Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based sci-fi RPG game created by the developers of Genshin Impact, miHoYo. Sharing more than the same graphics art style as Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail also features a cast of cool and cute collectible characters.
Similar to Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail introduces new characters to the game on a monthly basis. While the wait for new characters is excruciating for most players, the intervals between character releases always serve to build up hype for whoever is going to be unveiled next.
Blade is the fifth and latest 5-Star character to be introduced in the game. With the unique mechanic of Damage that scales off of his HP, read on to see a general overview of Blade, his best light cones, and how to build this complex character!
Table of Contents
Character Overview
Blade Character Summary
Blade is the fifth limited character added to the current version of Honkai: Star Rail. His unique mechanic is that he needs to constantly take damage in order to be played efficiently.
Because of this, Blade prefers to have Healers on his team instead of Shielders since Shielders stop Blade from taking damage instead of recovering HP he’s already lost. Consider pairing him with the likes of Natasha, Bailu, and Luocha.
At the time of writing, Blade is the only 5-Star Wind DPS character in the game. This, coupled with the fact that Blade deals a very significant amount of AoE damage makes him a valuable character for players who need the elemental coverage.
If you’re looking for a Wind AoE Burst character, and you haven’t built Dan Heng or Sampo, consider wishing for Blade while he’s still available.
Abilities and Traces
Blade Abilities
| Blade Ability | Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Effect at Trace Lv. 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | Shard Sword | Single Target | Deals 50% Wind Damage to a target enemy. |
| Enhanced Attack | Forest of Swords | Blast | Consumes HP equal to 10% of Blade’s Max HP and deals Wind Damage equal to the sum of 20% of his Attack and 50% of his Max HP to a single enemy. In addition, deals Wind Damage equal to the sum of 8% of Blade’s Attack and 20% of his Max HP to adjacent targets. If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when using Forest of Swords. Forest of Swords cannot regenerate Skill Points. |
| Talent | Shuhu’s Gift | AoE | When Blade sustains Damage or consumes his HP, he gains 1 stack of Charge, stacking up to 5 times. A max of 1 Charge stack can be gained every time he is attacked. When Charge stack reaches maximum, immediately launches a follow-up attack on all enemies, dealing Wind Damage equal to 22% of Blade’s ATK plus 55% of his Max HP. At the same time, restores Blade’s HP by 25% of his Max HP. After the follow-up attack, all Charges are consumed. |
| Skill | Hellscape | Enhance | Consumes HP equal to 30% of Blade’s Max HP to enter the Hellscape state. When Hellscape is active, his Skill cannot be used, his Damage dealt increases by 12%, and his Basic Attack Shard Sword is enhanced to Forest of Swords for 3 turn(s). If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when he uses his Skill. This Skill does not regenerate Energy. Using this Skill does not end the current turn. |
| Technique | Karma Wind | – | Immediately attacks the enemy. After entering battle, consumes 20% of Blade’s Max HP and deals 40% of Blade’s Max HP as Wind Damage to all enemies. If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when this Technique is used. |
| Ultimate | Death Sentence | Blast | Sets Blade’s current HP to 50% of his Max HP and deals to a single enemy Wind Damage equal to the sum of 24% of his ATK, 60% of his Max HP, and 60% of the total HP he has lost in the current battle. At the same time, deals Wind DMG to adjacent targets equal to the sum of 9.6% of his Attack, 24% of his Max HP, and 24% of the total HP he has lost in the current battle. The total HP Blade has lost in the current battle is capped at 90% of his Max HP. This value will be reset and re-accumulated after his Ultimate has been used. |
Blade Traces
| Blade Traces | How to Unlock | Trace Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vita Infinita | Ascension 2 | When Blade’s current HP is at 50% of Max HP or lower, Incoming Healing increases by 20%. |
| Neverending Deaths | Ascension 4 | If Blade hits a Weakness Broken enemy after using Forest of Swords, he will restore HP equal to 5% of his Max HP plus 100. |
| Cyclone of Destruction | Ascension 6 | Damage dealt by Talent’s follow-up attack increases by 20% |
Blade’s Traces increase his overall survivability while boosting his damage. The increase in Incoming Healing from Vita Infinita further cements the synergy between Blade and the available Healers in the game.
Although somewhat uncomfortable, Blade can still function without a Healer thanks to his Talent coupled with strategic use of his Ultimate which works by setting his current HP to 50%.
Eidolons
| Eidolon Level | Eidolon Name | Eidolon Effect |
|---|---|---|
| E1 | Blade Cuts the Deepest in Hell | Blade’s Ultimate deals additionally increased Damage to a single enemy target, with the increased amount equal to 150% of Blade’s total HP loss in the current battle. The total HP Blade has lost in the current battle is capped at 90% of his Max HP. This value will be reset and re-accumulated after his Ultimate has been used. |
| E2 | Ten Thousand Sorrows From One Broken Dream | When Blade is in the Hellscape state, his Critlcal Rate increases by 15%. |
| E3 | Hardened Blade Bleeds Coldest Shade | Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 10 |
| E4 | Rejected by Death, Infected With Life | When Blade’s current HP drops to 50% or lower of his Max HP, increases his Max HP by 20%. Stacks up to 2 time(s). |
| E5 | Death By Ten Lords’ Gaze | Skill +2, up to a maximum of Lv15. Basic ATK Lv +1 up to a maximum of Lv 10. |
| E6 | Reborn Into an Empty Husk | The maximum number of Charge stacks is reduced to 4. The Damage of the follow-up attack triggered by Blade’s Talent additionally increases by 50% of his Max HP. |
Eidolons are Honkai: Star Rail’s version of Constellations. While these can be helpful, they are in no way necessary for any characters in the game.
That being said, for players who really want to make the most powerful Blade, we suggest aiming for E4. The Maximum HP Bonus Blade receives grants a substantial boost to his outgoing damage because of how his kit revolves around his HP stat.
Blade Best Build and Relics
Blade Best Cavern Relics
| Relic Set | How to Farm | 2-Piece Set Bonus | 4-Piece Set Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longevous Disciple | Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Elixir Seekers | Increases Max HP by 12%. | When the wearer is hit or has their HP consumed by an ally, their Critical Rate increases by 8% for 2 turn(s) and up to 2 stacks. |
| Eagle of Twilight Line | Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Gelid Wind | Increases Wind DMG by 10%. | After the wearer uses their Ultimate, their action is Advanced Forward by 25%. |
Blade’s unique mechanic is that his damage is dependent on the amount of HP he’s lost. So building a very large HP pool increases both Blade’s survivability and his outgoing damage.
Another thing we have to consider is that Blade is a little slow when compared to the other two limited-time DPS characters Jing Yuan and Seele. This means we have to take a look at ways to increase the frequency with which Blade takes his turns.
Longevous Disciple is a new relic set that almost feels like it was made specifically for Blade since it increases Max HP and has a nice Critical Rate buff whenever Blade consumes his own HP.
Eagle of Twilight Line on the other hand increases his Wind Damage and helps him with his speed issue by pushing his next turns forward whenever he casts his Ultimate.
Coincidentally, you could opt to go for two pieces from each set to get both the Max HP bonus and the Wind Damage bonus if you happen to have some pieces from both sets with good rolls.
Best Cavern Relic Stats
| Best Relic Stats | ||||
| Helm | Gloves | Body | Feet | |
| Main Stat | HP + | Attack + | Critical Damage% | Speed |
| Sub 1 | HP % | HP % | HP % | HP % |
| Sub 2 | Critical Rate % | HP + | HP + | HP + |
| Sub 3 | Critical Damage % | Critical Rate % | Critical Rate % | Critical Rate % |
| Sub 4 | Attack % | Critical Damage % | Speed | Critical Damage % |
As we said, Blade can be quite complex because of how his kit works. His damage scales off his lost HP and Attack while being a DPS character. This means that we have to consider more stats than we usually would with normal DPS characters.
Heavily consider pieces that have HP% and either of the Critical% while taking Speed whenever you can. These stats will have the biggest positive impact on Blade’s functionality.
You will also need as much Critical Rate as possible for our picks for his Planar Ornaments.
Blade Best Planar Ornaments
| Planar Ornament Set | How to Farm | 2-Piece Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Rutilant Arena | Simulated Universe – World 7 | Increases the wearer’s Critical Rate by 8%. When the wearer’s current Critical Rate reaches 70% or higher, the wearer’s Basic Attack and Skill Damage increases by 20%. |
| Inert Salsotto | Simulated Universe – World 6 | Increases the wearer’s Critical Rate by 8%. When the wearer’s current Critical Rate reaches 50% or higher, the wearer’s Ultimate and follow-up attack Damage increases by 15%. |
Rutilant Arena is another of the newer Planar Ornament sets added to the game. This set increases Blade’s damage consistently because of how often Blade uses his Enhanced Attack and Skill.
Inert Salsotto boosts the damage of Blade’s Talent, which is helpful but not as consistent because Blade needs to build stacks before he can unleash his follow-up attack.
Both these sets require a high amount of Critical Rate to trigger their bonus effects. Consider using Inert Salsotto while you’re still looking for Relics to increase your Critical Rate past the 70% threshold required for Rutilant Arena.
If you can get Blade’s Critical Rate to 70%, then Rutilant Arena is the better option for Planar Ornaments.
Blade Best Planar Ornament Stats
| Best Planar Ornament Stats | ||
| Link Rope | Planar Sphere | |
| Main Stat | HP % | Wind Damage % |
| Sub 1 | HP + | HP % |
| Sub 2 | Critical Rate % | HP + |
| Sub 3 | Critical Damage + | Critical Damage % |
| Sub 4 | Attack % | Speed |
Similar to his Cavern Relics, Blade’s sub-stats should prioritize HP and Criticals while picking up Speed and Attack wherever he can. HP% for the main stat of his Link Rope with Wind Damage on his Planar Sphere to maximize his damage.
Blade Best Light Cones
| Rarity | Light Cone | Effect | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✦✦✦✦✦ | (Best in Slot) The Unreachable Side | Unfulfilled Yearning Increases the wearer’s CRIT by 18% and their Max HP by 18%. When the wearer is attacked or consumes their own HP, their Damage increases by 24%. This effect is removed after the wearer uses an attack. | Time-Limited Gacha |
| ✦✦✦✦ | The Secret Vow | Spare No Effort Increases Damage dealt by the wearer by 20%. The wearer also deals an extra 20% of Damage to enemies whose current HP percentage is equal to or higher than the wearer’s current HP percentage. | Gacha |
| ✦✦✦✦✦ | Something Irreplaceable | Kinship Increases the wearer’s Attack by 24%. When the wearer defeats an enemy or is hit, immediately restores HP equal to 8% of the wearer’s ATK. At the same time, the wearer’s Damage is increased by 24% until the end of their next turn. This effect cannot stack and can only trigger 1 time per turn. | Starlight Exchange / Gacha |
| ✦✦✦✦ | Nowhere to Run | Desperate Times Increases the wearer’s Attack by 24%. Whenever the wearer defeats an enemy, they restore HP equal to 12% of their Attack. | Nameless Honor |
| ✦✦✦ | Mutual Demise | Legion If the wearer’s current HP is lower than 80%, Critical Rate increases by 12%. | Gacha |
Of course, no limited-time character has ever been released without their signature Light Cone, and Blade is no exception. The Unreachable Side is the only Destruction Light Cone that offers Max HP while boosting the wearer’s damage whenever they lose some HP.
The next best Light Cone is the 4-Star Light Cone, The Secret Vow. Since Blade will usually be on the lower end of his current HP, you can easily trigger the damage bonus this Light Cone provides.
Something Irreplaceable is notable thanks to its healing effect and bonus whenever the wearer takes a hit. This can make playing Blade without a healer a little more comfortable. The same goes for the 4-Star Light Cone, Nowhere to Run.
Lastly, for beginners who don’t have an abundance of stronger Light Cones yet, they can always use Mutual Demise, or purchase the Psuedo 5-Star Destruction Light Cone from Herta’s Shop.
Conclusion
Like most other Destruction Characters, Blade is very self-sufficient since he can heal himself with enough Speed. While having a character who is always low on HP can take some getting used to, slotting Blade into your team is well worth it because of the burst damage that he can provide.
Furthermore, Blade is the only 5-Star Wind character who is made for AoE DPS. This means you can consolidate the roles of Dan Heng and Sampo into one character. Instead of building two separate Wind characters, you could just try your luck and pull for Blade.