Yao Ling Elixirist guide, by 绫子

Yao Ling Elixirist guide, by 绫子

posted 2023-8-10 (before the 2024-2-1 buff to Rotary Divination Hexagram from Hexagram+3 to Hexagram+4)

translated from https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv25649660/ by Xom

FAQ

1. Why play Yao Ling?
A: Go first easily; light on arithmetic; highly suitable for new players.

2. Possible to gain rank with Yao Ling?
A: Certainly to Daoist Immortal, but 10000 may be a bit strenuous.

3. Where is Yao Ling strong? Weak?
A: Read this guide to find out.

4. What will Yao Ling eat today?
A: Gaoler [nickname for Jiang Ximing, homophone in Chinese with "old man"]

Basic Information

Strength: Tier 2

Difficulty: No difficulty in operating, only in understanding

Particularities: High cultivation high low-end, insufficient quality

Relative Cultivation (usually): Highest

Side Jobs:

• Elixirist (Hexagram Formacide, Polaris Citta-Dharma)
• Fuluist (Hexagram Formacide, Polaris Citta-Dharma)
• Painter (Hexagram Formacide, Polaris Citta-Dharma)
• plant master?

Breakthrough pacing and Immortal Fate choices

The Initial Immortal Fate, Innate Spirit Body, is 4 cultivation over the course of the game, and is the main reason for Yao Ling to go first earlier on in the match. As for the 4 less max HP, you'll remember about it when you die with -3 HP. Oh well~

About Crimson Yarn Guard, four words: "There are better choices."

Yao Ling (Elixirist) breakthrough pacing:

• Round 3: Foundation
• Round 5: Virtuoso
• Round 8: Immortality
• Round 11: Incarnation

Foundation-phase Immortal Fate choices: Divination (best) > Astral Eclipse ≈ Stargaze > other cultivation+1

Divination or Astral Eclipse with Flame Flutter is almighty.

续黄粱 says: Among the card gain, Fortunes and Luck is weakest. Because... firstly, you may not get a useful card, secondly, you spend an exchange. In most cases, it's a useless fortune card.

续黄粱 says: Why not Epiphany?
Well, I don't exchange early, relying instead on whatever garbage I'm dealt, and I want to break through to Incarnation on Round 11 with maximum exchanges, which leaves 6 exchanges to be used. Usually I exchange thrice in Round 1 to stabilize until Virtuoso, and rely on Flutter Flame in Virtuoso to be stable until Immortality, where I use the other 3 exchanges to stabilize until Incarnation.
If Epiphany is chosen, I won't have those other 3 exchanges.
An especial bind on Heptastar is that no few specific cards can save you. (Truly, truly.)
Either directly transform on the spot, or stabilize until Incarnation to transform.
If I must say which specific cards can be salvation, then still there is only Thunder And Lighting. But a single Thunder and Lighting, encountering an Immortality-phase god of war, is still not enough to look at.

Daoist Rhyme Omen:: Five Thunders (must-pick) > Thunder and Lighting ≈ Polaris Citta-Dharma (Foundation-phase Stargaze) > Extremely Suspicious ≈ Hexagram Formacide ( > Heaven Hexagram > Flame Hexagram)

续黄粱 says: Daoist Rhyme Omen Flame Hexagram is truly stupid. But you can do it to avoid choosing Rotary Divination Hexagram in order to compete on cultivation, according to personal preference.
Naked Propitious Omen is really too weak, don't pick it.

续黄粱 says: Why not Heaven Hexagram?
Because it puts you short on cards earlier on. Especially in Immortality phase, Yao Ling who doesn't exchange basically can't beat various Immortality-phase gods of war. Meanwhile, this Heaven Hexagram thing requires combination; the greatest value is in seamlessly Chasing into Five Thunders. In the absence of Five Thunders, Heaven Hexagram is on the same level as Cloud Sword - Flash Wind. Of course, if you can find two Hexagram Formacide, Heaven Hexagram is very strong.
Daoist Rhyme Omen Heaven Hexagram is useful in the future, but the cost is that you're too weak earlier on. Of course, if the other Daoist Rhyme Omen cards are very weak, it's no problem to pick Heaven Hexagram.

续黄粱 says: Why is Hexagram Formacide's priority so low?
You don't have to take it for Daoist Rhyme Omen, but if you have it, you must hold on to it. Only if you have at least two does it have strength.

Virtuoso-phase Immortal Fate: (generally Flame Flutter)
If you picked Divination or Astral Eclipse at Foundation, you must pick Flame Flutter.
If you picked something else, and you need strength, still pick Flame Flutter. If you're strong enough, it's OK to get two cards. (I don't recommend Thunder Tribulation, Epiphany.)
If you picked Hexagram Formacide in Daoist Rhyme Omen, you can pick Inheritance of Thunder for Thunder Hexagram Rhythm.
If you picked Polaris Citta-Dharma in Daoist Rhyme Omen, you can pick Inheritance of Astral Move for Astral Move - Hit.

Flame Flutter in Virtuoso phase is a transitional card that consumes Hexagram to become nigh almighty. (Nowadays, Immortality-phase gods of war are relatively many.) However, few early Hexagram cards also add qi, only Wind Hexagram and Lake Hexagram; and Lake Hexagram also gives qi to the opponent. So if the slot-one Hexagram doesn't add qi, it becomes difficult to play cards like Astral Move - Flank or Astral Move - Hit in the third-slot Star Point. So the solution is to give up on Hexagram for Flame Flutter, or if Epiphany or Thunder Tribulation is present, not to pick Flame Flutter.

Immortality-phase Immortal Fate: (generally Rotary Divination Hexagram)

续黄粱 says: You must know, it's possible to go all match without [having? finding?] a Hexagram card. Rotary Divination Hexagram is a very strong counter card.

When the decks like Qi Sword and Qi-DEF still haven't come together, Rotary Divination Hexagram's strength is explosive, and effective against many decks. So it really is strong, although it's as a counter card. (In the absence of Hexagram Formacide, Rotary Divination Hexagram can break Guard Up.)

续黄粱 says: Comparison between Rotary Divination Hexagram and Flame Hexagram
Usually, I don't often keep Flame Hexagram, unless it's lv.2 Flame Hexagram, otherwise it's not important. Yao Ling usually assembles 5 Hexagram for Five Thunders, or 6 for Five Thunders + Dance Of The Dragonfly. Usually, once you have 5, even lv.2 Flame Hexagram is not as good as lv.1 Rotary Divination Hexagram, unless the opponent doesn't need qi or you're missing a little bit of damage. Since Rotary Divination Hexagram already causes 4 HP loss and removes qi, when Yao Ling plays Polaris Thunders, Flame Hexagram is much weaker than Rotary Divination Hexagram.

Conditions to not pick Rotary Divination Hexagram:
You already have a 3-Hexagram card -OR- Daoist Rhyme Omen Flame Hexagram fast Incarnation style (not recommended)

[Untitled list:]

• Inheritance of Thunder (Thunder and Lighting, Thunder Hexagram Rhythm)
• Thunder Tribulation
• Changes Of Catastrophe
• Inheritance of Astral Move (Astral Move - Fly, Astral Move - Tiger)
• Tool Governor (Talent Elixir)
• Mental Perception

Incarnation-phase Immortal Fate: (generally Lantern Spirit Awakening)

续黄粱 says: As long as you live, anything's possible. Lantern Spirit Awakening draws 1 card immediately to start with. Don't go crazy exchanging if you can already win the round; Rome wasn't built in a day.
Why is it stupid to break through on Round 10? Even if you have Crimson Yarn Guard to prop you up in Round 10, it's still likely in Round 11 that you won't have enough cards to exchange with, and take another hit. This is also why we don't keep some cards in Round 11. For example, much of the time, some counter cards like Astral Move - Cide can be considered for exchanging away. After all, we need to ensure strength on Round 11.

When your Destiny total is high, and many opponents are low-cultivation characters, you can pick Incarnation-phase Changes Of Catastrophe.

续黄粱 says: If you've preserved your Destiny total well, at Incarnation you can pick Changes Of Catastrophe. Picking it with high Destiny total, you can supplement your quality while also ensuring cultivation. Because Yao Ling is really very weak when going second. As I see it, Changes Of Catastrophe is a rather bold choice, whereas Lantern Spirit Awakening is more stable. After all, if you pick Lantern Spirit Awakening and live to the finals, you're surely going first.

Final builds

Methodology of Yao Ling: Yao Ling's true core is Heaven Hexagram + Five Thunders. As for Polaris or Formacide, both are fine.

Standard final builds - Formacide Thunders (single, double Formacide):





Standard final builds - Polaris Thunders (pay attention to qi removal positioning):


lv.max Heaven Hexagram flexible Thunders:




Final builds - mono-Formacide-damage (double Formacide, highly-upgraded Propitious Omen):Special use against counter cards such as Metal Spirit - Iron Bone, Water Spirit - Dive, Thousand Evil Incantation, etc.; dodge Weak. If Propitious Omen upgrade level is low, you can opt for Strike Twice + Thunder Hexagram Rhythm. Propitious Omen can also be played without Strike Twice. (Heaven Hexagram doesn't affect Propitious Omen's effect.)

Turn-two, turn-three Cide (lv.max Heaven Hexagram + Strike Twice + Astral Move - Cide):


Because Yao Ling wants to ensure going first, it's difficult to hold on to two decks. There aren't necessarily that many occasions to mix-up the opponent by switching decks. The importance is on the positions of Rotary Divination Hexagram, Ice Spirit Guard Elixir, Astral Move - Tiger, and Astral Move - Cide.

Transit with garbage, without exchanging: Useful cards

(Cards are not good or bad on an absolute scale, only more or less valuable in the current battle.)

The meaning of "Usable": Pursue the upgrade level in the diagram; if achieved, it can be used. If you have a better lineup, just throw it away.

The meaning of "Keep": Can be kept all the way to Incarnation, then kept or exchanged according to the situation.

First row: Useful
Second row: Usable


First row: Useful
Second row: Usable


First row: Useful
Second row: Usable
Third row: Keep


First row: Useful
Second row: Keep


Incarnation-phase exchange priority:
First row: Highest priority
Second row: Formacide components (priority)
Third row: Polaris components
Top right corner: Capability cards, keep if you can, not weak in battle