The Honkai Star Rail x Fate/Stay Night collab has gone live, and it brings a limited-time banner for Saber. She is a 5-star Wind Destruction character and packs a fair bit of damage output. If you are a Fate series fan, then you don’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get Saber in HSR. With the best Saber build and teams in Honkai Star Rail, she can help you breeze through most in-game challenges. Follow our guide to check out a variety of Saber builds in HSR and dominate the game one Excalibur swing at a time.
Saber Character Overview: Basic Info, Rating, and Stats
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Rarity | 5-Star |
| Path |  Destruction |
| Element |  Wind |
| Attack | 601 |
| Defense | 654 |
| HP | 1242 |
| Speed | 101 |
| Energy | 360 |
| General Rating |  |
| Pure Fiction Rating |  |
| Memory of Chaos Rating | |
| Apocalyptic Shadow Rating | |
Is Saber Worth Pulling? Pros and Cons
Before we look into Saber’s best builds, let’s first see if she is worth pulling or not. Saber has many great qualities, and her banner will last for multiple versions. So, here are all the pros and cons for Saber before you decide to pull for her:
PROS CONS Very F2P friendly Not among the strongest DPS units in the game Good DPS unit for all game modes Slightly dependent on Advance Forwarding supports Gives herself a ton of Crit Rate and Crit Damage through her kit Versatile with team comps She screams Excalibur every time you use her Ultimate (most important)
Saber is worth pulling, especially if you are a long-time Fate series fan. Her screaming Excalibur every time she uses her ultimate is just enough fan service that a Fate fan needs to get their hands on her.
If you think about it from a more constructive view, Saber is a good Wind DPS unit and worth the Stellar Jades you get from Honkai Star Rail codes. She is F2P-friendly, packs a punch, and there is no harm in adding her to your collection if you lack a good Wind DPS. However, do not expect to deal Phainon or Acheron levels of damage with Saber.
Should I Get Saber’s Signature Light Cone?
Saber’s Signature Light Cone, ‘A Thankless Coronation,’ is good for most Destruction units because of its flat Crit Damage and ATK% increase. The Light Cone increases Crit Damage by 36% and further increases ATK% by 40% after the character uses their Ultimate. However, only Saber can use its last effect that recharges a fixed amount of Energy equal to 10% of the wearer’s Max Energy if it is greater than or equal to 300, and further increases the wearer’s ATK% by another 40%.
As Saber is the only Destruction unit with 300 Max Energy, she is the only character that can fully benefit from this Light Cone. I would recommend skipping Saber’s signature Light Cone, as there are other good F2P options available for her.
Honkai Star Rail Saber: Best Builds
| Type | Information |
|---|---|
| Light Cone | A Thankless Coronation |
| Relic | Wavestrider Captain |
| Planar Ornament | Firmament Frontline: Glamoth |
| Main Stats | Body: Crit Rate Boots: ATK% Sphere: Wind Damage Boost Rope: ATK% |
| Sub Stats | Crit Rate > ATK% > Crit Damage > Speed |
This is Saber’s best build in Honkai Star Rail. Saber’s best Light Cone is Thankless Coronation, her best Relic is Wavestrider Captain, and her best ornament is Firmament Frontline: Glamoth. When it comes to stats, it is better to prioritize getting Crit Rate and ATK% as she already gets a ton of Crit Damage from her kit. With that said, the following sections include Saber’s best build alternatives.
HSR Saber Light Cones: Best and Alternatives
| Name | Rarity | Value |
|---|---|---|
| A Thankless Coronation | 5-Star | Best |
| Thus Burns The Dawn | 5-star | Great |
| On the Fall of an Aeon | 5-star | Best F2P |
| A Trail of Bygone Blood | 4-star | Good |
| The Moles Welcome You | 4-star | Decent |
A Thankless Coronation is Saber’s signature Light Cone in Honkai Star Rail and also her best-in-slot Light Cone option. It provides a ton of Crit Damage and ATK%, alongside giving her fixed amounts of Energy.
Next on the list is Phainon’s signature Light Cone — Thus Burns The Dawn. This Light Cone is also perfect for Saber as it increases her damage dealt and lets her ignore 18% defenses of enemies. But, you are more likely to use this Light Cone on Phainon himself over Saber. Let’s take a look at Saber’s F2P and 4-star Light Cones.
On the Fall of an Aeon is the best F2P Light Cone for Saber. It grants a ton of ATK% increase and can be obtained from the Herta Store using in-game currency. Other than that, the 4-star Light Cones ‘A Trail of Bygone Blood’ and ‘The Moles Welcome You’ are also good options. At the end of the day, any Light Cone that increases Crit and ATK% can be used on Saber.
HSR Saber Relics: Best and Alternatives
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Wavestrider Captain | Best |
| Scholar Lost in Erudition | Good |
Wavestrider Captain is the best Relic for Saber as it increases her Crit Damage and ATK%. However, make sure to have two players buff Saber first before using her Ultimate, otherwise you won’t get the 48% ATK increase from the Relic effect.
For alternatives, Scholar Lost in Erudition is another good pick. It increases Crit Rate by 8% and increases damage dealt by Skill and Ultimate. However, you won’t get a buff to Saber’s enhanced basic attack with this Relic. Compared to it, Wavestrider Captain’s ATK% increase effect would benefit the entirety of Saber’s kit.
HSR Saber Planar Ornaments: Best and Alternatives
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Firmament Frontline: Glamoth | Best |
| Inert Salsotto | Good |
| Space Sealing Station | Good |
Firmament Frontline: Glamoth is the best Planar Ornament for Saber in Honkai Star Rail. This ornament increases ATK% and further increases her damage dealt based on her Speed. One thing to note is that you must reach the 165 Speed Breakpoint with buffs on Saber if you want to properly use this Ornament set.
Alternatively, Intert Salsotto and Space Sealing Station are good choices for Saber. They provide Crit Rate and ATK% increase, so they would get the job done for her.
Recommended Stats for Saber
| Stat | Recommended Value | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Crit Rate | 80% (60% with Sunday) | High |
| Attack | 3200+ | High |
| Crit Damage | 150% or above | High |
| Speed | +1 Speed From Action Forwarding Support | – |
When it comes to Stats, make sure not to get more than 80% Crit Rate on Saber, as she already gets 20% Crit Rate from her kit.
Furthermore, if you are using Sunday with Saber, who is his best teammate, then you should not get more than 60% Crit Rate. Sunday increases Crit Rate by 20%, so anything more will just be a waste.
Next, be sure to reach at least 3200 ATK on Saber to maximize her damage output in Honkai Star Rail. After that, focus on building her Crit Damage. Anything around 150% is good for her as she gets more Crit Damage from her kit. Finally, Speed is not that important for Saber, unless you want to hit the threshold for Firmament Frontline: Glamoth. Only make sure to have +1 Speed over your action advancing support, so that Saber gets two turns consecutively.
Honkai Star Rail Saber: Best Teams
Now, let’s take a look at Saber’s best teams in HSR. She is a versatile unit and can work with most supports and sustains. However, her best teams will increase her Ultimate recharge and ATK%.
Saber Ultimate Recharge Team
Saber’s best team would be with Sunday, Tribbie, and Huohuo. Sunday is a clear favorite to join this Fate character’s team. He can provide energy, increase damage output and Crit Damage, while also action-forwarding Saber.
Alongside Sunday, Huohuo is the best sustain as she can also increase ATK% and recharge energy for the entire team. Other than that, Tribbie can act as a purely damage-increasing support for her team. Also, Tribbie’s constant Ultimate use is great for recharging Saber’s Ultimate and increasing her damage.
Saber Generalist Team
Even though Saber works best in a Hypercarry team, she has a ton of options for her allies. If you cannot build her best team, then simply swap with these alternatives. Bronya is the most suitable replacement for Sunday; however, Sparkle can also work if you don’t have other options.
Furthermore, Tingyun, Pela, Silver Wolf, Robin, Remembrance Trailblazer, all work really well with Saber. For sustain, anyone who can keep Saber alive is acceptable, but Hyacine is the clear favorite after Huohuo.
Saber F2P Friendly Team (Free to Play)
| Type | DPS | Support | Support | Sustain | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F2P | Saber | Tingyun | Remembrance Trailblazer | Gallagher | Good |
Saber is also very free to play friendly. You can pair Saber with Tingyun, Remembrance Trailblazer, and Gallagher to breeze through most of the challenging content of the game.
Honkai Star Rail Saber Kit: Traces and Eidolons
HSR Saber Trace and Eidolon Priority
| Trace | Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Attack | Her Basic Attack becomes enhanced after using her Ultimate, and is one of her main sources of damage | High |
| Skill | Deals strong blast damage to enemies and recharges energy based on core resonance | High |
| Ultimate | The highest source of damage from Saber and also changes the basic attack to its enhanced version. Deals more single-target damage if there are fewer enemies on the field. | Highest |
| Talent | Increases Saber’s damage when allies use Ultimate abilities, while also generating core resonance points. 1 Core resonance point regenerates 8 energy for Saber. | High |
| Ascension 2 | Increases Saber’s Crit Rate and regenerates Skill points | High |
| Ascension 4 | Allows her to store 120 excess energy for later use | Medium |
| Ascension 6 | Massively increases her Crit Damage when using her Skill | Highest |
| Bonus Stats | Good Crit Rate and Wind Damage boosts | Medium |
| E1 | Increases Ultimate Damage | Best |
| E2 | Increases Skill Damage and makes her ignore enemy defenses based on her Core Resonance | Good |
| E4 | Increases her Wind Resistance penetration | Good |
| E6 | Increases her Wind Resistance Penetration for her Ultimate, makes her A4 store more excess energy, and recharges her Ultimate completely on every 3rd use of her Ultimate | Great |
HSR Saber Traces and Eidolons
| Trace | Details |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack (Invisible Air: Barrier of the Wind King) | Deals Wind DMG equal to 100% of Saber’s ATK to one designated enemy. |
| Enhanced Basic Attack (Release, the Golden Scepter) | Gains 2 “Core Resonance” and deals Wind DMG equal to 150% of Saber’s ATK to all enemies. If the number of enemies is 2/1 when this ability is used, it additionally deals Wind DMG equal to 150%/220% of Saber’s ATK to all enemies. |
| Skill (Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King) | Deals Wind DMG equal to 150% of Saber’s ATK to one designated enemy, and deals Wind DMG equal to 75% of Saber’s ATK to adjacent targets. If Saber currently possesses “Core Resonance” and her Energy can be regenerated to full by consuming “Core Resonance” after this instance of Skill attack, then increase the DMG multiplier for this instance of Skill use by 14% for each stack of “Core Resonance,” and consume all “Core Resonance” to regenerate Energy for Saber after attacking. Otherwise, immediately gains 3 point(s) of “Core Resonance.” |
| Ultimate (Excalibur) | Deals Wind DMG equal to 280% of Saber’s ATK to all enemies, and additionally deals 10 instance(s) of DMG, with each instance being Wind DMG equal to 110% of Saber’s ATK dealt to one random enemy. After using Ultimate, the next Basic ATK switches to “Release, the Golden Scepter,” and only “Release, the Golden Scepter” can be used. |
| Talent (Dragon Reactor Core) | Obtains 1 “Core Resonance” point(s) when entering battle. When any ally target uses an Ultimate, increases DMG dealt by Saber by 60% for 2 turn(s) and obtains 3 “Core Resonance” point(s). Consuming 1 “Core Resonance” point will regenerate a fixed 8 Energy for Saber. |
| Technique (Behold, the King of Knights) | After using Technique, increases Saber’s ATK by 35% for 2 turn(s) at the start of the next battle and gains 2 “Core Resonance”. |
| Ascension 1 (Knight of the Dragon) | Increases Saber’s CRIT Rate by 20%. When entering battle and when using her Enhanced Basic ATK, obtains the “Mana Burst” effect. Under the effect, if Saber has “Core Resonance” and her Energy can be fully regenerated by using her Skill and consuming “Core Resonance,” consumes “Mana Burst” to recover 1 Skill Point for allies, and Saber immediately takes action. |
| Ascension 2 (Blessing of the Lake) | Saber can accumulate up to 120 excess Energy. After using Ultimate, the excess Energy is cleared and a corresponding amount is regenerated. When the battle starts, if Energy is below 60%, it is regenerated to 60%. |
| Ascension 3 (Crown of the Star) | When using Skill, increases Saber’s CRIT DMG by 50% for 2 turns. During this battle, for each point of “Core Resonance” gained, increases Saber’s CRIT DMG by 4%, stacking up to 8 time(s). |
| Bonus Stats | – 22.4% Wind Damage Boost – 12% Crit Rate – 10% HP |
| E1 (The Lost White Walls) | Increases Ultimate DMG dealt by Saber by 60%. After Saber uses a Basic ATK or Skill, she gains 1 “Core Resonance.” |
| E2 (The Lost Oath of the Round Table) | For each point of “Core Resonance” gained in this battle, Saber’s DMG dealt ignores 1% of the target’s DEF. This effect can stack up to 15 time(s). When triggering the “Core Resonance’s” Skill multiplier effect, each point of “Core Resonance” additionally increases the DMG multiplier for this instance of Skill by 7%. |
| E3 (A Wish Across Fifteen Centuries) | Ultimate Level + 2, Basic Attack Level + 1 |
| E4 (The Saga of Sixteen Winter Days) | Increases Saber’s Wind RES PEN by 8%. After using Ultimate, increases Saber’s Wind RES PEN by 4%. This effect can stack up to 3 time(s). |
| E5 (The Dreamed Utopian Dawn) | Skill Level + 2, Talent Level + 2 |
| E6 (The Long Fated Night) | Wind RES PEN of Ultimate DMG dealt by Saber increases by 20%, and the Overflow Energy that can be accumulated by the Trace “Blessing of the Lake” increases to 200. When using Ultimate for the first time after entering battle, regenerates a fixed 300 Energy for Saber. This effect can be triggered 1 time after every 3 Ultimate use(s). |
Honkai Star Rail Saber: Ascension and Trace Materials
Saber Ascension Materials
| Ascension Material | Total |
|---|---|
| Thief’s Instinct | 15 |
| Usurper’s Scheme | 15 |
| A Glass of the Besotted Era | 65 |
| Conqueror’s Will | 15 |
| Credit | 308,000 |
Saber Trace Materials
| Trace Materials | Total |
|---|---|
| Borisin Teeth | 18 |
| Thief’s Instinct | 41 |
| Lupitoxin Sawteeth | 69 |
| Usurper’s Scheme | 56 |
| Moon Rage Fang | 139 |
| Conqueror’s Will | 58 |
| Destroyer’s Final Road | 12 |
| Tracks of Destiny | 8 |
| Credit | 3,000,000 |
So, this is Saber’s best build and team in Honkai Star Rail. She is a free-to-play to friendly character and can be an invaluable resource if you lack a Wind DPS. Interested in pulling for Saber? Now may be your only chance to get her during the HSR x Fate/Stay Night collab.
