Everything you need to know about Honkai: Star Rail battle types
Want to know about all the different Honkai: Star Rail battle types? The turn-based combat in Honkai: Star Rail can be pretty confusing if you’re unfamiliar with the series. Even if you’ve played the likes of Genshin Impact or Elemental Saga, the game’s level of depth may still catch you off guard.
The combat system is integral to your Honkai: Star Rail journey. Without battling, you can’t progress through the story, and you’ll miss out on valuable items such as materials and crafting items. While the combat system can be challenging for newcomers, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about Honkai: Star Rail battle types, including how to start encounters, who gets the first turn, and how to deal the most damage.
How to start a battle
When you encounter an enemy in Honkai: Star Rail, you’ll be prompted to engage in combat. If you’re initiating the attack, you’ll get to choose who attacks first. Attacking first is advantageous as getting attacked triggers an enemy’s Ambush effect, which lets them strike first in battle.
How do battles work?
The combat screen shows your characters and your enemies lined up against each other. A turn lineup bar on the left allows you to plan your attacks and support abilities. It’s crucial to pay attention to enemy attacks that can apply debuffs or immobilize your characters.
If you’re familiar with other turn-based games, you’ll notice that there’s no enemy party in Honkai: Star Rail. Each battle consists of your party and a single enemy.
How to view buffs and debuffs
You can view buffs and debuffs by clicking on the icon at the bottom left of the screen. This will display a list of buffs and debuffs that are either applied or about to be applied to your characters.
How do element weaknesses work?
Knowing an enemy’s weakness is vital for your success in Honkai: Star Rail. If you know an enemy’s weakness, it allows you to lower their toughness, giving you a higher chance of landing a critical hit.
Weaknesses are indicated by elements displayed below an enemy’s name. For example, if an enemy is weak to water, you’ll see a water symbol below their name.
There are different effects applied when breaking an enemy’s weakness depending on the element used. Here’s a list of effects based on elemental weakness:
How does enemy toughness work?
Managing the enemy’s toughness is crucial as this recovers fully at their next turn. If an enemy lands a powerful attack, it can recover a large portion of their toughness. It’s important to inflict as much damage as you can during an enemy’s turn in order to maintain an advantage.
How do character abilities work?
Each character in Honkai: Star Rail has a set of abilities that can be used in and out of combat. Basic attacks can be used outside of battle to start encounters and inflict weakness. Techniques provide buffs or debuffs before a battle begins.
In battle, basic attacks and skills are used. Using abilities consumes skill points, which are limited to a maximum of five. You must manage these skill points strategically based on the type of battle you’re facing and the abilities of your characters.
How to charge the ultimate gauge
The ultimate gauge can be found at the top of the screen and requires three turns to charge. Once this is triggered, you can use your character’s ultimate attack by clicking on the button. Each character has a unique ultimate attack, and this can inflict massive damage to an enemy or to the entire enemy party.
How to view battle rewards
At the end of each battle, you’ll be presented with a list of rewards. These include materials, crafting items, and experience points. To view your battle rewards, click on the icon at the top of the screen.
