Trailblazers, welcome back to the ultimate challenge! Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4, "For the Sun Shall Be Ravaged," launched on July 2nd, bringing with it a fresh wave of content, including a brand-new iteration of the demanding Apocalyptic Shadow game mode. The latest phase, "Apocalyptic Shadow: Ichor Beast" (Golden Blood Beast), will be available from July 7, 2025, 04:00 (Server Time) to August 18, 2025, 04:00 (Server Time), introducing unique mechanics that promise an exhilarating battle. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to dominate the "Ichor Beast" and claim your rewards!
▍How Does Apocalyptic Shadow Work in HSR?
For those new to the challenge, Apocalyptic Shadow tasks you with facing two different boss mirages across multiple stages of escalating difficulty (Enemy Levels: 60/70/80/90). Your objective is to defeat these bosses before an Action Value Timer runs out, earning points based on their remaining HP and the time left. Achieving 60,000 points per stage grants maximum rewards. Each phase comes with unique "Ruinous Embers" (in-battle effects) and three "Finality's Axiom" buffs that you can select to enhance your team.
▍Version 3.4 Spotlight: Apocalyptic Shadow: Ichor Beast
The "Ichor Beast" phase is a fresh addition to the Apocalyptic Shadow family, offering a unique "extra turn" mechanic that can feel even more exaggerated than in the Simulated Universe, allowing many characters to act repeatedly. Let's dive straight into the BOSS weakness analysis and recommended team compositions for this phase!
I. Environment Effects
The core mechanic of "Ichor Beast" revolves around Weakness Breaking enemy units with "Steadfast Safeguard". When such an enemy is Weakness Broken:
- All your allies will have control states dispelled.
- Your team will recover Skill Points.
- All allies' Ultimates will be activated.
- All enemies will take 25% increased Skill Damage.
This environment strongly benefits two types of character systems:
- Characters with High Ultimate Output/Crucial Ultimate Mechanics: Especially those whose Ultimate charging is usually tricky but contributes significantly to their damage or core functionality. Examples include Saber, Jingliu, Aglaia, Herta, Feixiao, Yunli, Argenti, and similar characters.
2. Characters whose Skill is their Primary Damage Source: Such as Archer, Boothill, Necros, Wan Di, and others.
II. Node 1: Flame Reaver of Doomsday Led Astray
This boss holds an advantage against Physical, Ice, Lightning, and Quantum elements. Both the Flame Reaver itself and its summoned "Container Clones" share these four Weaknesses.
Boss Trait: Steadfast Safeguard (Stage 1+)
The Flame Reaver starts with two consecutive actions and summons 4 "Broken Containers." Each destroyed container reduces its Toughness bar by 25%. Upon losing its first Toughness bar, the BOSS enters Phase 2. At this point, the BOSS retreats, and "Container Clones" continuously refresh on the field. Destroying 1 Broken Clone reduces the main Toughness bar by 10.5%.
Every 2 "Broken Containers" summoned, the next one will be a "Complete Container". This special clone has lower HP, glows purple, and has a unique health bar indicator. If you can eliminate the "Complete Container" before it acts, the character who landed the killing blow will gain a stackable extra turn.
- Tip: The field continuously refreshes to maintain 4 clones. If you can consistently eliminate 3-4 clones each time, you can ensure there's always a "Complete Container" present, allowing for potentially infinite extra turns!
Finality's Axiom Buffs (Node 1)
- Bold Leader: The DMG dealt by the character in position 1 in the lineup increases by 60%. For every 4 Skill Points consumed, 1 Skill Point is recovered.
- No Turning Back: After any ally target consumes their own HP, increases their DMG dealt by 40% for 3 turns.
- Tarsus Infection: After an ally target deals DoT to an enemy, 6 Energy is regenerated. DoT of all allies ignores 30% of the enemy target's All-Type RES.
Recommended Teams (Leveraging Node 1 Axioms)
- For "Bold Leader" & Skill DMG: Focus on a strong DPS in the first slot with powerful Skills.
- Boothill + Robin + Bronya + Sparkle / Tierbo / Ruan Mei (High Skill DMG, SP positive, potentially good for position 1 DPS).
- Yunli / Argenti + Tierbo / Trailblazer (Memory) / Sparkle / Ruan Mei / Robin / Tingyun (choose 2) + Huohuo (Argenti and Yunli can leverage Skill/Ultimate synergy and potentially be in position 1).
- For "No Turning Back" (HP Consumption): Characters like Blade or Jingliu can excel here.
- Jingliu + Trailblazer (Memory) / Robin + Tierbo / Ruan Mei + Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae / Luocha.
- For "Tarsus Infection" (DoT Teams):
- Kafka + Black Swan + Ruan Mei / Tierbo (choose 2) (Classic DoT powerhouses).
- General AOE/Skill Synergy:
- Herta + Herta (Little) + Ruan Mei / Tierbo / Trailblazer (Memory) + Sustain character (Excellent for multi-target clearing and extra turns).
- Aglaia + Robin + Ruan Mei + Tierbo (Synergizes with summoning and buffs).
III. Node 2: Starbane Doombringer
This boss holds an advantage against Physical = Fire > Ice = Wind. At the start of the battle, it assigns "Physical, Fire, Ice" to its left hand and "Physical, Fire, Wind" to its right hand. The enemy's offensive desire is relatively low, so you might consider a no-sustain strategy for higher scores.
Boss Traits:
- Steadfast Safeguard (Stage 1+): (Same as Node 1's main environmental effect.)
- Battlefield Transfer (Stage 1+): The Boss Mirage cannot be attacked directly. When all three parts of the Boss Mirage (Antimatter Engine, Disaster's Right Hand, Dawn's Left Hand) are in Feigned Death simultaneously, the Boss Mirage enters Weakness Break state and can be attacked. During this state, its actions are additionally delayed, and the DMG it receives increases by 100%. The Antimatter Engine transfers its own weakness type to Disaster's Right Hand and Dawn's Left Hand. However, when Disaster's Right Hand or Dawn's Left Hand is defeated, the Antimatter Engine's Toughness is additionally reduced.
- Battle Hardened (Stage 3+): After using a single-target ability, enemy units gain increased SPD for 1 turn. After using an AoE ATK ability, their ATK increases for 1 turn. Using a Support ability recovers HP to the target of the ability.
- Tenacious Resolve (Stage 4): Reduces DMG received by all enemies, but every Weakness-Type they have increases DMG received.
- Targeting Specifics: At the start of each phase, your characters will be assigned a Quantum/Imaginary attribute enchantment. Characters should prioritize attacking enemy targets with the same attribute to dispel the enchantment and prevent subsequent control effects from being triggered when hit.
Finality's Axiom Buffs (Node 2)
- Teaching and Learning Go Banana in Peel: Increases all allies' Skill DMG and Ultimate DMG dealt by 50%.
- Hunter's Stride: When an ally breaks an enemy target's Weakness, Advances Action Forward by 25%.
- Turn of Luck: Follow-up ATK DMG dealt by characters ignores 15% of the enemy target's All-Type RES and can also reduce the Toughness of targets that do not have the corresponding Weakness, with the effect being equivalent to 50% of the original Toughness Reduction from the ability.
Recommended Teams (Leveraging Node 2 Axioms)
- For "Teaching and Learning" (Skill/Ultimate Focus): Strong generalist DPS teams.
- Boothill + Robin + Bronya + Sparkle / Tierbo / Ruan Mei (Excellent for Skill/Ultimate burst).
- Jingliu + Tierbo + Trailblazer (Memory) / Robin + Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae.
- Necros + Robin + Ruan Mei + Gallagher.
- For "Hunter's Stride" (Break Teams): Characters with high Toughness reduction or Break Effect.
- Firefly / Boothill + Boothill + Ruan Mei + Gallagher / Harmony Trailblazer (Strong Break synergy).
- For "Turn of Luck" (Follow-up Attack Teams):
- Feixiao + March 7th (Hunt) + Ruan Mei + Sustain character / Trailblazer (Memory) / Tierbo. (Feixiao and March 7th are follow-up focused).
▍Conclusion
This marks the end of our Version 3.4 Apocalyptic Shadow guide! Compared to previous iterations, the challenge feels considerably simpler this time around, with generous reward mechanisms and powerful environmental buffs. We hope this guide helps you conquer the "Ichor Beast" with ease.
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