Best Light Cones for Herta in Honkai: Star Rail

The Seriousness of Breakfast (S5)

Increases the wearer's DMG by 24%. For every defeated enemy, the wearer's ATK increases by 8%, stacking up to 3 time(s).

The Seriousness of Breakfast is a free Light Cone that can be easily obtained through Lucent Afterglow purchases or Echo of War drops. Newer players can also snag a copy by completing a hidden task aboard the Herta Space Station. Though it may not be the top choice for The Herta, it's a reliable option for those just starting out. This Light Cone provides straightforward damage boosts, serving as an effective placeholder until you can secure a more powerful alternative.

The Day The Cosmos Fell (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 24%. When the wearer uses an attack and affects no fewer than 2 attacked enemies with a corresponding Weakness, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 40% for 2 turn(s).

The Day The Cosmos Fell is another accessible Light Cone, obtainable via Lucent Afterglow or Echo of War drops. Players can also earn a free copy by collecting all the Origami Birds in Golden Hour. While it performs slightly better than The Seriousness of Breakfast, its effectiveness hinges on maintaining its conditional CRIT DMG buff. If you struggle to meet these conditions regularly, its performance can drop. However, it remains a solid choice for The Herta until a better Light Cone comes along.

Eternal Calculus (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. After using an attack, for each enemy target hit, additionally increases ATK by 8%. This effect can stack 5 times and lasts until the next attack. If there are 3 or more enemy targets hit, this unit's SPD increases by 16%, lasting for 1 turn(s).

Eternal Calculus is a free 5-star Light Cone available in Herta's Store, purchasable with Herta Bonds. It offers a substantial ATK% boost, though its effectiveness varies with the number of targets hit, making it less potent against fewer enemies. Despite this, it's a strong option when fully utilized, especially with its 16% SPD boost at S5, which can help achieve crucial SPD breakpoints in combat. It's a good temporary solution for The Herta until you can find a stronger alternative.

Yet Hope Is Priceless (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 16%. While the wearer is in battle, for every 20% CRIT DMG that exceeds 120%, the DMG dealt by follow-up attack increases by 12%. This effect can stack up to 4 time(s). When the battle starts or after the wearer uses their Basic ATK, enables Ultimate or the DMG dealt by follow-up attack to ignore 20% of the target's DEF, lasting for 2 turn(s).

Jade's signature Light Cone, Yet Hope Is Priceless, offers a solid 16% CRIT Rate increase at S1, which is beneficial for The Herta. Although she can't leverage the Follow-Up buffs, the Light Cone still serves as a reliable stat booster. The 20% DEF penetration for the Ultimate can be advantageous if used early in battle, but it's less reliable as The Herta ideally avoids using Basic ATKs. Players shouldn't pull for this Light Cone specifically for The Herta, as other free options offer comparable performance.

Geniuses' Repose (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 32%. When the wearer defeats an enemy, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 48% for 3 turn(s).

Geniuses' Repose is a fantastic 4-star Light Cone you can obtain from the standard Stellar Warp. It provides a substantial 32% ATK increase and a 48% CRIT DMG boost at S5. While The Herta needs to defeat enemies to activate the CRIT DMG buff, maintaining this effect should be straightforward in most scenarios, given its three-turn duration. However, its effectiveness may wane in longer fights against single boss targets without frequent summons to refresh the buff.

An Instant Before A Gaze (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT DMG by 36%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, the wearer's Ultimate DMG increases based on their Max Energy; Ultimate DMG increases by 0.36% per point of Energy, up to 180 Energy.

Argenti's signature Light Cone, An Instant Before A Gaze, is a strong choice for The Herta. At S1, it provides a 36% CRIT DMG increase and a 64.8% boost to Ultimate DMG. While the Ultimate buff is valuable, The Herta would ideally prefer Skill DMG or general DMG, which slightly limits this Light Cone's effectiveness for her. Like Yet Hope Is Priceless, players should only use this Light Cone if they already have it, avoiding specific pulls for The Herta.

Before Dawn (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT DMG by 36%. Increases the wearer's Skill and Ultimate DMG by 18%. After the wearer uses their Skill or Ultimate, they gain Somnus Corpus. Upon triggering a follow-up attack, Somnus Corpus will be consumed and the follow-up attack DMG increases by 48%.

Jing Yuan's signature Light Cone, Before Dawn, is a powerful option for The Herta. Although she can't utilize the Follow-Up Attack buff, the Light Cone still offers exceptional unconditional stats that synergize well with her abilities. At S1, Before Dawn provides a significant 36% CRIT DMG increase and an 18% boost to both Skill and Ultimate DMG. While The Herta would benefit more from CRIT Rate due to her A4 Trace, the additional CRIT DMG from this Light Cone remains highly valuable.

Today Is Another Peaceful Day (S5)

After entering battle, increases the wearer's DMG based on their Max Energy. DMG increases by 0.4% per point of Energy, up to 160 Energy.

Today Is Another Peaceful Day is an outstanding 4-star Light Cone that offers a substantial and unconditional damage boost. Thanks to The Herta's high 220 Energy cost for her Ultimate, she can fully capitalize on this Light Cone's effect, gaining a total 64% damage increase at S5. It also boasts the highest base ATK among current 4-star Erudition Light Cones, matching the 5-star Eternal Calculus. This makes it the best choice for F2P and low-spending players, and some might argue it's more consistent than other options.

Night on the Milky Way (S1)

For every enemy on the field, increases the wearer's ATK by 9%, up to 5 stacks. When an enemy is inflicted with Weakness Break, the DMG dealt by the wearer increases by 30% for 1 turn.

Night on the Milky Way is an excellent 5-star Light Cone obtainable from the standard Stellar Warp. It can perform exceptionally well for The Herta, provided its effects are consistently maintained. At S1, it can stack up to a significant 45% ATK boost, but this requires five enemies on the field. Its performance drops as the number of targets decreases. Additionally, players must ensure at least one enemy suffers a Weakness Break to activate the damage buff. While its consistency may lag behind some other Light Cones, Night on the Milky Way remains a strong choice, especially for Pure Fiction.

Into the Unreachable Veil (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 12%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, increases DMG dealt by the wearer's Skill and Ultimate by 60%, lasting for 3 turn(s). After the wearer uses their Ultimate, if this Ultimate consumed 140 or more Energy, recovers 1 Skill Point.

The Herta's signature Light Cone, Into the Unreachable Veil, is her best-in-slot option, offering unparalleled value. It provides a significant boost to CRIT Rate and a generous damage increase to both her Skill and Ultimate. Additionally, this Light Cone recovers a Skill Point each time The Herta uses her Ultimate, making it exceptionally effective for SP-heavy teams. With a base ATK of 635, it also boasts the highest ATK stat among all current Erudition Light Cones. Its value extends to many other Erudition characters, even those who can't meet the Energy requirement for the Skill Point recovery.