This HSR 4.6 Chaos Memory cycle puts everything on slot one and Aha's extra turn. The first character in your lineup gains the Elation technique Elsywave, dealing 100 percent of that character's attribute as Elation damage to all enemies, and at the start of every cycle Aha immediately gains one extra turn that counts 20 Jokes and does not consume any. The character standing in slot one therefore has to be the one who converts Elation best. Applicable version: 4.6 (live 2026-09-28, ends 2026-11-11 06:00)
| Item | Conclusion | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle name | Chaos Memory, Crossing the Afterlife | Official 4.6 notes |
| Closes | 2026-11-02 03:59 | Same |
| Core buff | Slot one gains Elsywave, 100 percent Elation damage | Same |
| Aha mechanic | One extra turn per cycle counting 20 Jokes | Same |
| New relics | Dreamlit Songster and Forbidden Fruit Heretic | Official new-stage notice |
| Next cycle | Chaos Memory, Natural Selection from 11/02 04:00 | Official 4.6 notes |
HSR 4.6 Chaos Memory: who belongs in slot one
Whoever sits in slot one receives Elsywave, the only team-wide Elation technique this cycle, and its damage scales off that character's attributes. Slot one therefore sets the Elation damage baseline for the entire team.
Why the main DPS should not take it
A main DPS invests in their own damage multipliers. Handing them Elsywave means an Elation-damage roll resolved by a character who never stacked Elation, which wastes the buff. Put the highest Elation character, or the character who generates the most Jokes, in slot one and let the carry sit behind.
Why Pearl fits slot one
Pearl is the new 4.6 five-star (Elation, Ice). She spends Applause to shield the whole team, her Ultimate advances one ally's action, and under conditions she grants that ally an extra turn carrying a large amount of Jokes and Applause while healing the team and cleansing debuffs. Slotting her into slot one makes the buff's resolver double as healer and tempo.
HSR 4.6 Aha's Joke economy
At the start of each cycle Aha gains one extra turn that counts 20 Jokes and costs nothing. That sentence matters: your Joke total does not drop when Aha acts, so you effectively get 20 points per cycle for free.
Turning Jokes into damage
Jokes do not add damage directly, they are Elation fuel. What converts them is Elation techniques and characters like Pearl's extra turn. Your team needs at least one character who spends Jokes for output, or those 20 points do nothing.
Ordering around the extra turn
The extra turn is inserted at cycle start, which means you can lay buffs down before your first action. Position buff-appliers where they can act before the extra turn and carries after it; that sequencing moves the ceiling more than raw stats.
HSR 4.6 relics: Dreamlit Songster or Forbidden Fruit Heretic
Dreamlit Songster: two-piece gives 6 percent SPD. Four-piece grants the skill target 16 percent Elation when the wearer uses Skill or Ultimate on another ally for 3 turns, and if the wearer holds 10 or more Applause, it also grants the whole team 12 percent CRIT DMG for 3 turns.
Forbidden Fruit Heretic: two-piece gives 16 percent CRIT DMG. Four-piece increases Basic Attack damage by 36 percent and grants 20 percent ATK for 2 turns when the wearer uses a Basic Attack.
Supports take Songster
Dreamlit Songster's four-piece rewards casting skills and ultimates on allies, which is a support pattern, and it hands out both Elation and team CRIT DMG, matching this cycle's slot-one logic.
Basic-attack carries take Heretic
Heretic is built for basic-attack damage dealers: 36 percent Basic Attack damage and 20 percent ATK on cast beats generic CRIT sets if your rotation is basic-attack heavy.
HSR 4.6: the three endgame timers
The three permanent high-difficulty modes are not aligned. Chaos Memory, Crossing the Afterlife runs to November 2 at 03:59; Apocalyptic Shadow, Dominion of Oblivion runs from October 5 at 04:00 to November 16 at 03:59; Pure Fiction, Forms of Writing runs from October 19 at 04:00 to November 30 at 03:59; and from November 2 at 04:00 Chaos Memory rotates to Natural Selection, which runs to December 14 at 03:59.
Which buff suits which team
Apocalyptic Shadow triggers on weakness break: breaking an enemy that holds Fortified Defense cleanses the team, advances actions and grants Aha an extra turn counting 10 Jokes, while enemies take 25 percent more Ultimate damage and 15 percent more Elation damage, which favors break and burst teams. Pure Fiction grants 1 extra point of Fighting Spirit when you apply a debuff, up to 10 times per enemy, which favors debuff teams.
Why Chaos Memory comes first
Because it closes earliest, on November 2 at 03:59, while the other two run to November 16 and November 30. Doing the expiring content first is the general rule at any version's end.
HSR 4.6: how much time is actually left
Counting from today: Chaos Memory has 7 days left (to November 2), Apocalyptic Shadow 21 days (to November 16) and Pure Fiction 35 days (to November 30). Those come straight from the official dates minus today, not from estimates.
On relics, the new Cavern, Path of the Secret Singer, drops both new sets, and both carry their core effect at four pieces rather than two. Build the support set for your slot-one character before chasing off-pieces for the carry.
HSR 4.6: is this cycle worth building a new character for
Not for one cycle, but the Elation system is worth investing in once. The reason is how the buffs resolve: slot one sets the Elation baseline, and Aha hands out 20 free Jokes each cycle. That structure will keep being reused.
Trade-offs by account type
Own Pearl: put her in slot one and clear comfortably. No Pearl but a strong support: slot the support with the widest buffs and keep the carry behind them. Just started: clear the early floors for baseline rewards rather than chasing full stars.
HSR 4.6 FAQ
Q: When does this Chaos Memory cycle end?
A: November 2, 2026 at 03:59, five weeks after the 4.6 update .
Q: Can I put my main DPS in slot one?
A: Not recommended. Elsywave resolves Elation damage off that character's attributes, so a carry who never stacked Elation wastes it.
Q: Does Aha's extra turn consume the 20 Jokes?
A: No. The official notes state the turn does not consume Jokes, so it is 20 free points per cycle.
Q: How many pieces of the new relics do I need?
A: Four. The two-piece bonuses are transitional; the core effects are on four-piece.
Q: When does the next cycle start?
A: November 2 at 04:00 with Natural Selection, running to December 14 at 03:59.
HSR 4.6 action list
The reason not to slot the carry first is that Elsywave resolves off the holder's attributes, so the carry's damage multipliers never enter that channel. In practice, putting the highest-Elation character in slot one buys an extra turn's worth of value from the same team.
- Clear this Chaos Memory cycle before November 2 at 03:59.
- Put Pearl, or your highest-Elation support, in slot one.
- Bring at least one character who spends Jokes for output.
- Build four-piece Dreamlit Songster on the support.
- Move to Apocalyptic Shadow (to 11/16) and Pure Fiction (to 11/30) afterwards.
Buff-timing breakdowns like this are tracked in the GameHub Honkai: Star Rail section.