Starting out on some games can be a lot for some people, and Honkai: Star Rail is no different. The game may be a turn-based game, but there are plenty of mechanics players can use to leverage their performance in battles. For example, simply knowing how to farm properly or even how to get an advantage before a fight can be immensely helpful.
The following tips and tricks are catered for beginner Honkai: Star Rail players who'd like to be one step ahead of their fellow Trailblazers.
7 Understand Character Path
There are a total of seven Paths in Honkai: Star Rail. To summarize, here’s what each Path does:
- The Destruction : DPS that has decent survivability
- The Hunt : Squishy single-target nuker
- The Erudition : Multi-target DPS
- The Harmony : Buffer
- The Nihility : Debuffer
- The Preservation : Defense character that protects their teammates
- The Abundance : Healer
Not only does Path dictate a character’s role in combat, but players also get a slight ease in farming as each Path shares a material. This applies to both Light Cone (weapon) and a character’s Trace (skill). For example, Arlan and MC would share the same material as they’re both Destruction characters. All weapons from this class will also use the same item.
6 Attack The Enemy Before Fighting
There are plenty of benefits from properly attacking an enemy before a fight. First, players can hit the enemy’s weakness (listed under their name) to immediately reduce the enemy’s toughness once the battle started.
Second, players can also use certain Techniques to make the fight faster. For example, Natasha’s Technique can weaken the enemy, which will protect the team. Meanwhile, characters like Asta and Arlan can deal considerable damage to enemies; Asta can even defeat the enemies without a fight just by using her Technique before battle!
5 Learn Enemy’s Weakness Break
Other than before the battle, players can also see the enemy’s weakness once the fight begins. Breaking the enemy’s toughness will delay their action. In a normal fight, this is not too important, but against a strong boss, this action delay can help immensely.
Additionally, players would also want to pay attention to a character’s efficiency at breaking weakness. For example, MC’s Skill can reduce the enemy’s toughness by a larger amount to the primary target, while the reduction is lower to adjacent enemies. Characters with multi-hit like Jing Yuan and Asta are also excellent as each hit would reduce the enemy’s toughness. However, their mechanic is slightly more complex, so it’s crucial to understand how to maximize their ability.
4 Five Skill Types
There are five types of Skills in Honkai: Star Rail. Each of these Skills, except the Technique, can be leveled through the Traces system.
- Basic ATK : Can be used unconditionally and will restore one skill point.
- Skill : Has extra effect and better damage, but requires one skill point.
- Ultimate : Needs enough energy to cast and can be used outside the character’s turn.
- Talent : Passive ability that will trigger automatically in battle.
- Technique : Can only be used outside a fight.
Unlike in Genshin Impact where passives automatically unlock upon a character’s Ascension, in Honkai: Star Rail, players have to unlock them via the Traces system. Meanwhile, the Talent level can be leveled up simply to increase its effect.
3 Technique and Skill point
Both Skill and Technique have their own sets of points that can be used to cast them. Skill points can be recovered by using Basic Attack while Technique point requires players to destroy a "purple object" in the open world. Note that each area has a different appearance of the purple object, but if the item is glowing in purple, it’s likely one that’ll recover Technique points.
A Basic Attack will restore one Skill point while destroying the purple object will restore two Technique points. Initially, players will start with a lower capacity of Technique points, but it’ll increase to five once they reach the required level.
2 Utilize Techniques
Techniques can only be used outside a fight, so players must use them before initiating a battle. There are different effects players can get from using this ability. Most characters simply deal damage to the enemy, but some others have a more unique effect. Here are some examples:
- Trailblazer : Restore 15% HP to the entire team
- Dan Heng : Increases his own ATK
- Bailu : Apply the Invigoration effect, which heals the character when they got hit
- Seele : Become invisible and immediately get an enhanced attack at the start of the battle
1 Destroy And Investigate Everything
In the open world, there are different types of objects that can be destroyed:
- Common object : Grants Credit and/or synthesize material
- Purple object : Restores two Technique points
- Green object : Heals the entire team
However, in the Simulated Universe, a common object would instead give currency that can be spent in the Simulated Universe. This challenge also demands players to use existing objects more strategically. For example, since there aren’t many purple objects in the domain, players should save their Techniques until a hard battle, so if there’s a purple object before an elite stage, players can do something like:
- Fight the easy enemy
- Use two Techniques to prepare for the next battle
- Destroy the purple object to restore points
This way, players will maintain five Technique points even after fighting the elite boss. A method like this is handy to ensure players won’t run out of points before a hard fight.
Additionally, new players would also want to explore the world as much as possible. Investigating objects can lead to some unique events like quests or simply one that grants a reward. Players can even get Stellar Jades from certain Investigated objects.
Honkai: Star Rail is currently in development for Android, iOS, and PC, with the game being expected to release in spring 2023, most likely on April 26.