Best Light Cone
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Yanqing is often overlooked as a Hunt path character, especially with the launch of theHonkai: Star Railintroducing thepopular returning characterSeele, who is also from the Hunt path, as a limited-time character. This has drawn more attention to Seele, leaving Yanqing somewhat overshadowed. Additionally, players have been introduced toexcellent 4-star Hunt characterslike Dan Heng and Sushang, further adding to the choices players have to prioritize. However, for those fortunate enough to obtain Yanqing early inHonkai: Star Rail, they will discover that he offers excellent and fast DPS potential, making him suitable for many occasions in a variety of tough content like Forgotten Hall where players may need an Ice DPS for one of the teams.
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Regarding Yanqing’s build, it can be said that players may find him relatively easy to build compared to other existing Hunt characters. This is because he gains a significant amount of additional Crit Rate and Crit Damage from his traces and kit, allowing players to prioritize ATK and Speed when selecting his relics. Building him with a primary focus on these stats becomes even more achievable when utilizing light cones that provide Crit DMG, Crit Rate, or other unique benefits for this character. Fortunately, Yanqing can make excellent use of a variety of free-to-play and gacha light cone options to unlock his potential inHonkai: Star Railfully.
5Swordplay
Being a Hunt character, Yanqing excels as a single-target DPS and is also capable of launching follow-up attacks on the same enemy with a 50% base chance. This playstyle often results in Yanqing consistently attacking the same target, allowing him to greatly benefit from the effect of the Swordplay which can stack up to 5 times. This light cone is particularly effective in boss fights, where Yanqing can continuously focus on a single target. However, players may want to consider using a different light cone option when dealing with waves of multiple enemies, as Swordplay will not be as effective in such situations.
4River Flows in Spring
River Flows in Spring is a free-to-play light cone option that can be obtained from completing operation briefing missions and as one of the rewards in Forgotten Hall store afterearning enough Lucent Afterglow. As such, this light cone can be easily superimposed to its maximum level, which significantly helps increase Yanqing’s speed and damage output. It is particularly useful for players who have optimized Yanqing’s ATK and Crit values but lack in the Speed department. However, players should be aware that the light cone’s effect will be dispelled for a short duration if Yanqing takes damage. While Yanqing becomes less likely to be attacked after using his skill, thanks to his passive ability, players who choose to use this light cone may also benefit fromusing a character like Fire Trailblazer, who can taunt enemies and provide a shield for Yanqing. However, in battles where enemies deal AoE damage, other light cone options may be more beneficial.
3Cruising in the Stellar Sea
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Cruising in the Stellar Sea is another free-to-play option, but this time it is a 5-star rarity light cone that can be obtained from the Herta Store in the Simulated Universe. Withenough Herta Bonds, it is easy to fully superimpose this light cone, and players can prioritize redeeming this option over the other two available for different paths, as Cruising in the Stellar Sea provides more benefits to the character and the team in comparison. However, it can be argued that while it has significantly higher base stats compared to 4-star light cones and is generally a better option with fewer limitations, it may not shine as much compared to other 5-star Hunt light cones due to its effect. This is because Yanqing already gains a large amount of Crit Rate increase after using his Ultimate and Skill, meaning he may not benefit as much from the additional Crit Rate provided compared to characters like Sushang. Additionally, the ATK% increase requires Yanqing to defeat enemies, which may not be as convenient in some boss battles as it would require him to focus on additional enemies in between to fully benefit from this secondary effect.
2Sleep Like the Dead
Being the signature 5-star light cone of Yanqing, it is not surprising that Sleep Like the Dead is one of the best options for Yanqing, for those lucky enough toobtain it from Gacha. The biggest advantage of this light cone is its ability to provide an unconditional Crit DMG buff and improve Yanqing’s consistency in landing critical hits. Although the Crit Rate increase is only available once every 3 turns, this shouldn’t be a significant drawback, especially considering his self-buffs. It serves as a means to ensure that Yanqing can critically hit almost every turn if built and utilized correctly.
1In The Night
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It may surprise some players that there is a light cone that is more effective on Yanqing than his signature light cone. However, this is entirely the case with In The Night. As a limited-time available light cone that wasreleased alongside Seele’s event banner, In The Night offers additional benefits to all Hunt characters, including Yanqing. It provides an unconditional crit rate buff and, more importantly, allows Yanqing to benefit from increased skill and basic attack damage, as well as crit damage from his ultimate. This can reach a staggering 48% increase if players can build him with enough Speed. Since Speed is a valuable stat to prioritize for Yanqing, this light cone gives even more reason to do so. For players who don’t have sufficient speed through Yanqing’s equipment and kit alone, utilizing a character like Asta can greatly help unlock the full potential of this light cone.
Honkai: Star Railis now available on Android, iOS, and PC. A PlayStation version is in development.
