The contract-loving IPC agent, Jade, has finally made the transition from NPC to a playable character inHonkai: Star Rail. If you already own or are considering pulling for her, here’s the best build you use to make her shine.
Strongest JadeBuild inHonaki: Star Rail
Jade is anErudition Quantumcharacter that focuses heavily on dishing out large amounts of AoE (Area of Effect) damage through her Basic and Follow-up attacks. You read that correctly: Jade is the first character inHonkai: Star Railto feature a non-enhanced Basic attack with an AoE component. This signifies the focal point of AoE damage in her playstyle. Jade needs this AoE Basic and her unique skill,Acquistion Surety, to help her meet the requirements to launch her Follow-up attack, the most important aspect of her kit.
Acquisition Surety is a buffing skill that applies the target with a solid SPD (Speed) buff and a secondary buff calledDebt Collector. When the designated Debt Collector attacks, Jade gains a stack toward her Follow-up attack based on the number of targets hit. Jade needs eight total stacks to launch her Follow-up, Ideally, the Debt Collector should be a character who can constantlyhit several targets at onceso Jade can build up stacks quickly. Jade can apply Debt Collector to herself in the worst-case scenario, but this is not ideal. Finally, Jade’s Ultimate,Vow of the Deep, damages all enemies on the field and enhances the next two Follow-ups she uses.
Jade’s single target damage is poor which is her greatest weakness, and no amount of gear investment will fix this issue. However, an Eidolon does significantly improve performance, but I’ll get that shortly.
Best Relics for Jade
Jade is a relatively straightforward character, especially when compared to several of the more recently released ones. Jade is an AoE Follow-up attacker, first and foremost, so it is ideal to gear her toward her specific niche. For Relics, I highly recommend usingThe Ashblazing Grand Duke4-piece set. Both components of the set empower her Follow-up attacks nicely.
For her Planetary Set,Duran, Dynasty of Running Wolvesis her ideal so long as you are using another Follow-up attacker with her to gain the actual effect. This set isuselessif she is not running with another Follow-up character. In this scenario,Inert Salsottois always a solid fallback that is always active no matter the situation or team composition. Speaking of which…
Best Team Comp for Jade
Jade needs to play with characters that deal AoE damage, or attack often so she quickly gains her Follow-up stacks. Her best team compositions focus heavily on these two factors making her best teammatesBlade, Robin,andAventurine. Additionally, characters likeClara,Herta,andHimekoprovide significant advantages to her in the right game mode.
Bladehas a unique synergy with Jade because the Debt Collector loses a small amount of HP every time they attack. This is, naturally, a large benefit for Blade, which is why Blade is her best pairing by far. Since Blade also has an AoE Follow-up attack himself, Blade rewards Jade with several stacks every time he uses it.
Robinis a natural benefit to practically every team inHonkai: Star Rail, and that does not change for Jade. Robin’s 100% Turn Forward Ultimate helps Jade get more stacks, regardless of who is the Debt Collector. Her teamwide buffs also benefit Jade in every regard.
Aventurineis often a very strong target for Jade’s Debt Collector because of how frequently he is able to make use of his own Follow-up attack, which is also a mass AoE. Every time it’s used, Jade gains stacks, while Jade remains protected due to his incredible shielding.
Clarais a great target for Debt Collector because she can use her Follow-up attack every time she is attacked, which rewards Jade with stacks. When Clara’s Ultimate is active, she will give Jade even more stacks per attack.
Hertha/Himekoare both incredibly strong characters for Jade if you’re playing Pure Fiction because of how often they can attack every single enemy on the screen—the perfect recipe for Debt Collector.
Should you get Jade’s Lightcone inHonkai: Star Rail?
While I won’t say that Jade requires her Lightcone, I do highly recommend grabbing it if you may. Her Lightcone,Yet Hope is Priceless, provides a slew of valuable stats that greatly improve her performance, including CRIT Rate, Follow-up Attack damage, and Defense Shred. With it, she becomes far easier to build, which may be worth it alone.
If you don’t want to grab her Lightcone, then Himeko’s signatureNight on the Milky Waycan be a functional alternative, though not nearly as good.
Best Eidolons for Jade inHonkai: Star Rail
While Jade is functional without any of her Eidolons, they make her significantly more powerful in all regards including effectively eliminating her single target weakness. If you’re planning to nab a few, then know that herE1, E4,andE6are all significant boosts to her performance. A strong stopping point isE1, however, due to it being the Eidolon that fixes her core limitations.
