The imminent arrival of Phainon in Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 has sparked fervent anticipation among Trailblazers. As one of three new playable characters—alongside Saber and Archer from the Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works collaboration—Phainon stands apart as the sole original addition to the roster. Leaks portray him as a hypercarry main DPS whose transformative Ultimate ability reshapes battles by creating a territorial field that temporarily removes allies, demanding meticulous team synergy. But how exactly can players prepare for this powerhouse? With beta test revelations now crystallizing, resourceful commanders can strategically pre-farm every essential material ahead of the update's drop.
🧩 Ascension Materials Breakdown
Early leaks contained a critical misstep: initially suggesting Quantum-type Darkveil Moonlight instead of the Physical-exclusive Invasive Clot for Phainon's ascension. This correction fundamentally alters farming priorities. The complete ascension material suite includes:
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Ethereal Omen → Echoing Wail → Eternal Lament: Obtainable from Black Tide enemies across Amphoreus or efficiently farmed via Calyx (Golden) activities. These tiered materials require synthesis upgrades using the Omni-Synthesizer as Phainon's rarity increases.
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Invasive Clot: Exclusively dropped at the Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Deepsheaf node in Dragonbone City (Amphoreus). With only 5 units per run at highest difficulty, accumulating the needed 65 fragments demands 13+ runs—nearly three days considering Trailblaze Power limitations.
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Credits: 308,000 for ascension itself plus 508,000 for leveling, totaling 816,000. Optimal farming occurs at Calyx (Golden): Bud of Treasures in Murmuring Woods, synergizing with Ethereal Omen collection.
Why does the Physical typing matter? It positions Phainon uniquely among recent DPS additions, hinting at break-effect synergies against certain Forgotten Hall enemies. Yet the removal mechanic during his Ultimate still raises questions—will solo survival become his defining challenge?
⚡ Trace Material Requirements
Leveling Phainon's combat capabilities proves exponentially more resource-intensive than ascension. Beyond the recurring Black Tide materials (Ethereal Omen etc.), three new categories emerge:
| Material Type | Primary Source | Secondary Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Borisin Teeth → Lupitoxin Sawteeth → Moon Rage Fangs | Calyx (Crimson): Bud of Destruction (Scalegorge Waterscape) | Omni-Synthesizer tier upgrades |
| Thundering Anamnesis | Echo of War: Fortress of Dome (Aquila boss) | Weekly attempt-limited (3/week) |
| Tracks of Destiny | Simulated/Divergent Universe | Embers Exchange (1/month), events |
Notably, Thundering Anamnesis gates progression more severely than other resources. Requiring 12 units from a weekly boss means a minimum four-week farming cycle—unless players stockpile Immersifiers. This bottleneck starkly contrasts with the generously available Tracks of Destiny, obtainable through:
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✅ Simulated Universe clears
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✅ Limited-time event rewards
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✅ Starlight Exchange purchases (premium)
And let's not overlook the elephant in the room: a jaw-dropping 3 million Credits needed solely for trace upgrades. Could this incentivize revisiting Amphoreus' Treasure Calyx beyond sanity's edge?
🔄 Optimization Strategies
Savvy pre-farmers can exploit overlapping resource nodes:
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Amphoreus Dual-Value Farming
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Target Murmuring Woods' Calyx (Golden) for simultaneous Credit and Ethereal Omen yields
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Prioritize Stagnant Shadow runs during double-drop events
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Conversion Efficiency
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Mass-farm lower-tier materials (e.g., Ethereal Omen) for Omni-Synthesizer upgrades
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Use Assignment dispatches for passive Black Tide material accumulation
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Weekly Boss Cadence
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Schedule Aquila fights immediately after weekly reset
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Reserve Immersifiers exclusively for Thundering Anamnesis drops
Interestingly, the 40-unit monthly cap on Embers Exchange materials creates artificial scarcity—will HoYoverse adjust this for Destruction characters like Phainon? Meanwhile, the sheer volume of Eternal Lament needed (across both ascension and traces) suggests prolonged overworld grinding in Amphoreus' toxin-filled marshes.
⏳ Time Investment Considerations
Let's confront the temporal reality: fully building Phainon demands borderline obsessive preparation. Farming all Trace materials alone could consume 2-3 weeks of dedicated play, primarily due to:
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Crimson Calyx RNG swings (average 4-6 runs per tier)
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Credit acquisition bottlenecks
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Weekly boss time gates
The collaboration event backdrop adds pressure—will resources be diverted toward Saber and Archer? Perhaps the solution lies in Trailblaze Power refreshes... but at what cost? One thing remains certain: commanders who master these material pathways will unleash Phainon's full potential the moment Version 3.4 launches, transforming him from leaked concept to battlefield dominator.