Essential 4-Star Units for Beginners in Honkai: Star Rail

Embarking on the journey through Honkai: Star Rail, especially for new players, can seem like navigating through an endless cosmos of choices and strategies.

Knowing which characters to invest in for long-term success is crucial, particularly when considering the transition from early game ease to the demanding endgame content.

This guide highlights the best 4-star characters that not only shine in the early stages but also hold their ground and excel in the endgame.

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Essential 4-Star Units for Beginners in Honkai: Star Rail

Understanding Your Roster

Before diving into character recommendations, it's crucial to consider the unique composition of your team.

The value of a 4-star character can vary significantly based on your current roster, including the five-star characters you have, your available supports, and DPS units.

This variability means that the "best" character choice is often deeply personal and strategic, adjusted to your gameplay style and objectives.

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March 7th

As the first character unlocked in the game, March 7th provides essential protection, shielding one character from enemy attacks.

This capability is decent for endgame content, offering a reliable defensive mechanism unless you have access to Gepard or other limited characters like Fu Xuan.

Beyond her shielding power, March 7th can freeze enemies, disrupting their turns and providing strategic control over the battlefield.

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Asta

Asta might be overshadowed by characters like Ruan Mei, but her ability to buff the entire team's attack and speed makes her an excellent unit in multi-DPS setups.

Especially in endgame content like Pure Fiction, Asta's buffs can lead to a significant reduction in clear times, highlighting her late game value.

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Natasha

Natasha, unlocked through the main story, stands out as one of the game's few healers, making her an invaluable asset from the get-go.

Her healing abilities are critical for sustaining your team's HP through the game's challenges.

Upon ascension, Natasha's capabilities are significantly amplified. Her passives allow for the removal of debuffs from allies and diminish the damage dealt by enemies at the battle's start, leveraging her technique for an early advantage.

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Tingyun

Tingyun, with her significant attack buffs and energy grants, is one of the best 4-star supports, enhancing your main DPS's damage output and ult frequency, a critical factor in both early and late-game success.

Excelling in energy management, Tingyun ensures your DPS characters have the resources needed for sustained combat effectiveness, making her a must-have for any strategic team build.

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Hanya

Hanya's ability to replenish SP ensures that your team can maintain a steady output of skills, especially vital for characters like Imbibitor Lunae, who consume several SP each turn.

Hanya's unique skill not only increases your party's SP pool but significantly enhances your DPS character's DMG, ATK, and SPD.

The application of Burden on enemies ensures that these boosts remain effectively permanent, offering a consistent advantage in battle.

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Pela

Pela is probably the best 4-star unit, capable of reducing enemy defenses significantly.

Her ability to shred all enemy defense and potentially remove buffs makes her a top-tier character in any team composition.

Even without Eidolons, Pela's utility in removing enemy buffs and her SP-positive nature ensure she remains a top-tier choice for all kinds of late game modes.

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Sushang

Sushang distinguishes herself with the ability to frequently advance her turns, unleashing massive damage upon enemies.

Her potential for damage output rivals, and often surpasses, that of many characters within the game.

With Eidolon 1, Sushang not only deals solid damage but also contributes to the team's SP pool, reinforcing her status as a top-tier four-star DPS choice.

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Serval

Serval was gifted to players through pre-registration rewards, bringing an AOE Lightning DPS to your team's roster.

Serval's technique and abilities synergize to maintain a near-constant state of shock among enemies, disrupting their strategies and making her an invaluable unit in DOT-centric teams.

For those fortunate to have Kafka in their roster, pairing her with Serval improves her effectiveness exponentially.

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Herta

Initially underestimated, Herta's value skyrockets in specific game modes like Pure Fiction, where her ability to trigger follow-up attacks against multiple enemies showcases her as a top-tier DPS choice.

Particularly if you're trying to complete Pure Fiction, Herta's unique skill set designed to this mode makes her an indispensable part of your roster, highlighting the importance of niche character strengths in Honkai: Star Rail.

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Lynx

Lynx becomes available after completing stage two of Pure Fiction, acting as a game-changer if you're lacking alternative healers like Luocha or Huohuo.

Beyond her healing capabilities, Lynx's unique skill to increase taunt value on certain characters allows for strategic damage distribution and energy gain, making her an invaluable support unit for both early and late-game scenarios.

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Final Thoughts on 4-Star Units

Investing in these 4-star characters ensures a strong foundation for tackling both the early game and the demanding endgame content in Honkai: Star Rail.

Each character offers unique advantages that can be optimized to conquer the different game modes ahead.

Remember, the key to success in Honkai Star Rail lies not just in 5-star units but in strategic team compositions and adaptability to the evolving meta.