When You Can Actually Play This Thing
Here’s what I’ve learned covering dozens of these launches - always plan for the maintenance to run a bit long. The official times are:
West Coast folks get it August 12 at 8:00 PM PT, East Coast at 11:00 PM ET. Europeans are looking at August 13, 5:00 AM CEST (rough, I know), and Japan gets the civilized 12:00 PM JST slot.
You’ll need 4.9GB on PC or 2.4GB on mobile. The usual 300 Stellar Jade compensation applies if you’re Level 4 or higher - which, let’s be honest, if you’re reading this guide, you definitely are.
What caught my attention this time? The complete Relic Synthesis overhaul. They’re converting all your Wishful Resin to Self-Modeling Resin at a 1:1 ratio, and the new system lets you customize 1 main stat plus 2 substats for just 5 resins. After dealing with RNG hell for years, this feels almost too good to be true.
Hysilens: The Kafka Dependency Issue
Real talk - Hysilens (real name Helektra, because apparently everyone needs a mysterious backstory) is a 5-star Physical Nihility character who’s absolutely useless without Kafka. I’ve seen too many players get burned by pulling characters without understanding their prerequisites, so let me be crystal clear here.
Her kit revolves around DoT synergy. The Skill hits for 140% ATK AoE Physical damage while increasing enemy damage taken by 20% for three turns - solid debuffing. But here’s where it gets interesting: her Ultimate costs 110 Energy and creates a Zone that reduces enemy ATK by 15% and DEF by 25%. Every DoT trigger during this Zone adds an 80% ATK Physical DoT, capped at 8 instances.
That Talent though? 100% chance to inflict random DoTs when allies attack. Without Kafka to detonate these consistently, you’re basically playing slot machine DPS.
The A6 Trace is where math gets fun - +15% damage per 10% Effect Hit Rate over 60%, maxing at 90% bonus damage when you hit 120% EHR. This means your build priority is completely backwards from typical DPS characters.
Here’s my recommended build after extensive testing: 4pc Prisoner in Deep Confinement + 2pc Revelry by the Sea. Target 120% Effect Hit Rate first (non-negotiable), then 3600+ ATK, then 135+ Speed. Light Cone hierarchy goes Why Does the Ocean Sing (her signature) > Reforged Remembrance > Eyes of the Prey.
Team comp is straightforward: Hysilens + Kafka + Black Swan/Ruan Mei + Sustain. E1 provides 116% ally DoT damage and additional DoT application - honestly, it’s a higher priority than her signature weapon if you’re budgeting pulls.
Cerydra: The Harmony Flexibility We’ve Been Waiting For
Cerydra’s from the Northern Empire, and she’s giving me serious ‘why didn’t we get this character sooner’ vibes. 5-star Wind Harmony with exceptional versatility - something the Harmony roster desperately needed.
Her optimal setup runs 4pc Sacerdos’ Relived Ordeal + Lushaka, the Sunken Seas. Target stats are 134+ Speed, 20%+ ERR, and 4000+ HP. Light Cone priority: Epoch Etched in Golden Blood (signature) > But the Battle Isn’t Over.
What’s fascinating about her design is how well she scales with Wind DPS units like Blade and the upcoming Anaxa, while also enabling hypercarry compositions. Based on my early testing, she’s not just filling a niche - she’s expanding what Harmony characters can do strategically.
Story Content That Actually Matters
‘Before Their Deaths’ delivers a 7-chapter storyline following the Trailblazer and Cyrene hunting for the Coreflame of Law in ancient Okhema. The antagonist Lygus has a reveal that genuinely surprised me - turns out he’s Zandar, Genius Society #1. There’s also this mysterious Evernight character who’s clearly being set up for future content.
The new area, Warbling Shores Styxia, shows us Dragonbone City before its fall. It’s one of those ‘doomed timeline’ zones that HoYoverse does really well. The new boss, Theoros: Lygus, features dual-form mechanics with Titankin and Black Tide Creature summons that’ll test your team flexibility.
You’ll need ‘Hero, Sing That Anthem of Creation’ completed to access this content, which most veteran players should have wrapped up already.
Events Worth Your Time (And Energy)
The Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant runs August 13 through September 22, and it’s basically restaurant management simulation. Rewards include a 4-star Harmony Light Cone called ‘The Forever Victual’, 1 Self-Modeling Resin, and 1,200 Stellar Jade. Not groundbreaking, but solid value for time invested.
More importantly, coordinate your farming with these double-drop events:
Planar Fissure (August 27 - September 8): Double Planar Ornament drops
Garden of Plenty (September 12 - September 22): Double Calyx rewards
Gift of Odyssey gives you 10 Star Rail Special Passes over 7 login days - that’s 1,600 Stellar Jade equivalent just for showing up.
Banner Strategy: Where to Spend Your Pulls
Phase 1 (August 12/13 - September 2/3) features Hysilens with a Kafka rerun. The 4-stars are Asta, Arlan, and Hook - pretty dated roster, honestly.
Phase 2 (September 2/3 - September 23) brings Cerydra with Silver Wolf rerun. 4-stars include Sampo, Qingque, and Dan Heng.
My pull recommendations? Hysilens only if you own Kafka or have concrete plans to get her. For Cerydra, her versatility makes her valuable across multiple team types, especially if you’re invested in Wind compositions.
F2P players are looking at roughly 8,000 Stellar Jade total: 2,200 from events, 3,360 from dailies, 800 from exploration, and 1,600 from gifts. That’s about 50 pulls to work with.
The Meta Shift Nobody Saw Coming
DoT teams are suddenly viable again with the Hysilens+Kafka core, and Cerydra’s strengthening Harmony diversity in ways that’ll ripple through team building for months. Multi-Harmony compositions just got way more flexible.
One weird thing I noticed: Hysilens requires new Invasive Clot materials from Stagnant Shadow, but there’s conflicting information about whether her Trace materials are Fire or Lightning-based despite her Physical element. Definitely verify in-game before farming.
For resource planning, coordinate those double-drop events with your natural energy regeneration. Prioritize Self-Modeling Resin on characters you’re committed to long-term - this isn’t the system to experiment with.
Mistakes I Keep Seeing (Don’t Be That Player)
Hysilens errors: Building her without Kafka access, prioritizing ATK% over the 120% Effect Hit Rate threshold, and choosing signature weapon over E1 for value.
Cerydra mistakes: Neglecting ERR for damage stats, insufficient Speed investment, and misunderstanding her enabler role versus trying to make her a primary DPS.
Resource planning: Version 3.6 previews show Permansor Terrae (Physical/Preservation) and Evernight (Ice/Remembrance) coming. Budget accordingly.
The Questions Everyone’s Asking
‘Is Hysilens worth pulling without Kafka?’ Absolutely not. Her DoT kit needs Kafka’s detonation mechanics to compete with other DPS options. Don’t get caught in the hype.
‘How much can F2P earn in 3.5?’ Around 8,000+ Stellar Jade through events, dailies, and exploration. That’s roughly 50 pulls if you’re diligent about resource collection.
‘What’s the biggest quality of life improvement?’ The Relic Synthesis overhaul, hands down. Being able to customize main stats and substats with Self-Modeling Resin changes everything about endgame grinding.
‘E1 Hysilens or signature weapon?’ E1 provides better value with 116% ally DoT damage and additional DoT application. The weapon’s good, but E1 transforms how she plays.
Version 3.5 is reshaping endgame strategies in ways we haven’t seen since the Harmony meta shift. Make sure you’ve got adequate Honkai Star Rail Oneiric Shard reserves if you’re planning to guarantee any of these characters - this update’s worth maximizing your experience with proper preparation.
