Should I Pull Yao Guang or Sparxie? WHO TO PULL - Honkai: Star Rail

As the highly anticipated Version 4.0 of Honkai: Star Rail approaches, players are presented with a challenging decision: the first-ever Elation characters, Yao Guang and Sparxie, will debut on the limited banners. Both units introduce the novel "Punchline" and "Elation DMG" mechanics, promising to reshape the meta. This guide will break down their kits, roles, and pull value to help you decide where to invest your precious Stellar Jade.

Yao Guang Overview

Yao Guang is a 5-star Physical character following the Path of The Elation, designed as the cornerstone support for Elation teams.

Rarity: 5-Star  |  Element: Physical  |  Path: Elation

Core Mechanics & Kit Breakdown:

Skill - Decalight Unveils All: Deploys a 3-turn Zone that boosts the entire team's Elation stat by a percentage of Yao Guang's own. She also generates "Punchline" (a team-shared resource) with her actions.

Ultimate - Hexagram of Feathered Fortune: The centerpiece of her kit. Triggers an "Aha Instant," granting the team an extra turn where all capable units unleash their Elation Skills. This turn uses a fixed 20 Punchline and grants a team-wide 20% All-Type RES PEN.

Talent - Behold Wherever Light Unfolds: When Yao Guang has "Certified Banger" (from participating in an Aha Instant), her allies' attacks trigger follow-up "Great Boon" Elation DMG. This damage can scale with Yao Guang's higher Elation stat and triggers extra times if the attack consumed Skill Points.

Elation Skill - Let Thy Fortune Burst in Flames: A powerful team debuff/burst skill that inflicts all enemies with "Woe's Whisper," increasing DMG taken by 16%, while dealing significant Physical Elation DMG.

Key Traces: "Amaze-In Grace" (massive Elation boost from SPD), "Poised and Sated" (CRIT DMG boost and SP recovery after Elation Skill), and "Felicity Ensemble" (extends "Certified Banger" duration).

Yao Guang is a teamwide buffer and enabler. Her role is to set up her Zone, then use her Ultimate to orchestrate a devastating team-wide Elation Skill barrage. She provides immense value through Elation sharing, RES PEN, DMG Taken debuffs, and off-field "Great Boon" damage. Her personal damage is secondary to her supportive capabilities.

Sparxie Overview

Sparxie is a 5-star Fire character on the Path of The Elation, embodying a high-risk, high-reward main DPS playstyle centered around gambling Skill Points for enormous nukes.

Rarity: 5-Star |  Path: Elation  | Combat Type: Fire

Core Mechanics & Kit Breakdown:

Skill (Enhanced) - Boom! Sparxicle's Poppin': Initiates a livestream state, transforming her Basic ATK and allowing her to trigger "Engagement Farming" up to 20 times. This is her core damage mode.

Engagement Farming: When using her enhanced Basic ATK, she randomly gains either "Straight Fire" (2 Punchline & 2 Skill Points) or "Unreal Banger" (1 Punchline). This introduces a gambling element to her SP economy.

Talent - Sleight of Sparx Hand: Under "Certified Banger," her enhanced Basic ATK and Ultimate deal massive additional instances of Fire Elation DMG. The extra hits from her enhanced Basic scale with the number of "Engagement Farming" triggers.

Ultimate - Party's Wildin' and Camera's Rollin': Gains Punchline and deals Fire DMG to all enemies, with a multiplier that scales directly with her Elation stat.

Elation Skill - Signal Overflow: The Great Encore!: A powerful multi-hit AoE Elation nuke that also grants "Thrill" points to offset her own Skill Point consumption.

Key Traces: "Dazzling! Persona Kaleidoscope" (gains more Punchline/Thrill with more Elation teammates), "Frenzy! Palette of Truth and Lies" (teamwide CRIT DMG boost based on Punchline).

Sparxie is a hyper-carry main DPS with an exceptionally high damage ceiling. Her playstyle revolves around managing Skill Points to fuel her 20-stack enhanced Basic ATK window, while leveraging Punchline to amplify her and her team's Elation DMG. She is resource-intensive but offers potentially game-breaking damage output.

 

Should I Pull Yao Guang or Sparxie? Who To Pull

The decision hinges on your account needs, preferred playstyle, and resource commitment.

Pull Yao Guang if:

You want to invest in the future Elation meta. As the premier support for this new archetype, her value will only grow as more Elation characters release.

Your account needs a top-tier, versatile support who can enable new team compositions. Her universal RES PEN and DMG buffs have value beyond pure Elation teams.

You prefer a strategic, team-building focused playstyle centered around powerful Ultimate setups.

You have or plan to pull for Sparxie or other future Elation DPS units. She is considered Sparksy's best-in-slot support.

You follow the principle that "supports have longer longevity" in the meta.

Pull Sparxie if:

You need a powerful Fire main DPS with a unique and engaging mechanic.

You enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay with a gambling element (Skill Point/Engagement Farming RNG).

You have Harmony Sparkle (her current best teammate) and can support her high Skill Point demands.

You are building an Elation-focused team and want the premier damage dealer for that composition.

You are captivated by her extremely high damage potential and flashy multi-million damage nukes.

Skip if:

Some players caution that early characters in a new version's cycle can sometimes be less future-proof than the "true" tier-zero DPS and their dedicated support that arrive slightly later. While both kits look strong conceptually, F2P and low-spenders may want to wait for the full 4.0 meta to solidify before committing, unless you particularly love their designs or playstyles.

Final Verdict

For Meta & Longevity: Yao Guang has a slight edge. Her role as the foundational Elation support makes her a safer long-term investment. The ability to enable an entire new team archetype often provides more account value than a single DPS.

For Immediate Firepower & Fun: Sparxie is the choice. She delivers an explosive, entertaining playstyle and can serve as a primary hyper-carry for various endgame modes.

 

Conclusion

Both Yao Guang and Sparxie are compelling characters who successfully introduce the exciting Elation mechanics. If you must choose one, prioritize based on your account's needs: supports for flexibility (Yao Guang) vs. a stellar DPS for firepower (Sparxie). Ultimately, pulling for characters you enjoy playing is the most important metric. Good luck on your pulls, Trailblazer!

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