Honkai Star Rail, the latest RPG from Hoyoverse, allows players to amass a collection of different characters for their team by using Warp. Warp is the name of this game's gacha system, which allows players to obtain new characters and Light Cones to equip to those characters.
Much like other gacha games, Honkai Star Rail runs limited banners (called "Special Banners") alongside the standard banner, each offering the chance to pull characters and Light Cones that aren't found in the standard banner. These are changed regularly, and this guide will explain the current banner schedule. Special Banners currently run for 21 days before being replaced by a new one.
Updated on 22 July 2023: With the release of Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.2, this guide has been updated to explain the current banners and the next set of upcoming banners.
The Current Honkai Star Rail Banners
The Current Character Banner for Version 1.2 is called "A Lost Soul" and offers the opportunity to get Blade. Blade is a Stellaron Hunter who has previously appeared in story events during version 1.0. Blade is a Destruction Path character with the Wind Element who specializes in using his own HP as a resource to dish out damage on multiple targets. He also unleashes a powerful follow-up attack that deals bonus damage based on his max HP after taking damage 5 times.
Blade can spend HP equal to 30% of his Max HP to enter a special state that boosts his damage and replaces his basic attack with a stronger AOE attack, though using this new basic attack will spend HP equal to 10% of his Max HP each time. He cannot drop to zero HP as a result of using his skill or improved basic attack, but using them with insufficient HP will drop him to 1HP instead. His Ultimate allows him to reset his current HP to 50% of his max HP while inflicting damage on a target and a smaller amount of damage to all other foes. The damage dealt by his Ultimate is modified by his Max HP and by the amount of damage he has taken during the current battle.
The "A Lost Soul" Banner also offers increased odds of getting the characters Arlan, Natasha, and Sushang. Arlan is a Path of Destruction Lightning Character who spends his HP to dish out damage and gains a damage boost from the difference between his Max HP and his current HP. Natasha is an Abundance Path Physical Character who specializes in healing the party and keeping them healthy. Sushang is a Path of the Hunt Physical Character who can deal tremendous single-target damage and dish out even more damage after her target is weakness broken.
The accompanying "Brilliant Fixation" banner allows players to acquire Blade's "The Unreachable Side" 5-Star Light Cone. This is a Light Cone for Path of Destruction Characters which boosts Crit Rate and Max HP. It also increases the equipped Character's Damage significantly for one attack after they consume their own HP, causing it to synergize fantastically with Blade and Arlan.
The Brilliant Fixation banner also offers increased odds of receiving the Light Cones "A Secret Vow", "Shared Feeling" and "Swordplay." A Secret Vow is a Path of Destruction Light Cone that provides bonus damage which increases further when fighting enemies with a higher HP percentage than the equipped character. Shared Feeling is a Path of Abundance Light Cone that boosts outgoing healing and regenerates energy for the whole team when the equipped character uses their Skill. Swordplay is a Path of the Hunt Light Cone that provides a stacking damage bonus when attacking the same target multiple times.
Upcoming Banners
The next banner for version 1.2 is called "Nessun Dorma" and will feature the new 5-Star Character "Kafka." Kafka is a Stellaron Hunter who appeared during the game's prologue and during several events later in the plot, and is a Path of Nihility Lightning Character. The Banner also has boosted rates for the 4-star characters Luka, Sampo, and Serval. Luka is a new 4-Star Path of Nihility character. The "Brilliant Fixation" banner to accompany "Nessun Dorma" will offer the 5-Star Light Cone "Patience is All You Need."
Honkai Star Rail is available on PC and Mobile.