Honkai Star Rail 4.5 Guide: Three-Lane Abyss Teams
Honkai Star Rail version 4.5, Thousand Star Wager, went live on 26 August 2026, and its headline structural change is Xingqi mode (星启模式), a three-lane format that scores each lane independently. Community testing puts it clearly: free-to-play rosters can full-star it using auto battle, which means the version rewards roster completeness over execution. The two new five-stars arrive in separate halves: Robin (Summer Sky Song) brings mood-based damage amplification plus action advance for high-frequency teams, while Aventurine (Summer Wave Play) runs an enthusiastic follow-up kit that covers both single-target and area damage.
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 Xingqi mode: how the three-lane scoring works
Xingqi mode is structurally different from Memory of Chaos. Instead of climbing floor by floor, it runs three lanes in parallel, each scoring on its own.
Three-lane structure and split logic
The mode asks you to split your available characters into three teams and send each down its own lane, with separate results. The old habit of running one strong team through everything stops working, because you have to divide carries, sub-DPS, supports and sustain across all three lanes instead of having them compete for the same slots. The guide site's summary is blunt: read the three lanes' enemies and buffs first, then work backwards to decide who goes where, rather than fixing a lineup and forcing it in.
Can auto battle full-star it
Yes. Community and guide-site testing both conclude that free-to-play teams can full-star it on auto, so this version demands less execution than roster depth. Auto battle does require stable rotations: energy generation has to keep up, buffs cannot drop, and the sustain slot has to survive, and any broken link gets magnified once the game plays for you.
How it differs from Memory of Chaos
Memory of Chaos is a single line of floors you can push with your strongest team. Xingqi mode scores three parallel lanes, so the difference is resource allocation: you need three teams that each complete a rotation on their own. If all your investment sits in one team, this version is about finishing the second and third rotations before chasing a ceiling.
Honkai Star Rail Xingqi mode teams: lane allocation table
The allocation rule is that mechanics should not overlap, and no lane should depend on the same support as another.
| Lane | Direction | Team shape | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane 1 | High-frequency follow-up | Follow-up carry, energy support, sustain | Trigger frequency stays steady with no gaps |
| Lane 2 | Break and super break | Break carry, action-advance support, toughness shred | Break Effect and toughness damage hit their marks |
| Lane 3 | Free-to-play auto team | Free or standard units, general support, healer | Smooth rotation that runs fully on auto |
Lane 1: follow-up damage and action advance
Follow-up teams tend to perform most reliably on auto, because their damage windows do not depend on the player catching timing. Pair the carry with an action-advance and energy support to push its turn frequency up. Robin's action advance serves exactly this kind of team, which makes her the natural 4.5 partner here.
Lane 2: break and super break
Break team strength tracks toughness shred and Break Effect stats. Using the 4.3 unit Blade's design as a reference point, field-type supports of that kind can supply up to 60 percent vulnerability, 35 percent defence reduction and 50 percent team-wide damage bonus, add another 75 percent to the team's ultimate damage when a Nihility ally is present, and fire an extra follow-up-classified skill after nine stacks build up. A support that brings both multipliers and damage is the cheapest way to staff a break lane.
Lane 3: free-to-play auto team and banner timing
Leave lane 3 to standard and free characters in a general-purpose team, where the priority is a complete rotation rather than a damage ceiling. On banners, 4.5 Thousand Star Wager launched on 26 August 2026, and third-party banner calendars place Robin (Summer Sky Song) in the first half and Aventurine (Summer Wave Play) in the second, with the second half falling in mid-to-late September on the usual version cycle. Confirm the actual Warp dates in game.
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 new characters: Robin and Aventurine
The two new units split cleanly: Robin is about team tempo, Aventurine is about his own damage.
Robin: mood amplification and action advance
Robin (Summer Sky Song) is built around mood-based damage amplification and action advance, a support whose job is making high-frequency teams hit faster and harder, and she is described as the best partner for such teams. Her value is not her own damage but the number of turns and the buff uptime she hands the team, which is exactly what a three-lane mode needs when supports are stretched thin.
Aventurine: enthusiastic follow-ups for single and area damage
Aventurine (Summer Wave Play) runs an enthusiastic follow-up kit that covers both area and single-target damage. That flexibility makes him the natural pick for whichever lane has to cover two jobs with one slot.
Pull priority
If you only pull once this version, look at your gap: missing team tempo and action advance points to Robin, while missing a follow-up unit that carries its own damage points to Aventurine. Both need matching relics and light cones, so if your relic stock is thin, finish the existing rotations before pulling.
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 relic and light cone planning
The rule for gear is simple: satisfy the mechanical threshold first, then stack stats.
Relic set direction
Supports want speed, energy regeneration and team-wide damage bonus, while carries want crit, crit damage and matching elemental damage bonus. Take the 4.4 character Himeko as a reference: her endgame relic setup is the four-piece set that grants 12 percent ATK on two pieces and 16 percent skill and ultimate damage on four, adding 8 percent damage per ally assist up to 48 percent, with the inner set granting 8 percent crit rate and 32 percent crit damage. That structure is a useful template for this version's high-frequency damage dealers.
Light cone choices
Prioritise the signature light cone for carries, then pick a five-star or a cost-effective four-star that matches the kit's mechanic. On the same reference character, the signature grants 80 percent Break Effect, 60 percent weakness break efficiency and 50 percent break damage, while budget options include a shop-exchange five-star and a four-star that grants 4.8 percent damage per 10 points of max energy, roughly 48 percent at max superimposition.
Materials and traces
Farm materials before pulling. On that reference build, ascension needs 65 of the version material and 12 of the weekly boss drop, while traces need 18, 69 and 139 of the three tiers, with the level order running ultimate, then talent, then skill, then basic attack. Check the in-game character page for the 4.5 units' exact lists.
Honkai Star Rail relic farming and stamina allocation
Three lanes means three teams, which triples relic demand, so stamina planning has to happen up front.
Cavern farming order
Gold relics come from the Cavern of Corrosion, and the recommended order is to fill the correct main stats on all three teams first, then go back for sub stats. Farming one carry's perfect sub stats while two lanes sit empty is the most common mistake this version exposes.
Weekly bosses and traces
Weekly boss and trace materials should go to the units actually entering the three lanes, especially the weakest lane. Trace priority runs ultimate, talent, skill, then basic attack, so core mechanic traces land first and basic attacks last.
Codes and free Stellar Jade
The 4.5 livestream gave out three codes worth 300 Stellar Jade in total, with long-term codes still updating. Xingqi mode and Memory of Chaos are the two most stable Stellar Jade sources, one scored per lane and one per floor, so clear whatever each period allows rather than abandoning a whole cycle because one lane stalls.
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 resource planning and pull advice
The central tension this version is needing three teams while only being able to pull one character.
| Player type | Recommendation | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| New accounts | Prioritise sustain and general supports | Xingqi mode full-stars on auto, so stable rotations matter more than single-target burst |
| Only one strong team | Finish the second and third rotations first | Three lanes scoring in parallel means competing for units lowers total score |
| Missing team tempo | Pull Robin | Mood amplification and action advance raise the whole team's turn frequency |
| Missing a damage slot | Pull Aventurine | Flexible follow-up damage covers both area and single-target lanes |
| Relics not finished | Pause pulling | Farm the Cavern of Corrosion and finish three main-stat sets first |
New accounts versus veterans
For new accounts, the first priority is completing three lanes that can run on auto, which makes sustain and general supports better value than a new carry. Veterans should patch gaps: Robin for action advance and team amplification, Aventurine for follow-up damage, and if neither gap exists, bank the Stellar Jade for the next version.
Looking past 4.5
Third-party calendars extend 4.5 into late October, and later versions keep expanding around the Elation system plus the follow-up and break lines. Unless you have a specific gap, do not wreck your three-lane plan for a shiny new unit.
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 FAQ
Q: Can Xingqi mode be full-starred on auto in Honkai Star Rail?
A: Yes. Community and guide-site testing agree that free-to-play teams can full-star it, provided each lane's energy, buff uptime and sustain hold steady.
Q: How is Xingqi mode different from Memory of Chaos?
A: Memory of Chaos is a single line of floors you can brute force with one team; Xingqi mode scores three parallel lanes, so you need three teams that each complete their rotation.
Q: Should I pull Robin or Aventurine in 4.5?
A: Robin if you lack team tempo and action advance, Aventurine if you lack flexible follow-up damage; if your relics are unfinished, farm gear before pulling.
Q: How much free Stellar Jade does 4.5 give?
A: The 4.5 livestream codes total 300 Stellar Jade across three codes, with long-term codes updating; Xingqi mode and Memory of Chaos remain the steadiest sources.
Q: What is the most efficient way to farm gold relics?
A: Fill the correct main stats on all three teams first, then go back for sub stats, rather than endlessly farming one carry's pieces.
Come discuss in the Gghubs comments.
Action checklist
- Write out your three lane teams before entering Xingqi mode and confirm carries, supports and sustain do not overlap.
- Strengthen the weakest lane rather than the strongest one.
- Farm main stats first in the Cavern of Corrosion, then return for sub stats once three sets are complete.
- Decide between Robin and Aventurine based on your gap, and bank Stellar Jade if your relics are not ready.
- Clear whatever Xingqi mode and Memory of Chaos allow each period, and use livestream codes before they expire.