Honkai: Star Rail · Progression guide
Honkai: Star Rail — Traces or Relics First? What to Upgrade
Your next Honkai: Star Rail upgrade depends on what is holding the character back. A missing Trace, an unsuitable Light Cone and a weak Relic main stat are different problems. This guide helps you choose a useful farming target before spending Trailblaze Power or Fuel.
Quick answer · Our advice
Fix a missing foundation first: a suitable leveled Light Cone, the required ascension or a useful major Trace. Once those are in place, replace clearly unsuitable Relic main stats before chasing small substat gains. Then return to relevant Traces. Do not max every Trace automatically or treat a complete set as proof that its stats fit the character.[1][2][3]
Traces or Relics first: identify the missing upgrade
Traces improve particular abilities or unlock passive and stat nodes. Relics supply main stats, substats and set effects. Character ascension also gates access to some Trace upgrades. These systems contribute different things; a locked Trace is not solved by another Relic drop.[1][3]
Our suggested checks
Swipe across the table to see all columns.
| What you find | Our suggested next check | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| No suitable Light Cone, or a very low-level one | Check its Path, ability and level before further farming. | Assuming that a five-star cone must be the best fit. |
| A useful Trace is locked | Read the ascension or prerequisite shown on that node. | Farming Trace materials for a node you cannot unlock yet. |
| Relevant skills or passives are neglected | Choose the node that improves the role you actually use. | Upgrading every Basic ATK just to make the tree look complete. |
| Relics have unsuitable main stats | Look for a usable replacement, including pieces you already own. | Keeping a weak piece solely for its set name. |
| Main stats fit and essential Traces are raised | Compare the next useful Trace with replacing your weakest piece. | Endless reruns for one marginally better substat. |
| The character works, but the team still fails | Check teammates, Skill Point use and the encounter’s rules. | Treating every failure as a personal damage-stat problem. |
Check the Light Cone and character before farming
A Light Cone provides base stats through its level and ascension. Its passive ability normally requires the matching Path. Superimposition is a separate use of duplicates, not another name for leveling. Check both the equipped cone and the ability condition; its rarity alone does not answer either question.[2]
Our advice
For example, suppose a recently recruited character has a low-level cone while the rest of your team is already built. Inspect that gap before running Caverns again. Compare the upgrade preview with the equipment problem you wanted another Relic to solve.[2]
HoYoverse added Light Cone Recommendations to the switch screen in Version 3.7. The notice says these use recent usage data, with system recommendations when data is insufficient. The same update describes modes with mapped equipment. Compare ordinary owned equipment when following this guide; a trial or mapped battle may use different values.[4]
Which Traces should you level first?
Our advice
Read the kit for the job you need: damage, healing, protection, debuffs or a team buff. Identify which ability produces that result and what its next upgrade changes. A low-level button that you rarely press need not take the same priority as the passive or skill your rotation relies on.[1]
Consider two hypothetical choices: raising an unused attack, or unlocking a passive needed by the way you play the character. Examine the passive first. Read its effect and conditions rather than assuming every large node is essential. Stop when the next node no longer addresses the problem you set out to solve.[1]
The Trace screen includes Quick Level Up, introduced in Version 3.7, to raise selected Traces to the available maximum. Quick Farm shortcuts also use Fuel Vouchers alongside Trailblaze Power for eligible material stages. Those conveniences perform the action; they do not decide whether that upgrade is your best next investment.[4]
Relic main stats before perfect substats
Relic slots have different main-stat possibilities. Body pieces, for example, can provide several damage or utility stats, while Feet can have Speed. A main stat and a set bonus are separate properties. Leveling a piece improves its main stat, but does not make an unsuitable stat match a character’s kit.[3]
Our advice
In a hypothetical build whose healing explicitly scales with HP, compare an appropriate HP or healing piece with the offensive piece currently equipped. Preview the whole build rather than copying another character’s Crit target. For a damage dealer, make the same check against that character’s own scaling and rotation needs.[2][3]
Before farming a replacement, inspect your inventory and compare the resulting stats. An available temporary piece can be enough to make the character usable while you finish Traces. Save deeper set and substat optimization for a specific target; this guide does not prescribe one Crit ratio or Speed breakpoint for every team.[3]
If a farming stage suddenly feels harder, check its difficulty
Version 4.6 changed the default difficulty after logging in: Calyx, Cavern of Corrosion, Stagnant Shadow and Echo of War select the highest difficulty you have unlocked, rather than remembering your previous clear’s selection. A harder repeat run can therefore be a different stage tier, not evidence that your character became weaker.[6]
Our advice
Compare the selected tier with the one you could clear before. If the higher tier is a problem, adjust the difficulty or team, then identify which upgrade would help you return to it. Do not spend your material budget on an assumed stat problem without checking the stage first.[6]
Two examples: a new character and an established build
Our advice
Example A — a new character: you have enough Credits and EXP books, but an ascension requirement blocks further progression. Resolve that requirement first, equip a suitable cone and identify the useful Trace unlocks. Spending the books or farming a premium Relic set cannot bypass the gate.[1][2]
Example B — an established build: the character has suitable main stats and works in the intended rotation, but a relevant ability remains neglected. Compare its next levels with your weakest Relic. If the only equipment goal is a small random improvement, the clear skill upgrade is a reasonable stopping point for that farming session.[1][3]
Re-test the same encounter after one change. Keep the team and battle conditions as similar as possible, and note whether the original issue improved. Changing equipment, teammates and rotation together makes it harder to tell what helped. These examples demonstrate a method; they do not promise a clear or a damage percentage.
Turn the next upgrade into a Trailblaze Power plan
Our advice: Name one target, such as unlocking a specific Trace or ascending the equipped Light Cone. Record the missing inputs from that screen.[1][2]
Our advice: Check your existing materials and the acquisition route before choosing a stage. Include Credits and EXP requirements in the plan.[1]
Our advice: Set a finish line: the selected node, ascension or usable replacement. Reassess when you reach it instead of automatically repeating the stage.[1][3]
Our advice: Decide whether extra Power is needed only after choosing that activity. Fuel restores 60 Trailblaze Power; it does not directly award a particular Relic.[5]
Star Rail upgrade priority questions
Should I max every Trace before farming Relics?
Our advice: Choose the abilities and passives that matter to the character’s role, then compare the next useful node with missing equipment stats. Completing the whole tree can wait if it means spending on an unused attack while a useful equipment stat is missing.[1][3]
Why can’t I upgrade a Trace even though I have materials?
Check the node’s prerequisites and the character’s ascension. Character progression can also be limited by account level. More of the same material does not remove a separate unlock requirement.[1]
Should I use a five-star Light Cone from another Path?
Our advice: Check its ability before deciding. The cited Light Cone reference distinguishes the base stats from the matching-Path passive. Compare a compatible option rather than choosing only by rarity.[2]
When should I use Fuel for Relics?
Our advice: First choose a concrete equipment target and confirm that it matters more than your missing foundations. Fuel supplies Power, not a guaranteed stat improvement. Keep some refills available for other material needs instead of spending everything on a small substat gain.[5][3]
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