Herta Build Guide for Honkai: Star Rail

The Herta, also known as Madam Herta, is a powerful 5-Star Ice-type character belonging to the Erudition path in *Honkai: Star Rail*. As member 83 of the Genius Society and founder of the Herta Space Station, she plays a significant role in both lore and gameplay. Her unique skill set revolves around stacking damage through Inspiration and Interpretation mechanics, making her an effective AoE DPS unit capable of performing even in single-target scenarios.

Her kit allows her to gain Inspiration stacks for herself while applying Interpretation stacks on enemies. Each stack increases the damage of her Enhanced Skill and Ultimate, especially when paired with another Erudition ally that benefits from her Talent and A4 Trace. This synergy enables The Herta to achieve high burst potential with relatively low investment, making her a versatile choice for various team compositions, including F2P builds.

Best The Herta Build In Honkai: Star Rail

Light ConeRelic SetsRelic Stats 1. (S1) Into the Unreachable Veil (BIS)
2. (S1) Night on the Milky Way (5 Targets)
3. (S5) Today is Another Peaceful Day
4. (S1) Before Dawn (Stat Stick)
5. (S1) An Instant Before A Gaze
6. (S5) Geniuses' Repose
7. (S1) Yet Hope Is Priceless (Stat Stick)
8. (S5) Eternal Calculus
9. (S5) The Day the Cosmos Fell
10. (S5) The Seriousness of Breakfast - 4pc Scholar Lost in Erudition (BIS)
- 4pc Hunter of Glacial Forest
- Any 2pc combination of Crit Rate, Ice DMG, or ATK% - Body: CRIT Rate
- Feet: ATK% or SPD
- Planar Sphere: Ice DMG or ATK%
- Link Rope: ATK%

The best build for The Herta focuses on maximizing her damage output through critical hits and Ice-type effectiveness. Her ideal Relic setup includes the full 4-piece Scholar Lost in Erudition set, which provides a strong boost to both her Skill and Ultimate damage. For players who haven’t obtained this set yet, the Hunter of Glacial Forest offers a solid alternative with its Ice DMG and CRIT DMG bonuses. Light Cones like Into the Unreachable Veil (her signature) are considered Best-in-Slot (BIS), but several other options provide viable alternatives depending on availability and player budget.

Best The Herta Relics In Honkai: Star Rail

The Herta thrives with high ATK, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG stats. Since her Enhanced Skill and Ultimate make up the bulk of her damage, any enhancements to these abilities are highly beneficial. SPD can be useful depending on her teammates and playstyle, though it's not always mandatory thanks to her passive effects and Eidolon support.

The top-tier Relic set for The Herta is the 4-piece Scholar Lost in Erudition. It boosts her CRIT Rate by 8%, increases Skill and Ultimate damage by 20%, and grants an additional 25% damage bonus to the next Skill used after an Ultimate. This synergizes well with her ability to use an enhanced Skill immediately after her Ultimate, maximizing burst potential.

An alternative option is the 4-piece Hunter of Glacial Forest, offering 10% Ice DMG and 25% CRIT DMG boost for two turns after using an Ultimate. While slightly less optimal than Scholar, it still complements her effectively.

For Planar Ornaments, Izumo Gensei and Takama Divine Realm are the best overall due to their ATK and CRIT Rate boosts when paired with another Erudition unit. Rutilant Arena serves as a strong alternative, while Sigonia, the Unclaimed Desolation, is only recommended for Pure Fiction content.

Ideal stat targets for The Herta range between 3,000-3,900 ATK depending on gear, 80%-100% CRIT Rate, and over 180% CRIT DMG. Thanks to her A4 Trace granting 80% CRIT DMG, prioritizing CRIT Rate via chest pieces or support characters like Sunday is advised.

Best The Herta Light Cones In Honkai: Star Rail

The Herta’s best Light Cone is Into the Unreachable Veil, her signature weapon. At S1, it enhances CRIT Rate and significantly boosts both Skill and Ultimate damage for three turns post-Ultimate. Additionally, it recovers a Skill Point if the Ultimate costs 140 or more Energy—making it highly efficient in certain team setups.

Other top choices include Night on the Milky Way for multi-target scenarios, An Instant Before A Gaze for CRIT DMG-focused builds, and Before Dawn or Yet Hope Is Priceless for reliable stat boosts. For budget or F2P players, Today Is Another Peaceful Day at S5 is a strong 4-star option that can outperform many 5-star cones. Free-to-play-friendly Light Cones like Eternal Calculus, The Day the Cosmos Fell, and The Seriousness of Breakfast are also viable until better options become available.