Honkai: Star Rail is the latest title of HoYoverse, Genshin Impact‘s developer. The game features many similarities, but beginners can also get lost in some other parts of Honkai without knowing a few useful tips.
The title is set in a futuristic and post-apocalyptic universe. Releasing on April 26, it’s coming seven years following the previous installment in the license.
Related: Honkai: Star Rail gameplay explained
While exploration mechanics and the gacha model are similar to Genshin‘s, the combat system is entirely different. It’s turn-based and emphasizes strategy based on time management and element synergy.
Here is a beginner’s guide to help players get accustomed to the game’s particularities and progress further.
Beginner’s Guide of Honkai: Star Rail
Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started in the latest Honkai title. From gameplay elements to resource management, simple tweaks will make you life easier in the game.
Spend Stellar Jade carefully
Stellar Jade is one of Honkai’s most precious resources. It’s the equivalent of Genshin‘s Primogems, which means it’s one of the most efficient ways for players to pull for new characters.
For those who don’t know how it works, characters can be obtained in three different ways. Some of them are free and locked behind some of the game’s content, while others are in Limited or Standard Banners.
The Limited Banners rotate, which means characters are only available temporarily, contrary to Standard Banners. It makes them more valuable and you’ll want to keep your Stellar Jade to pull for the characters who are of the highest priority for you.
It means when the game will show you the first banners as a beginner, it’ll suggest you convert your Stellar Jade for Standard Tickets, but it’s not the best idea since Standard Banners are less valuable than Limited ones.
Related: How the pity system works in Honkai: Star Rail
Still, if the Standard Banner includes a character you want at all costs, you can use the resource this way, it’s all a matter of personal preference, too. In addition, you’ll earn Standard Tickets through many ways in the game, while Stellar Jade is a resource harder to come by.
Come up with a level-up strategy
That’s another tip Genshin players should already be aware of. Getting a character is only the first step; afterward, you’ll have to gear them and level them up. It’ll force you to focus more on some characters than others, or they’ll be stuck on certain level gaps pretty quickly.
While characters aren’t hard to level up and gear up at first, it becomes harder and harder as this number rises, similar to most other games.
You’ll need a lot of resources to max them up, so your best bet will be to come up with a solid team of four characters you’ll get to the highest level (or one or two characters you’ll be able to insert in every team if you don’t like to stick with one team for too long) and then focus on the others. The levels and gear matter immensely for the character’s strength, so this aspect shouldn’t be underestimated.
Pay attention to the character’s rarity
This is complementary to both previous tips. Similarly to HoYoverse’s flagship title, characters in Honkai have either a four-star or five-star rarity. Generally, that refers to their overall strength in the game.
Five-star characters will feature better stats and will be the main focus of your teams, which means you’ll end up building up four-star around those few rare characters.
It’s recommended to think of them as your main priorities rather than four-star ones. In the end, however, the game is relatively balanced, which means even a team of four characters from lower rarity will allow you to complete the game’s content without too many hurdles. Again, your personal preference is also key to having fun in Honkai.
Don’t leave with your Trailblaze Power maxed out
Trailblaze Power is the equivalent of Resin in Genshin Impact. Trailblaze Power is used for earning rewards that’ll help level up and gear up your characters. It’s a natural way of limiting your daily progression, so you can’t get burnt out and farm the whole content in a day.
You have a maximal amount of Trailblaze Power available at once and then, it regenerates over time, as much as one point every six minutes.
It also signifies that Trailblaze Power is an incredibly precious resource since you won’t be able to make your characters stronger once you’ve spent it all.
Don’t underestimate Relics
Genshin players are likely not into Artifact farming, which is one of the game’s most-dreaded mechanics. But it’s back in the latest Honkai title, under the name of Relics. Those items are key in the characters’ gear.
Several of them can be equipped. If numerous pieces of the same set are geared on the same character, they’ll offer bonus effects, in addition to stat bonuses. The stat bonuses shouldn’t be underestimated: they can be incredibly strong.
But those are determined randomly, which means you’ll likely have to farm up numerous Relics before getting those with the best stats for your favorite characters. They’re worth grinding, though, because once you get a good one and level it up, you’ll be able to equip it on your main characters, even when you switch teams. The main stat of Relics is the most important part to get right.
