Following the official confirmation about his release, a new leak about Archer’s kit in Fate collab characters for Honkai: Star Rail, including speculation about each of their respective Paths and elements.

As was originally leaked, it’s been confirmed by the developer that Archer is a 5-star Quantum character on the Path of the Hunt, while Saber will be a 5-star Wind character following the Path of the Destruction. HoYoverse also revealed the animation for Saber’s Ultimate ability, though more details about it are still scarce. As was indicated by the leaks, the Fate collab event will occur in Version 3.4. According to information provided by the developer, the Fate collab event for Honkai: Star Rail, called Sweet Dreams and the Holy Grail, will start on July 11 across all platforms.

Archer May Burn Skill Points In Honkai: Star Rail For Increased DMG

Sparkle May Be A Great For Him

Even though the details about these characters and the nature of the collab (and how it intertwines with the game’s own story) are scarce, some leaks are already starting to emerge following the official announcement. According to information provided by the leaker known as Luna, who accurately predicted the releases of Hyacine and Cipher in the Version 3.3 update, a portion of Archer’s gameplay kit has already leaked, giving players a better sense of how he will operate during combat in Honkai: Star Rail. The leak was shared in a post tagged as “Reliable” on Reddit.

As seen in the leak, Archer will be a Quantum DPS character who burns through Skill Points to increase the damage he deals in combat. The leaker also mentions that his kit could serve players who enjoy running Sparkle in team comps. For reference, Sparkle can increase the team’s total Skill Points and help them restore them quickly, making her a valuable for parties who are constantly consuming Skill Points rather than relying on Basic Attacks. If Archer burns through Skill Points, then using Sparkle in Honkai: Star Rail as his could be a prime strategy.

Archer's Leaked Kit Resembles Imbibitor Lunae In Honkai: Star Rail

Imbibitor Lunae Can Increase His Damage Output By Burning Skill Points

Although the details about how Archer may burn through Skill Points are still scarce, the mention of this mechanic immediately calls back to one character: Dan Heng - Imbibitor Lunae. The 5-star version of the Trailblazer’s classic companion is also known for burning Skill Points to enhance the power of his attacks in combat. Imbibitor Lunae can enhance his Basic Attack by consuming Skill Points up to thrice per ability usage. Each enhancement transforms the Basic Attack into a different ability, gradually dealing more damage. Knowing how to manage Skill Points with Imbibitor Lunae in Honkai: Star Rail is vital.

Because Imbibitor Lunae’s strongest attacks are locked behind the usage of three Skill Points, he tends to be a Skill Point-hungry DPS, making management a priority. This is also the reason why Sparkle is such a great and necessary for Imbibitor Lunae: she can give the team a surplus of available Skill Points, and after he burns through them, she can quickly restore them. If Archer’s abilities are even partially similar to Imbibitor Lunae’s, then it would make perfect sense for Sparkle to be his following the release of the Fate collab character for Honkai: Star Rail.

Of course, it’s expected that Archer will have at least a few key differences when compared to Imbibitor Lunae, extending beyond his element (for reference, Imbibitor Lunae deals Imaginary DMG). As such, Archer’s rumored Skill Point burning mechanic may instead be a way of enhancing his Skill rather than his Basic Attack, and there could be other effects based on how many times he enhances it. Even so, it’s also expected that the Fate characters will be powercreeps, so Archer may sur Imbibitor Lunae in some ways, while there is speculation that Saber will powercreep Blade in Honkai: Star Rail.

Saber may powercreep Blade because they both share the same Path and element. Even though her kit may be entirely different from Blade’s, they essentially occupy the same role in team comps, given the fact that Destruction units are mainly heavy-hitting DPS characters with self-sustaining abilities. She may not have HP-loss mechanics like he does, but Saber will be specialized in dealing heavy instances of Wind DMG to enemies. This also makes me worry about how useless the confirmed Blade buff in Honkai: Star Rail 3.4 may turn out to be, especially if Saber is designed to stand out.

Honkai: Star Rail 3.4 Will Give Archer For Free For A Limited Time

Players Only Need To To Claim The Free Character

Regarding Archer, specifically, there’s great news. As was previously rumored and now confirmed by the developer, Archer will be given to players for free during a limited time. According to HoYoverse, players will be able to claim Archer for free simply by logging in after the start of the event on July 11 until the end of Version 3.6. This means that players have nearly two full patches, which represents around 12 weeks, to and claim their free Archer in Honkai: Star Rail.

You should make sure you around the period when Archer is first made available. It’s worth noting that the game goes through maintenance periods, so if you leave the session until the end of Version 3.6, you may miss out on the free Archer, as the game’s servers may be down for maintenance in preparation for Version 3.7.

Archer may also make an appearance during dedicated banners in a way to allow players to increase his Eidolon levels. Recently, HoYoverse gifted players with a free 5-star character, allowing them to choose between Luocha and Ruan Mei for free, in what is also a limited-time event. The leaks about Archer’s abilities should still be taken with a grain of salt, as they are highly subject to change. However, the recent leaks have proven to be trustworthy, so hopes are that Archer may rival Imbibitor Lunae, one of the best DPS characters in Honkai: Star Rail.

Source: Reddit