I often find myself staring at the Preservation characters in my roster, their shields shimmering like fragile glass under the crimson glow of simulated universe battles. These stalwart defenders—March 7th with her frost-etched barriers, Aventurine’s gilded gambler’s armor—have been my constant companions through quantum tides and imaginary storms. Yet lately, their once-unbreakable bastions feel... quieter, overshadowed by the whispering frost of new Remembrance units arriving with Version 3.4. The meta shifts like desert sands in Xianzhou Luofu, and I can’t help but wonder: are we witnessing the twilight of Preservation’s golden age?

The Shieldbearers' Silent Vigil

My fingers trace the holographic roster—five guardians standing like sentinels across elements. March 7th’s ice crystals still bloom in perfect hexagonal patterns during her ultimate, yet I notice newer players often bench her for flashier Harmony buffers. Gepard’s cryo fortress once made my team invincible during early Memory of Chaos runs; now it shatters quicker against Break Effect-focused enemies.

Preservation’s Pantheon:

  • ❄️ March 7th (4★ Ice): The tutorial shieldmaiden

  • 🔥 Fire Trailblazer (5★): Molten taunts that saved my team in Kafka’s domain

  • 🛡️ Gepard (5★ Ice): My first 5-star, his ultimate’s frostbite still lingers in my muscle memory

  • 🌌 Fu Xuan (5★ Quantum): The damage-redirecting paradox

  • 🎲 Aventurine (5★ Imaginary): Last year’s masterpiece, his dice still rolling critical shields

When Memory Outshines Armor

The new Remembrance units arrive like snowflakes carrying ancient secrets. Ice Trailblazer’s glacial rebuke during last week’s Pure Fiction run left my screen frosted over—literally, my GPU struggled with their particle effects. Leaked data about 5★ March 7th’s Remembrance variant haunts me; will she abandon Preservation entirely for this new Path?

Remembrance’s Rising Stars:

  • ❄️ Ice Trailblazer: Freeze mechanics that make Yanqing’s arrows look quaint

  • 🦢 Aglaea: Her ultimate’s memory fractals rearrange enemy weakness bars

  • ⏳ Castorice: Delayed damage that blooms like time-lapsed flowers

I’ve started slotting Aventurine into Break Effect teams as a relic of his versatility. His follow-up attacks sync beautifully with Firefly’s HP-draining onslaughts, but when Amphoreus’ Erudition meta demands AoE nuking... even his best shields can’t protect him from benchwarming.

Aeons’ Whims and Meta Winds

The Preservation drought since Aventurine’s debut feels heavier than Jarilo-VI’s eternal winter. I console myself by studying Hoyoverse’s patterns—three Paths tethered to Amphoreus, none being Preservation. My guildmates whisper about Version 3.8’s rumored Fire Preservation knight, but how long must we wait?

Current Support Path Releases (Last 12 Months):

Path New 4★ New 5★
Harmony 3 2
Abundance 1 1
Preservation 0 0
Remembrance 2 3

Perhaps Qlipoth, the Preservation Aeon, simply slumbers. I imagine their stone hands still cradling March 7th’s first shield fragment—a relic from when survival meant more than breakneck DPS races.

FAQ: Guardians’ Last Stand

Q: Is Preservation obsolete now?

A: Not yet! Aventurine remains S-tier in Super Break teams. Shields still counter heavy AoE battles—try Fu Xuan against Swarm Disaster’s bug waves.

Q: Should I pull for Remembrance characters?

A: If you love control/debuff playstyles. Aglaea’s memory locks make her perfect for delaying boss ultimates.

Q: Will old Preservation units get buffs?

A: Leaks suggest Fire Trailblazer’s Eidolon rework in 3.6. Copium? Maybe. But hope burns eternal behind Gepard’s ice walls.

As I log off tonight, Aventurine’s dice still glint in my inventory—a gambler’s promise that Preservation’s next roll might be critical. The shields may crack, but guardians never truly fall; they merely await their Aeon’s call to rise again.