The Herta
★★★★★

The Herta Build

The Herta is a 5★ Ice character on the Path of Erudition in Honkai: Star Rail. Below are the character's stats, skills and Eidolons — plus a pity calculator if you plan to pull.

Released: 15/01/2025 · v3.0· Updated: 03/07/2026
Updated for version 4.3 · 02/07/2026
Calculate pity to pull this character →
Community usage · phase 4.3.2
Memory of Chaos1.0%
Pure Fiction13.5%
Apocalyptic Shadow3.2%
Stats from 16,423 real player profiles (Memory of Chaos) · community data by LvlUrArti
Building The Herta — just follow the numbers
30-second summary

The Herta is the AoE queen who single-handedly clears Pure Fiction. Pull if you struggle with PF or love wave-clear DPS; skip if you only need single-target boss killers for MoC/AS.

1
30-second build
In a hurry? This box is all you need — details below
BodyCRIT Rate FeetATK% (SPD nếu cần đủ tốc) SphereIce DMG Boost RopeATK%

Sub-stat priority: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD

2
Verdict & playstyle
How strong, worth pulling, how to play
Memory of Chaos 4/5
Pure Fiction 5/5
Apocalyptic Shadow 3.5/5
Should you pull The Herta?

The Herta is the AoE queen who single-handedly clears Pure Fiction. Pull if you struggle with PF or love wave-clear DPS; skip if you only need single-target boss killers for MoC/AS.

Pros
  • Top-tier AoE damage, dominates Pure Fiction
  • Self-buffs 80% CRIT DMG with a second Erudition unit
  • Simple, forgiving rotation
  • Extremely strong at E0
Cons
  • Noticeably weaker in single-target boss fights (AS)
  • Hard-requires a second Erudition ally to shine
  • Skill-Point hungry without her signature cone
How to play

Core loop: use Skill to stack her Interpretation charges, fire the Enhanced Skill to nuke the whole field once ready, and cast Ultimate off-cooldown. She NEEDS a second Erudition ally to trigger her 80% CRIT DMG passive.

3
Full build
Light cones, relics, stat targets — with reasons
Best Relics
BodyCRIT Rate
FeetATK% (SPD nếu cần đủ tốc)
SphereIce DMG Boost
RopeATK%

Sub-stat priority: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD

Stat targets

Targets: ~100% CRIT Rate (via gear + team; she self-grants 80% CRIT DMG with a second Erudition, so favor Rate first), ~120%+ CRIT DMG out of combat, ~4000+ ATK, ~134 SPD on speed boots (or ~120 on ATK boots).

4
Teams
Best teammates to pair with
Best teams for The Herta

Best: The Herta + Jade (2nd Erudition) + Robin (damage/action buffs) + Lingsha (heal + break). Swap Robin for Sunday for energy funneling. Budget/PF: The Herta + Argenti + Remembrance Trailblazer + Gallagher.

Meta suggestions synthesized from global community consensus (Meta 2026-07). Figures come from game data — updated each patch.

5
Eidolons
How far to invest, which milestones matter

E0 (lý tưởng E0 + nón chữ ký S1; E2 là bước nhảy rất lớn) — Prioritize E0 + signature cone (Into the Unreachable Veil) over a raw E1. E2 is the real breakpoint, nearly doubling her Enhanced Skill casts for a huge damage jump.

E1
Night at Shorefall★★★☆☆
When the Enhanced Skill calculates the number of "Interpretation" stacks, additionally counts 50% of the number of "Interpretation" stacks on the 1 target with the most stacks among the primary target and adjacent targets. When "Interpretation" is reset by using the Enhanced Skill, its stack number is reset to 15 instead.
Slightly boosts the "Interpretation" stack count used by the Enhanced Skill, giving a modest AoE damage increase.
E2
Wind Through Keyhole★★★★☆
After The Herta enters combat or uses Ultimate, additionally gains 1 "Inspiration" stack. After using Enhanced Skill, advances The Herta's next action by 35%.
Automatically gains "Inspiration" on combat entry or after Ultimate, plus advances the next action by 35% after the Enhanced Skill, notably improving action economy.
E3
Door into Summer★★☆☆☆
Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Only raises Skill and Talent levels without adding new effects, so the power gain is minor.
E4
The Sixteenth Key★★☆☆☆
The SPD of Erudition characters in the team increases by 12%.
Grants 12% SPD to Erudition characters in the team, a useful but archetype-limited buff.
E5
Bitter Pill of Truth★★☆☆☆
Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
Only raises Ultimate and Basic ATK levels, with no new breakthrough effect.
E6
Sweet Lure of Answer★★★★★
The Herta's Ice RES PEN increases by 20%. When the number of enemy targets on the field is (≥3)/2/1, Ultimate's DMG multiplier increases by 140%/250%/400% respectively.
Adds 20% Ice RES PEN and a massive Ultimate DMG multiplier boost (140%/250%/400% depending on enemy count), a huge damage spike especially against fewer targets.
6
Skills & Traces
What to level first — tap each skill for details
Skill Leveling Priority
Ultimate ★★★★★ The Ultimate deals AoE Ice DMG and can be massively amplified by "Interpretation"/"Answer" stacks, making it the core damage source when finishing off enemies.
Skill ★★★★★ The Skill (especially the Enhanced Skill) hits multiple times across adjacent targets and is the main combo used to continuously spread "Interpretation" stacks.
Talent ★★★☆☆ The Talent auto-applies "Interpretation" stacks on enemy entry and boosts the Enhanced Skill's DMG multiplier, supporting the main combo but not the single biggest direct damage source.
Basic ATK ★☆☆☆☆ The Basic ATK is only used when energy/resources are lacking and has the lowest multiplier, so it is always leveled last.
Trace priority: A6 > A4 > A2 Eidolon priority: E6 > E2 > E1 > E4 > E3 = E5
Skills
Did You Get It
Did You Get It
Basic ATK Single Target Lv.10

Deals Ice DMG equal to 140% of The Herta's ATK to one designated enemy.

Big Brain Energy
Big Brain Energy
Skill Blast Lv.15

Deals Ice DMG equal to 88% of The Herta's ATK to one designated enemy, and inflicts 1 stack(s) of "Interpretation." Deals Ice DMG equal to 88% of The Herta's ATK to the targets hit by this instance of Skill and their respective adjacent targets. This effect can repeat 2 times.

Told Ya! Magic Happens
Told Ya! Magic Happens
Ultimate AoE Lv.15

Rearranges the numbers of "Interpretation" stacks on all enemies, prioritizing the transfer of the higher numbers of "Interpretation" stacks to Elite-level targets and above. Then, deals Ice DMG equal to 250% of The Herta's ATK to all enemies. When using Ultimate, increases The Herta's ATK by 100%, lasting for 3 turn(s). After the use, The Herta immediately takes action and gains 1 stack of "Inspiration." "Inspiration" can stack up to 4 time(s). While having "Inspiration," enhances Skill to "Hear Me Out."

Hand Them Over
Hand Them Over
Talent Enhance Lv.15

When enemy targets enter combat, The Herta inflicts 1 stack of "Interpretation" on them. At the start of each wave, applies 25 stack(s) of "Interpretation" to a random enemy target, prioritizing Elite-level targets and above. When the Enhanced Skill's primary target has "Interpretation," the multiplier for the DMG dealt increases, with each stack granting an increase of 10%/5% on the primary target/other targets respectively. If 2 or more characters follow the Path of Erudition in the team, each stack grants an additional increase of 10%/5% on the primary target/other targets respectively. "Interpretation" can stack up to 42 time(s). When using the Enhanced Skill, resets the number of "Interpretation" stacks on the primary target to 1. After the enemy target leaves the field or gets defeated by any unit, "Interpretation" will be transferred, prioritizing the transfer to Elite-level targets and above.

Attack
Attack

Attacks an enemy, and after entering combat, reduces their Toughness of the corresponding Type.

Vibe Checker
Vibe Checker
Technique Enhance

After using Technique, increases The Herta's ATK by 60% at the start of the next battle, lasting for 2 turn(s). If there are Basic Treasures in this current map, using Technique can mark up to 3 Basic Treasures' locations. After entering battle by using Technique in Simulated Universe or Divergent Universe, at the start of each wave, deals True DMG to enemy targets lower than Elite-level by an amount equal to 99% of the targets' Max HP, and deals True DMG to enemy targets at Elite-level and above by an amount equal to 30% of the targets' Max HP.

Hear Me Out
Hear Me Out
Skill AoE Lv.15

Consumes 1 stack of "Inspiration." Deals Ice DMG equal to 100% of The Herta's ATK to one designated enemy and inflicts 1 stack(s) of "Interpretation." Deals Ice DMG equal to 100% of The Herta's ATK to the targets hit by this instance of Skill and their respective adjacent targets, repeating 2 times. At the end, deals Ice DMG equal to 50% of The Herta's ATK to all enemies.

Major Traces
3 powerful passives (A2/A4/A6) — unlocked via Ascension
A2
Aloofly Honest

When ally targets attack, inflicts 1 stack of "Interpretation" on the hit enemy target. After attacking, for every 1 target hit by this attack, regenerates 3 fixed Energy for The Herta, counting up to a maximum of 5 targets. When using Enhanced Skill, if the primary target's "Interpretation" stack reaches 42, increases the Ice DMG dealt by The Herta by 50%, lasting until the end of this attack.

A4
Message From Beyond the Veil

When entering battle, if the team has 2 or more Erudition characters, increases all allies' CRIT DMG by 80%. And the Trace "Aloofly Honest" counts at least 3 target(s) when calculating the number of targets hit. After attacking, applies 1 "Interpretation" stack(s) to the target that has the highest existing "Interpretation" stacks among the hit enemy targets. If the attacker is an Erudition character, then additionally applies 2 "Interpretation" stack(s).

A6
Starved Landscape of Vacua

For every 1 stack of "Interpretation" inflicted on enemy targets, The Herta gains 1 stack of "Answer," up to a max of 99 stack(s). When using Ultimate, each "Answer" stack increases this instance of Ultimate's DMG multiplier by 1%.

Trace Bonuses
Total stats gained from unlocking the full trace tree
+22.4%Ice DMG Boost
+18%ATK
+5SPD
7
Stats & Materials
Base stats at Lv.80 and what to farm
Level 80 stats
HP
1,164
ATK
679
DEF
485
SPD
99
CRIT Rate
5%
CRIT DMG
50%
Ascension Materials
Total materials to max ascension — tap to see how to farm.
Material Planner →
8
The Herta FAQ
What is the best Light Cone for The Herta?

The best Light Cone for The Herta is Into the Unreachable Veil (top pick). See F2P options in the Light Cones section above.

Is The Herta worth pulling?

The Herta is the AoE queen who single-handedly clears Pure Fiction. Pull if you struggle with PF or love wave-clear DPS; skip if you only need single-target boss killers for MoC/AS.

What is the best team for The Herta?

Best: The Herta + Jade (2nd Erudition) + Robin (damage/action buffs) + Lingsha (heal + break). Swap Robin for Sunday for energy funneling. Budget/PF: The Herta + Argenti + Remembrance Trailblazer + Gallagher.

Matching Light Cones
Path of Erudition — a Light Cone only gives its bonus to matching-Path characters.
Light Cones →
How to read this build page

Every character build page has these parts: recommended Light Cone/Relic sets and stat table, a Trace/skill leveling order, Eidolon milestones worth considering, and a reference SPD threshold. Read them in that order — gear tells you "what to use", Traces tell you "what to level first", Eidolon tells you "is it worth pulling dupes", SPD tells you "how fast you need to be to keep the rotation on time". The section below explains how to read each part and applies the same way to every character on the site — check the exact numbers in the table above this section, since community sources sometimes differ by a few points.

Why the Light Cone and Relic picks make sense

Most characters have a "signature" Light Cone built for their exact role, plus a few cheaper substitutes from the standard banner or easy-to-get 3-4★ cones. Missing the signature isn't a dead end — most characters keep most of their power with a well-matched substitute, typically losing somewhere between a few percent and roughly a fifth of total damage depending on the setup, per most public comparisons.

  • Relic sets (2pc+2pc or 4pc) are picked for the set effect that fits that character's role (single-target DPS, AoE, shield/healing support, Break damage, and so on).
  • Main stats per slot (Body/Feet/Sphere/Rope) and substats follow a priority that changes by role: DPS roles usually chase CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG before ATK%; Break-focused roles prioritize Break Effect; support/healing roles often value Effect Hit/RES or Outgoing Healing over pure CRIT.

These weights differ per character and can shift slightly between ranking sources — follow the exact priority table above rather than applying one formula to every role.

Trace/skill leveling order by role (a general guideline, not a fixed rule)

There's no single order that's correct for every character, and community sources sometimes disagree depending on the team the character is used in — but the general pattern by role is:

  • DPS: level whichever skill (Skill or Ultimate) carries most of the damage for that character first, with Basic ATK usually last if it isn't the main damage source.
  • Support/Buffer: prioritize Traces that boost buff strength or the skill that applies the effect over Basic ATK, since this role's value comes from lifting the team rather than personal damage.
  • Healer/Shielder: prioritize the main healing or shield skill first, since that is the reason the team runs this character.
  • Break/CC: prioritize whichever skill contributes the most Toughness Damage, since the Break/Weakness Break window is where the team dumps damage.

Major Traces unlock at fixed ascension levels in-game, not by choice — but which one to level first (when resources are limited) should follow the role priority above. Since the exact order can differ between ranking sources, check the specific recommendation in the table above for this character.

Eidolons: how far E0 gets you, and which milestone is worth considering

General rule: most characters at E0 (no duplicates) already handle most content, even 5-star characters. Eidolons are a duplicate-fueled upgrade system — higher levels cost more resources for a smaller power gain, and the actual gain varies a lot per character (some barely change role at E0, others shift how they're played at a specific level). The milestones most often cited by the community tend to sit at E1, E2, or E6 depending on the character — but none of these are required to clear the game's content. Check the Eidolon section in the table above for this character's specific milestone and gain; if sources disagree on how to rate a milestone, trust the in-game effect description over a pre-set percentage number.

How to think about SPD breakpoints

SPD (Speed) controls how often a character acts in the turn order — higher SPD means denser actions, and for some roles (especially support/healing that need to buff or heal before the team gets hit) hitting the right SPD "breakpoint" matters more than the raw SPD number. Values like 101 or 134 SPD are often cited as community-common breakpoints (letting a character act again before or after a specific point in certain team setups) — this is crowd-verified action-gauge math, not an official fixed number the game states for every situation. The right breakpoint also depends on the team and allies' SPD, so treat the SPD suggestion in the table above as a starting point to adjust from, not a mandatory target.

Where to dig deeper

This section only teaches you how to read the page — for deeper comparisons, use the dedicated tools:

  • Tier list to see where this character stands against the full roster.
  • Teams for full in-game comps with rotation order.
  • Relic score to check how your current gear scores against the benchmark.
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