Herta Honkai Star Rail Build Guide: Best Teams, Relics, Light Cones & Skills Explained

Herta is a 4-star Ice-element character who follows the Path of Erudition, specializing in AoE (area-of-effect) damage. Her unique mechanic, Clean-Up, triggers a free AoE follow-up attack whenever an ally reduces an enemy’s HP below 50%. This makes her ideal for wiping out weakened enemies, especially in multi-target scenarios.

While her damage multipliers are lower than top-tier 5-star DPS units, her ability to deal consistent AoE damage without consuming Skill Points gives her strong value in wave-based content. She is best used as a sub-DPS rather than a primary damage dealer, helping to clear trash mobs while stronger allies focus on tougher foes.

Lore-wise, the Herta you control is a puppet version of the real Herta, a quirky genius from the Genius Society and overseer of the Herta Space Station. Her persona is aloof and curious, often abandoning projects out of boredom.

Herta is also highly accessible—she’s free after completing the Simulated Universe tutorial, and you can earn more Eidolon copies via Simulated Universe rewards. This makes her a common and reliable early-game AoE DPS pick for new players.

Herta Best Builds – Suggested Builds for Different Content

Herta’s builds are centered around increasing her AoE (area-of-effect) damage and making the most of her follow-up attacks, which are triggered when enemies drop below 50% HP. Although the core of her build remains similar across most modes, there are small but important differences when using her in Simulated Universe (SU), Memory of Chaos (MoC), or Overworld/Calyx farming. Below is a complete breakdown to help you tailor her to the right situation.

1. AoE Sub-DPS Build (For General Use and Simulated Universe)

This is Herta’s most standard and widely-used build. It focuses on maximizing her AoE damage and making her follow-up attacks as effective as possible in modes where multiple enemies spawn in waves.

Relic Set:

• Use a 4-piece Ice DPS relic set, such as Hunter of Glacial Forest, which increases Ice DMG and enhances Ultimate damage.
• For Planar Ornaments, pick one that boosts Crit DMG when getting multi-kills, such as Celestial Differentiator or Rutilant Arena if it suits your stats.

Main Stat Priorities:

• Body: Crit Rate
• Feet: ATK% or Speed
• Sphere: Ice DMG%
• Rope: ATK%

Substat Goals:

• Aim for at least 60% Crit Rate and 100%+ Crit DMG (before buffs). This ensures her follow-ups and Ultimates deal critical hits more often.
• Try to reach 134+ Speed so she can take more turns and benefit more from buffs, especially in Simulated Universe.

Why This Build Works:

In multi-wave content, like SU or Pure Fiction, Herta gets many chances to trigger her passive AoE follow-ups. Higher Speed means more actions, more follow-ups, and more consistent AoE pressure. Since her follow-ups don’t cost Skill Points, she is very SP-efficient, helping support other damage-dealers in your team.

Recommended For:

• Simulated Universe (SU)
• Pure Fiction
• Any content with multiple enemies per wave

2. Mixed/Hybrid Build (For Memory of Chaos and Boss Fights)

In stages like Memory of Chaos, enemies tend to be stronger and come in fewer numbers — sometimes even just one boss. Herta becomes less effective here since her follow-up attack can only trigger once per enemy (when they drop below 50% HP). However, with a few adjustments, she can still be a useful sub-DPS.

Relic Set:

• Keep using her main 4-piece Ice set.
• For Planar Ornaments, switch to something that helps with single-target consistency, like Inert Salsotto. It increases follow-up and Ultimate damage if Crit Rate is 50% or higher.

Main Stat Priorities: (same as above)

• Body: Crit Rate
• Feet: ATK% or Speed
• Sphere: Ice DMG%
• Rope: ATK% or Energy Regeneration Rate

Additional Tips:

• In boss stages, it’s important to build Energy Regeneration so Herta can use her Ultimate more often, since her follow-ups will be limited.
• Her Skill and Ult become the main ways she contributes, so improving those is essential.

Why This Build Works:

Though not optimal for bosses, this version gives her some relevance by maximizing her regular Skill and Ultimate impact.

She’s still not the best pick for pure single-target fights, but with good gear and rotation, she adds solid team damage.

Recommended For:

• Memory of Chaos
• Boss stages with few enemies

3. Farming/Overworld Auto-Battle Build (For Casual Content)

For easier content like resource farming, Calyx stages, or overworld combat, enemies are usually weaker and don’t require full optimization. In this case, you can simplify her build for faster battles.

Relic Set Options:

• If you don’t have her perfect 4-piece Ice set, use a 2-piece ATK% + 2-piece Ice DMG% combo.
• For example: 2-piece Musketeer of Wild Wheat + 2-piece Hunter of Glacial Forest.

Main Stat Priorities:

• Body: ATK% or Crit Rate
• Feet: ATK%
• Sphere: Ice DMG%
• Rope: ATK%

Light Cone Tip:

• You don’t need high-end Light Cones here. Even 3-star Light Cones like The Seriousness of Breakfast (Superimposition 5) work well.
• This cone boosts damage after defeating enemies, which fits perfectly with Herta’s follow-up kills.

Speed Consideration:

• Speed is less important in easy content, but having ~120+ SPD ensures she goes early in the turn order to start snowballing waves.

Why This Build Works:

Herta often one-shots or heavily damages enemies with her Skill, and then triggers follow-up AoE attacks to clear out the rest.

It’s efficient, beginner-friendly, and ideal for auto-battling daily content without much micromanagement.

Recommended For:

• Overworld Exploration
• Calyx farming
• Auto-battle stages

Important Build Tips for All Modes

Even if you’re new to Honkai: Star Rail, keep these universal tips in mind to build Herta correctly:

Crit Stats Are Key:

• Herta gains bonus Crit Rate from Traces and Eidolons, so once you have 50–60% Crit Rate, it’s more efficient to build Crit DMG next for stronger attacks.

Speed Threshold (134+):

• If Herta can reach around 134 Speed, she may get turns ahead of slower enemies — allowing her to apply Skill and follow-up damage more frequently.

ATK Scaling:

• Herta’s main stat for damage is ATK%. Once she reaches ~2200+ ATK, you’ll see better damage gains from upgrading her Crit stats instead.

SU Synergy:

• In Simulated Universe, she benefits from blessings that trigger follow-up damage, Crit bonuses, or AoE scaling, which greatly boost her usefulness.

Planar Set Choices Matter:

• Use Crit-focused planar sets for most content, but don’t be afraid to switch for Energy or Ult damage when needed for bosses or MoC.

Best Teams – Ideal Team Compositions and Synergies

Herta performs best when teamed with allies who either help lower enemies’ HP to below 50% (to trigger her follow-up attack) or amplify her area damage. Here are four team setups designed for different types of players and content, from free-to-play starters to advanced synergy comps.

1. Free-to-Play AoE Team (Beginner Friendly and Effective for Farming)

Team Members: Herta (sub-DPS) + Serval (main DPS) + Trailblazer [Ice] (tank/support) + Natasha or Lynx (healer)

How It Works:

This is an easy-to-build team using mostly free characters. Serval deals AoE Lightning damage and helps lower multiple enemies’ HP, which triggers Herta’s follow-up attacks. The Ice Trailblazer (Preservation path) acts as a frontline tank and can freeze enemies with their Ultimate, which works well with Herta’s trace ability “Icing” that gives her +20% damage to Frozen enemies.

Natasha or Lynx keeps your team healthy. Lynx is especially helpful if you’re using a tank like Trailblazer because she can reduce the chance of enemies attacking Herta by redirecting aggro toward the tank.

Substitutions & Tips:

If you prefer, you can use March 7th instead of Trailblazer for more frequent AoE freezes and shields. Make sure to use Ice Trailblazer’s taunt ability to protect Herta, who is a bit fragile. This team works extremely well in Simulated Universe or farming stages where there are multiple enemy waves.

2. Dual Erudition Burst Team (High AoE Damage with Follow-Up Focus)

Team Members: Herta + The Herta (5★ version) + Bronya/Tingyun/Asta (support) + Fu Xuan/Bailu/Luocha (sustain)

How It Works:

This team revolves around stacking AoE Erudition characters. The 5★ “The Herta” is a strong Ice Erudition DPS who pairs naturally with 4★ Herta. The original Herta helps set up damage and energy generation, while “The Herta” delivers powerful AoE ultimates and skills.

For support, Bronya can boost damage and push the DPS forward in turn order. Tingyun is a great energy and ATK buffer, helping your ultimates come out faster. Asta is a strong F2P alternative who boosts ATK and Speed, letting Herta act more often.

Tank/Healer Choices:

Choose a healer or tank to keep the team alive. Fu Xuan is especially useful, not only reducing damage but also raising team Crit Rate, which directly helps Herta’s follow-up damage scale better.

Pela can also be slotted as a debuffer to reduce enemy DEF and boost overall team damage.

Content Suitability:

This team is great for wave-based combat (like Pure Fiction or SU), where multiple enemies spawn together. Just be mindful of Skill Point usage since two Erudition characters may burn through SP quickly.

Use SP-neutral characters like Pela or some healers to balance this out.

3. Follow-Up Attack Synergy Team (For Simulated Universe & Chain Reactions)

Team Members: Herta + Himeko + Clara + Aventurine/Luocha/Lynx (sustain)

How It Works:

• This team is all about chaining follow-up attacks.
• Himeko triggers her passive attack when 3 Weakness Breaks occur – very common in AoE fights.
• Clara counterattacks when allies are hit, and her follow-up can push enemies under 50% HP to trigger Herta’s passive.

Support Synergy:

• Aventurine (a high-tier Preservation character) can shield the team while boosting Crit Rate, making him an ideal partner.
• Luocha provides excellent healing and automatic cleansing.
• Lynx is a good F2P option who can reduce enemy aggro toward Herta if used alongside a tank like Aventurine.

Why This Team Works:

Enemies in Simulated Universe often appear in waves. This team’s constant follow-ups from Himeko, Clara, and Herta can snowball each round, causing a flurry of hits that wear down groups quickly. It also syncs well with Path of Elation SU blessings, which boost follow-up damage.

Planar Option:

If you lean heavily into follow-up attacks, consider using the Duran, Dynasty of Running Wolves set, which increases follow-up attack damage and Crit DMG based on how often follow-ups are triggered (up to +25%).

4. Remembrance Freeze Control Team (Crowd Control + True Damage)

Team Members: Herta + March 7th + Gepard + Luocha or Natasha (healer)

How It Works:

This team focuses on Freeze synergy using the Path of Remembrance in Simulated Universe.

• March 7th and Gepard can both apply Freeze reliably.
• Frozen enemies take extra damage and can be shattered using Remembrance blessings.
• Herta’s Ice attacks break toughness bars quickly and her trace “Icing” gives her 20% bonus damage to frozen enemies.

Support Role:

• Gepard provides shielding and a chance to Freeze via Skill.
• March 7th is great for AoE freeze on Ult, and pairs well with SU freeze blessings.
• Luocha or Natasha keep your team healthy; Luocha is preferred for auto-healing and cleansing.

Why This Team Works:

This comp offers crowd control and survivability in long fights. Frozen enemies can’t act, giving you more time to trigger Herta’s follow-ups or stack buffs. It’s especially effective in Simulated Universe worlds where enemies are weak to Ice.

Team Synergy Tips (For All Comps)

• Herta loves AoE fights: Use her in content with 3–5 enemies per wave to get the most value out of her passive.
• Set up her talent: Bring characters that deal chip damage (like Serval, Clara, or Himeko) to help drop enemies below 50% HP.
• Use buffers and debuffers: Herta lacks self-buffs, so allies like Bronya, Tingyun, Asta, or Pela boost her performance significantly.
• Mind your SP economy: Herta is SP-neutral (follow-ups cost nothing), so she works well with SP-hungry carries or teams that need to conserve SP.
• Eidolons matter:
  • E2 increases her Crit Rate when follow-ups hit multiple enemies.
  • E6 gives her an ATK buff after using her Ultimate — try to Ult early and often to keep it up.
• Against bosses: Her follow-up only triggers once per enemy, so use her more as a support AoE DPS alongside a strong single-target main DPS.

Best Relics and Ornaments – Optimal Sets and Stats

Optimizing Herta’s gear is essential to unlocking her full AoE damage potential. Her abilities revolve around frequent follow-up attacks and Ice-based skills, so selecting relics and planar ornaments that amplify those strengths will significantly improve her combat effectiveness.

1. Best Relic Set: 4-Piece Hunter of Glacial Forest

The Hunter of Glacial Forest relic set is Herta’s top-performing choice. It offers:

• 2-Piece Bonus: +10% Ice DMG
• 4-Piece Bonus: +25% Crit DMG for 2 turns after using her Ultimate

This setup is a perfect match for her kit. Her Ultimate hits all enemies and immediately activates the Crit DMG boost, allowing her next Skill or follow-up attack to hit much harder. Since her Ultimate itself isn’t extremely strong, the real value lies in boosting her follow-ups during this window. The synergy between her mechanics and the relic’s passive makes this set ideal for both consistent and burst AoE damage.

You can farm this set from the Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Gelid Wind. Start with the 2-piece bonus while building your team, and gradually collect a 4-piece set with strong Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and ATK% substats.

2. Hybrid Relic Option: 2pc Glacial + 2pc Musketeer of Wild Wheat

If you’re still farming the perfect Glacial Forest pieces, consider a hybrid relic setup:

• 2pc Hunter of Glacial Forest: +10% Ice DMG
• 2pc Musketeer of Wild Wheat: +12% ATK

This combination delivers a balanced increase to Herta’s damage across all abilities. Musketeer’s ATK bonus is universal, while Glacial’s Ice DMG specifically enhances her elemental output. It’s also easier to obtain good substats using this method. Alternatively, you can substitute Musketeer with 2pc Band of Sizzling Thunder, which provides a similar +10% ATK bonus.

Though this combo lacks the 4-piece Crit DMG burst window, it’s highly effective for general use and farming.

3. Early Game and Other Relic Set Notes

If you’re just starting out or lacking access to ideal pieces, you can temporarily use the 4-piece Musketeer of Wild Wheat. This offers ATK +12%, Speed +6, and Basic ATK boosts. However, since Herta’s damage mainly comes from her Skill, Ultimate, and talent-triggered follow-ups, the full 4-piece Musketeer quickly falls off.

Avoid sets like:

• Genius of Brilliant Stars (Quantum)
• Band of Sizzling Thunder (Lightning)
• Wastelander of Banditry Desert (Imaginary)
• Broken Keel (Effect RES mix)

These either scale with the wrong element or provide effects that Herta can’t use efficiently. Overall, stick to Ice DMG, ATK%, and Crit stats for her relics.

Best Planar Ornaments for Herta

Planar Ornaments provide an additional layer of stat customization and combat enhancement. Herta benefits greatly from a few standout sets, each tailored to different combat scenarios.

1. Sigonia, the Unclaimed Desolation (Best for Multi-Target Content)

Sigonia’s 2-piece effect increases Crit DMG each time Herta defeats an enemy, and these stacks persist until the end of the battle. This ornament is ideal for content with multiple enemy waves, such as Simulated Universe or Forgotten Hall.

For example, if Herta secures a kill in each wave, by the final wave she’ll have built up substantial Crit DMG, massively boosting her AoE output. In these cases, Sigonia becomes her highest-DPS ornament. However, this set loses value in boss fights or single-wave content, where stacks are hard to generate.

2. Firmament Frontline: Glamoth (Consistent and Flexible)

Glamoth increases damage based on Speed thresholds—most commonly at 135 SPD and 160 SPD. If you can build Herta with sufficient Speed, Glamoth becomes a stable and powerful ornament.

The first threshold (135 SPD) is attainable with Speed boots and some substats. The second (160 SPD) may require support from other characters or trade-offs in substats. Glamoth is excellent in both AoE and boss fights because it does not rely on enemy kills. It’s a favorite for Memory of Chaos and shorter engagements where Sigonia might not scale in time.

3. Inert Salsotto (Best for High Crit Rate Builds)

This set offers +8% Crit Rate and boosts both Ultimate and follow-up attack damage by 15% when Crit Rate is at least 50%. Herta can easily reach this threshold with traces and Eidolons, making this ornament very consistent.

While the 15% bonus isn’t as high as a fully stacked Sigonia, it applies directly to her key abilities and performs better in boss fights where no enemies are dying. Inert Salsotto is reliable and easy to farm (from SU World 3) and serves as a great default in solo-target situations.

4. Other Ornament Options and Set Analysis

• Space Sealing Station: Provides up to 24% ATK if SPD ≥ 120. A good starter set, though it gets outclassed later.
• Celestial Differentiator: Offers +16% Crit DMG and bonus to first attack. Not ideal for Herta, whose burst doesn’t happen right at the start.
• Pan-Galactic Commercial Enterprise: Grants ATK based on Effect Hit Rate. Irrelevant, as Herta applies no debuffs.
• Rutilant Arena: Boosts Basic and Skill DMG when Crit Rate ≥ 70%. Doesn’t benefit her Ultimate or talent-based attacks.
• Duran, Dynasty of Running Wolves: Excellent in teams with multiple follow-up attackers. Stacks Follow-Up DMG and Crit DMG, but only performs well when other allies trigger follow-ups. Solo-Herta builds can’t utilize it effectively.

Stat Priorities (Relics and Ornaments)

To get the most out of Herta’s gear, aim for the following:

• Body: Crit Rate%
• Feet: ATK% for general use, or Speed for Memory of Chaos or Speed thresholds
• Planar Sphere: Ice DMG%
• Planar Rope: ATK% (Energy Regen% if optimizing for Ultimate uptime, but usually less preferred)

For substats, prioritize:

• Crit Rate and Crit DMG (maintain a 1:2 ratio)
• ATK%
• Speed
• Break Effect% (situational, mostly secondary)

Avoid stacking Effect Hit Rate, DEF, or HP, as Herta gains no meaningful benefit from these stats in her offensive role. If using the Glacial Forest set, you may need extra Crit Rate from substats to balance out the Crit DMG boost from the 4-piece effect.

Speed Breakpoints to Consider

• 134 SPD: Reaches 140 SPD with buffs like Asta or Musketeer bonus, allowing double turns vs slower enemies.
• 143 SPD: Ensures two actions before enemies with ~99 SPD across two turns.
• 160+ SPD: Needed for full Glamoth bonuses or niche high-speed setups.

Adjust your main stats and boot selection based on the type of content you’re facing—Speed boots help for Memory of Chaos or high-difficulty challenges, while ATK% boots are fine for standard farming.

Best Light Cones – Recommended Options (F2P and Premium)

Herta uses Erudition path Light Cones, which are tailored for characters who excel in area-of-effect damage and follow-up attacks. Since her gameplay revolves around hitting multiple enemies and triggering automatic follow-ups, equipping the right Light Cone can drastically enhance her performance. Below is a complete breakdown of her best Light Cone options across both premium and free-to-play (F2P) tiers.

5-Star Premium Light Cones

Before Dawn – Best-in-Slot Option

Before Dawn is Herta’s top-tier Light Cone and arguably her best-in-slot option. It significantly boosts Crit DMG and increases both Skill and Ultimate damage. In addition, it provides a passive effect that enhances the next follow-up attack after using a Skill or Ultimate. For Herta, this means that every time she uses her Skill or Ultimate, her talent-triggered follow-up becomes much more powerful.

This Light Cone addresses Herta’s natural limitations by enhancing the core parts of her damage kit—especially since her base multipliers are relatively modest. With Before Dawn equipped, her follow-up hits become true threats, especially in multi-enemy scenarios.

This cone is only available through gacha and is the signature weapon of Jing Yuan, but if you own it, Herta becomes far more viable across all types of content.

Night on the Milky Way – Strong in Mob-Heavy Battles

Night on the Milky Way is another excellent 5-star Light Cone, especially in scenarios where there are multiple enemies on the field. The cone grants stacking ATK% for every enemy present—allowing up to +100% ATK when fighting four foes. It also increases Break Effect, which helps Herta damage toughness bars more quickly.

This Light Cone pairs perfectly with Herta’s strength in wave-based or mob-centric fights. Though its burst potential falls slightly behind Before Dawn, it can outperform it in maximum enemy-count situations due to the sheer ATK scaling. Use this cone in content like Simulated Universe or Forgotten Hall, where multi-wave combat is common.

Yet Hope Is Priceless – Strong Burst Option for High-HP Targets

Yet Hope Is Priceless, although designed for the 5-star character “The Herta,” can still benefit the 4-star Herta significantly. It enhances Skill damage against enemies with 50% or more HP. This works well with Herta’s own Skill, which already gets a damage bonus against high-HP targets. Together, these effects provide a powerful “first strike” combo.

This Light Cone excels in wave-starting scenarios where enemies are at full health. It helps Herta soften the battlefield with empowered Skill hits before her follow-up talent cleans up. If you’ve managed to pull this Light Cone, it synergizes well with her early-wave AoE burst style.

Eternal Calculus: Best Free 5-Star Option

Eternal Calculus is a free-to-obtain 5-star Light Cone from the Herta Store, purchasable with Herta Bonds from the Simulated Universe. It offers a substantial ATK% bonus and a damage boost based on how full the wearer’s Energy is, scaling up to the maximum when Energy is near full.

For optimal results, players should aim to keep Herta’s Energy bar close to full before using her Ultimate. Using a Basic or Skill before the Ultimate allows you to leverage the full bonus from this cone. While it doesn’t match gacha-exclusive Light Cones in raw numbers, it’s arguably the best F2P-friendly option available and a worthy long-term investment. Its Crit DMG secondary stat and high base ATK further increase her overall effectiveness.

4-Star Light Cones (Gacha and Free Options)

The Birth of the Self – Follow-Up Focused Powerhouse

The Birth of the Self is one of Herta’s most powerful 4-star cones. It directly enhances her follow-up attacks—precisely the part of her kit that triggers when enemies fall below 50% HP. The cone grants a base boost to follow-up damage and a further increase if the target is already under half health.

This means Herta always gets the maximum bonus when her talent procs. At Superimpose 5, the damage can reach 96% bonus follow-up DMG, dramatically increasing her clean-up power. The downside is that it doesn’t affect her Skill or Ultimate, so it’s best used in fights where follow-up attacks occur frequently. In content like Calyx runs or Simulated Universe, it greatly speeds up clearing enemies.

Geniuses’ Repose – Snowballing in Multi-Wave Content

Geniuses’ Repose rewards Herta for getting kills by providing a short-duration ATK and Crit DMG buff. After defeating an enemy, the wearer receives increased stats for three turns. This works well in multi-wave encounters where Herta can consistently land finishing blows using her Ultimate or follow-ups.

The more kills she secures, the more she snowballs. At higher Superimpose levels, this Light Cone can rival the raw stat bonuses of 5-stars. However, it’s less effective in boss fights unless minions are present, since she needs to get the kill herself to activate the buff.

An Instant Before the Gaze: Energy-Based Ultimate Boost

An Instant Before the Gaze focuses on boosting Ultimate damage based on the user’s Energy pool, with a secondary Crit DMG bonus. Since Herta has a 110 energy cost for her Ultimate, the scaling here is strong, especially if you can keep her energy near full before casting.

It overlaps with Eternal Calculus in some ways but focuses more on single-use burst than sustained energy levels. This Light Cone excels in Memory of Chaos or other limited-turn content, where maximizing Ultimate impact is crucial.

Today is Another Peaceful Day – Versatile Battle Pass Option

Today is Another Peaceful Day, available via Battle Pass, increases the wearer’s damage based on their current Energy at the start of each turn. It’s a versatile cone that benefits characters like Herta who often open fights with full energy, especially in content with multiple waves.

While not as specialized as some other Light Cones, it still provides decent damage scaling across all abilities, especially at high Superimpose. If you’ve already unlocked it through the BP, it’s a solid mid-tier option.

The Seriousness of Breakfast – Top Free 4-Star Pick

The Seriousness of Breakfast is a 4-star Light Cone easily obtainable through early Forgotten Hall rewards. It grants a flat damage bonus and builds additional damage stacks with each enemy defeated (up to three stacks).

This Light Cone shines in mob-heavy content where Herta can consistently secure kills. At Superimpose 5, it can provide up to 24% total damage, which applies across all her abilities—including Skill, Ult, and follow-up attacks. As a free option, it is arguably the best long-term cone for completely F2P players, remaining viable in all content types.

Other Notable 4-Star and 3-Star Cones

• Make the World Clamor: Increases Ultimate damage and Energy regen. Not optimal for Herta due to low synergy.
• Before the Tutorial Mission Starts (3-star): Provides ATK% and minor Energy regeneration. Works early on but quickly becomes outclassed.
• Dataset (3-star): Boosts damage to debuffed enemies. Viable if paired with allies like Pela but highly situational.
• Sagacity: If available for Erudition, usually low impact compared to others mentioned.

Most 3-star cones fall short of what Herta needs, especially once players obtain higher-tier options. Focus on refining your 4-star cones for the best long-term benefit.

Quick Summary on Light Cone Synergy

Herta’s Light Cone choice should reflect the type of content you’re preparing for:

• Use Before Dawn or Night on the Milky Way for optimal scaling in AoE-heavy modes.
• Choose Birth of the Self or Geniuses’ Repose if you want to maximize her follow-up kill potential.
• Eternal Calculus and Seriousness of Breakfast are top F2P choices that remain competitive when well-refined.

Make sure to Superimpose your 4-star cones whenever possible, especially if you’re investing in Birth of the Self or Seriousness of Breakfast. These cones scale sharply with levels, and Herta’s multi-hit nature allows her to fully capitalize on every percentage gain.

Eidolons – Summary and Value of Each

Herta’s Eidolons (E1 to E6) provide small but meaningful enhancements to her kit, mainly focused on improving her follow-up attack consistency and damage scaling. The good news is that several of her Eidolons are free to obtain simply by progressing through Simulated Universe Worlds. By clearing SU Worlds 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9, you can unlock Herta up to E5 without spending any Stellar Jade or pulling from banners. Only E6 may require additional Warps or future event rewards.

Below is a breakdown of each Eidolon’s effect and its real impact on Herta’s gameplay.

E1 – “Kick You When You’re Down”

Effect: Herta’s Basic Attack deals an additional 40% of ATK as Ice DMG if the target’s HP is 50% or less.

This Eidolon gives her Basic ATK a small execute mechanic, allowing it to deal bonus damage to weakened enemies. However, Herta rarely uses her Basic ATK as a main source of damage. It’s primarily used to generate Skill Points. As a result, E1 has minimal impact overall and is more of a “nice-to-have” than a performance changer.

Value: Situational – Useful occasionally, but rarely activated in a meaningful way.

E2 – “Keep the Ball Rolling”

Effect: Each time Herta’s Talent (follow-up attack) is triggered, her Crit Rate increases by 3%, stacking up to 5 times.

This Eidolon introduces a self-scaling Crit Rate mechanic. Herta can gain up to +15% Crit Rate over the course of a battle if her follow-up is triggered five times. The stacking is efficient in multi-wave or enemy-dense fights, especially when she can trigger multiple follow-ups in a single turn or sweep. This passive bonus helps her reach key Crit thresholds required to activate gear effects like Inert Salsotto, and allows for more freedom to build Crit DMG over Crit Rate.

In boss encounters with fewer follow-up opportunities, this Eidolon contributes less, but in general farming or Simulated Universe, it significantly improves her consistency.

Value: Solid in multi-target fights – Adds valuable Crit utility and pairs well with many relic builds.

E3 – “That’s the Kind of Girl I Am”

Effect: Skill Level +2 (max 15), Basic ATK Level +1 (max 10)

This Eidolon provides a direct damage increase by raising the level of Herta’s Skill and Basic Attack. The Skill level boost is the real benefit here, as it increases the base multiplier on her primary damaging ability, One-Time Offer. This translates into a measurable DPS boost, while the Basic ATK level increase is minor and rarely contributes significantly.

Value: Good – A straight damage upgrade, especially meaningful at higher trace investments.

E4 – “Hit Where It Hurts”

Effect: When Herta’s Talent (follow-up attack) is triggered, the damage of that attack is increased by 10%.

This Eidolon improves the power of her follow-up attacks. Since these follow-ups scale off relatively low percentages of her ATK (often around 25%–40%), a flat 10% boost adds a modest improvement to her overall wave-clear. It’s most noticeable when her follow-ups hit multiple enemies, providing chip damage across the board. While it won’t dramatically change her playstyle, it enhances what she already does best.

Value: Decent – A mild but consistent boost to AoE follow-up effectiveness.

E5 – “Swear Big or Don’t Swear at All”

Effect: Ultimate Level +2 (max 15), Talent Level +2 (max 15)

This is one of Herta’s most valuable Eidolons. It improves the two abilities at the heart of her kit—her Ultimate and follow-up Talent. The Ultimate gains a substantial boost in AoE damage (for example, going from 180% ATK at level 10 to approximately 216% at level 12), while her Talent follow-up damage increases similarly.

Because her entire DPS rotation relies on those two abilities, this Eidolon significantly enhances her burst and cleanup potential in wave-based content.

Value: High – A strong power spike that’s available entirely through gameplay progression.

E6 – “No One Can Betray Me”

Effect: After using her Ultimate, Herta gains +25% ATK for 1 turn.

This capstone Eidolon provides a sizable temporary ATK boost following her Ultimate. It synergizes naturally with her combat rhythm—after using her Ultimate, she’ll often trigger a follow-up or use her Skill within that same turn, both of which benefit from the buff.

While the buff is short-lived, it’s repeatable in AoE fights where Herta uses her Ultimate frequently. The 25% ATK gain is comparable to some support skills, providing an extra layer of self-sufficiency and burst. In farming or SU, this often lets her chain Ultimate → follow-up → Skill with noticeably higher output.

Value: Good – Not essential, but useful for increasing burst damage and cleaning up enemies more efficiently. Best appreciated in multi-target content.

Overall Eidolon Assessment

Herta’s Eidolons do not fundamentally change her role, but they smooth out her damage curve and increase her effectiveness in AoE scenarios. Her most impactful upgrades come from:

• E2, which grants valuable Crit Rate scaling in long fights
• E3 and E5, which increase the levels of her core damage abilities
• E6, which adds burst potential and self-buffing mechanics

Since she can reach E5 entirely through Simulated Universe progression, most players can enjoy a highly functional version of Herta without ever pulling her from banners. This makes her one of the most accessible units to build out fully. A well-geared E5 Herta can be a very efficient farmer and AoE DPS, capable of clearing content quickly.

If you’re aiming for maximum performance, unlocking E6 will provide the final bump in burst potential, but it’s not necessary to make her kit viable. Even at E0, she remains a solid niche AoE pick. However, each Eidolon incrementally enhances her ability to clean up waves, making her a valuable asset in game modes like Calyx farming, Forgotten Hall, and Simulated Universe.

If you’re a newer player or building a free-to-play roster, it’s highly recommended to push through SU World 9 and unlock E4–E5, where her power noticeably increases thanks to higher Skill, Ultimate, and Talent scaling.

Trace Priority – Which Traces to Level First

Herta has four primary combat abilities—Basic ATK, Skill, Ultimate, and Talent—along with several Bonus Ability Traces that unlock as she ascends. Since leveling traces consumes both resources and time, knowing which ones to prioritize is key to building an efficient and powerful Herta.

This section explains which traces offer the most value for performance and how to prioritize them based on her combat role.

Combat Traces – Main Skill Level Priorities

1. Talent – “Fine, I’ll Do It Myself” (Highest Priority)

Herta’s Talent is her defining mechanic: it triggers a follow-up attack when enemies fall below 50% HP. Leveling this trace increases the damage scaling of her follow-ups significantly—from about 25% ATK at level 1 to 40% ATK at level 10.

Because this ability can activate multiple times per battle and hit all enemies, it contributes a substantial share of her total damage, particularly in multi-target content like Simulated Universe and Calyx stages. Leveling this trace should be your top priority once her ascension level allows it.

A stronger follow-up not only finishes off enemies more reliably but also synergizes with Light Cones and relic bonuses that favor follow-up attacks or Crit-focused damage.

Recommendation: Max this trace as soon as possible. It’s the foundation of Herta’s identity and effectiveness.

2. Ultimate – “It’s Magic, I Added Some Magic” (High Priority)

Herta’s Ultimate is one of her strongest AoE burst tools. It deals massive damage to all enemies (scaling from 120% at level 1 up to 180% at level 10) and plays a central role in her rotation.

The Ultimate also enables synergy with multiple relics and Eidolons. For example, it triggers the Crit DMG bonus from the 4-piece Hunter of Glacial Forest and activates her E6 ATK buff. In wave-based combat, she often gets to use it at least once per wave, increasing clear speed and consistency.

While it doesn’t directly impact her follow-up damage, it often softens enemies enough to enable those triggers. It’s especially valuable in Memory of Chaos or boss phases where AoE burst is essential.

Recommendation: Level alongside or just after Talent. It’s her most important tool for setting up kills and clearing waves.

3. Skill – “One-Time Offer” (High Priority)

Herta’s Skill is her most commonly used attack and should be leveled to keep her consistent damage output high. At level 1, it deals 50% ATK to all enemies; by level 10, it reaches over 100% ATK. Importantly, the Skill includes a bonus that deals 20% more damage to enemies with ≥50% HP—which makes it ideal for initiating wave clears.

Upgrading this trace enhances the base multiplier but not the bonus (which is fixed at 20% unless enhanced via bonus traces like “Efficiency”). Since Herta uses her Skill frequently during combat, particularly in farming scenarios or SU expeditions, upgrading this trace directly impacts her average DPS.

In certain content like Calyx runs where she clears mobs quickly and doesn’t always have time to use her Ultimate, Skill becomes even more valuable.

Recommendation: Level this in tandem with Ultimate. For farming, you may prioritize Skill over Ultimate, but for general use, both should be upgraded together.

4. Basic Attack – “What Are You Looking At?” (Low Priority)

Herta’s Basic ATK is rarely used outside of restoring Skill Points or managing energy. The scaling is relatively low (starting at 50% and capping at 100% at level 6), and even with her E1, which adds extra Ice DMG to low-HP targets, it remains a minimal contributor to her total damage.

While it can be leveled to meet ascension requirements or when resources are abundant, it’s the least impactful of all her combat traces. Level this only after Talent, Skill, and Ultimate are fully invested.

Recommendation: Leave it at base level until you have excess materials or need it for ascension progress.

Bonus Ability Traces – Passive Talent Nodes

In addition to combat skills, Herta’s Bonus Ability Traces unlock at Ascension 2, 4, and 6, and they significantly impact her performance, particularly in enhancing her AoE burst. Here’s how to prioritize them:

Efficiency (Ascension 2) – Highest Priority Bonus Trace

This trace improves the bonus damage of Herta’s Skill when hitting enemies above 50% HP. It increases the bonus from +20% to +45%, resulting in a much stronger opening strike.

This is particularly impactful in early waves where all enemies start at full health. For example, instead of doing 50% base + 20%, the Skill deals 50% + 45% = 72.5% ATK (assuming level 1 Skill). This makes Herta a more effective wave-clearer and allows her to secure kills in fewer actions.

Since the bonus is applied nearly every time you use the Skill at the start of a wave, it has constant value and greatly enhances her early-fight impact.

Recommendation: Unlock and max this immediately at Ascension 2. It provides one of the largest pure damage boosts of any trace.

Icing (Ascension 6) – Conditional but Powerful

This trace grants Herta’s Ultimate 20% bonus damage against Frozen enemies. In teams where Freeze is common—such as when paired with March 7th, Gepard, or using Remembrance Path in Simulated Universe—this becomes a massive situational buff.

Even if your team isn’t focused on Freeze, enemies can sometimes be frozen by external factors, making this trace opportunistically useful. When active, it helps her Ultimate deal noticeably more burst damage, enabling faster wave clears or tighter boss phase kills.

However, this bonus is conditional, and you won’t unlock it until later levels (Ascension 6), so it’s not immediately relevant to early builds.

Recommendation: High-priority bonus for freeze teams or advanced SU runs. Unlock as soon as you reach A6.

Puppet (Ascension 4) – Crowd Control Resistance

This trace increases Herta’s resistance to Crowd Control debuffs (Freeze, Stun, Entangle) by 35%. While it doesn’t boost her offensive power directly, it improves reliability by reducing the chance she’ll be disabled during fights.

In game modes like Memory of Chaos, where enemy CC can break rotations and cost turns, this is a welcome layer of protection. It pairs well with teammates who provide cleanse or further Effect RES.

While it’s not essential for farming or casual runs, it adds quality-of-life and stability in high-pressure content.

Recommendation: Unlock at A4 and level when you have spare materials. Useful in endgame, but not as vital as her damage boosts.

Trace Leveling Strategy (By Progression Stage)

• Early Game (Ascension 2–3): Focus on leveling Talent and Skill to around level 6 first. Unlock and max Efficiency at A2 for a massive early-game power bump.
• Mid Game (Ascension 4–5): Bring Talent, Skill, and Ultimate to levels 8–9 depending on availability of materials. Unlock Puppet and upgrade it when possible. Prioritize Skill/Ultimate evenly unless one feels more useful based on content.
• Late Game (Ascension 6 and beyond): Unlock Icing and max it to improve burst damage in freeze-reliant comps. Push all core combat traces—Talent, Skill, Ultimate—to level 10. Basic ATK can be raised to 6 to meet requirements but is otherwise non-essential.

Herta Skills and Gameplay

Core Abilities

Basic ATK – “What Are You Looking At?”

• Deals Ice DMG to a single target (50%–110% ATK scaling). Mainly used to regenerate Skill Points or Energy. Minimal damage impact, except when enhanced by Eidolon 1 (+40% Ice DMG on <50% HP targets).

Skill – “One-Time Offer”

• True AoE attack that deals Ice DMG to all enemies (scales from 50% to ~110% ATK). Deals 20% more damage to targets above 50% HP, enhanced to 45% via the “Efficiency” bonus trace. Great for opening waves. Costs 1 SP.

Ultimate – “It’s Magic, I Added Some Magic”

• Heavy AoE burst (120%–216% ATK). No conditions—pure scaling. Deals +20% extra damage to Frozen enemies via the “Icing” trace. Generates Energy and synergizes with Crit DMG relic bonuses and E6 ATK buff.

Talent – “Fine, I’ll Do It Myself”

• Herta’s iconic passive: when any ally drops an enemy below 50% HP (for the first time), she performs a follow-up AoE attack (25%–48% ATK scaling). Triggers once per enemy per battle. Scales with Talent level and benefits from Crit stats. Her follow-ups are key to clearing waves efficiently.

Technique – “It Can Still Be Optimized”

• Pre-battle self-buff that gives +40% ATK for 3 turns. Essential for farming and early fight damage spikes.

How to Use Herta Effectively

Herta is an AoE DPS and follow-up specialist. She thrives in content with multiple enemies: Calyx, Simulated Universe (SU), and Forgotten Hall waves.

• In AoE scenarios, open with Skill or Ult to damage all enemies. If anyone drops below half HP, her Talent triggers a follow-up attack.
• Skill first when enemies are healthy (due to the >50% bonus), and Ult either to trigger Talent or to buff her next actions (via relic/Eidolon synergy).
• Her follow-up is free (doesn’t cost SP or a turn), making her effective even in SP-tight teams.

Combat Flow: Technique → Skill or Ult → trigger follow-up → clean-up with next Skill or Basic. Rinse and repeat.

In Memory of Chaos, Herta is ideal for clearing Wave 1. You’ll need another carry for the boss phase, but she ensures early cycle clears.

Strategic Tips

Triggering Talent Efficiently:

• Plan ally attacks to drop enemies under 50% together. AoE hits from allies or Herta’s own Skill can trigger multi-target follow-ups.
• Consider follow-up synergies with units like Clara (counters) or Himeko (who benefits from enemy Weakness Breaks caused by Herta).

Ultimate Timing Nuances:

• If using Glacial Forest 4pc, Ult early to benefit from Crit DMG buff.
• With E6, time the Ult such that the +25% ATK applies to the next turn or triggers a follow-up.

Energy Management:

• Herta gains Energy through Skills and Basics. If using Light Cones like Eternal Calculus or Peaceful Day, use her Ultimate near max Energy for extra damage.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths:

• Excellent for auto-farming and fast clears
• Free Eidolons up to E5 via Simulated Universe
• Very effective with minimal input; good SP economy
• Can break multiple Ice-weak enemies simultaneously

Limitations:

• Weak in single-target scenarios
• No utility (no debuffs, buffs, or support effects)
• Relies on enemies hitting HP thresholds to maximize value

Synergies and Teams

• Ice Synergy: Pair with March 7th or Gepard to freeze enemies and activate Icing bonus.
• Follow-Up Teams: Combine with Clara, Himeko, or characters benefiting from follow-ups to exploit mechanics and blessings (e.g., Path of Elation in SU).
• SP Management: Ideal with low SP users like Natasha or Pela. She doesn’t drain SP aggressively, so team rotation is smooth.

Ascension and Trace Materials

Ascension (Lv. 80):

• 50 Horn of Snow
• 12/13/12 of Extinguished/Glimmering/Squirming Core
• 246,400 Credits

Traces (Full Upgrade):

• 2.4 million Credits
• 12/54/105 Talent Books (Green/Blue/Purple)
• 28/42/42 Enemy Cores
• 12 Destroyer’s Final Road
• 5 Tracks of Destiny

Farming Tips:

• Stagnant Shadow for Horn of Snow
• Calyx: Bud of Erudition for Talent Books
• Echo of War (Doomsday Beast) for boss drops
• Stockpile cores from Herta Space Station enemy types

Final Thoughts on Building Herta

Even at E0, Herta is a strong AoE choice. But reaching E5 for free gives her better scaling on Ult and Talent, boosting her overall damage. For relics, prioritize Crit Rate, Crit DMG, and Ice DMG%, and pair her with sets that enhance AoE or follow-up damage.

Herta excels in wave-based content, making her a valuable unit for F2P players and veterans alike seeking efficient farming. While she won’t top charts in single-target damage, she more than makes up for it in sheer clear speed and ease of use.

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