In every game, weapons are perhaps the most essential pieces of gear that could make or break your character. They could significantly enhance your character’s abilities or, on the contrary, bring them down if not chosen wisely. In Honkai: Star Rail (HSR), weapons come in the form of Light Cones, which are actually a piece of technology in the game that contains the memory of a person. They don’t look anything like traditional weapons, but they grant immense power in the hands of the right people. In this guide, we will explore everything there is to know about Light Cones and how you can pick the best one for your characters.
What are Light Cones?
The HoYoverse team took a different approach when designing weapons for HSR. Instead of your typical swords or bows and catalysts, they opted to implement a unique weapon system that offers great flexibility while keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting. Light Cones are essentially fragments of memories from different characters in the game. These memories are stored within a technological device called a Light Cone, which can be equipped by characters to enhance their abilities and combat prowess. Each Light Cone is capable of boosting the HP, ATK, and DEF of your character as well as providing unique passive skills.
While each Light Cone has a designated Path assigned to it, any Light Cone can be equipped by any character in the game, regardless of their class or abilities. However, using the same Path as the Light Cone’s designated Path will provide additional bonuses for your character.
In HSR, you’ll encounter dozens of different Light Cones, each with its own unique set of abilities. Aside from their assigned Paths, they are classified as either 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star based on their rarity and power level. The higher the star rating, the more potent and rare the abilities of the Light Cone.
In-Game Explanation of Light Cones
Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection, which is a faction that worships Fuli (Aeon of Remembrance), developed Light Cone technology as a way to preserve and harness the power of memories. They discovered that memories contain immense energy and potential, and by extracting and storing them within a Light Cone, they could create a powerful tool for characters to tap into. This is the reason why the Interastral Peace Corporation, which is a faction that monitors the flow of business and resources in the universe of HSR, restricts the usage of Light Cones to prevent misuse and potential chaos.
Members of the Garden of Recollection believe that everything is temporary in the face of Destruction, which is why they believe in preserving memories as a way to hold onto the essence of what was lost. They view Light Cones as a way to immortalise these memories and tap into their power. These memories become clearer as they are infused with Aether, making them more potent and able to grant greater abilities to their users.
Enhancing Light Cones
Light Cones can be enhanced by levelling them up using Sparse Aether, Condensed Aether and Refined Aether. Enhancing your Light Cone’s level will provide more ATK, HP, and DEF stat bonuses, giving your character increased power and durability. Feeding duplicate copies of the Light Cone will also further increase their power and effectiveness, which is a process known as Superimposition. As you play the game, you’ll encounter duplicate copies of Light Cones that you can use to enhance your existing ones up to five times.
Choosing the Right Light Cone
With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the right Light Cone for your character’s needs. Here are a few factors to consider when making your decision:
- Path – To fully utilise a Light Cone’s unique passive skills and effects, you need to choose a path that complements your character’s chosen Path. Using a Nihility Light Cone for a Hunt character will give them stat bonuses, but they won’t have access to the Light Cone’s unique skills that are specific to the Path. So, it’s important to consider which Path your character is on and choose a Light Cone that aligns with it.
- Rarity – As mentioned above, the rarity of the Light Cone can determine its power and potency. Generally, rarer Light Cones will grant stronger abilities and have a greater impact on the user’s abilities. For instance, a 3-star Light Cone can grant anywhere between 200-300 ATK, while a 5-star one can give your character 400-500 ATK.
- Abilities – Each Light Cone comes with its own set of abilities that can enhance your character’s skills and performance in battle. Some Light Cones may provide additional damage bonuses, while others may increase your character’s defence or provide healing effects. Consider the abilities that will best complement your character’s playstyle and the role they fulfil in your team.
- Team Synergy – If you’re building a team, consider how the Light Cone you choose for your character will synergise with the rest of your team. Some Light Cones may provide buffs or debuffs that can benefit the entire team, while others may have effects that are more focused on individual characters. Think about how the Light Cone will contribute to your team’s overall strategy and playstyle.
- Future Growth – Lastly, consider the long-term potential of the Light Cone. It takes a considerable amount of resources to fully max out a Light Cone and unlock all of its potential. If you have a 5-star Light Cone but don’t have enough Aether and Credits to upgrade it, it may not be the best choice for your character in the long run. Maybe it’s better to settle for a 4-star Light Cone that you can easily max out and enhance to Superimposition V in order to get the most out of your character’s abilities.
The Best Light Cones for Every Path
Listing down all the best Light Cones for each character is an impractical task, as it would depend on the specific character, the team composition, and the player’s preferred playstyle. However, here are a few examples of Light Cones that are often considered strong choices for certain characters’ Paths:
| Path | Light Cone | Abilities | Recommended Characters |
| Hunt | In the Night | Enhances your character’s ATK. Also, the more SPD you have, the more ATK and Crit DMG bonus you receive for your Ultimate. | Any Hunt Character |
| Only Silence Remains | Provides ATK boost. Also provides Crit Rate bonus if there are two or fewer enemies in the field. | Any Hunt Character | |
| Abundance | Time Waits for No One | Boosts HP and Outgoing Healing. When an ally attacks, the target receives additional damage based on your character’s enhanced Outgoing Healing. | Natasha
Luocha |
| Post-Op Conversation | Boosts Energy Regen and Outgoing Healing every time you use your Ultimate | Any Abundance Character | |
| Shared Feeling | Boosts Outgoing Healing. Grants 2-4 energy to all allies whenever you use your skill. | Bailu
Natasha |
|
| Preservation | Moment of Victory | Boosts DEF and Effect Hit Rate. Enemies are more likely to target you. Also, you get an extra DEF boost whenever you’re attacked. | Gepard |
| Texture of Memories | Boosts Effect RES. When attacked, gain a shield if you don’t have one. If you do have a shield when attacked, you get a DMG Reduction boost. | Any Preservation Character | |
| Erudition | Night On The Milky Way | Boosts ATK for every enemy in the field. Whenever you Break enemies, you get a DMG boost. | Himeko
Serval |
| Today Is Another Peaceful Day | When entering battle, boost DMG based on your Max Energy. | Any Erudition Character | |
| Harmony | The Battle Isn’t Over | Boost Energy Regeneration Rate. You also gain 1 Skill Point whenever you use your Ultimate on an ally. When using a skill, the next ally to take action gets a DMG boost. | Bronya
Tingyun Asta |
| Carve The Moon, Weave The Clouds | At the start of combat or whenever you take action, grant any of the following actions:
Boost ATK Boost Crit DMG Boost Energy Regeneration Rate |
Any Harmony Character | |
| Nihility | In The Name Of The World | Boost DMG to debuffed enemies. Gain more Effect Hit Rate and ATK whenever you use your Skill. | Welt
Sampo Kafka |
| Incessant Rain | Boost Effect Hit Rate. Boost Crit Rate to enemies that have three or more debuffs on them. After attacking, apply Aether Code to enemies, which increases their received DMG. | Silver Wolf | |
| Destruction | Something Irreplaceable | Boosts ATK. Gain a DMG boost and Restore HP whenever you attack or get hit. | Clara
Blade |
| On the Fall of an Aeon | Gain an ATK boost whenever you attack an enemy. Breaking an enemy also gives you a DMG boost. | Arlan
Trailblazer |
Light Cones are quite essential and can make or break a character’s effectiveness in the game. Whether you have a support unit or a hypercarry DPS unit, choosing the right Light Cone that works well with their kit and the team is crucial for maximizing their potential. It’s easy to get lost in the variety of options available, but by considering factors such as role, playstyle, team synergy, and long-term growth, players can make informed decisions when selecting Light Cones for their characters. Finally, just remember to have fun experimenting and trying out different Light Cones to find the ones that work best for your playstyle and team composition.
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