Honkai Star Rail: Ultimate Combat Guide

Combat in Honkai: Star Rail is a bit different from other popular gacha games like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy.

Instead of real-time battles, the game adapted the turn-based system for its combat. This means that it can be a bit tricky for most players since it will involve a fair amount of strategy and RNG.

That said, if you want to learn more about the combat of the game and hopefully master it, this guide is perfect for you. Let’s get started.

Character Types

Even before you focus on the game’s combat itself, you should first familiarize yourself with the many character types available in the game.

Each character will have a specific type which can affect their abilities as well as weaknesses. Characters are categorized into the following:

• Ice – Specializes in ice-based attacks and enemy immobilization via the Freeze status.
• Physical – Uses physical attacks to deal physical damage and apply the Bleed status.
• Fire – Specializes in fire-based attacks which apply the Burn status which is a damage over time effect.
• Lightning – Focuses on dealing lightning-based damage and applying the Shock status which is a damage over time effect.
• Wind – Uses wind-based attacks to apply the Wind Shear status which is a damage over time effect.
• Quantum – Uses quantum attacks which apply the Entanglement status which basically delays enemy actions.
• Imaginary – Specializes in imaginary attacks to inflict the Imprisonment status which delays enemy actions and reduces their speed.

While there’s no elemental reaction mechanic in the game, it does have the Weakness Break mechanic. Whenever Weakness Break triggers, your enemies’ shield will be depleted in half.

At the same time, you will apply the status effect of your element.

Ambush and Techniques

The Ambush mechanic lets you attack your enemies even before they get to notice you. This gives you an advantage in the fight since you’re doing it even before the battle started.

You can even make the most out of this mechanic by ambushing an enemy with an attack that it’s weak against. For example, if an enemy is weak to ice, you can take advantage of that by using an ice-based attack.

This will trigger Weakness Break which will lower their shields in half at the start of the battle.

There are also your abilities that are called Techniques which are way stronger than your normal attacks. They’re much better at ambushing or initiating fights since they deal a lot of damage.

However, not all Techniques are designed for dealing damage. There are also certain Techniques that will grant a buff to your entire party, among other effects.

Skill Point System

Unlike real-time RPGs where your skills are tied to a cooldown, the Skill Point system in Honkai: Star Rail limits the number of skills you can use per battle.

You will be able to see how many skill points your team currently has in the lower right section of the UI. You are limited to a total of 5 skill points which are shared among all members of your party.

Whenever you perform an action, such as a basic attack or a skill, you will end up using one skill point. However, you will be able to generate a skill point each time you use a Battle Attack ability.

Traces

Just like most RPGs out there, Honkai: Star Rail also has a passive skill tree in the form of Traces.

Each character will have its own Traces tab where you can unlock passives that will boost their overall stats and power.

Ultimate Abilities

Lastly, we have the Ultimate ability that each character possesses. What makes the ultimate system in Honkai: Star Rail is that you can use it anytime during the battle.

You can even use it when another party member is performing an action or when an enemy is attacking you. Besides, if you use an Ultimate ability during a character’s turn, it won’t necessarily end their turn.

What’s even better is that it’s possible to chain multiple Ultimate abilities at once to deal a ton of damage in a single turn.

However, do keep in mind that you’ll need enough Energy to activate an Ultimate ability. Luckily, you will be able to gain Energy quickly by simply attacking your enemies and hitting them.

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