The Honkai: Star Rail x Fate collab has finally brought Saber — the iconic King of Knights — into the Astral Express crew. As a 5-star Wind Destruction unit, Saber is all about unleashing colossal AoE damage with her ultimate, Excalibur. But even a legendary hero needs the right weaponry to shine. That’s where Light Cones come in.
Choosing the best Light Cone for Saber can dramatically boost her damage, energy management, and overall performance. Let’s dive into the top Light Cone options that help Saber reign supreme on the battlefield.
How Saber’s Gameplay Mechanics Work
Saber’s kit revolves around her powerful ultimate, Excalibur, which costs a hefty 360 Energy to cast. To fuel this, she uses a unique system called Core Resonance — stacks she generates through her skill and her allies’ ultimates, each restoring a chunk of her energy. Because of this, Light Cones that offer Energy Regeneration or increase her ultimate damage are particularly valuable for maximizing her damage uptime.
Because of how her entire kit revolves around high Energy demands and maximizing damage windows, picking the right Light Cone is essential. Let’s dive into Saber’s top Light Cone options and how they fit her unique gameplay mechanics.
1. A Thankless Coronation — Saber’s Signature Light Cone
If you’re serious about maxing out Saber’s damage, A Thankless Coronation is hands-down her best-in-slot weapon.
- CRIT DMG Boost: Increases Saber’s CRIT DMG by 36%, and up to 72% at max superimposition — essential since her Excalibur ultimate scales heavily with crit damage.
- ATK Increase After Ultimate: After using Excalibur, Saber gains a 40% ATK buff. If she reaches 300 or more Max Energy, she instantly regenerates 10% of her energy and receives another 40% ATK increase for two turns.
- Synergy With Her Kit: Since Saber’s kit revolves around high ultimate uptime and massive burst windows, these buffs perfectly align with her damage spikes.
This energy regeneration effect is especially crucial because Excalibur demands a massive 360 energy to activate, making A Thankless Coronation invaluable for reducing her downtime.
This Light Cone is Saber’s ideal choice for pushing her DPS to its limits.
2. Thus Burns the Dawn
Although crafted for Phainon, Thus Burns the Dawn offers Saber valuable stats that keep her competitive:
- Base SPD +12: Helps Saber act faster than many supports, crucial for maintaining damage rotation.
- 18% DEF Ignore: This stat punches through tough enemies’ defenses, increasing effective damage.
However, Saber doesn’t benefit from the Blazing Dawn passive on this Light Cone, so it’s less optimal than her signature option. Still, for players who have this Light Cone lying around, it’s a viable high-rarity alternative.
3. On the Fall of an Aeon
If you’re free-to-play, look no further than On the Fall of an Aeon, available in the Herta Store.
- ATK Stacking: Grants an 8% ATK boost per attack, stacking up to four times for a total 36% increase.
- Bonus Damage After Weakness Break: Landing a Weakness Break triggers a 12% damage boost for two turns.
Saber frequently triggers Weakness Breaks with her multi-hit attacks, making this Light Cone an excellent budget-friendly option.
4. A Trail of Bygone Blood
From the Battle Pass comes A Trail of Bygone Blood, an outstanding 4-star pick for Saber:
- 12% CRIT Rate: Makes hitting high crit thresholds far easier, letting you focus relic stats on CRIT DMG or ATK%.
- 24% Skill & Ultimate DMG: Perfectly complements Saber’s emphasis on her skill and ultimate damage bursts.
This Light Cone helps balance Saber’s build, since her Traces already provide significant CRIT DMG bonuses. Focusing on CRIT Rate through your Light Cone makes it easier to invest relic stats into CRIT DMG or ATK instead.
This Light Cone bridges the gap between premium 5-stars and free alternatives, offering strong value for moderate spenders.
5. A Secret Vow
Another top 4-star choice, A Secret Vow remains a solid free-to-play option for Saber:
- 20% ATK Boost: Solid, unconditional ATK increase.
- Additional 20% DMG vs Higher HP Enemies: Ideal for bosses or tanky foes that outscale Saber’s HP pool.
This Light Cone ensures consistent damage, even without fancy mechanics.
6. Under the Blue Sky
Finally, Under the Blue Sky is a reliable 4-star Light Cone that can slot into Saber’s build:
- 16% ATK Increase: A nice general damage boost.
- 12% CRIT Rate After Defeating an Enemy: Lasts three turns, helping sustain crit consistency during extended battles.
Note: This CRIT Rate buff only activates after Saber defeats an enemy, making it slightly less reliable for pure boss fights where targets don’t drop frequently.
While not as specialized as some other options, it’s easy to obtain and a solid choice for general play.
Other 5-Star Light Cones to Consider
If you own spare 5-star Light Cones from other characters, you can also use them as pure stat sticks for Saber, even though their passives don’t directly synergize with her kit. For example, Brighter than the Sun (Imbibitor Lunae’s LC) and Something Irreplaceable (Clara’s LC) still provide strong base stats like ATK and CRIT Rate.
How To Choose The Right Light Cone for Saber
Choosing the best Light Cone for Saber ultimately depends on your resources and play style:
- If you’re a whale or a dedicated saver, A Thankless Coronation is the top pick for maximizing her power.
- For players who already own spare 5-star Light Cones, Thus Burns the Dawn can be a decent alternative.
- Free-to-play players will find excellent value in On the Fall of an Aeon without spending any additional resources.
- Battle Pass users should consider A Trail of Bygone Blood, which strikes a perfect balance between power and price.
See Also: For more Light Cone recommendations in Honkai: Star Rail, check out Best Archer Light Cones in Honkai Star Rail.
Remember that Saber’s ultimate has a hefty cost of 360 Energy, making energy regeneration and fast energy cycling incredibly important. Light Cones that boost ATK, CRIT DMG, or help restore energy fit perfectly with her role as a hypercarry DPS.
Saber’s arrival in Honkai: Star Rail is a massive win for fans of both franchises. Equipping her with the right Light Cone ensures that she lives up to her title as the King of Knights, cutting through enemies with devastating Wind Destruction power.
Whether you’re a free-to-play player or a dedicated puller, there’s a perfect Light Cone waiting to help Saber shine in your team.
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