Summary
TheHonkai: Star Rail2.3 update saw the official debut of two highly coveted 5-star characters, namely Jade and Firefly, who, despite remaining on the frontlines of the battle, boast polar opposite kits. Among the two, the former, also known as Lady Bonajade, isn’t far fromHonkai Star Rail’s traditional Erudition unit. And yet, somehow, her gameplay appears to be overtuned for the Pure Fiction game mode.
Yes, Trailblazers will most likely be enticed into summoning Jade for her robust playstyle and alluring charm. However, it is crucial to look beyond those to examine her intricacies and predict how she may be influencingHonkai: Star Rail’s meta. Heading into the 2.4 update, the game offers an adequate experience to attract more players, and perhaps characters like Jade could be the key to keeping the experience fresh for newcomers.
How Jade’s Specialization Can Influence Honkai: Star Rail’s Meta
Jade marched her way intoHonkai: Star Rail’splayable rosterin patch 2.3, amid a competitive phase for characters where the likes of Acheron and Firefly were dominating the meta with a typical hypercarry playstyle. Therefore, any new unit had to be equally powerful, sport a new combat mechanic, or possess a future-proof kit to intrigue the hardcore players. Thankfully, Jade now breaks the stigma to some extent with her specialization for the Pure Fiction mode, which resets periodically to serve as a sustainable source of Stellar Jades.
However, most players struggle to secure the maximum reward score. The lack of playable units that can consistently deal with groups of enemies is to blame, if not the faulty builds.Jade inHonkai: Star Railhas solved this issue with the ability to score big damage on multiple targets at the same time. She can also mark an ally as a Debt Collector to increase their SPD and relies on them to generate her follow-up charge.
Given Jade’s synergy with other characters, she is seemingly capable of being relevant to the meta for a long time. She belongs to the follow-up attack archetype, which has grown stronger over the updates and will continue to do so as more dedicated supports are introduced to aid them. Not to forget, Jade’s Ultimate is a big buff to her damage, so she is basically self-sufficient.
Jade Sets Up a Strong Precedent for Future Honkai: Star Rail Characters
Even though Jade isn’t a traditionally strong entity, she has a few key strengths that can inspire theupcomingHonkai: Star Railcharacters. Firstly, she is the only 5-star tailored for a particular game mode, and she excels at that. So, there are no circumstances where players can overlook her existence. She will be relevant as long as there are battles comprising multiple foes to tackle.
Considering Jade’s current success, HoYoverse will likely delve into the trend of designing niche characters with a strong foot in the combat meta and roll out challenging enemies that will require such playable individuals to defeat them. For instance, Topaz is somewhat similar to her, since she is a strong pick across the board for when the end-game domains bring enemies susceptible to the Fire element or when it features a follow-up attack buff.
Jade’s synergy with other individuals is also partly the reason why she has become a highly coveted unit. Usually,DPS characters inHonkai: Star Railhave somewhat selfish abilities, requiring supports to constantly boost their combat potential. In Jade’s case, she enters a contractual relationship with her teammates using the Debt Collector mark, which, as specified, benefits both parties. This helps her become more flexible and work for a magnitude of teams beyond her niche. The game certainly needs more candidates like her in the meta to keep the experience fresh.
