Dawn Rises on Honkai Star Rail as Phainon Becomes Playable

The Deliverer has arrived at Honkai Star Rail. Lord Phainon, Chysos Heir of Kephele, demigod of worldbearing, and [redacted] is a 5-Star Physical Destruction unit whose primary function is to be a hyper carry that, rather appropriately, destroys everything from the enemies he faces to the power balance of the game. A true hero, Phainon has a unique way of fighting that pits himself against his foes solo, while keeping his comrades safe. Worldbearer indeed.

How Does Phainon Work

With as much screen time as he receives, it’s not surprising that Phainon’s kit would be an exception. Still, this is more than just a little ridiculous.

He is The Sun

Phainon is probably the greediest hyper carry in the game. Everything, and I do mean everything, that the party does is to benefit him. All buffs must go to help. All healing must go to him. All shields must go to him. He is the star, the diva, the prima donna of destruction, and everyone else is just merely his supporting cast.

Man vs the World

That being said, Phainon is still Phainon and, in keeping with his tendency to shoulder the burdens of the world, he fights solo. How it works is, when he’s targeted by an ally’s ability (single target or AoE), he will gain a stack of Coreflame. He can also gain stacks by using his Skill. When he reaches 12 Coreflame, he can use his Ultimate to transform himself, his abilities, and create a Territory.

While the Territory/Transformation is active, Phainon will face all enemies solo. The Territory/Transformation will last for 8 of Phainon’s turns. While transformed, his Basic Attack will remain a Basic Attack, his Skill becomes a Counter stance, and his Ultimate is… well, honestly, apocalyptic. Both his Basic Attack and Skill will generate “Scourge” when they hit, which charges up his Ultimate and makes it deal more damage. Consuming 4 “Scourge” will bring down the Meteor.

Regarding his Counter stance, it’s best to use when there are at least 3 enemies, since it grants 1 point of “Scourge” per enemy on the field. His Basic Attack gives a flat 2. Also, he will remain in his Counter stance until all of the enemies on the field have gone, and the damage the Counter deals increases based on how many attacks Phainon took.

When Phainon has had 8 turns, he will revert to his normal form, dealing a massive amount of damage to any enemies still alive in the process. Oh, and I should point out, his turns are considered “Extra Turns” while he’s in the Territory. As a result, any Buffs he brings with him into the Territory won’t run out because of turn duration.

What to Build on Phainon

ATK, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, SPD, HP. Get all of them. Phainon is very Stat-heavy.

You’ll want the Wavestrider Captain Cavern Relic set and the new Arcadia of Woven Dreams Planar Ornament set. If you want alternatives, try Scholar Lost in Erudition and Rutilant Arean, respectively.

His Light Cone is obviously the best for him, but 5-Star alternatives are I Shall Be My Own Sword and On the Fall of an Aeon. For 4-Star options, try A Trail of Bygone Blood or Under the Blue Sky.

Who Does Phainon Synergize With

Buffers. He wants Buffers. Get your strongest Buffs and just let them have at him. Also, one of his Traces increases his DMG when he receives either Healing or a Shield, so bring one of them to. 1 sustain, 2 buffers. If you need some suggestions, HuoHuo, March 7^th (Preservation), Lynx, Sunday, Sparkle, Bronya, and Tingyun are all great options.