Honkai Star Rail: Best Beginner Alternatives for Missed Event Light Cones

A lot of new players who start Honkai: Star Rail later often end up missing out on limited-time free event light cones from older events. Many of these powerful event light cones are not only easy to obtain, but their max-superimposed performance even matches that of plenty of 4-star light cones you get from gacha pulls, so missing them is a real bummer. But don’t worry — even if you didn’t get that past event light cone, there are tons of low-barrier alternative options perfect for new players. Below, we’ve sorted out the best fitting alternative picks for every Path.

Beginner Alternatives For Missed Event Light Cones, By Path

Destruction Path

If you missed the max-superimposed free event damage-focused light cone for Destruction, new players should prioritize the 3-star light cone Swordplay, which is very easy to max out. It’s simple to obtain, and the attack boost it offers when maxed is incredibly substantial, making it a great temporary option for most damage-focused Destruction characters. If you’ve already pulled a 4-star, you can also use In the Dark, which gives an excellent boost to single-target damage output.

Hunt Path

The most commonly missed iconic event light cone for Hunt is Only Silence. When maxed, it gives a huge boost to damage output, and the most budget-friendly alternative after missing it is a maxed 3-star called Faster Gun Gloves. This light cone immediately provides a solid crit damage boost that is more than enough for early game progression. For 4-star options, you can pick A Sword Through Clouds, which has a high pull rate and works perfectly for Hunt damage dealers.

Erudition Path

If you missed the event light cone for Erudition, a maxed 3-star For Tomorrow’s Journey offers a considerable attack boost that is more than enough to get you through all early game stages. For 4-stars, we recommend Morning Ritual, which is easy for almost every player to obtain. Once you fully stack its passive effect, the damage increase it provides is very substantial, making it ideal for AoE-focused Erudition damage dealers.

Harmony Path

Many new players miss the incredibly useful free event light cone Meeting the Planets. When this light cone is used on damage-boosting Harmony characters like Tingyun, it even performs just as well as many 4-star options. After missing it, the most recommended low-barrier alternative is a maxed 3-star called Pact. When maxed, it provides a solid attack boost for your entire party, with very strong damage increasing effects. For 4-stars, you can choose As a Companion, and if you’re equipping it for Bronya, you can also use Memory Module, which is available permanently from the standard pool.

Preservation Path

If you missed the free event tank-focused light cone for Preservation, a maxed 3-star called Defender works extremely well. It not only increases your defense, but also grants a shield at the start of battle, which is more than enough for new player tanks in the early game. For 4-stars, we recommend Landau’s Choice, which is usable as soon as you pull it. It effectively boosts the tankiness of Preservation characters, and can handle almost all in-game content without issue.

Abundance Path

If you missed the event light cone for Abundance, a maxed 3-star Healing provides enough outgoing healing boost to fully meet all your early game needs. For 4-stars, you can choose Pristine Future. It not only increases your healing output, but also provides an extra attack boost for your entire party, making it extremely cost-effective.

Quick Tips For New Players Leveling Alternative Light Cones

First off, the resource cost to max out a 3-star light cone is far lower than it is for higher-rarity light cones. Their early game performance is actually no worse than a max-level, once-superimposed 4-star, so you don’t need to stress yourself out over missing an event light cone or waste resources forcing pulls for unnecessary higher-rarity options.

Second, most of the 4-star alternative light cones we recommend can be obtained through standard gacha pulls or exchanged via Simulated Universe. You just need to slowly accumulate resources to level them up over time, there’s no need to rush to get a fully upgraded set right away.

Overall, missing out on past event light cones won’t ruin your overall game experience. As long as you pick the right alternative option that fits your character, new players can still easily clear all types of in-game content, including Simulated Universe and the Memory of Chaos.