Best Light Cones (5★ Priority, ATK/Crit/Damage Scaling Only):
Phainon is an ATK-scaling Physical Destruction DPS, so he benefits most from Light Cones that boost Crit stats, ATK%, or Damage%. The top options include his own signature cone and several proven Destruction DPS cones:
Phainon’s Signature Light Cone – Thus Burns the Dawn (5★): BiS.
The wearer's base SPD increases by 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 . When the wearer deals DMG, ignores 18% / 21% / 24% / 27% / 30% of target's DEF. After the wearer uses Ultimate, obtains "Blazing Sun,"which is removed at the start of the turn. When "Blazing Sun" is active, increases the wearer's DMG dealt by 18% / 21% / 24% / 27% / 30% .
Provides a huge DPS spike by letting Phainon ignore a portion of enemy DEF and boosting his damage after using his Ultimate. This cone is tailor-made for Phainon’s kit and outperforms all others.
Dance at Sunset (5★ limited): An excellent cone originally for Yunli. Grants massive Crit DMG and greatly buffs follow-up attack damage (stacks of Firedance after ult). It also increases the wearer’s chance to be attacked. This similarly empowers Phainon’s counterattacks in his Territory state. After Phainon’s Ultimate, he gains Firedance stacks that boost his counter follow-ups immensely. Note: The taunt effect is largely a non-issue for Phainon since during his transformation allies leave the field and enemies will target him regardless.
Something Irreplaceable (5★ standard): A top general option (the default 5★ for many Destruction DPS). Provides +24% ATK and a +24% Damage boost after defeating an enemy or being hit, plus heals the wearer on hit. This gives Phainon a steady DPS increase and survivability.
On the Fall of an Aeon (5★ F2P, S5): The best free-to-play choice. Each attack boosts Phainon’s ATK by 8–16% (up to 4 stacks) and weakness breaks increase his Damage by 12–24%. At Superimposition 5 it rivals 5★ gacha cones. In longer MoC fights, Phainon can keep the 4 Aeon stacks up for +32–64% ATK and frequently trigger the break Damage buff, substantially amplifying his output. This cone is easily obtained from Herta’s Store and is a proven MoC staple for any destruction DPS.
A Secret Vow (4★ gacha, S5): A strong 4★ alternative. It gives a flat +20–40% Damage dealt unconditionally, and an extra +20–40% damage against targets with higher HP% than the wearer. Phainon benefits from this in boss fights or MoC waves where enemies start with more HP. It’s a straightforward damage boost with no conditions tied to HP or odd triggers, making it reliable for Phainon.
Best Relic Sets and Planar Ornament Sets:
To maximize Phainon’s damage, use relic sets that boost his Physical damage, ATK, and Crit. Below are the optimal relic sets (4-piece) and Planar ornament sets (2-piece) for Phainon's build:
Best Relic Sets (4-piece):
Wavestrider Captain – (4) ATK +48% buff on Ult after 2 ally buffs received (New in patch 3.3). This set gives 2-piece: +16% Crit DMG, and 4-piece: whenever an ally targets Phainon with a skill (buff/heal/shield), he gains a "Help" stack (max 2). If he has 2 stacks when he uses his Ultimate, all stacks are consumed to grant +48% ATK for 1 turn. In practice, this means if two different supports act on Phainon before he Ults (e.g. Bronya Skill + Luocha heal), Phainon enters his Territory with a massive ATK boost. This set is likely Phainon’s signature relic set. With proper team support, Wavestrider Captain yields the highest damage output, front-loading a huge ATK boost during Phainon’s burst window. Note: Without at least two ally buff actions, the 4-piece effect won’t trigger – so this set shines in teams built to support Phainon (e.g. Bronya, Tingyun, buffers that target him).
Mix 2-piece Sets (Flex) – If you lack a good 4-piece set with optimal substats, you can mix two 2-piece bonuses for raw stats. For example, 2p Musketeer of Wild Wheat (ATK +12%) paired with 2p any other +10% Phys DMG or +12% ATK set (e.g. 2p Champion of Streetwise Boxing for +10% Physical, or even 2p from another ATK% set like Prisoner in Deep Confinement or The Wind-Soaring Valorous which also give ATK +12%) can work. This approach sacrifices the 4p effect but gives high base ATK and damage% – effective if your 4p piece substats are lacking.
Best Planar Ornament Sets (2-piece):
Arcadia of Woven Dreams - NEW 3.4 planar set:
When the number of ally targets on the field is not 4, for every 1 extra/missing ally target, increases the wearer's and their memosprite's DMG by 9%/12%, stacking up to 4/3 time(s).
Rutilant Arena – Crit Rate +8%, +20% Basic & Skill DMG if Crit Rate ≥ 70%. This is a top-tier DPS planar set for characters who can reach the crit requirement. Phainon’s skill attacks (including his Enhanced Skills in Territory) will gain a +20% damage multiplier once his Crit Rate is 70% or higher. With decent substats and potentially team buffs, reaching 70% Crit Rate is very feasible (and if using a support like Sunday/Bronya, it’s even easier). The ornament’s unconditional 8% Crit Rate also helps reach that threshold. If you can get Phainon to ~70% Crit Rate, Rutilant’s buff to Skill damage is huge for his multi-hit kit.
In summary, Arcadia of Woven Dreams is ideal for Phainon’s multi-turn burst in his territory, while Rutilant Arena is excellent if you meet its crit condition.
Best Relic Main Stats:
Choosing the correct main stats on relics is crucial for Phainon’s build. Below are the recommended main stats for each gear slot:
Body (Chest) – Crit Rate or Crit DMG. Aim for whichever helps approach a ~1:2 ratio of Crit Rate to Crit DMG. If your gear is early or Phainon’s Crit Rate is low, use Crit Rate% body until you reach about 60-70% Crit Rate; at higher gear levels, a Crit DMG% body yields more DPS once Crit Rate is sufficiently high.
Feet (Boots) – Speed or ATK%. For most MoC scenarios, Speed boots are recommended to ensure Phainon gets enough turns and to reach important Speed thresholds (roughly 134 to outspeed many enemies and sync with supports). A faster Phainon means more frequent skill usage and quicker cycling to his Ultimate. However, in specialized teams where you deliberately play Phainon slow (relying on Bronya/Sunday to advance his turns), ATK% boots can be considered for slightly higher damage per hit. Generally, Speed boots will be the safer and more effective choice in MoC, with ATK% boots only being optimal in whale-tier teams that can compensate for the lost turns.
Planar Sphere – Physical Damage%. Since Phainon deals Physical damage (his entire kit in Territory is physical damage-based), boosting his Physical Damage is ideal. A 5★ Physical DMG sphere will outperform a generic ATK% sphere. If you don’t have a good Physical DMG sphere, an ATK% sphere is the next best thing (the ATK will scale all his damage).
Link Rope – ATK%. Phainon’s Ultimate uses a unique ultimate resource (not standard Energy) called Coreflame, and his skill point usage in Territory is different, so an Energy Regeneration% rope is irrelevant for him. An ATK% rope directly increases his attack stat, which scales all of his damage. This is the best choice for maximizing DPS.
Best Relic Sub Stats:
For substats, Phainon follows the standard DPS priority – focus on Crit and ATK, with some Speed as needed:
Crit Rate & Crit DMG – These are top priority until you reach an optimal balance (generally aim for around 1:2 ratio). Every 1% Crit Rate or Crit DMG helps amplify Phainon’s ATK-scaling damage multiplicatively. Early on, Crit Rate is more valuable, but eventually you want to stack Crit DMG heavily. Ideally, Phainon should end up with ~60-70% Crit Rate and 150%+ Crit DMG (before any team buffs). That ratio ensures high crit frequency and big crits.
ATK% – Secondary priority. As an ATK-scaling carry, increasing his Attack stat directly boosts all damage. Substats with ATK% will add up (e.g. an extra +30-40% ATK from substats is possible at endgame). This is especially important if you’re running Crit Rate body (losing some ATK main stat) or if his team comps aren’t providing much Attack buff. However, remember Phainon has a lot of innate ATK buffs (traces), so ATK% substats, while always good, have a bit of diminishing returns when you’re heavily buffed. Still, you want as much ATK% as you can reasonably get after focusing Crit.
Speed – Important, but only until certain thresholds. A few substat rolls into Speed can help hit breakpoints like 134, 160 etc. If your boots are already giving a lot of speed, additional +3–6 SPD from substats can fine-tune turn order. For example, to ensure Phainon acts before certain enemies or in sync with Bronya, you might want ~134 SPD; this often means Speed boots plus a couple of substat rolls. Once you meet your speed goal, further Speed substats aren’t as valuable as offensive stats. Phainon doesn’t need to be insanely fast (he can even function at low speed with the right team), but in general MoC meta, more turns = more damage, so don’t neglect Speed entirely.
Flat ATK – Low priority. Flat ATK adds directly to Phainon’s base attack, which is then amplified by all his % buffs. A high flat ATK roll (e.g. +60) on a piece isn’t as strong as an ATK% roll in late-game, but it’s certainly not wasted. After you’ve taken care of Crit and ATK%, flat ATK is the next best filler stat.
In summary, Crit Rate = Crit DMG > ATK% > Speed > Flat ATK in substats. The goal is to hit a healthy crit rate, stack as much crit damage and attack as possible, and have just enough speed to take advantage of buffs and not lag in turn order.
Recommended Endgame Stats Targets:
By the time you’re tackling the hardest Memory of Chaos floors, you should aim for the following approximate stat thresholds on Phainon (at E0 level 80, with fully upgraded Light Cone and good relics):
Crit Rate: ~60–70 (base). This level of Crit Rate (before buffs) gives Phainon reliable crits in MoC. With team buffs, he can easily exceed the 70% mark needed for certain bonuses. For example, Sunday’s skill adds +20% Crit Rate to the target – so starting around 60% base can effectively push him to near or over 100% in practice. Bottom line: ensure he crits almost every attack during his Ultimate barrage. This consistency is key for a hypercarry.
Crit Damage: ~150–180%+. Higher is better, as long as Crit Rate is maintained. A good rule is 2× Crit DMG to Crit Rate ratio (e.g. 70% CR and 140% CDMG minimum). Top-geared DPS often reach 180–200% Crit DMG. Phainon can also get extra Crit DMG from external sources (e.g. some cones or Fu Xuan’s team buff, etc.), but you want a strong base. Every crit he lands during his combo will be magnified by this stat, so this greatly impacts his total damage.
ATK Stat: 3000–4000+ total ATK (with buffs). Phainon’s base ATK at max level is high for a 5★ Destruction, and with a ATK% rope + chest and substats, you can get his unbuffed ATK into the 2000+ range easily. In combat with his self-buffs and support buffs, seeing his ATK exceed 3500 or 4000 is achievable. For instance, his traces alone can grant ~+60% ATK in total when conditions are met. Add Tingyun’s +ATK%, or Bronya’s buff, etc., and his effective ATK skyrockets. Just be aware that beyond a certain point, stacking more ATK gives slightly reduced returns if he’s already buffed to the gills. That’s why focusing on Crit and Damage% after a strong ATK baseline is wise. Still, ensure he has a high Attack to begin with – around 3k+ after relics, and let buffs push it further.
Speed: 134-160 Speed (after gear). This range is a common sweet spot for MoC. 134 SPD is a notable benchmark to get 2 actions for every 1 action of base 99 SPD enemies over several cycles, and it aligns well if running Bronya/Sunday (who often sits ~134+ to push DPS immediately). If Phainon is your primary damage dealer, you want him taking turns regularly. That said, if you run an “ultra-slow” comp where supports feed him turns (Bronya’s/Sunday's Skill can make Phainon take immediate action regardless of his SPD), you could get away with lower speed. For most players, aim for at least 120; 130+ is ideal for general use. Remember Phainon inherently gets 8 consecutive actions during Ultimate, which is like having a temporary 999 SPD for that duration – but you still need decent speed outside of it to build up Memory and cycle through waves.
Survivability (HP/DEF): As a hypercarry, Phainon’s defense comes mostly from team support. His HP will naturally be whatever his relics/Light Cone give. You generally don’t build HP%, but having around 3500-4500 HP and some DEF (say 1000+ DEF) with decent relics is usually enough when combined with a good healer/shielder. In MoC, enemies hit hard, so ensure your sustain unit can keep Phainon alive when he’s focused. Phainon does have DMG reduction in his Territory, but he can still be deleted if under-geared.
To summarize endgame stats: roughly 65% Crit Rate / 170% Crit DMG / 3.5k+ ATK / 134 SPD are good benchmarks. With Phainon’s own buffs and a support like Sunday or Bronya, these numbers will be amplified further in battle. Always adjust based on your team – for example, if you always run Bronya (who gives Crit Damage via her Trace and big damage buffs), you might lean slightly more on Crit Rate in relics and let buffs handle some Crit DMG. Or if you use Tingyun (huge ATK buff), you can afford slightly less ATK from substats and prioritize crit stats. The above targets assume no external buffs, so in a buffed team Phainon will effectively perform at much higher stats.
Major Trace Priorities:
- March to Oblivion:
When the transformation ends, gains 3 point(s) of "Coreflame".
- Bide in Flames:
When receiving healing effects or Shields from a teammate, increases DMG dealt by 40% for 4 turn(s). This effect cannot be triggered repeatedly within one turn. When receiving Energy regeneration ability effects provided by teammates, gains 1 point(s) of "Coreflame."
- Shine with Valor:
When entering battle or when transformation ends, increases ATK by 50%. This effect can stack up to 2 time(s).
Skill Leveling Priorities:
To maximize Phainon’s damage output, you should level up his combat abilities in the following order of importance:
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Skill (Let There Be Light) – Top Priority. Phainon’s Skill will be his main damage dealer, especially when enhanced during his Ultimate. His Enhanced Skill 2 in Territory lets him unleash multiple hits of high scaling Physical damage, and his Enhanced Skill 1 provides his counterattack stance. Leveling the Skill increases the damage of these attacks. In short, most of Phainon’s damage comes from spamming his Skill in various forms, so max its level first.
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Ultimate (He Who Bears the World Must Burn) – Second Priority. Phainon’s Ultimate is what triggers his transformation and also deals a massive AoE attack at the end of the duration. Upgrading the Ultimate will increase the damage of that final burst. Since this burst can be distributed among all enemies (it’s shared damage), a higher level Ultimate greatly improves his finishing power against both single bosses and multi-target waves. Moreover, his signature Light Cone’s effect triggers upon using Ultimate (granting him Blazing Sun for more damage), so having the Ultimate available and potent is key. While you can only use his Ultimate periodically (ideally 1–2 times per MoC wave), it contributes enormously to total damage and enables his strongest mode. Level this up right after Skill – it’s almost equal priority in a hypercarry build.
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Talent (Pyric Corpus) – Third Priority. Phainon’s Talent is a passive that likely handles his Coreflame stacking mechanic and other passive buffs. He stacks Coreflame to 12 to use Ultimate and when he is the target of an ally's ability, increases CRIT DMG by 30%, lasting for 3 turns. Leveling the Talent will enhance the critical damage buff. Since it indirectly boosts damage, it’s worth leveling, but generally after Skill/Ult. It’s typically efficient to take Talent to a high level once Skill/Ult are maxed.
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Basic Attack (Stride to Deliverance) – Lowest Priority. Phainon’s basic is used for minor chip damage or when he has no skill points. Outside of his Ultimate, you might use Basic ATK occasionally if you’re conserving skill points or if his skill is on cooldown (depending on rotation). During Ultimate, his “Enhanced Basic” hits an enemy and splashes adjacent targets, which is useful, but you’ll usually prefer using his Enhanced Skills if you have the resources. Leveling the Basic attack only marginally increases its damage. It contributes the least to Phainon’s overall DPS. Thus, it should be the last thing you max.
Level-Up tip: In the early game, you might level Phainon’s Skill and Ultimate evenly to balance skill damage and burst damage. But as resources get tighter at high levels (like Trace mats), push Skill to 10 first, Ult to 10 second, Talent to maybe 8 then 10, and Basic can stay at 1 until the rest are maxed. This will give the best immediate returns in MoC performance.
Best Hypercarry Team Comps (Premium Synergy):
As a hypercarry, Phainon excels when paired with supports that maximize his damage and cover his weaknesses (SP generation, survivability, turn advantage). Here are some of the best team compositions that synergies with Phainon in Memory of Chaos, using high-end units:
Phainon + Sunday + Robin + Hyacine (BiS)
Phainon + Ruan Mei + RMC + Gallagher (BiS F2P)
