Phainon is a powerful Destruction unit in Honkai: Star Rail, which was added to the game alongside the version update 3.4. He brings forth a unique playstyle, which makes him a highly sought-after character from the entire Amphoreus lineup.
In addition to that, he is also quite free-to-play friendly, which makes Phainon a good investment. If you’re interested in pulling for Phainon, here’s a guide that covers everything about the character in detail.
Best Phainon Build in Honkai: Star Rail

While Phainon functions in a free-to-play setup, you will never go wrong with his best Light Cone and team, as long as you have the resources to invest in the character. Here’s the best build for Phainon in Honkai: Star Rail –
Build Elements | Items and Stats |
---|---|
Best Light Cone | Thus Burns the Dawn |
Best Relic Set | Wavestrider Captain |
Best Ornament Set | Arcadia of Woven Dreams |
Body Main Stat | Crit Rate |
Feet Main Stat | ATK% or SPD |
Sphere | Physical DMG |
Rope | ATK% |
Sub-Stats | Crit Rate, Crit DMG, ATK%, SPD |
Focusing on Crit Rate is extremely important, as you get a lot of Crit DMG from Phainon’s Traces. Apart from that, ATK is also an important stat for you.
Best Light Cones for Phainon in Honkai: Star Rail

Phainon’s best Light Cone is Thus Burns the Dawn, which is his signature and synergizes well with his kit. However, you can also go for On the Fall of an Aeon, which is a free Light Cone from Herta’s store.
Best Light Cones | Synergy with Phainon |
---|---|
Thus Burns the Dawn | This is the best Light Cone for Phainon as it provides SPD and ignores 18% of the target’s DEF. Upon activating Ultimate, the wearer gains a 60% DMG boost, which further boosts Phainon’s output. |
On the fall of an Aeon | This Light Cone also works really well on Phainon since it gives a lot of ATK and increases DMG upon Weakness Break. Additionally, its free from Herta store, so you don’t have to worry about spending on Phainon’s Light Cone banner. |
A Trail of Bygone Blood | This is a pretty powerful 4-star Light Cone for Phainon as it provides Crit Rate and boosts Ultimate DMG, both of which are valuable for the character. |
Best Relic and Ornament Set for Phainon in Honkai: Star Rail

The best Relic set for Phainon in Honkai: Star Rail is Wavestrider Captain. This set not only buffs Phainon but also synergizes well with his kit. When it comes to the Ornament set, Arcadia of Woven Dreams works perfectly well with Phainon.
Also Read: Best Team Compositions for Cipher in HSR
Best Relic Set
Here is all you need to know about Phainon’s Relic set in the game:
Set Piece | Set Bonus |
---|---|
2-pc | CRIT DMG increased by 16% |
4-pc | When an ally buffs the wearer with their abilities and the wearer casts their Ultimate, their ATK is increased by 48%. |
Best Ornament Set
Set Piece | Set Bonus |
---|---|
2-pc | If the number of ally targets on the battlefield is less than or more than 4, the damage of the wearer is increased by 9%/12% for every missing member on the battlefield. |
Phainon Overview and Kit in Honkai: Star Rail

Character Overview | Details |
---|---|
Rarity | 5-Star |
Element | Physical |
Class | Destruction |
Overall Rating | SS |
Memory of Chaos | SS |
Pure Fiction | SS |
Apocalyptic Shadow | SS |
Also Read: Herta Build & Light Cones Guide in HSR
Phainon Kit Explained
The first step to playing Phainon is activating his Coreflame stacks. You can do so either by using his Skill or whenever an ally places a buff on the character. Once the Coreflame stacks are full, Phainon will activate his ultimate and enter an enhanced state.
In this state, all his allies will leave the battlefield, and only Phainon will directly face the enemies. In this enhanced state, you’ll get the power of three Titans, Creation, Calamity, and Foundation. When in the Creation state, Phainon can deal to one enemy and everyone standing adjacent to that.
In the Calamity state, Phainon gains high DEF against enemy attacks. He gains Soulscorch stacks, which in turn allow him to launch a counterattack that deals massive damage to enemies.
Finally, in the Foundation state, Phainon uses Scourge stacks to deal devastating damage to enemies. These Scourge stacks can be gained by using Creation and Calamity states.
Phainon Trace Priority

Here’s how you should be leveling up Phainon’s Traces in the game:
- Skill
- Talent
- Ultimate