Archer, the star of Honkai Star Rail’s Fate/stay night collab, has quickly become a favorite among players seeking powerful single-target Quantum damage. As a Hunt character, his damage revolves around spamming his Skill multiple times in one turn, making Light Cone selection absolutely critical for maximizing his output. Whether you’re a free-to-play Trailblazer or a dedicated spender, here’s a breakdown of the best Light Cones to equip on Archer.
Archer’s unique combat mechanic, called Circuit Connection, allows him to keep his turn indefinitely while repeatedly casting his Skill up to five times or until all Skill Points are consumed. Each consecutive Skill use boosts its damage up to 200%. This makes his damage scale massively with Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and ATK, emphasizing how important the right Light Cone is to his kit.
How Light Cones Boost Archer’s Power
Archer’s unique combat style centers on chaining his Skill in “Circuit Connection” state, enabling consecutive high-damage strikes. He benefits tremendously from increases to ATK, Crit Rate, and Crit DMG. Choosing the right Light Cone doesn’t just boost his damage numbers—it unlocks his full potential in challenging content like Memory of Chaos.
Top Light Cones for Archer
1. The Hell Where Ideals Burn (Signature)
- Effect:
- Increases Crit Rate by 16%.
- Boosts ATK by 40% if your team’s max Skill Points are 6 or more.
- Grants an additional 10% ATK for each Skill used, stacking up to four times.
This is Archer’s best-in-slot Light Cone, designed perfectly around his Skill-spamming kit. Since Archer naturally raises his team’s Skill Point limit through his Traces, he almost always meets the conditions for the massive ATK bonus. The stacking ATK boost further amplifies his damage during long Skill chains, letting him shred bosses with ease.
Players can obtain The Hell Where Ideals Burn for free after making 200 pulls during Version 3.4’s collab banners, even if they don’t specifically target Archer. This makes it far more accessible than typical limited Light Cones.
Another excellent option is In the Night, which grants powerful ATK boosts if Archer reaches high Speed thresholds. It’s particularly good if you’re running the Firmament Frontline: Glamoth Planar set, which also requires 160 Speed to unlock bonus damage. This combination can deliver one of the highest potential damage ceilings for Archer but requires heavy investment in Speed substats or Speed buffers like Hanya.
If you’ve obtained Archer through the collab event, prioritize pairing him with this Light Cone for optimal performance.
2. Cruising in the Stellar Sea
- Effect:
- Increases Crit Rate by 8%.
- Further increases Crit Rate against enemies below 50% HP by 8%.
- Grants up to 40% ATK for 2 turns after defeating an enemy.
A phenomenal free-to-play option, Cruising in the Stellar Sea can be acquired and fully Superimposed from the Simulated Universe’s Herta Store.
At max Superimpose, Cruising in the Stellar Sea provides a total of 32% Crit Rate against enemies below half health, plus up to 40% ATK after defeating an enemy. This makes it one of the best free Light Cones for Archer, especially in Memory of Chaos where enemies frequently drop below 50% HP.
The Crit Rate boost helps Archer maintain high consistency, while the ATK bonus after defeating an enemy synergizes well with his ability to delete single targets quickly. This Light Cone is ideal if you don’t yet have Archer’s signature weapon but still want strong performance.
3. See You at the End
- Effect:
- Increases Crit DMG by 24%.
- Boosts Skill and follow-up attack damage by 24%.
This Battle Pass Light Cone is an excellent alternative for Archer, enhancing both his Crit DMG and Skill damage—the backbone of his kit.
Not only does this Light Cone boost Skill damage, but it also directly buffs Archer’s follow-up attacks triggered by his Mind’s Eye Talent, providing extra synergy for his unique combat flow.
If you’re investing in the BP, See You at the End is worth picking up for consistent damage gains, especially in longer fights where Skill spamming is frequent.
4. Baptism of Pure Thought
- Effect:
- Boosts Crit DMG.
- Increases Crit DMG further for each debuff on the enemy.
- Grants significant damage bonuses and DEF ignore after using Ultimate.
Originally Dr. Ratio’s signature Light Cone, Baptism of Pure Thought pairs surprisingly well with Archer in debuff-heavy teams.
This Light Cone shines in teams that stack debuffs, such as those featuring Silver Wolf or Cipher. With enemies debuffed, Archer gains significant Crit DMG boosts and follow-up attacks that ignore DEF, making this Light Cone a strong choice for Quantum DEF-shred strategies.
While not his top choice, it’s a powerful alternative if you already have it and want to build a team around debuffs and Quantum weakness application.
5. Worrisome, Blissful
- Effect:
- Increases Crit DMG.
- Boosts follow-up attack damage.
This Light Cone benefits Archer’s Talent, which triggers follow-up attacks when he consumes Charge stacks.
While the follow-up damage increase isn’t always the biggest contributor to Archer’s total output, it still makes Worrisome, Blissful a good option, especially in teams focusing on maximizing every bit of DPS from follow-up attacks like those triggered by Mind’s Eye.
6. Final Victor
- Effect:
- Increases ATK by 12%.
- Grants stacks of “Good Fortune” on Crit hits, increasing Crit DMG up to 24%.
Available as a free-to-play 4-star, Final Victor is solid for players on a budget.
A highlight of Final Victor is that Archer’s turn doesn’t end while spamming Skills in Circuit Connection. This lets him maintain or build multiple stacks of “Good Fortune” in one extended turn, maximizing Crit DMG for significant bursts of damage.
Though it’s less potent than 5-star options, it’s quite serviceable for earlier content or as a budget placeholder.
7. Only Silence Remains
- Effect:
- Increases ATK by up to 32%.
- Grants extra Crit Rate if there are two or fewer enemies on the field.
This 4-star Light Cone is situationally strong for single-target boss fights, matching Archer’s role perfectly.
The Crit Rate boost from Only Silence Remains activates when there are two or fewer enemies, perfectly matching Archer’s role as a single-target damage dealer in boss fights and Memory of Chaos floors with elite enemies.
If you frequently battle bosses or high-HP elites, Only Silence Remains can provide a significant boost to Archer’s ATK and Crit Rate.
8. Swordplay
- Effect:
- Increases DMG dealt by up to 16% for each consecutive hit on the same target.
For sustained single-target damage, Swordplay fits Archer’s skill-chaining style. As he repeatedly attacks the same enemy, his damage ramps up significantly, making it a viable option for bosses that stay alive long enough for stacks to accumulate.
Best Free-to-Play Choice
If you’re a free-to-play player, Cruising in the Stellar Sea is undoubtedly Archer’s best Light Cone outside of his signature weapon. Its Crit Rate boost, paired with significant ATK gains after defeating enemies, matches Archer’s bursty playstyle and offers reliable damage across all game modes.
Recommended Superimpositions
Whenever possible, Superimpose your Light Cones for greater effect. For example:
- The Hell Where Ideals Burn goes up to:
- 32% Crit Rate
- 80% ATK boost when Skill Points max out
- Cruising in the Stellar Sea reaches:
- 16% base Crit Rate
- Additional 16% Crit Rate on enemies below 50% HP
- 40% ATK boost after a kill
These upgrades drastically improve Archer’s performance, especially in endgame content.
Quick Reference: Archer’s Top Light Cones
Here’s a quick summary table:
| Light Cone | Main Benefits |
|---|---|
| The Hell Where Ideals Burn | Massive ATK and Crit Rate boosts, perfect for Skill spam |
| In the Night | High Speed scaling for Glamoth builds |
| Cruising in the Stellar Sea | Excellent F2P Crit Rate and ATK, especially vs low-HP enemies |
| See You at the End | Strong boost to Skill and follow-up DMG |
| Baptism of Pure Thought | Excellent in debuff teams, DEF ignore on follow-ups |
| Worrisome, Blissful | Extra follow-up DMG for Mind’s Eye synergy |
| Final Victor | Stacking Crit DMG during Circuit Connection turns |
| Only Silence Remains | Perfect for single-target fights with low enemy count |
| Swordplay | Increases DMG per hit on same target, good for bosses |
Archer’s damage potential hinges on rapid Skill usage, Crit consistency, and high ATK scaling. The Hell Where Ideals Burn is undeniably his perfect Light Cone—but don’t feel pressured if you’re free-to-play. Cruising in the Stellar Sea and other 4-star options can keep Archer competitive in tough content.
Because Archer’s Skills hit only once per cast, missing a crit can heavily reduce his damage. Aim for a Crit Rate of at least 70%—or ideally 100% in high-end content—to fully capitalize on Light Cones that boost Crit DMG or ATK.
Note: At Eidolon 6, Archer’s Skill damage cap increases from 200% to 300% after consecutive uses, significantly enhancing the value of ATK and Crit scaling Light Cones like The Hell Where Ideals Burn.
No matter your budget, there’s a Light Cone that can turn Archer into the Quantum sharpshooter your team needs. Equip him right, and he’ll carve through enemies with style—and plenty of blades. We hope this guide helps you choose the Best Archer Light Cones Honkai Star Rail players are using to dominate endgame content.
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