In Honkai: Star Rail, all characters follow a certain Path, and that Path determines what kind of abilities they'll use in battle. Characters on the Path of Destruction are known for doing great burst damage and being able to take a decent number of hits. They are the bruisers in the game, often doing more damage with a lower health percentage.
Honkai: Star Rail – Every Destruction Character, Ranked
Destruction units in Honkai: Star Rail excels in both offense and defense.
Destruction light cones have effects that revolve around doing more damage or helping the user survive longer. This usually means having effects that activate after a character is hit or takes damage, healing the user, or increasing their stats. The Path of Destruction has a great variety of light cones that can help nearly every character.
15 Mutual Demise
|
HP |
38-846 |
|
ATK |
16-370 |
|
DEF |
9-198 |
|
Effect |
If the wearer's current HP is lower than 80%, CRIT Rate increases by 12/15/18/21/24%. |
Generally, Destruction characters don't mind losing HP, and some even sacrifice their health for an increase in damage. This light cone is designed to benefit from that sacrificial play style by giving the character an extra critical chance. The effect is simple, but maintaining it can be difficult when large amounts of healing are necessary or if consuming HP isn't part of a character's design.
As 3-star light cone, the stats are lower than what would be ideal, so it's best used as an early-game option. At that point in the game, players would also rather focus on building attack stats and extra damage.
14 Shattered Home
|
HP |
38-846 |
|
ATK |
16-370 |
|
DEF |
9-198 |
|
Effect |
Deals 20/25/30/35/40% increased DMG to any enemies whose HP is above 50%. |
Shattered Home is a great early game option for new players who don't have better light cones. It provides up to 40% extra damage against targets that have more than half their health left, which enables them to finish off weaker enemies quicker. It can also help in boss fights where the health pools are much larger, meaning the effect gets more use.
As it is with most early game equipment, it would be better to switch to a light cone with higher stats once the player has them available. Once this light cone's effect is no longer useable, the lack of damage will be very noticeable.
13 Collapsing Sky
|
HP |
38-846 |
|
ATK |
16-370 |
|
DEF |
9-198 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's Basic ATK and Skill DMG by 20/25/30/35/40%. |
As the first light cone players receive in the game, Collapsing Sky holds up surprisingly well with even 4-star options. It offers extra damage to basic attacks and skill damage, going up to 40%. It's an effect with no conditions, so the player will never miss out on extra damage.
7 Best 3-Star Light Cones In Honkai: Star Rail
3-star Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail can easily be replaced by 4-star items, but beginner players would want to focus on these as they start.
In the roster, many Destruction characters use either basic attacks or skills as their primary source of damage, making this light cone incredibly versatile. That flexibility, along with an unconditional damage boost, makes this the best 3-star Destruction light cone. However, with F2P options available, upgrading is inevitable.
12 Nowhere to Run
|
HP |
43-952 |
|
ATK |
24-529 |
|
DEF |
12-264 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's ATK by 24/30/36/42/48%. Whenever the wearer defeats an enemy, they restore HP equal to 12/15/18/21/24% of their ATK. |
As a reward for purchasing the battle pass, Nowhere to Run boasts a higher-than-average attack stat compared to 4-star options, sacrificing some defense in exchange. Even better, it offers a huge attack boost with zero requirements at high superimposition, up to 48%.
The downside is that it does cost money and a lot of time. The player would need to go through five battle pass cycles and pay each time for the maximum effect. The little bit of healing this light cone provides doesn't seem especially worth it.
11 Indelible Promise
|
HP |
43-952 |
|
ATK |
21-476 |
|
DEF |
15-330 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's Break Effect by 28/35/42/49/56%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, increases CRIT Rate by 15/18.75/22.5/26.25/30%, lasting for 2 turns. |
Indelible Promise is a gacha light cone that gives an increase in Break Effect and a boost in critical chance after the user uses their ultimate. For most characters, the extra Break Effect isn't really needed, since it only increases break damage. Only Xueyi can make effective use of this light cone because of her passive skill that turns Break Effect into damage percent.
As of now, this light cone doesn't see much use, but as more characters who use Break Effect are released, this light cone will most likely spike in popularity, at the moment, it's a niche pick.
10 Flames Afar
|
HP |
48-1058 |
|
ATK |
21-476 |
|
DEF |
12-264 |
|
Effect |
When the HP lost by the wearer during a single attack exceeds 25% of their Max HP, or if the HP they consume is greater than 25% of their Max HP, then immediately heals them for 15% of their Max HP while also increasing the DMG they deal by 25/31/38/44/50% for 2 turn(s). This effect can only be triggered once every 3 turn(s). |
Each Destruction character has a gimmick that informs their play style, but health consumption is a common theme in the roster. Flames Afar helps keep characters alive by automatically healing after a certain amount of HP is lost. Then the user will get a damage boost for two turns. Unfortunately, the effect can only activate once every three turns, meaning a minimum downtime of one turn.
This light cone can really only be used by Blade, and while it's a great option for him, players without Blade will want something else. Its niche effect makes this light cone undesirable even as a free-to-play option. This may change in the future when new characters who can meet the conditions are released.
9 Under the Blue Sky
|
HP |
43-952 |
|
ATK |
21-476 |
|
DEF |
15-330 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's ATK by 16/20/24/28/32%. When the wearer defeats an enemy, the wearer's CRIT Rate increases by 12/15/18/21/24% for 3 turn(s). |
4-star light cones don't often offer critical stats, and when they do, they are attached to some sort of requirement. Luckily, Under the Blue Sky only requires the user to defeat an enemy to receive the extra critical chance. This is great for content with many smaller enemies or bosses who summon minions. However, the effect will stagnate against single bosses.
This light cone has the standard stat array for 4-star light cones and provides a decent attack boost, but while the extra critical chance is great, its uptime is inconsistent, especially if the player struggles to defeat enemies consecutively.
8 Woof! Walk Time!
|
HP |
43-952 |
|
ATK |
21-476 |
|
DEF |
15-330 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's ATK by 10/12.5/15/17.5/20%, and increases their DMG to enemies afflicted with Burn or Bleed by 16/20/24/28/32%. This also applies to DoT. |
As another free-to-play option, Woof! Walk Time! Is much more universal but not by much. It comes with an attack boost and extra damage against enemies affected by bleed or burn. Generally, only physical or fire characters will want this light cone unless the player decides to build a team around those specific DoTs.
Honkai: Star Rail – The Best Hook Light Cones
Hook can be built in different ways, and fortunately, there are various light cone options that complement her versatility.
The biggest problem with this light cone is the uptime on its effect. Hook is the only destruction character capable of consistent burns, and there are no characters on this path that specialize in causing bleed. Otherwise, the player will have to use Weakness Break for those statuses, which is a huge loss in damage.
7 The Moles Welcome You
|
HP |
48-1058 |
|
ATK |
21-476 |
|
DEF |
12-264 |
|
Effect |
When the wearer uses Basic ATK, Skill, or Ultimate to attack enemies, the wearer gains one stack of Mischievous. Each stack increases the wearer's ATK by 12/15/18/21/24%. |
When it comes to generalist light cones, this is one of the best. It offers up to three stacks of an attack boost with an easy requirement to meet, going up to 24% extra attack for each stack at max superimposition. Nearly all Destruction characters scale off an attack for damage, so almost everyone can use it.
Although the effect is simple, the description is a bit confusing. This light cone requires the user to use their basic attack, skill, and ultimate to attack at least once each for the full benefit, which can disrupt a character's optimal gameplay loop. Also, as a gacha light cone, it can be difficult to get five copies, and for certain players that may never happen.
6 The Unreachable Side
|
HP |
57-1270 |
|
ATK |
26-582 |
|
DEF |
15-330 |
|
Effect |
Increases the wearer's CRIT rate by 18/21/24/27/30% and increases their Max HP by 18/21/24/27/30%. When the wearer is attacked or consumes their own HP, their DMG increases by 24/28/32/36/40%. This effect is removed after the wearer uses an attack. |
Blade's signature light cone is unique because it increases HP rather than attack, which makes sense given Blade's design. However, it makes this light cone a bad choice for nearly all other characters. Even with the boost in critical chance and the higher base stats, most Destruction units will want a different light cone to maximize their damage output.
Other characters that could possibly use this light cone are Arlan and Jingliu, but given that they both scale off attack, it is far from the best option for them. It's not useful anywhere else.