Table of Contents
Introduction
Herta’s Store is unlocked as you progress through the game. Here you will find 3 light cones all of which are 5* and have strong effects tied to them, making some of them the best f2p light cones available. Here a special currency is used called Herta Bond, it can be obtained as a first-time clear reward in all Simulated Universe worlds or from the point rewards.
A minor thing to note is that you are able to buy a single Star Rail Pass (1 standard banner pull) for 2 Herta Bonds this is absolutely NOT WORTH TAKING IN THE EARLY GAME.
Light Cones
While you may eventually be able to buy all the light cones in the shop and Superimpose them to max, the amount of Herta Bonds you can get are time-gated. This guide aims to give you a general idea of which light cone to prioritize for your account.
The first light cone in our list is “Cruising the Stellar Sea”, this will most likely be the best option for most players as you will always have access to Dan Heng. Providing a base of 16% Crit rate boost (At superimpose 5) is already a great effect by itself, it allows for a lot of flexibility when building for your relic sets by allowing you to go for more Crit DMG/ATK sub-stat lines rather than having to build more Crit Rate. Its secondary effect gives the wearer a 40% ATK buff after defeating an enemy, which this effect provides a huge boost to ATK, it can be situational and does not provide anything when going up against only a single enemy.
When to consider buying it: You would want to consider taking this light cone most of the time as you already have access to a strong Hunt character when starting out the game (Dan Heng).
When to skip/buy another light cone: If you have access to other 5* Hunt light cones such as Sleep Like the Dead/In the Night or if you have a Destruction character that would greatly benefit from “On the Fall of an Aeon”.
Next we have “On the Fall of an Aeon” a 5* Destruction light cone, its first effect grants the wearer a stacking ATK buff of a grand total of 64% at Superimpose 5. Do keep in mind that the ATK buff gained from this gain may take a few turns to set up as it requires the wearer to attack to gain stacks. Its secondary effect increases the Wearer’s DMG for 2 turns if you apply a weakness break, overall a great effect that isn’t tied to the number of enemies on the field making it less situational than Cruising the Stellar Sea.
The main problem with buying this light cone doesn’t stem from the light cone itself, instead, the issue lies with the lack of Destruction characters that can take advantage of it. As most of the time, Trailblazer (Physical) is overshadowed by the amount of utility Trailblazer (Fire) provides to the team.
When to consider buying it: If you have/want to use Clara or Hook and lack good alternatives for Destruction light cones.
When to skip/buy another light cone: You don’t have Clara or Hook, want to have a good light cone for Hunt characters, or you have decent alternative Destruction light cones.
For our third and final light cone, we have “Texture of Memories” and can be worth getting before the other 2 light cones if you want to focus on survivability. However, do not that will always have access to a strong Preservation light cone “We Are Wildfire” as it is given for free.
Now onto its effects, for its first effect it increases the wearer’s Effect RES by 16% at superimpose 5, while its secondary effect generates a shield if the wearer currently does not have a shield or reduces the damage taken if they have a shield. While the first effect can be very situational the second effect adds a lot of survivability to your team, you can consider this if you need another light cone for another preservation character.
When to consider buying it: If you REALLY want more survivability or need another Preservation light cone that isn’t We Are Wildfire.
When to skip/buy another light cone: You have and are planning to use “We Are Wildfire” and prefer a more damage-oriented light cone.
