In Honkai: Star Rail players are able to build their team from a huge roster of characters, assuming they've been able to acquire them from the Warp Gacha. One character all players can rely on, however, is the Trailblazer.
In Honkai: Star Rail the Trailblazer serves as the main protagonist and the viewpoint character through which players see the game world. By default, the Trailblazer is a physical element character with the Path of Destruction, making them an excellent damage dealer. Their standard moveset offers single target and AOE capabilities, allowing them to be effective against single enemies and groups.
Eventually, the Trailblazer can also gain a fire element variant with the Preservation path, turning them into a more defensive unit that draws enemy attention and applies shields. This versatility of role and element allows them to fit into a bunch of different teams.
Physical Trailblazer
Overview
The Physical Trailblazer, as noted earlier, is a Path of Destruction Character who can dish out single-target damage via their Farewell Hit attack and AOE damage using RIP Homerun.
Whenever they inflict Weakness Break on an enemy, they gain a 10% ATK boost thanks to their Perfect Pickoff Talent. They can also inflict incredible damage using their Ultimate: Stardust Ace, which upgrades Farewell Hit and RIP Homerun into far more powerful "Blowout" versions. This only lasts for one attack, but allows the Trailblazer to dish out some fantastic damage.
Their Technique: Immortal Third Strike, allows them to restore 15% max HP to all allies when outside combat, allowing them to refresh the team and keep them going when navigating larger areas.
Recommended Light Cones
Early on, the Collapsing Sky Light Cone acquired during the tutorial will serve the Trailblazer perfectly, boosting their Basic ATK and Skill DMG by 20%.
Players who acquire "The Moles Welcome You!" Light Cone from the Warp should definitely swap over to that, since it allows players to stack the Mischievous Buff, gaining 12% ATK every time they use a basic attack, skill, or ultimate. This can quickly add up and turn the Trailblazer into an even more formidable threat. Shattered Home can also be a good choice, boosting all damage dealt by 20% when attacking enemies whose HP is above 50%.
Recommended Relics
After unlocking the ability to obtain and use Relics, the Trailblazer can make good use of the Champion of Streetwise Boxing Relic Set. This has a set bonus that enhances Physical Damage and another that provides a stacking attack buff whenever the wearer attacks or is attacked. This can further strengthen the Trailblazer's offensive capabilities, while also taking advantage of their decent durability in combat.
The Musketeer of Wild Wheat set also performs well in the Trailblazer's hands, boosting their Attack power and speed with its set bonuses.
When it comes to Planetary Ornament Relics, players should look out for the Space Sealing Station Set, which boosts the Trailblazer's ATK further and can buff it even more if their speed reaches or exceeds 120.
Early on players won't need to worry too much about the relics individual stats, since they get easier to farm later on and should be focused on then. That said, the preferred stats for the Physical Trailblazer are Physical Damage, ATK%, Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and Speed.
Fire Trailblazer
Overview
After gaining access to the Fire Trailblazer later on in the game, players gain access to a Fire Element, Path of Preservation skill set. With the ability to deal fire damage with their basic attack "Ice-Breaking Light", and strengthen their own damage reduction while drawing aggro with the skill "Ever-Burning Amber", this version of the Trailblazer excels at keeping the rest of the party alive.
Using their basic attack or skill will generate stacks of "Magma Will." Once they reach four or more stacks they are able to unleash an enhanced melee attack, dealing damage to adjacent enemies. Additionally, their Basic Attack, Skill, and Ultimate will all generate team-wide shields that absorb damage equal to 4.8% of the Trailblazer's Defence, +16. While only lasting for two turns, these shields can sustain the team and keep them alive in the face of AOE attacks and other dangers.
The Fire Trailblazer's Ultimate: "Flaming Lance Behind Enemy Lines" deals damage to all enemies equal to 50% of the Trailblazer's attack plus 75% of their DEF, while also applying the enhancement effect to their next melee attack even if they don't have enough stacks of Magma Will.
The Fire Trailblazer also has the Talent: "Call of the Guardian", which allows them to gain a shield at the start of their next battle, which blocks damage equal to 50% of their DEF, +160, for a turn. This allows them to immediately gain a powerful defensive bonus on the first turn of battle, which can be helpful when paired with Ever-Burning Amber to draw enemy aggro and further reduce the incoming damage.
Recommended Light Cones
One of the 3-Star Light Cones that is particularly useful to the Fire Trailblazer is the "Amber" Light Cone. This provides a fantastic boost to the Trailblazer's DEF stat, which is what their skills are boosted by. As it's a 3-Star Light Core, it's also highly likely that players will have ample copies of it to superimpose the Light Cone and amplify its effects even further. The Light Cone grants an extra boost to DEF when the equipped character's HP is at 50% or less, which is handy in a pinch since the Fire Trailblazer specializes in drawing enemy aggro.
Where 4-star Light Cones are concerned, players should look out for Landau's Choice in particular, as it helps the Trailblazer to more efficiently draw aggro while also granting a reduction in damage taken. "Day One of My New Life" is another excellent choice, providing boosts to the DEF stat while also increasing allies' DMG resistance, which greatly aids the Trailblazer in their main job of keeping the team alive. A more unconventional but effective option is "We Are Wildfire!", which provides a DMG reduction boost to the entire team and heals them at the start of battle.
Recommended Relics
Players looking for the best relics for the Fire Trailblazer should be looking out for the Knight of Purity Palace Set. This set provides a defensive bonus with 2 pieces, and the 4-piece set bonus will boost the damage absorption of the shields the Trailblazer creates by 20%. This is a huge boon to a character who excels at putting up shields to defend the rest of the team. For Planetary Ornament Relics, players will want the Belobog of the Architects set. This strengthens the wearer's defense stat by 15% while also granting an extra 15% boost if their Effect Hit Rate is 50% or higher, greatly benefiting the Fire Trailblazer as their skills are strengthened by their DEF. Naturally, when it comes to Relic Stats, players will want to prioritize DEF to further boost the effectiveness of the Trailblazer's skills.#
Honkai: Star Rail is available for PC, IOS, and Android, and is coming at a later date to PS4 and PS5.