Best Sushang build and skills in Honkai: Star Rail

Sushang is the best four-star DPS character in Honkai: Star Rail. She is a Physical-type that hails from The Xianzhou Luofu alliance and belongs to The Hunt path, specializing in dealing high single-target damage.

Sushang’s skills in Honkai: Star Rail

What makes Sushang stand above other four-star DPS characters like Dan Heng is the combo of her skill and ultimate. It allows her to get multiple turns and deal huge damage to an enemy. This tactic is an important aspect of her kit, making her a good pick for boss battles.

To realize her full potential, you should itemize her correctly with the appropriate Light Cone, Relic Set, and fully-leveled Traces. You must focus on increasing her damage numbers through these external items.

All of the stats mentioned below are from a level one Sushang. They might increase as you upgrade his Traces and Eidolons

Basic attack: Sushang deals Physical damage equal to 50 percent of her ATK to a single enemy
Skill: Sushang deals Physical damage equal to 105 percent of her ATK to a single enemy. There is also a 33 chance to trigger Sword Stance on the final hit, dealing additional Physical damage equal to 50 percent of her ATK to the enemy. If Sushang successfully hits an enemy with weakness break, the Sword Stance is guaranteed to trigger.
Ultimate: Sushang’s ultimate deals Physical damage equal to 192 percent of her ATK to a single enemy and immediately gives her the next turn. Moreover, Sushang’s ATK increases by 18 percent, and using her skill has two extra chances to trigger Sword Stance for two turns. The Sushang’s Sword Stance triggered from these extra chances deals 50 percent of the original damage.
Talent: When an enemy has their weakness broken on the field, Sushang’s SPD increases by 15 percent for two turns.
Technique: Sushang immediately attacks the enemy. Upon entering the battle, Sushang deals Physical damage equal to 80 percent of her ATK to all enemies.

By activating Sushang’s Traces through Ascension, you will be able to bolster her damage by a huge margin. Hence, remember to ascend her as soon as your Equilibrium Level increases.

Guileless (Ascension 2): When Sushang’s current HP is on the 50 percent mark or falls below it, she has a reduced chance of being attacked by the enemies.
Riposte (Ascension 4): For every Sword Stance triggered by Sushang, the damage dealt by the Sword Stance increases by two percent. It can stack up to 10 times.
Vanquisher (Ascension 6): If there are enemies on the field with weakness break after using Sushang’s basic attack or skill, her action is advanced forward by 15 percent.

Whenever you get a duplicate Sushang from the Warp pull, you can use it to unlock her Eidolon Resonance skills.

Cut With Ease: After Sushang uses her skill against a weakness broken enemy, you regenerate one skill point.
Refine in Toil: After triggering Sword Stance, the damage taken by Sushang is reduced by 20 percent for one turn.
Rise From Flame: Increases the levels of Sushang’s ultimate and talent by +2 each with a maximum possible increase limit of level 15.
Cleave With Heart: Sushang’s break effect increases by 40 percent.
Prevail via Taixu: Increases the levels of Sushang’s skill and basic attack by +2 and +1 with a maximum possible increase limit of level 15 and level 10 respectively.
Dwell Like Water: Sushang’s talent SPD boost is stackable up to two times. After entering a battle, Sushang immediately gets one stack of her Talent SPD boost.

Sushang’s best build for Honkai: Star Rail

Light Cones

You can get Sushang her signature four-star Light Cone, Swordplay. The effect of this Light Cone complements Sushang’s playstyle perfectly. If you do not get this Light Cone from Warp pulls, you can try out other options like River Flows in Spring, Subscribe for More, and Return to Darkness. You should focus on those Light Cones that can help increase the damage dealt by Sushang.

Swordplay

Rarity: Four Stars
Path: The Hunt
Ability: For each time the wearer hits the same target, damage dealt increases by eight percent. It can stack up to five times and the effect gets dispelled when they change targets.

River Flows in Spring

Rarity: Four Stars
Path: The Hunt
Ability: After entering battle, increases the wearer’s SPD by 12 percent and damage by 24 percent. When they wearer take any damage, the effect will disappear. It will resume after the end of their next turn.

Subscribe for More

Rarity: Four Stars
Path: The Hunt
Ability: Increases the damage of the wearer’s basic ATK and skill by 24 percent. This effect also increases by an extra 24 percent when their current energy reaches its maximum level.

Return to Darkness

Rarity: Four Stars
Path: The Hunt
Ability: Increases the wearer’s CRIT Rate by 12 percent. After a CRIT Hit, they have a 16 percent fixed chance to dispel one buff from the target enemy. This effect can only trigger once per attack.

Relics

Relics are items characters can equip in Honkai: Star Rail. Depending upon the character’s role, there are different Relic Sets suitable for them. The best core Relic Set for Sushang is the Champion of Streetwise Boxing, which includes Relics for her Head, Body, Feet, and Hands. For Planar Sphere and Link Rope, you can equip her with either the Space Sealing Station or the Celestial Differentiator.

Champion of Streetwise Boxing

Two-piece set bonus: Increases Physical damage by 10 percent.
Four-piece set bonus: After the wearer attacks or is hit, their ATK increases by five percent for the rest of the battle. It can stack up to five times.
Cavern: Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Jabbing Punch
Location: Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone, Jarilo-VI

Space Sealing Station

Two-piece set bonus: Increases wearer’s ATK by 12 percent. If their speed is 120 or more, it raises ATK by a further 12 percent.
Location: Simulated Universe, Herta’s Office, Herta Space Station.

Celestial Differentiator

Two-piece set bonus: Increases the wearer’s crit rate by eight percent. When the wearer’s crit rate reaches 80 percent or higher, increases their basic attack and skill damage by 20 percent.
Location: Simulated Universe, Herta’s Office, Herta Space Station.

Since Sushang focuses solely on dealing single-target damage, you need to pair her up with characters that can take care of other roles. A tank like Fire Trailblazer and Gepard should be the frontline. You can also get a multi-target damage dealer like Himeko or a debuff specialist like Welt in your team. The final spot can be taken up by the healer.

You can check out our guides on how to best build the two healers, Bailu and Natasha in Honkai: Star Rail.