Honkai Star Rail: Pure Fiction Guide

This Pure Fiction Guide will provide you with everything you need to know about the new permanent event in Honkai Star Rail Version 1.6

Honkai Star Rail is churning out exciting content in every version and its latest update, Version 1.6, introduces an exhilarating new game mode: “Pure Fiction”. As the pinnacle of endgame content, Pure Fiction is a fast-paced version of the much-loved Memory of Chaos, teeming with rich rewards. This guide will break down the basics of what Pure Fiction is, while diving deep into the optimal teams, exploring the lucrative rewards, and providing tips to ensure you triumph in this challenging battleground.

Pure Fiction Guide
Pure Fiction has a total of 4 stages and 12 stars/insignia to obtain. Each Stage has two battles, named Node 1 and Node 2. Each node consists of three waves of enemies, with a maximum of five enemies per wave. You need to deploy two teams of 4 characters and you will be given the opportunity to choose a buff before you start the challenge. You need to defeat the enemies in order to earn points and based on the points accumulated, you will receive stars and therefore rewards.

A new phase will be initiated every three weeks, with each phase extending for six weeks. This overlaps between phases but there are plenty of rewards to be collected! Each phase has its own set of battle effects known as “Whimsicality”. The buffs you select before the start are called “Cacophony” to tackle these battle effects.

You need to fulfill the following requirements to be eligible for Pure Fiction: Complete the Trailblaze Mission “Xianzhou Luofu – Demise of Immortality, Finale of Calamity,” and be at Equilibrium Level 3 or higher.

Characters To Use
Such endgame content is usually a DPS check and the same applies to Pure Fiction! However, this one is more of an AOE DPS check. That means your Erudition characters will be quite crucial, given their highly effective damage against a large number of enemies. That’s right! It is time to bring your Herta back from the bench.

When forming your team in Pure Fiction, it’s crucial to focus on a combination of DPS and Support characters. DPS should be selected for their ability to inflict substantial damage across multiple enemies and their suitability for the current phase of the game. On the other hand, Support should be chosen for their ability to provide buffs, debuffs, and shields, while effectively targeting multiple enemies. By balancing these key factors, you can create a well-rounded team.

Best Teams for Pure Fiction consist of Himeko, Argenti, Blade, Clara, Ruan Mei, and Seele. If you want to fully go F2P, you can assemble teams of Trailblazer, Serval, Yukong, Natasha, Herta, March 7th, Asta, Lynx, Dan Heng, and Qingque. You need to choose your characters based on the elements that are the weakness of the enemies.

Here are the best elements to use for each stage:

Stage

Node 1
Node 2

Lightning
Imaginary

Wind
Ice

Quantum
Physical

Ice
Fire

Lightning
Physical

Ice
Fire

Ice
Physical

Lightning
Fire

Pure Fiction chucks out the already established Tier Lists of Honkai Star Rail and gives the opportunity to less used units like Herta, Asta, and Himeko to shine. By saying goodbye to the Meta, this is the time to go creative with different playstyles.

Tips To Dominate Pure Fiction
Here are a few tips you should keep in mind when you prepare to tackle the challenge:

Prioritize characters with area-of-effect (AOE) abilities. These abilities are more efficient than single-target attacks for clearing waves of enemies. This is why choosing Erudition characters can take you a long way.
Avoid overusing ultimates on every wave and overkilling enemies with excessive damage. It’s more efficient to deal just enough damage to eliminate them. Strategically use your energy to trigger impactful abilities at the right moments. This way, you will save your Ultimate energy as well as skill points.
Choose characters with follow-up attacks who can initiate chain reactions, where damaging one enemy can lead to multiple enemies taking damage. Characters like Herta, Clara, and Blade are good choices for this.
Focus on damaging, rather than your survivability. We know it sounds like bad advice but given the quick pace and the focus on AOE damage, if you are causing enough damage, enemies will die before they can attack you. Therefore, healers or sustain units might not be as crucial.
Be Mindful of Light Cones and Buffs! Select light cones that enhance AOE damage, energy generation, and enable quicker buildup of powerful attacks. Choose buffs that complement your team’s strengths and strategy. We recommend Excitation Buff and Rupture Buff. Excitation Buff makes enemies more likely to be affected by shatter effects upon entering battle. Rupture Buff can significantly increase ultimate damage output if your team has multiple allies with damaging ults.
Target smaller enemies. They are easier to kill and when they die, they will explode and inflict damage on nearby enemies. If you keep the small mobs for a longer time, not only will they get to attack you, but they will also be buffing the elite boss.

Rewards
Pure Fiction is a gold mine for both old and new players! Completing each stage will grant you:

6 Lost Crystal
24 Lucent Afterglow
6 Traveler’s Guide
3 Refined Aether
30000 Credit

If you can manage to get all the stars/insignia, you can get:

720 Stellar Jades
240000 Credits
600 Jade Feathers

Given how rewarding Pure Fiction is, you should make it a habit to complete the challenge whenever the phase is renewed. Don’t let these precious resources go to waste!

As Honkai Star Rail continues to grow, engaging content like Pure Fiction keeps Trailblazers eagerly coming back for more. You should give priority to Pure Fiction as it not only promises a thrilling experience but also offers a bounty of rewards. To truly excel, players must immerse themselves in understanding the mechanics, engage in constant experimentation, and most importantly, have fun while navigating through this dynamic challenge. For more guides, check out ESTNN!