Guide
How the kit works
Tap Riding the Night-Rainbow to rush forward and gain 20 Nightsoul points. It also grants Follow-Up Strike: press Normal Attack to perform a quick Charged Attack without spending Stamina. That attack launches Varesa upward, ready for a plunge.
With By the Horns (NA), a landing gives 25 Nightsoul points if Varesa is in combat or the shockwave hits an opponent. Repeat the Skill and plunge sequence to build points. Reaching the maximum through a plunge enters Fiery Passion. The Skill has two charges, and entering Fiery Passion grants an extra Tap charge with increased Skill damage.
Tag-Team Triple Jump! rewards a quick plunge after the Skill. Its Rainbow Crash effect lasts 5 seconds and adds 50% of ATK to the landing shockwave, or 180% during Fiery Passion. It ends when a ground impact hits an opponent or the duration expires.
Guardian Vent! restores Nightsoul points to maximum and enters Fiery Passion. A plunge during that state activates Apex Drive briefly: use the special Burst before the Skill, since using the Skill ends Apex Drive. The special Burst costs less Energy, ignores the normal Burst cooldown and deals Plunging Attack damage.
Hold the Skill for Sudden Onrush, a movement mode that consumes Nightsoul points. It increases Movement SPD and interruption resistance, and can use terrain for leaps. In Natlan areas with Phlogiston Mechanics, Night Realm's Gift: A Torch That Incinerates Evil lets Varesa maintain the mode with Phlogiston after her points run out.
Build and why
Use four pieces of Long Night's Oath. Its two-piece bonus increases Plunging Attack damage by 25%, while the four-piece effect grants stacks after a Plunging Attack, Charged Attack or Skill hits. Each stack increases Plunging Attack damage by 15% for 6 seconds, up to five stacks. Varesa uses all three moves in her regular sequence.
Four pieces of Obsidian Codex are another option. It increases damage while Varesa is on the field in Nightsoul's Blessing and grants 40% CRIT Rate for 6 seconds after she consumes a Nightsoul point on the field. If you do not have a four-piece set, try two pieces of Long Night's Oath with two pieces of Thundering Fury for Plunging Attack damage and Electro DMG Bonus.
Use ATK Percentage on the sands, Electro DMG Bonus or ATK Percentage on the goblet, and CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG on the circlet. For substats, look for CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK Percentage, Energy Recharge and Elemental Mastery, in that order. Account for the CRIT Rate from Obsidian Codex when choosing pieces.
Vivid Notions is the first weapon choice: it grants ATK and boosts Plunging Attack CRIT DMG through its effects. Kagura's Verity is another option; its Skill stacks increase Skill damage and grant an All Elemental DMG Bonus at three stacks. Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds builds Elemental DMG Bonus over time in battle. Crane's Echoing Call is also worth considering for its party Plunging Attack damage bonus and Energy restoration.
Leveling priority
A useful leveling order is By the Horns (NA) first, Guardian Vent! second and Riding the Night-Rainbow third. The Normal Attack talent covers Varesa's regular plunges, while the Burst supplies another source of damage. The Skill's movement and setup remain useful even when you raise it last.
For full character ascension, collect 420,000 Mora, 168 Skysplit Gembloom, 46 Sparkless Statue Core, 1 Vajrada Amethyst Sliver, 9 Vajrada Amethyst Fragment, 9 Vajrada Amethyst Chunk and 6 Vajrada Amethyst Gemstone. You also need 18 Juvenile Fang, 30 Seasoned Fang and 36 Tyrant's Fang.
To level all talents to their maximum, gather 4,957,500 Mora, 3 Crown of Insight, 9 Teachings of Conflict, 63 Guide to Conflict, 114 Philosophies of Conflict and 18 Eroded Scale-Feather. The talents also need 18 Juvenile Fang, 66 Seasoned Fang and 93 Tyrant's Fang, separate from the ascension costs.
Constellations worth it
Beyond the Edge of Light is the standout upgrade. It lets any Plunging Attack activate Apex Drive, even outside Fiery Passion, and restores 11.5 Energy when the landing hits an opponent. It also increases interruption resistance during Apex Drive.
A Hero of Justice's Triumph is worth considering for its large damage and Energy effects: entering Apex Drive restores 30 Energy, while Plunging Attacks and the Burst gain 10% CRIT Rate and 100% CRIT DMG. It also adds a way to refill Nightsoul points through the Skill.
Undying Passion improves Rainbow Crash so its landing bonus is 180% of ATK even outside Fiery Passion. The special plunge also grants Rainbow Crash. C3 and C5 raise talent levels, so you can leave them aside if you do not want to progress further. Constellations unlock in order, though, so you cannot skip earlier ones on the way to C6.
Teams
Varesa gives the team on-field Electro damage and can hit an area with her plunges. Pick the other slots around the reactions and protection you want rather than expecting her to heal the party.
Common mistakes
Do not press the Skill immediately after a Fiery Passion plunge if you want the special Burst. That removes Apex Drive, so use the Burst during its brief window first.
Do not wait too long to land after the Skill. Rainbow Crash lasts only 5 seconds, and the ground impact must hit an opponent before the effect expires. Also remember that a Fiery Passion plunge consumes all Nightsoul points, ending the state when the points run out.
Do not build only for Charged Attacks because they launch Varesa. Their job in this sequence is also to put her in position for a plunge. Give the Plunging Attack talent and its gear bonuses attention, and leave room for Energy Recharge if you need more frequent Burst access.