Honkai Star Rail 1.2: Should you pull for Blade or Kafka?

Honkai Star Rail’s latest version features two of the most anticipated characters in the game. Since it’s not easy to get every character you want, players are wondering who they should try to get between Blade and Kafka.

After Silver Wolf arrived in update 1.1 of Honkai Star Rail, the latest version of HoYoverse’s RPG brought more Stellaron Hunters into action. Version 1.2 of the game gives players the chance to add Blade and Kafka to their teams, but doing so without spending any money is almost impossible.

While Blade features in the first phase of the update, Kafka will be boosted in the next banner starting August 9. Some players saved Stellar Jade and even Star Rail Passes for this moment, but even then there’s no guarantee that they’ll get what they’re looking for.

So, to help you choose between these two powerful Stellaron Hunters, here’s what you need to know to pick between Blade and Kafka in Honkai Star Rail.

• Should you pull for Blade or Kafka?
• Blade & Kafka team roles
• Blade & Kafka abilities
• Blade & Kafka builds
• Who’s best for your team: Blade or Kafka?

Should you pull for Blade or Kafka in Honkai Star Rail?

We should start by saying there’s no definitive answer to this Honkai Star Rail dilemma. Both five-star characters are very powerful and can be a great addition to your team. However, you should consider several factors before making a decision.

Of course, some players already picked between Blade and Kafka because of their looks or based on Honkai Star Rail lore. However, if you’re trying to figure out which one is better for your team in terms of gameplay and abilities, we’re here to help.

Blade & Kafka team roles in Honkai Star Rail

Blade is a Wind element character in the Path of The Destruction. This means he could be your new main DPS, thanks to his damage output. He can deal with many enemies at a time and packs a punch, but most of his abilities come with a high cost that we’ll explain later. If you need a powerful DPS, you can rely on Blade, especially since he’s the only other Wind element DPS besides Dan Heng.

Kafka, on the other hand, is a Lightning element character in the Path of The Nihility. While The Nihility is associated with debuffing and weakening enemies, Kafka works a little differently. Her abilities are mostly about doing DoT (Damage over Time) and stacking effects to shock enemies. This means she isn’t your typical support character but rather a sub-DPS or even main DPS with the right team.

As you can see, both Blade and Kafka are all about making damage, but you should also consider their elements and Paths. If you already have a main team built, you might want to keep it balanced when adding new members. Meaning you shouldn’t have two characters of the same element or on the same Path to maximize your chances of taking down powerful enemies.

Blade & Kafka abilities in Honkai Star Rail

Regarding abilities, Blade has clearly a higher damage output than Kafka, so he’s more likely to become your main DPS. Kafka specializes in doing DoT and shocking enemies for other characters to finish them off, so she can also be a valuable asset.

The main problem with Blade is that most of his abilities consume a portion of his HP, making him a risky bet. His Basic Attack can be enhanced to do more damage at the cost of 10% of his Max HP, while his Skill consumes 30% of his Max HP. His Ultimate, on the other hand, sets his current HP to 50% of his Max HP, meaning you’ll need a healer with him at all times.

While both five-star characters can thrive with the right team composition, Kafka is way more versatile than Blade in that regard. You can pair Kafka with support characters, shielders, healers, and even other DPS in all kinds of combinations. Blade, however, needs a team composition centered around him and his capabilities, so keep that in mind.

Blade & Kafka builds in Honkai Star Rail

There’s no doubt that it is way easier to build Kafka than Blade in Honkai Star Rail. Kafka has a signature Light Cone that’s boosted while she’s featured, but she can also work very well with other Nihility Light Cones. Since her main stats are centered around DMG and CRITs, most Relic sets and Planar Ornaments can improve her abilities one way or the other.

Blade is a lot trickier because there aren’t many ways to improve a character’s HP. What’s more, Blade requires Ascension materials that were just introduced with update 1.2. This means you’ll need to play the latest areas and defeat the latest boss of the game to level up this character.

If you’d like to know more about their builds in Honkai Star Rail, make sure to check Blade and Kafka’s complete guides.

Who’s best in Honkai Star Rail: Blade or Kafka?

In conclusion, we can say Kafka is a better choice overall for your Honkai Star Rail team. Not only because of her capabilities but also due to her versatility. Of course, being a five-star character, Blade can also be a great addition to your team, but he doesn’t seem to be the best option at the moment.

You should try to get Blade if you haven’t invested resources on Dan Heng and you need a Wind DPS. Also, if you previously pulled Luocha, you should know he works extremely well alongside Blade. Last but not least, Blade isn’t a character that relies too much on Skill Points and his Ultimate ability to make damage. So, if you have characters that do, you can add him to the team for better results.

As we mentioned, however, you should consider all the above factors before making a decision. You can always try the characters for a limited time before making a decision. Also, keep in mind that pulling for any of these characters doesn’t guarantee you’ll get them, so good luck!

If you’re looking for more Honkai Star Rail content, we’ve got you covered with plenty of guides:

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