Honkai Star Rail Beginner’s Guide: Tips and Tricks

Honkai Star Rail features a number of new systems and concepts players will want to acquaint themselves with as they begin their journey through space. Here is our beginner’s guide offering Honakai Star Rail tips and tricks to get you started on the right foot.

Note: We’ll have a Honkai Star Rail guides and features hub once the game has officially released, so stay tuned.

Tips and tricks to get beginners ready for Honkai Star Rail

As you familiarize yourself with the various aspects of Honkai Star Rail, you’ll discover that certain activities yield the exciting rewards you seek. It’s important not to spend too much time in any one mode. Rather, you want to devote your time to those pursuits that offer the greatest rewards in the moment while pushing you toward your next great milestone.

Always be a trailblazer

The Trailblaze level impacts progression throughout the game’s various modes and will serve as a roadblock if you don’t give it your full attention. Every time you level up your Trailblaze level, visit Pom-Pom on your ship to receive rewards such as stamina refills, summon skills, Light Cones, and credits. For every 10 or so Trailblaze levels gained, you can access new Upgrade Missions that enhance your Equilibrium Level. This strengthens your foes so they drop better loot once defeated.

It’s all about character…

Characters advance by gaining levels. They eventually hit a level cap and must ‘ascend’ to keep improving. Ascension requires you to have a sufficient Trailblaze level.

Independent of levels, characters grow their stats by equipping items known as Light Cones. You can improve them in exchange for materials, or ‘superimpose’ them by combining multiple items of the same type. Especially at higher ratings, Light Cones offer passive effects you’ll want to apply to your character. However, you should make sure your characters have an affinity for a given Light Cone before equipping it (that is, they need to be following the same path). Otherwise, you’ll potentially waste resources.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

As characters level up, they access skills known as Traces that include stat enhancements and character-specific abilities. You control the order in which they progress along the skill tree. To start, focus on activating and leveling up those skills that suit your play style. You can learn the other ones later.

Relics are another consideration. Some offer special effects when you complete sets. Whether working independently or as part of a set, relic types affect particular stats. Items worn on the hands boost ATK performance. Headgear improves HP. More varied effects apply to body components, including useful stats such as hit rate. Boots impact movement. Equipment gains a new stat every 3 levels and can support up to 4 substats. After that, as you continue to upgrade your equipment, those 4 substats continue improving. The very best relics only tend to drop once your player hits level 50 or so, which somewhat limits the value of any relic grinding you do ahead of that point.

Eidolon is a final factor to keep in mind. Over the course of play, you’ll acquire duplicate characters. Use those duplicates to upgrade your character a total of up to 6 times. Each upgrade adds unique effects to a character, including enhancements to existing skills. Different characters learn different powerful abilities.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

A fighting chance

It’s important to remember how turn-based combat works in Honkai Star Rail. Players typically have several active abilities and a passive skill. Outside of combat, characters possess field skills they can use to initiate combat on their terms. For instance, they might buff players or debuff enemies right as the battle commences.

Enemies have different elemental affinities. Study them before engaging, in order to ensure the heroes have the easiest time routing their foes. Early in the fight, you want to hit elemental weaknesses and drain their shield (the white top bar) so your attacks are more effective from the start.

Not the same old story

You can complete quests to progress the story, or to strengthen your character. Your ability to advance is tied to your Trailblaze Level. In addition to quests that move the plot along, there are other types that fall into different categories and offer exciting rewards:

• Simulated Universe awards up to 10,000 weekly points that function as a sort of currency you can use toward desired equipment.
• Calyx (Golden) provides EXP Materials and Credits.
• Calyx (Crimson) campaigns make Trace materials available.
• Stagnant Shadow provides access to ascension materials.
• Cavern of Corrosion quests provide various Relics.
• Echoes of War events are available only 3 times each week (save them for the end of the week so you are stronger and can attempt more challenging events).
• Forgotten Hall provides access to a 15-floor challenge area known as Memory. Clear it to access the Memory of Chaos environment, which offers more substantial rewards and resets on a bi-weekly basis.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Be miserly with your resources

Make sure to quickly come to terms with how currencies work in Honkai Star Rail. You can spend various currencies to summon characters using banners. Save your premium currency, known as stellar jade, for limited character banners you can’t otherwise draw. More common currency that you acquire during standard play can be applied toward standard banners and (rarely) Light Cores.

Likewise, don’t waste materials leveling up characters you can’t see yourself using in the long term. Instead, devote your resources to the standout characters with strengths that matter. That way, you can find success in more challenging events that require high-level warriors without having to grind more than necessary.

Focus your play to earn maximum rewards

To progress rapidly through the game, focus first on clearing available daily quests. After that, continue advancing the story (provided your characters are ready for any related missions). Your Trailblaze Level may prevent you from advancing if you don’t complete a good variety of activities along the way. Always spend available stamina, so that any lapsed time works toward refilling your supply.

Honkai Star Rail is available via its official website.