Honkai Star Rail, Hoyoverse’s newest Gacha title, had an explosive debut in late April 2023 and has been highly successful ever since. It is as if Hoyoverse took inspiration from the strong aspects of their other titles while simultaneously learning from their mistakes to deliver their best game yet. With that said, fans are in for a treat with the upcoming 1.3 update, Celestial Eyes Above Mortal Ruins.
Related: Burned Out in 2023: The Repetitive Grind of Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact
Upcoming Banners/Characters
Honkai Star Rail will receive two new 5-star characters and a new 4-star character in patch 1.3. The first phase banners will be Dang Heng, Imbibitor Lunae, Yukong, Asta, and March 7th. The second phase banners will be Fu Xuan, alongside Hook, Pela, and Lynx.
1. Dan Heng – Imbibitor Lunae (5-Star)
Even though Dan Heng was overshadowed by Blade in 1.2, he’s back with his Imaginary counterpart, which, fret not, will be a completely separate playable character. He follows in the Path of The Destruction and will triumphantly appear in the first phase of 1.3.
He is sure to be a top-tier DPS in the Imaginary category, possessing a high damage ceiling due to the fact that he can consume multiple Skill Points to dish out multiple abilities. Everyone is also very excited to learn more about his teased Squama Sacrosancta ability that allows him to offset his Skill Point consumption.
2. Fu Xuan (5-Star)
Fu Xuan, the head of the Xianzhou Luofu’s Divination Commission, will be making her appearance in the second phase of 1.3. She is of the Quantum element and follows in the Path of The Preservation, coming off as a very viable 5-star shielder comparable to good ol’ Gepard.
Much has been teased about Fu Xuan’s multi-faceted kit, and it has excited players, particularly Silver Wolf mains. On top of shielding allies, she will also be able to share damage taken to avoid one-shots, as well as increase everyone’s Crit Rate for greater overall damage. She is also teased to be capable of healing herself when her HP falls below a certain percentage!
3. Lynx (4-Star)
The Landau Family expands once again with the addition of Lynx, a sibling to Gepard and Serval. She will be another Quantum support unit alongside Fu Xuan, except that she will follow in the Path of The Abundance, or be a healer, in other words. She will run alongside Fu Xuan in phase two of 1.3, so you can get both!
Aside from her healing, Lynx will also be able to dispel buffs and increase the Max HP of your on-field characters, a mechanic that has seldom been seen in Honkai Star Rail. On top of that, her passive makes the enemy more likely to target your DPS (Path Of The Destruction) Or Shield (Path Of The Preservation) Characters, making her combo with Fu Xuan a particularly strong one.
Related: How to Take Photos in Honkai Star Rail?
New Light Cones
With new characters come new Light Cones, and although they will be the best-in-slot for the new 5-Stars, that’s not to say they won’t synergise with already existing characters.
1. Brighter Than the Sun (Destruction)
Of course, Brighter Than the Sun is Imbibitor Lunae’s best-in-slot weapon; It can work nicely on other DPS characters like Blade, Physical Trailblazer, and Hook.
Aside from permanently giving the holder an extra 18% Crit Rate, it can accumulate up to two Dragon’s Call stacks at most. A Dragon’s Call stack can be obtained by using the wearer’s basic attack, and each Dragon’s Call stack awards an additional 18% ATK and 6% Energy Regeneration Rate.
2. She Already Shut Her Eyes (Preservation)
While the Light Cone is tailor-made for Fu Xuan, other Preservation characters like Gepard, March 7th, and even Fire Trailblazer can definitely make good use of it.
As a permanent bonus, the Light Cone increases the holder’s Max HP by 24% and Energy Regeneration Rate by 12% — quite neat. Moreover, whenever the holder’s HP falls (either through damage or self-inflicted), everyone is buffed by a 9% Damage increase for the next two turns. Lastly, its passive is very interesting, allowing Preservation characters to also heal their allies equal to 80% of the difference between their Max and current HP at the start of each wave.
3. Solitary Healing (Preservation)
Even though Kafka was released in patch 1.2 with her signature Light Cone, Patience Is All You Need; It is odd to see yet another upcoming Light Cone that greatly synergises with her.
While Kafka has free-to-play alternatives, Solitary Healing primarily offers additional DoT damage on top of Energy Regeneration Rate, making it a game-changer for low-investment Kafka builds. Aside from increasing the holder’s Break Effect by 20%, their DoT damage also increases by 24% for the next two turns after using their Ultimate ability. Lastly, whenever an enemy inflicted with DoT is defeated, the wearer regenerates 4 Energy towards their Ultimate.
New Trailblaze Mission: Obsequies Performed, A Long Road Ahead
The last Trailblaze mission, Topclouded Towerthrust, left fans with mixed feelings as even though Phantylia was defeated, the fate of Tingyun was hard to accept, even for the characters that were at the scene. According to the description teased by Hoyoverse, this mission will focus on the aftermath of those events.
On the bright side, however, this mission will likely take Trailblazers to more parts of the Xianzhou Luofu, as has been teased for the upcoming event. A new swarm enemy, True Sting, has also been teased in the 1.3 live stream, and you bet we’ll be farming them for the new characters!
Complete Events Catalogue
Every patch is guaranteed to bring new Events for players to grind out Stellar Jades and have some fun exploring new levels.
1. Gift of Odyssey
What Genshin Impact players get once a year, Honkai Star Rail players get once a patch: Gift of Odyssey! This is a seven-day event where you can log in to claim a total of ten free Star Rail Special Passes. You can save these up for Fu Xuan (or another future character) or spend them all Imbibitor Lunae!
2. Aurum Alley’s Hustle and Bustle
This event will take you to another part of Xianzhou Luofu, Aurum Alley, with the objective of alleviating its decay and rebuilding it back to the prosperous place it once was.
Aside from all the free rewards and Stellar Jades, you’ll also get a free Shushang out of this event!! Moreover, you’ll also get to explore four new levels: Aurum Alley, Aurum Alley Night Market, Cosmos Street, and Aurum Alley Docks.
3. Space Station Force Task
The Space Station Force Task is a pretty straightforward event that we’ve seen before, and while it may be boring to play through, at least you’re getting tons of rewards at the end!
4. Planar Fissure
The Planar Fissure has always been a widely appreciated event where you, for a limited time, get double drops from the Simulated Universe. So, save up some Immersifiers so you can go all out on farming Relics when the event begins!
5. Garden of Plenty
After farming some Relics, make sure to farm just as hard on the next event, Garden Plenty, where you’ll get double the Calyx rewards in exchange for your Trailblaze Power.
General Gameplay Updates
There are a ton of gameplay updates also coming to Honkai Star Rail in patch 1.3. While we won’t delve into each one of them, here are the main changes you should be hyped about:
- Face more combat challenges in the new Simulated Universe update, Swarm Disaster
- Four more Companion Missions
- Trailblaze Power cap will increase from 180 to 240
- New Reserve Trailblaze Power feature will slow down over-capping
- Two new Stagnant Stages for obtaining Quantum and Imaginary Ascension materials
Also Read: How to Unlock Stagnant Shadows in Honkai Star Rails
Conclusion
Honkai Star Rail 1.3 promises new and exciting content alongside very good DPS and support characters. Although the story will likely take a slower pace, the huge Simulated Universe update will compensate for the lack of action. So, mark your calendars for August 30, Trailblazers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Four-Quantum Silver Wolf Compositions Be Viable In 1.3?
With the release of Fu Xuan and Lynx, two defensive Quantum supports, the dream team can finally be assembled. This involves running Seele as your main DPS and Silver Wolf as your Sub-DPS, leaving Fu Xuan and Lynx to hold up the rear with their defensive and healing utility, respectively!
How Will the Reserve Trailblaze Power Feature Work?
The new Reserve Trailblaze Power feature will work because as soon as your Trailblaze Power reaches its new cap of 240, the reserve will start to fill up. Although the reserve has a large cap of 2400, Trailblaze Power generation is slowed down to one unit per 18 minutes. So, while it is ideal for expending your Trailblaze Power before it caps, you won’t be punished nearly as hard for letting it overflow into the reserve.
What Are New Companion Missions Based On?
1.3 will feature four new companion events: One for Imbibitor Lunae called “The Dragon Returns Home” one for Lynx called “Farther Than The Snow Plains” one for March 7th called “Total Recall” and one for Luka called “Mo Cuishle”. These missions are great opportunities for you to get to know your favourite characters on a different level!