Persona 5: The Phantom X – Yaoling Li Skills Introduction and Development Advice

Skill Introduction
Regarding Skills

Persona Trait: Based on speed value, gain “Memories” per round. When reaching 40 stacks, enhance the next skill. Enhanced skills have a 50% chance of inflicting Forget status on the main target.

Firstly, “Memories” does not provide any attribute boost; it is merely a counter. Upon reaching 40 stacks, “Memories” is converted to the “Mengpo Soup” buff, represented by the icon of Higanbana flower beneath the character’s portrait. It should be noted that although only the second and third skills receive extra enhancement effects, using the first skill will also consume “Mengpo Soup.” Through testing, it was found that even if “Memories” are acquired again with the “Mengpo Soup” buff active, they cannot be stacked further. The sole exception is the passive effect “Start battle with Mengpo Soup,” which allows stacking of Memories while under this buff, but subsequent Mengpo Soup will nullify excess Memories.

Next, an explanation of the Forget status is provided. Enemies afflicted with Forget status are unable to use skills (including physical AoE skills) and can only perform normal attacks. Additionally, using Psy attribute skills on enemies under Forget status can trigger a Technical hit, causing additional damage even though they cannot be knocked down. Unlike in P5R, where some magic-based enemies may become confused when afflicted with Forget, in P5X they will always resort to normal attacks, making it riskier to induce Forget on certain enemies (e.g., the mainline Mizuchi).

Lastly, regarding hit probability, based on the Wonder inspiration, both our party and the enemy have probabilities of resisting abnormal states. Therefore, actual hit rate = base hit rate + effect hit bonus – abnormal resistance. While the enemy’s resistance values are currently unspecified, elite foes typically exhibit higher resistance, with some bosses like Palace Rulers being outright immune to mental abnormalities.

Skills:

The values shown in the chart represent level 1 skills, which increase by about 2 times upon leveling up. For instance, my current level 6 third skill boosts damage cap by 40%.

The first skill applies group defense debuffs for 2 rounds and accelerates the acquisition speed of Memories. The speed benefits cap for this skill are relatively easy to reach. For example, at level 5, a 38% defense reduction requires 126 speed, a figure easily achieved with minimal optimization. As the defense debuff lasts 2 rounds, it is recommended to refresh debuffs with the first skill on odd-numbered rounds and utilize the third skill on even-numbered rounds. Priority should be given to upgrading this skill.

The second skill targets a single foe. While the skill’s damage multiplier is similar to Joker’s second skill, Li Yaoling typically does not carry offensive-oriented inspirations. The main value lies in the high probability of inflicting Forget status when enhanced, as there is a 100% base chance of inducing Forget. Since the enhanced skill already offers a 50% base probability, the second skill has a significant likelihood of applying Forget status, barring immunity. This skill does not increase the Forget chance upon leveling up, focusing solely on damage amplification. Given its infrequent use, it is not recommended for early upgrades.

The third skill applies group Vulnerability, affecting the next 2 instances of damage and doubling the damage boost when enhanced, serving as our primary method of consuming enhanced states. At level 6, reaching the maximum benefit requires 133 speed, granting up to 80% increased damage when enhancing the third skill. Both 4-star weapons and 5-star specialized weapons provide ample speed bonuses, making speed accumulation relatively straightforward. Note that the Vulnerability effect activates only twice and can be consumed by One More and AoE skills; thus, it is crucial to follow up the third skill with high-damage abilities like High Light or Total Attack to maximize its effectiveness. A key skill warranting prioritized upgrades.

Finally, Defense Debuff and Vulnerability do not have probabilities and are guaranteed to apply. Against targets with Curse resistance rated “Resist” or “Null,” even if the skills deal no damage, the debuffs can still be inflicted.

The Ultimate skill applies AoE damage and can also inflict Vulnerability, effective for the next attack, along with a lower chance of inducing Forget on all enemies. When facing weaker Curse-afflicted enemies, the ultimate can be employed to eliminate the final target, triggering Total Supply to amplify the Total Attack damage. It can also be used during a teammate’s turn with burst damage abilities, such as Joker’s additional turns, to enhance their burst potential. Upgrading increases the damage multiplier and Vulnerability value, with incremental upgrades suggested.

Passive 1 increases self-attack power by a percentage based on half the speed value. At max level 50, the skill can boost attack power by up to 90%, reaching a benefit cap at 180 speed. This skill unlocks Li Yaoling’s offensive potential, providing significant attack power even as a support character, delivering commendable performance in Curse-deficient scenarios.

Passive 2 contains erroneous data; at level 1 in-game, there is already a 10% damage boost, rising to 30% at max level. This provides a substantial advantage in Curse team setups.

Awareness Aspect
Significant improvements include: Awareness 1 “At the start of battle, gain [Mengpo Soup]”; Awareness 2 “Increase skill levels of ‘Lion’s Roar’ and ‘Battle Tactics’ by 3”; Awareness 4 “Increase skill levels of ‘Ferryman’ and ‘Bank of Phlegethon’ by 3”; Awareness 5 “Enhance HIGHLIGHT effect: increase enemy damage received by an additional 20% and bestow a Curse effect on all enemies.”

Awareness 1 holds value in the Otherworld exploration, allowing the immediate application of double Vulnerability at the beginning. Paired with Joker’s two-step operation, it can easily defeat most minions without Curse immunity. However, when challenging stronger foes, as the party often lacks access to ultimate moves or full buff stacks in the first round, the utilization rate of double Vulnerability over two hits is not high. In these cases, it may be more effective to begin with the first skill and use the third skill in the following round. Consequently, the benefits of Awareness 1 are reduced in high-stakes encounters.

Awareness 2 and 4 respectively boost the levels of the third skill, ultimate, and first skill, further enhancing support capabilities, though the gains are marginal. Awareness 5 offers additional Curse effects, which could potentially link with DoT builds in the future, presenting a beneficial 20% extra Vulnerability. Suitably employed in Curse-afflicted situations.

Additionally, Awareness 3 overlays an attack bonus when applying debuffs, maxing out at 50%. Due to Li Yaoling’s supportive capabilities being detached from attack power, the upgrade potential is limited. Awareness 6 features a 60% chance to refund Mengpo Soup after consumption. Although this ability appears promising, employing enhanced skills consecutively for two rounds implies breaking the defense reduction streak for one round, posing a challenge in sustaining high-damage skills across consecutive rounds. With a one-round cooldown on the refund mechanic, the ability to achieve double Vulnerability for three successive rounds is restricted, diminishing the versatility of the sixth awareness. Currently, the outlook on this trait is not particularly optimistic.

In conclusion, my perspective on Li Yaoling is that at zero Awareness, she possesses 90% support capacity, increasing to 99% at one Awareness. Beyond this point, the marginal efficiency diminishes significantly, especially since she is a permanent character without boosted rates. Hence, I would not recommend aggressively pursuing Awareness traits; instead, consider saving resources for other characters.

Development Recommendations
Weaponry

Let’s first examine Li Yaoling’s weaponry. Under equivalent conditions with no enhancements, the special effects of the 4-star weapon can be seen as a consistent 12% attack boost and 16 speed, while the 5-star weapon offers a steady 15-speed increase, along with an additional 10%-16% vulnerability applied to enemies. Although I have not obtained a 5-star weapon for testing purposes, it is reported to independently multiply against the zone, offering considerable benefits.

On the flip side, the 4-star weapon is also competitive. After full enhancement, the values result in a 24% attack boost and 17 speed per layer, totaling a 34-point speed increment. Due to Li Yaoling’s skills being directly linked to speed, the speed returns from the 4-star weapon are comparatively high. Once the maximum speed benefit is achieved, some Inspiration suffixes can be omitted, easing the burden of obtaining Sacred Artifacts. At present, it is challenging to state definitively, but in my personal opinion, Li Yaoling does not critically require a 5-star weapon. Initially, it may be more prudent to reserve rate-ups for other characters, as the 4-star weapon also serves as a solid transitional choice.

Inspirations
Recommendations include 4 Wealth + Departure. Increasing attack power against enemies heightens ally damage, aligning well with Li Yaoling’s mechanics. When farming stages with weak Curse-afflicted enemies, you can switch to 4 Power + Harmony to boost your own output and grant same-attribute allies a 10% damage increase (4 Power + Trust is also viable if Wealth Mountain does not include this setup).

Regarding Inspirations, during the initial stages, it is advisable to focus on speed alone. Mindlessly equip the highest-speed secondary attributes in the prefix, and reinforce the primary-speed main attribute from Chén slots to completion. As Li Yaoling requires a full set of 4+1 to grant the entire team bonuses, it is better to stack speed until meeting these conditions. Supplement the multipliers in her skills with full speed.

For subsequent Inspiration selections, prioritize speed as the primary attribute in Chén slot sets. Retain other positions containing secondary attributes with speed. Day slot selections generally revolve around HP considerations, while Month and Star slots lean towards attack power, particularly useful for Curse battles to contribute slightly more damage.

Lastly, given the emphasis placed on speed throughout, the question arises: how much speed is necessary? Apart from skill benefits, we need to factor in the coverage rate of Mengpo Soup within the rotation. There are only two ways to acquire Memories: either Li Yaoling gains speed/10 stacks each turn or the first skill awards 4 stacks per hit. Our typical skill rotation alternates between the first and third skills. Ideally, each activation of the third skill should benefit from enhancement. Thus, we can perform a simple arithmetic calculation.

Assuming there are 3 enemies and Li Yaoling gathers x stacks of Memories per turn, entering battle with x stacks, then using the first skill to accumulate x + 12 stacks, by Li Yaoling’s next turn, the count becomes 2x + 12. To ensure reaching 40 stacks of Memories to guarantee the 1+3 loop efficiently facing 3 targets, x must equal 14. That is, 140 speed ensures all 3 skill activations maintain enhancement in a 1+3 loop. (The assessment remains unchanged for Li Yaoling’s Awareness 1 conclusion despite the presence of Mengpo Soup)

Using the same logic, to have every third skill enhanced, you need 160 speed facing 2 targets, and 180 speed against a single target. Once you reach 180 speed, not only can you ensure stable enhancement in a single-target 1+3 cycle, but you can also fully leverage the 90% attack power from the passive skill. This represents the optimal efficiency and maximum return.

However, even with a fully enhanced 4-star weapon, achieving these figures is no easy feat. In practice, the 1+3 rotation may encounter scenarios where the third skill is not enhanced. In such cases, the choice of which skill to use needs careful consideration depending on the situation. If aiming for higher vulnerability, it is advisable to use the first skill to refresh the debuff and follow-up with the third skill the next round. Since using the third skill under these circumstances would entail breaking the defense debuff the following round or wasting the enhanced buff with the first skill. However, if the enemy is approaching the kill threshold or our team has a big move on standby, use the third skill, even without enhancement, to capitalize on the significant damage boost.