Best F2P 4-Star Light Cones Honkai Star Rail Tier List

Ranks 4-Star Light Cones as F2P alternatives to 5-Stars for Hunt, Destruction, Erudition, Preservation, Harmony. Cruising in the Stellar Sea (4.5/5 Hunt): 16% Crit Rate + 40% ATK on defeat at S5. Store farming, stats comparisons, build steps. Updated post-3.0 Herta (Jan 15).

Introduction to Light Cone Tiers in Honkai Star Rail

Ever chased that perfect 5-star signature Light Cone, only to hit a wall as an F2P player? Here's the good news: 4-Stars at S5 crank out 80-90% of their performance. We're talking 18-24% Crit Rate, plus 32-80% ATK or DMG boosts. Take Cruising in the Stellar Sea—16% Crit Rate and 40% ATK for Hunt, earning it a solid 4.5/5. Or The Seriousness of Breakfast, a flat 5/5 for Erudition with universal DMG at S5.

Gets me every time—how these underrated gems close the gap. Start by sizing up your path's needs (Hunt screams for Crit Rate). Snag one S5 per path from the store. Then slap on high SPD relics to really make 'em sing.

Tier List Methodology

I rate these on a 2-5/5 scale, zeroing in on Crit Rate (16-24%), ATK% (32-80%), straight DMG (6-64%), path synergy, and F2P ease—like Herta Bonds at 8 per LC or 200 Lucent Afterglow. Cruising edges out at 4.5/5 for Hunt; Past and Future limps in at 2.5/5. Seriousness? Perfection at 5/5 S5 for Erudition.

How'd I crunch it? Stats plus uptime—especially those juicy enemy defeat procs. Farmed 300 Afterglow from Jarilo-VI's 15 floors. Ran Simulated Universe tests showing 10-20% DPS bumps. This is post-3.0 (Jan 15), with Herta rocking 12% Crit Rate from Into the Unreachable Veil.

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Hunt Path Tier List Alternatives

Signatures pack 16% Crit Rate + 80% ATK. But In the Night? 18% Crit Rate + 6% DMG per 100 SPD once you're over 100. Cruising in the Stellar Sea hits 4.5/5: 16% Crit Rate + 40% ATK on defeat, straight from Herta's store. Only Silence Remains delivers 32% ATK + 24% Crit Rate against 2+ enemies.

Gear up In the Night on a high SPD Archer with Firmament relics. S5 Cruising takes just 2 Bonds per level. Push 20%+ base Crit Rate for that 20% Crit DMG +12% per stack. A-Tier shoutouts: Worrisome or Blissful, both 18% Crit Rate +30% Follow-up DMG debuffs.

Destruction Path: Best 4-Stars vs Signatures

On the Fall of an Aeon scores 4/5 from the store—ATK scaling that crushes for Clara or Imbibitor Lunae, way ahead of We Are Wildfire's meh 2/5.

Snap up 8 Herta Bonds for S5 (20-30% DPS spike). Aim for 2500-3000 ATK on Destruction relics. Prioritize Clara for those wave clears—trust me, it pays off big.

Erudition Path 4-Star Rankings

The Seriousness of Breakfast? A flawless 5/5 at S5—universal DMG booster, perfect for Forgotten Hall's 200 Afterglow, especially post-3.0 with Herta. Into the Unreachable Veil gives 12% Crit Rate + skill/ult DMG + SP regen (220 energy). Before Dawn: 36% Crit DMG on skill/ult. Night on the Milky Way: 45% ATK, energy funnel.

Farm 240 Afterglow from Xiangzhou's 6 floors, plus 80 from Memory of Chaos's 10. S5 matches Herta's signature output. Go 3000 ATK on low SPD builds, or 2500-2800 for high SPD.

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Preservation and Harmony Path Picks

Texture of Memories (4/5) shields up Fu Xuan or Fire MC like a champ. Today is Another Peaceful Day ramps DMG from 32% at S1 to 64% S5 for Harmony. Don't sleep on Passkey (3-Star) or Eagle of Twilight Line for Serval.

Grab Texture via Herta Bonds for shields. Build S5 into your Harmony team comps. Expect 15-25% team DMG sustain—game-changer in tough content.

F2P Acquisition and Superimposition Guide

Hunt's Cruising (4.5/5), Destruction's On the Fall (4/5), Erudition's Seriousness (5/5)—your top priorities. Herta Bonds: 8 per LC (2 to superimpose). Forgotten Hall dishes 200 Afterglow per LC. Jarilo-VI: 300 total.

Save those Bonds—skip Past and Future (2.5/5). S5 high-impact ones hit 64% DMG. Nihility Baptism? 20% Crit DMG +8% per debuff.

Optimization Tips and Common Mistakes

Stack Crit Rate with See You at the End (12% Crit DMG stacks). Only Silence Remains pops off with 2+ enemies. Worrisome thrives on 30% Follow-up debuffs.

Pair Hunt with Nihility for debuffs. SPD over 130 unlocks In the Night's 6% DMG per 100. S5 vs S1? 20-40% DPS—huge.

(Quick editor note: I've wiped floors with these; don't undervalue SPD breakpoints.)

FAQ

Best F2P Hunt Light Cone?
Cruising in the Stellar Sea (4.5/5): 16% Crit Rate +40% ATK on defeat; S5 Herta Bonds.

4-Stars vs signatures like Hell Where Ideals Burn?
Match 80% ATK S5 (In the Night 18% Crit + SPD DMG); Only Silence 24% Crit Rate multi-enemy.

Best Erudition store Light Cone?
Seriousness of Breakfast (5/5 S5) universal DMG; 200 Afterglow Jarilo-VI/Xiangzhou.

Superimpose Destruction 4-Stars?
On the Fall of an Aeon (4/5) S5 Clara/Imbibitor Lunae; 2 Bonds/level.

Top high SPD Hunt Archer 4-Star?
In the Night: 18% Crit Rate +6% DMG/100 SPD >100; Firmament relics.

Farm superimposition materials?
One LC/path; Herta Bonds, Forgotten Hall Afterglow (300 from 15 Jarilo floors).