New player guide for Honkai Star Rail

 Player guide for Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)
Player guide for Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Honkai Star Rail is HoYoverse's most recent entry in the wildly successful Honkai series. Along with March 7th and Dan Heng, you will visit these different worlds via the Astral Express. This game offers an engaging open-world role-playing experience and a gacha system where you can obtain several featured characters.

The turn-based role-playing game Honkai Star Rail is set in space. Building groups of up to four characters to battle waves of extraterrestrial foes is the game's main idea. Here, every party member adheres to a distinct Path (or class) and Element, giving players an option to take in the fight.

This guide will show new players what to do when they board the Astral Express for the first time.

Disclaimer: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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How to play Honkai Star Rail - Beginners' Tips and Tricks for 2024

Free-to-play units when players start playing Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)
Free-to-play units when players start playing Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

The fundamental idea players must grasp is that characters must adhere to a certain Path and Element; however, there's much more depth to the game, and the tutorial doesn't explain many of its systems well.

This article's main objective is to present the game's principles of the game by sharing some tips and tactics for beginners.


1) Take up the Main Story first

In front of Astral Express (Image via HoYoverse)
In front of Astral Express (Image via HoYoverse)

The primary tale of Honkai Star Rail is a good place to start, even though it introduces many difficult topics. This is because the game's systems will be introduced gradually, so avoid overexposing yourself to its more intricate ideas, such as Echoes of War and Stagnant Shadows. Hence, the first piece of advice is to concentrate on Trailblaze Missions to advance the story.


2) Put together your initial team

Selecting your units before a fight in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)
Selecting your units before a fight in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

You'll gradually start to put together your first team for free as you go through the narrative. This is a decent enough starting squad, though it's unlikely to be the one you'll play with the entire time the game is available. You can use Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Asta as your first four characters.

When it comes to team compositions, generally aim for one or two characters that can inflict damage, such as Destruction or The Hunt path units, at least one character that can heal or preserve your units, and a support who can buff the team. Although there won't be a healer in your starting squad, you will eventually find a free healing unit named Natasha, who will fill in for the healing unit.


3) Recognize the combat fundamentals

A boss fight in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)
A boss fight in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

The turn-based role-playing game Honkai Star Rail is generally quite simple. Ideally, utilize units that complement the Elemental vulnerabilities that each adversary possesses. This will make it easier for you to "break" through their defenses, causing them to stumble and ultimately postpone their action.

Every time you play a turn, you can use a skill or a basic attack. Using a skill deducts points from your skill points, while a Basic attack generates skill points. During a battle, energy will charge, enabling you to use a character's Ultimate even when it isn't their turn.


4) Upgrade your team wisely

Max upgraded Jingliu with in-game resources (Image via HoYoverse)
Max upgraded Jingliu with in-game resources (Image via HoYoverse)

Don't worry too much about the ideal builds for your group of starting characters at the game's beginning, so try not to become attached to any of the Relics or Light Cones you uncover—rest assured that you will eventually obtain better ones.

Concentrate on the fundamentals first, so learn how characters level up and how ascending functions. Ensure you level up and equip any useful Light Cones or Relics for your character.

In these early phases, concentrate on three or four characters and avoid taking on more than you can handle. However, ensure you're upgrading all of your favorite characters equally. Later, there will be plenty of time to assemble an unbeatable team.


5) Use of Stellar Jade

Ruan Mei limited banner, where Stellar Jade should be spent wisely to summon her (Image via HoYoverse)
Ruan Mei limited banner, where Stellar Jade should be spent wisely to summon her (Image via HoYoverse)

Stellar Jade is the resource with which you should exercise the greatest caution as a novice and the most significant currency in Honkai Star Rail. While you can use this vital resource to buy anything in the game, buying Star Rail Special Passes on temporary banners is best utilized.

Stellar Jade shouldn't be used to purchase Star Rail Passes for the Departure Warp, Stellar Warp, or Fuel for Trailblaze Power. This is because the latter never runs out, while the former replenishes over time.

Playing the game will grant you Star Rail Passes, which you should first use for the Departure Warp, ensuring a 5-star character within 50 pulls. After this, you should only purchase Star Rail Special Passes with Stellar Jade. These special passes can be used to purchase new characters and Light Cone banners available for a limited time.


6) Operation Briefings: A useful reference

Use Operation Briefings in Honkai Star Rail as a Guide (Image via HoYoverse)
Use Operation Briefings in Honkai Star Rail as a Guide (Image via HoYoverse)

Operation Briefings are an in-game guide Honkai Star Rail provides if you're unsure what to do or how to advance the most. These are divided into nine sections that will help acquaint you with the many ideas of the game over time. Naturally, completing these requirements will grant you access to many benefits, which you may utilize to fortify your team and enhance their fighting prowess.


7) Start acquiring knowledge of resource types

A limited Lightcone, which should be upgraded with the player's limited resources (Image via HoYoverse)
A limited Lightcone, which should be upgraded with the player's limited resources (Image via HoYoverse)

Although you shouldn't obsess over which resources you require and why, familiarizing yourself with the different resources and their applications is a good idea. For instance, Stagnant Shadows are mostly utilized for Character Ascension materials, while Calyxes help you farm Trace Materials.

It's not as hard as it might appear initially because the game often advises you exactly where to obtain different supplies. Additionally, as most of these tasks require Trailblaze Power, you'll gradually discover how to maximize this valuable resource as you gain more knowledge.

However, in the early going, don't worry too much about it; instead, concentrate on having fun and gradually assembling your initial cast of characters.


8) Do the dailies

Complete the dailies in Honkai Star Rail to gain Stellar Jade (Image via HoYoverse)
Complete the dailies in Honkai Star Rail to gain Stellar Jade (Image via HoYoverse)

Honkai Star Rail is a live service game that grants players some Stellar Jade for doing some daily challenges. For instance, after it's enabled, you should aim to do your Daily Training each day since it grants you access to Stellar Jade and Trailblaze EXP.

Furthermore, as was previously said, you should consider how to use up your Trailblaze Power, which recharges while you're not playing and is best used when you're logged in.

A weekly timer is also included for additional chores, such as the Simulated Universe. Instead of worrying about everything, grasp how things function and ease yourself into a cycle allowing you to advance as much as possible. Anything you accomplish will reward you with progress.


9) Discover your playstyle and rhythm

Jingliu in fight dealing Ice damage in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)
Jingliu in fight dealing Ice damage in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Even while Honkai Star Rail can be intimidating, as long as you follow the recommendations mentioned here on Stellar Jade and limit your purchases to temporary banners, you really can't go wrong.

Resources can be refilled, Light Cones and relics can be switched out, and new characters are constantly added. Prioritize finishing the story, strengthening your team, and accumulating a wealth of resources. As you play more, it will become more apparent, and you'll develop your own rhythm and playing style.

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Edited by Angad Sharma
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