Getting to Know Cerydra: The Harmony Path Revolutionary
Core Stats and What You’ll Need to Farm
Cerydra drops in Version 3.5 (September 2-23, 2025) as our newest Wind Harmony unit. At Level 80, she’s sitting at 1358 HP, 620 ATK, 485 DEF, and 99 SPD - pretty standard for a support character, honestly.
Here’s what you’re farming for ascension: 15 Ethereal Omen, 15 Echoing Wail, 15 Eternal Lament, 65 Charred Bud of Twilight, and 308,000 Credits. That Charred Bud comes from the Eye of Twilight Stagnant Shadow - bookmark that domain.
Full Trace investment? Deep breath. 18 Firmament Note, 69 Celestial Section, 139 Heavenly Melody, 41 Ethereal Omen, 56 Echoing Wail, 58 Eternal Lament, 12 Daythunder Anamnesis, 8 Tracks of Destiny, and a whopping 3,000,000 Credits. Yeah, she’s expensive.
The Military Merit System: How It Actually Works
This is where things get interesting. Cerydra’s entire kit revolves around this ‘Military Merit’ buff that evolves into ‘Peerage’ after collecting 6 ‘Charge’ points. Once you hit Peerage, the magic happens - ‘Coup de Main’ kicks in and copies your ally’s next skill without burning a Skill Point.
Charge accumulation breaks down like this:
Cerydra uses Skill = 1 Charge
Cerydra uses Ultimate = 2 Charges
Military Merit ally uses Basic ATK or Skill = 1 Charge
Military Merit ally’s first Ultimate per battle = 1 Charge (needs Vidi trace)
After the skill gets copied, those 6 charges vanish and Peerage drops back to Military Merit. You can stack up to 8 charges max, but here’s the catch - during that Coup de Main animation, Cerydra can’t gain more charges. Timing matters.
Building Cerydra Right: Relics, Cones & The Numbers Game
Relic Sets That Actually Matter
4-piece Sacerdos’ Relived Ordeal is her bread and butter - 6% SPD boost plus 18% CRIT DMG for your targeted ally (stacks twice for 36% total).
Pair it with Lushaka, the Sunken Seas for 5% Energy Regeneration and 12% ATK for your first team slot.
If you’re still building up, Sprightly Vonwacq gives that nice early action advance, Broken Keel spreads CRIT DMG love to everyone, and Penacony, Land of the Dreams works if you’re running Wind DPS.
Light Cone Rankings (And What’s Actually Worth It)
Her signature Epoch Etched in Golden Blood is pretty nuts - 64% ATK at S1, gives back a Skill Point on Ultimate, and 54% Skill DMG bonus (scales to 108% at S5).
That’s her BiS, no question.
But if you’re not whaling:
A Grounded Ascent: Solid DMG% and Energy support
Flowing Nightglow: ERR, ATK%, and team DMG% buffs
The Forever Victual (4-star): Surprisingly good ATK% stacking
Dance! Dance! Dance! (4-star): Your best general 4-star option
Investment order? E0S0 first, then either E1S0 or E0S1, then E2S1, and E6S1 if you’re going all-in.
The Magic Numbers: 4000 ATK and 160 SPD
These aren’t suggestions - they’re requirements. 4000 ATK unlocks the full 360% CRIT DMG bonus from her Veni ability. 160 SPD is your sweet spot after Vici gives that 20 SPD boost.
Main stats are straightforward: ATK% Body, SPD Feet, ATK% Sphere, ERR Rope. For substats, chase SPD until you hit breakpoint, then ATK%, then CRIT DMG. Simple as that.
Skill Priority and Trace Unlocks
What to Level First
Focus here: Skill ≥ Talent > Ultimate > Basic ATK. Her Skill and Talent are where the real power lives.
At Level 10:
Skill: 72% Skill CRIT DMG, 10% All-Type RES PEN when Peerage’s active
Talent: 18% of Cerydra’s ATK becomes ally ATK boost, 30% ATK Additional Wind DMG (caps at 20 hits per Ultimate)
Ultimate: 144% ATK AoE Wind DMG
The Traces You Can’t Skip
Veni: Every 100 ATK above 2000 gives 18% CRIT DMG, maxing at 360%. This is why we need 4000 ATK.
Vidi: CRIT Rate boost plus lets Military Merit allies generate Charges with Ultimates (once per battle only).
Vici: Using Skill gives both Cerydra and target 20 SPD for 3 turns. When that buffed ally acts, Cerydra gets 5 Energy back.
Eidolon Analysis (If You’re Spending)
E1: Military Merit ally ignores 16% DEF, plus another 20% for Skill DMG under Peerage (36% total). Also gives 2 Energy when Cerydra uses Skill. Can boost Phainon teams by up to 30%.
E2: 40% DMG increase for Military Merit ally, 160% DMG boost for Cerydra when teammate has Military Merit. About 12% improvement over E1.
E6: 20% All-Type RES PEN for Military Merit ally, 300% multiplier boost for Additional DMG, 20% RES PEN for Cerydra. Roughly 25% increase over E5, totaling ~77.2% over E0.
Mastering the Rotation Game
Your Basic Loop
Here’s your standard sequence:
Pre-battle: Use Technique for automatic Military Merit
Turn 1: Skill your primary DPS (1 Charge)
DPS does Basic ATK/Skill (2 Charges)
Turn 2: Ultimate (4 Charges)
DPS keeps going (5-6 Charges)
Peerage time: DPS Skill triggers Coup de Main
Vici’s SPD sync (20 SPD for 3 turns) plus that 5 Energy per ally action creates these beautiful 2-turn Ultimate cycles.
Timing Your Buffs
Military Merit and Peerage stick around until you refresh or consume charges. Sacerdos’ 4-piece gives 18% CRIT DMG for 2 turns and stacks twice - get both stacks up before triggering Peerage for maximum copied skill value.
Energy management flows through Vici’s 5 Energy per ally action plus signature Light Cone SP recovery. It’s surprisingly sustainable once you get the rhythm.
Pure Fiction: AoE Mayhem Mode
Making Waves Work for You
Cerydra’s Ultimate dishes out AoE Wind DMG (144% ATK) and Additional Wind DMG (30% ATK, max 20 times per Ultimate). The key? Pair her with DPS characters whose skills become terrifying when duplicated across multiple enemies.
Don’t waste Peerage on wave transitions - time your charge building so you’re ready when the big threats spawn. Nothing worse than perfect setup into empty air.
Team Building for Multi-Wave Chaos
Look for DPS characters whose skills provide AoE value when copied. Single-target specialists need not apply unless the stage heavily favors focused fire. Hybrid DPS options that adapt between single-target and AoE? Now we’re talking.
Sustain-wise, go for team-wide protection rather than single-target healing. You need everyone alive for those multi-wave slugfests.
Memory of Chaos Floor 12: The Single-Target Grind
Optimizing for the Big Boys
Floor 12’s chunky single targets are where skill duplication really shines. If you’re looking to Buy Oneiric Shards efficiently, focus on cycle count - skill duplication effectively doubles key DPS abilities, cutting clear times by 20-30%.
Time your Ultimate to finish before vulnerability windows, ensuring Peerage is ready for maximum damage phases. It’s all about that timing.
Boss Mechanics and Adaptation
Complex bosses require rotation flexibility. Use invulnerability phases for charge building, not Peerage activation - some bosses summon adds that mess with your single-target focus.
Pre-battle setup is crucial: Technique usage, turn order planning, initial SP distribution. All of this impacts when Peerage comes online for that boss takedown.
Apocalyptic Shadow: Score Hunting Excellence
Maximizing Those Multipliers
Cerydra’s 2-turn Ultimate cycle provides steady score accumulation rather than burst spikes. Wind weakness enemies amplify her personal damage through that 144% ATK Ultimate and 30% ATK Additional Wind DMG.
Plan your team around weakness coverage while ensuring your primary DPS exploits available weaknesses. Coordinating weakness break timing with Peerage activation? Chef’s kiss.
Perfect Timing Precision
Action value manipulation through SPD tuning and Light Cone selection gives you precise timing control. You want exact turn orders that guarantee Peerage availability during critical vulnerability phases.
Sometimes you need to calculate whether skill duplication actually helps you reach score thresholds compared to alternative support options. Math matters here.
Team Compositions That Actually Work
The Meta Powerhouses
Phainon Hypercarry: Phainon, Cerydra, Sunday, Bronya. Skill duplication lets Phainon fire Enhanced Skill twice consecutively for absolutely disgusting burst damage.
Both Cerydra and Sunday can run Sacerdos’ for stacking effects.
Anaxa Synergy: Anaxa, Cerydra, The Herta, Lingsha enables four-skill sequences when enemies have 5+ weaknesses. Anaxa’s double Skill usage gets entirely copied by Peerage. The Herta activates Anaxa’s talent for 140% extra CRIT DMG.
Archer Support: Archer, Cerydra, Sparkle, Fu Xuan maximizes that free character’s skill-spamming potential. Premium version uses Sparkle for SP management; F2P swaps to Hanya (C6) and Gallagher.
Budget-Friendly Options
Your F2P option: Archer, Cerydra, Hanya (C6), Gallagher. Requires careful SP management but provides substantial damage improvement. Dr. Ratio teams? Still sub-optimal since Cerydra’s buffs don’t apply to follow-up attacks.
The Forever Victual (S5) provides excellent F2P performance with high ATK% stacking. Dance! Dance! Dance! remains your best 4-star option.
Whale Territory
E1 Cerydra with Phainon creates 30% team DPS increases through DEF shred and energy generation. E2 transforms her into a substantial sub-DPS with 160% personal DMG boost plus 40% ally DMG increase.
Her signature Light Cone becomes really valuable at higher Eidolons where SP recovery and 54-108% Skill DMG bonus compound with Eidolon benefits.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
When Things Go Wrong
Charge Timing Issues: Practice charge counting and develop muscle memory for optimal activation timing. It’s like learning a fighting game combo.
Energy Problems: Utilize Vici’s 5 Energy per ally action and signature Light Cone SP recovery for consistent Ultimate availability.
Action Value Chaos: Monitor SPD breakpoints and adjust through Relic optimization to maintain proper sequencing.
Optimization Secrets
Speed tuning requires precise calculation for 160 SPD breakpoints while maintaining 4000 ATK thresholds. For Honkai Star Rail Top Up Online efficiency, prioritize E1 over signature Light Cone for most team compositions.
Team positioning affects Lushaka effectiveness - make sure Cerydra sits in positions 2-4 for that 12% ATK boost to position 1 DPS.
Future-Proofing Your Investment
As new Skill-focused DPS release, Cerydra’s value only grows stronger. Invest in those core build components (4000 ATK, 160 SPD) for future character compatibility.
Keep an eye on meta shifts in endgame content design. If future cycles favor single-target strategies, Cerydra’s stock rises significantly. Consider E1 for immediate value, E2 for substantial power increases, E6 for luxury optimization.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you build Cerydra for endgame content in HSR? Hit 4000 ATK and 160 SPD using 4-piece Sacerdos’ with Lushaka Ornaments. Go ATK% Body/Sphere, SPD Feet, ERR Rope with SPD > ATK% > CRIT DMG substats for that maximum 360% CRIT DMG from Veni.
What are the best light cones for Cerydra? Her signature Epoch Etched in Golden Blood gives 64% ATK, SP recovery, 54% Skill DMG at S1. Alternatives include A Grounded Ascent, Flowing Nightglow, with Dance! Dance! Dance! as your best 4-star option.
Which relic sets work best with Cerydra? 4-piece Sacerdos’ Relived Ordeal (6% SPD, 36% stacking CRIT DMG) with Lushaka, the Sunken Seas (5% ERR, 12% ATK boost). Early game can use Eagle of Twilight Line for 25% action advance.
How do Cerydra’s rotations differ between PF and MoC? MoC favors sustained single-target optimization with precise Peerage timing for boss windows. PF requires faster charge building and AoE consideration - prioritize Ultimate for wave transitions over perfect skill duplication timing.
Is Cerydra better than Robin for team support? Cerydra excels for Skill-based DPS like Phainon/Anaxa with unmatched skill duplication. Robin offers broader utility with universal buffs. Choose Cerydra for Skill-focused teams, Robin for general compositions and follow-up strategies.
What team compositions work best with Cerydra? Premier teams include Phainon/Cerydra/Sunday/Bronya for hypercarry burst, Anaxa/Cerydra/The Herta/Lingsha for four-skill sequences, Archer/Cerydra/Sparkle/Fu Xuan for F2P optimization. All require Skill-based primary DPS to maximize her potential.
