Honkai Star Rail’s Yanqing, the sword-loving youthful lieutenant of the Xianzhou Luofu, is a strong but complex Hunt Path damage dealer. You will need the best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build to get full use of this potential though. Fret not as this guide will cover the Relics, Light cones, abilities, and more that create the best Yanqing build right now.
With such a large roster of characters in Honkai Star Rail, one that will undoubtedly grow significantly with time, it’s easy to get lost. However, we’ve got everything there is to know about the Honkai Star Rail characters available right now, including story details and all the Honkai Star Rail free characters. If you’re wondering who to go for next in the RPG game, then our Honkai Star Rail tier list of best characters should be your next stop. And don’t forget to learn all there is about Honkai Star Rail Paths and Honkai Star Rail elements to understand how each character can fit into a team. Keep up to date with the Honkai Star Rail banner schedule to know when certain characters have featured rate-ups.
What is the best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build?
The best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build is:
- Relics – Hunter of Glacial Forest (4pc), Inert Salsotto (2pc)
- Light Cone – Sleep Like the Dead
- Stats – Crit Rate/DMG, ATK%, Ice DMG%, SPD, Break
- Role – DPS
- Team – Yanqing, Bronya, Tingyun, Gepard
As a Hunt Path character, Yanqing is a great choice for a single-target main DPS, particularly if you are up against enemies weak to Ice. While he’s no Honkai Star Rail Seele who’s arguably the best damage dealer right now, Yanqing is a fun and powerful character thanks to his complex damage buff revolving around avoiding damage.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the Relic set-piece bonuses, Light Cone alternatives, stat priority and more to make the best Yanqing build in Honkai Star Rail.
Which Relics should I use for Yanqing in Honkai Star Rail?
The best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build will use two different sets to improve damage through various stat increases and offensive effects.
| Relic Set | Effect |
| Hunter of Glacial Forest |
Two-piece: Increases Ice DMG by 10%. Four-piece: After the wearer unleashes their ultimate, their Crit DMG is increased by 25% for two turns. |
| Inert Salsotto | Two-piece: Increases the wearer’s Crit Rate by 8%. When the wearer’s current Crit Rate reaches 50% or higher, the wearer’s ultimate and follow-up attack DMG increases by 15%. |
The best Relics for a Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build will be four-piece Hunter of Glacial Forest and two-piece Inert Salsotto. Hunter of Glacial Forest is the go-to damage set for an Ice character, improving overall Ice DMG by 10%, and Crit DMG for two turns after using their ultimate. This will empower Yanqing after using his ultimate to stay on the offensive. Pair this with Inert Salsotto, which increases Crit Rate alongside bonus ultimate and follow-up attack damage if Crit Rate reaches 50% or more, and he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Other Relic setups for Yanqing include replacing Inert Salsotto with Sealing Space Station for increased ATK% or Pan-Galactic Commercial Enterprise for increased Effect Hit Rate and a slight ATK boost. While these are no doubt strong options for the best Yanqing build, Inert Salsotto will likely provide the best boost thanks to the strength of the Crit stats for DPS characters.
Which Light Cone should I use for Yanqing in Honkai Star Rail?
Yanqing’s best Light Cone is Sleep Like the Dead, his signature Light Cone. With that said, there are plenty of alternatives if you don’t own this five-star Light Cone.
| Light Cone | Effect |
| Sleep Like the Dead (Best) | Increases the wearer’s Crit DMG by 30%. When the wearer’s basic attack or skill does not result in a Crit Hit, increases their Crit Rate by 36% for one turn. This effect can only trigger once every three turns. |
| Cruising in the Stellar Sea (Alt) | Increases the wearer’s Crit Rate by 8%, and increases their Crit Rate against enemies with HP less than or equal to 50% by an extra 8%. When the wearer defeats an enemy, their ATK is increased by 20% for two turns. |
| Swordplay (Alt) | For each time the wearer hits the same target, damage dealt increases by 8%, stacking up to five times. This effect will be removed when the wearer changes targets. |
| Only Silence Remains (Alt) | Increases the ATK of its wearer by 16%. If there are two or fewer enemies on the field, increases the wearer’s Crit Rate by 12%. |
| Darting Arrow (F2P) | When the wearer defeats an enemy, increase ATK by 24% for three turns. |
Sleep Like the Dead, Yanqing’s signature Light Cone, is the best-in-slot option for a Yanqing build. This will massively increase Crit DMG at all times and therefore overall damage potential. Furthermore, when a basic attack or skill does not land a Crit Hit, then the wearer’s Crit Rate is greatly increased for one turn. While this effect cannot be triggered incredibly frequently, Yanqing will benefit greatly from increased Crit DMG and Crit Rate, making it a perfect fit.
Another five-star alternative is Cruising in the Stellar Sea. Similar to Sleep Like the Dead, this Light Cone seeks to improve Crit. This Light Cone grants increased Crit Rate, particularly against low health enemies, and greatly improved ATK for three turns after defeating an enemy.
Swordplay is a four-star alternative for the best Yanqing build, providing a stacking damage boost for consecutive attacks against the same target. With Yanqing focusing on single-target damage, this will further his power in this area of expertize.
Only Silence Remains, another four-star option, offers increased ATK for the wearer. Furthermore, Crit Rate will be increased if there are two enemies or less. The flat ATK bonus is always appreciated while the bonus Crit Rate effect can be helpful against bosses or finishing the final tough enemies in a fight.
As for a three-star alternative, Darting Arrow is your best bet. This will increase ATK for three turns after defeating an enemy. While it’s not the most flashy, requiring a kill before it takes effect, the bonus it does provide is strong.
What is the best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing team comp?
The best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing team comp will feature him as the main single-target DPS, supported by offensive buffers or debuffers and a healer or tank.
| Character 1 | Character 2 | Character 3 | Character 4 |
| Yanqing (Main DPS) | Bronya (Support) | Tingyun (Support) | Gepard (Tank) |
| Yanqing (Main DPS) | Bronya (Support) | Fire Trailblazer (Bruiser) | Natasha (Healer) |
| Yanqing (Main DPS) | Asta (Support) | Tingyun (Support) | March 7th (Tank) |
The best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing team is Tingyun, Bronya, and Gepard. To deal the most damage possible, Yanqing needs to avoid damage, therefore you will likely opt for a tank like Gepard over or as well as a healer, as they will draw the attention of the enemies away from Yanqing. From here, offensive supports like Tingyun and Bronya are great for increasing damage output through ATK boosts and other buffs.
A F2P Yanqing team can be Yanqing, Tingyun, March 7th, and Asta. Like Gepard, March 7th is great for protecting Yanqing so he can make use of his bonus damage for avoiding damage. On the other hand, Asta will help with Fire Weakness enemies, deal considerable AoE damage, and boost SPD for allies.
What do Yanqing’s attacks and abilities do in Honkai Star Rail?
| Ability | Effect |
| Frost Thorn (Basic) | Deals Ice DMG equal to 50% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy. |
| Darting Ironthorn (Skill) | Deals Ice DMG equal to 110% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy and activates Soulsteel Sync for one turn. |
| Amidst the Raining Bliss (Ultimate) | Increases Yanqing’s Crit Rate by 60%. When Soulsteel Sync is active, increases Yanqing’s Crit DMG by an extra 30% for one turn. Afterwards, deals Ice DMG equal to 210% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy. |
| One with the Sword (Talent) |
When Soulsteel Sync is active, Yanqing is less likely to be attacked by enemies. Yanqing’s Crit Rate and Crit DMG is increased by 15%. After Yanqing attacks an enemy, there is a 50% fixed chance to perform a follow-up attack, dealing Ice DMG equal to 25% of Yanqing’s ATK to the enemy, which has a 65% base chance to Freeze the enemy for one turn. The Frozen target cannot take actions and received additional Ice DMG equal to 25% of Yanqing’s ATK at the beginning of each turn. When Yanqing receives damage, the Soulsteel Sync effect will disappear. |
| The One True Sword (Technique) | After using his technique, at the start of the next battle, Yanqing deals 30% more damage for two turns to enemies whose current HP is 50% or higher. |
| Icing on the Kick (Trace Ascension) | When Yanqing attacks, deals additional Ice DMG equal to 30% of Yanqing’s ATK to targets with Ice Weakness. |
| Frost Favors the Brave (Trace Ascension) | When Soulsteel Sync is active, Effect RES increases by 20%. |
| Gentle Blade (Trace Ascension) | When a Crit Hit is triggered, increases SPD by 10% for two turns. |
Yanqing’s abilities centre around his unique Soulsteel Sync effect. While active, Yanqing is less likely to be attacked, has increased Crit Rate and DMG, and has a 50% chance to perform a follow-up attack that can freeze the enemy. However, with such a strong buff comes a drawback – if Yanqing takes damage this effect will be removed. Yanqing can activate Soulsteel Sync from his skill, which deals Ice DMG to a single enemy, so he can be quite skill point hungry.
What are Yanqing’s Eidolons in Honkai Star Rail?
| Eidolon | Effect |
| Svelte Saber | When Yanqing attacks a Frozen enemy, he deals additional Ice DMG equal to 60% of his ATK. |
| Supine Serenade | When Soulsteel Sync is active, Energy regeneration rate increases by an additional 10%. |
| Sword Savant | Skill level +2, up to a maximum of level 15. Basic attack level +1, up to a maximum of level 10. |
| Searing Sting | When the target’s current HP is 80% or higher, Ice RES PEN increases by 12%. |
| Surging Strife | Ultimate level +2, up to a maximum of level 15. Talent level +2, up to a maximum of level 15. |
| Swift Swoop | If Yanqing’s ultimate buffs are still in effect when an enemy is defeated, their duration is extended by one turn. |
Eidolons are the equivalent of Constellations from Genshin Impact, acting as permanent buffs for characters after each additional copy of the character you receive.
Yanqing’s Eidolons further build upon the effectiveness of his Soulsteel Sync and general damage output. For instance, his first Eidolon increases damage against Frozen enemies, which can happen relatively frequently. Meanwhile, his second Eidolon will increase his Energy regeneration during Soulsteel Sync. This pairs nicely with his final Eidolon which extends the duration of his ultimate if he defeats an enemy while under the effects.
How do I get Yanqing in Honkai Star Rail?
Yanqing can be obtained from any character banner type in Honkai Star Rail. This includes the Stellar Warp banner, the Departure Warp banner, and Character Event Warp banners in Honkai Star Rail.
As a five-star character, Yanqing could take you a while to get, especially if luck isn’t on your side. The good news is that he is available as a standard five-star character, meaning he is also available in the limited character event banners, though they won’t be a featured rate-up. Nevertheless, it’s worth reading up on the Honkai Star Rail pity system so you have a better understanding of how many Warps it could take to get this Ice DPS.
Who is Honkai Star Rail’s Yanqing?
Yanqing is a four-star Ice single-target damage dealer belonging to the Hunt Path who will act as the main DPS in a team.
This youthful lieutenant of the Xianzhou Luofa is renowned for his incredible swordsmanship. However, given their age, it is a bit worrying how good Yanqing is with a sword, though none would dare underestimate his skill.
Now you know everything there is to know to make the best Honkai Star Rail Yanqing build, including what Relics and Light Cones to use, his abilities, Eidolons, and more. Don’t forget to also have the best Honkai Star Rail builds for the other characters in your team or the best Honkai Star Rail team comp. When you’re ready, take on the Honkai Star Rail Forgotten Hall endgame activity for great rewards. Good luck, Trailblazer.