The second half of Honkai Star Rail 4.5 puts two 5-stars side by side on their own Character Event Warps: the new Elation Quantum DPS Aventurine Waveflair and a rerun of the Lightning Hunt DPS Ashveil. Both cost the same Stellar Jades, and most players can only realistically commit to one. The decision comes down to how flexible each unit is and what your roster already supports.
Quick answer: Pull Aventurine Waveflair. He works as a solo Elation carry in teams with different playstyles, can clear most content on his own, and performs even with free-to-play support. Choose Ashveil only if you already run Follow-Up Attack teammates and want to complete that composition.
Aventurine Waveflair vs Ashveil: The core difference
The gap between these two is about self-sufficiency. Aventurine Waveflair follows the Elation Path and can carry as a solo Elation DPS, slotting into teams that do not share his path. Ashveil is a Follow-Up Attack specialist whose ceiling depends on teammates who attack often and on Eidolon investment. That makes Waveflair the safer, more universal purchase for most accounts.
| Factor | Aventurine Waveflair | Ashveil |
|---|---|---|
| Element / Path | Quantum, Elation | Lightning, Hunt |
| Role | DPS / Elation carry | Follow-Up Attack DPS |
| Team demands | Fits many playstyles, works with F2P units | Needs Follow-Up Attack teammates to shine |
| Solo clearing | Can clear most activities alone | Struggles without the right composition |
| Investment for full power | Strong at E0 | Real power spike locked behind Eidolon 2 |
Why Aventurine Waveflair is the safer pull
Waveflair relies on Fervor to enhance his Elation Skill, and he generates it by having teammates who attack frequently. Because of that, he does not lock you into one team template. You can run him in a full Elation lineup with Yao Guang and the Elation Trailblazer, or as a solo Elation carry alongside units from other playstyles.
He also pairs cleanly with meta units like Ashveil, Mortenax Blade, Silver Wolf LV999, Huohuo, and Hyacine. Interestingly, Ashveil’s buff to Follow-Up Attacks applies to Waveflair’s Elation Skill, so owning both is not wasted. If you lack premium Elation supports, a budget setup with the Remembrance Trailblazer, Gallagher, and Robin Summeretto still clears most content, including some endgame modes.
- Slots into teams with different playstyles rather than one fixed comp.
- Can single-handedly clear most activities.
- Low risk of being power-crept quickly.
- Performs well at E0, so no heavy Eidolon spending is required.
When Ashveil is the better choice
Ashveil is not weak. He is a top-tier Follow-Up Attack DPS with excellent Memory of Chaos performance and solid results in Pure Fiction and Apocalyptic Shadow. His Bait mechanic marks an enemy, drops that target’s DEF by 20 percent for the whole team, and turns nearly every ally hit on the mark into extra Follow-Up damage for himself. He is also self-sufficient in the sense that he needs no single dedicated enabler.
The catch is investment. His real power spike arrives at Eidolon 2, where the Gluttony stack cap rises to 18, and refunds keep his damage stacks from draining. He also wants a well-rolled Ashblazing Grand Duke set with near-100 percent CRIT Rate and high CRIT DMG to hit his targets. If you already own Follow-Up teammates like Feixiao or Tribbie, he strengthens that team. If you do not, he is much harder to justify.
- Innate team-wide 40 percent DEF shred from Bait without a Nihility debuffer.
- High Skill Point efficiency thanks to refunds when attacking Baited targets.
- Can act as a main or sub DPS in Follow-Up compositions.
- Stalls if supports take non-attacking turns or get crowd-controlled.
Banner details and shared pity
Both 5-stars appear on limited Character Event Warps during the second half of version 4.5, and neither is on the permanent Standard Warp. Each Special Warp Pass costs 160 Stellar Jades. The signature Light Cones share pity with the character banners, so you can switch between them without wasting pulls.
| Warp | Featured 5-star | Featured 4-stars |
|---|---|---|
| Aventurine Waveflair banner | Aventurine Waveflair (Elation, Quantum) | Sampo, Hook, Guinaifen |
| Ashveil banner (rerun) | Ashveil (The Hunt, Lightning) | Sampo, Hook, Guinaifen |
| Light Cone warp | Summer Rides the Surf, The Finale of a Lie | Only Silence Remains, Perfect Timing, The Story’s Next Page |
If you do decide to chase upgrades for Waveflair, his first Eidolon (E1), A Holiday on the Line, is the stronger buy over his signature Light Cone. E1 raises his All-Type RES PEN by 24 percent and lets him trigger his first Elation Skill immediately when Fervor reaches 10, 20, or 30 points. His signature, Summer Rides the Surf, can be replaced by most other Elation Light Cones except Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures.
The best pull is the one that solves your account’s biggest gap. If your roster is missing a flexible carry, Aventurine Waveflair delivers the widest value and holds up on nearly any team. Ashveil is the pick only when you already run Follow-Up Attack units and want to push an existing composition higher, ideally with the Eidolon and relic investment his ceiling demands.
