Honkai Star Rail: Key terms explained to get you started

Honkai: Star Rail, the latest title from Genshin Impact creators HoYoverse, has finally been released. Like a lot of games of this scope, it can be pretty daunting to enter into the unknown, with a lot of in-game-specific terms to learn along the way.

With that in mind, we’re breaking down some of the key terms, phrases and features that pop up a lot, and will be handy to know before starting your Honkai: Star Rail journey.

Currency in Honkai Star Rail

With Honkai: Star Rail containing gacha elements, there is an assortment of in-game currency that players will need to familiarise themselves with:

• Credits – The most common currency in the game. Players will be using this to buy shop items and upgrade their characters.
• Stellar Jade – A currency earned from completing quests.
• Oneric Shards: A currency that can only be bought with real money. This can be used to buy bundles and converted into Stellar Jade.
• Star Rail Passes and Star Rail Special Passes – The currency used to roll the different gacha elements. Star Rail Passes roll standard gacha and Special Passes roll events.
• Undying Starlight and Undying Embers – Currencies you get for hitting more than three stars in the gacha. They can be used on passes, rarer characters, Light Cones and materials.

Character Paths and progression in Honkai Star Rail

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Paths are essentially your character types. Whatever path your character chooses to follow will determine their abilities. At launch, there are 7 playable paths:

• The Destruction – Attacking
• The Hunt – Single-target damage
• The Erudition – AoE damage
• The Harmony – Buffs and battle boosts
• The Nihility – Focus on enemy de-buffs
• The Preservation – Defence and ally protection
• The Abundance – Healers

For more information on Honkai: Star Rail's Paths, be sure to check our guide for everything you’ll need to know.

• Traces – Your character’s skills that can be upgraded with materials.
• Eidolon – A stat that can be upgraded after pulling duplicates of the same character from the gacha aspects of the game.
• Levels – There are two types of account levels in Honaki: Star Rail:
  • Trailblaze – The level for your account. You can claim rewards as you rank this up and raise the equilibrium level.
  • Equilibrium – The game’s difficulty that also increases the power of the characters.

Equipment and utilities in Honkai Star Rail

• Light Cones – Light Cones are your primary weapons. They come in different rarities that can be farmed or players can hope to get one from the gacha aspect of the game. Light Cones will vary depending on Paths.
• Elements – The types of damage characters can deal, with enemies differing in their susceptibility to each element. There are seven in total:
  • Physical
  • Fire
  • Ice
  • Lightning
  • Wind
  • Quantum
  • Imaginary

That's just a few of the key terms and features that will help you get started in Honkai: Star Rail. Check out our guide on the game's pity system as well.

For more Honkai: Star Rail guides, keep reading GGRecon