The best Honkai: Star Rail Trailblazer build is all about boosting the protagonist's attack so they can whack enemies even harder with their baseball bat. Perhaps I'm oversimplifying, but the initial Trailblazer's Destruction path is pretty straightforward—boost attack to unleash a stronger basic, skill, and ultimate.
Things get a little more complicated later on when you have the option to change paths to the more defense-focused Preservation, but at the start of the game at least, the Trailblazer is relatively simple to build. So, here's what light cones, relics, and planar ornaments I recommend to use, partly based on how good they are, but also how easy they are to get. There's also some info about where to get the Trailblazer's ascension materials for levelling them lower down.
The best Trailblazer build
Since the Trailblazer's physical damage scales with their attack, it's the main stat to prioritise, though a physical damage boost is also handy.
- Light Cone: The Moles Welcome You or On the Fall of Aeons
The Moles Welcome You is a strong four-star light cone for the Trailblazer, granting a 12% attack buff every time they hit an enemy with a basic attack, skill, or ultimate. This stacks up to three times, boosting attack by a hefty 36% overall—not bad for a four-star. It's also significantly easier to get through the Warp than a five-star like Something Irreplaceable, and that'll mean you can potentially Superimpose spare copies of it to buff that attack effect.
As mentioned, Something Irreplaceable is the strongest five-star Destruction light cone, but there is a free five-star you can get that's still pretty decent and works well with this build: On the Fall of Aeons. This light cone increases attack by 8% whenever you hit an enemy, stacking up to four times. If you inflict a weakness break, you also get 12% increased damage for two turns. You can purchase this five-star from Herta's Store for eight of the Herta Bonds you get from completing Simulated Universe worlds.
- Relics: Champion of Streetwise Boxing (Four-pieces equipped)
While the Musketeer of the Wild Wheat set provides a straight attack boost, Champion of Streetwise Boxing is better suited for the Trailblazer. Two pieces boost physical damage by 10%, while four-pieces increase attack by 5% whenever the Trailblazer is hit or attacks, stacking up to five times. As you'd imagine, this damage buff works very well alongside the light cones above, since it means when you attack you're getting a double boost—if using The Moles Welcome You, that'd mean a 17% buff whenever you attack, topping out at 61%
You can get this relic set at the Cavern of Corrosion: Path of the Jabbing Punch on Jarilo-VI, after you unlock the first during the main story. For stats, you'll want to prioritise attack, but also crit rate and crit damage as far as is possible to get your crit chance up to that golden number of 50%.
- Planar Ornaments: Space Sealing Station (Two-pieces equipped)
The Space Sealing Station ornaments are a good pick for Trailblazer since they boost attack by 12%, and an additional 12% when their speed reaches 120. These special relic sets come from completing worlds in the Simulated Universe and unlock once you complete the main story on Jarilo-VI. If you really want to be optimal, getting a Planar Sphere with a physical damage boost is the way to go.
Trailblazer abilities and Eidolons
Here are the Trailblazer's combat abilities, bonus abilities for full character ascension, and the Eidolons you can upgrade them with once you acquire a Shadow of Destruction in the main story:
Trailblazer Ascension materials
Here's what you'll need to ascend the Trailblazer fully:
- Twelve Thief's Instinct
- Thirteen Usurper's Scheme
- Twelve Conqueror's Will
- 28 Enigmatic Ectostella
- 246,400 Credits
You can farm Thief's Instinct via sending characters on assignment, defeating Voidranger enemies in the Storage Zone and Supply Zone on the Herta Space Station, and in the Simulated Universe. You can also purchase them at the Embers Exchange if you have leftover Undying Embers from using Warp for characters. You can also craft them using other materials in the Synthesiser. Enigmatic Ectostella on the other hand, are a unique ascension material you get from story missions and as a Trailblaze level reward.
To unlock all character ascensions as well as the upgraded versions of Thief's Instinct that can drop from enemies (Usurper's Scheme and Conqueror's Will) you'll need to raise your Equilibrium (world level) by gaining Trailblaze levels and completing Equilibrium trials.
