Guide
How the kit works
Start with Basic Attack: Cirrus Strike, a sequence of up to five Auric Ink hits. Holding the attack activates Basic Attack: Ink‐Veil Cloud Coalescence; when it ends, Yixuan automatically follows with the fifth hit of Cirrus Strike. During the held attack, she has increased Anti-Interrupt Level and takes 40% less DMG.
With enough Adrenaline, use EX Special Attack: Ink Manifestation (Special). Charge it and release for an upward attack; incoming attacks during the charge are blocked and trigger that attack. A Perfect Block at the start of the charge, or against a red or yellow flash with the upward strike, negates the hit and restores 10 Adrenaline. Follow the move with the available EX attacks, spending another 20 Adrenaline for the final follow-up when you have enough.
EX Special Attack: Cloud-Shaper (Special) channels for up to two seconds and leads into EX Special Attack: Ashen Ink Becomes Shadows (Special). Yixuan is invulnerable during both. A Perfect Dodge at the start of Cloud-Shaper puts her in Vital View.
Spending Adrenaline builds Technique Points. At 120 points, Ultimate: Endless Talisman Suppression takes priority over Ultimate: Qingming Skyshade when both are available. The Technique Point Ultimate grants an Auric Ink Point. Spend it on Basic Attack: Auric Array, which restores 7 Adrenaline per second for up to three seconds. At full duration it leads into Basic Attack: Qingming Eruption; Yixuan is invulnerable during both moves. Either Ultimate redistributes the squad's HP evenly.
Build and why
Use four pieces of Yunkui Tales and two pieces of Woodpecker Electro. Yunkui Tales gives HP, while its four-piece effect builds CRIT Rate through EX Special Attacks, Chain Attacks and Ultimates. At three stacks it also gives 10% Sheer DMG. The two-piece Woodpecker Electro bonus adds CRIT Rate.
For disc 4, choose CRIT DMG or CRIT Rate. The listed options for disc 5 are Ether DMG Bonus or Percent HP; use Percent HP on disc 6. For substats, look for CRIT Rate first, then CRIT DMG and Percent HP. HP feeds the core passive's Sheer Force conversion.
Qingming Birdcage is the first weapon choice: it gives 20% CRIT Rate and gains stacks on entry and from EX Special Attacks. Its other listed bonuses apply to Ether DMG and to Ultimate and EX Special Attack Ether Sheer DMG. Cauldron of Clarity is an alternative that gains DMG stacks from EX Special Attacks and gives CRIT Rate at three stacks. Radiowave Journey instead builds Sheer Force stacks through Chain Attacks and Ultimates.
Branch & Blade Song is another set to consider for CRIT DMG, though its four-piece bonuses have Anomaly Mastery and Freeze or Shatter conditions. Keep those conditions in mind before replacing the recommended combination.
Leveling priority
Follow the game's order: Core Passive, Chain Attack, Special Attack, Basic Attack, Dodge, then Assist. The passive defines Yixuan's Sheer Force scaling and resource loop. The Chain Attack category includes her Ultimates, while Special Attack and Basic Attack contain the moves she uses to spend Adrenaline and Auric Ink Points.
For ascension to the maximum level, prepare 800,000 Denny, 4 Basic Rupture Certification Seal, 32 Advanced Rupture Certification Seal and 30 Arbiter Certification Seal.
For all skills, the listed materials are 2,905,000 Denny, 25 Basic Ether Chip, 75 Advanced Ether Chip, 250 Specialized Ether Chip, 5 Hamster Cage Pass, 9 Exuvia of Refinement and 60 Higher Dimensional Data: Miasmic Elytron.
Mindscapes worth it
A suggested stopping point is Spiritual Path. It gives 10% CRIT Rate and 120 Technique Points on entering combat, plus a lightning strike that can restore 5 Adrenaline when a squad member hits an enemy. The strike can trigger once every six seconds.
Ward Off Misfortune is the next upgrade to consider. It lets Ultimate and EX Special Attack damage ignore 15% of the target's Ether RES. Ultimate: Qingming Skyshade also extends a Stunned state by three seconds, once per Stun and without stacking with similar effects. The upgrade adds a follow-up after specific attacks.
For deeper progression, consider Swift Yet Still. After Qingming Skyshade, it allows one Ultimate: Endless Talisman Suppression without its Technique Point cost. The effect can be gained once every 30 seconds. It also raises Sheer DMG during Meditation. You can stop earlier rather than pursue the intervening upgrades, though you cannot skip them on the way to M6.
Teams
Bring at least one Stun, Support or Defense teammate to activate Yixuan's additional ability. Against Stunned enemies, EX Special Attack: Cloud-Shaper (Special) and EX Special Attack: Ashen Ink Becomes Shadows (Special) deal 30% more DMG. After Yixuan uses an Ultimate, the ability also gives her 40% CRIT DMG for 15 seconds.
Yixuan contributes on-field damage and can parry with Defensive Assist: Clear Sky Surge, dealing Daze. Her Ultimate redistributes existing squad HP; do not count that redistribution as a heal.
Common mistakes
Do not build around ATK just because Yixuan is your on-field damage dealer. Her Auric Ink skill damage uses Sheer Force, and Max HP increases that stat through her core passive. Also check the conditions on alternative gear instead of assuming every effect applies to her.
Do not spend an Auric Ink Point and immediately forget about the channel: its Adrenaline recovery lasts up to three seconds, and the full duration leads into the eruption. Watch the squad's HP before an Ultimate, since the redistribution changes each member's share.
