Honkai: Star Rail Starter Builds

May 17, 2023

Genshin Impact developer’s new game — Honkai: Star Rail started with its best foot forward, bringing even more accounts to the count. Still, beginners are wondering what equipment to give their characters. There are some excellent options, surprisingly. Here are the general Relic sets and alternative Light Cones to give you characters initially.

Musketeer of Wild Wheat

This is a widespread set you can get just about anywhere. You’ll be drowning in multiple pieces of this set when you enter the third planet, meaning there’s more than enough to equip your DPS characters.

It increases ATK with two pieces. With four, it boosts the wearer’s speed by 6% and their Basic ATK DMG by 10%. As a general effect, it’s excellent for DPS characters, no matter their path or element. Of course, the elemental Relics would still be better regarding damage output. Still, players with Honkai Star Rail accounts would want those to be of yellow quality, so it’s not advisable to farm it early.

Thief of Shooting Meteor

This is another ubiquitous set in the game. You can earn it as a reward for some puzzles or get them from quests. It increases the Break Effect, and the 4-set doubles that and lets the wearer regenerate energy when they break the enemy’s weakness.

You can equip this to your support characters meant to break toughness along with their other abilities. It can also work for DPS characters, but much less than the above set.

Knight of Purity Palace

You can get a blue quality (17) and a purple quality (32-35) set from leveling up the Trailblaze Level. Get them from Pom-Pom when you reach those milestones. These are perfect for your Path of Preservation units (March 7th or Gepard, if you’re lucky). It increases the wearer’s DEF and increases the DMG their shields create.

Passerby of Wandering Cloud

It’s a set perfect for your healer, and you get it in purple quality through Trailblazer Level rewards (26-27). So far, only Natasaha or Bailu will benefit from this set (mostly the former since she’s a free character). Still, it’s a load off your back as you don’t need to farm for better stuff for a while. Plus, it provides an extra Skill Point at the beginning of the battle.

Champion of Streetwise Boxing

You can buy a purple set from Boulder Town’s Underground shop. Each piece costs 100 Shields. Still, it’s a good set for any of your Physical DPS (Destruction MC, Sushang), and you don’t have to farm for it (much). Shields are easy to get as long as you do side quests in Jarilo-VI.

An Elemental Set for Your Main DPS

You can farm this and enhance the set until you can get gold-quality pieces. This will make them more effective even at lower levels, and you don’t have to farm for your other characters yet. Still, you can only do this once you unlock the Cavern of Corrosion, which can hold out until the above condition.

Also, with RNG, you’ll get either good main stats with bad substats or the reverse, so farming will be for the long haul. Purples with that combination would be excellent for farming and decent enough to enhance.

Effective Light Cones

Even four-star Light Cones can be rare, as you often only get one every 10 Warps or in specific chests. You can also buy some from the Forgotten Hall Light Cone Manifest (4-stars) and the Simulated Universe shop (5-star and Superimposer). Still, you can use several 3-star ones with surprisingly excellent effects. Percentages and values in parenthesis are the Superimposition V values.

  • Arrows (Hunt): Increases the wearer’s Crit Rate by 12% (24%) for 3 turns at the beginning of the battle.

  • Darting Arrow (Hunt): Increases the wearer’s ATK by 24% (48%) for 3 turns after defeating an enemy.

  • Collapsing Sky (Destruction): Increases the wearer’s Basic ATK and Skill DMG by 20% (40%).

  • Mutual Demise (Destruction): If the wearer’s HP <80%, increases Crit Rate by 12% (24%).

  • Sagacity (Erudition): Increases the wearer’s ATK by 24% (48%) for two turns after using their Ultimate.

  • Data Bank (Erudition): Increases the wearer’s Ult DMG by 28% (56%).

  • Chorus (Harmony): Increases allies’ ATK by 8% (16%) upon entering battle. It cannot stack with similar effects.

  • Hidden Shadow (Nihility): After using a skill, the user’s next Basic ATK will deal an additional DMG equal to 60% (120%) of ATK to the enemy.

  • Loop (Nihility): Increases the user’s DMG dealt to Slowed enemies by 24% (48%).

  • Amber (Preservation): Increases DEF by 16% (32%). If the wearer’s HP reaches <50%, it boosts DEF by another 16% (32%).

  • Cornucopia (Abundance): Using a Skill or Ultimate increases their Outgoing Healing by 12% (32%).

For 4-star Light Cones, here are the best ones to use:

  • Dance! Dance! Dance! (Harmony): When the wearer uses their Ultimate, their allies’ actions are Advanced Forward by 16% (24%).

  • Only Silence Remains (Hunt): Increases the wearer’s ATK by 16% (32%). If there are two or fewer enemies, it increases Crit Rate by 12% (24%).

  • The Seriousness of Breakfast (Erudition): Increases the user’s DMG by 12% (24%). Every time they defeat an enemy, their ATK increases by 4% (8%), stacking up to 3 times.

  • We Will Meet Again (Nihility): After using the Basic ATK or Skill, deals extra DMG equal to 48% (96%) to a random enemy attacked.

  • Trend of the Universal Market (Preservation): Increases the wearer’s DEF by 16% (32%). If they’re attacked, there’s a 100% (120%) base chance of the enemy getting a Burn status. The DoT will deal 40% (80%) of the wearer’s DEF for 2 turns.

  • Warmth Shortens Cold Nights (Abundance): Increases the wearer’s max HP by 16% (32%). The Basic ATK or Skill restores all allies’ HP by 2% (4%) of their respective max HPs.

While getting Light Cones from the gacha is a mixed bag, 4-stars are better stat-wise than 3-stars. Unless you prefer the latter’s effects, switching once you get an excellent 4-star (not just the ones listed above) is better.

Remember, Don’t Invest Too Early!

Reserve your EXP materials until you’re 100% sure you’ll be using that Relic set or Light Cone for a long time (to the endgame, even). Sure, your characters will only be working with a bit of efficiency. Still, at least when something better comes along, you have enough resources to make it catch up.

Also, while these are recommended Light Cones, others can be tailor-made to a specific character (usually the one depicted on it). You can use that instead if you already have it. With these recommendations, you won’t need to use HSR services.