What to Expect in Honkai Star Rail Version 1.2

As version 1.1 winds down, activities and things to do slowly halt in the last week of the cycle in Honkai Star Rail. This means it’s time for the next version livestream and looking forward to the game’s next update. Everything mentioned in the livestream and Kafka and Blade’s release dates are here.

New Characters and Light Cones

Luocha’s interruption aside, Silver Wolf’s Stellaron Hunter colleagues are coming in version 1.2. The update will go live on July 19, starting with Blade’s banners (character and Light Cone). Kafka’s will arrive around three weeks later.

Blade is a Wind element Path of Destruction unit. He has exciting mechanics, somewhat similar to but very different from Arlan’s. Both consume their own HP for their Skills for different results. While Arlan’s ability is a direct attack, Blade’s Hellscape is a buff. It transforms his Basic ATK from a single-target slash to AoE slashes that hit target-adjacent enemies.

Like Arlan’s, Blade will retain one point of life if he can’t cover the ability’s HP cost. It’s risky, but decreasing his health triggers his Talent, Shuhu’s Gift. When he reaches five charges (by any means that his life depletes), he makes a follow-up attack on all enemies and recovers HP.

Blade’s health will be 50% when he uses his Ultimate, Death Sentence. If he has less than half, he will heal. Otherwise, it will decrease to reach that point. Then, he makes an attack that hits a single target and adjacent enemies. His Technique, Karma Wind, will also use up his HP and deal Wind damage to all enemies upon entering battle.

Kafka is a Lightning element Path of Nihility character. Her kit revolves around triggering damage-over-time statuses on the enemy. Her Skill, Caressing Moonlight, deals AoE Lightning damage. If the targets have DoTs, the attack will do some bonus DoT damage. It technically triggers both during their turn and Kafka’s ability. This will keep the turns on the status.

Her Talent, Gentle but Cruel, lets her do a follow-up attack after an ally uses a Basic ATK. Twilight Trill, her Ultimate, deals Lightning DMG to all enemies. This has a chance to apply the Shock DoT and deals additional damage to already Shocked targets.

Kafka’s Technique, Mercy Is Not Forgiveness, is an AoE attack, letting her hit multiple targets within a set range. This deals Lightning DMG to all enemies at the beginning of combat.

Aside from these 5-star characters, a new 4-star will debut in version 1.2. Luka, the best boxer in Underground Belobog’s Fight Club, is coming with Kafka’s banner. He’s a Physical element Path of Nihility unit. Also, he’s more known for being featured in the Light Cone’ Resolution Shines as Pearls of Sweat.’

Lacerating Fist, his Skill, deals Phys DMG to a single target with a chance of making them Bleed. His Talent, Flying Sparks, lets him earn Fighting Will when using his abilities. His Basic ATK becomes enhanced after reaching a specific number of buff stacks. It becomes a ‘Sky-Shatter Fist,’ a 4-hit combo on the enemy that ends with an epic uppercut with bonus damage if the enemy is Bleeding.

Coup de Grâce, his Ultimate, deals damage, adds Figthing Will, and could make the target take more damage for a few turns. His Talent, Anticipator, gives him a stack of Fighting Will and can inflict Bleed on enemies when starting a battle.

Of course, with new 5-star characters come new 5-star Light Cones. Blade’s is called ‘The Unreachable Side,’ and Kafka’s is ‘Patience is All You Need.’ These will be available in the Brilliant Fixation banners alongside their owners’ limited ones.

New Locations

Version 1.2 will open new locations in Xianzhou Luofu. The first is the Alchemy Commission delve, where various research and alchemical procedures are conducted. This is also where Bailu stays most of the time, though she tends to escape to heal people instead of waiting around. The disciples of Sanctus Medicus originate from here, though always hidden. If the Cloud Knights catch on that they’re researching immortality, their life is forfeited research or not.

The second area is the Scalegorge Waterscape. This is seen in the trailer where a Dan Heng lookalike seemingly splits a sea open to a hidden area. This is the realm of the Vidyadhara, the race of dragon-people said to belong to the lineage of Long, the Aeon of Permanence. What secrets lie in the depths? We’ll see when the update comes.

These new areas will introduce new puzzles to solve. The one shown during the livestream involves lighting lamps, but that’s the only one we can be familiar with. Also, there will be new enemies: the Malefic Ape and the Ascended. Plus, we’ll be battling Yanqing as a boss. The reasons are vague now, but it will be an epic fight either way.

A new Stagnant Shadow will be added in version 1.2, providing the Ascension Material for Blade. The enemy is called ‘Shape of Celestial,’ and the material is Ascendant Debris.

New Echoes of War Boss

Phantilya the Undying is a new boss who will drop the materials for Blade, Kafka, and Luka’s Advanced Traces. The enemy can use both the Path of Abundance and Destruction powers. Combat against her will have three Phases: the Abundance, the Destruction, and a mysterious ‘golden’ mode that can use both.

During the Abundance Phase, Phantilya will summon Abundance Lotuses that restore her HP and reduce the player’s Skill Points. Destroying the flowers will return 3 SP, so it’s not all bad, though they have to time it so the recovery doesn’t get wasted.

In the Destruction Phase, the boss summons Destruction Lotuses. Those will reduce the team’s max HP and deals DMG to a single target when in bloom. However, if they’re not blooming, they can’t be Weakness Broken, so timing when to destroy them is critical!

The stream didn’t explain the mysterious golden mode, but we can speculate that it uses mechanics from both previous Phases. That means that Phantilya uses both Abundance and Destruction during that Phase. We’ll discover the specifics once we fight her.

New Events

Tales of the Fantastic

The first mentioned one is Tales of the Fantastic. Mr. Xiyan, a storyteller in Starskiff Haven, is interested in the Astral Express and its inhabitants. As such, he wants the Trailblazer to help him. He’ll give them a tool called the ‘Protagonist Model’ to help them tell the story.

Using the Models will bring Mr. Xiyan and the Trailblazer back to the past to visit locations with significant history. It’s a combat event with Trial Characters (the Protagonist Models) in-game. Refine the tools to make “Legend of the Trailblazer” a hit!

Underground Treasure Hunt

Balaway, the Miner’s Lamp, is returning with this event. A rumor has emerged that ancient ruins have been found in Belobog’s Great Mine. It’s supposed to be filled with various relics and treasures. Still, a Senior Treasure Hunter said there’s something even better under it. The problem is getting there, as the ruins are filled with enemies and traps.

Players have to get into sealed areas through battling and a board-clearing minigame. On specific tiles, they might encounter familiar faces to help excavate treasures.

Take advantage of this event, as it will provide a rare chat box theme, ‘Where’s the Rabbit?’. This can be used not only in the new Friend Chat but also with messaging NPCs and playable characters! Rumor has it that Svarog was the one who made it for Clara.

Where Are You, Mystery Trotter?

Regin has found a new research gadget, the Homemade Sensor No. 223. It can direct users to locations with abnormal readings, mainly where Warp Trotters are hiding. While some players might be hesitant to fight them, the rewards are Stellar Jades and more, so get to capturing (beating) them in combat.

Other Updates

Forgotten Hall

This feature is getting new stages, and by completing the first stage, players can receive Yukong for free. These levels are collectively called Memories of Xianzhou “The Voyage of Navis Astriger.”

Simulated Universe

It will also be getting a new World to explore, World 7. Its boss wasn’t revealed, but new Planar Ornaments were shown.

The first is Rutilant Arena, which is like Inert Salsotto. It raises Crit Rate, but upon reaching a specific value, instead of increasing Skill and Ultimate DMG, it increases Basic ATK and Skill DMG. The second is Broken Keel, which increases Effect RES. Upon reaching a specific percentage, it raises all allies’ Crit DMG. It’s basically Fleet of the Ageless but for Effect RES and Crit DMG.

Alongside this new World, a Planar Fissure event will help players farm for these new Relics.

New Cavern of Corrosion

This will be in the Alchemy Commission delve. It can reward Relics in two new sets, Longevous Disciple and Messenger Traversing Hackerspace.

Longevous Disciple increases HP (2-set). The complete set (4-set) will provide an effect when the wearer reduces their HP (by an enemy hit or ally ability), increasing their Crit DMG. The buff is stackable. Messenger Traversing Hackerspace increases SPD (2-set), and the 4-set effect lets the user increase the SPD of all allies for a few turns when using an Ultimate on a friendly unit.

The way that it is worded means the Messenger set is for Path of Harmony or Abundance units (and Clara and Gepard). They have Ultimates that target allies, while the rest are locked out. Yukong is also an exception despite being on the Path of Harmony, as her Ultimate is an attack with a conditional buff.

The Realm of the Strange event will help with farming, as it will double Relic rewards when doing Caverns of Corrosion.

New Companion Missions

Kafka and Yukong get their Companion Missions in version 1.2. Letter from a Strange Woman is Kafka’s, where the latter will make a request of the Trailblazer. Yukong’s Mission is For I Have Touched the Sky, where the Trailblazer investigates an accident and gets entangled with a mysterious girl. The latter has some connection to Yukong, but what?

Gift of Odyssey

This recurring event is also in version 1.2. Logging in for seven days will give the player 10 Star Rail Special Passes to grab Blade or Kafka or save up.

An Exciting Update

Though the livestream was only about thirty minutes long, it was jam-packed with many exciting things! This update will keep players entertained throughout its cycle, from the new locations, enemies, and bosses to the various events and additions.

There’s so much new content coming in Honkai: Star Rail version 1.2! What are you looking forward to the most?