Archer Best Team Compositions | Honkai Star Rail

Greetings, Trailblazers!

The Honkai Star Rail × Fate collaboration event is now live! Claim Archer for free through the event interface. How should this heroic spirit from another world be built? What team comps unleash his full potential as a budget-friendly powerhouse? Today, we dive deep into the ultimate team-building guide for Archer—the most sought-after ally of this patch! Check it out now!

Archer's Skill Mechanics

Archer epitomizes a burst-type character with high resource costs and exceptional damage scaling. In combat, he primarily relies on his Skill (360% multiplier per shot, up to 5 consecutive shots). Basic ATKs, Ultimate, and Follow-up ATKs mainly generate resources to enable more Skill shots.
※ Damage Distribution: Skill 65% | Ultimate 25% | Follow-up 9% | Basic 1%

To master Archer, understand these core mechanics:

SP Stockpiling: 
Talent Charging: Gains 1/1/2 stacks upon using Technique/entering battle/casting Ultimate.

Follow-up Trigger: When allies attack, consumes 1 stack to launch a Follow-up ATK and regenerate 1 Skill Point (SP).

Optimal Rotation:
Initial 2 stacks are quickly expended. Reserve Archer’s Ultimate for his Skill’s extra turn phase. Weave in allies’ offensive Ultimates or Follow-ups to trigger Talent SP generation—enabling 1 extra shot.
With Archer’s passive "Max SP +2", pre-stocking SP allows 3–4 shots consistently. Achieving a 5th shot requires teammate support or Eidolons.

3-Shot Minimum: 
Why prioritize ≥3 shots? Archer’s Skill gains stacking buffs:

Shots 1–2: +100% Skill DMG per shot

Shot 3+: +200% Skill DMG (fully stacked)
Firing only 1–2 shots (vs. saving SP for 3–4 shots) results in significant DPS loss.

 

Archer's Best Team Comps

Core Team-Building Philosophy

As a Quantum DMG dealer following the Path of The Hunt, Archer primarily deals massive damage through his Skill shots—demanding significant Skill Point (SP) consumption. Thus, team compositions must prioritize:

1. Sustained SP Generation to fuel his rotations
2. Teammates that either amplify his damage output or provide survival support

Optimal Team Compositions I

In the current version, Archer's strongest teammates are Sparkle, Tribbie(or Silver Wolf), and Gallagher.

DPS	Support	Support	Support
Archer	Sparkle	Tribbie	Gallagher
Archer	Sparkle	Silver Wolf	Gallagher

Sparkle serves as the primary SP generator, rapidly accumulating resources while boosting Archer's per-hit damage. 

Tribbie (or Silver Wolf) functions as a flex support, amplifying Archer's output and supplementing AoE coverage. 

Gallagher ensures team survivability while generating substantial SP, accelerating resource stockpiling to enable Archer's burst phases.

Optimal Team Compositions II

When Quantum Weakness is present, Cipher becomes the optimal flex support pick!

DPS	Support	Support	Support
Archer	Sparkle	Cipher	Gallagher

Core Team Advantages

1. Quantum Weakness Penetration

● Cipher's Core Mechanics:
➤ Skill: Applies "Quantum Crack" to target (ignores innate Weakness, forces Quantum Weakness status)
➤ Ultimate: Spreads "Quantum Crack" to adjacent targets, reducing Quantum RES by 20%
● vs. Silver Wolf: Eliminates RNG-dependent single-target Weakness implant (Silver Wolf's limitation)

2. SP Hyper-Generation

Character	SP Generation Capability
Sparkle	Talent: All allies gain +1 SP/turn; after Ultimate, extra +1 SP
Cipher	Basic ATK: 100% SP generation • Skill: 0 SP cost (core)
Gallagher	Skill: 0 SP cost • Basic ATK generates SP
Net SP Gain	+3~4 SP/turn → Fully enables Archer's 5-consecutive shots

This composition represents the apex Quantum team variant in the current version. By sacrificing partial survivability for unprecedented aggression, it maximizes Archer's burst potential—ideal for players pursuing speedrun dominance and nuclear-level damage output.

Alternative Teammates

If you didn't get the limited characters, don't panic! Here are my tested alternatives:

4★ Replacement: Tingyun

Maximizes efficiency with Eagle of Twilight + Sprightly Vonwacq relic sets.

Light Cone: Equip [Dance! Dance! Dance!]

Initiates combat by charging Archer's talent stacks; her high base SPD accelerates stack accumulation.

➤ Skill: Grants Archer +50% ATK and +30 Energy (3 turns)

➤ Ultimate: Restores 50 Energy to all allies + ↑20% SPD

4★ Replacement: Hanya

➤ Skill: Marks a target. Allies attacking the marked target restore 10 Energy.

➤ Ultimate: Grants all allies ↑40% SPD (2 turns).

Hanya also provides SP generation capability, serving as a more accessible alternative to Sparkle.

5★ Alternatives: Trailblazer

● Core Mechanics:
➤ Skill: Applies "Memory Imprint" to a single target. Attacks against imprinted targets have 100% base chance to Freeze.
➤ Ultimate: Deploys a field that delays all enemies' actions by 40% and extends Frozen status by 1 turn.

● Tactical Value:
→ Freezing enemies effectively cancels their turn (reducing enemy damage windows)
→ Attacking Frozen targets triggers Archer's Path of The Hunt follow-up attack (additional action upon breaking Freeze)

Archer Team Rotation Strategy

I. Archer, Sparkle, Tribbie and Gallagher.

Combat Rotation

Opening Phase

• Tribbie: Casts Skill first to provide initial Skill Points (SP).
• Sparkle: Activates Ultimate, granting bonus SP and increasing CRIT DMG for the team.
• Gallagher: Uses Skill to heal allies and regenerate SP.

Archer's Burst Phase

• Archer: Enters Circuit Connection state, consecutively casting Skills with escalating damage for high burst output.
• Sparkle: Timely Skill casts during Archer's burst to further amplify CRIT DMG.
• Tribbie: Uses Skill to replenish SP when reserves are low.
• Gallagher: Casts Skill to restore SP and provide healing if SP is insufficient.

Closing & Sustain Phase

• Archer: After Circuit Connection ends, uses Ultimate to regenerate SP, preparing for the next burst cycle.
• Sparkle: Activates Ultimate to grant bonus SP.
• Tribbie: Casts Skill to replenish SP.
• Gallagher: Uses Skill to regenerate SP and heal.

Execution Details

• SP Management: Ensure all characters can cast Skills at critical moments to avoid rotation breakdown.
• Survival Assurance: Gallagher’s healing and Tribbie’s shields protect the team during high-pressure scenarios.
• DMG Amplification: Sparkle’s CRIT DMG buff and Tribbie’s SP supply maximize Archer’s burst potential.
• Follow-Up Attacks: Archer’s Talent consumes Energy to trigger follow-up attacks after allies' actions, dealing extra damage and restoring SP.

Team Advantages

• High Burst DMG: Archer’s escalating Skill DMG in 【Circuit Connection】 delivers extreme single-target damage.
• SP Sustainability: Sparkle, Tribbie, and Gallagher collectively ensure abundant SP for Archer’s rotations.
• Robust Survivability: Gallagher’s healing and Tribbie’s shields provide stability in high-difficulty content.
• Flexible Synergy: Clear role definitions allow dynamic adjustment of skill sequences based on combat needs.

 

II. Quantum Team: Archer + Sparkle + Cipher + Gallagher

Core Rotation Objectives

▸ 5-Consecutive Shot Nuke Setup: Stack 5 Coreflame within 3 turns
▸ SP Perpetual Engine: Net ≥3 SP/turn to sustain burst
▸ Weakness Penetration: Maintain Cipher's Quantum Crack throughout

Optimized Rotation Sequence

Character	Action	SP Change	Key Effects
Cipher	Skill: Applies Quantum Crack	-0 SP	Forces Quantum Weakness
Sparkle	Skill: Advances Archer	-1 SP	+50% CRIT DMG; Archer immediately acts
Archer	Skill: 3-Consecutive Shots	-3 SP + Coreflame +3	Triggers Hunt follow-ups (if Weakness Broken)
Gallagher	Basic ATK	+1 SP	SP generation + Healing
Cipher	Ultimate: Spreads Crack	-0 SP	All enemies: Quantum RES ↓20%
Sparkle	Ultimate	+2 SP (Talent)	Team SPD ↑ + Energy Regeneration
Archer	Skill: 5-Consecutive Shots	-5 SP	Nuke Phase (200% DMG Bonus)

Rotation Critical Warnings

⚠️ Never fire with <2 Coreflame: First two shots deal 40% less DMG
⚠️ Sparkle’s advance MUST precede Cipher’s Ultimate: Delaying loses RES shred window
⚠️ Gallagher MUST use Basic ATK: SP break = failed nuke

This rotation compresses Archer’s burst into 1-2 turns, achieving "beginning-as-climax" speedrun execution through precise action order and SP management—solidifying its status as the apex Quantum solution this version.

Conclusion

Though Archer is a free character in V3.4, his combat performance remains highly competitive with exceptional burst potential. For players with sufficient resources, we strongly recommend exchanging 200 Stellar Jade to obtain Archer's signature Light Cone "Emiya's Projection" during this version. When tackling challenging content, Archer proves valuable as a dedicated single-target executor.

If you want to build Archer or obtain his signature Light Cone but lack of Stellar Jade, head to LDShop to get the HSR top-up discount. LDShop is dedicated to help Trailblazers earning better gaming experience with ease!