- Kafka is the core of every DoT team, detonating damage over time like no one else can!
- Kafka enables powerful synergy with Black Swan and Hysilens, creating the strongest DoT core yet!
- Kafka is a timeless investment for players who want a consistent and flexible DPS option!
The Version 3.4 update of Honkai: Star Rail has buffed up a previous 5-star character Kafka. She is a Lightning character following the Path of Nihility. This Honkai: Star Rail Kafka Build Guide will help you get the most out of her new changes to kit by offering a detailed breakdown of her gameplay and recommending the best configurations to optimize Kafka’s performance.
Kafka Kit Breakdown
Kafka got a huge set of upgrades, and her kit is now way stronger and much more supportive for her team, especially for damage-over-time (DoT) based comps.
Skill
Her Skill used to only detonate DoTs on the main target, but now it also detonates DoTs on enemies near the main target too, though at a lower percentage. The original target still takes 75% of the DoT’s value, but nearby enemies now take 50% of it.
Ultimate
Her Ultimate still detonates DoTs like before, but now it detonates at 120% of their normal damage, so they hit even harder. On top of that, it now works on any DoT type by default. You used to need her Ascension 2 for this, but now that effect is built in, and she has a completely new A2 passive.
Talent
Her Talent, which controls her follow-up attacks, also got big improvements. Before, an ally had to basic attack an enemy affected by DoT to trigger Kafka’s follow-up. But now any damaging move from her teammates can trigger it. Plus, she can now trigger this follow-up twice per turn. She starts with one follow-up and gets another charge restored at the end of her turn.
Even better, when she uses her Ultimate, she immediately gains another follow-up charge. These follow-ups are no joke now, because they also detonate all the DoTs on the enemy they hit, giving her an excellent single-target burst. Each follow-up is a free 80% DoT detonation. If she ults in the same turn, that becomes 160% detonation.
Passives
| Ascension 2 | Kafka’s new A2 passive gives a massive Harmony-style buff. If a teammate has at least 75% Effect Hit Rate (EHR), she gives them 100% extra ATK. That’s an enormous boost, and it works on herself and Black Swan, who both build EHR anyway. It makes building EHR on her team feel a lot more rewarding, and even opens up fun ideas like giving Robin EHR gear to trigger it. |
| Ascension 4 | Unchanged |
| Ascension 6 | Now, her old A6 passive that increased DoT application chance is gone, so she now needs to build up to 75% EHR for the full buff, but that’s very doable. The extra ATK it brings makes it more than worth it. |
With all of this, Kafka isn’t just stronger, she’s more team-focused and flexible. She enables her DoT allies better than ever, and she benefits from the buffs she provides.
Materials Needed for Kafka in Honkai: Star Rail
To summarize the materials in this Honkai Star: Rail Kafka Build Guide:
Character Level-Up Materials
- 15x Thief’s Instinct
- 15x Usurper’s Scheme
- 15x Conqueror’s Will
- 65x Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff
- 3x Travel Encounters
- 3x Adventure Log
- 289x Traveler’s Guide
- 888,000x Credit
Trace Level-up Materials
- 18x Obsidian of Dread
- 69x Obsidian of Desolation
- 139x Obsidian of Obsession
- 41x Thief’s Instinct
- 56x Conqueror’s Will
- 58x Usurper’s Scheme
- 12x Regret of Infinite Ochema
- 8x Tracks of Destiny
- 3,000,000x Credit
Honkai Star Rail Kafka Best Relics and Planar Ornaments
For stat goals in Kafka, aim for a 75% Effect Hit Rate minimum. This is non-negotiable if you want to activate her ATK buff. For ATK, try to hit around 2500–3000 before buffs. 160 Speed is safe and flexible for most rotations. If you want to min-max with the Wind set, 167 Speed is the magic number; it lets her act three times in the first cycle if the setup is perfect.
- Body: Effect Hit Rate (EHR)
- Feet: SPD
- Planar Spear: DoT DMG%/ATK%
- Link Rope: ERR
Relic Set
| The Wind-Soaring Valorous | Kafka’s best relic set now is the Wind set. This might seem odd at first, but the reason is simple. You get more actions, which means more follow-ups, hence more DoT detonations. This directly translates to higher team damage. |
| Prisoner in Deep Confinement | If you don’t have the above set yet, this set still works just fine and is easier to build if you’ve already been farming it for a while. |
| Messenger Traversing Hackerspace/Warrior Goddess of Sun and Thunder/Sacerdos’ Relived Ordeal | If you cannot manage 4-piece sets for the above relics, then you can opt for 2-piece/2-piece Speed. Although this is not recommended. |
Planar Ornaments
| Lushaka, the Sunken Seas | If you’re aiming for a more supportive Kafka, Lushaka gives extra Energy Regeneration and buffs an ally’s damage when you use your Ultimate, which pairs great with her fast cycling. |
| Revelry by the Sea | If you’re more focused on personal DoT damage, Revelry gives slightly more DoT damage, but not by much. |
Honkai Star Rail Kafka Best Light Cone
| Before the Tutorial Mission Starts (4*) | The best Light Cone for the new “1-turn ult” Kafka is this one. This Light Cone gives her bonus Energy Regeneration and buffs the team’s ATK when she uses her Ultimate. It’s perfect if you’re going for constant ult spam every cycle. It makes her energy rotations feel smoother and gives even more value to her role as a support. |
| Lies Dance on the Breeze (5*) | Cipher’s Light Cone is also a top-tier option if you want Kafka to still deal solid personal damage while helping the team. It gives her Speed and a big damage boost, and thanks to her fast turn cycling, she benefits from it consistently. |
| Those Many Springs (5*) | This LC gives her Effect Hit Rate and Energy Regen on follow-up attacks, which is amazing for Kafka now that she can trigger two follow-ups per turn. It keeps her Ultimate ready more often, and lets her play that fast-paced, supportive role very well. |
| Patience Is All You Need (5*) | Her signature Light Cone is still a good choice, especially if your Kafka is at Eidolon 4 or higher. At that point, her detonation frequency is high enough to get extra value from the Shock stacking and energy regen effects. The Speed boost and bonus damage are still solid, and some future DoT-focused characters might want it just for the “Erode” effect it applies. That said, it’s no longer her best-in-slot unless you’re building her more selfishly for damage or running her in a multi-Shock team. |
| Holiday Thermae Escapade (4*) | A good 4-Star option, especially in S5. |
| Good Night and Sleep Well/Good Night and Sleep Well/Fermata (4*) | Good alternative F2P options. |
Best Team Comps for Kafka in Honkai Star Rail
Kafka is the undisputed core of every DoT team, since she’s the only unit that can consistently detonate DoTs on her skill, ultimate, and talent. With Hysilens now released, she finally has a partner that elevates DoT back to top-tier status.
- Kafka + Hysilens + Black Swan + Buffer/Sustain Unit
The strongest setup today is Kafka + Hysilens + Black Swan + Sustain/Buffer. In this comp, Kafka provides constant detonations, Hysilens floods enemies with multiple DoTs and amplifies them through her zone effect, and Black Swan ramps Arcana stacks off the sheer number of debuffs flying around. This trio alone is capable of shredding MoC and Pure Fiction, and it scales especially well in modes or bosses that favor DoTs.
For the flex slot, you can run a premium buffer or a sustain depending on the fight. Robin and Ruan Mei are the strongest amplifiers. Robin lets you frontload damage with teamwide turn advance, while Ruan Mei gives buffs, RES PEN, and mini delays to accelerate DoT procs. For sustain, Huohuo provides energy and healing, Gallagher (QPQ build) fixes SP issues, and Aventurine/Hyacine adds extra attacks to speed up DoT stacking.
Is Kafka worth pulling in HSR
Kafka is worth pulling if you want to play DoT. She’s the only unit in the game who can reliably detonate DoTs, which makes her the centerpiece of the entire archetype. With Hysilens and Black Swan now alongside her, DoT has finally become a powerful and stable team style rather than a niche gimmick. If you enjoy consistent damage over time, flexible team building, and scaling that shines in long fights, Kafka is a long-term investment you won’t regret.
Honkai Star Rail Beginners Guide | Honkai Star Rail Relics Guide | Honkai Star Rail Character Progression Guide | Honkai Star Rail Banners Guide | Honkai Star Rail Reroll Guide | Honkai Star Rail Redeem Codes
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