Version 3.8 Phase 2 (January 7-28, 2026) features Fugue, a 5-star Nihility Break Effect amplifier, and Lingsha, a premium 5-star Abundance sustain unit. For Break teams, Lingsha ranks #4 overall priority vs Fugue's #5, especially with Firefly. The optimal Fire super break team—Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha—needs 220%+ Break Effect on Fugue and 200%+ on Lingsha for max damage. Pull Lingsha if you lack premium sustain for Break teams, or Fugue if you own Ruan Mei and need Break Effect support.
3.8 Phase 2 Banner Overview
Duration: January 7-28, 2026
Both banners use standard limited pity: 90 hard pity, soft pity at ~74. Guarantee requires 180 pulls worst-case.
Featured Light Cones:
Fugue: Long Road Leads Home (60% BE, 18% Break DMG taken debuff, max 2 stacks for 2 turns)
Lingsha: Scent Alone Stays True (60% BE, 18% DMG taken debuff at 150%+ BE when using Ultimate)
4-stars: Natasha, Sampo, Arlan—minimal meta impact.
Stellar Jade costs:
Character guarantee: 28,800 (180 pulls)
Signature Light Cone: 25,600 (160 pulls)
Total: 54,400 for character + weapon
For guaranteed pulls before January 28, Honkai Star Rail top up via BitTopup offers competitive pricing and instant delivery.
Fugue Kit Analysis
Base stats (Lv80): 1,125 HP, 582 ATK, 557 DEF, 102 SPD
Skill: Grants Foxian Prayer (3 turns)—30% BE, 50% Toughness Reduction ignoring weakness types. Allows any element to break Fire-weak enemies.
Talent: Applies Cloudflame Luster—adds 40% to enemy Max Toughness. When broken, converts to 100% Super Break DMG.
Ultimate: 130 Energy, 200% ATK AoE Fire DMG ignoring weakness. Provides consistent AoE pressure.
Technique: Applies Daze (10s), advances actions 40%, reduces enemy DEF for 2 turns.
Build Requirements
Target stats:
220%+ Break Effect (priority)
67% Effect Hit Rate (debuff consistency)
145+ SPD (turn cycling)
Relics:
2pc Thief of Shooting Meteor + 2pc Iron Cavalry
Ornament: Talia Kingdom of Banditry (+20% BE at 145+ SPD)
Main stats: BE on Body/Feet, SPD on Boots, Fire DMG%/ATK% on Sphere, Energy Regen on Rope
Trace priority: Skill/Talent > Ultimate > Basic
Materials: 308k Credits, 15 Immortal Scionette, 15 Aeroblossom, 15 Lumintwig, 65 Searing Steel Blade for ascension. Traces need 3M Credits, 15 Fiery Spirit, 41 Scionette, 72 Starfire Essence, 56 Aeroblossom, 139 Heaven Incinerator, 58 Lumintwig, 12 Regret of Infinite Ochema, 8 Tracks of Destiny.
Eidolons: E0 fully functional. E1/E2 offer damage boosts but aren't necessary—prioritize acquiring character over constellations.
Lingsha Kit Analysis
Base stats (Lv80): 1,358 HP, 679 ATK, 436 DEF, 98 SPD
Talent: Summons Fuyuan (90 SPD, max 5 actions). Deals 75% ATK Fire AoE + single-target hits for off-turn damage.
Skill: 80% ATK Fire AoE, heals all allies 14% ATK + 420, advances Fuyuan action 20%. Creates healing-damage loop.
Ultimate: Applies Befog (25% Break DMG taken increase, 2 turns). Deals 150% ATK Fire AoE, heals 12% ATK + 360.
Technique: Summons Fuyuan and applies Befog for 2 turns at battle start.
Build Requirements
Target stats:
134+ SPD (turn cycling)
200% Break Effect (damage contribution)
Relics:
2pc Iron Cavalry + 2pc Messenger Traversing Hackerspace
Ornament: Forge of Kalpagni Lantern
Main stats: BE on Body, SPD on Boots, ATK%/HP% on Sphere, Energy Regen on Rope
Trace priority: Ultimate/Talent > Skill > Basic
Lingsha excels in Break teams where her damage justifies the Abundance slot. For pure sustain needs, Luocha or Gallagher suffice at lower cost.
Pull Priority Matrix
Pull Lingsha if:
You lack premium sustain for Break teams (currently using Gallagher)
You own Firefly + Ruan Mei but need the final piece
You need healers who contribute meaningful damage
You value versatile sustain across team archetypes
Pull Fugue if:
You own Lingsha or premium sustain
You have Ruan Mei and want max Break Effect damage
You need flexibility to break non-Fire-weak enemies with Fire teams
You prioritize Super Break mechanics
Skip both if:
You lack core DPS (Firefly, Himeko, upcoming 3.9 DPS)
Current teams clear all endgame content comfortably
You're saving for confirmed meta-defining characters
You operate on strict F2P budgets
Roster Synergy
Fugue's value scales dramatically with Ruan Mei ownership—together they create the highest Break Effect damage ceiling. Without Ruan Mei, Fugue loses significant synergy.
Lingsha's value remains consistent regardless of roster, as sustain fills universal slots. Her Break Effect contribution adds bonus value but doesn't define core utility.
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Fire Team Damage Analysis
Optimal comp: Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha
With Fugue's Foxian Prayer (30% BE) and Cloudflame Luster (100% Super Break conversion), Firefly's Break damage gets multiplicative scaling. Ruan Mei adds Break Efficiency, Lingsha's Befog increases Break DMG taken 25%.
Combined multipliers exceed traditional crit teams by 40-60% in optimal scenarios.
F2P alternative: Fugue + Firefly + Harmony Trailblazer + Lingsha
Harmony Trailblazer provides Break support at zero cost, though damage drops 25-30% vs Ruan Mei. Gallagher can replace Lingsha, reducing investment but creating survivability issues in Memory of Chaos 12.
Himeko viability: Fugue enables Himeko to trigger follow-ups against non-Fire-weak enemies, expanding usability. However, Himeko prefers traditional supports (Ruan Mei, Asta) for ATK%/SPD buffs over pure Break stacking.
Light Cone Investment Value
Fugue's Long Road Leads Home: 60% BE, 18% Break DMG taken debuff (max 36% with 2 stacks) = 15-20% team damage vs 4-star alternatives.
Lingsha's Scent Alone Stays True: 60% BE, 18% DMG taken debuff at 150%+ BE = 12-18% damage vs 4-star options.
Investment hierarchy:
Secure E0 character (highest priority)
Acquire signature Light Cone if budget allows (15-20% damage)
Consider E1 only for favorites/whales (diminishing returns)
Avoid Light Cone refinements unless high spender (minimal gains)
Best 4-star alternatives:
Fugue: Memories of the Past (BE substat, Energy Regen), Eyes of the Prey (Effect Hit Rate)
Lingsha: Post-Op Conversation (Energy Regen, healing boost), Quid Pro Quo (team Energy)
Performance gaps: 12-20% vs signatures. F2P achieves 80-85% optimal performance with 4-star Light Cones through proper relics.
Break Effect Mechanics
Super Break damage scales from Break Effect stat, enemy Toughness, character level. Fugue's Cloudflame Luster adds 40% to enemy Max Toughness, converts entire enhanced bar to 100% Super Break DMG—effectively doubling Break damage.
Toughness reduction: Fugue's Foxian Prayer grants 50% Toughness Reduction ignoring weakness. Standard reduction (Basic: 30, Skill: 60, Ultimate: 90) multiplies by 1.5, breaking enemies faster.
Ruan Mei + Fugue synergy:
Ruan Mei accelerates initial Break
Fugue converts enhanced Toughness to Super Break damage
Extended Break duration (Ruan Mei) allows more Super Break instances
Cycle repeats with reduced resistance
This explains 40-60% higher damage vs single-support configs.
Common misconceptions:
Break Effect only matters for the character breaking the enemy → FALSE. Super Break damage scales from the character dealing damage. Fugue's Cloudflame Luster allows all team members to deal Super Break damage during Break state.
You need 300%+ Break Effect → FALSE. Diminishing returns begin at 200-220% BE. Fugue's 220%+ and Lingsha's 200%+ represent optimal thresholds.
Endgame Performance
Memory of Chaos 3.8: Fire-weak floors favor Firefly/Himeko. Fugue bypasses weakness requirements for flexibility in non-Fire chambers.
Pure Fiction: Multi-wave format rewards consistent AoE. Lingsha's Fuyuan provides persistent AoE, Fugue's Toughness reduction accelerates Breaking. Fire super break teams achieve 40,000+ scores in Fire-advantaged cycles.
Apocalyptic Shadow: Single-target bosses favor sustained damage. Lingsha ensures survivability, Fugue's Super Break maintains competitive damage. Fire-weak bosses = optimal. Non-Fire-weak requires alternative teams.
Stellar Jade Budget Planning
F2P earnings: 60-70 pulls/patch. Light spenders (Welkin): 80-90 pulls/patch.
Guarantee timeline: 180 pulls (28,800 Stellar Jade) worst-case. With signature: 54,400 total. F2P needs 2-3 patches to guarantee character + weapon.
Skip criteria:
Current teams clear MoC 12 with 36 stars consistently
Existing sustain (Gallagher, Luocha) meets needs
No interest in Fire-focused comps
Prefer waiting for confirmed meta shifts
Emergency Stellar Jade sources:
Unclaimed Simulated Universe rewards
Forgotten exploration chests (500-1,000 potential)
One-time achievements (100-300 each)
Total: 2,000-4,000 emergency Stellar Jade
Final Verdict
Pull Lingsha if:
You own Firefly + Ruan Mei but lack premium sustain
Gallagher struggles in MoC 12
You value future-proofing with versatile sustain
You lack 5-star Abundance/Preservation entirely
Pull Fugue if:
You own Lingsha or premium sustain
You have Ruan Mei and want max Fire super break damage
You need flexibility for non-Fire-weak content with Fire rosters
You enjoy Break Effect playstyles
Skip both if:
You lack core DPS (Firefly, Acheron, Jingliu)
Current teams clear all endgame content
Strict F2P budget, saving for 3.9
Recently acquired multiple 5-stars, need relic farming time
Quick checklist:
Own Firefly? (Yes = Lingsha priority)
Own Ruan Mei? (Yes = Fugue value increases)
Current sustain struggling in MoC 12? (Yes = Lingsha priority)
Have 180+ pulls saved? (No = skip both)
Satisfied with current performance? (Yes = skip both)
If yes to 1-3 with sufficient Stellar Jade: prioritize Lingsha. If yes to 1-2 with premium sustain: consider Fugue. Otherwise, save for future banners.
FAQ
Should I pull Fugue or Lingsha in 3.8 Phase 2?
Pull Lingsha if you need premium sustain for Break teams and own Firefly. Pull Fugue if you have Lingsha + Ruan Mei and want max Fire super break damage. Lingsha ranks higher (#4 vs #5) due to broader utility.
Is Fugue worth pulling if I have Ruan Mei?
Yes, if you own Lingsha + Firefly. Fugue + Ruan Mei creates highest Break Effect damage ceiling. Without Lingsha, prioritize her first for complete Fire super break team.
How much does Fugue improve Firefly damage?
40-60% increase when paired with Ruan Mei + Lingsha vs Harmony Trailblazer configs. Cloudflame Luster doubles Super Break damage through enhanced Toughness conversion.
Can Lingsha replace Gallagher in Break teams?
Yes. Lingsha provides superior healing, 200% BE damage via Fuyuan, 25% Break DMG taken debuff via Befog. Outperforms Gallagher in all metrics except zero cost.
Is Fugue's signature light cone necessary?
No, but recommended if budget allows. Provides 15-20% team damage increase. 4-star alternatives achieve 80-85% of signature performance with proper relics.
What are Fugue's best teams?
Optimal: Firefly + Fugue + Ruan Mei + Lingsha. F2P: Firefly + Fugue + Harmony Trailblazer + Gallagher. Fugue requires Break Effect DPS—avoid pairing with crit-focused damage dealers.