The Complete Guide to Mastering Jing Yuan
Welcome to this comprehensive guide to mastering Jing Yuan, one of the best AoE DPS characters in Honkai Star Rail.
This article is designed to help you understand Jing Yuan's unique abilities, build the most efficient teams, and select the optimal relic set for him.
The Complete Guide to Mastering Jing Yuan in Honkai: Star Rail
Unleashing Jing Yuan's Power
Jing Yuan is a potent erudition character specializing in area-of-effect (AOE) damage, although he also excels in single-target situations.
The secret to his versatility lies in his Lightning Lord ability, an integral part of his kit.
Lightning Lord
The Lightning Lord is an additional entity that fights alongside Jing Yuan, with its speed and attack power increasing each time Jing Yuan uses a skill or ultimate ability.
Its attacks are considered follow-up attack damage and can critically strike, further amplifying Jing Yuan's overall damage output. Its damage scales up with Jing Yuan's stats, making it beneficial to stack stats like crit and damage boosts.
Lightning Lord's attacks are also effective against both single and multiple targets due to the way its strikes function.
Each time Jing Yuan uses a skill or an ultimate ability, the Lightning Lord gains two or three stacks, respectively, with each stack enabling an additional attack.
When it's the Lightning Lord's turn to attack, it strikes as many times as it has stacks. The strikes are randomly distributed among enemies, also damaging adjacent enemies.
This mechanic makes Jing Yuan versatile, as the Lightning Lord can deal significant damage in both AOE and single-target scenarios.
Ability Overview
Beyond the Lightning Lord, Jing Yuan has other abilities that further increase his effectiveness in battle.
His skill deals AOE lightning damage to all enemies and increases the Lightning Lord's attack count by two.
His ultimate ability, Lightbringer, delivers a powerful hit of lightning damage, increasing the Lightning Lord's attack count by three.
Jing Yuan's gameplay revolves around maximizing the Lightning Lord's attack stacks by using his skill as frequently as possible. This strategy enhances Jing Yuan's damage output and makes him a formidable damage dealer in your team.
Jing Yuan's Best Builds
Light Cones
The best light cone for Jing Yuan is his signature light cone, Before Dawn.
It provides an impressive 36% crit damage boost and an additional 18% increase in skill and ultimate damage. It also enhances follow-up attack damage by 48% after using a skill or an ultimate, making it ideal for enhancing the power of the Lightning Lord.
However, if you cannot obtain Before Dawn, there are other viable options.
The Night on the Milky Way stands out too. It has a high base attack, and its effect increases attack power for each enemy on the field. Its damage boost also lasts for one turn when an enemy is afflicted by weakness break.
The Seriousness of Breakfast light cone is a reliable free-to-play option that can significantly boost Jing Yuan's damage.
Alternatively, the Nameless Honor battle pass offers Today is Another Peaceful Day, a consistently good erudition option for Jing Yuan.
Best Relics and Substats for Jing Yuan
The Band of Sizzling Thunder set is a perfect match for Jing Yuan. The two-piece set increases lightning damage by 10%, and the four-piece set grants an additional 20% attack power after using a skill. These boosts significantly enhance Jing Yuan's damage output.
However, if you're looking for versatility, consider combining two pieces from the Band of Sizzling Thunder set and two pieces from the Musketeer of the Wild Wheat set. This mix provides both lightning damage and attack buffs, making it a balanced choice.
If you're just starting and don't have the Band of Sizzling Thunder set, the four-piece Musketeer of the Wild Wheat set is a decent choice. It provides a speed boost, although it's not as effective as the Band of Sizzling Thunder set.
There's another alternative choice in this new 1.2 patch, which is combining a Sizzling Thunder 2-piece set with the new Messenger Traversing Hackerspace 2-piece set, which provides an extra 6% speed increase.
With the introduction of the new set Grand Duke, Jing Yuan now has a new Best in Slot relic set, which boosts by 20% the damage of follow-up attacks. This set boosts his attack during his talent and subsequent kit usage, with a maximum of 8 stacks providing a significant 48% ATK boost.
Another option introduced in version 2.0 is the Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters 4-piece set, that boosts damage dealt and crit stats if the enemies have at least 3 debuffs.
The Inert Salsotto from the Planetary Set is a great choice for Jing Yuan. It increases crit rate and boosts ultimate and follow-up attack damage, which benefits Jing Yuan's gameplay style. It's especially effective when Jing Yuan's crit rate hits 50%. Another viable planetary set would be Firmament Frontline Glamoth if Jing Yuan can reach the 135-160 speed breakpoints.
Regarding Jing Yuan's best stats, you should aim for a Crit Rate body piece and a Lightning Damage planar sphere. Feet and Link Rope should be focused on ATK%, but you could also go for Speed on his feet piece if you need it.
Given that Jing Yuan is a character who heavily relies on his abilities and the Lightning Lord to deal damage, the following substats would be the most beneficial for his relic set:
- Crit Rate/Crit Damage: These two substats are crucial for increasing Jing Yuan's damage output. Crit Rate increases the likelihood of his attacks dealing critical hits, while Crit Damage increases the damage dealt by these critical hits. Balancing these two stats is important — you want a high Crit Rate to ensure frequent critical hits, but also high Crit Damage to make those critical hits count.
- Attack Percentage (ATK%): This is a crucial substat for almost all damage dealers. A higher ATK% means more damage from your abilities and basic attacks. Since Jing Yuan's abilities and the Lightning Lord's attacks scale with his ATK, it's essential to maximize this substat.
Optimal Late Game Stats for Jing Yuan
ATK: 2,800+
Speed: 135+
Crit Rate: 70%+
Crit DMG: 140%+
Jing Yuan's Eidolons
At E1, Jing Yuan's eidolon increases the adjacent damage of each of the Lightning Lord's attacks, making him more effective in AOE scenarios.
At E2, he gains a 20% damage boost to his skill, ultimate, and basic attack for two turns after the Lightning Lord takes action.
E3 and E5 increase the level of his traces, with E5 specifically enhancing his skill and Lightning Lord's damage.
At E4, he gains 2 energy for each hit the Lightning Lord deals, effectively increasing his overall damage output.
The E6 eidolon gives Jing Yuan a unique ability. Each hit from the Lightning Lord increases damage taken by the enemy, stacking up to three times and lasting until the end of the Lightning Lord's current turn. This ability helps Jing Yuan ramp up his damage over time, making him a significant threat in extended battles.
Jing Yuan's Strengths
Jing Yuan stands out due to his:
- Versatile Damage: Capable of delivering both AOE and single-target damage.
- High Multipliers and Crit Buffs: His base kit includes substantial multipliers and self-crit buffs, enhancing his damage output.
- Universal Damage Types: He can adapt to various battle scenarios with his blast, single-target, and AOE capabilities.
Jing Yuan's Weaknesses
Despite his strengths, Jing Yuan faces certain challenges:
- Dependence on Backloaded Damage: A significant portion of his damage is tied to his Lightning Lord, which can delay immediate impact.
- Susceptibility to Crowd Control: CC can disrupt his Lightning Lord's attacks, reducing his overall effectiveness.
- Random Targeting: His Lightning Lord's attacks may not always hit the intended targets, affecting battle strategies.
Building the Best Teams for Jing Yuan
A well-constructed team can maximize Jing Yuan's potential.
One recommended team formula involves pairing Jing Yuan with a healer or shielder, a strong support character, and a flexible fourth member. This fourth slot can be filled based on the specific content you're tackling.
Jing Yuan synergizes well with Harmony supports like Asta, Bronya, and Tingyun, who can enhance his speed, provide attack buffs, and help him use his abilities more frequently.
You could also pair him with another carry if you need more single-target damage.
Remember, Jing Yuan is a versatile character who can fit into many team compositions. Experiment with different team members and find the combination that best suits your playstyle and the challenges you're facing.
Jing Yuan's damage primarily comes from his abilities and the Lightning Lord, so it's important to have team members that can increase his ability usage and enhance his overall damage output. Here are some general team compositions:
- Jing Yuan + Harmony Support: One of the typical team compositions includes pairing Jing Yuan with a Harmony Support character. This could be Asta, Bronya, or Tingyun. Asta significantly boosts speed, allowing Jing Yuan to use his abilities more often. Bronya can give Jing Yuan an instant move, enabling him to stack Lightning Lord quickly. Tingyun provides damage and energy, allowing Jing Yuan to use his ultimate more frequently. Pairing him with a Harmony support it's a must to get the most out of Jing Yuan's abilities.
- Jing Yuan + Healer: Pairing Jing Yuan with a healer such as Natasha, Bailu, or Luocha can help him sustain in the battlefield for a longer time. This composition is generally more defensive, allowing Jing Yuan to continuously dish out damage while keeping him healthy.
- Jing Yuan + Hunt Carry: In this setup, Jing Yuan is paired with another main damage dealer, particularly a main DPS. This could be characters like Seele for consistent damage, or Sushang for a free-to-play option. This composition focuses on having more than one damage dealer in the team, especially useful when dealing with single-target bosses.
Luocha, Fu Xuan, or Huohuo?
When choosing between Luocha, Fu Xuan, and Huohuo as Jing Yuan's sustain, consider:
- Luocha: Offers the highest SP generation and can cleanse Jing Yuan, making her ideal if SP is a priority.
- Fu Xuan: Provides CC immunity and critical buffs but falls short in SP generation compared to Luocha.
- Huohuo: Balances SP generation and frequent cleansing, making her a versatile option for Jing Yuan.
The Ideal Jing Yuan Team
The optimal team composition for Jing Yuan includes:
- Tingyun: For her Lightning DMG% bonuses and support in energy management.
- Huohuo: As a sustain, offering SP generation and cleansing capabilities.
- Topaz: Complements Jing Yuan's single-target damage and adds vulnerability debuffs for increased damage output.
- Additional Support: Depending on the battle scenario, incorporating a character that offers speed boosts, energy management, or additional damage amplification can further enhance Jing Yuan's effectiveness.
Other example team compositions you could build for Jing Yuan are:
- Jing Yuan - Tingyun - Bronya - Natasha (2 Harmony Supports + Healer to make him an hypercarry)
- Jing Yuan - Tingyun - Gepard - Bailu (Harmony Support + Healer + Shielder to make a solid team)
- Jing Yuan - Seele - Tingyun - Luocha (Harmony Support + Healer + Main DPS to make him a sub DPS in a double DPS composition)
Keep in mind, the best team for Jing Yuan will vary depending on the specific challenge you're facing in the game.
It's important to adjust your team composition according to the battle requirements.
Conclusion
Jing Yuan is a powerful and versatile character in Honkai: Star Rail.
Understanding his abilities, knowing how to build him, and crafting the best team around him can make a significant difference in your gameplay.
Remember, the game is about strategy and synergy, and Jing Yuan provides plenty of opportunities for both.
So, whether you're dealing with single-target bosses or AOE scenarios, Jing Yuan can be a game-changing addition to your team.
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