The best Honkai: Star Rail Black Swan build

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(Image credit: miHoYo)

Honkai: Star Rail Black Swan

Jump to:Best buildAbilities and EidolonsAscension materials

The bestBlack Swan buildinHonkai: Star Railcentres around buffing the fortune teller’s DoT damage. This five-star character is laser-focused around dealing DoT—or damage-over-time—and supporting teams that also like to slowly chip away at enemies with wind shear, bleed, burn, or shock.

Black Swan stacks the Arcana effect on enemies, dealing wind damage to them each turn, but she has a chance to inflict additional stacks on enemies who already have DoT effects. The more Arcana she stacks, the stronger her damage, plus she gets additional effects through her talent, such as ignoring 20% DoT defense when damaging enemies.

This means that if you really want Black Swan to shine, you’ll whack her in a team that can apply the largest variety of DoT effects possible. Here’s the best Honkai: Star Rail Black Swan build, plus all of her skills, eidolons, and ascension materials.

The best Black Swan build

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Honkai: Star Rail Black Swan in Penacony

Black Swan is a character focused around dealing DoT damage and gaining added benefits when placed in a team capable of applying lots of different DoT types. This is because the Arcana effect she inflicts gains extra stacks against enemies who already have DoT, buffing the wind damage she deals to them at the start of each turn, plus additional effects.

That said, you can only gain one stack per DoT that the enemy you damage has, meaning this Light Cone will only shine if you’re using other party members to apply DoT effects also. This is the way you should use Black Swan since she inflicts extra Arcana, and so damage, when she hits enemies afflicted with a variety of DoT types. If you’re using Black Swan in a team lacking the means to apply DoT, then Kafka’sPatience is All You Needmight be a better option if you already have it.

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Black Swan’s relic choice is pretty straightforward—four pieces ofPrisoner in Deep Confinementfor the 12% attack boost and the stacking 6% defense reduction on targets with DoT, up to three different types. If you’re already using the Reforged Remembrance Light Cone, this effectively stacks the same effect for more defense reduction.

For your primary stats, you’ll want effect hit rate on the body to maximise the extra damage you’re getting from the Candleflame’s Portent bonus ability, plus speed on the boots is pretty standard for making sure Black Swan gets the chance to act often.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRelic stat priorityBodyEffect hit rateFeetSpeed

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Relic stat priorityBodyEffect hit rateFeetSpeed

The Planar Ornaments for Black Swan are also simple, further bolstering effect hit rate withPan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise, plus adding an attack boost based on 25% of effect hit rate, up to 25%. In terms of primary stats, I recommend an attack boost on the Link Rope and wind damage boost on the Planar Sphere to maximise the devastating effect of those Arcana stacks.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyPlanar Ornament stat priorityPlanar SphereWind damage boostLink RopeAttack

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Planar Ornament stat priorityPlanar SphereWind damage boostLink RopeAttack

Black Swan abilities and Eidolons

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Black Swan Ascension materials

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Honkai: Star Rail Black Swan with cards

Here’s what you’ll need to ascend Black Swan, not including XP materials:

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The best Black Swan build#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Black Swan abilities and Eidolons#

Black Swan Ascension materials#

The best Black Swan build

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Black Swan abilities and Eidolons

Black Swan Ascension materials