Dan Heng SPD vs DMG Boots Guide: 3.8 F2P Build (HSR)

Dan Heng's Role in Version 3.8 Penacony Meta

Dan Heng remains one of the most accessible DPS options for F2P players. As a 4-star Wind Hunt character, he offers consistent single-target damage without requiring premium Light Cones or Eidolons. Base stats at Level 80: 882 HP, 546 ATK, 396 DEF, 110 SPD.

His kit synergizes with Penacony mechanics through Skill's 260% ATK Wind DMG multiplier and Ultimate's 400% ATK DMG (520% against Slowed enemies). Talent provides 36% Wind RES PEN to ally Skill targets.

F2P-Friendly DPS Position

Dan Heng operates effectively in basic F2P teams: Dan Heng (main DPS), Yukong (CRIT buffs), Trailblazer Fire (shields), Natasha (sustain). Zero premium pulls required.

Target stats for endgame: 70%+ CRIT Rate, 120%+ CRIT DMG, 2400+ ATK, 135+ SPD—all achievable through dedicated relic farming.

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Penacony Arena Mechanics

Floors 10-12 feature enemies with varying action value thresholds, making speed breakpoint optimization crucial. The cycle-based scoring rewards both damage per turn and total turns taken—creating the central tension in boot selection.

Relic Optimization Importance

F2P players face strict stamina constraints: 240 stamina daily = 6 farming attempts. Boot main stats drop at equal probability (ATK%, DEF%, HP%, SPD), requiring 2-3 weeks per optimized piece.

Pioneer Diver Relic Set Breakdown

Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters from Penacony's Path of Dreamdive provides strongest damage amplification for Dan Heng.

2-piece bonus: +12% DMG to debuffed enemies (synergizes with Dan Heng's Slow debuff)

4-piece bonus: +4% CRIT Rate and +8% CRIT DMG when attacking enemies with 2+ debuffs, increasing to +12% CRIT DMG with 3+ debuffs. Debuff application effects receive +100% potency for one turn.

Alternative Sets

Eagle of Twilight Line: +10% Wind DMG (2-piece), advances Ultimate action by 25% (4-piece). Farms from Herta Space Station.

Scholar Lost in Erudition: +8% CRIT Rate (2-piece), +20% Skill/Ultimate DMG with additional +25% Skill DMG after Ultimate (4-piece).

Musketeer of Wild Wheat: +12% ATK (2-piece), +6% SPD with +10% Basic ATK DMG (4-piece). Transitional option.

Farming Efficiency

Path of Dreamdive guarantees one 5-star relic per 40-stamina run at Equilibrium Level 6. Initial farming goals:

• Body: CRIT Rate main stat
• Feet: SPD or ATK% main stat
• Sphere: Wind DMG Bonus
• Rope: ATK%

Allocate 3-4 days weekly to Dan Heng farming while rotating other character needs.

ATK% Boots: Mathematical Advantages

ATK% boots provide ~43.2% ATK at max level, translating to ~236 additional ATK from Dan Heng's 546 base. This increase applies universally across all attacks without conditional requirements.

Damage Scaling Formula

Damage = [(Character ATK × Ability Multiplier) × (1 + DMG Bonus%) × (1 + CRIT DMG% if CRIT)] × DEF Multiplier × RES Multiplier

For Dan Heng's Ultimate against Slowed enemies (520% multiplier), difference between 2400 ATK and 2636 ATK equals ~9.8% increased damage. With 70% CRIT Rate and 140% CRIT DMG, this translates to 6,000-8,000 additional damage per Ultimate.

When ATK% Boots Outperform

• Speed breakpoints unreachable without excessive substat investment
• Boss encounters with strict turn limits where you already meet turn count requirements
• Team compositions with abundant speed buffers (Asta, Bronya)
• CRIT-focused builds exceeding 75% CRIT Rate and 150% CRIT DMG

Optimal Substats for ATK% Boots

Priority order:

1. CRIT Rate (until 70%)
2. CRIT DMG (until 140%+)
3. SPD (target 2-3 rolls for 120-125 total)
4. ATK%

Each SPD substat roll provides ~2.3 SPD. Three rolls grant ~7 SPD, reaching 120-125 SPD threshold for Space Sealing Station bonuses.

Penacony Testing Results

ATK% boots perform optimally with 75%+ CRIT Rate and 150%+ CRIT DMG. Against Floor 12 bosses with high HP pools requiring 10+ turns, ATK% boots maintain consistent damage without relying on speed manipulation.

Limitation: Creates turn order inconsistencies with Bronya or action-advancing supports.

SPD Boots: Action Value Optimization

SPD boots provide ~25 SPD at max level, pushing Dan Heng from 110 base to 135+ with substats. This unlocks specific breakpoints granting additional turns.

134 SPD breakpoint: Grants 2 turns in both 1st and 4th cycles = 2 bonus turns total

135 SPD threshold: Activates Firmament Frontline Glamoth's +12% DMG bonus (escalating to +18% at 160 SPD)

Speed Breakpoint Mechanics

Action value system: 10,000 / Character SPD. Higher SPD reduces ticks between turns.

At 134 SPD, Dan Heng accumulates action value enabling exactly 2 additional turns within standard cycle limits vs. 110 SPD baseline. This creates a cliff effect—133 SPD doesn't grant bonus turns, 134 SPD does.

Higher breakpoints: 143, 160, 177 SPD. For F2P builds, 134-135 range represents optimal balance.

Turn Order Manipulation

SPD boots enable precise turn order control. Setting Dan Heng to 135 SPD while keeping Yukong at 120 SPD guarantees Dan Heng receives buffs before acting.

Acting immediately before enemy turns allows applying Slow debuffs that delay their action, effectively granting additional turns. Requires precise SPD tuning only achievable with SPD boots.

Ultimate Rotation Frequency

Dan Heng's Ultimate costs 120 energy; Skill generates 30 energy. Typical rotation: Skill → Skill → Ultimate.

135 SPD Dan Heng casts Ultimate ~15-20% more frequently than 110 SPD version across extended encounters. This compounds with Ultimate's 520% multiplier against Slowed enemies.

Caveat: Requires sufficient skill point economy. Extra turns without skill points force Basic Attack usage, diminishing rotation advantage.

Diminishing Returns

Beyond 135 SPD, returns diminish rapidly. Reaching 143 SPD requires ~8 SPD from substats, sacrificing CRIT stats. 160 SPD for Glamoth's +18% DMG demands SPD substats on nearly every piece, leaving insufficient room for CRIT optimization.

Optimal SPD investment stops at 134-135 for most builds.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Test parameters: Level 80 Dan Heng, Level 10 Traces, 4-piece Pioneer Diver, F2P Light Cone In the Night, team with Yukong/Trailblazer Fire/Natasha, Penacony Arena Floor 12.

ATK% boots build: 2636 ATK, 72% CRIT Rate, 145% CRIT DMG, 120 SPD

SPD boots build: 2400 ATK, 70% CRIT Rate, 140% CRIT DMG, 135 SPD

Damage Per Cycle

ATK% boots (2 Skills + 1 Ultimate per 3 turns):

• Skill 1: (2636 × 2.6) × 1.12 × 2.45 = 18,750
• Skill 2: 18,750
• Ultimate: (2636 × 5.2) × 1.12 × 2.45 = 37,500
• Total: 75,000 per cycle

SPD boots (same rotation, faster cycle completion):

• Skill 1: (2400 × 2.6) × 1.12 × 2.40 = 16,800
• Skill 2: 16,800
• Ultimate: (2400 × 5.2) × 1.12 × 2.40 = 33,600
• Total: 67,200 per cycle

ATK% deals 11.6% more per cycle. However, over 12 turns: ATK% completes 4 cycles (300,000 total) while SPD completes 4.5 cycles (302,400 total)—near parity with slight SPD advantage.

Skill Point Economy

Both consume skill points identically with same rotation. SPD boots' increased turn frequency creates pressure in extended encounters—extra turns require either more Skills (consuming points) or Basic Attacks (generating points).

Skill point positive teams (Yukong, Trailblazer Fire) handle this easily. Skill point negative teams struggle, favoring ATK% boots' higher per-turn damage.

Team Dependencies

Yukong compositions: Favor ATK% boots due to multiplicative ATK scaling. Yukong's ATK% buffs multiply with higher base ATK.

Bronya teams: Strongly prefer SPD boots for turn order manipulation. Bronya's action advance requires specific SPD thresholds.

Solo carry scenarios: Lean toward SPD boots. Additional turns provide more total damage without external amplification.

F2P Investment

ATK% boots require less farming—functional with moderate substats. SPD boots demand precise optimization to reach 134-135 SPD while maintaining CRIT stats, extending farming by 1-2 weeks.

Start with ATK% boots while farming SPD alternatives for optimal progression pacing.

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Penacony Arena Strategies

Floor-Specific Analysis

Floor 10: Multiple elite waves with Wind weakness. SPD boots excel through consistent turn frequency across waves. Extended duration allows cumulative turn advantage.

Floor 11: Boss enemies with action delay mechanics. SPD boots provide insurance against cleanse/debuff resistance, maintaining turn frequency when Slow fails.

Floor 12: Mixed compositions with strict cycle limits. 60% successful F2P clears use SPD boots, 40% use ATK% boots—both viable.

Enemy Speed Patterns

Floor 10 enemies: 95 SPD average Floor 11 enemies: 110 SPD Floor 12 bosses: 120+ SPD

Against 120+ SPD enemies, 135 SPD Dan Heng acts first while 120 SPD acts after. This allows applying Slow before enemy actions, delaying their first turn.

Cycle Optimization

SPD boots enable tighter Ultimate timing—additional turns allow Ultimate usage on optimal targets rather than forcing usage based on energy availability.

ATK% boots optimize through higher burst damage, enabling eliminations in fewer hits. Works best when damage thresholds align with per-turn output.

Calculate enemy HP pools and damage per rotation to determine which approach minimizes total cycles.

Turbulence Interactions

Wind DMG/CRIT DMG turbulence: Amplifies ATK% boots' per-turn advantage

Speed-based turbulence: Favors SPD boots by compounding turn frequency, potentially reaching 143/160 SPD breakpoints

Defensive turbulence: Extends encounters, favoring SPD boots' sustained damage model

Boss Mechanics

Phase transitions at HP thresholds: Favor ATK% boots for better phase control through higher burst damage

Action-based mechanics (counters, enrage timers): Strongly favor SPD boots—turn frequency directly counters turn-based mechanics

Cleanse/debuff immunity: Reduces Slow reliability, making ATK% boots more consistent

F2P Build Roadmap

Early Game (Equilibrium 0-3)

Prioritize any 4-star/5-star relics with correct main stats over set bonuses. Equip ATK% boots initially.

Trace priority:

1. Skill to 6
2. Ultimate to 6
3. Talent to 6
4. Basic Attack to 4

Mid Game (Equilibrium 4-5)

Farm 5-star Musketeer from Jarilo-VI's Corridor of Fading Echoes. Target 4-piece with ATK% boots, CRIT Rate body, Wind DMG sphere, ATK% rope.

Target stats: 2200 ATK, 60% CRIT Rate, 120% CRIT DMG, 120 SPD

Test team compositions to inform late game boot choice.

End Game (Equilibrium 6)

Farm 4-piece Pioneer Diver from Path of Dreamdive.

Min-maxed targets:

• SPD build: 2400+ ATK, 70%+ CRIT Rate, 140%+ CRIT DMG, 134-135 SPD
• ATK% build: 2600+ ATK, 72%+ CRIT Rate, 145%+ CRIT DMG, 120+ SPD

Planetary Ornaments:

• Firmament Frontline Glamoth: SPD builds 135+ SPD (+12% ATK, +12% DMG)
• Rutilant Arena: ATK% builds 70%+ CRIT Rate (+8% CRIT Rate, +20% Basic/Skill DMG)
• Inert Salsotto: Ultimate-focused (+8% CRIT Rate, +15% Ultimate/FUA DMG at 50%+ CRIT Rate)

Substat Priority

Universal ranking:

1. CRIT Rate (until 70-75%)
2. CRIT DMG (until 140-150%)
3. SPD (until breakpoint: 120 for ATK%, 134-135 for SPD)
4. ATK%

Slot-specific:

• Boots: ATK% boots need SPD substats (3+ rolls). SPD boots need CRIT substats exclusively
• Body: CRIT Rate main mandatory. Substats: CRIT DMG > SPD > ATK%
• Sphere: Wind DMG main mandatory. Follow universal priority
• Rope: ATK% main optimal

Avoid: DEF%, HP%, Break Effect, Effect Hit Rate, Effect RES

Light Cones, Traces, Teams

F2P Light Cones

In the Night (4-star): 24% CRIT Rate, 12% SPD at S1. SPD bonus synergizes with SPD boots, helping reach breakpoints. Best F2P option.

Swordplay (4-star event): 40% DMG at max stacks (S5). Pairs better with ATK% boots—multiplicative DMG scales with higher base damage.

Arrows (3-star): 24% CRIT Rate when hitting enemies ≥50% HP (S5). True F2P baseline, no special synergies.

Trace Leveling

Phase 1 (Equilibrium 0-3): Skill 6 → Ultimate 6 → Talent 6 → Basic 4

Phase 2 (Equilibrium 4-5): Skill 8 → Ultimate 8 → Talent 8 → Basic 6

Phase 3 (Equilibrium 6): Skill 10 → Ultimate 10 → Talent 10 → Basic 8-10

Minor Traces: ATK% nodes → CRIT Rate nodes → Wind DMG nodes → DEF%/HP% (completion only)

Team Compositions

SPD Boot Team:

• Dan Heng (135 SPD)
• Asta (140 SPD, speed buffer)
• Trailblazer Fire (110 SPD, shield)
• Natasha (105 SPD, heal)

ATK% Boot Team:

• Dan Heng (120 SPD)
• Yukong (115 SPD, ATK/CRIT buffer)
• Trailblazer Fire (110 SPD)
• Natasha (105 SPD)

Hybrid Team:

• Dan Heng (134 SPD)
• Pela (130 SPD, DEF shred)
• Trailblazer Fire (110 SPD)
• Natasha (105 SPD)

Eidolon Priority

E2 (Skill SPD reduction to 18%, lasts 3 turns): Most impactful for Pioneer Diver uptime

E4 (+40% Wind RES PEN for 2 turns after Ultimate): Substantial damage increase

E6 (CRIT hits reduce enemy SPD by 8%): Further debuff stacking

E0 Dan Heng remains fully functional. Don't actively pursue Eidolons—accept as bonuses from standard pulls.

Common Mistakes

Always Build Speed Is Outdated

SPD provides value only at specific breakpoints (134, 143, 160, 177). Between thresholds, SPD offers minimal benefit. For Dan Heng, 134-135 represents the only accessible F2P target. Beyond this, investing in SPD sacrifices CRIT stats with better returns.

Over-Investment in Wrong Substats

ATK% boots with 3 CRIT Rate rolls and 2 CRIT DMG rolls often outperform SPD boots with 0 CRIT substats. Compare pieces holistically—substat quality often matters more than main stat perfection.

Don't chase ATK% substats on ATK% boots. Multiple ATK% sources suffer diminishing returns. Prioritize CRIT substats even on ATK% boots.

Misunderstanding Action Value

Turn count depends on total battle duration and enemy speed, not just player SPD. In quick battles, SPD provides minimal turn advantage.

SPD-to-turns relationship follows a step function: 130→133 SPD grants zero additional turns, while 133→134 SPD grants 2 bonus turns. Precise targeting crucial.

Ignoring Enemy Speed Tiers

Building 135 SPD provides minimal advantage against 90 SPD enemies (both act first). Against 125 SPD enemies, difference between 120 SPD and 135 SPD determines turn order.

Optimize for most challenging content (Floor 12, highest enemy SPD) and accept over-optimization for easier floors.

Version 3.8 Meta & Future

Current Viability

Dan Heng achieves 3-star clears on Memory of Chaos floors 9-11 consistently, with floor 12 requiring stronger supports. Wind element provides consistent value through recurring Wind-weak enemy rotations.

Single-target specialization creates niche value in boss-focused encounters where AoE provides minimal benefit.

Future Outlook

Increasing emphasis on multi-target scenarios may disadvantage pure single-target characters. However, Honkai: Star Rail maintains F2P clearability—Dan Heng likely remains viable even if not optimal.

Long-Term Investment

Zero acquisition cost and guaranteed availability make Dan Heng safe for F2P. Relic sets remain farmable indefinitely, allowing gradual optimization.

Role transitions from primary DPS to secondary option for elemental coverage as account acquires superior options—natural progression, not wasted investment.

FAQ

Should I use DMG% or SPD boots on Dan Heng in 3.8?

Use SPD boots if reaching 134-135 SPD with 70%+ CRIT Rate and 140%+ CRIT DMG. Use ATK% boots if breakpoints unattainable without sacrificing CRIT, or when running ATK buffers like Yukong. Both viable for F2P clears.

What are the best relic sets?

4-piece Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters provides highest damage (+12% DMG, +4% CRIT Rate, +8-12% CRIT DMG). Farm from Penacony's Path of Dreamdive. Alternatives: Eagle of Twilight Line or 2-piece combinations.

How much speed does Dan Heng need?

Target 134-135 SPD for optimal performance (bonus turns + Glamoth activation). Minimum 120 SPD for Space Sealing Station. Exceeding 135 SPD provides diminishing returns unless reaching 143+ (impractical F2P).

Is Dan Heng viable for F2P in 3.8?

Yes. Optimized builds with proper teams consistently earn 3-star rewards on Memory of Chaos 9-12 and Penacony Arena. Zero acquisition cost makes him excellent F2P investment for Wind coverage.

What team works best?

F2P optimal: Dan Heng, Yukong, Trailblazer Fire, Natasha. Provides buffs, sustain, skill point economy without limited characters. Alternatives: Asta (SPD buffs) or Pela (DEF shred).

What main stats should relics have?

Body: CRIT Rate. Feet: SPD or ATK%. Sphere: Wind DMG Bonus. Rope: ATK%. Substats: CRIT Rate/DMG > SPD (to breakpoint) > ATK%. Avoid DEF%, HP%, Break Effect.

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