Honkai: Star Rail Cerydra Build Guide
Want to know the best Cerydra HSR build? Learn top Light Cones, Relics, Traces, and teams to maximize her support in Honkai: Star Rail.
2025-09-09
Welcome, gaming enthusiasts! Cerydra HSR, the Sovereign of the Northern Empire and holder of the Coreflame of Law, has made her debut in Honkai: Star Rail on September 2, 2025, as one of the Chrysos Heirs.
She is a Wind Harmony support designed to empower one ally, which makes them the star of the fight. Characters like Phainon can reach their full potential in hypercarry teams with Cerydra on their side.
In this article, we will break down the best ways for Cerydra Honkai: Star Rail build, looking at her top Light Cones, Relics, Ornaments, Traces, and teams. So, buckle up!
Who is Cerydra? Character Profile
Cerydra HSR is the Sovereign of the Northern Empire and one of the mysterious Chrysos Heirs, which makes her an instantly intriguing addition to the world of Honkai: Star Rail. As a 5-star Wind Harmony character, her role is more about making her chosen ally shine instead of direct combat.
Cerydra Star Rail build flourish in hypercarry setups, where she empowers one DPS to deal devastating damage. Military Merit is her special buff, which is the heart of her gameplay. It allows her to single out one teammate, which boosts their power. It also offers bonus charges whenever they use Basic ATKs, Skills, or Ultimates. Once enough charges build up, this ally can unleash an additional Skill action, where they can duplicate their strongest move.
Key Features
The combination of support and sub-DPS potential in Cerydra makes her character stand out. Although she is designed to boost others, she herself can reach impressive damage numbers with the right build that are topping over 4,000 ATK and 360% CRIT DMG. Her kit is precise and tactical, along with incredibly rewarding when paired with the right teammates.
Feature | Details | |
Element | Wind | |
Path | Harmony | |
Keywords | Skill Damage Support / Skill Re-activation | |
Role | Support / Sub-DPS | |
Rarity | ★★★★★ (5-star) | |
Combat Type | Wind |
Mechanics
The core of the Cerydra HSR kit lies in the interaction between Military Merit, Peerage, and Coup de Main. Military Merit begins as a buff she grants with her Skill. It boosts an ally's DMG by 24% of her ATK and also increases their speed by 20 to ensure they act more frequently.
Each time she or that ally uses a Basic ATK or Skill, she generates a charge. When the count reaches six, Military Merit transforms into Peerage, which unlocks Coup de Main. This happens when her chosen ally's next Skill is duplicated with incredible force. It is further increased by 72% CRIT DMG and 10% RES PEN. Once this happens, the buff resets and the cycle starts again.
The Ultimate of HSR build Cerydra plays an important role in accelerating this system. It deals 240% Wind DMG to a single enemy, grants two immediate charges, and resets the passive trigger count for her extra damage effect. That passive is no small detail either. Every time her buffed ally attacks, she follows up with bonus Wind damage equal to 60% of her ATK, stacking up to 20 times per cycle.
In practice, this means Cerydra rewards fast, skill-heavy rotations. The faster her chosen DPS acts, the quicker she builds charges and the sooner Coup de Main unleashes. That's why her synergy with characters like Phainon, Anaxa, and Archer feels so natural, as they thrive on repeated Skill usage.
Pro Tip: If you want to speed up her growth, you can save on resources by picking up Cerydra HSR Oneiric Shards at BuffBuff HSR top-up.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Now, let's have a quick look at the strengths and weaknesses of the character:
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Builds charges to trigger extra Skill actions for her chosen ally. | Can only buff one ally at a time. |
Boosts ally's damage by sharing her ATK and adding extra damage when they attack. | Works best only with Skill-focused characters, making her less flexible. |
Grants CRIT DMG, RES PEN, and extra speed to both her and the ally for smoother turns. | - |
Cerydra Trace Upgrade Priority
When it comes to building Cerydra, her Skill deserves top priority, as it drives Military Merit and determines the strength of her buffs. Following that, her Talent is the next best upgrade, since it boosts her ATK scaling and passive damage multipliers.
Cerydra HSR build Ultimate should come after, mainly for charge generation and stronger damage. At the same time, her Basic ATK can safely be left for last, since it's primarily for SP management.
Trace | Priority |
Skill | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (High) |
Talent | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (High) |
Ultimate | ⭐⭐⭐ (Mid) |
Basic ATK | ⭐ (Low) |
Cerydra HSR Ascension traces make her scaling unique. At A2, she gains CRIT DMG scaling based on ATK, which makes stacking ATK highly rewarding. At A4, she gains a guaranteed 100% CRIT Rate, which allows you to focus relic sub-stats on ATK and CRIT DMG rather than CRIT Rate.
By the time the character reaches A6, she picks up a valuable speed buff for herself and her chosen ally. Also, she gains additional energy regeneration to keep her Ultimate active.
The table below summarizes the Trace Upgrade Priority for Cerydra HSR builds:
Trace | Priority | Importance & Effect |
Skill | ⭐ 1st (Highest) | Most important to boost CRIT DMG and All-Type RES PEN when the extra Skill is triggered, letting the main DPS deal huge damage. |
Talent | ⭐ 2nd | Increases the ATK% she gives to the main DPS and raises her Additional DMG multiplier. |
Ultimate | ⭐ 3rd | Upgrade after Skill and Talent, as it adds more of her own damage against smaller enemies and makes rotations smoother. |
Basic ATK | ⭐ 4th (Lowest) | Least important, as it is only useful when you need to save or manage Skill Points (SP). |
Major Trace 1 (Veni) | - | Gives her CRIT DMG scaling with ATK, so stacking ATK makes her stronger. |
Major Trace 2 (Vidi) | - | Grants 100% CRIT Rate, letting her focus on ATK and CRIT DMG only. |
Major Trace 3 (Guardian) | - | Gives 20% SPD boost to herself and her buffed ally for 3 turns. This helps reach SPD breakpoints and lets DPS run ATK boots instead of SPD boots. Also restores 5 Energy when the buffed ally uses Basic ATK/Skill, improving Ultimate uptime. |
Here is a quick guide on how to level up Honkai: Star Rail build Cerydra's Trace with these Cerydra Materials:
Material | Quantity Needed |
x65 | |
18 / 69 / 139 (depending on level) | |
x12 |
Best Light Cones for Cerydra
Cerydra HSR is a Harmony character, which is why she has access to numerous strong Harmony Light Cones that help her boost her damage output while offering utility to the team.
Category | Light Cone | Stats / Effect | Reasoning |
Top Pick (Best-in-Slot) | ATK: 635 • HP: 952 • DEF: 463 Effect (S1): +64% ATK. After Ultimate, recover 1 SP. Using Skill on an ally boosts their Skill DMG by 54% for 3 turns. | It is perfectly designed for her kit and fits the mechanics. It boosts ATK, recovers SP, and maximizes buffing | |
Great Alternatives | Energy regen + Hymn stacks (15% DMG each). | Strong secondary option | |
Energy regen + huge ATK & team DMG boost. | Excellent team buffer | ||
Boosts Break Effect synergy. | More situational pick | ||
CRIT buffs for the team via Mask mechanic. | More situational pick | ||
Free-to-Play Picks | After Ultimate, advances allies' actions by 24%. | Advances all allies' actions | |
Boosts ATK up to 80%. | Budget friendly |
The absolute best Light Cone for Cerydra build in Honkai: Star Rail is her signature, i.e., Epoch Etched in Golden Blood. It offers a massive ATK boost, restores 1 SP after she uses her Ultimate, and further enhances her ally's Skill damage for three turns. It fits her mechanics like a glove.
If you don't have Cerydra HSR signature, other strong five-star options include A Grounded Ascent, which builds Hymn stacks for higher damage, and Flowing Nightglow, which buffs teamwide damage while accelerating energy regeneration. Past Self in Mirror and Earthly Escapade also bring solid utility, though they are more situational.
For free-to-play players, Dance! Dance! Dance! is an excellent four-star choice, as it advances all allies' actions after her Ultimate. The Forever Victual is another budget-friendly option that boosts ATK, which pairs nicely with her scaling.
Cerydra Eidolons vs Signature Light Cone
There are certain considerations that the players should make when pulling investment for HSR builds for Cerydra and maintaining a balance between acquiring her Eidolons and her Signature Light Cone.
Option | Effect | Strength |
Signature Light Cone (S1) | +64% ATK, SP recovery, huge Skill DMG buff. | Essential for consistent buffs |
E1 | Ally ignores 36% DEF + extra Energy regen. | Very strong |
E2 | +160% Cerydra DMG +40% ally DMG. | Major damage spike |
E6 | Ally ignores 20% RES and triggers bonus DMG. | Absolute powerhouse |
The recommended investment order: E0S0 → E0S1 / E1S0 → E2S1 → E6S1
Cerydra Best Relics, Planar Ornaments, and Stats
Relics
The relic set Sacerdos' Relived Ordeal is by far the most efficient for Cerydra HSR. It provides speed and a stacking CRIT DMG buff to her chosen ally whenever she maintains Military Merit.
This keeps her buff cycle strong and consistent. Eagle of Twilight Line is a good alternative, which grants Wind DMG and advances her action forward after using an Ultimate.
Moreover, mixing two-piece sets that provide ATK% or SPD% is also viable for those still farming optimal gear.
Relic Set | 2-Piece Effect | 4-Piece Effect | Key Notes |
+6% SPD | When using Skill/Ultimate on one ally, increases their CRIT DMG by 18% for 2 turns (stacks up to 2 times). | Best-in-slot and perfect for buffing a single DPS. | |
+10% Wind DMG | After using Ultimate, the wearer's action is advanced forward by 25%. | Decent alternative if you lack Sacerdos. |
Planar Ornaments
For planar ornaments, Lushaka, the Sunken Seas works beautifully. They boost energy regeneration and alleviate the first ally she buffs each turn with extra ATK. However, Sprightly Vonwacq is another good option, as it advances her action when she hits 120 speed. This is handy for starting cycles quickly.
Option | 2-Piece Effect | Key Notes |
+5% Energy Regeneration Rate. If the wearer is not in the first slot, the first character in the lineup gains +12% ATK. | Great for boosting the team's main DPS when Cerydra isn't the lead unit. | |
+5% Energy Regeneration Rate. If the wearer's SPD ≥ 120, their action is Advanced Forward by 40% at battle start. | Helps her act earlier to set up buffs quickly. |
Stats
When choosing stats in Honkai: Star Rail builds for Cerydra, ATK% should be prioritized on her body, sphere, and feet. However, a speed boost can also be considered if she needs to reach key thresholds. Energy regeneration ropes are ideal for smoother Ultimate cycling. Pure ATK% ropes work best if her energy feels consistent. Sub-stats should always aim for ATK, CRIT DMG, and speed.
Slot | Main Stat | Sub-stat Priority |
Body | ATK% | Priority 1: ATK% / SPD Priority 2: CRIT DMG% |
Feet | SPD / ATK% | |
Rope | Energy Regen Rate (ERR) / ATK% | |
Orb | ATK% |
Best Team Compositions for Cerydra
Cerydra HSR dominates in hypercarry teams. Let's have a look at her team pairings:
Phainon Team
The best example is pairing Cerydra with Phainon, where her Military Merit transforms Phainon into a skill-spamming powerhouse. Add Sunday and Bronya for further speed-tuning and action advancement, so you have a team capable of tearing through single-target bosses with frightening efficiency.
Role | Character(s) |
Main DPS | |
Support 1 | Cerydra |
Support 2 | Sunday / Bronya |
Sustain (optional) | Gallagher |
Anaxa Team
Honkai build Cerydra also pairs beautifully with Anaxa, where her buffs amplify his skill-heavy kit. It is often supported by The Herta for sub-DPS alongside Huohuo or Luocha as sustain.
Role | Character(s) |
Main DPS | Anaxa |
Support 1 | Cerydra |
Support 2 | Sunday / Bronya |
Sustain | Gallagher / Luocha / Aventurine / Huohuo |
Archer Team
Similarly, Cerydra HSR synergizes well with Archer, especially when joined by Sparkle to keep Skill Points flowing, with Gallagher or Luocha handling healing.
Role | Character(s) |
Main DPS | Archer |
Support 1 | Cerydra |
Support 2 | Sparkle |
Sustain | Gallagher / Luocha / Aventurine |
Cerydra's role is always the same: pick one DPS, supercharge them, and keep the engine running. When matched with the right partner, she can take a team's damage potential to amazing heights.
Conclusion
Cerydra HSR is not your typical Harmony unit. She's a specialist, not a generalist. She can turbocharge one DPS, which makes her indispensable in the right setups. If you love building around one hard-carry character, she is one of the most rewarding supports you can pull.
To get the most out of Honkai: Star Rail build Ceydra, focus on maxing her Skill and Talent, and equipping her signature Light Cone if possible. Additionally, you can stack ATK, CRIT DMG, and speed through relics and ornaments. Pair her with hypercarries like Phainon, Anaxa, or Archer, as these pairs make her stand out in the Harmony roster.
Wrapping Up Tip: If you are looking to stretch your Stellar Jades further, you can top up with Oneiric Shards at BuffBuff for a better deal. It's a simple way to keep your Honkai: Star Rail builds funded and your DPS fed.