S5 The Seriousness of Breakfast outperforms premium 5-star Light Cones for Screwllum in AoE scenarios. This Imaginary Erudition DPS from Genius Society #76 excels with Diffusion Mark mechanics that synergize perfectly with farmable 4-star equipment, saving 28,800 Stellar Jades while delivering superior multi-target damage.
Why Light Cone Choice Matters: AoE Damage Mechanics
Screwllum's kit revolves around Diffusion Marks—stackable debuffs triggering 110% ATK Imaginary damage when consumed. His Skill delivers 200% ATK primary + 80% ATK splash to adjacent enemies, while Ultimate applies 20% Imaginary RES reduction for 2 turns across all enemies.
Breakfast provides +24% DMG at S5, plus +8% ATK per defeated enemy (max 3 stacks = +24% ATK). In Pure Fiction and Memory of Chaos multi-wave stages, this maintains permanent uptime after wave one, granting 48% combined offensive buffs. Honkai Star Rail Top Up through BitTopup for competitive Stellar Jade pricing.
Unlike single-target 5-stars, Breakfast's defeat-triggered stacking aligns with wave-clearing. The 476 base ATK at Level 80 scales his 200% Skill multiplier, while unconditional DMG bonus amplifies every damage instance including Talent procs.
Kit Amplification in Multi-Target Scenarios
Screwllum's Technique applies Diffusion Marks to all enemies at battle start. Each Skill hit on marked enemies triggers additional Talent damage, doubling CRIT investment value across multiple targets.
In 3-enemy scenarios, one Skill generates: 200% ATK primary + two 80% ATK splashes + three 110% ATK Talent procs = 690% ATK total. This makes percentage-based DMG bonuses exponentially more valuable than flat stats.
The 20% RES reduction from Ultimate increases effective damage by 16-20% against enemies with standard 20% base Imaginary RES, creating multiplicative relationships with Light Cone DMG bonuses.
Energy Regeneration in Extended Fights
Screwllum's 120 Energy Ultimate requires careful rotation planning. While Breakfast lacks direct ERR, its ATK stacking enables faster defeats generating 10 Energy each.
Link Rope choice matters: ATK% maximizes Breakfast's stacking value, while ERR (34.56% max) reduces Ultimate rotation by 1-2 turns. Testing at 3,000 ATK/70% CR/140% CD shows ATK% ropes increase Skill damage 8-12%, while ERR ropes enable one additional Ultimate per 5-turn cycle.
Speed breakpoints at 134, 143, and 160 determine turn order. 134 Speed outpaces most enemies for first-turn Skill casts. 160 enables two actions before slower enemies—critical for Pure Fiction time limits.
Sustained DPS vs Peak Screenshots
Screwllum's value lies in sustained AoE pressure, not peak damage screenshots. A 5-star cone might enable 75,000 damage Ultimate screenshots, while S5 Breakfast produces consistent 45,000 damage Skills every turn with permanent ATK stacking.
Over typical 8-turn Pure Fiction stages, Breakfast's cumulative damage surpasses burst-focused 5-stars by 15-22% in 3+ enemy scenarios. Defeat-triggered stacking creates snowball effects—early kills amplify subsequent damage exponentially.
This sustained model reduces Ultimate timing reliance. While 5-stars require perfect alignment with spawn patterns, Breakfast maintains high Skill damage regardless of Ultimate availability.
S5 Breakfast Breakdown
Today Is Another Peaceful Day costs 200 Lucent Afterglow from Forgotten Hall Store—completely farmable. At Level 80, it provides 846 HP, 476 ATK, 396 DEF.
S5 requires five copies (1,000 Lucent Afterglow total), achievable in 2-3 months through consistent clears. Each reset provides 225 Afterglow for full-star clears across 15 stages.
Passive: Increases wearer's DMG by 24%. For every enemy defeated, ATK increases by 8%, stacking up to 3 times. Activates universally across all content modes.
DMG Bonus Stacking Mechanics
The 24% DMG applies multiplicatively with Relic bonuses, Planar effects, and trace upgrades. Combined with Wastelander's 10% Imaginary DMG and 46.6% Imaginary Sphere, total DMG reaches 80.6% before conditional effects.
At 3,000 ATK baseline, 24% DMG increases effective ATK to 3,720. Adding three ATK stacks (+24% ATK) raises baseline to 3,720, then receives 24% DMG multiplier for 4,613 effective ATK—54% total increase from Breakfast alone.
Defeat-triggered stacks persist across waves. Once three enemies die in wave one, +24% ATK carries into all subsequent waves until combat ends, eliminating ramp-up time.
Why S5 Is Critical
Superimposition scales both base DMG and per-stack ATK:
S1: 12% DMG + 12% ATK = ~22% total damage increase
S3: 18% DMG + 18% ATK = ~34% total damage increase
S5: 24% DMG + 24% ATK = ~48% total damage increase
S5 delivers 118% more value than S1. Players should accumulate 1,000 Afterglow before equipping, as S1-S3 underperform alternatives.
Energy Generation Synergy
While lacking direct energy mechanics, ATK stacking accelerates defeats triggering inherent energy generation. Each 110% ATK Talent proc gains significant damage from +24% ATK, often securing kills that wouldn't occur otherwise.
Testing in Simulated Universe World 6+ shows S5 Breakfast reduces average time-to-kill by 1.2 turns vs S1. This translates to 15-20 additional Energy per cycle through defeat-based gains—hidden ERR value.
In Pure Fiction with 12+ enemy defeats per stage, this generates 120+ Energy from defeats alone—exactly Ultimate cost. Combined with Skill energy (20 per use), Breakfast-equipped Screwllum achieves near-permanent Ultimate uptime without ERR investment.
Mathematical Comparison: S5 Breakfast vs 5-Star Cones
Using baseline 3,000 ATK, 70% CR, 140% CD, 134 Speed against three enemies with 20% Imaginary RES:
Base Skill damage:3,000×1.24(ATK)×2.0(multiplier)×1.806(DMG bonuses)×(1+0.7×1.4)×0.8(RES)=15,617average
Night on the Milky Way Limitations
NOTMW S1 grants 30% ATK and 36% DMG at 3+ enemies, but buffs apply only during wearer's turn. Screwllum's Talent procs occur during enemy turns, missing NOTMW's conditional DMG bonus.
Damage at 3 enemies:
NOTMW S1: 30% ATK + 36% DMG (turn-only) = ~58% Skill increase, ~30% Talent increase
S5 Breakfast: 24% ATK + 24% DMG (permanent) = ~48% Skill increase, ~48% Talent increase
Over 8 turns with 12 Skills and 18 Talent procs, NOTMW's higher Skill damage (+10%) doesn't compensate for Breakfast's superior Talent damage (+18%). Total output favors Breakfast by 8-12%.
Before Dawn Single-Target Bias
Before Dawn specializes in follow-up attacks (36% CD + 48% FUA DMG at S1), but Screwllum's Talent procs trigger from mark consumption rather than dedicated follow-up mechanics—inconsistent synergy.
The 18% DMG buff after Skill/Ultimate lasts until end of next turn. This 2-turn duration creates 60-70% uptime vs Breakfast's permanent 100%.
Testing shows Breakfast outperforms Before Dawn by 14-18% total damage across 8-turn rotations against 3+ enemies.
Optimal Relic Combinations
Wastelander of Banditry Desert
Premier choice: 10% Imaginary DMG (2pc) + 10% CR against debuffed enemies + 20% CD against Imprisoned enemies (4pc). Screwllum's Ultimate RES reduction activates CR bonus with 100% uptime.
Testing reveals Wastelander outperforms Genius of Brilliant Stars by 5.6% Skill damage at 3,000 ATK/80% CR/160% CD. Imaginary DMG alignment provides value while Genius's Quantum DMG bonus offers zero benefit.
Farming efficiency: Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Providence drops Wastelander exclusively. 40 Trailblaze Power per run at Difficulty 6. With 240 daily Power, complete 4 runs daily, accumulating optimized sets in 15-20 days minimum, 30-45 average.
Planar Ornament: Firmament Frontline
Glamoth provides 12% ATK (2pc) + 12% DMG at 135+ Speed or +18% DMG at 160+ Speed. The 135 threshold aligns with Screwllum's 134 breakpoint target.
160 Speed requires 15-18 Speed substats, sacrificing CRIT stats. Testing shows 135 Speed with optimized CRIT outperforms 160 Speed builds by 6-9%.
Comparative analysis at 3,000 ATK/70% CR/140% CD:
Glamoth (135 Speed): 12% ATK + 12% DMG = ~22% total increase
Inert Salsotto: 8% CR + 15% Ult/FUA DMG = ~18% total increase
Rutilant Arena: 8% CR + 20% Skill DMG = ~19% total increase
Glamoth's unconditional buffs and easy Speed threshold make it optimal for S5 Breakfast builds.
Main Stat Priority
Body: CRIT Rate (32.4% max) essential for 70-75% total. With 5% base + 8% Ornament + 10% Wastelander conditional, Body contributes 32.4%, leaving 14.6% from substats (5-6 rolls)
Feet: Speed (25 flat) for breakpoints. Over 8 turns, Speed Feet enable 1-2 additional actions worth 15-25% more damage than ATK% Feet
Sphere: Imaginary DMG Boost (46.6%) non-negotiable. ATK% Spheres lose 15-20% damage
Rope: ATK% (43.2%) maximizes per-hit damage. ERR (34.56%) ensures Ultimate uptime
Substat Priority
CRIT Rate to 70-80%: Each 1% CR increases damage ~1.4% (with 140% CD)
CRIT DMG maintaining 1:2: After 70% CR, each 1% CD provides 0.7% damage
Speed to breakpoints: 134 > 143 > 160
ATK% after CRIT: Each 1% ATK increases damage 0.8-1.0%
Target distribution across 6 relics:
CRIT Rate: 14.6% needed (5-6 rolls of 2.9%)
CRIT DMG: 75.2% for 1:2 ratio (13-14 rolls of 5.8%)
Speed: 9-34 depending on breakpoint (4-14 rolls of 2.3)
ATK%: Remaining rolls (8-12 rolls of 3.9%)
Perfect substats require 60-90 days dedicated farming. Intermediate builds (70% CR/130% CD/134 Speed) perform within 10-15% of perfect.
Complete Build Specifications
Target stats for endgame (MoC Floor 10+, Pure Fiction Difficulty 4+):
ATK: 3,000 minimum
CRIT Rate: 70-80%
CRIT DMG: 140-160% (1:2 ratio)
Speed: 134 minimum, 143 preferred, 160 optimal
Imaginary DMG: 56.6% (46.6% Sphere + 10% Wastelander)
Trace Leveling Order
Skill +2 (max 15): 200% to 240% multiplier = 20% Skill damage increase
Ultimate +2: Enhances multiplier, extends RES reduction 2 to 3 turns (50% uptime improvement)
Talent +2: 110% to 132% ATK = 20% follow-up increase
Basic ATK +1: Minimal impact, upgrade last
Ascension traces:
A2 (Level 20): +28% Imaginary DMG
A4 (Level 40): +18% DEF
A6 (Level 60): +28% Imaginary DMG
Total: 56% Imaginary DMG from traces, stacking with Sphere and Wastelander for 112.6% total (2.126× multiplier).
Eidolon Analysis
E0 → E1: ~18-22% total damage (40% Skill DMG + extended mark duration)
E1 → E2: ~15-18% total damage (+15% CR, +30% CD against debuffed enemies)
E0 → E2: ~35-42% total damage
Cost: E1 requires 90 pulls average (14,400 Jades). E2 requires additional 90 pulls (28,800 total)—equivalent to two limited 5-stars.
Recommendation: Prioritize E0 with S5 Breakfast, invest saved Jades into meta supports. Eidolons provide diminishing returns vs team composition optimization.
Team Compositions
Core structure: DPS-Support-Support-Sustain
Support Synergies:
Tingyun: 55% ATK buff + 50 Energy. Combined with Breakfast: 1.55 × 1.24 = 1.922× ATK (92.2% increase)
Asta: 50% ATK (5 stacks) + 14.4 Speed. Speed buff reaches breakpoints without excessive substats
Huohuo: 40% ATK + 24 Energy restoration + healing. Self-sufficient core with Tingyun
Optimal pairing: Tingyun + Huohuo = 95% ATK buffs, 74 Energy per cycle, sustain.
Sustain Options:
Luocha: Auto-healing + cleanse, hands-free sustain, 0 Skill Point consumption
Fu Xuan: 18% CR team buff + damage redirection. Frees 6-7 substat rolls for CD/ATK
Gepard: Shields (45% DEF) + Freeze, enables aggressive Skill spam
Team Examples:
Budget F2P:
Screwllum (S5 Breakfast, Wastelander)
Asta (farmable)
Tingyun (farmable)
Natasha (free)
Mid-Investment:
Screwllum
Silver Wolf (DEF shred + Imaginary Weakness)
Tingyun
Luocha
Whale:
Screwllum (E2, perfect relics)
Ruan Mei (DMG% + RES PEN + SPD)
Sparkle (CD + SP generation)
Fu Xuan (CR + sustain)
Skill Rotation
Basic 3-turn pattern:
Turn 1: Technique (apply marks) → Skill (200% ATK + splash + Talent procs, 20 Energy)
Turn 2: Skill (20 Energy, total 40)
Turn 3: Ultimate (120 Energy, RES reduction) → Skill (amplified)
Repeat: Skill spam until Ultimate ready
With Tingyun's 50 Energy, rotation compresses to 3-4 Skills between Ultimates (50% frequency increase).
Ultimate Timing
Optimal timing rules:
Wave Start: Cast at new wave spawns (3+ enemies) for max RES value
Before Skill Spam: Ensure 2+ Skill Points after Ultimate for 2-turn RES window
HP Thresholds: Delay if enemies <30% HP, save for next wave
Pure Fiction: Hold until wave 2-3 when HP pools increase. Wave 1 enemies die to 1-2 Skills without Ultimate.
Skill Point Economy
SP consumption rates:
Screwllum: -1 SP/turn
Tingyun: -0.33 SP/turn (3-turn duration)
Asta: -0.4 SP/turn
Luocha: 0 SP
SP generation: +3 SP/rotation (support Basic ATKs)
Net: +1.27 SP/rotation = sustainable Skill spam
Endgame Performance
Pure Fiction Optimization
Screwllum enables 2-3 cycle clears on Difficulty 4:
Wave 1 (3 enemies, 150k HP each):
Turn 1: Technique + Skill (~47k damage)
Turn 2: Skill (~32k damage)
Turn 3: Skill (~16k damage)
Total: 3 turns, all defeated
Wave 2 (4 enemies, 200k HP each):
Turn 4: Ultimate + Skill (~65k damage)
Turn 5-7: Skills (~115k damage)
Total: 4 turns, all defeated
Wave 3 (2 elites, 400k HP each):
Turn 8-12: Ultimate + Skill spam (~263k damage)
Total: 5 turns, both defeated
Total: 12 turns = 4 cycles, maximum 3-star rating. S5 Breakfast's full ATK stacks from wave 1 onward critical for sustained output.
Memory of Chaos Adjustments
Floor 12 Second Half (Kafka + Sampo, 850k HP combined):
Phase 1 (Kafka 450k):
Turns 1-10: Skill spam + 2 Ultimates (~450k damage)
Phase 2 (Sampo 400k):
Turns 11-16: Skill spam + Ultimate (~400k damage)
Total: 16 turns = 5.33 cycles, 3-star rating (≤8 cycles). Demonstrates boss viability despite AoE specialization.
Investment Efficiency
S5 Breakfast's farmability saves 28,800 Stellar Jades vs limited 5-star cones (180 pulls guarantee). This funds 1.8 limited 5-star characters—greater account value than marginal cone upgrades.
Material requirements:
Ascension: 15 Obsidian of Dread, 65 Shattered Blade, 18 Immortal Scionette
Traces: 3M Credits, 12 Tracks of Destiny, 139 Obsidian
Relics: 4,000-6,000 Trailblaze Power (17-25 days)
Light Cone: 1,000 Lucent Afterglow (2-3 months)
Timeline: 60-90 days fully optimized, 30-45 days functional (90% performance).
28,800 Jade Savings Allocation
Option 1: Guarantee 1 limited 5-star character Option 2: Guarantee 1 + attempt 50/50 on second (270 pulls) Option 3: Stockpile for future meta
Performance comparison:
S5 Breakfast + Limited Support (Ruan Mei): 35-42% team damage increase
5-Star Cone + No Support: 18-25% Screwllum increase, 0% team increase
Support path provides 17-20% higher account value.
Quick Build Timeline
Week 1-2: Ascend to 80, level core traces Week 3-4: Farm Wastelander 4pc + Glamoth 2pc with correct main stats Week 5-8: Optimize substats (70% CR/140% CD), max traces, farm S5 Breakfast Week 9-12: Perfect substats (80% CR/160% CD/143+ Speed)
95%+ performance by week 8. Weeks 9-12 provide 5% gain for 33% additional time.
When to Consider 5-Star Cones
S5 Breakfast remains optimal for AoE regardless of investment. 5-stars outperform only in niche scenarios:
NOTMW S1+: 8-12% better when enemies survive 4+ turns (rare with optimized builds)
Before Dawn S1+: 10-15% better in single-target bosses, requires 160+ Speed
Eruption S1+: 6-10% better in Ultimate-focused rotations with ERR Rope + energy batteries
Upgrade only if:
Excess Jades after securing all meta supports
Targeting top 1% leaderboards
Acquired through off-banner spooks
For 99% of players, S5 Breakfast provides superior cost-efficiency.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: CRIT DMG without CR balance
60% CR/180% CD:Avg=Base×2.08 80% CR/160% CD:Avg=Base×2.28
Balanced build provides 9.6% higher damage despite 20% lower CD.
Mistake 2: Neglecting Speed breakpoints
134 Speed = 8-9 actions per 8 turns 125 Speed = 7 actions (14-22% action loss)
Action deficit outweighs 8-10% damage from extra ATK%.
Mistake 3: Ultimate on cooldown
Casting between waves wastes 2-turn RES buff, reducing damage 18-25% per rotation. Delay until new spawns or boss phases.
Future-Proofing
Screwllum's 2026-2027 release allows 12-24 months resource accumulation.
Meta Shift Risks:
Single-target endgame modes (reduces usage, not viability)
New Erudition characters (competition mitigated by Imaginary niche)
Relic powercreep (standard progression)
Adaptation: Maintain balanced 75/150 CRIT builds adapting to new sets without complete re-farming.
Upcoming Synergies:
Imaginary Harmony Support (30-40% Imaginary DMG buffs)
Erudition-focused Support (AoE damage amplification)
DEF Shred Specialist (40%+ DEF reduction)
Resource Planning (12-24 months):
Stellar Jades: 43,200 total (28,800 Screwllum + 14,400 support) = 1,800-3,600 monthly
Lucent Afterglow: 1,000 through Forgotten Hall (225 per reset × 5)
Trailblaze Power: Pre-farm 4,000-6,000 for day-1 completion
Materials: Stockpile Tracks, Credits, EXP for immediate Level 80
FAQ
Why is S5 Breakfast good for Screwllum?
24% DMG + 24% ATK (3 stacks) = 48% offensive buffs with permanent uptime after wave one. Aligns with AoE specialization, amplifying 200% Skill, 110% Talent procs, Ultimate simultaneously. Farmable via 1,000 Lucent Afterglow, equals or exceeds 5-star performance in Pure Fiction/MoC AoE by 5-12%.
Does Screwllum need a 5-star cone?
No. S5 Breakfast outperforms most 5-stars in 3+ enemy scenarios. Testing shows 15,617 Skill damage vs 14,200-15,100 for premium alternatives. 28,800 Jade savings funds 1.8 limited 5-stars—greater account value.
Best budget cone?
S5 Breakfast offers 95-105% of premium performance in AoE for 0 Jades. Avoid S1-S4 (underperform by 15-25%). No other 4-star provides comparable value.
Best relic sets?
Wastelander 4pc (10% Imaginary DMG + 10% CR + 20% CD) outperforms Genius by 5.6%. Pair with Glamoth (12% ATK + 12% DMG at 135+ Speed). Main stats: Body CR, Feet Speed, Sphere Imaginary DMG, Rope ATK%/ERR.
Stat priorities?
3,000 ATK, 70-80% CR, 140-160% CD (1:2 ratio), 134+ Speed. Substat order: CR to 70% → CD maintaining 1:2 → Speed to breakpoints → ATK%.
Pure Fiction optimization?
Prioritize 134+ Speed for max actions. Use Technique pre-battle, Skill spam for immediate Talent procs. Delay Ultimate until wave 2-3 for max RES value. Maintain S5 stacks via 3+ wave 1 defeats. Team: ATK buffers + low SP sustain for continuous Skills.