Meet Himeko, the adventurous scientist who, as a child, encountered and repaired a stranded train, the Astral Express. Now, she serves as the navigator of the train as it traverses the vast universe. As a playable character in Honkai Star Rail, Himeko has the ability to dish out massive AOEs from her kit. In this article, we will learn the best builds for Himeko.
All Himeko Ascension Materials
Most of Himeko’s attacks are massive AOEs but the most important of all is her skill and ultimate. This requires you to ascend her to the maximum level to unlock the traces needed for you to utilize her damage even further. Here are the ascension materials you need to collect to upgrade her.
| Rank | Req Lv | Credit | Material | Material 2 | ||
| 1 | 20 | 4000 |  | Extinguished Core x5 | ||
| 2 | 30 | 8000 | | Extinguished Core x10 | ||
| 3 | 40 | 16000 |  | Glimmering Core x6 |  | Endotherm Chitin x3 |
| 4 | 50 | 40000 | | Glimmering Core x9 | | Endotherm Chitin x7 |
| 5 | 60 | 80000 |  | Squirming Core x6 | | Endotherm Chitin x20 |
| 6 | 70 | 160000 | | Squirming Core x9 | | Endotherm Chitin x35 |
Best Himeko Build in Honkai: Star Rail
Let’s break it down a little. In this build, we will be utilizing Himeko as an AOE damage dealer.
Himeko’s Light Cone
For Himeko, the 5-star Light Cone “Before Dawn” is the optimal weapon choice as it caters to her role as an Erudition character. The weapon provides a significant boost to her CRIT DMG by 36%-60% and increases her Skill and Ultimate DMG by 18%-30%. Additionally, the weapon grants the user “Somnus Corpus” after using their Skill or Ultimate, which increases follow-up attack DMG by 48%-80% upon triggering.
“The Birth of the Self” is a viable free-to-play alternative, as it increases follow-up attack DMG by 24%-48%, with an extra 24%-48% boost if the enemy’s HP is below 50% of their maximum. Another option is “Make the World Clamor,” which grants the wearer an immediate energy boost of 20-32 upon entering battle and increases Ultimate DMG by 32%-64%.
Himeko’s Relic
The “Firesmith of Lava-Forging” relic is optimal for Himeko since she is a fire-type character. With its 2-piece set bonus, it increases Fire DMG by 10%. However, its 4-piece set bonus makes it shine, increasing the wearer’s Skill DMG by 12%. Additionally, after unleashing her ultimate, it increases Himeko’s Fire DMG by 12% for her next attack, making it an excellent choice for players who want to maximize her damage output.
Pairing it with the “Celestial Differentiator” 2-piece set can further enhance Himeko’s performance by increasing her CRIT DMG by 16%, with a CRIT Rate increase of 60% after entering battle when her current CRIT DMG reaches 120% or higher. Alternatively, players can pair the “Firesmith of Lava-Forging” relic with the “Inert Salsotto” 2-piece set, increasing the wearer’s CRIT Rate by 8%. When Himeko’s current CRIT Rate reaches 50% or higher, her Ultimate and follow-up attack DMG increases by 15%. Overall, the “Firesmith of Lava-Forging” relic is a solid choice for Himeko, especially when combined with the right set bonuses.
Himeko’s Team Comp
Himeko will be the main AOE-DPS of the team. Tingyun, Bronya, and Natasha will be the support characters. Tingyun can increase the team’s overall ATK and provide a boost in damage for a targeted ally with her ultimate Skill, making Himeko hit harder. Bronya’s ATK% boost benefits all team members, and her Skill allows for more turns and DMG increase, making the team more agile in battle. As for Natasha, she can heal the team to sustain them during longer fights. Himeko’s ability to deal more AoE damage when enemies are affected by Weakness Break can be further enhanced by Bronya’s Skill, which can cause enemies to be inflicted with the Weakness Break debuff. Overall, this team composition can provide strong damage output and sustainability for Himeko to shine as the main DPS.
Traces Priority
 | Heavenly Flare Ultimate Deals Fire DMG equal to 138%–276% of Himeko’s ATK to all enemies. Himeko regenerates 5 extra Energy for each enemy defeated. |
 | Molten Detonation Skill Deals Fire DMG equal to 100%–250% of Himeko’s ATK to a single enemy and Fire DMG equal to 40%–100% of Himeko’s ATK to enemies adjacent to it. |
 | Victory Rush Talent When an enemy is inflicted with Weakness Break, Himeko gains 1 point of Charge (max 3 points). If Himeko is fully Charged when an ally performs an attack, Himeko immediately performs 1 follow-up attack and deals Fire DMG equal to 70%–175% of her ATK to all enemies, consuming all Charge points. At the start of the battle, Himeko gains 1 point of Charge. |
 | Sawblade Tuning Normal Attack Deals Fire DMG equal to 50%–130% of Himeko’s ATK to a single enemy. |
The ultimate should be the priority because it deals significant AoE damage to all enemies, effectively clearing mobs and dealing damage to multiple enemies simultaneously. Additionally, Himeko regenerates five extra Energy for each defeated enemy, allowing her to unleash more ultimates or skills quickly.
The skill should be the second priority because it also significantly damages a single enemy and its adjacent enemies, making it effective against a small group of enemies or a single target. Additionally, it can help trigger the passive effect of the “Firesmith of Lava-Forging” set, which increases Fire DMG after unleashing a skill.
That is everything you need to know about Himeko’s build. For more on the game, additional tips, guides, and information, be sure to check out the links below. We’ve also had an article on Seele build guide and Yanqing build guide available if you need tips for these characters.
