From rare relic combos to hidden combat mechanics, we’ve gathered the answers players keep debating about Honkai: Star Rail-straight from the game’s systems, not the rumor mill.
If you’re unfamiliar with mobile gacha games or are just confused by the terms Honkai: Star Rail uses, we’re here to help. We compiled some of the questions AELGAMES staffers had while playing and answer them below.
What’s the gameplay loop for Honkai: Star Rail?
Honaki: Star Rail’s gameplay loop centers on exploring, then engaging in turn-based combat on a rail-themed RPG map; you progress quests, gather characters and gear, and then enter short, strategic battles where you manage actions, buffs, and jams to defeat foes before repeating with increasing challenges.
Using a party of four characters, you fight enemies using turn-based combat and progress through main story quests and side quests. To power-up your characters and light cones (weapons), you’ll need to fight specific enemies that consume your Trailblaze Power (stamina that refills over time). It becomes a cycle of logging on, doing some dailies, and grinding to strengthen your characters and give them better equips.
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What’s the plot of Honkai: Star Rail?
Players take the role of the Trailblazer, who awakens on Herta Space Station amid chaos from a Stellaron, a destructive seed of disaster implanted by the Stellaron Hunters. Rescued by the Astral Express crew-March 7th, Dan Heng, Himeko, and Welt-they board the star train to pursue these hunters across the galaxy, sealing Stellarons on planets like frozen Jarilo-VI and dreamlike Penacony. Along the way, conflicts arise with factions such as the Interastral Peace Corporation and Antimatter Legion, all while unraveling cosmic secrets tied to godlike Aeons and Paths that define existence.
The Trailblazer (you) mysteriously wakes up after being created with a Stellaron. Stellarons are powerful energy sources that can cause disaster, but the Trailblazer is able to communicate with it and harness its power without doing anything super awful (or so we’ve seen so far). You join the Astral Express crew, who flies around the stars on their train, stopping any disasters about to occur due to Stellarons on different planets.
Do I need to spend money in Honkai: Star Rail to be successful?
No, you do not need to spend money in Honkai: Star Rail to succeed. Free-to-play players clear all content through smart pulls on the Standard Banner, steady stamina use for farming relics and materials, and team builds from the solid roster of free characters. Events and Simulated Universe modes provide ample resources for upgrades, while strong 4-stars like Herta or Gallagher carry teams far. Paid pulls speed progress but rarely decide victories in endgame modes like Pure Fiction or Memory of Chaos.
No. All of the story will be clearable with four-star characters, so you won’t have to spend money to play.
However, advanced content like Simulated Universe and Forgotten Hall will be easier with five-star characters. This doesn’t mean you can’t beat it using lower-rarity characters, though. There are already videos of beta players doing Forgotten Hall with only four-star characters, so it’s not impossible. It will be harder, though.
Is Honkai: Star Rail like Genshin Impact or Honkai Impact 3rd?
Honkai: Star Rail shares characters, art style, and storytelling flair with both Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd, yet it plays very differently. Instead of real-time action combat, it uses a turn-based system that focuses on strategy and team composition. Like Genshin, it features exploration, puzzles, and rich lore, while its sci-fi themes and space setting echo Honkai Impact 3rd’s tone. It blends familiar aesthetics with new mechanics that reward planning over reflexes.
A lot of the similarities between Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd are there because of the mobile RPG genre more than any other reason. Honkai: Star Rail shares a lot of traits with mobile games (including Genshin Impact), such as stamina-based farming and unlocking characters via gacha.
There are a few things that do look almost exactly like Genshin Impact, like the character screen and other UI elements. If you’re familiar with Genshin already, you will be able to quickly adapt to Honkai: Star Rail thanks to the UI layout alone.
The gameplay loop (as talked about above) is very similar to both Hoyoverse titles, but it should be noted that Honkai: Star Rail is not an open-world game and it doesn’t have active multiplayer like how Genshin Impact does.
How do I find Calyx/Stagnant Shadow/Cavern of Corrosion/Echo of War?
You can find Calyx, Stagnant Shadow, Cavern of Corrosion, and Echo of War by progressing through the main story and completing related side quests in the galaxy map, then visiting the relevant star systems and choosing the missions that unlock each domain.
You can find these marked on your map and teleport to them, but since Honkai: Star Rail doesn’t use an open world map, it can be a pain in the butt to find what exactly you’re looking for quickly. We recommend just using the “survival index” tab of the Insterastral Guide, which you can access via the main menu or by tapping the rectangle with a ring around it in the top right corner.
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How do I replenish Trailblaze Power?
Trailblaze Power naturally refills over time, but you can speed it up using Fuel or by leveling up your Trailblaze Rank. Each rank increase restores your full Trailblaze Power, making it a good reason to keep progressing through quests and activities. Fuel items, which can be earned through events or redeemed from stores, instantly restore a set amount as well. Managing these sources wisely helps you maximize your daily rewards and resource farming.
Just be patient. It takes six minutes to recharge one and 18 hours to recharge the full set of 180.
You can also use Stellar Jade to replenish your resin up to eight times per day. 50 Stellar Jade replenishes 60 Trailblaze Power. You can also use Fuel, a reward for completing battle pass missions and other bonuses, to recharge 60 Trailblaze Power.
How do I recharge a technique in Honkai: Star Rail?
Recharge a technique by using purple containers between battles to replenish Technique Points; break them in the overworld to restore points for your team, and then use techniques in the next combat to gain buffs or deal extra effects. Each character’s Technique points refresh gradually, and you can hold a maximum of five points.
You’ll want to hit those glowing purple canisters you see around maps to refuel your technique points. Each one will restore two technique points.
How do raise my equilibrium level?
To raise your equilibrium level, focus on balancing your team’s roles, optimize your gear and matrix setups, and practice turn order awareness to minimize mistakes.
At certain Trailblaze levels (your account level), you will be prompted with a quest to increase your equilibrium level. Doing this will make the enemies around you a bit harder, but it will also allow you to power up your characters more. Just keep leveling up your trailblaze level and pay attention to your quest log to unlock higher equilibrium levels.
Notably, you will need to be at equilibrium level three to start farming any five-star relics.
How do I cook in Honkai: Star Rail?
Cooking in Honkai: Star Rail lets players craft dishes that restore HP or provide temporary buffs during battles. You can cook at designated spots found in cities or camps by selecting recipes from your inventory. Ingredients are gathered through exploration or purchased from vendors, while new recipes are often rewards from quests or exploration achievements. Successful cooking yields different quality levels of dishes, and using characters with specific cooking talents can improve your chances of creating higher-quality meals.
As you progress through the early game, Pom-Pom will teach you how to Synthesize, which is Honkai: Star Rail‘s version of cooking. After he teaches you how, you can access the Synthesize feature from the in-game menu to cook whenever you want, as long as you have the ingredients.
What does the support character in the profile do?
A support character in your profile allows other players to borrow one of your units for their battles, earning you credits or other small rewards when they do. You can choose which character and build to display, making it a way to show off your strongest setup or help friends tackle tougher content. This feature also lets you try out characters from others’ profiles, giving you more flexibility in team composition without owning every unit yourself.
Instead of using four of your own characters, you can borrow other people’s characters, as long as they’re set as their support character. Whoever you set as your support character is who other people can borrow from you.
For example, if I have a fully built Bronya, I can set that as my support character, and other players can borrow her to use in their own battles.
You cannot use support characters in Forgotten Hall or Simulated Universe.
Do your own characters have weaknesses to certain combat types?
Yes, characters in Honkai: Star Rail possess specific weaknesses tied to enemy combat types. Each hero aligns with one of seven paths-Destruction, Hunt, Erudition, Harmony, Nihility, Preservation, or Abundance-and deals amplified damage against foes vulnerable to their path. For instance, a Destruction unit shreds shields from Abundance enemies, while Hunt characters excel at piercing Preservation defenses. Check the in-game codex or team builder tools to match your roster against boss weaknesses for smoother clears.
Nope. Enemies have weaknesses, but your characters don’t, so don’t worry about being countered.
How do I look up a monster’s weakness?
Open the enemy overview screen during battle by selecting the monster. Its weakness chart appears at the top, listing elements it resists or takes extra damage from. Break the highlighted Toughness bars with matching attacks to exploit those vulnerabilities and stagger the foe. Check the data bank afterward for full breakdowns on repeated encounters.
All enemies have their weaknesses displayed above their heads. You can also check enemy weaknesses in the data bank, which is accessible from the main menu.
Which character should I level up first?
Your first priority should be leveling up your main damage dealer, since they carry most battles and make progress smoother. Characters like Seele, Dan Heng, or Jingliu can clear enemies fast, letting you focus resources more wisely. After that, raise a reliable healer or shielder such as Natasha, Bailu, or Gepard to keep your team alive in harder fights. Support units that boost damage or speed can come later, once your main team can handle longer encounters.
It’s up to you, but most of the characters on your team should be leveled up equally. The starter characters given to you are actually pretty useful. The only thing we strongly recommend when starting out is to make sure you either have a shielder or healer on your team. March 7th and Natasha are both given to you for free and fit these roles respectively.
Should I roll on the beginner gacha warp banner?
The beginner warp banner is a great place to start, offering a discounted rate on pulls and guaranteeing a five-star character within a limited number of warps. It’s designed to give new players a strong foundation early, with characters that remain useful well into the game. Since the banner disappears after completion, it’s worth finishing it before moving to regular or limited banners, where luck plays a bigger role.
The consensus is kind of split on whether or not you should do this. The beginner banner is discounted (costing eight Star Rail Passes instead of 10 for 10 pulls). After 50 pulls (40 Star Rail Passes), you’re guaranteed a random five-star character from the regular banner. The regular warp banner allows you to pick a standard five-star character one time, if you do a whopping 300 pulls.
Based on personal experience with regard to Hoyoverse games alone, I would recommend just pulling on the beginner warp using any Star Rail Passes rewarded to you. Do not turn your Stellar Jade into extra passes – only use the passes the game actually hands to you. You can use any extra Star Rail Passes on the standard warp after.
300 pulls is a lot, and if you don’t plan on spending money in this game, it can take a while to amass the Star Rail Passes to hit this goal, even with the bountiful starting rewards Hoyoverse hands out.
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Ultimately, based on Genshin Impact, power creep will be plentiful in Honkai: Star Rail. Whatever characters you get from the the beginner or standard warp will be useful at the start, but it’s a toss up if they’ll be useful in six months or beyond that. That said, if you don’t get the strongest character around at first, maybe the meta will shift and they’ll be more useful down the line.
Whether or not you should use the 40 passes that would go towards the standard warp on the beginner warp is up to you and how much you value specific five-star characters over others. That brings us to the next question…
What Honkai: Star Rail characters are the strongest at launch?
At launch, characters like Seele, Jing Yuan, and Bronya stood out for their high damage output and team utility. Seele specializes in swift single-target strikes with bonus turns that make her dominate boss fights, while Jing Yuan commands powerful area attacks through his Lightning-Lord companion. Bronya boosts allies’ damage and turn order, securing her place as one of the most versatile support units. Together, these characters defined the early meta and set a clear bar for strength in Honkai: Star Rail’s opening roster.
Most players are pointing towards Welt and Bronya being the best standard warp characters because their debuffs and buffs are extremely useful. However, this can change as more characters release over time and the meta shifts.
As of writing this, DPS calculators have Seele and Jing Yuan at the top of the single-target and multi-target charts, respectively. That said, you do not need to pull for these characters, as there are four-star characters, like Sushang and Serval, who can still dish out big numbers when built correctly. These calculators also rely on specific builds and situations that you may not use.
Best team compositions for beginners
Beginner team comps in Honkai: Star Rail emphasize free-to-play characters with strong synergy for early-game content like story missions and Simulated Universe.
F2P Starter Team
Use this versatile lineup available from the prologue: Trailblazer (Destruction Path for DPS), March 7th (Preservation for shields), Dan Heng (Hunt for single-target damage), and Natasha (Abundance for healing).
It covers damage, defense, and sustain while exploiting common enemy weaknesses.
Upgrade Trailblazer first via story rewards for Break Effect focus.
Superimposed Free Team
Swap in Himeko (from preserverance tutorial) for AoE clear and Asta (Sprightly Vonwacq) for Speed buffs: Himeko, Asta, March 7th, Lynx or Natasha.
Himeko shines against mob packs; Asta speeds up turn order for faster breaks.
Ideal for clearing trash mobs and farming Equilibrium trials.
Balanced Mono-Element Option
For specific content like Ice-weak foes: Trailblazer (Harmony via Eikons if unlocked early), Pela (debuffer), March 7th, Natasha.
Pela (free from events) applies debuffs to amp team damage; March freezes enemies.
Prioritize relics boosting Effect Hit Rate and SPD for reliability.
How to build and upgrade Cunning Hares team for beginners
The Cunning Hares refers to the starter faction team in Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ), not Honkai: Star Rail, featuring free-to-play characters like Billy, Anby, and Nicole for beginners.
This squad excels early-game through faction synergy bonuses like +56% crit damage from Amillion Bangboo.
Core Team Setup
Start with Billy (Attack specialty, Physical DPS), Anby (Stun, Electric daze buildup), and Nicole (Support, Ether debuffs grouping enemies).
Billy handles on-field damage with ranged safety; Anby stuns for 150% damage windows; Nicole shreds DEF.
Pair with Amillion Bangboo for crit amps or Booressure for sustain.
Upgrade Priority
Ascend in order: Billy > Anby > Nicole, focusing Core Passives first for stat gains, then Basic Attacks and Ultimates.
Use Dennies on levels, W-Engines (signature for Billy, Marcato Desire A-Rank alternative), and Drive Discs like Woodpecker Electro (CRIT Rate/ATK).
Target ATK%/Crit/DMG for Billy (70-80% Crit Rate), Impact/ER for Anby, ER/utility for Nicole; farm Hollow Zero for materials.
Combat Rotation
Support Nicole opens with grouping/debuffs, Anby builds Daze to stun, then Billy bursts during vulnerability.
Chain Attacks need precise timing (1-3 enemies); prioritize Support Ultimates for team buffs.
Avoid DPS stacking-stick to Attack/Stun/Support trinity for Shiyu Defense clears.
