Greeting!
Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 is approaching, bringing Hysilens & Cerydra from a past timeline. Simultaneously, Kafka & Silver Wolf, who received enhancements in 3.4, are finally getting their reruns. There are also new UPDATES waiting for us.
The release date is August 12, 2025. Many Trailblazers are surely conflicted about pulling plans. Today, I'll bring you a comprehensive 3.5 banner analysis to see the detailed info and how to plan more reasonably for the new version.
▍HSR 3.5 First Half
Hysilens
Judging from Hysilens' mechanics, she fits perfectly into the existing Kafka-Black Swan DOT team composition as the third DOT dealer, providing both damage and buffs. Therefore, Hysilens primarily serves as an upgrade for Trailblazers who already have Kafka and Black Swan. For new players, however, Hysilens isn't very suitable for direct pulling.
After Kafka's enhancement, the DOT archetype has regained sufficient strength. Hysilens joining as an upgrade allows DOT teams to reclaim long-term, stable clearing power. However, with many strong archetypes currently available, whether to pull Hysilens depends on personal fondness for the DOT playstyle; she isn't considered a top-tier new character.
*Pull Recommendation: ★★☆☆☆ (Not Recommended)
▍HSR 3.5 Second Half
Cerydra
As a Harmony character, Cerydra doesn't provide action advance mechanics but possesses the unique "Double Skill" mechanic. This allows a target under [Military Merit] to have the effect of their Skill doubled. Beyond damage enhancement, this offers extra benefits for characters with unique Skill mechanics, making her a strategically valuable support.
Currently, the character most reliant on their Skill is Phainon, who precisely lacks a suitable dedicated support. Cerydra's addition can significantly enhance Phainon's empowered Skill damage during transformation; regardless of which empowered Skill is doubled, the final gains are substantial. Thus, for Phainon players, Cerydra's pulling value is very high. Beyond that, Cerydra also synergizes well with Anaxa.
However, as a Skill-focused support, Cerydra's employment scope is relatively narrow. Furthermore, Tribbie, as the benchmark support of the 3.X era, remains highly competitive even within Cerydra's niche. Therefore, while Cerydra possesses decent strength, her unavoidable lack of versatility means pulling decisions should still depend on account needs.
*Pull Recommendation: ★★★☆☆ (Consider Pulling)
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▍HSR 3.5 First Half Rerun
Kafka
As the absolute core of the DOT archetype, Kafka received significant buffs in Version 3.4, balancing DOT triggering with team-wide ATK buffing support. However, DOT teams currently perform only decently; even with environmental buffs, they aren't top-tier. Furthermore, as DOT teams have evolved into triple-DPS teams where Kafka, Black Swan, and Hysilens are all key components (and cannot be used effectively in other teams), the pulling cost is relatively high.
For Trailblazers without Kafka currently, there's almost no need to consider starting a DOT team. Version 3.6 will see the consecutive release of Permanasor Terrae and Evernight, and the future Cyrene also looks highly valuable. Prioritize saving up resources this version.
*Pull Recommendation: ★☆☆☆☆ (Do Not Pull)
▍HSR 3.5 Second Half Rerun
Silver Wolf
Silver Wolf was once a mediocre support with severe mechanical issues. After her 3.4 enhancement, her Ultimate became AoE DEF reduction, the base chance of her skills was significantly increased, and her energy rotation was optimized. Coupled with her solid base stats, Silver Wolf has become a quality support keeping pace with the 3.0 power level.
Additionally, unlocking Silver Wolf's Eidolon 1 and equipping her 4-star Signature Light Cone even grants her decent damage potential, giving owners of Silver Wolf a reason to use her again.
For Trailblazers who have already pulled strong supports like Tribbie or Sampo since 3.0, Silver Wolf is likely unnecessary now. However, if support characters are still insufficient and Stellar Jade reserves allow, consider pulling her.
Pull Recommendation: ★★★☆☆ (Consider Pulling)
▍Conclusion
Overall, none of the four UP characters in Version 3.5 are particularly essential pulls; they are primarily niche upgrades. The most worthwhile pick among them is Cerydra, the dedicated support tailor-made for Phainon. In summary, if your current Stellar Jade reserves aren't especially plentiful, Version 3.5 is a good time to save up for future characters like Evernight. Who are you planning to pull for in Version 3.5?
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