This rotation features 100% ally action advance, 50% increased enemy DMG received, and 4 Skill Point recovery. Achieving 60,000 points per stage requires strategic teams across 4 stages, with proven F2P 4-star teams like Herta/Trailblazer Ice/Asta/Natasha delivering consistent clears for 800 Stellar Jade total rewards.
Reset Overview: What Changes January 5, 2026
Epic Collection runs January 5 - February 16, 2026 at 4:00 server time. Pure Fiction requires two 4-character teams tackling 4 progressive stages. 12-star clear rewards 800 Stellar Jade, Lost Crystal x6, Lucent Afterglow x24, and Traveler's Guide x6 per stage. Each stage demands 60,000 points for 3-star rating.
For roster strengthening, Honkai Star Rail top up through BitTopup provides fast, secure Stellar Jade access with competitive pricing.
What Makes 3.8 Different
Epic Collection introduces game-changing buffs:
- 100% action advance for all allies at battle start
- 50% increased enemy DMG received
- True DMG equal to 30% of original damage
- 4 Skill Point recovery
- 50% Break DMG increase
- 30% Memosprite DMG increase
- 15% memomaster action advance
The 4 SP recovery addresses skill point starvation, allowing skill-intensive characters like Herta and Serval to maintain output. The 50% Break DMG increase benefits Firefly builds with 360% Break Effect and 145+ Speed.
Stage structure: 5 cycles for Stages 1-2, 4 cycles for Stages 3-4.
Leaked Enemy Lineup
Stage 1: Lordly Trashcan, Everwinter Shadewalker, Lesser Sting
Mid-stages: Ichor Memosprite family (standard, Winged Serpent, Pheasant variants), Sableclaw Wolftrooper, Eclipse Wolftrooper, Borisin Warhead Hoolay, Mara-Struck Warden, Mara-Struck Soldier, Blacktide Decrepit Bow
Elite enemies: Blaze Out of Space, Abundant Ebon Deer (regenerative mechanics requiring burst phases), Guardian Shadow, The Ascended
The 15% memomaster action advance creates synergies with frequent-turn characters, compounding with base 100% action advance.
Understanding 3.8 Turbulence
Mechanics Breakdown
- 100% action advance triggers at battle start, granting full turn advancement before enemies act
- 50% enemy DMG received applies universally—direct damage, DoT, Break damage, follow-ups all benefit
- 30% True DMG transforms moderate hits into devastating strikes
Top Beneficiaries
Herta: Follow-up attacks trigger more frequently with action advance. Cascading follow-ups clear waves exponentially faster with 50% DMG received buff.
Serval: Chain lightning deals 30% additional True DMG to all targets hit. SP recovery allows skill spam without resource depletion.
Asta: Speed buffing stacks multiplicatively with 50% DMG received debuff, creating damage amplification rivaling 5-star supports.
Trailblazer Ice: Break DMG increase makes taunt-and-break strategy significantly more effective.
Optimal Rotations
Opening: Lead with support ultimates (Asta, Tingyun) to establish damage amplification, then leverage action advance to cycle back to DPS before buffs expire.
Mid-battle: Time ultimate usage with wave transitions to maximize True DMG against full enemy clusters.
60k Point Scoring System
How Scoring Works
Points based on cycle efficiency and elimination speed. 60,000 points required for 3-star, ~40,000 for 2-star, ~20,000 for 1-star. Early cycle clears heavily weighted—3 cycles vs 5 cycles = 15,000+ point differential.
Eliminating multiple enemies within same action sequence generates combo bonuses, favoring AoE teams.
Critical Thresholds
Stages 1-2 (5 cycles): Clearing in 4 cycles yields 62,000-65,000 points with proper composition.
Stages 3-4 (4 cycles): Demands 15,000+ points per cycle average. Must eliminate one full wave within first two cycles.
Assignment Strategy
Assign strongest AoE team to Stage 4 (tightest cycle restrictions). Stage 1 tests secondary compositions with forgiving 5-cycle limit.
Align team elements with enemy weaknesses. The 50% DMG received buff partially compensates off-element damage, but exploiting weaknesses provides 10-15% faster clears.
Best 4-Star Team #1: Herta Hypercarry
Composition
Herta (main DPS), Trailblazer Ice (sustain/sub-DPS), Asta (buffer), Natasha (healer)
Herta requirements: 50%+ Crit Rate, 120%+ Crit DMG, 2400+ Attack, 134+ Speed
Trailblazer Ice: Shield generation, taunt mechanics, 15-20% team damage with Break Effect substats
Rotation
Opening: Asta skill → Natasha skill → Trailblazer Ice taunt → Herta skill
Mid-battle: Refresh Asta ultimate before expiration (18-22% team damage increase). Reserve Herta ultimate for wave-clear insurance or cycle 4-5 emergencies.
Natasha: Skill spam enabled by 4 SP recovery. Ultimate for emergency intervention only.
Relics
Herta: 4pc Genius of Brilliant Stars or Ashblazing Grand Duke. Main stats: Crit Rate body, ATK% boots/sphere/rope. Substats: Crit Rate > Crit DMG > ATK% > Speed (134+ Speed target)
Asta: 4pc Messenger Traversing Hackerspace. Speed boots (145+ Speed), Energy Regen rope
Trailblazer Ice: 4pc Knight of Purity Palace. DEF% body/boots, Energy Regen rope, Break Effect substats
Light Cones
Herta:Today Is Another Peaceful Day or The Seriousness of Breakfast (4-star)
Asta:Meshing Cogs (3-star) or Memories of the Past
Trailblazer Ice:Landau's Choice or Day One of My New Life
Natasha:Shared Feeling (4-star) or Fine Fruit (3-star)
Performance
62,000-68,000 points on Stage 1, clearing in 3-4 cycles. Herta contributes 55-60% damage, Asta 15-20%, Trailblazer Ice/Natasha 20-25%.
Investment: Herta level 70+ with 6/6/6 traces, Asta 60+ with 4/6/4, Trailblazer Ice/Natasha 60+ with 1/4/4.
Best 4-Star Team #2: Serval Lightning DoT
Composition
Serval (main DPS), Trailblazer Ice (sustain), Sampo (sub-DPS/debuffer)
Serval requirements: 2200+ Attack, 50%+ Crit Rate, 38%+ Lightning DMG
Chain lightning hits 3-5 targets simultaneously, each dealing 130% total damage (100% base + 30% True DMG).
Sampo: Wind shear application, defense reduction. 50% DMG received buff stacks with defense shred for 70%+ total vulnerability.
Skill Point Management
4 SP recovery provides one full rotation: Serval skill → Sampo skill → Trailblazer basic → Serval skill maintains neutral SP economy.
Ultimate timing: Serval ultimate when 4+ enemies present to maximize shock spread. Sampo ultimate as cycle-end insurance.
Stage Assignment
Assign to stages with clustered spawns (Memosprite clusters, Wolftrooper packs). Avoid boss-heavy stages where single-target limitations appear.
Struggles against high-mobility enemies. If enemy dispersion expected, swap Sampo for Asta for speed buffs.
Best 4-Star Team #3: Break Effect Specialist
Firefly F2P Build
E0 Firefly at 360% Break Effect, 162 Speed achieves 85-95% clear rates.
Relics: 4pc Iron Cavalry of Set Obsidian + 2pc Forge of Kalpagni Lantern. Main stats: Break Effect body (60%+), Speed boots (162+), ATK% sphere, Break Effect rope
Supports: Harmony Trailblazer (Super Break), Asta (buffs), Gallagher (healing/Break Effect)
Physical Trailblazer Alternative
Physical Trailblazer + Asta + Natasha + flex (Herta/Serval) achieves 55,000-62,000 points with Physical/Fire weakness alignment.
Relics: 4pc Champion of Streetwise Boxing or Musketeer of Wild Wheat
Stage-by-Stage Strategy
Stage 1
Deploy Herta team, target 3-cycle clear. Focus Lesser Sting first to trigger follow-up thresholds. Asta skill targets cluster center.
Cycle 2: Deploy Asta ultimate before Herta's second attack sequence. Maintain taunt positioning.
Cycle 3: Reserve Herta ultimate for wave 2 spawns. Maintain 80%+ HP.
Stage 4
Serval composition faces Hoolay + Wolftrooper clusters. Target Wolftrooper adds first.
Cycle 1-2: Eliminate adds, reduce Hoolay to 40% HP minimum. Serval skill spam, Sampo defense shred on Hoolay.
Cycle 3-4: Focus Hoolay elimination. If wave 2 spawns cycle 3, switch all attacks to new spawns. Reserve ultimates for cycle 4 emergencies.
Common Mistakes
Skill Point Starvation
Despite 4 SP recovery, continuous skill usage by all four characters depletes reserves by cycle 3. Designate one character (sustain) as basic attack primary.
Enter cycle 3 with 2+ SP. Adjust cycle 3 to include 2-3 basic attacks from sub-DPS while main DPS continues skills.
Wasting Action Advance
Every character should use highest damage ability (skill/ultimate) turn 1 to capitalize on 100% action advance.
Allow DoT to tick 1-2 enemy turns when possible—30% True DMG applies to each tick, adding 5,000-8,000 damage per stage.
Poor Target Priority
Correct priority: High-threat ranged > Elite enemies > Melee adds > Trashcan-type
AoE characters target cluster centers. Hitting 4-5 enemies at 70% efficiency outperforms 2-3 at 100% due to combo bonuses.
Underinvesting Supports
Minimum support investment: Level 65+, +12 relics with correct main stats, 4/4/4 traces.
Supports contribute 30-40% total team damage through buffs/debuffs. Properly built Asta provides 18-22% team damage increase.
Investment Priority
Build Order
- Herta: Level 70, 6/6/6 traces, 4pc Genius set with Crit Rate/ATK focus
- Asta: Level 65, 4/6/4 traces, 145+ Speed
- Gallagher/Natasha: Level 60, 1/4/4 traces, +9 relics
Eidolon Requirements
Herta: E0 adequate, E1 recommended (15-18% damage increase)
Asta: E0 sufficient. E2/E4 nice but not required
Serval: E2 minimum (extends shock duration). Below E2, damage falls 20-25% short
Relic Farming Priority
- Path of Gelid Wind: Genius of Brilliant Stars (Herta) + Band of Sizzling Thunder (Serval)
- Path of Holy Hymn: Messenger Traversing Hackerspace (Asta) + Musketeer (universal DPS)
- Path of Providence: Knight of Purity Palace (Trailblazer Ice) + Guard of Wuthering Snow
Farm until 4pc sets with correct main stats + 2-3 useful substats. Correct main stats = 40-60% improvement; perfect substats = 8-12%.
Trace Investment
DPS: 6/6/6 minimum, ultimate/skill to 8 if materials allow
Supports: 4/6/4 (basic/skill/ultimate)
Sustain: 1/4/4 minimum
Advanced Tips
Action Advance Manipulation
Speed tuning enables turn order control. Asta at 145 Speed, Herta at 134 Speed ensures Asta acts first every cycle, applying buffs before Herta's damage.
Speed breakpoints: 134 = 2 turns in 3 cycles, 145 = 2 turns in 2 cycles, 162 = 3 turns in 3 cycles. Action advance adds 20-25 effective Speed.
Buff Snapshot Mechanics
Herta's follow-ups snapshot attack value at trigger time. Trigger follow-ups during buff windows—they retain full damage even if buffs expire before execution.
DoT effects snapshot debuff states at application. Apply Serval shocks while Sampo's defense shred active to maximize DoT damage throughout duration.
Ultimate Energy Management
Reserve ultimates for maximum impact. Herta ultimate for cycle 4-5 insurance, not cycle 2 when follow-ups already clearing.
Asta ultimate should refresh before expiration when possible, but deploy during dense enemy waves for maximum value.
Energy Regen ropes on supports enable ultimate every 2-3 cycles, allowing planned rotation sequences.
Future Preparation
Evergreen Investments
Core trio: Herta, Asta, Gallagher function across all rotations. Build to high investment (Level 70+, 8/8/8 traces, +15 relics).
Avoid over-investing single-target specialists (Qingque, Yanqing) for Pure Fiction—AoE capabilities inherently favored.
Adaptation Framework
Herta hypercarry (Herta + Asta + Harmony/Sustain + Sustain/Sub-DPS) adapts by swapping flex slots based on turbulence.
Monitor leaked turbulence 2-3 weeks before resets for relic farming adjustments and trace material preparation.
Flexible Roster
Maintain 6-8 built characters: 2 AoE DPS (Herta, Serval), 2 supports (Asta, Harmony Trailblazer), 2 sustain (Gallagher, Natasha), 2 flex (Sampo, Trailblazer Ice).
For premium roster enhancement, buy HSR Oneiric Shards through BitTopup's secure platform.
FAQ
When does HSR Pure Fiction 3.8 reset? January 5, 2026 at 4:00 server time, running through February 16, 2026.
Best 4-star teams for 3.8? Stage 1: Herta/Trailblazer Ice/Asta/Natasha. Stage 4: Serval/Trailblazer Ice/Sampo. Both achieve 60k+ points.
How to get 60k without 5-stars? Focus AoE dealers (Herta/Serval), maintain speed tuning (134+ DPS, 145+ supports), exploit 50% DMG received buff, execute 3-4 cycle clears. Correct main stats > perfect substats.
Can F2P clear with 60k points? Yes. Herta teams reach 62,000-68,000 on Stage 1, Serval teams 60,000-65,000 on Stage 4. Requirements: Level 70 DPS, 6/6/6 traces, correct main stats.
Essential 4-star supports? Asta (universal speed/attack buffs) + Gallagher or Natasha (sustain). This covers 90% of Pure Fiction support needs.
