Look, I’ve been analyzing Pure Fiction data for months now, and one thing’s crystal clear: this isn’t Memory of Chaos with different enemies. Pure Fiction rewards completely different strategies—AoE damage reigns supreme, and those single-target monsters you’ve invested in? They’re basically dead weight here.
The mode’s built around the Grit system (think of it as momentum building through combat), where you accumulate Grit Value to trigger those game-changing Surging Grit states. V3.4’s Skill Attack phase basically throws Skill Points at you for hitting multiple targets, while V3.5’s Three Act Structure is DoT paradise.
Understanding Pure Fiction Team Buckets: Analytics Framework
The Numbers Don’t Lie
I’ve been digging through 27,499 player submissions for Pure Fiction 3.4 Stage 4—and honestly, the patterns are fascinating. We’re looking at statistically significant data here, not just anecdotal this worked for me stories.
Here’s what jumped out immediately: characters hitting 38,000+ average scores while maintaining 40%+ appearance rates? Those are your reliable workhorses. Take Himeko—38,055 average score with a whopping 70.25% appearance rate. That’s not coincidence; that’s meta dominance.
Team buckets break down into four main categories, and this matters more than you’d think:
Hypercarry shells (everything revolves around one DPS)
Dual DPS configurations (sharing the load)
DoT cores (death by a thousand cuts)
Super Break archetypes (the new kids on the block)
Performance Metrics That Actually Matter
Tier 0 teams consistently hit 39,000+ average scores—that’s your meta ceiling right there. Tier 1 teams maintain 36,000-38,000 averages but they’re way more accessible for most players.
Huohuo’s numbers blew my mind: 39,275 average score across 54.96% usage. That’s not just good sustain—that’s game-changing enablement. Compare that to Ruan Mei’s 36,025 average with 64.52% usage, and you see universal applicability in action.
The synergy multipliers are where things get spicy. Himeko + Herta creates this beautiful cascade of follow-up attacks, while Kafka + Black Swan? Pure DoT synergy that scales exponentially with enemy density.
Tier S Pure Fiction Team Compositions
Hypercarry DPS Shells
The Argenti hypercarry shell is absolutely disgusting in the best way possible. Argenti + Tingyun + Sparkle + Huohuo achieved 40,000 average score with 9.09% appearance rate. Low usage, sky-high performance—classic premium comp territory.
Sparkle handles Skill Point generation and CRIT DMG amplification (her buffs are honestly broken), Tingyun delivers energy restoration and ATK buffs, while Huohuo’s Ultimate grants team-wide energy regen. The speed tuning has to be precise though—Argenti needs to act immediately after receiving buffs, or you’re wasting potential.
Herta hypercarry builds around her follow-up triggers. You need teammates who consistently push enemies below that 50% HP threshold. Himeko variants are different beasts entirely—they leverage Weakness Break triggers, so you need reliable toughness bar breakers.
Dual DPS Configurations
Himeko + Herta dual DPS? Chef’s kiss. This pairing creates the most reliable AoE clearing in the game. Herta activates on 50% HP thresholds while Himeko triggers on Weakness Breaks—it’s like watching a perfectly choreographed dance of destruction.
The optimal team (Himeko + Herta + Ruan Mei + Huohuo) only had 4.56% appearance rate, but those scores were consistently stellar.
DoT dual DPS gets interesting with Kafka and Black Swan. Kafka triggers all DoT effects immediately (no waiting around), while Black Swan stacks those Arcana debuffs for exponential damage scaling. Throw in Hysilens and you’ve got a triple-threat that makes enemies melt.
Sustain-Heavy Builds
Huohuo-anchored builds demonstrate the highest sustain effectiveness with that 39,275 average score I mentioned earlier. Her Ultimate isn’t just healing—it’s team-wide energy regeneration, functioning as both sustain and support. That’s efficiency.
Aventurine builds offer shield-based protection with sub-DPS contribution through follow-ups. Different approach, solid results.
Character Synergy Analysis: Core Combinations
DPS Character Deep Dive
Argenti’s Ultimate hits everything with massive damage multipliers—39,191 average score with 41.57% appearance rate. High ceiling, reasonable accessibility.
Herta’s follow-up mechanism creates synergy with anyone who can trigger her 50% HP threshold condition. Her 39,098 average score speaks volumes about consistency.
Himeko requires Break enablers for those Weakness Break triggers, but her 38,055 average score with 70.25% appearance rate shows she’s accessible and effective.
Support Character Pairings
Ruan Mei is the Swiss Army knife of supports—damage amplification, Break Efficiency increases, Speed buffs. Her 36,025 average score with 64.52% usage rate screams universal value.
Sparkle specializes in hypercarry enablement. Skill Point generation and action advancement make her irreplaceable in certain comps.
Tingyun provides energy restoration and ATK buffs for Ultimate-dependent characters. Simple, effective, reliable.
That Huohuo performance (39,275 average score) represents the highest sustain contribution through her dual role. Fu Xuan offers damage reduction and team-wide CRIT Rate buffs. Gallagher? He’s your premier 4-star sustain for Break teams.
Meta Team Shells You Can Copy
Premium 5-Star Compositions
Kafka + Black Swan + Hysilens + Huohuo represents DoT perfection for V3.5’s DoT-favored phase. Kafka triggers everything immediately, Black Swan stacks those Arcana debuffs, and Hysilens amplifies the entire ecosystem. For HSR Top Up Online players seeking immediate access, this comp requires serious investment but delivers consistent top-tier performance.
Argenti + Sunday + Tribbie + Huohuo represents the evolved hypercarry meta for 2025. Sunday’s action advancement addresses Argenti’s traditional limitations, while Tribbie provides additional amplification. This consistently hits 40,000+ scores with optimal speed tuning.
Hybrid 4-Star/5-Star Teams
Firefly + Harmony Trailblazer + Ruan Mei + Gallagher Super Break shell offers exceptional performance with accessible requirements. Harmony Trailblazer provides free Super Break mechanics (seriously, free!), while Gallagher serves as reliable 4-star sustain. Firefly’s Break damage scales beautifully with enemy density.
Himeko + Herta + Asta + Lynx demonstrates effective 4-star integration. Asta provides team-wide Speed and ATK buffs while Lynx offers reliable healing. Strong performance without breaking the bank.
Budget-Friendly Alternatives
Serval + Asta + Fire Trailblazer + Lynx provides completely free-to-play Pure Fiction access. Not glamorous, but it works. Serval delivers AoE Lightning damage, Asta buffs team performance, Fire Trailblazer handles taunting/shielding, and Lynx keeps everyone alive.
This budget shell reliably clears early-to-mid stages for those precious Stellar Jade rewards.
Herta + Qingque + Xueyi + Natasha represents enhanced 4-star composition. Herta provides reliable AoE, Qingque offers high-ceiling burst potential, Xueyi contributes Break-focused damage, and Natasha serves as accessible sustain.
Relic Sets and Light Cone Optimization
DPS Relic Priorities
Genius of Brilliant Stars set provides exceptional value for Erudition characters facing multiple enemies. Damage increases and ignore effects? Yes, please. Argenti and Herta particularly benefit from multi-target optimization.
DoT-focused DPS utilize Prisoner in Deep Confinement set for DoT damage amplification and energy regeneration. Pretty straightforward synergy there.
Main stat priorities follow standard guidelines: ATK% body pieces, elemental damage spheres, Speed or Energy Regeneration Rate boots. CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG optimization remains important, but Speed tuning considerations take priority.
Support Equipment Selection
Messenger Traversing Hackerspace provides team-wide Speed buffs when using Ultimates—valuable for Huohuo or Ruan Mei. Broken Keel offers team-wide Effect RES and CRIT DMG buffs when maintaining high Effect RES values. Works well on sustain characters.
Light cone selection prioritizes signature weapons for premium characters, with strong 4-star alternatives for budget builds. Energy regeneration light cones prove valuable for Ultimate-dependent compositions.
Stat Distribution Guidelines
Speed tuning represents the most critical optimization—I can’t stress this enough. Hypercarry compositions require precise speed ordering ensuring DPS characters act immediately after receiving buffs. DoT teams need Kafka acting after other DoT appliers to maximize trigger potential.
Energy Regeneration Rate becomes crucial for Ultimate-dependent characters lacking dedicated energy support.
Team Rotation and Execution Strategies
Optimal Skill Sequences
Hypercarry rotations: Apply ATK buffs first, followed by action advancement, then DPS Ultimate execution. Sparkle’s Skill should target DPS immediately before their Ultimate turn. Timing is everything here.
DoT rotations: Black Swan applies Arcana stacks first, followed by other DoT sources, then Kafka’s Skill triggers everything simultaneously. Beautiful orchestration when executed properly. Hysilens enhances rotation by amplifying DoT effectiveness before Kafka’s trigger.
Super Break rotations: Harmony Trailblazer uses Ultimate before Break events to enable Super Break damage. Firefly’s enhanced state should coincide with multiple enemy Break opportunities.
Energy Management
Hypercarry teams require energy funneling for consistent Ultimate availability. Tingyun’s energy restoration prioritizes main DPS, while Huohuo provides team-wide energy support.
DoT teams benefit from distributed energy management since multiple characters need Ultimate access. Light Cone selection and relic optimization compensate for composition limitations.
Timing and Positioning
Enemy spawning mechanics require strategic target prioritization. Here’s something many players miss: AoE clearing proves more efficient than boss focusing due to excessive boss health. Teams should eliminate smaller enemies for point generation while gradually reducing boss health.
Cacophony buff selection should align with composition strengths—DoT teams benefit from Euphony buffs, Skill-heavy teams prefer Solo Symphony buffs.
When buying Oneiric Shards for character development, prioritize characters providing immediate team improvements. Support characters often provide greater performance increases than additional DPS options.
Scoring Optimization Techniques
Damage Maximization
Points accumulate through enemy defeats rather than boss damage—this fundamentally changes strategy. AoE effectiveness matters more than single-target damage ceiling.
Surging Grit mechanic provides 50% damage amplification windows. Coordinate team Ultimates with Surging Grit activation for maximum score potential. Character follow-up attacks provide exceptional value in multi-enemy environments.
Efficiency Strategies
AoE abilities hitting all five enemy positions provide maximum efficiency. Speed optimization allows more actions within limited cycle count, but Speed tuning must maintain proper buff timing.
Skill Point management balances generation (Sparkle) and consumption for sustained performance.
Score Threshold Targets
60,000 point threshold for maximum rewards requires approximately 75% efficiency across both stage halves. Achievable with well-built teams and proper execution.
Advanced players targeting maximum scores should aim for 35,000+ points per half. Newer players achieving 40,000 total points provides meaningful reward progression with budget compositions.
Common Team Building Mistakes to Avoid
Character Role Confusion
Single-target specialists like Seele, Dr. Ratio, and Boothill perform poorly in Pure Fiction despite Memory of Chaos strength. I see this mistake constantly—Hunt path characters struggle in multi-enemy environments due to single-target optimization.
Sustain character selection impacts effectiveness significantly. Huohuo’s energy support and ATK buffs contribute directly to team damage versus basic healers providing only survival.
Synergy Mismatches
Random combinations of strong individual characters often underperform compared to synergistic moderate character combinations. This drives me crazy when I see it.
DoT teams require specific combinations—Kafka’s triggering becomes essential while standalone DoT characters provide limited value. Speed tuning mismatches waste buff effects and reduce damage windows.
Resource Allocation Errors
Heavy investment in single-target DPS for Pure Fiction represents inefficient allocation. Neglecting support character development limits team ceiling significantly—strong supports enable multiple DPS options and provide meta shift flexibility.
Light Cone and relic optimization receives insufficient attention despite significant performance impact.
Future-Proofing Your Pure Fiction Teams
Meta Evolution Predictions
Pure Fiction meta follows predictable patterns based on new character releases and phase mechanics. Upcoming Erudition characters will challenge current DPS hierarchies, while new supports may enable previously underperforming DPS options.
Sunday’s introduction significantly improved Jing Yuan’s viability—perfect example of support release impact.
DoT mechanics continue receiving developer attention through characters like Hysilens in V3.5. Super Break mechanics represent emerging archetype with significant growth potential.
Investment Priorities
Support character investment provides best long-term account value. Ruan Mei, Huohuo, and Sparkle enable multiple team compositions and adapt to meta shifts effectively.
Versatile DPS characters performing well across multiple content types offer better value than specialized options.
When considering Honkai Star Rail Top Up for character acquisition, prioritize characters filling multiple team roles or enabling new team archetypes.
Adaptation Strategies
Build multiple team cores rather than perfecting single compositions. Phase-specific requirements demand flexibility.
Develop at least one DoT core and one AoE core for different Pure Fiction mechanics. Resource management should balance current meta optimization with future preparation—maintain reserves for new character acquisition while avoiding over-investment in current characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Pure Fiction team composition provides the highest average scores in 2025? The Argenti hypercarry shell (Argenti + Tingyun + Sparkle + Huohuo) achieved 40,000 average score with 9.09% appearance rate. Requires precise speed tuning for Ultimate frequency maximization.
How do DoT teams compare to traditional DPS compositions in Pure Fiction? DoT teams excel in DoT-favorable phases, with Kafka + Black Swan + Hysilens achieving 35,000+ average scores during V3.5’s Three Act Structure phase. Effectiveness varies significantly based on phase buffs.
What makes Huohuo achieve such exceptional performance metrics? Huohuo’s 39,275 average score stems from dual role as sustain and team enabler. Ultimate provides team-wide energy regeneration equivalent to significant energy support while ensuring survival.
Can F2P players achieve competitive Pure Fiction scores? Absolutely. Serval + Asta + Fire Trailblazer + Lynx provides completely free-to-play access. Super Break shell with Harmony Trailblazer offers stronger F2P performance with minimal 5-star requirements.
How important is speed tuning for Pure Fiction performance? Crucial for hypercarry compositions where DPS must act immediately after receiving buffs. Poor tuning wastes buff effects significantly. DoT teams have more flexible requirements but benefit from optimal timing.
Which characters should players prioritize for long-term investment? Support characters like Ruan Mei, Huohuo, and Sparkle provide best long-term value, enabling multiple compositions and adapting to meta shifts across Pure Fiction phases.
