Honkai Star Rail is still going strong with regular updates and new characters, and Blade is the latest pretty boy to join the Astral Express crew. Featured as the first banner of the version 1.2 update, Blade is a 5-Star Wind character from the Path of Destruction. He could serve as a great replacement for Dan Heng — although their Paths differ slightly — which is perfect for those that are getting tired of using him for everything that requires Wind.
If you’ve been saving all of your Stellar Jade for Blade and skipping out on Honkai Star Rail‘s existing 5-Star standouts like Seele, Silver Wolf, and Jing Yuan, then now’s your time to shine. You’ll want to stock up on his ascension and trace materials to sharpen Blade into tip-top shape on launch day, though, and that’s where this guide comes in!
Honkai Star Rail Blade Release Date
Blade releases on July 19, 2023, alongside the debut of Honkai Star Rail version 1.2 “A Lost Soul.” He’ll be the featured 5-Star character on his very own banner, accompanied by 4-Star characters Arlan, Natasha, and Sushang, who will also receive boosted drop rates while the banner is active. Blade’s banner will last halfway through version 1.2’s life cycle, at which point he’ll be replaced by mommy Kafka.
Blade Ascension Materials
In addition to the typical Credit cost for ascension, Blade requires Immortal Scionette for his first few ascension levels. To reach level 40, he’ll start to require Immortal Lumintwig and Ascendant Debris. The necessary materials will change once again for his level 70 ascension, required Ascendant Debris and Conquerer’s Will.
To max out Blade, here’s everything you’ll need in total:
- 308,000 Credits
- 15 Immortal Scionette
- 15 Immortal Aeroblossom
- 15 Immortal Lumintwig
- 65 Ascendant Debris
You can see a detailed breakdown of each of Blade’s ascension levels below, including some bonus Star Rail Passes that you’ll get for reaching certain level milestones.
| Level | Ascension Materials | Credits Required | Bonus Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 5 Immortal Scionette | 4,000 | Star Rail Pass |
| 30 | 10 Immortal Scionette | 8,000 | |
| 40 | 6 Immortal Aeroblossom, 3 Ascendant Debris | 16,000 | Star Rail Pass |
| 50 | 9 Immortal Aeroblossom, 7 Ascendant Debris | 40,000 | |
| 60 | 6 Immortal Lumintwig, 20 Ascendant Debris | 80,000 | Star Rail Pass |
| 70 | 9 Immortal Lumintwig, 35 Ascendant Debris | 160,000 |
Blade Trace Materials
Blade is on the Path of Destruction, so he’ll share the same Trace upgrade materials as characters like Hook and Arlan. Because of that, you might already have a bunch of the necessary materials saved up if you’ve been running Calyxs and expeditions regularly. Here’s what you’ll need to max out Blade’s Traces:
- 3,000,000 Credits
- 8 Tracks of Destiny
- 12 Unknown (likely obtained from a new 1.2 boss)
- 18 Shattered Blade
- 41 Immortal Scionette
- 56 Immortal Lumintwig
- 58 Immortal Aeroblossom
- 69 Lifeless Blade
- 139 Worldbreaker Blade
Blade Eidolons
While most of us will be lucky enough if we pull Blade in the first place, some people have enough Stellar Jade saved up (or a wallet deep enough) to pull for Blade multiple times in search of his Eidolons. Blade is already a strong character on his own, but each of his Eidolons boosts his strength considerably. Here’s what E1-E6 Blade looks like.
| Eidolon Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| Blade Cuts Deepest in Hell (E1) | Blade’s Ultimate deals additionally increased damage to a single enemy target, with the increased amount equal to 150% of Blade’s total HP loss in the current battle. The total HP Blade has lost in the current battle is capped at 90% of his Max HP. This value will be reset and re-accumulated after his Ultimate has been used. |
| Ten Thousand Sorrows From One Broken Dream (E2) | When Blade is in the Hellscape state, his Crit Rate increases by 15%. |
| Hardened Blade Bleeds Coldest Shade (E3) | Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. |
| Rejected by Death, Infected With Life (E4) | When Blade’s current HP drops to 50% or lower of his Max HP, increases his Max HP by 20%. Stacks up to 2 time(s). |
| Death By Ten Lords’ Gaze (E5) | Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic Attack Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10. |
| Reborn Into an Empty Husk (E6) | The maximum number of Charge stacks is reduced to 4. The damage of the follow-up attack triggered by Blade’s Talent additionally increases by 50% of his Max HP. |
E1 and E4 seem particularly powerful considering Blade’s kit. Most people won’t be able to reach E4 at this point in the game, however, so E1 will be what most of us are shooting for during his banner (unless you’re planning on whaling, that is).
Honkai Star Rail Blade Abilities and Kit
Blade is a 5-Star Wind character on the Destruction Path, making him a great all-around damage dealer in the same vein as Clara or the Trailblazer. His kit revolves around sacrificing his own HP for insane damage, so you’ll need someone like Bailu or Natasha to keep him alive. Here’s a rundown of each of Blade’s abilities.
| Ability | Effect |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack: Shard Sword (Single Target) | Deals Wind damage equal to 50% of Blade’s attack stat to a single enemy. |
| Skill: Hellscape | Consumes HP equal to 30% of Blade’s Max HP to enter the Hellscape state. When Hellscape is active, his Skill cannot be used, his damage dealt increases by 12%, and his Basic Attack (Shard Sword) is enhanced to Forest of Swords for 3 turns. If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when he uses his Skill. This Skill does not regenerate Energy. Using this Skill does not end the current turn. |
| Enhanced Basic Attack: Forest of Swords (Blast) | Consumes HP equal to 10% of Blade’s Max HP and deals Wind damage equal to the sum of 20% of his attack and 50% of his Max HP to a single enemy. In addition, deals Wind damage equal to the sum of 8% of Blade’s attack and 20% of his Max HP to adjacent targets. If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when he uses Forest of Swords. Forest of Swords cannot regenerate Skill Points. |
| Ultimate: Death Sentence (Blast) | Sets Blade’s current HP to 50% of his Max HP and deals to a single enemy Wind damage equal to the sum of 24% of his Attack, 60% of his Max HP, and 60% of the total HP he has lost in the current battle. At the same time, deals Wind damage to adjacent targets equal to the sum of 9.6% of his Attack, 24% of his Max HP, and 24% of the total HP he has lost in the current battle. The total HP Blade has lost in the current battle is capped at 90% of his Max HP. This value will be reset and reaccumulated after his Ultimate has been used. |
| Talent: Shuhu’s Gift | When Blade sustains damage or consumes his HP, he gains 1 stack of Charge, stacking up to 5 times. A max of 1 Charge stack can be gained every time he is attacked. When Charge stack reaches maximum, immediately launches a follow-up attack on all enemies, dealing Wind damage equal to 55% of Blade’s attack plus 137.5% of his Max HP. At the same time, restore Blade’s HP by 25% of his Max HP. After the follow-up attack, all Charges are consumed. |
| Technique: Karma Wind | Immediately attacks the enemy. After entering combat, consumes 20% of Blade’s Max HP while dealing Wind damage equal to 40% of his Max HP to all enemies. If Blade’s current HP is insufficient, his HP will be reduced to 1 when this Technique is used. |
These percentages will increase as you level Blade up, reach new ascension levels, and upgrade his Traces. With the right Artifacts, Blade is surely going to be one of the strongest damage dealers in all of Honkai Star Rail. His high-risk, high-reward play style will make him one of the most sought after 5-Star units in the whole game.
Blade 5-Star Light Cone
Blade’s signature 5-Star Light Cone will also be available on his banner. Blade’s Light Cone is called The Unreachable Side. It increases HP and attack by 16% each while also increasing damage when attacking by 30% and boosting follow-up attack damage by 30%. Those are just the base numbers, too, so it’ll get even stronger when you enhance it.
