Foreword
Relic farming in Honkai: Star Rail is an important part of your account progression and you will spend a lot of your time and stamina past TL 40 doing the so called Relic Farm.
Still, considering that both in the Cavern of Corrosion and in the Simulated Universe the available Relic Sets are split between various stages (or Worlds in the case of SU) you are forced to choose which ones you want to farm. While all the Relic Sets have their uses and there's no useless one (well...), you have to pick a pair that will help your account the most. And that's what this guide is about - we will review each set and give you suggestion for the best Cavern of Corrosion and Simulated Universe World to farm!
Cavern of Corrosion
Important! Before you start farming Cavern of Corrosion you have to reach TL 40 as this unlocks Difficulty 3 where you can get 1 Gold rarity Relic per run. You will get enough Purple rarity Relics from the story, so farming them is a waste of Stamina.
Also, please keep in mind that the reviews and 'ratings' below take into account the current state of the game - maybe in the future the priority will change and if it will, we will adjust the information below.
| Cavern | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Path of Gelid Wind | (2) Increases Ice DMG by 10%. (4) After the wearer unleashes their Ultimate, their CRIT DMG increases by 25% for 2 turn(s). The set is pretty good choice for Jingliu, but a lot of players prefer to use the Quantum set on her to abuse the DEF Shred (especially that you often play Jingliu with Pela). Since it's useless on non-Ice characters, it's not really worth to spend a lot of your stamina here. Farming worth: 2/10 | (2) Increases Wind DMG by 10%. (4) After the wearer uses Ultimate, their action is Advanced Forward by 25%. The funny thing about this set is that it's actually used more on Supports than on damage dealers. The 4-piece bonus is pretty great for Pela and Silver Wolf when you play them as pure debuffers as it allows them to reach their Ultimates faster, but often you don't really need this set and other ones offer you more. Farming worth: 3/10 |
| Path of Jabbing Punch | (2) Increases Physical DMG by 10%. (4) After the wearer attacks or is hit, their ATK increases by 5% for the rest of the battle. This effect can stack up to 5 time(s). This set is Best in Slot for every Physical damage dealer, but you can also use it on damage dealers from other elements as the 25% ATK bonus will help them out too. Still, the set isn't so far ahead of other options to make it worth farming for non-Physical DPS. Farming worth: 6/10 | (2) Increases Break Effect by 16% (4) Increases the wearer's Break Effect by 16%. When the wearer inflicts Weakness Break on an enemy, regenerates 3 Energy. Best in slot for Breakers and characters that need Break Effect to activate their kit (like Ruan Mei). However, you get a lot of pieces for this set from Echoes of War and unless you're mainly playing Breakers, it's not that worth farming it. Farming worth: 5/10 |
| Path of Drifting | (2) Increases Outgoing Healing by 10%. (4) At the beginning of the battle, immediately recovers 1 Skill Point. A Healer dedicated set that you only want to get for the 2-piece bonus. The 4-piece bonus while being pretty underwhelming in the past, now is really useful on Healers that aren't SP-positive (like Huohuo) as it helps with the initial rotation. Still, most other Healers just use the 2-piece bonus. Farming worth: 7/10 | (2) ATK increases by 12%. (4) The wearer's SPD increases by 6% and Basic ATK DMG increases by 10%. A great universal set that can be used on both damage dealers and supports as a placeholder gear till you farm their dedicated sets - its really versatile and doesn't trail behind other options too much, so farming this set is never a bad idea. Farming worth: 8/10 |
| Path of Providence | (2) Reduces DMG taken by 8%. (4) At the beginning of the turn, if the wearer's HP is equal to or less than 50% of their Max HP, restores HP equal to 8% of their Max HP and regenerates 5 Energy. A bit underwhelming set that is mostly used as 2-piece for some tankier characters. The 4-piece set isn't useful on anyone at the moment. Farming worth: 3/10 | (2) Increases Quantum DMG by 10%. (4) When the wearer deals DMG to the target enemy, ignores 10% DEF. If the target enemy has Quantum Weakness, the wearer additionally ignores 10% DEF. Best in Slot for any Quantum damage dealer - the difference between this set and the others is simply massive. Still, you can also use this set on any other element dps, simply because the DEF ignore mechanic is among the strongest in the game and even if you can only activate the 10%, it still can compete with other dedicated DPS sets, but only when you provide additional sources of DEF shred into the team (via Pela for example) Also keep in mind that on non-Quantum dps you need to face Quantum-weak enemies to make it worth using. Farming worth: 8/10 |
| Path of Holy Hymn | (2) Increases DEF by 15%. (4) Increases the max DMG that can be absorbed by the shield created by the wearer by 20%. The strongest set for Preservation characters as it not only gives the the DEF they need to make their Shields chunkier, but also the 4-piece bonus acts as a separate modifier that you can't find anywhere else in the game. Sadly, shielders aren't that meta currently and Healers are more popular. Farming worth: 5/10 | (2) Increases Lightning DMG by 10%. (4) When the wearer uses Skill, increases the wearer's ATK by 20% for 1 turn(s). A decent set on paper, but sadly while in the past it was used on a lot of characters, nowadays it's losing to other, more dedicated sets - even on Lightning DPS. Farming worth: 4/10 |
| Path of Conflagration | (2) Increases Fire DMG by 10%. (4) Increases the wearer's Skill DMG by 12%. After unleashing Ultimate, increases the wearer's Fire DMG by 12% for next attack. Another underwhelming set that is rarely used even on Fire DPS characters. Farming worth: 1/10 | (2) Increases Imaginary DMG by 10%. (4) When attacking debuffed enemies, the wearer's CRIT Rate increases by 10%, and their CRIT DMG increases by 20% against Imprisoned enemies. A great set for Imaginary damage dealers, but you won't be able to use them on any other character in the game. So farm it only if you often use IMG DPS. Farming worth: 5/10 |
| Path of Elixir Seekers | (2) Increases Max HP by 12%. (4) When the wearer is hit or has their HP consumed by an ally or themselves, their CRIT Rate increases by 8% for 2 turn(s) and up to 2 stacks. A bit niche set that is Best in Slot for Blade, but the 2-piece effect can actually be used also by Healers and Supports. Farming worth: 7/10 | (2) Increases SPD by 6%. (4) When the wearer uses their Ultimate on an ally, SPD for all allies increases by 12% for 1 turn(s). This effect cannot be stacked. The new best friend of support characters. 6% speed on the 2-piece effect is honestly crazy and it allows you to mix and match the set with other ones pretty easily, making it a flexible set to farm. While the 4-piece effect is also really strong, be aware that it can mess up Speed tuning of your team. Farming worth: 10/10 |
| Path of Darkness | (2) Increases ATK by 12%. (4) For every DoT the target enemy is afflicted with, the wearer will ignore 6% of target's DEF when dealing DMG to them. This effect is valid for a max of 3 DoTs. The new Best in Slot set for any DoT (Damage over Time) based character - the ignore DEF mechanic is simply too strong and in DoT teams it's easy to hit the 3 DoT number to activate the full bonus. Useless for everyone else, so only farm this set if you're building a DoT team. Farming worth: 6/10 | (2) Increases follow-up attack DMG by 20%. (4) When the wearer uses follow-up attacks against the target enemy, increase the wearer's ATK by 6% for every time the follow-up attack deals DMG. This effect can stack for a maximum of 8 times and lasts for 3 turns. This effect is removed the next time the wearer uses a follow-up attack. The new best friend of dedicated Follow-Up characters, but even if a character only has a single Follow-Up in their kit, the set actually still can be Best in Slot for them as it allows to easily keep the secondary bonus up for the majority of the fight - that's the case for Jing Yuan and Himeko for example. Farming worth: 7/10 |
| Path of Dreamdive | (2) Increases DMG dealt to enemies with debuff by 12%. (4) Increases CRIT Rate by 4%. The wearer deals 8%/12% increased CRIT DMG to enemies with at least 2/3 debuffs. After the wearer inflicts a debuff on enemy targets, the aforementioned effects increase by 100%, lasting for 1 turn. Acheron's best in slot set, but it can also be used on other damage dealers. The 2-piece is easy to activate as you usually run a debuffer and the 4-piece is super powerful on DPS characters that can apply debuffs to activate the 100% bonus. Farming worth: 7/10 | (2) Increases Break Effect by 16%. (4) When the wearer uses their Ultimate on an ally, Break Effect for all allies increases by 30% for 2 turn(s). This effect cannot be stacked. A very niche set at the moment, because the Break Effect teams are themselves niche. Currently you can use it mainly on Ruan Mei without losing too much. Farming worth: 2/10 |
Simulated Universe
Important! Before you start farming Simulated Universe you have to reach TL 40 as this unlocks higher difficulty in the earlier Worlds which drops Gold gear.
Also, please keep in mind that the reviews and 'ratings' below take into account the current state of the game - maybe in the future the priority will change and if it will, we will adjust the information below.
| World | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | (2) Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. When the wearer's SPD reaches 120 or higher, the wearer's ATK increases by an extra 12%. A great DPS set, especially in the early game where you don't have enough Crit Rate to trigger Salsatto or Rutilant secondary effects. It's struggling in the late game due to lack of Crit and oversaturation of ATK% buffs on supports. Farming worth: 7/10 | (2) Increases the wearer's Max HP by 12%. When the wearer's SPD reaches 120 or higher, all allies' ATK increases by 8%. A great and universal support set that can be used on both Supports and Healers and it will make them tankier, and providing a buff that almost every damage dealer and team can make use of. Only slightly behind alternative support planar sets in the very endgame. Very much worth farming. Farming worth: 9/10 |
| 4 | (2) Increases the wearer's Break Effect by 16%. When the wearer's SPD reaches 145 or higher, the wearer's Break effect increases by an extra 20%. This set became a lot better with the release of Ruan Mei and Xueyi and is a top option for both of them. This set can also effectively be used on dedicated breakers and is best on slot on them as well assuming you can satisfy its requirements. Farming worth: 5/10 | (2) Increases the wearer's Energy Regeneration Rate by 5%. When the wearer's SPD reaches 120 or higher, the wearer's action is Advanced Forward by 40% immediately upon entering battle. Sprightly Vonwaq is a set that has found it's niche for players that min max their teams. The main use of this set is it's action advancement to force supportive units to move first before damage dealers applying their debuffs or buffs to ensure an explosive opening turn. This set is still only recommended for those aiming to speed clear endgame in the fastest time possible (0 Cycles etc.). Farming worth: 4/10 |
| 5 | (2) Increases the wearer's Effect Hit Rate by 10%. Meanwhile, the wearer's ATK increases by an amount that is equal to 25% of the current Effect Hit Rate, up to a maximum of 25%. A Debuffer set that will help them land their Debuffs, but also improve their damage output thanks to the second part of the set. Sadly, it's very niche and inferior to other sets. Farming worth: 3/10 | (2) Increases the wearer's CRIT DMG by 16%. When the wearer's current CRIT DMG reaches 120% or higher, after entering battle, the wearer's CRIT Rate increases by 60% until the end of their first attack. With the release of better CRIT sets, this set is now basically useless. Farming worth: 1/10 |
| 6 | (2) Increases the wearer's DEF by 15%. When the wearer's Effect Hit Rate is 50% or higher, the wearer gains an extra 15% DEF. A powerful set for Preservation characters that will make their Shields even chunkier, but nowadays a lot of players prefer to run more supportive sets on their Shielders - sacrificing a bit Shield value to gain additional team benefits. Farming worth: 3/10 | (2) 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%. More Crit Rate is always nice, and the additional bonuses are actually really strong on characters that use follow-up attacks like Clara, Jing Yuan, Topaz and Dr. Ratio. Farming worth: 8/10 |
| 7 | (2) Increases the wearer's Effect RES by 10%. When the wearer's Effect RES is at 30% or higher, all allies' CRIT DMG increases by 10%. A great set that can be used on any support to give the main carry free CRIT DMG. Just keep in mind you need 30% Effect RES to activate the secondary effect. Farming worth: 9/10 | (2) Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 8%. When the wearer's current CRIT Rate reaches 70% or higher, the wearer's Basic ATK and Skill DMG increase by 20%. An alternative to Salsotto, but with steeper Crit Rate requirements to trigger the second part. Great on characters that gain a large portion of their damage from Basic and Skill like Blade, Imbibitor Lunae or Jingliu. Farming worth: 8/10 |
| 8 | (2) Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. When the wearer's SPD is equal to or higher than 135/160, the wearer deals 12%/18% more DMG. A great DPS set but only if you can reach the Speed requirements (at least 135). It's a pretty universal set that can be used on any DPS basically and in most cases it's an upgrade to Space Sealing Station as the generic go-to DPS set. Farming worth: 9/10 | (2) Increases wearer's Energy Regeneration Rate by 5%. Increases DMG for all other allies with the same DMG Type as the wearer by 10%. The new and better Sprightly Vonwacq as not only it can fix the rotation issues of certain supports, but also buff the main DPS in the team (as long as the support and DPS belong to the same element). It's still a bit niche tough as you will only make use of it on a few characters. Farming worth: 6/10 |
| 9 | (2) Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. When entering battle, if at least one other ally follows the same Path as the wearer, then the wearer's CRIT Rate increases by 12%. One of the most powerful planar sets in the game with exceptional stats but with a heavy requirement that the wearer must be in a team alongside another character of the same path. This set is only optimal for damage characters that have one of their best compositions including another path member. Currently the amount of characters with teams that satisfy this condition is low making this set powerful but niche at this time. Farming worth: 6/10 | (2) Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 4%. When an enemy target gets defeated, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 4%, stacking up to 10 time(s). A set that relies on slaying enemies quickly and at the beginning of the fight to ensure a competitive performance. This requirement is easy to satisfy in Pure Fiction and as a result this set is excellent in that mode but falls short in other modes with less monsters to slay like Memory of Chaos. If you want to power up your Pure Fiction team this set can be good but outside of this it's a niche choice. Farming worth: 4/10 |