A new Pure Fiction phase is now live in Honkai Star Rail, and Lexical Enigma is yet another DoT-centric challenge. Thankfully, there are quite a few Nihility characters that really excel in this Pure Fiction phase that are easy to obtain.
Best Pure Fiction Teams for Lexical Enigma
For this phase of Pure Fiction, enemies will take significantly more damage from DoT sources. Plus, enemies inflicted with DoT effects will have their outgoing damage reduced, and their actions will be advanced forward after they’re attacked so they’ll have more turns and take even more DoT damage as a result.
Since this isn’t the first DoT-themed Pure Fiction phase we’ve seen in Honkai Star Rail, you should already have an idea of which characters work best here. Kafka and Black Swan are the stars of this Pure Fiction cycle, and other characters like Guinaifen, Hook, Sampo, and Serval are great choices as well.
Stage 1
As always, the first stage of a Pure Fiction phase only pits you against level 55 enemies so you should be able to easily score three stars as long as you have high-level units with decent gear. Try these teams to cross the 60,000-point threshold on stage one of Lexical Enigma.
- Team 1
- Kafka
- Serval
- Jingliu
- Acheron
- Team 2
- Black Swan
- Guinaifen
- Asta
- Himeko
The first team relies on Kafka and Serval to inflict DoT effects on enemies while Acheron and Jingliu deal massive damage on their own. Since the enemies are such a low level, you should be able to clear them incredibly fast. Since this team has three Nihility units, the best Cacophony effect is Verification. If you need F2P replacements, then Hook, Pela, and Tingyun are solid alternatives. Just make sure to swap off the Verification Cacophony if you don’t have at least three Nihility units.
The second team is carried by Black Swan and Guiniafen‘s DoT attacks for the most part, but Asta and Himeko can supply a steady amount of Burns to contribute as well. The best Cacophony buff for this lineup is Argument, which will greatly increase Black Swan’s Arcana output. If you don’t have Black Swan or Himeko, then you can swap in Sampo or Hook.
Stage 2
The second stage of Lexical Enigma isn’t too much of a challenge since the enemies are only level 65, so a high-level team will have a huge advantage over them. If you’re struggling to get three stars on stage two, try these lineups.
- Team 1
- Guinaifen
- Hook
- Dr. Ratio
- Gallagher
- Team 2
- Acheron
- Black Swan
- Kafka
- Bailu
The first team’s DoT users are Guinaifen and Hook, who pair nicely with Dr. Ratio since his follow-up attacks rely on status effects and debuffs to increase their hit chance. Gallagher will keep everyone’s HP topped off while also applying a minor buff to Break Effect, which always helps. If you need altenratives for this stage, then Pela and Herta are solid choices since Ice is surprisingly strong here. Use the Argument Cacophony effect with this team to maximize DoT output.
For the second team, Acheron, Black Swan, and Kafka will demolish anything that stands in front of them. They’re the strongest Nihility units in the game, and if you have all three of them, then you already know that. Use the Verification Cacophony buff with this trio. You can swap out Bailu for the healer or shielder of your choice in this lineup. If you don’t have all three recommended 5-stars, then you can use Serval and Sampo as your main DoT DPS units with Tingyun helping with buffs. If you go this route, change to a different Cacophony buff like Argument.
Stage 3
If you use the quick clear function like most people, you’ll start this Pure Fiction phase at stage three. This is where things start to heat up with level 75 enemies, but it’s manageable with the right teams. Try these lineups to score three stars on stage three of Lexical Enigma.
- Team 1
- Acheron
- Serval
- Kafka
- Bailu
- Team 2
- Black Swan
- Guinaifen
- Himeko
- Huohuo
The first team relies on Serval and Kafka to inflict DoT effects while Acheron deals most of the damage. By equipping the Verification Cacophony effect, everyone’s DMG is increased by 60% and their SPD is increased by 30% because there are three Nihility characters on the team. If you need F2P replacements for Kafka and Acheron, then using Pela and Herta alongside Serval will work. Bailu is just there to heal, so you can swap her out for any Preservation or Abundance character of your choosing.
The second team is a classic DoT setup with Black Swan and Guinaifen being the main sources of DoT effects and weakness breaks, which will allow Himeko to attack more frequently and inflict her own Burn effects on enemies. F2P alternatives for this lineup include Sampo in the place of Black Swan and Hook or Asta in the place of Himeko. You can swap out Huohuo with the support unit of your choosing. Go with the Rebuttal Cacophony effect for this team, too.
Stage 4
For the fourth and final stage of Lexical Enigma, you’re up against Kafka and Svarog. This is the toughest battle of this Pure Fiction phase, but the elemental weaknesses for each half allow for the strongest possible team compositions. These are the best lineups to score three stars on stage four of Lexical Enigma.
- Team 1
- Robin
- Clara
- Himeko
- Fu Xuan
- Team 2
- Acheron
- Black Swan
- Kafka
- Huohuo
The first team doesn’t have too many ways to apply DoT effects outside of Himeko’s Burn, so the Argument Cacophony effect is crucial since it applies Wind Shear to all enemies automatically. This lets you ignore the DoT mechanic for this half and let Clara and Himeko output as much damage as possible with Robin buffing and Fu Xuan keeping everyone alive. Strong F2P alternatives for this half include Luka and Guinaifen, but if you go the Nihility route, don’t forget to swap to the Verification Cacophony effect if you have enough characters to qualify for it.
There’s not even that much that needs to be said about the second half. Black Swan, Kafka, and Acheron are the definitive Nihility trio and they make quick work of Svarog and his allies with Huohuo keeping their HP topped off. Verification is the best Cacophony effect for them, of course. If you need F2P replacements, then you can build a solid team with Serval at the core. Just use Sampo, Guinaifen, and Hook to help with DPS and go with the Rebuttal Cacophony effect for additional help with DoT spreading.
