Jade enters Honkai: Star Rail with the kind of kit that instantly sparks debate among theorycrafters: a premium damage dealer whose real value isn’t obvious from raw multipliers alone. She’s not a simple “press skill, delete boss” DPS, and that’s exactly why players are split on whether she’s worth heavy investment. Understanding her baseline at E0 is critical before even thinking about Eidolons, especially if Stellar Jade efficiency matters to you.
At her core, Jade is designed to thrive in long-form, wave-based combat rather than quick burst windows. Her performance scales heavily with turn economy, enemy density, and how well the team funnels actions into her damage loop. This makes her feel incredible in the right content and merely decent in the wrong one, which is an important distinction when evaluating her pull value.
Role and Team Function
Jade is a sustained DPS with strong multi-target pressure, excelling when enemies stay alive long enough for her mechanics to fully ramp. She isn’t a hypercarry that demands every buff in the game, but she does want teammates who can stabilize SP usage and keep rotations clean. Think of her less like Seele and more like a calculated grinder that wins by consistency rather than explosive spikes.
In practical terms, Jade fits best into teams built for extended fights, such as Memory of Chaos floors with bulky elites or Apocalyptic Shadow bosses that don’t instantly fold. She appreciates supports that enhance damage over time, action frequency, or provide defensive breathing room, since her value increases the longer she’s allowed to operate uninterrupted. If your account already leans toward sustain-heavy comps, Jade naturally slots in.
Damage Profile and Scaling Behavior
Jade’s damage profile is heavily skewed toward repeated hits rather than single-instance nukes. Her numbers may look modest on paper, but over multiple turns, her total output stacks up quickly, especially in scenarios with multiple targets. This makes her particularly strong in Pure Fiction, where enemy count and turn cycling matter more than raw boss burst.
However, this also means she’s more sensitive to misplays and team inefficiencies. Missed turns, SP starvation, or poor targeting can noticeably drag her DPS down compared to more forgiving characters. Players who enjoy optimizing rotations and squeezing value out of every action will get far more out of Jade than those looking for autopilot clears.
E0 Baseline Performance in Endgame
At E0, Jade is fully functional and endgame-viable, but she doesn’t trivialize content on her own. In Memory of Chaos, she clears comfortably with proper investment and team support, though she may lag slightly behind top-tier hypercarries in low-cycle clears. Her strength shows more clearly in sustained fights where enemies don’t immediately fall over.
Pure Fiction is where E0 Jade truly feels at home. Her ability to consistently apply pressure across waves allows her to rack up score efficiently without relying on perfect RNG or burst timing. Apocalyptic Shadow sits somewhere in the middle, rewarding players who understand her pacing but punishing sloppy setups.
The key takeaway at E0 is this: Jade is strong, stable, and reliable, but not overwhelmingly dominant. She delivers solid returns without Eidolons, which makes her a safe pull for players who value consistency over flash. Whether she becomes a must-pull or a luxury unit depends almost entirely on how much her Eidolons elevate this baseline, which is where the real discussion begins.
How Jade’s Eidolons Scale: Understanding Her Core Mechanics and Power Curves
Once you understand Jade’s E0 baseline, her Eidolons become much easier to evaluate. Rather than redefining her playstyle, most of her Eidolons sharpen what she already does well: sustained multi-hit damage, smoother rotations, and better scaling in long-form content. This means her power curve is steady and predictable, not explosive, which is a huge factor when judging pull efficiency.
Jade doesn’t have a single Eidolon that suddenly turns her into a different character. Instead, her upgrades reward players who already understand her pacing and are willing to invest for consistency rather than flashy spikes. That makes her Eidolons especially relevant for Pure Fiction grinders and MoC players chasing cleaner, lower-variance clears.
E1: Quality-of-Life That Translates to Real DPS
Jade’s E1 primarily improves the consistency of her core damage loop. Whether it’s easier stack generation, higher uptime on her self-buffs, or smoother trigger conditions, this Eidolon reduces friction in her rotations. In practice, this means fewer dead turns and less punishment for imperfect play.
In endgame modes, E1 doesn’t massively inflate her ceiling, but it noticeably raises her floor. Memory of Chaos clears become more stable, and Pure Fiction runs feel less dependent on perfect wave sequencing. For most low spenders, E1 is the first genuinely attractive stopping point.
E2: The First Real Power Spike
E2 is where Jade starts converting comfort into raw performance. This Eidolon directly amplifies her damage output, either through scaling multipliers or enhanced interactions with her core mechanic. The result is a tangible jump in DPS rather than just smoother gameplay.
In MoC, E2 helps Jade keep pace with stronger hypercarries in mid-cycle clears, especially in stages with multiple elites. In Pure Fiction, it boosts her scoring potential enough to brute-force waves that previously required tighter execution. If you’re choosing a single Eidolon to justify extra pulls, E2 is the most universally impactful.
E3 and E5: Incremental, Stat-Based Growth
As expected, E3 and E5 are skill-level increases, and their value depends heavily on how well Jade’s damage is distributed across her kit. Since her output is spread over repeated hits, these Eidolons offer consistent but unexciting gains. They improve what’s already working but don’t change her priorities or team-building.
These are not recommended pull targets on their own. They’re fine bonuses if you’re pushing further anyway, but stopping specifically at E3 or E5 offers poor Stellar Jade efficiency compared to earlier breakpoints.
E4: Scaling Into Longer Fights
E4 reinforces Jade’s identity as a sustained-damage specialist. This Eidolon typically rewards extended combat, better uptime, or enhanced scaling the longer she’s active. In drawn-out MoC boss fights or Apocalyptic Shadow stages, E4 quietly adds up to a meaningful DPS increase.
That said, its value is highly content-dependent. If your account already clears quickly or focuses on burst-centric teams, E4 may feel underwhelming. For players who enjoy Jade’s slower, methodical damage ramp, it’s a noticeable but still optional upgrade.
E6: Win-More, Not Win-Condition
Jade’s E6 is powerful, but it’s also unapologetically a luxury. It pushes her damage ceiling significantly higher and smooths out any remaining inefficiencies in her kit. At this point, she becomes one of the most reliable sustained DPS options across all endgame modes.
However, E6 doesn’t fix a fundamental weakness or unlock a new role. If Jade wasn’t already performing well on your account, E6 won’t magically change that. This Eidolon is for dedicated mains or high spenders who want maximum polish, not for players chasing value.
Overall Eidolon Priority and Power Curve
Jade’s Eidolon scaling is linear, controlled, and honest. E1 improves comfort, E2 delivers the biggest power spike, and everything beyond that is either incremental or indulgent. She remains fully functional at E0, strong at E2, and refined at E6.
For F2P and low-to-mid spenders, the optimal path is clear: enjoy her at E0, consider E1 if you value smoother gameplay, and only push to E2 if you truly plan to main her in endgame content. Anything past that is commitment, not necessity.
Eidolon-by-Eidolon Breakdown (E1–E6): What Each One Actually Does in Practice
To put Jade’s pull value into perspective, it’s important to look at what each Eidolon actually changes during real gameplay. Not damage-per-screenshot testing, but how she feels across MoC rotations, Pure Fiction waves, and longer Apocalyptic Shadow encounters.
E1: Quality-of-Life That You Feel Immediately
Jade’s first Eidolon is all about smoothing her core loop. It reduces the friction around maintaining her Contract and follow-up attack cadence, which means fewer dead turns and less micromanagement of HP thresholds.
In practice, this translates to more consistent damage per cycle rather than a massive DPS spike. You’ll notice it most in MoC, where turn order and uptime matter more than raw burst. It’s not mandatory, but it makes Jade noticeably more comfortable to pilot.
E2: The Real Power Spike
This is the Eidolon that actually changes Jade’s performance ceiling. E2 directly amplifies her follow-up damage and scaling, pushing her from “solid Erudition DPS” into “reliable endgame carry” territory.
In Pure Fiction, this dramatically improves wave clear consistency. In MoC and Apocalyptic Shadow, it tightens her damage floor so bad RNG or awkward rotations hurt far less. If you’re pulling Eidolons for power and not just loyalty, E2 is the breakpoint that justifies the cost.
E3: Numbers Go Up, Impact Stays Flat
E3 increases Talent levels, which on paper looks great for a character built around follow-up attacks. In reality, the damage gain is modest and doesn’t alter how Jade is played or team-built.
You’ll clear slightly faster, but not in a way that changes clear thresholds or unlocks new strategies. This is a classic filler Eidolon: fine to have, poor to chase.
E4: Scaling Into Longer Fights
E4 reinforces Jade’s identity as a sustained-damage specialist. This Eidolon typically rewards extended combat, better uptime, or enhanced scaling the longer she’s active. In drawn-out MoC boss fights or Apocalyptic Shadow stages, E4 quietly adds up to a meaningful DPS increase.
That said, its value is highly content-dependent. If your account already clears quickly or focuses on burst-centric teams, E4 may feel underwhelming. For players who enjoy Jade’s slower, methodical damage ramp, it’s a noticeable but still optional upgrade.
E5: Another Stopgap Upgrade
Like E3, E5 boosts Ultimate levels and provides a clean but unspectacular damage increase. It doesn’t fix any weaknesses or meaningfully improve Jade’s consistency.
This Eidolon exists mostly as a stepping stone toward E6. On its own, it offers some value, but Stellar Jade efficiency here is extremely low.
E6: Win-More, Not Win-Condition
Jade’s E6 is powerful, but it’s also unapologetically a luxury. It pushes her damage ceiling significantly higher and smooths out any remaining inefficiencies in her kit. At this point, she becomes one of the most reliable sustained DPS options across all endgame modes.
However, E6 doesn’t fix a fundamental weakness or unlock a new role. If Jade wasn’t already performing well on your account, E6 won’t magically change that. This Eidolon is for dedicated mains or high spenders who want maximum polish, not for players chasing value.
Major Power Spikes vs Minor Gains: Identifying the True Breakpoints
Now that each Eidolon has been examined in isolation, the real question becomes value. Not every upgrade that increases damage is worth Stellar Jade, especially when endgame content rewards consistency, thresholds, and clear-speed breakpoints more than raw numbers.
Understanding where Jade actually spikes in power versus where she simply scales is the difference between a smart pull plan and an expensive regret.
What Actually Counts as a Power Spike in HSR
In Honkai: Star Rail, a true breakpoint does one of three things: it unlocks new team comps, fixes a reliability issue, or meaningfully changes clear thresholds in MoC, Pure Fiction, or Apocalyptic Shadow.
If an Eidolon only makes damage numbers bigger without affecting rotations, uptime, or consistency, it’s a minor gain. For Jade specifically, this distinction is critical because her baseline kit is already functional at E0.
E1–E2: The Only Real Value Breakpoints
E1 is Jade’s first noticeable spike. It smooths her follow-up attack flow and improves consistency, which directly translates to more reliable damage in real combat rather than just higher DPS in a vacuum.
E2 is the defining breakpoint. This is where Jade stops feeling conditional and starts feeling complete. Her damage becomes more stable across different enemy counts and fight lengths, making her far easier to slot into endgame teams without tailoring the entire comp around her.
If you’re pulling Eidolons for performance rather than favoritism, E2 is the stopping point that actually justifies the cost.
E3 and E5: Purely Incremental Gains
E3 and E5 are textbook filler Eidolons. They increase Talent and Ultimate levels, which technically raises damage, but not in a way that changes gameplay, rotations, or team-building.
You won’t suddenly clear a cycle faster or survive a tighter MoC timer because of these upgrades alone. For F2P and low spenders, these Eidolons are easy skips and should never be pull targets.
E4: Strong, but Only in the Right Content
E4 sits in an awkward middle ground. It can be impactful in longer encounters where Jade’s sustained damage profile has time to ramp, particularly in boss-heavy MoC floors or Apocalyptic Shadow stages.
However, it doesn’t help her burst faster, doesn’t improve early-cycle clears, and doesn’t fix any weaknesses. If your account already clears comfortably or favors fast, explosive comps, E4 may feel invisible despite its theoretical strength.
E6: Maximum Polish, Minimal Efficiency
E6 is undeniably strong, pushing Jade’s damage ceiling and making her one of the smoothest sustained DPS units in the game. Everything flows better, hits harder, and feels more reliable.
But it’s also the definition of a win-more Eidolon. Jade doesn’t need E6 to function, and it won’t salvage an account where she already struggles. This is an upgrade for mains and whales, not a value target.
Pull Priority Reality Check
Jade is fully playable at E0 and genuinely strong at E2. Everything beyond that is scaling, comfort, or luxury rather than necessity.
For players optimizing Stellar Jade efficiency, the path is clear: stop early, invest elsewhere, and let Jade do what she already does well.
Endgame Impact Analysis: MoC, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow Performance by Eidolon
With pull priorities established, the real question becomes how each Eidolon actually translates into clears across Honkai: Star Rail’s three endgame pillars. MoC, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow all stress Jade in very different ways, and her Eidolons don’t scale evenly across them.
What follows is a mode-by-mode reality check, focused on cycle count, consistency, and how often an Eidolon actually changes an outcome rather than just inflating damage numbers.
E0: Baseline Performance Across All Modes
At E0, Jade is fully functional but matchup-dependent. In MoC, she performs best on mixed or multi-wave floors where her sustained damage has time to breathe, but she can feel tight on cycle timers against tanky single bosses.
Pure Fiction is her weakest mode at E0. Without extra triggers or acceleration, her damage curve ramps too slowly to compete with true AoE specialists unless the turbulence heavily favors her mechanics.
Apocalyptic Shadow is where E0 Jade feels the most comfortable. Longer fight durations and predictable boss patterns let her damage profile shine without needing Eidolon support.
E1: Consistency Boost, Not a Mode Changer
E1’s main contribution is smoothing Jade’s output rather than raising her ceiling. In MoC, this translates into slightly safer clears where RNG or wave timing would otherwise force a reset.
Pure Fiction barely notices E1. Enemy density and turn compression still outpace what this Eidolon offers, making it largely irrelevant to score thresholds.
In Apocalyptic Shadow, E1 adds stability across extended phases, reducing downtime between damage windows but rarely shaving off an entire phase by itself.
E2: The First True Endgame Breakpoint
E2 is where Jade’s endgame performance visibly shifts. In MoC, this is often the difference between barely scraping a 10-cycle clear and comfortably finishing a cycle earlier with room for mistakes.
Pure Fiction benefits more than expected from E2. While Jade still isn’t a top-tier wave nuker, the increased uptime and damage frequency let her contest mid-to-high score brackets instead of falling behind immediately.
Apocalyptic Shadow sees the most value. E2 accelerates her damage ramp so significantly that boss HP thresholds are reached earlier, reducing the number of dangerous mechanics you have to play through.
E3 and E5: Invisible in Practice
In all three modes, E3 and E5 are functionally unnoticeable. The extra Talent and Ultimate levels don’t meaningfully change breakpoints, cycles, or survivability thresholds.
You won’t see a MoC star you couldn’t get before, nor will Pure Fiction scores suddenly spike. These Eidolons pad spreadsheets, not clear screens.
Apocalyptic Shadow likewise remains unchanged, with phase counts and clear times staying effectively identical.
E4: Long-Form Content Specialist
E4 starts to matter in MoC only on boss-centric floors with extended uptime. When fights go long, the extra sustained damage can push clears from borderline to consistent.
Pure Fiction still largely ignores E4. The mode’s emphasis on immediate AoE and turn compression means sustained scaling rarely has time to activate.
Apocalyptic Shadow is where E4 finally justifies itself. Longer boss phases allow the Eidolon’s value to stack, resulting in smoother clears and fewer failed attempts due to DPS falloff.
E6: Comfort, Speed, and Overkill
At E6, Jade becomes universally strong across all endgame modes, but not equally efficient. MoC clears become faster and more forgiving, often allowing sloppy rotations without punishment.
Pure Fiction finally sees meaningful gains, with Jade able to compete in higher score tiers thanks to sheer output and improved flow. Even then, she’s strong rather than dominant.
In Apocalyptic Shadow, E6 is pure luxury. Bosses melt faster, mechanics matter less, and clears feel effortless, but nothing here requires E6 to achieve full rewards.
What Actually Changes Your Endgame Results
Across all three modes, E2 is the only Eidolon that consistently changes outcomes rather than comfort. It reduces resets, tightens cycle counts, and expands Jade’s viability without over-investment.
Everything beyond E2 improves how Jade feels, not what she can clear. That distinction is crucial for anyone measuring pulls in Stellar Jade instead of attachment.
Pull Priority & Stopping Points: Best Eidolon Targets for F2P, Light Spenders, and Dolphins
Now that the mechanical impact of each Eidolon is clear, the real question becomes practical: where should you stop pulling? For most players, this isn’t about maxing Jade, but about extracting the highest possible performance per Stellar Jade spent.
This is where theory meets wallet reality, and where smart stopping points matter far more than raw numbers.
F2P Priority: Stop at E0 or Commit to E2
For fully F2P players, Jade at E0 is already a complete, endgame-viable unit. She clears MoC comfortably, performs reliably in Apocalyptic Shadow, and only falls behind in Pure Fiction due to mode bias rather than personal weakness.
E1 is not a stopping point. It improves consistency but doesn’t meaningfully change cycle counts, scoring thresholds, or team flexibility, making it a poor use of limited pulls.
If you are going to chase Eidolons as F2P, E2 is the only defensible target. It directly impacts real clears by smoothing rotations, lowering reset frequency, and allowing Jade to function in harsher lineup constraints. Anything beyond that is functionally unreachable without sacrificing future banners.
Light Spenders: E2 Is the Sweet Spot
For monthly pass and occasional top-up players, E2 represents Jade at her most efficient. This is where her damage profile, rotation flow, and endgame reliability all snap into place without excessive cost.
E2 allows more aggressive team building in MoC, tighter clears in Apocalyptic Shadow, and more forgiving mistakes during execution. You feel the power immediately, not just on spreadsheets.
Pushing past E2 into E3 or E4 is where value starts to drop. E4 can help in longer boss fights, but it’s conditional and mode-dependent, making it a luxury rather than a priority.
Dolphins: E4 for Specialists, E6 for Comfort
For dolphins willing to invest but still value efficiency, E4 is the furthest you should realistically consider. It improves Jade’s sustained damage in extended encounters and stabilizes clears in Apocalyptic Shadow, especially against high-HP bosses with multiple phases.
However, E4 does not suddenly redefine Jade’s role. It smooths performance rather than expanding her ceiling, and Pure Fiction still won’t reward the investment meaningfully.
E6 is for players who want Jade to feel flawless. Faster clears, looser rotations, and brute-force solutions replace careful planning, but nothing in the game requires this level of investment to full-clear content.
Recommended Stopping Points at a Glance
If you want maximum value, stop at E0 and save your pulls. Jade is already strong, flexible, and future-proof without Eidolons.
If you want the strongest return on investment, aim for E2. This is the point where Jade stops being merely good and starts changing outcomes.
If you’re chasing comfort or attachment, E4 and E6 deliver exactly that, but understand you’re paying for ease, not necessity.
In Honkai: Star Rail, smart pulling is about respecting opportunity cost. Jade rewards discipline far more than excess, and knowing when to stop is what separates efficient accounts from bloated ones.
Eidolons vs Light Cone Investment: Where Your Stellar Jade Is Better Spent
Once you’ve identified your Eidolon stopping point, the next real fork in the road is whether Jade’s power spikes are better bought through dupes or her Light Cone. This decision matters more than it looks, especially for F2P and low spenders trying to stretch every banner cycle.
The short version is that Jade is unusually Eidolon-driven early, then flips into Light Cone efficiency later. Understanding where that line is will save you thousands of Stellar Jade over the lifespan of your account.
Why Jade’s E1–E2 Compete Directly With a Light Cone
Jade at E0 is fully functional, but her damage curve is rotation-sensitive and unforgiving. Early Eidolons don’t just add stats; they directly smooth her gameplay loop, increasing uptime, consistency, and real-world DPS.
E1 is a modest boost, but E2 is the turning point. It improves how often Jade can access her strongest damage windows, which translates into faster MoC clears and less reliance on perfect RNG or turn order.
By comparison, a signature Light Cone at S1 mostly amplifies numbers Jade already has. It does not fix rotation friction or execution mistakes, which is why E2 often feels stronger than pulling a cone first.
Signature Light Cone Value: Strong, but Not Mandatory
Jade’s signature Light Cone is undeniably powerful. It offers higher damage ceilings, better scaling into relic optimization, and more comfortable clears once your account is already stable.
However, its impact is incremental rather than transformational. If Jade’s rotations are already clean, the cone shines. If they aren’t, you’ll still feel the same pain points, just with bigger crit numbers.
This is why for most players, especially those below E2, the Light Cone is a win-more option rather than a fix-all upgrade.
E3–E4 vs Light Cone: Where the Math Starts to Flip
Once you’re past E2, Eidolon value drops sharply. E3 is a standard trace bump, and E4 only shines in long, high-HP encounters like Apocalyptic Shadow boss phases.
At this stage, a signature Light Cone starts to outperform further Eidolon investment in terms of raw Stellar Jade efficiency. It boosts Jade in every mode, every team, and every future relic upgrade you make.
If you’re choosing between E3 or the Light Cone, the cone almost always wins unless you are specifically targeting extended boss content.
Mode-Specific Impact: MoC, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow
In Memory of Chaos, E2 does more than a Light Cone for most accounts. Faster rotations mean tighter cycle clears, which matters more than theoretical DPS.
Pure Fiction barely rewards Eidolons or the Light Cone. Jade’s performance there is dictated by kit compatibility, not investment depth, making heavy spending inefficient either way.
Apocalyptic Shadow is where the Light Cone gains ground. Longer fights allow its scaling to shine, and the consistency it provides stacks well with E2 or E4 rather than replacing them.
Pull Priority by Account Type
For F2P players, the optimal path is E0 with a strong free or standard Light Cone, or E2 with no signature cone. Pulling both is almost always too expensive for the return.
For low spenders, E2 first, then evaluate the Light Cone on a rerun. This sequencing gives immediate power and future flexibility without locking you into one banner.
For dolphins, E2 plus the signature Light Cone is the most balanced endpoint. Anything beyond that is about comfort, not efficiency, and should be treated as a luxury choice rather than a power necessity.
Final Verdict: Is Jade Worth Eidolon Investment or Best Left at E0?
After breaking down every breakpoint, rotation gain, and mode-specific payoff, the answer is refreshingly clear. Jade is fully functional at E0, spikes hard at E2, and then rapidly transitions into luxury territory. How far you go should be dictated by your account needs, not by chasing theoretical DPS ceilings.
The E0 Reality Check: Strong, Stable, and Self-Sufficient
At E0, Jade already does her job in every endgame mode. She clears Memory of Chaos within cycle thresholds, functions smoothly in Apocalyptic Shadow with proper sustain, and doesn’t demand perfect relic RNG to feel playable.
What you don’t get at E0 is forgiveness. Missed crits, awkward speed tuning, or delayed ult timings are more punishing, but the baseline power is there. For F2P players, this is a rare case where stopping early doesn’t feel like settling.
E1–E2: The Only True Power Spikes
E1 is a quality-of-life upgrade disguised as damage. It smooths rotations, stabilizes energy flow, and reduces the number of dead turns that can cost you a MoC cycle. On its own, it’s nice but not mandatory.
E2 is where Jade fundamentally changes. Faster ult access, tighter skill loops, and higher effective uptime translate into real-world clears that are one to two cycles faster, not just prettier damage screenshots. If you are ever going to invest in Eidolons, this is the stopping point with the highest return per Stellar Jade.
E3–E4: Mode-Specific Gains, Not Account-Changing
E3 is exactly what you expect: a trace bump that pads numbers without altering how Jade plays. You’ll notice it on bosses, but you won’t feel it in your rotation.
E4 has a niche. In Apocalyptic Shadow or extended boss phases, the added scaling stretches Jade’s damage curve and rewards longer uptime. In MoC and Pure Fiction, however, the impact is minimal, making it a poor general investment unless you specifically care about high-HP encounters.
E5–E6: Whale Comfort, Not Competitive Necessity
E5 is another standard trace increase, and by this point, returns are heavily diluted. You’re paying premium currency for marginal gains that don’t unlock new clears or strategies.
E6 is powerful, but also brutally inefficient. It smooths RNG, increases ceiling consistency, and makes Jade feel incredible to pilot, but it doesn’t open content that E2 or E4 couldn’t already handle. This is a passion pull, not a rational one.
So, Is Jade Worth Eidolon Investment?
If you’re F2P, Jade is best left at E0 or pushed to E2 if you commit fully. Anything beyond that will starve future banners for very little competitive gain.
For low spenders, E2 is the sweet spot and the end of the value curve. Pair it with smart relic farming and a flexible Light Cone plan, and Jade will age gracefully across patches.
For dolphins and collectors, E2 plus the signature Light Cone is the optimal endpoint, with E4 as a situational bonus. E6 is about loving the character, not beating the game.
In a meta where Stellar Jade is tighter than ever, Jade rewards discipline. Pull with a plan, stop at E2 if you go in at all, and remember: Honkai: Star Rail doesn’t punish restraint, but it absolutely punishes overcommitment.