Honkai Star Rail 4.0 Leaks: Elation Path & Yao Guang Kit

HSR 4.0 Release Details

Version 4.0 launches February 13, 2026 (EU/Asia) and February 12, 2026 (NA). The two-week postponement grants players 1000 Stellar Jade and 10 Fuel compensation (unlocks December 8, 2025, 12:00 UTC+8).

Banner Schedule:

• Yao Guang Phase 1: February 12 - March 6, 2026
• Sparxie Phase 2: March 6 - March 26, 2026

Sparxie represents a special Sparkle version as the first 5-Star Fire Elation DPS. Secure these characters efficiently through buy Oneiric Shards on buffget for competitive pricing and fast delivery.

Beta data provides these leaks, though HoYoverse typically maintains 70-80% of beta mechanics in final versions. Expect numerical adjustments to multipliers and cooldowns rather than mechanical overhauls.

The Elation Path Explained

The Elation Path introduces shared resource management fundamentally different from existing paths. Elation characters generate and consume Punchline stacks—a team-wide currency unlocking enhanced Elation Skills.

Core Mechanics

Punchline Stacks: Team resource with caps scaling by number of Elation characters. Generated through basic actions, consumed during Aha Instant moments for devastating attacks.

Certified Banger State: Snapshot system locking current Punchline count for 2 turns, converting stacks into percentage-based damage increases. Rewards setup phases with explosive payoff windows.

Aha Instant: Provides extra turns based on Elation character speed when Punchline thresholds are met. Consumes resources, creating meaningful decisions about when to cash in stacks.

Elation Skills: Replace standard abilities when conditions are met, consuming Punchlines for enhanced effects. Ignore crowd control and cleanse debuffs while dealing amplified damage.

Zone System: Battlefield areas persisting 3 turns (duration decreases at each unit's turn start). Zones amplify ally Elation stats by percentages of caster's Elation value.

Yao Guang Complete Kit

Yao Guang serves as Arbiter-General of Xianzhou Yuque, functioning as Physical support enabling Elation damage dealers through Zone deployment, Punchline generation, and resistance penetration.

Level 80 Base Stats:

• HP: 1242
• ATK: 465.7
• DEF: 654.88
• SPD: 101
• Energy: 180

Basic Attack: Whistlebolt Sings Joy

Deals 90% ATK Physical DMG to one enemy, 30% ATK Physical DMG to adjacent targets. Grants 3 Punchlines when used inside Zone.

Skill: Decalight Unveils All

Deploys Zone lasting 3 turns. While active, all allies gain Elation equal to 15% of Yao Guang's Elation stat. Using Basic ATK or Skill grants 3 Punchline stacks.

Ultimate: Hexagram of Feathered Fortune

Immediately grants 5 Punchlines. Enables Aha extra turn at 20 Punchlines without consuming stacks. Increases all allies' All-Type RES PEN by 20% for 3 turns.

Talent: Behold Wherever Light Unfolds

Activates Certified Banger state, dealing additional damage equal to 24% of character's Elation stat. Grants 1 Great Boon stack per Skill Point consumed (max 3), amplifying Elation DMG further.

Technique: Untethered Glimmer Sails Far

Triggers Skill at battle start, immediately deploying Zone. Breaking overworld objects grants Red Envelope items (max 8 per Earth Week).

Elation Skill: Let Thy Fortune Burst in Flames

Inflicts Woe's Whisper on enemies for 3 turns (10% increased damage taken). Deals 80% Physical Elation DMG to all enemies, then 20% damage to random enemy 5 times.

For maximum pulls, Honkai Star Rail top up through buffget provides secure transactions for both character and signature Light Cone.

Stat Priorities & Scaling

Elation serves as primary scaling stat. Amaze-In Grace passive: 120 SPD grants 30% Elation, plus 1% Elation per excess SPD point up to 200 total (110% max Elation increase).

Main Stats:

• Body: CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG
• Feet: SPD (120+ threshold)
• Sphere: Physical DMG%
• Rope: Energy Regeneration Rate

Substat Priority:

1. SPD (until 200 breakpoint)
2. CRIT Rate (70%+ target)
3. CRIT DMG (1:2 ratio with CRIT Rate)
4. Elation%
5. ATK%

Damage Formula:

Base Damage = (Skill Multiplier × ATK) × Elemental DMG Bonus × CRIT Multiplier

Elation Damage = Base Damage × (1 + Elation% Bonus) × (1 + Certified Banger Bonus)

Certified Banger adds 24% of Elation stat as additional damage. Great Boon stacks multiply further (max 3 stacks).

Best Light Cones

When She Decided To See (Signature)

Stats: 1058 HP, 529 ATK, 529 DEF, 18% SPD

Great Fortune effect (3 turns): All allies gain 10% CRIT Rate, 30% CRIT DMG. Wearer gains 12% Energy Regeneration Rate. Perfect synergy with support role.

Dazzled By A Flowery World

Stats: 1058 HP, 582 ATK, 463 DEF, 36% CRIT DMG

Increases Skill Point limit by 1 per Elation character (max 3). Each Skill Point consumed ignores 5% enemy DEF. Allies gain 5% Elation per stack (20% max).

4-Star Options

Today's Good Luck: 953 HP, 529 ATK, 397 DEF, 20% CRIT Rate. Elation Skills increase Elation by 14% (stacks 3x for 42% total). Strongest F2P option.

Mushy Shroomy's Adventures: 847 HP, 476 ATK, 397 DEF, 20% Elation. Elation Skills increase enemies' Elation DMG taken by 12% for 2 turns.

3-Star Budget

Lingering Tears: 10+ Punchlines grants 40% CRIT DMG. Consistent uptime.

Sneering: Increases Aha Instant Elation by 32%. Maximizes burst windows.

Optimal Relics

Ever-Glorious Magical Girl (BiS)

2pc: 16% CRIT DMG

4pc: Elation DMG ignores 10% DEF baseline, plus 1% per 5 Punchlines (max 20% at 50 Punchlines). Total 30% DEF ignore at max stacks.

Recommended Stats:

• Sands: ATK%/Elation%
• Goblet: Physical DMG%
• Circlet: CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG
• Substats: SPD > CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > Elation% > ATK%

Diviner of Distant Reach

2pc: 6% SPD

4pc: 10% CRIT Rate at 120+ SPD, 18% CRIT Rate at 160+ SPD. First Elation Skill enhances all allies' Elation by 10%.

Planar Ornaments

Felicity Ensemble: Increases Certified Banger duration by 1 turn (2→3 turns). More Elation Skill activations during snapshot.

Poised and Sated: 60% CRIT DMG. Recovers 1 Skill Point after Elation Skill. Enables sustainable rotations.

Pro tip: Farm correct main stats before optimizing substats. Physical DMG% Goblet with poor substats outperforms ATK% Goblet with perfect substats.

Eidolon Breakdown

E1: Reduces Aha turn threshold to 30 Punchlines. Increases Elation Skill DMG to 140% (40% boost). Strong damage but changes rotation patterns.

E2: Zone grants allies 12% SPD and 16% Elation. Highest priority for support builds. Transforms Yao Guang into premier Elation enabler.

E3: Skill +2 levels (max 15), Basic ATK +1 (max 10), Elation Skill +1 (max 15). Standard power increase.

E4: Elation DMG ignores 18% DEF. Stacks with Ultimate (20% RES PEN) and relics (20% DEF ignore) for 48% total DEF ignore. Exceptional for endgame.

E5: Ultimate +2 levels (max 15), Talent +2 (max 15), Elation Skill +1 (max 15). Solid across multiple abilities.

E6: All allies' Elation DMG +20%. Yao Guang's Elation Skill DMG multiplier +60%. Whale territory. E0-E2 provides 80% value for fraction of cost.

Team Compositions

Optimal Elation Team

• Yao Guang (Support/Sub-DPS)
• Sparxie (Main DPS)
• Elation Support/Sub-DPS (future)
• Sustain (Preservation/Abundance)

Maximizes Punchline generation, increases shared resource cap, enables frequent Elation Skill activations. Fire/Physical coverage handles diverse weaknesses.

Hybrid F2P Team

• Yao Guang (Support/Sub-DPS)
• Physical DPS (Clara/Yunli)
• Harmony Support (Ruan Mei/Bronya/Tingyun)
• Sustain (Aventurine/Gallagher/Luocha)

Leverages Physical damage and RES PEN with proven meta supports.

Top Synergies:

Aventurine: Preservation sustain with follow-up damage, CRIT DMG buffs, frees Skill Points for Great Boon generation.

Ruan Mei: Universal damage amp, Break Effect scaling, RES PEN stacks multiplicatively with Yao Guang's kit.

Tingyun: Energy generation for Ultimate, ATK% buffs scale Physical damage, Lightning coverage complements Physical/Fire.

Meta Impact Predictions

Memory of Chaos

20% All-Type RES PEN and 48% DEF ignore (E4 + relics) significantly amplify carry damage against tanky bosses. Certified Banger snapshot allows pre-stacking Punchlines during early waves for boss burst.

Pure Fiction

Elation Skill deals 80% Physical Elation DMG to all enemies plus random hits. Woe's Whisper debuff (10% increased damage taken) amplifies team AoE. Addresses wave clearing and priority elimination.

Apocalyptic Shadow

Flexible damage profile clears adds while RES PEN accelerates boss phases. Handles both mechanics simultaneously.

The Elation Path introduces resource management depth and turn manipulation comparable to Bronya but tied to resource expenditure. Shared resource pool encourages mono-Elation building, potentially creating distinct archetype alongside Hypercarry and Follow-Up compositions.

Resource Planning

Stellar Jade Requirements

• 90 pulls = 14,400 Stellar Jade (hard pity)
• 180 pulls = 28,800 Stellar Jade (guaranteed featured)

Version 4.0 provides 60-80 pulls through events/dailies/exploration. Accumulate 20,000+ Stellar Jade before banner.

Pre-Farming Materials

Ascension:

• 308,000 Credits
• 15 Dreamweave Steel
• 65 Invasive Clot
• 15 Lucid Awl

Traces:

• 3,000,000 Credits
• 18 Fluffy Hand-drawn Storyboards
• 41 Fluffy Serialization Memorial Issue
• 69 Fluffy Collector's Edition

Dreamweave Steel and Invasive Clot drop from Planarcadia enemies. Lucid Awl likely from weekly boss.

Trailblaze Power Priority

First Two Weeks:

1. Character Ascension Materials
2. Trace Materials
3. Ever-Glorious Magical Girl Set
4. Planar Ornament Optimization

Level 80 character with mediocre relics outperforms Level 70 with perfect substats. Complete character progression before relic farming.

Common Misconceptions

Myth: Elation Only Works in Mono-Elation Teams

False. Yao Guang's 20% All-Type RES PEN benefits any damage dealer. Zone's Elation sharing scales with her personal stat, not team composition. Single Elation character provides meaningful buffs.

Myth: Punchline Management Too Complex

False. System operates passively—characters auto-generate stacks through ability usage. Elation Skills trigger automatically when conditions met. Only active decision is Ultimate timing.

Myth: Beta Changes Will Nerf Yao Guang

Unlikely. HoYoverse rarely makes characters unviable between beta and release. Adjustments involve numerical tuning (5-10% multiplier reductions) rather than mechanical overhauls. Core value (RES PEN, Elation buffing) ensures viability.

Set realistic expectations: Yao Guang functions as specialized support, not universal slot. Value peaks in Elation/Physical teams. E0 provides 70-80% total value; E2 optimal for spenders.

Stay Updated

Official Sources: HoYoverse website, official social media, in-game announcements provide confirmed information. Treat as definitive.

Community Leaks: Cross-reference across multiple sources. Numerical values change more than mechanical concepts.

Beta testing runs 4-6 weeks pre-release. Early beta (first 2 weeks) experiences most changes; late beta (final week) closely resembles live release.

FAQ

What is The Elation Path in HSR 4.0?

New character classification introducing Punchline resource management, Certified Banger damage states, and Aha Instant turn manipulation. Characters generate Punchlines through abilities, consume them for enhanced Elation Skills. Emphasizes rhythm-based gameplay with setup phases building resources for explosive damage windows.

When does HSR 4.0 release?

February 13, 2026 (EU/Asia), February 12, 2026 (NA). Yao Guang banner: February 12 - March 6. Sparxie banner: March 6 - March 26.

Is Yao Guang worth pulling at E0?

Yes. Provides 20% All-Type RES PEN, Zone-based Elation sharing, Punchline generation without Eidolons. Functions effectively as Physical support and Elation enabler. E2 optimal for spenders; E0 suffices for endgame completion.

What are Yao Guang's best Light Cones?

When She Decided To See (signature): SPD, team CRIT buffs, Energy Regen. Dazzled By A Flowery World: higher personal damage, Skill Point expansion, DEF ignore. F2P: Today's Good Luck (CRIT Rate, Elation stacking) or Mushy Shroomy's Adventures (Elation vulnerability).

What relics does Yao Guang need?

Ever-Glorious Magical Girl (BiS): CRIT DMG, scaling DEF ignore based on Punchlines. Diviner of Distant Reach: speed-focused with CRIT Rate bonuses. Prioritize SPD (120+), CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, Elation% substats. Planar: Felicity Ensemble or Poised and Sated.

How to prepare for HSR 4.0?

Accumulate 20,000+ Stellar Jade, stockpile 3.3M Credits, save Trailblaze Power. Pre-farm experience books and credit reserves. Avoid spending on current banners if Yao Guang is priority. Plan team compositions around Physical/Elation support capabilities.