Understand Dragon's Bane
Useful when…
- Consider it for an Elemental Mastery-focused polearm wielder attacking enemies affected by Hydro or Pyro.
- Use its passive when the party and encounter make the specified enemy aura condition dependable.
Effect and condition
At R1, the weapon increases DMG against opponents affected by Hydro or Pyro by 20%; this rises to 36% at R5. The condition is on the opponent being affected by one of those elements when damage is dealt. The weapon also supplies Elemental Mastery through its secondary stat, which is a separate benefit from the conditional damage increase.
Practical fit
The combination points toward polearm users whose damage or reaction role benefits from Elemental Mastery and whose targets can remain affected by Hydro or Pyro. If the relevant aura is absent when the wielder deals damage, the passive's stated bonus does not apply to that hit. This makes encounter and party application relevant to its value, rather than the weapon being a universal damage increase.
Improvement choices
Ascension advances the weapon through six stages, with example Mora and material costs listed at the first, fourth, and sixth stage transitions. Refinement increases the conditional bonus from 20% to 36% in four increments and consumes another copy per listed step. Prioritize ascension for the weapon's overall levels; refine when the wielder's use of the Hydro/Pyro condition makes the incremental damage bonus valuable.
Compare by role
The Catch offers Energy Recharge plus Elemental Burst DMG and Burst CRIT Rate, so it can better match a Burst-focused polearm role that needs those properties. Ballad of the Fjords grants Elemental Mastery only when at least three different Elemental Types are in the party; unlike Dragon's Bane, its listed condition is party composition rather than enemy aura. Neither comparison duplicates Dragon's Bane's combination of Elemental Mastery and Hydro/Pyro-conditioned damage.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- The passive applies only against opponents affected by Hydro or Pyro.
- Its damage bonus is conditional, so performance depends on maintaining the stated enemy status.
- Refinement consumes copies and only increases the conditional bonus.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the damage bonus applies when the opponent is not affected by Hydro or Pyro.
- Confusing the Elemental Mastery secondary stat with the conditional damage passive.
- Refining it without considering whether the wielder can maintain the required enemy status.