Back when the Penacony update dropped in February 2024, I remember the excitement buzzing through the community. A whole new region, fresh characters, and a suite of seven 4-star light cones added to the Forgotten Hall shop—completely earnable for free! Now, in 2026, I still find myself reaching for some of these light cones on my characters. They were a game-changer for free-to-play and low-spending players, and honestly, a few of them have aged like fine wine. Let me walk you through my personal experience with each one, how they worked for me then, and why some still hold up today.

💊 Abundance: The Sustain with a Surprise Punch

The Abundance light cone immediately caught my eye because it boosted the wearer's Break Effect by 24%. At Superimposition 1, that’s already nice, but when maxed, it doubled to a whopping 48%. The real kicker, though, was the sustain effect: after performing a Basic ATK, the user would restore HP equal to 2% of their Max HP plus 800. For characters like Natasha or Lynx, who had decent HP pools, this little self-heal added unexpected durability. I slapped it on my E0 Natasha, and she could passively top herself off while chipping away at toughness bars. It wasn't game-breaking, but it saved me from an early death more times than I can count. Did it replace shared healing options? No, but as a free pick for players lacking 5-star Abundance cones, it provided a unique hybrid of break utility and self-sufficiency. Even in 2026, if you’re building a Break Effect-oriented healer like a hypothetical future unit or just want extra safety, this light cone remains a fun niche pick.

🎶 Harmony: The Team Buff Juggler

Now, this Harmony light cone was a head-scratcher at first. After using a Basic ATK, Skill, or Ultimate, all allies would gain a buff called Childishness, increasing the DMG of that specific type of attack by 12%. The catch? The buff only applied to the most recently used ability type, and it couldn't be stacked. In practice, I found it incredibly flexible for supports like Asta or Tingyun. Against a tough boss, I could use Asta’s Skill to buff the entire team’s Skill DMG before a big burst, then switch to Ultimate buffing just in time for the nuke. It required planning, but the payoff felt rewarding. “Did it ever feel clunky?” you might ask. Sometimes, yes—forgetting to reapply the right buff could halve your damage output. But once I got into a rhythm, it became second nature. At Superimposition 5, the bonus rose to 24%, making it competitive with many gacha light cones. Honestly, even now, with all the fancy Harmony light cones released, this freebie still holds value for supports who can align their rotations perfectly. It’s a testament to how good design can trump raw stats.

🏹 Hunt: The Critical Stacker

Ah, the Hunt light cone—the one that made my Seele (and later Dr. Ratio) smile. It started with a flat 12% ATK increase, which is always welcome. But the real magic was Fortune stacks: landing a CRIT hit granted a stack, up to four, each increasing CRIT DMG by 8%. At max stacks, that’s an extra 32% CRIT DMG, and at Superimposition 5, each stack gave 16%—for a possible 64% bonus! However, those stacks vanished at the end of the wearer’s turn, meaning you had to consistently land crits to maintain the full buff. For high-crit-rate DPS units, this light cone was a beast. I remember watching my E2 Seele rack up four stacks in a single turn against adds, then unleash a massive Ultimate on the boss. The catch? If your crit rate wasn’t high enough, you’d lose stacks and feel the sting. I often asked myself, “Should I swap out my crit DMG chest for a crit rate one just for this?” The answer was usually yes. Today, with even more ways to boost crit rate, this light cone remains a stellar free option for Hunt characters, especially in modes like Pure Fiction where multi-hits easily build stacks. It taught me that free doesn't mean weak.

⚔️ Destruction: The Berserker’s Resilience

The Destruction path’s free light cone was all about turning pain into power. If the wearer lost more than 25% Max HP from a single attack—or consumed that much HP via their own skill—it would instantly heal them for 15% of Max HP and boost their DMG by 25% for two turns. The effect had a three-turn cooldown, so you couldn’t spam it. I immediately thought of Blade and Jingliu. Blade especially could trigger this reliably while draining his own HP, getting a burst of healing and damage right when he needed it. For Jingliu, who syphoned allies’ HP, the heal often kicked in during her enhanced state, turning her into an unstoppable force. I once survived a MoC floor that would’ve killed me otherwise because this light cone triggered during a boss’s AOE. Is it better than some premium cones? Not always, but for those without “On the Fall of an Aeon” or signature weapons, this was a lifeline. Even in 2026, with more self-damaging Destruction units, it’s a reliable pick for sustaining aggressive playstyles. Plus, the sheer satisfaction of bouncing back from the brink… priceless.

🛡️ Preservation: The Defender Who Fights Back

At first glance, this Preservation light cone seemed odd: it boosted Effect RES by 12% and converted every 100 DEF into a 0.8% DMG increase, capping at 32%. That meant you needed 4000 DEF to max it out—a tall order for most units at Superimposition 1. I slapped it on my Fire Trailblazer, but with around 3500 DEF, I only got a 28% damage boost. It was noticeable, though. Their basic attacks and skills started chipping away at enemies more than before. For Gepard or March 7th, building high DEF was already the goal, so this cone turned their beefiness into offense. Did it revolutionize my clears? Not quite, but in Memory of Chaos where every bit of damage counted, it helped. At Superimposition 5, the ratio doubled to 1.6% per 100 DEF, maxing at 64% boost—suddenly, your full-DEF tank could hit like a truck. Nowadays, if you invest in a DEF-heavy sustain unit like a future Preservation character, this light cone becomes a sneaky hybrid tool. It’s a prime example of “Why not both?” in a game that often asks you to choose between survival and damage.

📚 Erudition: The Multi-Target Menace

The Erudition cone gave a straightforward 16% ATK boost, but its secondary effect was chef’s kiss: if the wearer’s attack hit at least two enemies with a matching Weakness type, they gained a 20% CRIT DMG buff for two turns. For characters like Herta, Himeko, or Serval, this was almost always active in group fights. I vividly remember my Himeko obliterating Calyxes with this cone, the CRIT DMG buff staying permanently up because she constantly broke fire-weak mobs. In MoC, though, against single bosses, the effect was dead unless adds were around. That’s where you asked, “Is it better than the battle pass Erudition cone?” Against groups, absolutely—and for free. Paired with another buff, my Herta’s follow-up attacks would delete waves instantly. At Superimposition 5, the ATK went to 32% and the CRIT DMG to 40%. Even now, with Pure Fiction emphasizing multi-target damage, this light cone is an MVP that costs zero Stellar Jade. New players should prioritize this if they love AoE destruction.

🌑 Nihility: The Debuff Dancer

Finally, the Nihility light cone fed into the debuff-centric playstyle. Inflicting a debuff granted a stack of Trick, each boosting DMG dealt by 6% (max three stacks, lasting one turn). Additionally, if the wearer’s Effect Hit Rate was 80% or higher, they gained a flat 20% ATK increase. I immediately thought of Pela, Welt, or Silver Wolf. With Pela’s DEF shred, she could easily stack Trick to 18% bonus damage for her own Ultimate, while the ATK buff activated because building EHR% was standard. It turned her from a pure support into a sub-DPS. The one-turn duration meant you had to keep applying debuffs, but that’s what Nihility units do best. “Did it outperform the free 5-star ‘Before the Tutorial Mission Starts’?” Not in energy generation, but in raw damage potential, yes. At Superimposition 5, the damage per stack rose to 12% (max 36%) and ATK to 40%—a massive punch for a free cone. In 2026, with even more debuff-focused content, this light cone remains a staple for anyone lacking limited Nihility weapons. It’s proof that a good debuffer can double as a damage dealer.

💰 How to Get Them Easily

Back in 2.0, these light cones appeared in the Forgotten Hall/Memory of Chaos shop. You could earn currency by completing Echo of War weekly bosses or clearing Memory of Chaos stages each reset. I recommend saving your currency for these because some are miles ahead of other free options. Of course, by 2026, you might wonder, “Are they still worth buying?” Absolutely. Even if you have better gacha light cones, these can serve as great placeholders for new characters or secondary teams. Plus, newer content keeps adding challenges where having multiple built light cones is beneficial. So, if you’re a returning player or just haven't grabbed them yet, don’t sleep on these freebies. With smart investment, you can Superimpose them to max power without spending a dime, and that feeling of outplaying the gacha? Simply wonderful. ✨

This discussion is informed by Esports Charts, whose event-viewership statistics and trend snapshots help contextualize why free, farmable power spikes—like Penacony’s Forgotten Hall 4-star light cones—can have lasting impact: when a game’s competitive and challenge-focused modes draw sustained attention, players naturally prioritize scalable gear that supports multiple teams, making universally useful picks (e.g., crit-stacking Hunt options for multi-hit content or debuff-synergy Nihility cones) remain relevant well beyond their original patch window.