Honkai: Star Rail F2P Tier List v3.x — Best Characters at E0S0
Methodology: Characters ranked at Eidolon 0 with accessible Light Cones (Herta Store, 4-star gacha, free event LCs, or 3-star alternatives). A unit requiring E2S1 to function is rated significantly lower. Content evaluated: Memory of Chaos Floor 12, Pure Fiction Stage 4, Apocalyptic Shadow Stage 4, and high-difficulty Simulated Universe (Gold and Gears / Swarm Disaster / Unknowable Domain). Rankings are weighted 40% MoC, 30% PF, 20% AS, 10% SU.
SS-Tier — Meta Defining Characters
These four characters define the current endgame meta. They are functional at E0 with accessible Light Cones, enable entire team archetypes, and provide value that no other character replicates. Priority pulls for any account.
| Character | Path/Element | Best F2P LC | Why SS-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruan Mei | Harmony / Ice | Meshing Cogs S5 (3-star) or Memories of the Past S1+ |
Ruan Mei provides a suite of buffs that benefit every single DPS in the game: +50% Weakness Break Efficiency (faster breaks = more damage windows), +68% DMG at Trace 10, +15% SPD team-wide, +25% All-Type RES PEN during Ultimate, and extends Weakness Break state by one full turn. She is the cornerstone of Break/Super Break teams when paired with Harmony Trailblazer. Outside Break teams, her universal buffs make her the best generalist Harmony unit. Meshing Cogs (a 3-star LC) provides 8 Energy per attack, enabling consistent 3-turn Ultimate rotations. She needs SPD boots and as much Break Effect as you can stack (160% target) — no CRIT stats required. |
| Robin | Harmony / Physical | For Tomorrow's Journey S5 (free event) or Meshing Cogs S5 |
Robin's Ultimate provides team-wide 100% Action Advance — the single most powerful turn manipulation effect in the game. During her Concerto state, every ally attack triggers an additional Physical damage instance. She provides a massive team ATK buff scaling with her own ATK. The free event LC "For Tomorrow's Journey" gives 28% ATK and regenerates Energy when allies attack. She is the cornerstone of Follow-Up Attack teams (Ratio, Feixiao, Topaz, Himeko, Herta). At E0S0, she fits into any team composition because her buffs are universal. Her only limitation: she is energy-hungry (160 Energy Ultimate cost) and needs teammates who attack frequently to recharge during Concerto. |
| Sunday | Harmony / Imaginary | Past and Future S5 (MoC shop, free) or Meshing Cogs S5 |
Sunday provides 100% Action Advance on Skill, 20% CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG scaling with his own CRIT DMG (30% of his stat + 12% base), and 20% Energy regeneration on Ultimate (minimum 40 Energy). He is the definitive hypercarry support — replacing Bronya in all scenarios. The free MoC shop LC "Past and Future" gives 32% DMG to the next acting ally, which Sunday's Skill always triggers. His Skill also cleanses one debuff. For accounts running Jing Yuan, Argenti, Dan Heng IL, or any traditional hypercarry, Sunday is the single best investment. He also synergizes with summon/memosprite units. |
| Aventurine | Preservation / Imaginary | Day One of My New Life S1+ or Concert for Two S5 (free event) or Amber S5 (3-star) |
Aventurine provides stackable team shields that refresh automatically through his Talent. Every ally follow-up attack grants him a Blind Bet stack, which triggers his own follow-up attack at 7 stacks. His Skill provides a shield to all allies. His Ultimate applies a debuff that increases enemy CRIT DMG taken. He also provides 50% Effect RES to all shielded allies. Day One of My New Life gives 16% DEF and 12% team DMG RES. Amber (3-star, DEF% stat) is a budget option that provides massive DEF. For F2P accounts, Aventurine makes Simulated Universe and high-difficulty content significantly more comfortable. He is the best Preservation unit for general content, though Fu Xuan offers better one-shot protection. |
S-Tier — Exceptional Performers at E0
These characters are excellent but either have stronger team requirements, higher energy needs, or slightly narrower use cases than SS-Tier.
| Character | F2P LC | Archetype | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acheron | Good Night Sleep Well S1+ or Fermata S5 (free) | Nihility Hypercarry | Highest raw damage ceiling. Needs 2 Nihility teammates. Her Ultimate ignores Weakness Type for Toughness reduction. F2P challenge: her team options are limited (Pela + Guinaifen/Sampo/Luka) and she lacks a strong free LC. |
| Firefly | On the Fall of an Aeon S5 (Herta Store) | Break DPS | Self-implants Fire weakness. Complete self-sufficiency: self-healing, SPD buff, Break Effect scaling. Harmony TB (free) is her best support. On the Fall of an Aeon is genuinely competitive with her signature LC. |
| Fugue | Resolution Shines S1+ or Before the Tutorial Mission Starts S5 (free event) | Break Support / Debuffer | Enables any character to deal Super Break damage. DEF shred stacks with Pela. Expands Break teams to include non-Break DPS units. |
| Huohuo | Post-Op Conversation S1+ or Quid Pro Quo S5 (free) | Healer + Energy Battery | Team-wide Energy regen + ATK buff. Cleanse on every heal tick. Enables 2-turn Ultimate rotations for 140-cost carries. Slightly SP-negative compared to Luocha. |
| Fu Xuan | Day One of My New Life S1+ or Landau's Choice S1+ | Preservation / Damage Splitter | Absorbs 65% of damage taken by allies. Provides CRIT Rate and max HP buffs. One-time team HP restoration at low HP. Weakness: burst AoE damage can one-shot her if underbuilt. |
A-Tier — Strong & Accessible
| Character | Role | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Trailblazer (Harmony) | Super Break Enabler | FREE. Unlocks Break teams for any account. 4pc Watchmaker + Meshing Cogs. |
| Himeko | Follow-Up AoE DPS | Pure Fiction queen. Follow-up triggers on Weakness Break. Herta Store LC. |
| Clara | Counter DPS + Tank | Excels against fast enemies. Svarog counters on every hit. On the Fall of an Aeon. |
| Herta | Follow-Up AoE DPS | Pure Fiction specialist. Kuru-kuru triggers at 50% HP threshold. FREE. |
| Gallagher | Break Healer | Best 4-star sustain. Besotted debuff. What Is Real? LC. Fire Break damage. |
| Pela | Universal DEF Shredder | SP-positive. AoE DEF shred. Tutorial LC or Resolution Shines. Fits every team. |
| Tingyun | ATK + Energy Buffer | 50% Energy on Ultimate. Dance! Dance! Dance! or Meshing Cogs. |
| Guinaifen | Fire DoT + Debuffer | Firekiss increases enemy DMG taken. Pairs with Acheron or Kafka DoT teams. |
B-Tier — Niche Specialists
| Character | Niche | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sampo | Wind Shear DoT DPS | 5-stack Wind Shear + Ultimate detonation. Eyes of the Prey LC. |
| Qingque (E4+) | Quantum RNG Hypercarry | Highest 4-star ceiling at E6. Geniuses' Repose or Breakfast LC. SP-hungry. |
| Serval | Shock DoT / AoE | Extends Shock with Ultimate. Good early-game. Falls off vs endgame bosses. |
| Asta | SPD Buffer | Team SPD buff + ATK%. Meshing Cogs. Replaced when you get Ruan Mei or Robin. |
| Natasha | Healer (Free) | Your first healer. Replace ASAP with Gallagher, Lynx, or any limited sustain. |
| March 7th (Preservation) | Shielder + Counter | Freeze on Ultimate. Taunt via Skill. Solid for early-game. Falls off hard. |
Best Free Characters — Build Priority
- Harmony Trailblazer — Enables Super Break. Penacony story unlock. 4pc Watchmaker + Meshing Cogs S5. Build immediately.
- Herta — Pure Fiction monster. Free from Simulated Universe World 1. 4pc Grand Duke or 2pc ATK combos.
- Fire Trailblazer — Solid Preservation unit. Jarilo-VI story unlock. 4pc Knight of Purity Palace. Taunt + team shield.
- March 7th (Hunt) — Free from Xianzhou event. Imaginary damage. Shifu mechanic buffs the assigned ally.
- Natasha / Lynx — Your first healer, then replace with Lynx (free from Pure Fiction) who provides team-wide cleanse.
F2P Pull Priority Framework
Three-Pull Foundation for New Accounts:
- 1 Limited Sustain — Aventurine (best generalist) > Huohuo (Energy + ATK) > Fu Xuan (CRIT Rate + one-shot protection) > Luocha (SP-positive healing). Content becomes significantly more comfortable with a premium sustain.
- 1 Limited Harmony — Ruan Mei (best universal) > Sunday (hypercarry) > Robin (follow-up). Harmony units elevate every DPS you already own.
- 1 Limited DPS — Firefly (Break, self-sufficient) > Acheron (highest ceiling, needs team investment) > your favorite. Your main damage dealer.
Never pull Light Cone banner as F2P. Herta Store has S5 5-star LCs. 4-star gacha LCs provide 85-95% of signature performance. The LC banner is the biggest resource trap for budget accounts.
Best F2P Light Cones by Path
| Path | Best F2P LC | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Destruction | On the Fall of an Aeon S5 | Herta Store (accumulate bonds from weekly SU) |
| Hunt | Cruising in the Stellar Sea S5 | Herta Store |
| Erudition | Geniuses' Repose / The Seriousness of Breakfast S5 | Gacha / Forgotten Hall shop |
| Harmony | Meshing Cogs S5 / Past and Future S5 | Gacha (3-star) / MoC shop |
| Nihility | Fermata S5 / Before the Tutorial Mission Starts S5 | Forgotten Hall shop / Free event |
| Preservation | Day One of My New Life / Concert for Two S5 | Gacha / Free event |
| Abundance | Quid Pro Quo S5 / Post-Op Conversation | Forgotten Hall shop / Gacha |
Also check: Free Game Codes 获取星穹铁道最新兑换码。
Build your teams around this structure for optimal Memory of Chaos performance
Team Archetype Overview — Which Playstyle Fits Your Account
| Archetype | Core Units (Budget) | Premium Upgrade | Content Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Break | Harmony TB + Gallagher + Herta/Asta | Ruan Mei + Firefly | All content (most versatile) |
| Follow-Up Attack | Herta + Himeko + March 7th Hunt | Robin + Feixiao/Topaz | Pure Fiction, AS |
| Hypercarry | Qingque E4+ + Tingyun + Pela + Sustain | Sunday + any limited DPS | Memory of Chaos |
| DoT (Damage over Time) | Sampo + Guinaifen + Asta + Sustain | Kafka + Black Swan | Simulated Universe (Nihility) |
| Counter | Clara + March 7th + Tingyun + Sustain | Clara + Robin + Aventurine | High-speed enemies, SU |
Investment Traps — Characters That Need Too Much
- Blade (without his LC): No accessible HP-scaling Destruction LC. A Secret Vow at high superimposition is his only 4-star option — and it's gacha-only. His damage scales with HP, which limits support options.
- Jingliu (without Sunday/Bronya): Needs action advance to manage her enhanced state efficiently. Without Sunday or Bronya, her rotation is clunky and damage drops significantly.
- Dan Heng IL (E0, no Sparkle/Sunday): Extremely SP-hungry (3 SP per Enhanced Basic). Without SP-positive supports, the rest of your team can't function. At E2, his SP consumption is halved — but E2 is a significant investment.
- Seele (in current meta): Her Resurgence reset mechanic relies on killing blows. In high-HP endgame content where enemies survive her attacks, she loses significant damage. Outscaled by newer Hunt units.
- Silver Wolf (without mono-Quantum): Her weakness implant is RNG with multi-element teams. Only consistent in mono-Quantum (Seele + Silver Wolf + Fu Xuan + Sparkle). Niche pick for F2P.
F2P Roster Building — Month-by-Month Plan
- Month 1: Build Harmony TB + Herta + Fire TB + Natasha. Clear all story content. Start Simulated Universe weekly runs for Herta Bonds.
- Month 2: Pull 1 limited sustain (Aventurine or Huohuo). Immediately makes all content comfortable. Replace Natasha.
- Month 3: Pull 1 limited Harmony (Ruan Mei or Sunday). Elevates your existing DPS units. Start clearing MoC floors 6-8.
- Month 4: Pull 1 limited DPS. You now have a complete endgame team. Start clearing MoC 10-12.
- Month 5-6: Build second team for MoC. Pull second limited Harmony or second DPS.
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Building a Balanced Account — Horizontal vs Vertical Investment
New Star Rail players often ask: should I go wide (pull many characters) or tall (pull E1/E2 and signature Light Cones)? For F2P, the answer is definitively horizontal — pull more characters, not more copies. Here's the math:
- One E0 character = 1 complete team role filled. You need 8 characters (2 teams of 4) for Memory of Chaos and Pure Fiction endgame.
- E1 of a limited character = 75-150 pulls. That's the same cost as another E0 character. E1 typically increases damage by 10-15%. A new E0 character that synergizes with your roster increases your team's damage by 30-50%.
- Signature Light Cone = 70-140 pulls (75/25 banner, hard pity at 80). Most signature LCs are 10-20% better than the best F2P alternative. That's 1-2 other characters you're sacrificing for 15% damage on one unit.
F2P pull priority: Limited Harmony (Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Robin, Sunday) > Limited Sustain (Aventurine, Fu Xuan, Lingsha) > Universal DPS (Acheron, Firefly, Feixiao) > Specialist DPS (Jingliu, Blade — skip unless you love them). One limited Harmony enables 4+ teams. One limited DPS enables 1 team.
Memory of Chaos Team-Building — Two Teams from Your Roster
The #1 question from mid-game players: "I have [characters]. Can I build two MoC teams?" Here's a framework:
| Team Archetype | Core Characters | Flex Slots | MoC Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Break | Firefly/Rappa/Boothill + Ruan Mei + Harmony MC | Gallagher/Lingsha (Sustain) | S-tier. Highest damage ceiling. Weakness-implant bypasses element checks. |
| Follow-Up Attack (FUA) | Feixiao/Ratio + Robin + Topaz/March Hunt | Aventurine (Sustain) | S-tier. Consistent damage. March 7th Hunt is a free alternative for Topaz. |
| Hypercarry | Jingliu/DHIL/Jing Yuan + Sunday/Sparkle + Tingyun | Sustain of your choice | A-tier. Strong but single-target buffing. Requires matching element or brute force. |
| DoT (Damage over Time) | Kafka + Black Swan | Ruan Mei/Robin + Huohuo (Sustain) | A-tier. Consistent but lower ceiling than Break/FUA. Falls off against high-RES enemies. |
| Budget F2P | Dan Heng/QQ/Serval + Tingyun + Asta | Natasha/Lynx/March (Sustain) | B-tier. Clears MoC 1-8. Struggles 9-12 without heavy relic investment. |
If you have exactly zero limited 5-stars: Build Super Break with Harmony MC (free), Xueyi (4-star), Hunt March (free), and Gallagher (4-star). Harmony MC + Ruan Mei is ideal, but Asta + Pela can substitute. This team clears MoC 10 with decent relics.
Planar Ornaments — Which Sets for Which Characters
Planar Ornaments (World 3-9 in Simulated Universe) are farmed separately from Cavern relics. Choosing the right set saves months of Trailblaze Power:
| Set | Best For | Farm Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Rutilant Arena | Basic ATK/Skill DPS (Dan Heng IL, Seele, QQ) | High if these are your DPS |
| Inert Salsotto | Follow-up + Ultimate DPS (Jing Yuan, Himeko, Herta, Clara) | High for FUA teams |
| Fleet of the Ageless | Support + Healer (any sustain, Tingyun, Asta) | High — your supports need this |
| Broken Keel | Support (requires 30%+ Effect RES for full buff) | Mid — harder to activate than Fleet |
| Penacony / Vonwacq | Specific supports (Vonwacq for Tingyun, Penacony for same-element teams) | Low — niche use cases |
| Talia / Space Sealing Station | Break Effect / ATK stat sticks | Low — outclassed by newer sets |
F2P shortcut: Farm World 3 (Fleet of the Ageless + Inert Salsotto). These two sets cover 80% of your roster. Fleet for supports, Salsotto for DPS. Farm World 7-8 only when your main DPS specifically needs Rutilant or Broken Keel.