Yao Guang is coming to Honkai Star Rail in Version 4.0 as the game’s first Elation path character. As a 5-star Physical support, she introduces an entirely new playstyle focused on the Elation mechanic. She works as a hybrid damage dealer and support character who boosts team-wide Elation and triggers bonus damage on ally attacks. This guide covers everything you need to build Yao Guang properly and maximize her Elation support capabilities.
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About Yao Guang
Yao Guang is one of the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance. She serves as the Seer Strategist of Xianzhou Yuque. Her kit revolves around creating Elation zones and triggering follow-up Elation damage.
Her Skill deploys a Zone for 3 turns that increases all allies’ Elation by 15% of Yao Guang’s own Elation stat. After using her Basic Attack or Skill, she gains 3 Punchlines. These Punchlines are resources she uses to activate her powerful support mode.
When Yao Guang has 20 Punchlines, she enters Certified Banger state. During this state, ally attacks trigger Great Boon bonus Elation damage. Skill Point-heavy attacks get extra damage procs up to 3 times per attack. If an ally’s Elation is lower than Yao Guang’s, the bonus damage uses her Elation stat instead.
Her Ultimate inflicts Woe’s Whisper on all enemies for 3 turns, making them take 10% more damage. It also deals Physical Elation damage to all enemies and grants the team All-Type RES PEN. The Ultimate stocks Punchlines and summons Aha’s instant action.
Yao Guang’s bonus traces make her even stronger. When her Speed reaches 120 or higher, she gains 30% Elation. For every point of Speed above 120, she gains an additional 1% Elation up to 200 excess Speed. This makes Speed her most important stat. After using Elation Skill, she recovers 1 Skill Point for the team, making her Skill Point neutral.
Best Light Cones for Yao Guang
Choosing the right light cone improves Yao Guang’s speed and team buffing power. Here are the best options:
| Light Cone | Rarity | Why It’s Good |
| When She Decided to See | 5-Star | Her signature with Speed, team CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and Energy Regeneration |
| Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures | 4-Star | Increases Elation and makes enemies take more Elation damage |
| Today’s Good Luck | 4-Star | Provides CRIT Rate and stacking Elation bonuses |
Best Relics for Yao Guang
Relics are crucial for building Yao Guang correctly. Here’s what you need:
Best Relic Set
The 4 piece Diviner’s Extrapolation is Yao Guang’s best relic set. The 2 piece bonus gives 6% Speed. The 4 piece bonus increases CRIT Rate by 10% when Speed is 120 or higher, and by 18% when Speed reaches 160 or higher. When using Elation Skill for the first time in battle, it enhances all allies’ Elation by 10%.
Best Planar Ornaments
For planar ornaments, use Lushaka’s Waterscape for Energy Regeneration and attack bonuses. This set provides 5% Energy Regeneration. If Yao Guang is not the first character in the team lineup, it increases the first character’s attack by 12%. Place your main damage dealer in the first position to benefit from this buff.
Main Stats and Substats
Focus on these stats for maximum effectiveness:
Main Stats:
- Body: CRIT Rate
- Feet: Speed
- Planar Sphere: HP%
- Link Rope: Energy Regeneration Rate
Substats Priority:
- Speed (aim for 160 or higher)
- CRIT Rate
- CRIT DMG
- HP%
- DEF%
Speed Building Guide
Speed is Yao Guang’s most important stat because of her trace passive. Here’s why:
At 120 Speed, she gains 30% Elation from her trace. Every point above 120 adds another 1% Elation, capping at 320 Speed for maximum benefit. Since she shares her Elation with the team through her Skill, higher Speed means stronger team-wide buffs.
Build Yao Guang to at least 160 Speed to activate the maximum CRIT Rate bonus from Diviner’s Extrapolation. Going higher is even better for Elation scaling. With her signature light cone providing 18-30% Speed, reaching these breakpoints becomes easier.
Best Team Compositions
Yao Guang works best in mono-Elation teams. Here are some strong combinations:
- Premium Elation Team: Yao Guang + Sparxie + Robin + Aventurine
- Hypercarry Team: Yao Guang + main DPS + Elation support + sustain
- Dual Support Team: Yao Guang + Robin + damage dealer + sustain
She functions as the primary Elation enabler for the team. Her Zone deployment and Certified Banger state allow other Elation characters to deal massive follow-up damage. Skill Point-hungry damage dealers benefit greatly from her kit since they trigger extra Great Boon procs.
Trace Priority
Level Yao Guang’s traces in this order:
- Skill and Ultimate (level both together as top priority)
- Talent (level alongside Skill and Ultimate)
- Basic Attack (lowest priority)
For bonus abilities, prioritize the Speed-scaling trace (A2) first. This trace is essential for her entire kit. Level A4 next for the Skill Point recovery, then A6 for extended Certified Banger duration.
Eidolons Worth Considering
Yao Guang’s Eidolons provide significant power increases but are not necessary. Her E1 extends her Zone duration and increases Speed buffs. Her E2 increases Elation damage multipliers by 60%. However, Yao Guang functions perfectly well at E0 with proper building and team composition.
Yao Guang is an excellent pull for players who want to try the new Elation playstyle. Her ability to boost team-wide Elation and trigger follow-up damage makes her the foundation of Elation teams in Version 4.0 and beyond.