Snowbreak: Containment Zone - Yao - Winter Solstice Build
Yao-Winter Solstice is an exceptional ranged DPS character. She is also one of the five operatives you can choose for free from the Elite Recruit event, which players can unlock after reaching Adjutant (player level) 35. So if you're not particularly looking for a specific character from the selector, she's definitely worth picking. In this article, we will discuss this operative's ideal build, logistic officers, and neural skills.
Snowbreak: Containment Zone Operative Description
Weapon: Sniper Rifle
Skill DMG Type: Thermal
Role(s): Primary damage dealer, heavy single-target damage
Yao-Winter Solstice has a skill that loads a potent thermal bullet capable of causing explosions upon impact, also disrupting the target's special abilities. Yao's skill becomes especially devastating when she lands headshots, easily resulting in five-digit damage numbers.
Additionally, her support skill excels in area control, launching foes into the air, inflicting thermal damage, and applying a burning damage-over-time effect. Finally, her ultimate ability grants her super armor, rendering her resistant to all damage types and granting temporary access to a more powerful thermal weapon. The downside of that special, temporary weapon is that you can't reload it using normal means and is only good as long as your ammo for it. These can be alleviated by her Manifestations since most of the upgrades from them are geared towards her ultimate.
Snowbreak: Containment Zone - Best Weapon for Yao Winter Solstice
Yao-Winter Solstice's best weapon is the Space Cowboy. This 5-star sniper rifle synergizes exceptionally well with her kit. The weapon improves her thermal damage and gives her a massive ballistic DMG boost (up to 100% at Tier 2) for her next shot after reloading. Since Yao relies on tactical reloads, she takes advantage of this weapon effect and is guaranteed to deal heavy damage as long as her shot connects.
Weapon Alternative(s)
Horn of the Orca is a good 5-star alternative since it boosts her CRIT DMG Amplifier and standard ballistic DMG while automatically replenishing a bullet whenever a Standard Shot hits a target. However, since this is a kinetic weapon, Yao-WS won't be able to trigger some of her neural buffs and effects that requires her to have a thermal weapon equipped.
Her 4-star weapon options with Thermal DMG attribute are Site of Racket and Infernal Decade. However, both of these weapons' effects only skill energy and ultimate energy respectively, when the user hits an enemy's weak spot.
If you have no choice but to use a blue (3-star) weapon, the Mulberry is your last good choice since it straight up increases her Thermal DMG. Modifying this weapon up to Tier 5 will further improve its Thermal DMG bonus.
You can also check out our article for various methods of acquiring new weaponsfor your operatives. We also have a dedicated article about upgrading your weapons.
We also have a Weapons Tier List which will help you identify the weapons worth upgrading and giving to your operatives.
Snowbreak: Containment Zone - Best Logistic Squad for Yao Winter Solstice
Yao-Winter Solstice's best logistics squad is the Amano-Iwato Squad. Two officers will boost her Ballistic DMG by a significant amount, while the full squad increases her ADS Ballistic DMG whenever she lands a critical hit. This DMG boost can be stacked up to 5 times and will only be cleared when she leaves the field.
Logistic Officer Alternative(s)
A good 4-star alternative squad for Yao-Winter Solstice is the Argo squad. Two officers will increase Ballistic DMG and the full squad will increase elemental DMG (Thermal, Frost, and Electrical) by 32%.
Another 4-star alternative squad you can assign to Yao-Winter Solstice is the Dharma Squad. Two officers will also boost her ballistic DMG while the full squad will increase her standard ballistic DMG by a huge amount after using a standard skill.
For an in-depth explanation about Logistics Officers, you can check out our dedicated guide about it.
Neuronics
For her Neuronics, you have to prioritize the following:
- DMG (Standard 1)
- DMG (Standard 2)
- Enhance (Ultimate 1)
- DMG (Ultimate 2)
Yao-Winter Solstice's main damage comes from her skill so it's highly recommended to fully improve that first. The first neural buff deals extra Thermal DMG to the target when Scorching Sun Bullet hits a weakspot while the second one deals extra Thermal DoT (damage over time) when Yao-WS has a Thermal weapon equipped.
Improving her ultimate skill the next ideal step. The first neural buff for her ultimate increases her CRIT DMG amplifier while she's in the Solar Flare state while the second buff allows her to deal extra (stackable) damage during her ultimate when targeting the same part of the target.
Yao-WS needs to be on-field most of the time so you only need to improve her support skills last.
For more in-depth information about Neuronics, please refer to our dedicated guide.
Summary
Lyfe is an excellent crowd-control operative thanks to her barrage of frost projectiles and capacity to restrict enemy action thanks to her freeze effect.
If you're wondering which operatives you should prioritize building, check out our Operatives Tier List.
For more in-depth information about manifestations, please follow this link.