Castorice’s gameplay kit in Amphoreus character in Honkai: Star Rail.

As an NPC, Castorice has shown her affinity with death. Characters cannot walk in the wake of her path nor touch her, as she brings them their demise with ease. Even if in an unspoken manner, Castorice is considered one of the strongest Chrysos Heirs, an Aglaea even uses her as a swift and painless executioner against the Trailblazer. HoYoverse has yet to announce her as an playable character, but the leaks about Castorice in Honkai: Star Rail indicate she will be released in Version 3.2, meaning that players may not have to wait too long to use her.

Castorice’s Early Gameplay Kit In Honkai: Star Rail 3.2 Has Leaked

Rumors Indicate The Character Can Drain Her Allies’ HP

So far, the details about Castorice’s possible kit had not been shared by leakers, but the first pieces of information have now started to arrive. According to the leaker known as Uncle Guoba, Castorice will be capable of dealing both single-target and AoE (area of effect) damage to opponents. One of the most notable points shared by the leaker in a post flagged as “Questionable” on Reddit is that Castorice can allegedly consume the entire party’s HP, including her own. The leak also says that Castorice’s Ultimate in Honkai: Star Rail will activate once she reaches a certain HP threshold.

Furthermore, the leak mentions that Castorice’s damage output should increase the lower the HP – it’s uncertain if the game will track only her HP loss or if it will consider all the HP lost by the team comp. Lastly, the leak by Uncle Guoba says that Castorice has a dragon that may have a “famous blade” replacement effect, though it’s uncertain what this means. The dragon summoned by Castorice had already been mentioned in previous leaks, and the new information gives more credibility to the rumors hinting at Castorice as a new Remembrance character in Honkai: Star Rail.

Castorice’s Leaked HP-Loss Mechanic In Honkai: Star Rail May Be The Most Thrilling In A While

The Character May Not Rely On HP Loss, Specifically, But On Low HP Counts

Even though HP loss mechanics are nothing new in the turn-based RPG by HoYoverse, the way that it may be applied to Castorice has the potential to offer the most thrilling experience since its launch. It's quite common to see characters consume their own HP and even the HP of their team comps, which can be seen in Blade and Jingliu’s gameplay kits, respectively. Blade consumes his own HP as a means to empower his attacks, while Jingliu drains her allies to further boost her damage output potential.

It seems like Castorice’s HP-loss mechanics in Honkai: Star Rail will see her consume her allies’ HPs not only to boost her own power but also to unlock her Ultimate.

This shared HP loss across the team comp is a high-risk mechanic that puts players at risk during combat, but is compensated for with high damage against enemies. The leaks make Castorice’s kit seem a lot like Jingliu’s but the difference is that her team-wide HP loss seems to be even more important since lower HP necessarily means more damage and unlocking her Ultimate, whereas Jingliu benefits from the amount of HP lost, which can easily be mitigated with a healer. In contrast, it seems like Castorice will need another type of sustain character in Honkai: Star Rail: shielders.

If the leaks about Castorice are true, using a shielder is the ideal way of ensuring the HP loss and the low HP required for increased power are always working in her favor, but without exposing the team to enemies’ incoming damage. If Castorice were to work with healers and her kit wasn’t tracking HP loss but the amount of HP per si, they would diminish her potential. As negative as a low HP count across the entire party seems risky, it is enticing to have if the reward is a high level of damage output in Honkai: Star Rail.

One of the contradictory points in the leaked kit is that Castorice is both a single-target and AoE striker, but it may actually make sense for her as a rumored Remembrance character. While this is mostly based on speculation, her regular attacks may be the ones that target only one enemy, while her leaked dragon memosprite may be the one that helps her deal AoE damage during battles. Remembrance characters like Aglaea in Honkai: Star Rail have proven themselves limited without their memosprites, so this is the best bet for now.

Castorice’s Leaked Kit In Honkai: Star Rail 3.2 Matches Her Lore

Her Leaked HP-Draining Abilities Match Her Status As The Bearer Of The Coreflame Of Death

Aside from the gameplay value that the rumored kit could bring, the leaked abilities also seem to match Castorice’s abilities in the lore. As was previously mentioned, Castorice is, essentially, a walking ambassador for death in Amphoreus. If her kit actually drains the HP of her allies, who work closely with her, the gameplay kit would walk hand-in-hand with the lore-driven danger that is being near the Chrysos Heir. As much as kits don’t always match a character’s known abilities in the story content, it’s always exciting to see the overlap of lore and gameplay.

This can be seen in some characters’ kits. Jingliu herself drains her allies’ HP thanks to her status as a Mara-struck individual. The leaks about Mydei’s kit in Honkai: Star Rail also indicate he will lose HP to empower himself and can sustain fatal damage – both effects that match his curse as a berserking immortal figure. It’s worth noting the leaks about Castorice’s kit should be considered with extreme caution for now, as they may be incorrect, incomplete, or subject to change ahead of her official release.

HP loss is one of the simplest and best mechanics in the game, and Castorice may bring a new approach to it while it reaches an all-time high. In addition to the rumors about Mydei losing HP to gain more power in Version 3.1, there are also leaks indicating that Version 3.2’s Pure Fiction will also benefit any lost HP, and that may come to make Castorice more valuable as a character in Honkai: Star Rail.

Source: Reddit