From the start of the Penacony storyline in Honkai: Star Rail, Firefly has been a standout character that players eagerly anticipated. After the Version 2.3 update, she’s now available to play once you summon her in the limited-time banner, and she packs a punch.
Firefly is a five-star Destruction character whose combat type aligns with Fire. While you’ll be summoning the character you grew fond of in the main story, during battles, you will primarily control her mech form known as the Stellaron Hunter, Sam.
Last updated on January 2, 2025, by Sanyam Jain: As time has passed, Firefly’s Break-based playstyle has seen numerous updates, bringing in new support characters. To assist you in mastering this playstyle, we’ve put together helpful tips for using Firefly effectively.
Top Firefly Relics and Planar Ornaments
Once you acquire a character in Honkai: Star Rail, the first thing to do is to fully upgrade them using Stagnant Shadow materials and then focus on their Traces. After completing that, you’ll need to dedicate most of your Trailblaze Power to obtain the best Relics and Planar Ornaments available.
Since Trailblaze Power is limited, it’s crucial to invest in the right gear. Here are some of the top gear options for building Firefly:
|
Gear Type |
Name |
Synergy with Firefly |
|---|---|---|
|
Relics |
Iron Cavalry Against The Scourge |
This Relic set was introduced with Firefly and is her best option, boosting her Break DMG by 16% and allowing her to ignore 25% of an enemy’s DEF during attacks. To trigger this effect, you’ll need to achieve at least 250% Break Effect, which includes the Break Effect gained from other sources during combat. |
|
Thief Of Shooting Meteor |
This is a starter Relic set to use if you haven’t yet farmed for the Iron Cavalry set. It provides up to 32% Break Effect and regenerates some Energy when you break an enemy’s weakness. |
|
|
Planar Ornaments |
Forge Of The Kalpagni Lantern |
This Planar Ornament set, introduced with Firefly, is also her top choice. It grants additional SPD and increases her Break Effect by 40%. You simply need to attack an enemy with Fire Weakness to receive the Break Effect, which is essential for Firefly. |
|
Talia: Kingdom Of Banditry |
This set provides up to 36% Break Effect if you achieve 145 SPD, which is easy to obtain with Firefly, though it’s challenging to farm and offers less value compared to her primary option. |
Firefly Relic Stat Priority
Although Firefly serves as a primary DPS, the stats to prioritize for her Relics differ from most DPS units. Here’s what you need to focus on:
|
Gear Type |
Main Stat Priority |
Sub Stat Priority |
|---|---|---|
|
Head |
HP |
Break Effect > SPD > ATK Percent |
|
Hands |
ATK |
Break Effect > SPD > ATK Percent |
|
Body |
ATK Percent |
Break Effect > SPD |
|
Feet |
SPD |
Break Effect > ATK Percent |
|
Planar Sphere |
ATK Percent |
Break Effect > SPD |
|
Link Rope |
Break Effect |
SPD > ATK Percent |
Building Crit chance on Firefly isn’t necessary, as she doesn’t do much direct damage even at her maximum upgrades.
For optimal performance, aim for at least 360% Break Effect on Firefly, which is the highest multiplier applicable within her kit. Additionally, strive for at least 150 SPD without any external enhancements to secure multiple turns during her Ultimate.
Top Firefly Light Cones
Choosing the right Light Cone for Firefly is one of your key steps in her build. While there are several options available, most Light Cones may not be optimal due to her unique abilities:
|
Rank |
Name |
Synergy |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest |
Firefly’s signature Light Cone is the best choice for her. Along with a significant 60% Break Effect, it also enhances the Break DMG received by enemies while lowering their SPD. |
|
2 |
On The Fall Of An Aeon |
This F2P-friendly Light Cone can provide an ATK boost of up to 64% with maximum Refinements. While this boost does not directly benefit Firefly, it transforms into Break Effect after a certain threshold. |
|
3 |
The Moles Welcome You |
The rationale for using this Light Cone is similar to the previous choice. ATK Percent is vital to Firefly since it converts into Break Effect when you exceed 1,800 ATK. |
|
4 |
Flames Afar |
This is another suitable F2P-friendly Light Cone. It helps maintain a higher health level while boosting her DMG. |
Firefly Traces Overview and Priority
Before upgrading any aspect of Firefly, it’s essential to grasp her functionality since this DPS doesn’t operate like traditional units. You won’t notice huge damage outputs with her abilities, as the bulk of her damage relies on breaking enemy Weaknesses.
Key points to understand about her kit:
- Firefly can inflict Fire weaknesses on enemies using her Technique, which affects all enemies in a wave, or through her enhanced Skill, which applies to a single enemy each time.
- Her Ultimate places her in an enhanced state for a specific duration (visible on the action bar) and allows her to deal additional damage based on her Break Effect during this time.
- Hitting enemies with broken Weaknesses using her enhanced abilities triggers Super Break DMG, dealing up to 50% of her Break DMG to each enemy hit.
- In this enhanced state, Firefly can reduce enemy Toughness even if they lack Fire Weakness, but this only reduces 55% of their original Toughness.
As you can see, the majority of Firefly’s damage potential comes from breaking enemy Weaknesses. Therefore, prioritize upgrading her Ultimate first for significant SPD and Break DMG boosts. Although the SPD increase at each level is minor, it adds up.
After upgrading her Ultimate, focus on her Skill, then her Talent. The Skill boosts the Energy she gains with each normal Skill, while the Talent reduces damage taken and increases Effect RES. If you’re regularly using a strong shielder like Aventurine, consider skipping Talent upgrades.
It’s crucial to unlock various Bonus Abilities for Firefly as quickly as possible since they are integral to her overall kit.
Lastly, you can omit upgrades for Firefly’s Basic Attacks if you’re looking to conserve resources.
Pro Tips for Playing Firefly
You might breeze through combat with Firefly in the overworld, but you’ll need to employ some strategies for effective use in endgame scenarios:
- Timing your Ultimate is key; don’t activate it the moment it’s ready. You can typically achieve your Ultimate after one attack at the battle’s start, but there may soon be a special buff from another character. Wait for this buff to maximize the impact of your Ultimate.
- If there’s an enemy with a broken Weakness alongside another with some Toughness left, it’s better to target the second enemy to ensure they break their Weakness in the same turn.
- Should your Ultimate run out before all enemies are down, focus Firefly’s normal skills on an enemy that still has Toughness, as she won’t deal significant damage anyway. This prepares her to hit them when her Ultimate comes back.
- The difference in Firefly’s performance in a F2P team versus her ideal team is huge. She easily clears endgame challenges, so it’s worth pursuing her optimal supports like Fugue, Ruan Mei, and Lingsha whenever possible.
