The new game from HoYoVerse boasts a deep combat system with many types of damage.
Honkai: Star Rail is a new project from HoYoVerse with a turn-based combat system that sets it apart from the studio's previous titles - HoYoVerse Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact. This game combines dynamic gameplay with strategic elements, and players have the opportunity to customize their squad before each battle, assembling a team from the many available characters. Honkai: Star Rail includes tons of interesting content and unique challenges.
As in previous projects from HoYoVerse, elemental damage occupies a special place in the Honkai: Star Rail combat system. These include fire, wind, electricity, ice, as well as physical, quantum and imaginary damage, each of which imposes a unique effect on opponents. Unlike Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail does not have an elemental reaction system. Instead, it uses a stamina bar and vulnerability penetration mechanics. This guide will help you understand these game systems to make it easier for you to select heroes for your squad and defeat opponents.
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What is the durability scale in Honkai Star Rail?
As soon as you start the first fight in Honkai: Star Rail, you will immediately notice two bars above each enemy - red and white. The red bar represents the enemy's health, while the white bar represents the stamina bar. Above the white scale, there are usually several icons that make it clear to which elements this or that enemy is vulnerable. This information can be seen in the pre-battle menu, so it's a good idea to study each enemy's weaknesses before the battle to better prepare for each battle. Thus, all enemies in Honkai: Star Rail have their own combination of vulnerabilities, so even battles with enemies of the same type can differ from each other.
A list of elements that an enemy is vulnerable to is displayed above his head throughout the battle, so you can change the battle strategy on the go and apply the appropriate techniques. Don't always rely on the same squad composition or any particular type of damage. The secret to winning any fight in Honkai: Star Rail is the ability to adapt to the current situation and adapt to the characteristics of each enemy. In general, the vulnerability system in the game allows you to add the necessary variety to the battles.
How to decrease the stamina bar in Honkai Star Rail?
It may seem that the white stamina bar works exactly the same as normal shields in other games - until you deplete it to the end, the red health bar will remain full. However, it is not. You can use up all of the enemy's HP and even kill them while leaving the stamina bar intact. The white bar reacts only to those types of damage that are indicated in the list of weaknesses of the enemy. When you select a character and their attack, and then target an enemy, an icon will light up above their head with the corresponding type of vulnerability (if any). This will help you determine what types of attacks you need to use in combat against certain opponents in order to quickly use up their endurance bar.
It is important to remember that the skills of each character, depending on their power, deplete the opponent's resistance bar in different ways. Therefore, when selecting heroes for a squad, you need to take into account the strength of their abilities. In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that the ultimate skills consume the white scale much faster than regular attacks or abilities.
The combat system in the game is built in such a way that you will have to choose a unique strategy for each battle and switch between characters in order to effectively use the weaknesses of enemies and deplete their resistance bar. Therefore, it is recommended to experiment with different characters and their abilities in order to find the most effective combinations for each battle. Each enemy's stamina bar is depleted at a different rate, so you need to pay attention to their weaknesses and choose the right type of damage to deplete the white bar faster. As soon as it drops to zero, all incoming damage to the enemy will increase noticeably.
What is a vulnerability breach in Honkai Star Rail?
The depletion of the resistance bar in Honkai: Star Rail is necessary in order to cause a breach of vulnerability - a negative effect that significantly weakens any enemy, including various bosses. As soon as the reserves of the resistance scale go to zero, the vulnerability scale will appear on the screen. After its appearance, the enemy will take significant damage and lose action points, skipping his next turn. This will interrupt all their planned attacks. Depending on the type of damage you used to deplete the stamina bar, enemies can take additional damage even during other people's turns. Some types of damage (elements) impose additional effects on enemies, so try to destroy the resistance of enemies with the most beneficial type of damage for you.
Although Vulnerability Break is a very useful effect for you and a devastating effect for enemies, you should not put all your strength into destroying the stamina of enemies. In some cases, it may not be profitable to save your character's "ult" to break through a vulnerability, and it's much easier to use it in the middle of a fight to damage the enemy's health and possibly even destroy him. This is especially true for fights in the later stages of the game, where enemies have solid reserves of health and stamina. Thus, you need to strike a balance between the depletion of the red and white stripes in order to effectively deal with opponents.
Effects from all damage types during Exploit Break
In addition to damage over time, each element in Honkai: Star Rail imposes certain status effects on enemies. Ice, Quantum, and Phantasmal damage apply slow effects that allow you to quickly finish off enemies without taking damage in return. It is important to keep all these effects in mind when selecting heroes for a squad and thinking through a strategy. Below are the effects of all types of damage during penetration of the vulnerability:
- Fiery: Inflicts additional fire damage and the Burning effect, and also deals fire damage over time;
- Windy: Inflicts additional wind damage and the Weathering effect, and also deals windy damage over time;
- Electrical: Inflicts additional electrical damage and the Shock effect, and deals electrical damage over time;
- Icy: Inflicts the Freeze effect, which prevents enemies from taking any actions, and also deals periodic ice damage;
- Physical: Inflicts additional physical damage and the Bleeding effect, and also deals periodic physical damage;
- Quantum: Inflicts the "Binding" effect, which delays the actions of opponents, and also deals periodic quantum damage;
- Imaginary: Inflicts the Imprisonment effect, which delays the actions of enemies, and also reduces their speed (periodic damage is not applied).
