With only a few days to go until the Honkai Star Rail version 2.1 update goes live, we should really start thinking about which of the two new characters we actually want! To make your decision a little easier, here's a brief banner overview!
Especially for free-to-play players, the following choice won’t be an easy one, because Honkai Star Rail's version 2.1 is stacked with a bunch of amazing new characters!
If you still struggle to choose on which of the upcoming 2.1 banners you want to spend your hart-earned Stellar Jade on, this little overview might help you decide!
Honkai Star Rail: Version 2.0 Banner Overview
The following 2.1 banners will be released with the version update on March 27, 2024. The first phase will begin on March 27, 2024, and ends on April 17, 2024. The following second phase will have a new lineup, that will start off on April 17, 2024, and will end on May 7, 2024!
Let's take a closer look at the featured characters, shall we?
First Half: Acheron
Acheron is a wanderer professes to be a Galaxy Ranger, however her real identity stays shrouded in mystery. She roams the universe solo, her only companion being a lengthy sword. Despite her distant and reserved demeanor, her blade moves with the speed of a lightning strike. Intriguingly, she chooses to wield her scabbard in combat, never unsheathing the sword itself.
The rerun unit during Acheron's banner will be Luocha!
Let's take a look at Acheron's banner:
Obviously, Acheron is the absolute star of this show! If you haven’t checked out our guide on her just yet, here is a little overview of her!
| 📌 Acheron Overview | |
| Banner Start: | March 26, 2024 |
| Element & Path: | Lightning / The Nihility |
| Rarity: | 5-Star |
| Pre Release Ranking: | S+ Tier |
| Difficulty: | Mid |
But let's put her aside for a minute and take a look at the 4-Stars that can be found on the first phase banner of version 2.1!
First Half: 4-Stars
- Gallagher (Fire / The Abundance)
Gallagher is the new 4-Star for version 2.1 so it's still quite unknown how well he will perform! However, now having a fire Abundance character is definitely already a big win! If you got some Stellar Jade left, I'd suggest you to get at least one copy of Gallagher! A good sustain unit can be much more worth than an extra DPS you will never use.
- Pela (ice / The Nihility)
Personally, I'm always super happy to see Pela on a banner! Even though Pela is around since the release of Honkai Star Rail, around a year ago, she is still an incredible strong unit and even gets picked in competitive tournaments on a regular basis! Her kit is super easy to understand and provides many debuffs, which is quite fitting if you want to team her up with Acheron!
- Dan Heng (Wind / The Hunt)
Dan Heng is pretty much a forgotten DPS as of right now. I don’t think many players are still using him anymore, even though he can deal a pretty respectable amount of DMG! If built correctly, he can still carry your team though most of the end game content, however, I wouldn’t recommend building him if you aren’t an insane fan of his lore and kit!
Second Half: Aventurine
Aventurine holds the senior management position in the IPC Strategic Investment Department and is part of the elite group known as the Ten Stonehearts. His defining attribute, the “Aventurine of Stratagems,” reflects his clever and tactical mindset. He carries himself with a light-hearted demeanor, embracing risk with open arms. His perpetual grin often masks his genuine emotions, leaving others guessing about his true intentions.
The rerun unit during Aventurine's banner will be Jingliu! (cries happy tears)
Let's take a look at Aventurine's banner:
And just as with Acheron, if you missed our guide on Aventurine, here is the quick rundown:
| 📌 Aventurine Overview | |
| Banner Start: | April 17, 2024 |
| Element & Path: | Imaginary / The Preservation |
| Rarity: | 5-Star |
| Pre Release Ranking: | A+ Tier |
| Difficulty: | easy |
Who will be on his banner? Let's find that out real quick!
Second Half: 4-Stars
- Lynx (Quantum / The Abundance)
At first, Lynx seemed to be a pretty much whatever character to many players. Her animations are cute and her theme quite charming as well. However, that first impression of her changed, ever since mono Quantum teams became a thing! Lynx is now one of the most valuable units to have, and her Eidolons are also really strong!
- Luka (Physical / The Nihility)
To be honest, I'm personally not a huge fan of Luka, however, I can admit his strength in DoT teams, especially if you team him up with Kafka! Luka is really only a good pick if you are certain, that you'll face many enemies who are weak to Physical DMG.
- Serval (Lightning / The Erudition)
Sigh … Serval really got left behind at some point in the game. She is still quite good at breaking Lightning Weaknesses, however, there are many others who do a much better job at that as well!
Which of the two banners you want to try your luck on is of course up to you. This time, both characters are quite unique and especially if you are in need of a good tank unit, Aventurine could be the right choice for you! However, I understand how it's more than hard to skip Acheron …