During GamesCom 2024, HoYoVerse released a new trailer for Honkai: Star Rail, teasing new character Feixiao and the upcoming Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works collaboration. More details on both will appear closer to the release date.

You can watch the Honkai: Star Rail GamesCom trailer here:

It’s also available in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

The trailer starts with Guinaifen describing Feixiao’s exploits on the battlefield, though she can’t really remember everything. Feixiao actually appears to defeat a borisin about to attack, but she’s just asking for directions. Then, the trailer temporarily shifts to an anime style to show Pom-Pom, Caelus, March, and Dan Heng on the Astral Express. They hear a kind of explosion noise and though you can’t see who appeared on the train, it’s most likely to be EMIYA between his voice and the line he says.

The Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works collaboration event will come out some time in Summer 2025. At this point in time, we don’t know if the crossover will only be skins, or if we will actually get a playable character like how Aloy appeared in Genshin Impact. As for Feixiao, she will be a 5-star Wind Hunt character. Before her debut though, we have her subordinate Jiaoqiu coming out in the second phase of Version 2.4. He’ll be a 5-star Fire Nihility who specializes in a unique DoT.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Feixiao will appear as a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail Versioin 2.5.

The post Honkai: Star Rail GamesCom Trailer Teases Feixiao and UBW appeared first on Siliconera.

During GamesCom 2024, HoYoVerse released a new trailer for Honkai: Star Rail, teasing new character Feixiao and the upcoming Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works collaboration. More details on both will appear closer to the release date.

You can watch the Honkai: Star Rail GamesCom trailer here:

It’s also available in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

The trailer starts with Guinaifen describing Feixiao’s exploits on the battlefield, though she can’t really remember everything. Feixiao actually appears to defeat a borisin about to attack, but she’s just asking for directions. Then, the trailer temporarily shifts to an anime style to show Pom-Pom, Caelus, March, and Dan Heng on the Astral Express. They hear a kind of explosion noise and though you can’t see who appeared on the train, it’s most likely to be EMIYA between his voice and the line he says.

The Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works collaboration event will come out some time in Summer 2025. At this point in time, we don’t know if the crossover will only be skins, or if we will actually get a playable character like how Aloy appeared in Genshin Impact. As for Feixiao, she will be a 5-star Wind Hunt character. Before her debut though, we have her subordinate Jiaoqiu coming out in the second phase of Version 2.4. He’ll be a 5-star Fire Nihility who specializes in a unique DoT.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Feixiao will appear as a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail Versioin 2.5.

The post Honkai: Star Rail GamesCom Trailer Teases Feixiao and UBW appeared first on Siliconera.

A new event focused on trashcan photography will appear in Honkai: Star Rail, and it is called The Self-Accomplishment of a Trashcan Photographer. It will run August 7-19, 2024, and HoYoVerse revealed the unlock requirements.

The event will take place across multiple stages in Honkai: Star Rail, and players must use their photography skills to capture trashcan pictures. The trashcans are special ones added for the event, with three varieties making appearances within the crowds. Bronze trashcans will award someone 100 Capture Points, silver 150, and gold 200, with the gold offering a bonus for capturing its special poses. These Capture Points can then be used to obtain rewards, including up to 500 Stellar Jades and leveling items.

To take part in the trashcan photography event, Honkai: Star Rail players need to be at least Trailblaze Level 21 and are recommended to have completed the mission "Penacony – Tales from the Golden Age”. The mission will be offered by a trainee doctor from Penacony hanging out in Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.

This is the latest timed event added as part of the Honkai: Star Rail 2.4 update. It will run alongside another timed event, Saga of Primaveral Blade: Swordsage Saga, which stars March 7th. This event is currently ongoing until August 9, 2024.

Honkai: Star Rail is out now for PC, PS5 and mobile devices. The "Self-Accomplishment of a Trashcan Photographer" event will run from August 7-19, 2024.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Trashcan Photography Event Begins Soon appeared first on Siliconera.

A new event focused on trashcan photography will appear in Honkai: Star Rail, and it is called The Self-Accomplishment of a Trashcan Photographer. It will run August 7-19, 2024, and HoYoVerse revealed the unlock requirements.

The event will take place across multiple stages in Honkai: Star Rail, and players must use their photography skills to capture trashcan pictures. The trashcans are special ones added for the event, with three varieties making appearances within the crowds. Bronze trashcans will award someone 100 Capture Points, silver 150, and gold 200, with the gold offering a bonus for capturing its special poses. These Capture Points can then be used to obtain rewards, including up to 500 Stellar Jades and leveling items.

To take part in the trashcan photography event, Honkai: Star Rail players need to be at least Trailblaze Level 21 and are recommended to have completed the mission "Penacony – Tales from the Golden Age”. The mission will be offered by a trainee doctor from Penacony hanging out in Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.

This is the latest timed event added as part of the Honkai: Star Rail 2.4 update. It will run alongside another timed event, Saga of Primaveral Blade: Swordsage Saga, which stars March 7th. This event is currently ongoing until August 9, 2024.

Honkai: Star Rail is out now for PC, PS5 and mobile devices. The "Self-Accomplishment of a Trashcan Photographer" event will run from August 7-19, 2024.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Trashcan Photography Event Begins Soon appeared first on Siliconera.

With the release of Honkai: Star Rail version 2.4, March 7th's transition into her new path gives players a brand new Hunt character to mess around with. It's an extraordinarily unique kit for the path, and perhaps worth checking out even if she's not your usual cup of tea.

If you're eager to build March 7th in Honkai's 2.4 update, here's everything you need to know to put together the best build for March 7th's Hunt path.

Strongest March 7th Hunt Build in Honkai: Star Rail

March 7th's Hunt path has many typical characteristics of your typical Hunt character, but, thanks to her kit, she can also play similarly to a Harmony character, though admittedly not quite as strong. The strange mesh lands her squarely in the Main DPS Support role, thanks to how her Basic Attack, Skill, Talent, and Ultimate function. Compared to five-star limited characters, March 7th is a little complex, so I need to talk more about her kit in detail for clarity.

The core of March 7th's Hunt gameplay revolves around using her skill, Master, It's Tea Time! This turns one of the members of her team into her 'Shifu' and rewards them with a decent speed buff. More importantly, depending on the typing of the character March makes her Shifu, she gains one of two potential extra effects:

• If Shifu is Erudition, Destruction, or The Hunt - March deals additional damage that matches the character's element.
• If Shifu is Harmony, Nihility, Preservation, or Abundance - March deals 100% more Toughness Reduction.

On top of these effects, when March 7th makes a target her Shifu, she gains their Element on top of her own, making March 7th a universal unit. If the Shifu is Topaz, March 7th becomes Imaginary and Fire simultaneously.

When her Shifu launches an attack, March gains one charge out of seven. At seven charges (her Talent), she immediately takes action regardless of turn order and can launch an Enhanced Basic Attack. March 7th damage budget is entirely in this Enhanced Basic Attack, and it also rewards her Shifu with 60% CRIT DMG, after it is activated.

March 7th Hunt gains all of her Eidolons for free just by playing her event. Her second Eidolon has a considerable effect on her gameplay, allowing her to launch a Follow-up attack after her Shifu launches an attack. This Follow-up does not deal much damage, but it does provide her with an additional charge for her talent. This is extremely important to be aware of when talking about team composition with March 7th. More on that later.

Finally, March 7th's Ultimate deals moderate damage to one target, but greatly improves the effectiveness of her next Enhanced Basic Attack. Generally, you want to ensure she uses her Ultimate before every Enhanced Basic Attack.

Best Relics for March 7th Hunt

March 7th focuses on Basic Attacks for damage, so she only has a few select options in terms of Relics. Her best-in-slot (BiS) is an old favorite, the Musketeer of Wild Wheat set. This set provides additional ATK%, SPD, and, most importantly, Basic ATK damage — the best stats for March 7th in all situations.

If you don't have that set ready to go, March 7th cares a lot about ATK% in general due to the nature of her kit, so any two sets that provide ATK% for their two-piece bonus are worth considering. You can also use two-piece Wasterlander of Banditry Desert for the additional Imaginary damage bonus.

For her Sphere and Rope set, I highly recommend you run with Rutilant Arena, as it provides March with additional CRIT RATE and a large 20% damage boost to her Basic Attacks as long as she is above 70% CRIT RATE. If you can't get a 70% CRIT RATE, then the universal Inert Salsotto set is always a competitive choice.

Best Team Comp March 7th Hunt

March 7th's Hunt kit is extremely versatile, and it allows her to be run with practically any team comp and be somewhat successful. However, thanks to her second Eidolon, March 7th gets a considerable amount of leverage out of supporting a DPS that can attack very often. With that in mind, the best targets for her Shifu are Topaz, Clara, Yunli, Robin, and Aventurine, all thanks to the frequency of their attacks. Any combination of these characters will make up the Follow-up team comp, her best team.

Topaz is likely March 7th's best teammate because of how her Follow-up attack interacts with Numby. Every time Topaz OR Numby attacks, March 7th gains a Talent charge. March also gains a charge every time she launches a Follow-up attack following Topaz's attack. All of this results in many Enhanced Basic Attacks for March, and a massive 60% CRIT DMG buff for Topaz and Numby.

Clara is also an extremely potent teammate for March thanks to the infinite number of attacks Clara can make, limited only by the number of attacks the enemy can land on her. Every single time Clara uses her Follow-up, March gains a charge.

Yunli is in the same boat as Clara for March, providing the same rewards and limitations on attacks.

Robin is a universal support, but buffs Follow-up attack comps more than others thanks to their attack frequencies. With Robin's Ultimate active, all of March 7th's attacks become threatening to the enemy, allowing her (and everyone else on her team) to dish out considerably more damage than normal. Also, 100% Advance Forward is a godsent for March.

Aventurine is highly versatile and can be included in any team composition, thanks to his powerful shielding, which significantly benefits March 7th. In teams that don't focus on Follow-up attacks, Aventurine becomes the optimal target for March's Shifu. Since Aventurine frequently uses Basic and Follow-up attacks, March continues to benefit from her Talent's Follow-up effect, while Aventurine gains a charge from her Follow-up attack. This synergy pairs March and Aventurine in virtually any team without sacrificing their effectiveness

Best Lightcone for March 7th Hunt in Honkai: Star Rail

March 7th has a few strong options in terms of Lightcone choice. Her best Lightcone is In the Night, which is Seele's signature. It provides her with a massive boost to CRIT Rate, and further provides DMG scaling for her Basic Attacks via SPD (Speed).

Another solid option for March 7th is Worrisome, Blissful, which is Topaz's signature cone. It provides March with an equally large boost to CRIT Rate, while also considerably boosting the DMG of her Follow-up attack. Most importantly, when March uses her Follow-up with this Lightcone equip, she will apply the Tame debuff on targets hit, allowing her allies to deal more CRIT DMG to targets afflicted.

The post Best March 7th Hunt build in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Destructoid.

The Ruan Mei re-run banner appeared in the first phase of Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.3. While I’m sure lots of people want to pull for the game-designated girlfriend Firefly, I highly suggest that players who don’t have Ruan Mei pull for her instead. She is one of the best characters in the game (in terms of her kit) and can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your ability to clear difficult content.

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room first. Ruan Mei is, objectively, kind of an awful person. One could go as far as to call her a monster. In our first meeting with her, she drugs us against our will and we see all of her adorable little creations crying for her to give them even a scrap of acknowledgement. Though she’s not completely emotionless, her inability to comprehend love and her pursuit of knowledge have her abandoning the creations on Herta Space Station. My friend jokingly calls her a cat abuser and refuses to get her for this exact reason. As a character, she is very interesting! But I can also understand people feeling uncomfortable with her due to her neglect of the Creations and her almost sociopathic behavior.

Some people may only want to pull for and use characters they like. That’s fair! It’s not fun playing gacha if you don’t like the characters, after all. But for players who care about the meta and who want to have an easier time clearing endgame content such as the higher difficulties of Simulated Universe, Ruan Mei is almost a must-pull. Your quality of life post-Ruan Mei will never compare to what it was like pre-Ruan Mei. If I have to name one thing that is bad about Ruan Mei, it’s that for all of her genius, she wasn’t able to clone a second Ruan Mei to use in Forgotten Hall. Robin exists though, so at least you can use her.

In order to understand why Ruan Mei is such a must-pull, we need to look at her kit and how she compares to similar characters. Her passive Talent increases the party’s SPD and her Skill increases the party’s DMG and Weakness Break Efficiency. This Weakness Break Efficiency buff is one of the best parts of Ruan Mei’s kit, as no other character is capable of this as of Version 2.2. Her Ultimate also increases the party’s All-Type RES PEN and delays their action after a Weakness Break. Ruan Mei’s buffs are so universal she can run on all teams, including DoT teams. She can also fit on either a hyper-carry or a double attacker team. While other limited 5-star Harmony characters like Sparkle and Robin are fantastic, they’re far more Crit DMG focused, which can limit their usage.

That’s not to say that they’re bad. In fact, part of Ruan Mei’s initial appeal is that you can run her with another Harmony or support character. Back when she debuted, one of the best Harmony units was Bronya. But Bronya has a glaring issue with SP. Aside from her and your attacker, your team has to be SP positive or neutral. You can run her with Asta, who only needs her Ultimate. But Tingyun and Yukong are out of the question because you need to conserve your SP for Bronya and your attacker. Of course, depending on the battle, you might want to leave some for your sustain as well. Ruan Mei’s buffs last for three of her turns and they affect the whole party, meaning that she can run with more SP-hungry Harmony or Nihility characters without affecting the way they play.

Since the beginning of the game, I’ve been adamant that you can skip attackers, but you can’t skip support characters. While some must-pulls like Luocha and Silver Wolf have fallen behind in the ever-shifting meta (Huohuo and Aventurine made Luocha obsolete if you have them, and Silver Wolf’s niche is no longer as necessary due to most people having more character variety). Ruan Mei’s universal buffs make her a staple on any team. She came out during the Destruction era but remained relevant even during the DoT renaissance (Black Swan), the follow-up attack era (IP3, Robin), and the current Break Effect (Firefly, Boothill) era. And she’s sure to remain a top-tier support no matter what meta changes the future brings.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You can only pull for Ruan Mei in Honkai: Star Rail when the “Floral Triptych” banner is up.

The post Ruan Mei Is a Must Pull for Any Honkai: Star Rail Player appeared first on Siliconera.

A Genshin Impact leak reveals a quality-of-life feature that could enhance the experience of long dialogues in quests, a common grievance among players.

Leaker Kuroo (via Game Rant) shared a video of Genshin Impact Version 4.8, showcasing a recap section for quest dialogues. This …

Dear Trailblazers, greetings from the Honkai: Star Rail dev team. Today, we are excited to share the details of Honkai: Star Rail version 2.3, Farewell Penacony. This update introduces the highly anticipated Stellaron Hunter, Firefly, as well as a significant figure from the IPC, Jade. Additionally, under the guidance of Mr. Screwllum, the new update in the Simulated Universe – Divergent Universe – will be unveiled as well.

After inheriting the Watchmaker’s Legacy and embarking on the new Path of Harmony, Trailblazers awaken in the real world following the climactic battle with Mr. Sunday. Now, the abrupt termination of the Charmony Festival has left The Family’s reputation in tatters, with numerous delicate issues urgently demanding attention. In response, aside from the Oak Family, the major lineages are preparing their strategies to address the aftermath. In the version 2.3 Trailblaze Mission, the Express Crew will be invited aboard the Radiant Feldspar, soaring into the skies above Penacony to witness crucial Family discussions firsthand.

Meanwhile, aboard the Radiant Feldspar, a new project within the Simulated Universe, Divergent Universe will be conducted under the guidance of Mr. Screwllum, utilizing technology from his home planet to bring gameplay improvements. For instance, the Arithmetic Mapping function in the Divergent Universe testing removes character download limitations. If a character’s level is below the current Equilibrium Level Cap, it will automatically increase to meet the cap. The update also introduces the Equation feature, where combining buffs from two different Paths grants corresponding combat abilities once the required amount is achieved. Additionally, when facing defeat in the Divergent Universe, Trailblazers can now restart challenges without needing to force-stop the game. With the new Restart Challenge option, players can regroup and give it another shot.

In the upcoming version, Origami Birds will also make their way onto the Radiant Feldspar, bringing a new mini-game. In this arcade challenge, Trailblazers must achieve eliminations within a set number of moves to boost the birds’ Combat Power. During the Origami Bird Clash event, Trailblazers can not only participate in Story Challenges, but also freely battle friends from across the universe!

After venturing alongside the Trailblazers for a time, we will uncover more about Firefly in version 2.3. Firefly is a member of the Stellaron Hunters, originating from the long-destroyed world of Glamoth. Once a prosperous and expansive empire, Glamoth was left thrashed and devastated by the calamity brought on by the Swarm. Firefly, a young girl encased in mechanical armor known as SAM, was created as a weapon against the invasion. Unfortunately, she suffers from Entropy Loss Syndrome due to genetic modification. Driven by the quest to find meaning in life and to defy fate, she joined the Stellaron Hunters to further her goals and calling.

As a 5-star Fire-Type character, Firefly possesses an immense power. After using her Technique, she can summon her SAM armor and leap into the air, moving freely, with SAM attacking all enemies within a set range to enter battle. Each wave of enemies can have Fire Weakness forced upon units without Fire Weakness, lasting for a set number of turns. In the heat of battle, SAM will be operating in two forms. In the initial form, using her Skill consumes HP but simultaneously replenishes her Ultimate energy. The less HP Firefly has, the less damage she sustains. Furthermore, when activating her Ultimate, SAM transforms into its second battle form — the dazzling Complete Combustion state! Alongside more potent Basic Attacks and Skills, her Speed and Weakness Break efficiency are also heightened. The Break DMG dealt by SAM is increased until the countdown for Complete Combustion ends. An aspect worth mentioning is that this state not only displays SAM’s might, but also provides players with a unique perspective from within the cockpit of the SAM mech. In this perspective, Firefly’s unwavering gaze is an embodiment of her fiery spirit, capable of setting the starry seas ablaze.

Another Quantum-Type 5-star character, Jade, is set to make her distinguished debut. As a senior manager in the IPC Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, she is recognized by her Cornerstone, Jade of Credit. Cold and elegant, Jade is a skilled moneylender with a keen understanding of the human heart. Her personal hobby, Bonajade Exchange, highlights her patience in waiting for high-value acquisitions through accepting pawning of assets and her ability to extract value from seemingly destitute clients.

​​Jade’s Skill allows her to forge a binding agreement with a single ally, making them her Debt Collector and bestowing upon them enhancements. Interestingly, if she selects herself as the Debt Collector, the only part of the enhancement will be applied. Each attack launched by Jade or her Debt Collector accumulates Charges for Jade. Once fully charged, Jade unleashes a follow-up attack against all enemies. Her Ultimate, however, enforces the terms of the agreement with unyielding precision, dealing damage to all enemies while also enhancing her follow-up attack.

It’s worth noting that the limited 5-star characters — Ruan Mei and Argenti — will make their appearances in event warps during the first and second halves of version 2.3, respectively. Their formidable strength ensures they will remain powerful allies in your future adventures.

That wraps up our insights on Version 2.3. While there are still more surprises in the wings, we’ll keep this update brief and delightful. We hope you’re enjoying your cosmic adventures, that Firefly and the new Simulated Universe will bring surprises to everyone, and look forward to rendezvousing with you in the next one.

Dear Trailblazers, greetings from the Honkai: Star Rail dev team. Today, we are excited to share the details of Honkai: Star Rail version 2.3, Farewell Penacony. This update introduces the highly anticipated Stellaron Hunter, Firefly, as well as a significant figure from the IPC, Jade. Additionally, under the guidance of Mr. Screwllum, the new update in the Simulated Universe – Divergent Universe – will be unveiled as well.

After inheriting the Watchmaker’s Legacy and embarking on the new Path of Harmony, Trailblazers awaken in the real world following the climactic battle with Mr. Sunday. Now, the abrupt termination of the Charmony Festival has left The Family’s reputation in tatters, with numerous delicate issues urgently demanding attention. In response, aside from the Oak Family, the major lineages are preparing their strategies to address the aftermath. In the version 2.3 Trailblaze Mission, the Express Crew will be invited aboard the Radiant Feldspar, soaring into the skies above Penacony to witness crucial Family discussions firsthand.

Meanwhile, aboard the Radiant Feldspar, a new project within the Simulated Universe, Divergent Universe will be conducted under the guidance of Mr. Screwllum, utilizing technology from his home planet to bring gameplay improvements. For instance, the Arithmetic Mapping function in the Divergent Universe testing removes character download limitations. If a character’s level is below the current Equilibrium Level Cap, it will automatically increase to meet the cap. The update also introduces the Equation feature, where combining buffs from two different Paths grants corresponding combat abilities once the required amount is achieved. Additionally, when facing defeat in the Divergent Universe, Trailblazers can now restart challenges without needing to force-stop the game. With the new Restart Challenge option, players can regroup and give it another shot.

In the upcoming version, Origami Birds will also make their way onto the Radiant Feldspar, bringing a new mini-game. In this arcade challenge, Trailblazers must achieve eliminations within a set number of moves to boost the birds’ Combat Power. During the Origami Bird Clash event, Trailblazers can not only participate in Story Challenges, but also freely battle friends from across the universe!

After venturing alongside the Trailblazers for a time, we will uncover more about Firefly in version 2.3. Firefly is a member of the Stellaron Hunters, originating from the long-destroyed world of Glamoth. Once a prosperous and expansive empire, Glamoth was left thrashed and devastated by the calamity brought on by the Swarm. Firefly, a young girl encased in mechanical armor known as SAM, was created as a weapon against the invasion. Unfortunately, she suffers from Entropy Loss Syndrome due to genetic modification. Driven by the quest to find meaning in life and to defy fate, she joined the Stellaron Hunters to further her goals and calling.

As a 5-star Fire-Type character, Firefly possesses an immense power. After using her Technique, she can summon her SAM armor and leap into the air, moving freely, with SAM attacking all enemies within a set range to enter battle. Each wave of enemies can have Fire Weakness forced upon units without Fire Weakness, lasting for a set number of turns. In the heat of battle, SAM will be operating in two forms. In the initial form, using her Skill consumes HP but simultaneously replenishes her Ultimate energy. The less HP Firefly has, the less damage she sustains. Furthermore, when activating her Ultimate, SAM transforms into its second battle form — the dazzling Complete Combustion state! Alongside more potent Basic Attacks and Skills, her Speed and Weakness Break efficiency are also heightened. The Break DMG dealt by SAM is increased until the countdown for Complete Combustion ends. An aspect worth mentioning is that this state not only displays SAM’s might, but also provides players with a unique perspective from within the cockpit of the SAM mech. In this perspective, Firefly’s unwavering gaze is an embodiment of her fiery spirit, capable of setting the starry seas ablaze.

Another Quantum-Type 5-star character, Jade, is set to make her distinguished debut. As a senior manager in the IPC Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, she is recognized by her Cornerstone, Jade of Credit. Cold and elegant, Jade is a skilled moneylender with a keen understanding of the human heart. Her personal hobby, Bonajade Exchange, highlights her patience in waiting for high-value acquisitions through accepting pawning of assets and her ability to extract value from seemingly destitute clients.

​​Jade’s Skill allows her to forge a binding agreement with a single ally, making them her Debt Collector and bestowing upon them enhancements. Interestingly, if she selects herself as the Debt Collector, the only part of the enhancement will be applied. Each attack launched by Jade or her Debt Collector accumulates Charges for Jade. Once fully charged, Jade unleashes a follow-up attack against all enemies. Her Ultimate, however, enforces the terms of the agreement with unyielding precision, dealing damage to all enemies while also enhancing her follow-up attack.

It’s worth noting that the limited 5-star characters — Ruan Mei and Argenti — will make their appearances in event warps during the first and second halves of version 2.3, respectively. Their formidable strength ensures they will remain powerful allies in your future adventures.

That wraps up our insights on Version 2.3. While there are still more surprises in the wings, we’ll keep this update brief and delightful. We hope you’re enjoying your cosmic adventures, that Firefly and the new Simulated Universe will bring surprises to everyone, and look forward to rendezvousing with you in the next one.

HoYoVerse offered more details about the Honkai: Star Rail Apocalyptic Shadow and Divergent Universe early access that will be present after the 2.3 update. The short of it is, after the new version arrives, people at Trailblaze Level 21 or higher can immediately access certain modes they normally would need to unlock via other means.

This is due to Finality’s Vision. It can be found in the Travel Log. Once you go there, a Honkai: Star Rail player who meets the Trailblaze Level minimum can head into the Divergent Universe Simulated Universe mode or take part in the new Apocalyptic Shadow feature. 

Both of these new elements are going to be new to the 2.3 update. Divergent Universe is a Simulated Universe mode not unlike the Swarm Disaster or Gold and Gears ones currently present in Honkai: Star Rail. Meanwhile, Apocalytic Shadow is a different mode that is along the same lines as Memory of Chaos and Pure Fiction. Like those two, it will have rotating phases with new challenges. The first is confirmed to last for six weeks.

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 2.3 update appears on June 19, 2024.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Apocalyptic Shadow and Divergent Universe Early Access Detailed appeared first on Siliconera.

HoYoVerse shared a June 2024 calendar wallpaper for Honkai: Star Rail, and for this month the calendar stars Himeko and Pom-Pom. It is designed to work with mobile devices.

Here's the latest Himeko and Pom-Pom calendar for Honkai: Star Rail for June 2024.

You can download the Honkai: Star Rail June 2024 calenadr from the Pom-Pom Twitter (X) account. Its size makes it easy to use on devices like your phone. In the picture, we can see Himeko and Pom-Pom admiring some hydrangeas. Pom-Pom even has a magnifying glass that they’re using to observe the flowers. There’s also a rainbow in the background, looking like it just finished raining. Like how people tend to admire sakura blossoms during hanami season (usually April), June is the time of hydrangeas. There are quite a few tourist sites that focus on introducing the best locations and gardens to check out these colorful flowers.

When HoYoVerse releases calendars for Genshin Impact, they usually choose who the featured character is based on who has a birthday in that month. For example, Wanderer and Thoma appeared on the January calendar, and they both have birthdays in January. Zhongli and Ganyu, who have December birthdays, starred in the December one. However, the Honkai: Star Rail characters do not have birthdays and the calendar doesn’t seem to use their debut date either. Himeko was in the game since launch, which was in late April 2023.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

The post Honkai: Star Rail June 2024 Calendar Shows Himeko With Hydrangeas appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company will release yet another Nendoroid of Dan Heng from Honkai: Star Rail. This time, he’ll be a Nendoroid Doll and he wears his modern outfit from past promotional material when he arrives worldwide in 2025.

Pre-orders will close on June 26, 2024. Those in Japan will have to pay 11,000 JPY for the Dan Heng Nendoroid Doll (Express Travel Version) and he’ll come out in April 2025. Meanwhile, those in North America will have to pay $64.99 and he’ll come out some time in Q3 2025. Due to geographical licensing restrictions, Good Smile Company only ships to Canada and the United States.

If you don’t want to purchase the Dan Heng Nendoroid Doll but like his outfit, you can also purchase it separately. The doll will come with a black t-shirt, pants, his outerwear, his camera (with a strap), a necklace, bracelets, a socks, shoes, hand parts, and a dragon horns hair band. Purchasing from Good Smile Company will also give you a button of Dan Heng’s key visual and a fabric version of the dragon horns hair band. Because he’s a Nendoroid Doll, if you have other Nendoroid Dolls or outfits, you can also dress him up for photoshoots or special occasions.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. The original Dan Heng Nendoroid from Good Smile Company will come out soon, with Japan getting him in June 2024 and Q4 2024 for North America.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Dan Heng Nendoroid Doll Looks Modern appeared first on Siliconera.

Many mobile games offer hundreds and even thousands of hours of game time without requiring players to spend a dime on it, unless they want to. The 10 best free mobile games players can play right now in 2024 on Android and iOS devices offer content, quality, and worlds worth experiencing without the necessity to pay to enjoy them.

With a focus on games across various genres and styles, these are the 10 best free mobile games worth your attention in 2024.

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact shows the true potential of mobile gaming in 2024 with its continuous updates that improve and expand upon the massive world of Teyvat. There is always a new character to collect, region to explore, and events to partake in. And the best part is most of this is totally free to pursue. The gameplay feels a step above most mobile games, with each playable character having unique powers and the gorgeous cel-shaded, anime-style world.

Pokémon Go

Many years after its unmatched released, Pokémon Go is still going strong with new seasons and frequent releases of new Pokémon to collect. The formula remains the same of walking around the real world to find, catch, and evolve Pokémon. However, raids, various limited-time events, new shiny Pokémon, and more mean this is the best time to check out this game.

Among Us

There is still nothing quite like the mobile game phenomenon that is Among Us. The eternal battle between the crew mates and completing their tasks versus the shadowy imposters is a simple but timeless formula. Whether it is investigating to figure out who the killers are or trying your best to cover your bloody tracks, this is one of the best mobile multiplayer experiences available today.

Marvel Snap

Marvel Snap blends together two of the most compelling ideas for a mobile game: Marvel superheroes and card-battling. Each match only lasts a few minutes with some of the fastest pacing in the genre, which ensures there is the right mix of challenge and excitement. It is just accessible enough, too, to welcome anyone even if you've never played a card game like this before.

Honkai: Star Rail

The other main free mobile game from HoYoVerse is certainly worth a look, even if you aren’t into Genshin Impact. While the style and characters feel quite similar, Honkai: Star Rail trades whimsical fantasy for widespread galactic exploration. In addition, the strategic turn-based RPG combat might be more appealing to those looking for a mobile game with depth but not nearly as demanding.

Roblox

No mobile game in 2024 carries the level of freedom and content as Roblox. Think of any genre or gameplay experience and Roblox likely has it with surprising quality at the same time. Classic games like Murder Mystery 2 let players sus out and defeat the murderer alongside games like Natural Disaster Survival tasks players with staying alive amidst tsunamis and wildfires. There are also newer Roblox experiences these days, such as the incredible Ancient Egypt Roleplay where players start as a peasant and work their way up to pharaoh.

Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is the latest creation from the makers of Clash of Clans. While it carries the lovable, colorful art style of the studio’s other games, this particular mobile title has a compelling blend of a top-down shooter with the gameplay hook of a MOBA. There are seven different game modes to choose from, including Team Deathmatch-like experiences, objective-based modes, and more.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile

The beauty of Warzone Mobile is how it sacrifices almost nothing to bring a pure Call of Duty battle royale experience to Android and iOS. Out of all of the various first-person shooters on mobile, this is the one that feels the closest to console and PC FPS gameplay. Besides its connection to the other games in the franchise with shared progression, it also includes the return of the beloved Verdansk battle royale map.

Wuthering Waves

The newest contender in the open-world mobile action RPG genre may look like Genshin Impact and carry the same gacha-style mechanics, but Wuthering Waves sets itself apart in terms of its gameplay. The combat centers around Echoes, which players collect from enemies around the world to unlock unique skills and temporary transformations. While it had a rough launch, its movement and combat remain exceptional.

Old School RuneScape

Yes, an entire MMORPG exists on mobile for players to check out for free on Android and iOS. This is the exact same RuneScape fans may remember from their childhood but revamped to work with a mobile control scheme. Moving your character around the world and engaging in the slow-paced but methodical combat feels great. Plus, it offers some of the best gameplay variety from its quests to PvP to just sitting around hacking at the same trees all day.

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Bucket and Shovel have opened up pre-orders for a resin statue of Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae from Honkai: Star Rail. The figure costs $60 to pre-order and will ship out in Q4 2024, and there is a limited (188) supply.

The statue is a 1/6 figure, and it’ll come with a base as well. It depicts him in his Imbibitor Lunae form while holding Cloud-Piercer. The stand is a lotus and he has the Long-like dragon he creates surrounding him. The $60 is the pre-order price and the statue itself is much more expensive. It costs $499.86 for the standard version, which is what you see below. There is also a "nude" variant for $171.43. There is no prototype yet but we can see from the art that it shows what Dan Heng might have looked like during his time in the Shackling Prison.

There are instructions on the website as to how to pre-order and purchase the statue. Bucket and Shovel does not offer refunds. However, there is a replacement service should you received a damaged statue. 

Though not from YY Studio, Bucket and Shovel has other Honkai: Star Rail figures for sale as well. There is an Acheron resin statue from Jigenworld and a Robin resin statue from LoveHolic Studio. As a reminder, these are not official pieces of merchandise from HoYoVerse.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

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HoYoVerse has uploaded a new EP for Honkai: Star Rail, with the song this time being “Hope Is the Thing With Feathers” featuring vocals by Chevy. As a note, both this article and the video itself contain major spoilers for the Version 2.2 Trailblaze Mission.

You can watch the “Hope Is the Thing With Feathers” Honkai: Star Rail EP here:

The video shows scenes from the latter half of the Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.2 Trailblaze Mission. This includes the Watchmaker’s death, the showdown against Sunday, and the final shot of Robin giving Sunday a hug. In-game, “Hope Is the Thing With Feathers” plays in the third phase of the fight against Sunday. You can hear it from Echo of War: Salutations of Ashen Dreams as well.

Chevy is the singing voice for Robin in all four languages of the game. Earlier this week, HoYoVerse released an EP for “If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,” which was one of the first Chevy songs we heard in Honkai: Star Rail. You can also now stream “Inside,” which is the ninth soundtrack album featuring the three Chevy songs for Honkai: Star Rail.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

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HoYoVerse uploaded the EP of “If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking” from Honkai: Star Rail. The video itself features some spoilers from the Penacony story quests.

You can watch the EP here:

It features the full version of “If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking” from Honkai: Star Rail, with singer Chevy providing the vocals. You can hear the entire song in-game if you have the track for the Phonograph and you set your parlor car's coach music as it. No matter which YouTube account you watch it from, the song will be in English and with multiple subtitle tracks. Because 2.2 came out only a day or so ago (as of the time of writing), the EP does not feature any scenes from there. But if you’re behind on the 2.0 and 2.1 story quests, you might not want to watch the video, as it includes key scenes from those patches.

Chevy sang all of the songs Robin sings in Honkai: Star Rail. You can hear her singing in all versions of the game. She performs all of Robin's songs, including “Sway to My Beat,” which what she performs in-game when you use her Ultimate. You could also hear this song in one of the trailers HoYoVerse released prior to the official playable debut of Robin.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

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After much anticipation and excitement, the beloved superstar Robin has finally debuted in Honkai: Star Rail. Crafting the optimal build for her is a straightforward task, thanks to her unique kit.

Strongest Robin Build in Honkai: Star Rail

Robin is a Physical Harmony character whose main role on any given team is to buff the DMG% of her allies through her Skill. Uniquely to Robin, and her primary counterpart Ruan Mei, she can buff her whole team instead of just one ally, which is uncommon for Harmony Supports.

What sets Robin apart from the rest of the Harmony roster is her Ultimate, which provides a staggeringly powerful team-wide Advance Forward when activated. This allows teams with Robin on them to perform some truly creative strategy not available anywhere else in the game.

Robin's Ultimate has a second significant mechanic attached to it after activation. While her Ultimate is active, when any teammates launch an attack, Robin provides a secondary instance of Physical Damage to one of the struck targets. This mechanic has no attack limit meaning Robin plays best with characters that can attack very often.

Best Relics for Robin

Despite being a Harmony character, an archetype notorious for needing various groups of stats to perform well, Robin really only needs ATK% and nothing else. You read that correctly. Robin doesn't need, HP%, DEF, or any other stat other than ATK%, as everything she does scales off it.

While Robin doesn't need Speed, due to her SPD stat being fixed during her Ultimate, getting her to 120 SPD is ideal as it allows her to use sets that require that amount. As you can see, though, Robin is straightforward to build. With this in mind, the best Relics for Robin will be any combination that provides ATK%.

You can use a 2-piece Prisoner in Deep Confinement and 2-piece Musketeer of Wild Wheat as both Relic set bonuses provide unconditional ATK%. Additionally, if you'd prefer your Robin to be more supportive of your team, you can run a 4-piece Messenger Traversing Hackspace for the teamwide speed boost, though you will be losing out on damage for both your team and Robin.

For Robin's Sphere and Rope set, use the Space Sealing Station set with an Energy Regeneration rope. You want to make sure your rope has Energy Regeneration as its core stat because her Ultimate is one of the most expensive Ultimate costs in the game. Also, make sure your Robin has 120 SPD so she gets the additional ATK% buff that comes from the secondary portion of the set bonus.

Best Team Comp Robin

Like Ruan Mei, Robin can fit on any team comp in need of Harmony Support due to the potent buff she provides with her Skill. However, Robin's best Team Comp is a Follow-up one for a few reasons.

Thanks to her Talent, Impromptu Flourish, Robin provides an additional 25% CRIT DMG (Critical Damage) to Follow-up attacks. Pretty straightforward. The other reason is due to her steep Ultimate energy cost. Thanks to her other important Talent, Tonal Resonance, Robin gets a small amount of Energy back every time an ally launches an attack, making frequent attackers more useful to Robin. With that said, Topaz and Numby, Dr. Ratio, and Aventurine are Robin's best teammates.

Topaz and Numby attacks more often than any other character in Honkai: Star Rail, making her the ideal teammate for Robin. Robin buffs up Follow-up attacks, making them completely compatible with each other.

Dr. Ratio often attacks in conjunction with Topaz and Numby, making him a frequent attacker as well. Every attack he launches restores Energy to Robin, allowing her to maintain her Ultimate longer. Finally, Robin's specific buffs toward Follow-up attacks make him an ideal teammate for her.

Aventurine's Follow-up mechanic is tied to the number of Follow-up attacks his teammates launch, as well as, how often they are hit while his shield is active. Aventurine attacks almost as often as Topaz and Numby thanks to this, so, naturally, Robin gains all the same benefits from him as well.

Should you get Robin's Lightcone in Honkai: Star Rail?

Without a doubt, Robin's Lightcone, Flowing Nightglow is the ideal Lightcone for her playstyle. Not only does it greatly boost her own damage, but also provides additional buffs to the rest of her teammates. However, what's really important about this Lightcone is the Energy Regeneration it provides Robin. The point of using Robin is to make sure her Ultimate is up and active as much as possible. Without the extra generation of this Lightcone, Robin will struggle to maintain uptime on teams that do not have Follow-up attacks on them.

That said, Robin does have a strong alternative Lightcone. But the Battle Isn't Over is Robin's second-best Lightcone because it also has Energy Regeneration on it. At Superimposition 2, it is nearly equal to Robin's signature Lightcone in terms of Energy Regen. If you don't have But the Battle Isn't Over, I recommend you pull Flowing Nightglow to make full use of your Robin.

Best Eidolons for Robin in Honkai: Star Rail

At E0, Robin is a powerhouse of a character, and her Eidolons do not greatly impact the functionality of her character. As with all characters though, her Eidolons do make her stronger. If you're interested in grabbing her Eidolons, the best stopping point would be E1. For your reference, here are her six Eidolons.

• Land of Smiles (E1) - While her Ultimate is active, all her allies get All-Type RES PEN increased by 24%. This is strong for all teams, but stronger for teams fighting off-element enemies. Strong Eidolon.
• Afternoon Tea for Two (E2) - While her Ultimate is active, all allies gain 16% SPD, and Robin regenerates an extra point of Energy per attack, equally three Energy total. Decent, but hardly required
• Inverted Tuning (E3) - Skill and Ultimate Level increases by two. Stronger buffs, more damage. Not required.
• Raindrop Key (E4) - When her Ultimate is activated, she dispels all debuffs from your team and provides a 50% Effect Resistance buff. Extremely lackluster Eidolon as dispels should be covered by your sustainer anyway.
• Lonestar's Lamet (E5) - Basic ATK and Talent Level increase by two. Basic ATK is useless on Robin and the Talent buff is nice, but not noticeable enough to matter.
• Moonless Midnight (E6) - Her first eight additional attacks during each use her Ultimate, get 450% CRIT DMG. This Eidolon is stupidly strong and is worth it if you can get it. Robin will easily out-damage all of your DPS with this Eidolon.

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HoYoVerse offered insight into how the 2.2 update for Honkai: Star Rail will allow people to share more with and see what people on their friends list are up to. Everyone’s Trailblaze Profiles, as well as Forgotten Hall and Pure Fiction areas, will offer more insights into what you and your fellow players are doing. 

The new Trailblazer Profile update will give us the option of showing what we’ve done or experienced lately in Honkai: Star Rail with people on our friends list. If you opt into it in the Settings Socialize section, then anyone who visits your profile will see what you’ve done. In addition to being able to accept friend requests or show your Collection, you can choose whether or not to show your Trailblaze Status, Battle Records, and Treasures Lightward clearance lineup. The example screenshot’s Trailblaze Status section showed the sample player got a Night on the Milky Way five-star Light Cone and went through Simulated Universe: World 9 “three days ago.”

As for the new friends options in Forgotten Hall and Pure Fiction, they’ll show their teams in Honkai: Star Rail. If they choose to show clearance lineups in Settings, then you can see how many stars they earned and which characters they used to get that rating. 

The other quality of life adjustments had to do with things like teams, Trailblazer characters, and Relics. For example, Lineup Overview will let people name teams and switch. We can favorite characters we use most often. The Trailblazer will now have different equipments for their Paths, so you can keep your Light Cone and Relics for, say, Destruction and Preservation set and immediately have them equipped when you swap. Relics will also be able to be sorted by Main Stat. 

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 2.2 update arrives on May 8, 2024.

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KFC in China will have yet another collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail. The crossover event will start on May 2 and end on May 4, 2024.

The last time KFC had an Honkai: Star Rail event was back in 2023. This time, the event will be at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. You’ll be able to find it in Building 6.1. There will be a KFC stand designed to look like it was from the Luofu, with an illuminated maple tree to its side. Dan Heng and March, wearing the collaboration outfits, are next to it.

During the event, you’ll be able to get various prizes or participate in some activities. If you order the collaboration meals, you’ll be able to get a KFC collaboration Pom-Pom fan. If you make a Weibo post using the #HelpMeColonelSanders or #StarRailCarnival and then perform the Crazy Thursday commercial song, you’ll be able to get an acrylic stand featuring Dan Heng and March. If you don’t want to sing, you can also get the stand if you can catch the KFC promoter, pick a card, and then strike a pose like the character’s Skill and yell, “Help me, Colonel Sanders!” Finally, a mysterious guest may show up.

Honkai: Star Rail is now available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Version 2.2 will go live in Honkai: Star Rail on May 8, 2024.

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HoYoverse showcased the gameplay mechanics for the upcoming Honkai: Star Rail character Robin with a character preview and a new video in the "Keeping Up With Star Rail" series. Robin is a Physical element character walking the Path of Harmony, and she is set to arrive in update 2.2.

Both the character preview on HoYolab and the video preview go over Robin's kit, though the latter features extra input from her brother Sunday. He's voiced by his English voice actor Griffin Puatu. Robin's abilities revolve around buffing allies' damage, especially on follow up attacks. Her Skill Pinion's Aria applies a team-wide damage boost for three turns, while her Tonal Resonance Talent boosts allies' crit damage and regenerates her energy when they attack. This allows her to charge her Ultimate quickly, which then grants allies immediate actions and bonuses to their damage based on Robin's attack stat. Interestingly, Robin herself cannot act while her ultimate is active and its duration is not affected by her speed stat.

You can watch the Honkai: Star Rail gameplay preview for Robin below:

HoYoverse also recently released an animated short to advertise the Honkai: Star Rail 2024 Music Concert. The game will also feature in an Ichiban Kuji lottery by Bandai Spirits with 7 different kinds of prizes available, including a mug shaped like a trash can.

Robin is set to become available in Honkai: Star Rail with the arrival of Update 2.2, scheduled for release on May 8, 2024. The game itself is readily available on PC, PS5, and mobile devices.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Robin Gameplay Explained appeared first on Siliconera.

HoYoVerse announced the 2.2 Honkai: Star Rail Special Program will appear at 4:30am PT/7:30am ET on April 26, 2024, and the image is already teasing Robin. As usual, people can watch on YouTube and see which characters and events will show up when the new version of the game releases.

The image for the Honkai: Star Rail showcase shows Robin, for one. This makes sense, as back in March 2024 the company confirmed she would be a playable character in the game. Boothill is not present, though we know he will be added to the game as part of this update as well. The other hosts include Black Swan, who debuted alongside the 2.0 update, and Aventurine, who launched in 2.1. The final person is Owlbert, the IPC spokesperson and general host for these sorts of videos and events.

Here’s the placeholder for the Honkai: Star Rail Special Program 2.2 showcase:

While there’s no confirmed date for the 2.2 release yet, odds are we’ll see it on May 8, 2024. This is because the Aventurine and Jingliu banners both end on May 7, 2024. It is unknown if the Robin or Boothill banner will be the first to appear.

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Special Program for 2.2 airs at 4:30am PT/7:30am ET on April 26, 2024.  

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When it comes to keeping your Honkai: Star Rail team alive, Aventurine is one of, if not the, best limited five-star support characters in the game. If you're considering rolling for him, or you're just looking for a little insight, here's everything you need to know about Mr. Aventurine.

Strongest Aventurine Build in Honaki: Star Rail

Aventurine is a Preservation Imaginary character that acts as a damage repellant to any team he is on via his constant application of meaty shields. While protection through shielding is his primary role, uniquely, Aventurine's kit also allows him to be a very solid sub-DPS (via his follow-up attack and Ultimate) without sacrificing support effectiveness. Despite a big chunk of his shielding being reliant on his follow-up attack, he can fit into any team composition much like Fu Xuan can, due to his largely self-reliant kit.

Aventurine applies an application of his shield to your entire team every time he uses Skill or his follow-up attack. His Technique also applies a large shield to your whole team at the start of a fight. Regardless of the application method, his shields last several turns, meaning he is a skill-point-positive character (he doesn't need to use a skill point every turn).

Best Relics for Aventurine

Aventurine is a Preservation unit that scales solely off of Defense (DEF) and is a shielder, meaning his best Relic set is without a doubt Knight of Purity Palace. You can farm this relic set from Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Holy Hymn.

The two-piece provides a very hefty 15% increase in DEF while the four-piece makes his shields 20% stronger than normal. Thanks to the Aventurine-unique Talent Trace, Leverage, Aventurine converts a significant portion of his DEF stat into CRIT RATE (Critical Strike Rate), up to a maximum of 48%. This is very strong, as it almost entirely allows you to ignore CRIT RATE on gear drops for him. This also greatly benefits his sub-DPS role, again, without affecting his supporting power. To reach the 48% ceiling for Leverage, you need roughly 4000 DEF on Aventurine.

For Aventurine's Sphere and Robe set, Inert Salsotto is likely is best option, as he nearly gains the entire benefit of this set for free thanks to Leverage. Inert Salsotto provides a solid 1% DMG (Damage) boost to follow-up and Ultimate attacks if the wearer has at least 50% CRIT RATE. Leverage gives Aventurine 48%, so you just need to get 2% from a subset on any of your relics. You can farm Insert Salsotto from Simulated Universe: World 6.

Best Team Comp for Aventurine

Due to Aventurine's kit, he is able to fit into any team comp that needs a sustain support. However, his absolute best-performing team comp is actually a follow-up comp due to the functionality of another one of his Talent Traces, Bingo!

For Aventurine to launch a follow-up attack, he relies on a stack mechanic called Blind Bet. Blind Bet stacks up to seven times, and in order for him to gain stacks, allies under the effect of his shield must suffer attacks. He gains one stack of Blind Bet every time this happens and gains an additional stack when he is attacked directly. When Blind Bet reaches seven stacks, Aventurine will launch his follow-attack, dealing AOE (Area of Effect) damage while shielding your entire team.

This is how Blind Bet functions normally, but with follow-up attackers, Aventurine gets one stack every time a teammate under the effect of his shield launches a follow-up attack. As such, Topaz and Numby, Dr. Ratio, and Ruan Mei are Aventurine's best teammates.

Topaz and Numby provide a significant damage boost to any follow-up attack that hits their debuff target. Naturally, this affects Aventurine as well. Additionally, Topaz herself only has follow-up attacks, meaning she will provide him with a Blind Bet stack every turn. Numby separate attacks will also give a stack of Blind Bet.

Dr. Ratio launches follow-up attacks at a constant rate, which provides Aventurine with Blind Bet stacks.

Ruan Mei provides a massive team-wide damage boost, something other Harmony characters cannot consistently do. Aventurine benefits from this via his Ultimate and follow-up attack.

Should you get Aventurine's Lightcone in Honkai: Star Rail?

Aventurine is not a character that requires his Lightcone: Inherently Unjust Destiny, to function at his core. While it is his best option, there are plenty of strong alternatives that will allow him to perform his role (sustaining via shielding) to perfection. I highly recommend you use Trend of the Universal Market instead of his Lightcone so you can save your Stellar Jades for something more impactful.

That said, the one nuanced case where you should pull for his Lightcone is if you want him to deal significant damage. Without it, his damage is fairly mediocre, but remember that the job of a sustain is not to deal damage anyway. Trust me, it's not worth it.

Best Eidolons for Aventurine in Honkai: Star Rail

Aventurine does not need any of his Eidolons to perform his job of sustaining your team at any level of content. That isn't to say he doesn't get better with Eidolons, but know that he is a complete character the moment you obtain him. Even so, if you're gung-ho about getting Eidolons for Aventurine, then I recommend grabbing up his E2. For your reference, here are all of his Eidolons.

• Prisoner's Dilemma (E1) - Allies shielded by Aventurine get an additional 20% CRIT DMG (Critical Damage). Additionally, his Ultimate now also provides an application of his shield to your team.
• Bounded Rationality (E2) - When Aventurine uses his Basic ATK (Basic Attack) on an enemy, all of their resistances are reduced by 12% for three turns. This is a larger damage boost than it sounds.
• Droprate Maxing (E3) - Provides a damage buff to Aventurines Ultimate and Basic ATK.
• Unexpected Hanging Paradox (E4) - Aventurine's follow-up attack gives him a 40% DEF buff. Additionally, his follow-up attack will hit 10 times instead of seven.
• Ambiguity Aversion (E5) - Boosts the potency of Aventurine's shields.
• Stag Hunt Game (E6) - Every ally that is shielded by Aventurine gives him a 50% damage boost, up to a maximum of 150%. Yes, this is as insane as it sounds.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Best Aventurine Build appeared first on Destructoid.

With only a few hours left before Sparkle appears in Honkai: Star Rail for her debut banner, HoYoVerse has put out a short trailer and a Keeping up with Star Rail tutorial on her kit. Owlbert seems to have forgotten to fix the title of the Keeping up with Star Rail video though.

For starters, the “A Moment Among the Stars - Sparkling Tricks” is very short, at under a minute long. It uses traditional 2D animation, featuring Sparkle in Penacony. It seems to give a hint as to what role Sparkle will play in the overall Penacony story arc, as she implies that she plans on jumping in at the climax of the “performance” and messing things up.

You can watch the "Sparkling Tricks" trailer for Sparkle here:

As for Keeping up with Star Rail, Sampo and Owlbert help to introduce how Sparkle will work in-game. HoYoVerse has already given us a lot of information about her kit though. She will be a Quantum Harmony character who specializes in SP management. Not only can she give an extra SP with her passive Talent and restore it with her Ultimate, but she can also boost characters’ Crit DMG and such when they use SP in battle.

You can watch the "Sparkle Ability Intro Vid" for "Keeping up with Star Rail" here:

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available for the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Sparkle and Jing Yuan will appear in the gacha from February 29 to March 26, 2024.

The post Honkai: Star Rail Sparkle Trailers Hint at Her Story appeared first on Siliconera.

LeaF, the composer of “Marenol” and “Ka,” made a statement in regards to the Honkai: Star Rail Sparkle trailer. This is due to many similarities between the trailer and LeaF’s music videos.

It seems that many people reached out to LeaF about the "Monodrama" trailer after HoYoVerse uploaded it. According to LeaF, they had no involvement at all with the trailer. Neither did Optie or Fiz, who were the designers of the original music video for Marenol. However, LeaF states that there’s absolutely no problem with HoYoVerse paying homage to it in the trailer. It seems that this is because it wasn’t a one-to-one recreation.

In the tweet, they even encourage more of this kind of content. However, they also stated that everyone, including HoYoVerse, should take the opportunity to advertise them, and added a link to their YouTube channel in the tweet.

In LeaF’s tweet, they posted a comparison video between the MV for “Marenol” and Sparkle’s “Monodrama” trailer. The scene in question takes place close to the end of the trailer. Psychedelic shots appear one after the other as if you’re going through doors. While this idea isn’t exactly new—Gekidan Inucurry used this method in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which is a work many netizens have compared the Honkai: Star Rail Sparkle trailer to—the eye, hands, flower, and such are clear references to “Marenol.”

“Marenol” is a song that you can play on Sound Voltex Vivid Wave. LeaF is the artist, with Optie and Fiz working on the music video. The music video itself has some rather disturbing scenes, and a viewer discretion warning even pops up before you can watch it.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.

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