Best Light Cones for Herta in Honkai: Star Rail

In the world of *Honkai: Star Rail*, The Herta stands out as a formidable 5-star unit belonging to the Ice Erudition category. Her kit is packed with self-buffs and damage multipliers, making her a key asset in any team. To maximize her potential, she seeks stats like CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK, along with general damage boosts from her Light Cones. With her impressive 80% CRIT DMG buff, The Herta often leans toward Light Cones that enhance CRIT Rate. Additionally, any increase to her Skill and Ultimate outputs is valuable, thanks to her Interpretation mechanic, with a slight preference for Skill DMG.

Although the ideal combination of CRIT Rate and Skill DMG increases is rare outside her signature Light Cone, The Herta still has several viable options within the Erudition Path. Many of these Light Cones, whether limited or free, provide excellent stats and perform similarly in effectiveness. Below are the best Light Cone choices for The Herta in *Honkai: Star Rail*.

The Seriousness of Breakfast (S5)

S5 Passive: Increases the wearer's DMG by 24%. For every defeated enemy, the wearer's ATK increases by 8%, stacking up to 3 times.

As a free Light Cone, The Seriousness of Breakfast can be purchased with Lucent Afterglow or obtained via Echo of War drops. Players can also earn one copy by completing a hidden task aboard the Herta Space Station. While it’s not the best choice for The Herta, it serves as a reliable placeholder for newcomers who lack better options. Offering straightforward damage boosts, it ensures steady performance until a superior Light Cone becomes available.

The Day The Cosmos Fell (S5)

S5 Passive: Increases the wearer's ATK by 24%. When the wearer uses an attack and affects no fewer than 2 attacked enemies with a corresponding Weakness, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 40% for 2 turns.

Another free Light Cone, The Day The Cosmos Fell, can be obtained through Echo of War drops or by purchasing it with Lucent Afterglow. Players can also find a free copy by locating all the Origami Birds in Golden Hour. Though it offers better performance than The Seriousness of Breakfast, its effectiveness hinges on meeting its conditional CRIT DMG buff. Inconsistent results may lead to reduced performance. Nonetheless, it remains a decent placeholder until a more optimal Light Cone is acquired.

Eternal Calculus (S5)

S5 Passive: Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. After using an attack, for each enemy target hit, additionally increases ATK by 8%. This effect can stack 5 times and lasts until the next attack. If there are 3 or more enemy targets hit, this unit's SPD increases by 16%, lasting for 1 turn.

Eternal Calculus, a free 5-star Light Cone available from Herta's Store, provides a significant ATK% boost. However, its effectiveness varies depending on the number of targets hit, making it less effective in scenarios with fewer enemies. Despite this limitation, it remains a solid choice when utilized effectively. Additionally, its 16% SPD increase at S5 helps achieve certain SPD breakpoints in combat. Like other free options, Eternal Calculus serves as a good placeholder until a stronger Light Cone is obtained.

Yet Hope Is Priceless (S1)

S1 Passive: Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 16%. While the wearer is in battle, for every 20% CRIT DMG that exceeds 120%, the DMG dealt by follow-up attack increases by 12%. This effect can stack up to 4 times. When the battle starts or after the wearer uses their Basic ATK, enables Ultimate or the DMG dealt by follow-up attack to ignore 20% of the target's DEF, lasting for 2 turns.

Jade's signature Light Cone, Yet Hope Is Priceless, offers a valuable 16% CRIT Rate increase at S1. While The Herta cannot fully utilize the Follow-Up buffs, this Light Cone still serves as a dependable stat stick. The 20% DEF penetration for the Ultimate can be useful if used early in battle, though it’s not a guaranteed benefit. Additionally, Interpretation stacks may not always be high enough early in fights for the Ultimate to leverage the effect. Players should avoid pulling this Light Cone specifically for The Herta, as better F2P alternatives exist. If players already own Yet Hope Is Priceless, it might be better suited for units that can fully exploit its effects.

Geniuses' Repose (S5)

S5 Passive: Increases the wearer's ATK by 32%. When the wearer defeats an enemy, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 48% for 3 turns.

Geniuses' Repose, a 4-star Light Cone obtainable from the standard Stellar Warp, is a fantastic option for The Herta. It offers a substantial 32% ATK increase and a 48% CRIT DMG boost at S5. While The Herta must personally defeat an enemy to activate the CRIT DMG buff,