasing highest rarity.
Diminishing Returns Reality
Performance gap from no W-Engine to functional W-Engine dwarfs improvement from alternative to signature. Polychrome cost per percentage DPS increase grows exponentially with optimization.
Early investments: 50-100% improvements per 12,800 Polychrome Signature upgrades: 15-35% gains for equivalent cost R1→R5 refinement: 64,000+ Polychrome for 12-15% gains (catastrophic value)
When Signatures Actually Matter
- Competitive leaderboards: Top 1% Deadly Assault genuinely requires optimization
- Comfort for favorites: Subjective value justifies investment when aligned with priorities
- Future-proofing: Permanent power ceiling against potential difficulty scaling
Future-Proofing: Meta Longevity
Sunna Forecast
Support role provides inherent stability—enables new DPS releases rather than competing with them. However, specialized Physical niche limits universal applicability. Meta shifts favoring alternative elements reduce usage regardless of signature investment.
Monitor official roadmaps for Physical DPS announcements that increase Thoughtbop long-term value.
Yixuan Forecast
Primary DPS role exposes her to power creep from future Ether Rupture releases. However, Rupture specialization provides niche protection against generalist DPS competition.
Current Ether meta positioning favors long-term prospects. Ether receives consistent content support, and Rupture mechanics get regular optimization through new kits and W-Engines.
Rerun Probability
Signatures typically rerun within 6-12 months, providing second chances after extended community testing. Reduces FOMO pressure but creates timing uncertainty.
50/50 system favors rerun pulls for players who lost initial coinflips—guaranteed rate-up pity secures signatures more efficiently.
Decision Guide: Making Your Choice
Account Assessment
Character Ownership:
- Own both, Sunna only, Yixuan only, or neither?
- Which receives more frequent usage?
- Long-term commitment or temporary roster fill?
Current W-Engines:
- Own Weeping Cradle for Sunna?
- What A-Rank alternatives for Yixuan?
- Performance gap for your specific situation?
Team Analysis:
- Run dedicated Physical teams maximizing Sunna?
- Is Yixuan primary or secondary DPS?
- Teammate investment level (Discs, W-Engines, skills)?
Progression Stage:
- Currently clear Shiyu floor 15?
- Deadly Assault ranking percentile?
- Struggling with content signature would resolve?
Budget Calculation
Current Reserves + Projected Income:
- Current Polychrome: _______
- Guaranteed pity status: Yes/No
- Daily commissions (26 days): 1,560
- Event rewards: ~2,000-3,000
- Shiyu Defense (2 resets): 800
- Total available: ~4,360-5,360 + reserves
Investment Requirement:
- Worst-case (lost 50/50): 28,800
- Best-case (guaranteed): 12,800
- Can afford worst-case without compromising future plans?
Final Recommendations
F2P Competitive: Pull Qingming Birdcage if you main Yixuan and afford 28,800 worst-case without sacrificing next 2-3 character banners. Skip Thoughtbop unless you own Yixuan's signature and run dedicated Physical teams.
F2P Casual: Skip both. Alternatives provide sufficient performance for comfortable clears. Save for favorite characters and roster diversity.
Monthly Card/Battle Pass: Pull Qingming Birdcage if you use Yixuan regularly. Consider Thoughtbop only for optimized Physical teams with frequent Sunna deployment.
Whales: Pull both if you own both characters. Prioritize Qingming Birdcage first (larger gaps), then Thoughtbop if reserves permit. R1 only—refinement wastes resources.
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FAQ
Is Thoughtbop worth pulling for Sunna?
Provides 15-20% improvement over Kaboom, 8-12% over Weeping Cradle. Worth pulling if you run dedicated Physical teams with invested DPS and lack Weeping Cradle. F2P should skip unless Sunna is most-used character and you afford 12,800-28,800 cost without compromising future plans.
How much better is Qingming Birdcage for Yixuan?
Delivers 30-35% DPS increase versus Radiowave Journey, 20-25% over Puzzle Sphere. Frequently determines floor 15 clear success and improves Deadly Assault scores 10-15%. High-priority investment for Yixuan mains.
Which signature provides bigger damage increase?
Qingming Birdcage offers larger relative gains (30-35% vs alternatives) compared to Thoughtbop (15-20%). Generally superior investment ROI, though absolute team impact depends on character roles and composition.
Can Sunna work without Thoughtbop?
Yes. Functions effectively with Weeping Cradle (8-12% gap) or Kaboom (15-20% gap). Players consistently clear floor 15 using alternatives with proper teams and Discs. Thoughtbop enhances but isn't mandatory.
Best alternative W-Engines for Yixuan?
Puzzle Sphere ranks best (594 ATK, 25% ATK, 25.6% CRIT DMG, 20-25% gap). Radiowave Journey offers 594 ATK, 25% HP, Sheer Force stacks but trails 30-35%. Both endgame viable though signature provides transformative improvements.
Should F2P pull signatures or save for characters?
Prioritize characters in 95% of scenarios. Roster diversity enables flexibility signatures can't provide. Only pull after establishing complete teams, and only for most-used characters where gaps significantly impact progression. Qingming Birdcage represents rare F2P-worthy signature for Yixuan mains.
