New Light Cones in Honkai Star Rail 2.3: How Good Are They?

Honkai Star Rail has recently received an update with the release of Version 2.3. Among the new additions are four Light Cones. In this article, we will delve into the details of these new Light Cones in Honkai Star Rail 2.3, and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

New Light Cones in Honkai Star Rail 2.3

Honkai Star Rail 2.3 introduces four new Light Cones, alongside the new 5-star character, Firefly. How effective are these new Light Cones? Here is a list of all the new Light Cones in HSR 2.3, along with an in-depth analysis:

Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest

• Rarity: 5-Star
• Path: Destruction
• Skill: Increases the wearer's Break Effect by 60%. When the wearer deals Break DMG to an enemy target, inflicts Routed on the enemy, lasting for 2 turn(s). Targets afflicted with Routed receive 24% increased Break DMG from the wearer, and their SPD is lowered by 20%. Effects of the similar type cannot be stacked.

The first Light Cone we'll examine is "Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest". Its primary strength lies in increasing the wearer's Break Effect by a substantial 60%.

Additionally, when the wearer deals Break damage to an enemy, it inflicts a debuff called "Routed," which not only increases the Break damage dealt to the target by 24% but also reduces their speed by 20%.

This light cone is particularly effective for characters like Firefly and Xueyi, who specialize in Break damage. Firefly, being the signature character for this weapon, will undoubtedly benefit greatly from the increased Break Effect and the ability to amplify her Break damage output further. 

Xueyi, as the only other Break destruction character currently available, can also take advantage of this light cone's unique capabilities.

Eternal Calculus

• Rarity: 5-Star
• Path: Erudition
• Skill: Increases the wearer's ATK by 8%. After using an attack, for each enemy target hit, additionally increases ATK by 4%. This effect can stack up to 5 times and last until the next attack. If there are 3 or more enemy targets hit, this unit's SPD increases by 8%, lasting for 1 turn(s).

Next, we have the "Eternal Calculus," a free-to-play Light Cone for the Path of Erudition. While its base stats may be lower than those of a typical five-star Light Cone, its passive abilities can provide significant boosts to attack and speed under specific conditions.

The light cone increases the wearer's attack by 8% after using an attack, and for each enemy target hit, it further increases the attack by 4%, up to a maximum of 5 stacks. Additionally, if three or more enemy targets are hit, the wearer's speed is increased by 8% for one turn.

This Light Cone is particularly useful in scenarios where multiple enemies are present, such as in the Pure Fiction game mode. Characters like Argenti, Jing Yuan, Serval, and Himeko can benefit from the attack and speed boosts provided by this Light Cone.

After the Charmony Fall

• Rarity: 4-Star
• Path: Erudition
• Skill: Increases the wearer's Break Effect by 28%. After the wearer uses Ultimate, increases SPD by 8%, lasting for 2 turn(s).

The "After the Charmony Fall" Light Cone is a four-star item that increases the wearer's Break Effect by 28%. Additionally, after using their ultimate, the wearer's speed is increased by 8% for two turns.

While the Break Effect increase could be useful for certain characters, the fact that this is an Erudition Light Cone limits its viability. 

Most Erudition characters do not prioritize Break Effects, making this Light Cone less appealing for the majority of them. The only potential candidate for this weapon might be a Break-focused Himeko build, although such a build is not commonly used.

Yet Hope Is Priceless

• Rarity: 5-Star
• Path: Class Erudition
• Skill: Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 16%. While the wearer is in battle, for every 20% CRIT DMG that exceeds 120%, the DMG dealt by follow-up attack increases by 12%. This effect can stack up to 4 time(s). When the battle starts or after the wearer uses their Basic ATK, enables Ultimate or the DMG dealt by follow-up attack to ignore 20% of the target's DEF, lasting for 2 turn(s).

Lastly, we have "Yet Hope Is Priceless," Jade's signature Light Cone. This item offers a 16% increase in Critical Rate, which is a significant boost for any character. Additionally, for every 20% Critical Damage that exceeds 120%, the damage dealt by follow-up attacks increases by 12%, up to a maximum of 4 stacks (48% increase).

Furthermore, when the battle starts or after the wearer uses their Basic Attack, their Ultimate and follow-up attacks gain the ability to ignore 20% of the target's Defense for two turns.

Characters like Jade and Jing Yuan can greatly benefit from this light cone's capabilities. The Critical Rate increase, coupled with the damage boost for follow-up attacks and the Defense ignore effect, can significantly enhance their overall damage output. However, the requirement to use a Basic Attack to trigger the Defense ignore effect can be inconvenient for certain playstyles.

Other Erudition characters, such as Argenti and Serval may also find this Light Cone useful, as the Critical Rate increase and the potential for increased Ultimate damage can be valuable additions to their kits.

Summary

The new Light Cones introduced in Honkai Star Rail 2.3 offer a variety of powerful abilities that can significantly enhance the performance of certain characters. While some Light Cones are tailored towards specific playstyles or character types, others provide more versatile benefits that can be utilized by a wider range of characters.