Having perfect knowledge about combat is a must in tactical turn-based games like Honkai Star Rail. As you progress further, you will encounter even tougher enemies. So, it is better to get accustomed to the combat system beforehand. To get started, we will explain you everything about Attacks, Skill Points, Combat Strategies, Enemy Weaknesses, and much more in this guide. That being said, here’s your key to winning every battle in Honkai Star Rail.
Honkai Star Rail Combat Tips & Tricks
Here’s everything you need to know about Honkai Star Rail’s Combat mechanics:
Creating a Perfect Team
Before entering the battlefield, you need to gather your teammates. In Honkai Star Rail, you need to make a team of 4 characters of your choice. However, you must think wisely and select characters by their roles. For example, each team should have at least one DPS, Support, and Healer to keep their team moving. A perfectly balanced team will bring you one step closer to combat mastery in Honkai Star Rail.
There are 7 Elements & Paths in this game and each Character corresponds to them respectively. Moreover, the characters cause damage depending on the Paths they are aligned with. On the other hand, observing Elements is a plus point as it helps you identify opponent’s weakness. This is because every enemy you will be facing in Honkai Star Rail is going to be vulnerable to certain Elements. For a complete list of Characters with their corresponding Elements & Paths, check out our guide (link) on it.
Surprise Enemy with Technique Attack
Whenever you run into an enemy, you can always hit them first by using your Technique Attack. To do so, simply tap on the button in the lower right corner of the screen. At the beginning you get three Technique Attacks, which decrease after they are used.
Further, to regain and refill them again, you need to break objects scattered across the world. The benefit of using the Technique is that it begins the battle with you having an upper edge. Although most of the Character’s Technique heals allies, it still is a good move. Besides that, there are Characters whose Technique causes damage to the enemy. Another advantage is that it delays the turn of the enemy.
Moveset
Moving ahead, the most important part of Honkai Star Rail Combat system is the moveset. Each character has 3 types of attacks that include a Normal/Basic Attack, a Skill Attack, and an Ultimate Attack. Here’s what you should know about them.
- Basic Attack – Normal strikes dealing considerable damage to the enemy.
- Skill Attack – This type of Attack is comparatively more powerful than the normal one. Using Skill Attacks each time will cost you 1 Skill Point. In addition, you can stack up a total of 5 Skill Points at once. You start with 3 Skill Points already stacked up. You can spam Normal Attacks to regain and stack up your Skill Points.
- Ultimate Attack – You can unleash this attack even if it is not your turn. As the battle continues, your character starts to fill an energy bar. Once it is filled, your Ultimate is ready to use.
Enemy Weakness & Toughness Meter
In Honkai Star Rail, you have conquered the Combat if you learn to strike the weak points. As mentioned above, each enemy is vulnerable to one or more elements. Hence, if you attack them with the Element they are weak against, they will lose their Toughness. Consider Toughness as a protective shield wielded by enemies. It is displayed on the top of an enemy’s health bar.
Once the Toughness bar is emptied, the enemy will lose 1 turn and begin to take extra damage thereon. This whole scenario is known as the Weakness Break in Honkai Star Rail. Depending on the type of element that causes Weakness Break, the opponent gets inflicted with a status effect. For instance, here are the Elements along with the respective Weakness Breaks status effects:
| Element | Weakness Break Status Effects |
| Physical | Afflicts Bleed effect causing Physical Damage over time |
| Fire | Afflicts Burn effect causing Fire Damage over time |
| Wind | Afflicts Wind Shear effect causing Wind Damage over time |
| Lightning | Afflicts Shock effect causing Lightning Damage over time |
| Ice | Afflicts Frozen effect that freezes the enemy for 1 turn. Deals Ice Damge over time |
| Quantum | Afflicts Entanglement effect that makes enemy lose 1 turn. Deals Quantum Damage over tim |
| Imaginary | Afflicts Imprisonment effect that reduces enemy’s speed. Deals Imaginary Damage over time |
Extra Combat Tips & Tricks in Honkai Star Rail
Here are some extra tips that may come in handy while in a battle in Honkai Star Rail.
- Characters with higher SPD (Speed) take the first turn. So, those with the highest SPD can even attack twice in a single round.
- Usually, the combat system is turn-based but with debuffs and SPD, the turns may get jumbled. Sometimes, this will favor you, so choose your character accordingly. For instance, using Entanglement can make the opponent lose 1 turn. So this is the opportunity for you to strike.
- Also, if you are bored of fighting the enemy, then you can speed up the battle. To do so, simply click on the 2x speed-up option on the top right. Upon clicking that button, the combat animation will be fasten. Moreover, you can even skip the entire battle by using the button next to the fast forward button.
Hopefully, this will help you level up your Combat Skills in Honkai Star Rail. Now that you are here, you can get yourself rewarded with freebies using our HSR Codes article.