Giving the best builds and team comps to Black Swan in release of Honkai: Star Rail 2.0, which initiated the RPG’s second year of content and introduced the planet of Penacony.

Black Swan has an exclusive DoT mechanic in which she applies Arcana stacks onto foes when battling. These Arcana stacks apply Wind Shear to opponents and boost the DoT damage multiplier. Arcana’s effects can also vary depending on how many stacks are on the opponent. Black Swan can spread her DoT to adjacent foes and also lower their DEF for other team . The 5-star Nihility character in Honkai: Star Rail is a tricky one to master, and the first step in doing so is guaranteeing she has access to the proper build and team comp.

Best Light Cones For Black Swan

The best Light Cones for Black Swan are those that increase her ATK and Effect Hit Rate stats, as those are the most beneficial in her kit as a DoT-based DPS unit. Ideally, you will have access to her signature 5-star Light Cone, Reforged Remembrance, which fits her gameplay kit and mechanics. With it, Black Swan gets a 40% boost to Effect Hit Rate, and whenever she deals DMG to an opponent inflicted with Wind Shear, Burn, Shock, or Bleed in Honkai: Star Rail, each respectively grants one stack of Prophet, up to four times.

Only one stack of Prophet can be obtained from each of the aforementioned DoT effects.

Every stack of Prophet obtained with Reforged Remembrance increases the Black Swan’s ATK by 5% and enables the respective DoT to ignore 7.2% of the enemy’s DEF. Because this Light Cone is a item that is only obtainable through the limited-time Light Cone banner whenever Black Swan is in the gacha’s rotation, you may not have access to it. There are, fortunately, some alternatives, be they 5-star or 4-star items. The table below lists the ideal builds for Black Swan in Honkai: Star Rail, including Light Cone suggestions, the best Relics and Ornaments, and stat priority:

Alternatively, you can equip Black Swan with Incessant Rain, Silver Wolf’s signature 5-star Light Cone. This weapon increases Black Swan’s Effect Hit Rate by 24% and, when she deals damage to an opponent with three or more debuffs, it increases her CRIT Rate by 12%. After Black Swan uses her active abilities during battle, she has a 100% base chance of implanting Aether Code on a random target that does not have it yet – Aether Code in Honkai: Star Rail increases the DMG received by 12% for one turn.

Of course, Incessant Rain is also a weapon. In The Name of the World, which can be obtained from all banners and from the Starlight Exchange Store, is also a worthy option for Black Swan. It increases her DMG against debuffed opponents by 224% and when she uses her Skill, the attack’s Effect Hit Rate increases by 18%, while ATK is boosted by 24%. If none of the 5-star weapons is available, however, you can opt for 4-star Nihility Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail.

The best 4-star Light Cone for Black Swan is called It’s Showtime. Whenever Black Swan inflicts a debuff, she gains a stack of Trick. Every stack of Trick increases her DMG dealt by 6%, up to three times. This effect lasts for one turn and, when her Effect Hit Rate is 80% or higher, she gets a 20% ATK boost. 4-star Light Cone alternatives for Black Swan in Honkai: Star Rail include Before the Tutorial Mission Starts and Eyes of the Prey.

For Black Swan, you do not need to focus too heavily on Break Effect, especially when looking for a Light Cone.

Best Relics, Ornaments, & Stats For Black Swan

As a Nihility character that relies heavily on DoT damage, the best Relic set for Black Swan is Prisoner in Deep Confinement. The two-piece bonus will grant her a 12% increase to ATK, while the four-piece bonus sees that, for every DoT on the target, Black Swan will ignore 6% of their DEF when dealing damage, an effect valid for a maximum of three DoTs. This stacks up with Black Swan’s own ability to ignore enemies’ DEF via her Talent. A temporary Relic substitute is Thief of Shooting Meteor, though your farming should be directed at Prisoner in Deep Confinement.

The ideal Planar Ornaments to farm for Black Swan are Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise. This set’s bonus increases her Effect Hit Rate by 10% and boosts her ATK by an amount equal to 25% of the current Effect Hit Rate, up to a maximum of 25%. This should improve Black Swan’s effectiveness as a DPS capable of inflicting DoT debuffs on opponents via her Arcana mechanism. Alternatively, you can use Firmament Frontline: Glamoth for a 12% ATK boost. This set also grants a 12%/18% DMG increase when Black Swan’s SPD in Honkai: Star Rail is equal to or higher than 135/160.

The stats you want to look out for when farming Relics and Ornaments for Black Swan are ATK, Effect Hit Rate, and Wind DMG, as she inflicts Wind Sheer. Most of her abilities scale off her ATK stat, so that should be of the utmost priority, but don’t overlook Effect Hit Rate. The Nihility character should also benefit from some boosts to her Energy Recharge, even if she does not rely too heavily on the usage of her Ultimate in Honkai: Star Rail. SPD can also be appreciated, as it can move her up on the attack order list.

If you are using the It’s Showtime Light Cone, make sure Black Swan’s Effect Hit Rate is at least at 80%.

Best Team Comps For Black Swan

The strongest team comps for Black Swan are those focused merely on DoT damage. The team has Kafka working alongside Black Swan to constantly apply and activate DoTs on enemies in an AoE. This team benefits from Ruan Mei, arguably the best unit in the game, as she extends the duration of Weakness Break. The best healer for this party is Huohuo in Honkai: Star Rail, who not only provides restoration but also increases the team’s ATK, further optimizing Black Swan and Kafka’s statuses as Nihility DPS units.

The table below offers some team comp suggestions for Black Swan:

Of course, a team may be hard to build. Black Swan can easily operate with a F2P (free-to-play) team, with Serval, Sampo, or Hook as the secondary DPS unit, capable of inflicting DoTs on enemies. The can either be a debuffer like Pela or a team buffer like Asta – who can also spread Burn DoTs on foes. The best healer for the job is Lynx, as she can heal and clear any debuffs from party . You can use Natasha in Honkai: Star Rail, but she will lack the ability to dispel debuffs.

Skill Priority For Black Swan

When you are leveling up Black Swan’s abilities, you should prioritize her Talent, as this is the one that directly affects the performance of her Arcana and, subsequently, her DoT damage. Following that, you should level up her Ultimate, as this is a great source of damage. The last priority, though not least important, is an equal tie between Black Swan’s Skill and Basic Attack. Both these abilities apply Arcana to opponents, making them indispensable to her gameplay rotation in Honkai: Star Rail.

Black Swan is a somewhat complicated character to build and use in combat due to the unique gameplay abilities she has and how DoT is triggered with her. Nevertheless, optimizing her build to increase her damage potential and pairing her up with characters that boost Black Swan and operate on the same level as her is the secret to unlocking her. Once she is adequately built and mastered, Black Swan becomes a lethal DPS in Honkai: Star Rail.