
Constructing an effective Honkai Star Rail Phainon build is accessible, primarily due to Phainon’s dependence on supporting teammates and strategic gameplay to boost his performance. As a Destruction character, Phainon benefits significantly from upgraded attack power, critical rate, and critical damage statistics. However, it’s important to note that he cannot gain critical rate through passive buffs, which accentuates the necessity of assembling the right team. Fortunately, many of Phainon’s most beneficial companions are either free or easily attainable characters, making this task feasible.
This guide delves into the essential components for optimizing your HSR Phainon build, detailing the most effective Light Cones, Relics, and team composition strategies.
Building the Ideal Honkai Star Rail Phainon
Phainon’s Light Cones
The premier Light Cone for Phainon is Thus Burns the Dawn. Although it offers valuable benefits, it is not strictly necessary. This Light Cone enhances the wearer’s base speed by 12%, allowing Phainon to accumulate Coreflames more rapidly. Additionally, it allows the bearer to ignore 18% of the target’s damage. On activation of their ultimate, the wearer gains the Blazing Sun effect, which temporarily boosts damage output by 60% for one turn.
Another notable option is Saber’s A Thankless Coronation, increasing critical damage by 36% and boosting attack by 40% after the ultimate is used. While the energy regeneration effects might not enhance Phainon, the critical damage and attack boosts are beneficial.

Additionally, Clara’s Something Irreplaceable provides a 24% attack boost and enhances damage by 24% for one turn after being attacked, making it particularly advantageous for Phainon as he is often the target when his ultimate is active. This Light Cone is also accessible through the Light Cone shop for memory shards, making it a solid alternative to Limited 5-star options.
Among the 5-star selections available, Fall of an Aeon from Herta’s store enhances attack by 8% per successful hit, stacking up to four times, which can be quite advantageous for sustained damage output.
For 4-star options, consider A Trail of Bygone Blood, which increases critical rate by 12% and boosts skill and ultimate damage by 24%.
Phainon’s Relics
The optimal Relic set for Phainon is the Wavestrider Captain.
- Two-piece effect: Enhances critical damage by 16%.
- Four-piece effect: When targeted by an ally’s ability, Phainon gains the Helper effect, resulting in a 48% attack increase for one turn upon using his ultimate after building up two stacks.

If the Wavestrider Captain set is currently out of reach, consider the Scholar Lost in Erudition as an alternative.
- Two-piece effect: Increases critical rate by 8%.
- Four-piece effect: Skill and ultimate damage enhance by an additional 20%, with a 25% damage boost to the next skill use post-ultimate.
For a balanced approach, mixing and matching attack-focused Relic sets such as Musketeer of Wild Wheat and Prisoner in Deep Confinement can also be effective.
Phainon’s Ornaments
When it comes to Ornaments, the Arcadia of Woven Dreams set fits Phainon’s requirement perfectly.
- The damage output increases by 9% for every missing ally or due to excess ally targets, maxing at 4/3 stacks.
This arrangement means Phainon enjoys a 9% boost for each additional ally in the battle field, excluding the four primary party members. For instance, with Phainon’s ultimate activated, he gains a guaranteed 36% damage bonus regardless of the teammates present.
Analyzing Phainon’s Stats
Phainon’s stat needs are unique, mainly due to his passive abilities influencing battlefield performance. His third passive grants a hefty 50% attack boost when the battle commences and after his ultimate concludes, persisting throughout the conflict. Concurrently, his second passive offers a 45% damage increase for three turns when receiving shields or healing from allies. Additionally, his talent provides a 15/30% critical damage enhancement for three turns whenever he benefits from ally buffs.

With these buffs, players have more flexibility with their Relic stats. For optimal performance, aim for at least 2, 500 in attack, with a critical rate of about 75% and critical damage ideally exceeding 150. Speed is also an asset; leveraging attack buffs from his abilities could allow you to prioritize speed boots over raw attack stats.
In summary, you should consider the following:
- Body: Critical rate or critical damage.
- Feet: Speed.
- Orb: Attack or physical damage.
- Rope: Attack percentage.
Effective Team Composition for Phainon
Phainon thrives when paired with allies capable of providing buffs to expedite his ultimate charge. Any buff is valuable, be it Asta’s speed enhancements or Hyacine’s After Rain skill, along with energy regenerative abilities, granting Phainon transitions closer to his substantial 12-Coreflame requirement. This flexibility grants you a variety of team-building options, but if leveraging the off-burst buff from the Ornament set is your goal, consider the following lineup:
- Phaenon
- Remembrance Trailblazer
- Hyacine
- Castorice
Although this team configuration may seem unconventional, with Castorice not significantly benefiting Phainon beyond bridging off-burst damage, it’s a valid approach until potential updates offer more synergy. If preferable, Substitute Castorice for Sunday.

For optimal performance, target critical damage enhancers like Sunday, Bronya, or Sparkle. If unavailable, focus on characters with defense reduction capabilities, such as Cipher, Silver Wolf, Tribbie, Jiaoqiu, or Pela, to weaken enemies before Phainon unleashes his burst. The Remembrance Trailblazer presents an excellent option, particularly as a free addition to your team.
Additionally, incorporating shield-generating characters like March 7th or Aventurine or any healer can greatly uphold Phainon’s damage output due to his passive boosts, enhancing his overall effectiveness in encounters.
Phainon’s Tier Ranking in Honkai Star Rail
Phainon is a formidable character, easy to build, and synergizes well with a diverse array of teams, including many free and 4-star characters. As such, he has secured a spot in the S-rank tier of our HSR ranking list. However, if you are yet to acquire Sunday, it may prove more beneficial to prioritize pulling for him, as Sunday enhances any damage dealer, extending beyond Phainon and increasing the overall utility across various teams.
For those looking to enhance their gameplay further, visit our Star Rail codes page for free resources to assist with your pulls, whether you are aiming for Phainon or saving for future banners.
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