Understand Harbinger of Dawn
Useful when…
- Adding CRIT DMG through the weapon’s secondary stat.
- Gaining conditional CRIT Rate while the wielder remains above 90% HP.
How does its condition work?
The weapon grants CRIT DMG as its secondary stat. Its passive increases CRIT Rate only while the wielder’s HP is above 90%: 14% at refinement 1, rising to 28% at refinement 5. The threshold is strict; at 90% HP or lower, the passive condition is not met.
When should you consider it?
It can suit a sword wielder who values CRIT DMG and can keep HP above 90% during the relevant combat. If damage taken drops HP to the threshold or below, the conditional CRIT Rate is lost. Assess the weapon by whether that condition is reliable for the way the wielder is used, not by the passive’s maximum value alone.
Refinement and tradeoffs
Refinement raises the conditional CRIT Rate from 14% to 28% across ranks 1–5 and consumes a duplicate sword. Ascension raises the weapon through six stages. Refinement improves the passive but does not change its HP threshold, so copies are less useful if the wielder often falls to 90% HP or below.
Other sword effects
Absolution provides CRIT DMG and a damage effect when Bond of Life value increases; it has a different trigger. Amenoma Kageuchi grants Energy after using a Burst when Skill seeds were accumulated. Aquila Favonia grants ATK and has a damage-taking trigger. These alternatives do not share Harbinger’s above-90%-HP CRIT Rate condition.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- The CRIT Rate effect is conditional on HP being strictly above 90%.
- Refinement raises the conditional bonus but does not make it active at lower HP.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting the passive CRIT Rate when the wielder is at exactly 90% HP or below.
- Refining for a larger conditional bonus without accounting for how often HP falls below the threshold.