Blade is the first 5-star character for version 1.2 of Honkai Star Rail. The character is one that the fanbase has been looking forward to since the game’s launch. He’s a powerful attacker with a one-of-a-kind playstyle, and that means you’ll want the best Blade build to reach his full potential. Below, I cover everything from key Light Cones and Relics to look for, to the Traces to upgrade and the ideal team compositions.
Best Blade Build in Honkai Star Rail
Blade is a DPS that consumes his own HP to inflict Wind damage against his enemies. It should come as no surprise that he also follows The Destruction Path. Aside from his basic attack before it’s enhanced, all of his other actions will affect his health. Nearly all of his damaging actions also factor in different percentages of his Max HP as well, making it his most important stat.
Below you’ll find the most optimal compositions to create the best Blade build.
Best Light Cones for Your Blade Build
The best Blade build in Honkai Star Rail starts with the ideal Light Cones. These need to improve very specific values or pair well with his HP-consuming nature. The following are the ones most suited for his gameplay.
Best Blade Light Cone 1: The Unreachable Side
This character’s signature 5-star Light Cone naturally pairs extremely well with him. The Unreachable Side increases his CRIT Rate and Max HP by 18%-30% by default. It also increases DMG by 24%-40% when he’s attacked or consumes his own HP. Although the last effect is removed once he attacks, that drawback doesn’t prevent this from being his best choice.
Just like any signature 5-star light cone, this is only available in the Brilliant Fixation Warp Banner as the related character is running. It might be a while before you can pull for this again once the banner has changed to the next character’s signature light cone.
Best Light Cone 2: Something Irreplaceable
Something Irreplaceable is a 5-star Light Cone all about increasing damage and HP. It adds a nice 24%-40% base increase to ATK. If he defeats an enemy or is hit, he can restore HP equal to 8%-12% of his ATK. In addition to the HP recovery, he’ll also gain a 24%-40% DMG increase until the next turn. It’s the next logical option for constructing the best Blade build.
This light cone is a part of the general Stellar Warp pool, as well as every Light Cone Event Warp so far. Lastly, it’s also available in Starlight Exchange for 600 Undying Starlight.
Best Light Cone 3: A Secret Vow
A Secret Vow compliments his gameplay well. Not only does it increase DMG by 20%-40%, but it also dumps on an extra 20%-40% against enemies with a higher HP%. Given how much Blade sacrifices his own HP, the latter situation can come up often enough for him to make great use of the effect. You can receive this 4-star light cone from Stellar Warp, as well as any Light Cone or Character Event warps.
Best Relics for Your Blade Build
The Relics you equip on Blade need to mesh with his unique HP-consuming gameplay. At the same time, his chief stat to increase is his HP% stat.
Relics: Longevous Disciple
This Relic set was added along with the new Path of Elixir Seekers Cavern of Corrosion, and it feels tailor-made for a Blade build. The 2-piece effect already does wonders by increasing his Max HP by 12%. The 4-piece effect will meanwhile provide a two-stack increase to his CRIT Rate whenever he’s hit or has his HP consumed by an ally (including himself).
Related: Honkai Star Rail: Caverns of Corrosion Guide
Relics: Eagle of Twilight Line
The Eagle of Twilight Line is the next best option. If you’re not a fan of increasing his CRIT Rate, I would recommend only using this for the 2-piece effect of increasing Wind DMG by 10%, with the other two relics belonging to the Longevous Disciple set.
Planar Ornament: Inert Salsotto
One of the best Planar Ornament Relics to equip to Blade is the Inert Salsotto. You can unlock them by playing through Simulated Universe World 6. If you’re focusing on improving his CRIT Rate and can make it reach 50%, he’ll be able to enjoy a hefty 15% DMG increase to his Ultimate and follow-up attacks.
Which Blade Traces Should You Upgrade?
Every bit of extra damage helps, but that doesn’t mean some traces aren’t more important for upgrading. Here’s what we found to be the most important:
- Shard Sword/Forest of Swords: You’ll mostly be using the basic attack or its enhanced version, so it’s best to upgrade this first.
- Hellscape: This skill enhances his basic attack and generally increases his DMG, making this the next priority.
- Death Sentence: Upgrade this so that his ultimate will add up larger percentages that make up the damage.
Best Blade Team Comps
Since Blade can stack up charges when he takes damage, it can be detrimental if you place him on a team with a shielder. It’s important to know that he’ll fit in fine on a team that uses a lot of SP due to his skill disappearing for three turns after you use it. Below you’ll find the ideal comps for using him as a Solo DPS, along with another DPS, and on a team of otherwise free Honkai Star Rail characters.
Blade Solo Carry Team
- DPS: Blade
- Support: Bronya, Pela
- Healer: Luocha
Dual DPS Team
- DPS: Blade, Seele
- Support: Bronya
- Healer: Luocha
F2P Team
Those are our tips for the best Blade build in Honkai Star Rail. Follow the advice tips, and your build will feel just as deadly as he does in the story. If you’d like to see how his talents stack among the rest of the playable characters, check out our ranking of every character’s talent. All of your other turn-based trailblazing needs can be met with our HSR guides.
