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- The Seriousness of Breakfast (S5)
- The Day The Cosmos Fell (S5)
- Eternal Calculus (S5)
- Yet Hope Is Priceless (S1)
- Geniuses' Repose (S5)
- An Instant Before A Gaze (S1)
- Before Dawn (S1)
- Today Is Another Peaceful Day (S5)
- Night on the Milky Way (S1)
- Into the Unreachable Veil (S1)




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The Herta is a powerful 5-star Ice Erudition unit in Honkai: Star Rail, renowned for her potent self-buffs and impressive damage multipliers. As a damage dealer, she thrives on maximizing CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK, along with any general damage boosts her Light Cones provide. Her inherent 80% CRIT DMG buff makes CRIT Rate a priority stat on her Light Cones. Boosting her Skill and Ultimate damage is also crucial due to her Interpretation mechanic, with Skill damage being particularly valuable.
While a perfect combination of CRIT Rate and Skill DMG boosts is rare outside her signature Light Cone, The Herta has many viable options within the Erudition path, both limited and free. These Light Cones offer comparable effectiveness. Below, we've compiled the best Light Cone options for The Herta in Honkai: Star Rail.
The Seriousness of Breakfast (S5)

Increases the wearer's DMG by 24%. For every defeated enemy, the wearer's ATK increases by 8%, stacking up to 3 times.
The Seriousness of Breakfast is a freely obtainable Light Cone, acquirable through Lucent Afterglow purchases or Echo of War drops. A copy can also be earned by completing a hidden task on the Herta Space Station. While not her optimal choice, it serves as a solid, straightforward damage boost for newer players lacking better alternatives. It's a reliable placeholder until a superior Light Cone is acquired.
The Day The Cosmos Fell (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 24%. When the wearer uses an attack and affects no fewer than 2 attacked enemies with a corresponding Weakness, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 40% for 2 turns.
The Day The Cosmos Fell is another free Light Cone obtainable via Lucent Afterglow or Echo of War drops. A free copy is also available by finding all Origami Birds in Golden Hour. While slightly better than The Seriousness of Breakfast, its effectiveness hinges on consistently maintaining its conditional CRIT DMG buff. Its performance significantly decreases if this condition isn't met. Still, it's a viable placeholder until a better option becomes available.
Eternal Calculus (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 12%. After using an attack, for each enemy target hit, additionally increases ATK by 8%. This effect can stack 5 times and lasts until the next attack. If there are 3 or more enemy targets hit, this unit's SPD increases by 16%, lasting for 1 turn.
Eternal Calculus, a free 5-star Light Cone purchased from Herta's Store using Herta Bonds, provides a substantial ATK% boost. However, its performance varies based on the number of targets hit, making it less effective against fewer enemies. Despite this, it remains a solid choice when its effects are fully utilized. The 16% SPD increase at S5 can also be beneficial for reaching specific SPD breakpoints. Like other free options, it serves as a decent placeholder.
Yet Hope Is Priceless (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 16%. While the wearer is in battle, for every 20% CRIT DMG that exceeds 120%, the DMG dealt by follow-up attack increases by 12%. This effect can stack up to 4 times. When the battle starts or after the wearer uses their Basic ATK, enables Ultimate or the DMG dealt by follow-up attack to ignore 20% of the target's DEF, lasting for 2 turns.
Jade's signature Light Cone, Yet Hope Is Priceless, offers a valuable 16% CRIT Rate increase at S1. The Herta cannot utilize the Follow-Up buffs. The 20% DEF penetration for the Ultimate can be helpful if used early, but isn't reliable as The Herta ideally avoids Basic ATKs. This Light Cone's performance doesn't surpass the free alternatives for The Herta. If already owned, it's better suited for a unit that can fully utilize its effects.
Geniuses' Repose (S5)

Increases the wearer's ATK by 32%. When the wearer defeats an enemy, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 48% for 3 turns.
Geniuses' Repose, a great 4-star Light Cone from the standard Stellar Warp, offers a significant 32% ATK increase and a 48% CRIT DMG boost at S5. The CRIT DMG buff is easily maintained in most situations due to its three-turn duration. However, its effectiveness decreases in prolonged battles against single bosses without regular summons.
An Instant Before A Gaze (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT DMG by 36%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, the wearer's Ultimate DMG increases based on their Max Energy; Ultimate DMG increases by 0.36% per point of Energy, up to 180 Energy.
Argenti's signature Light Cone, An Instant Before A Gaze, provides a 36% CRIT DMG increase and a 64.8% Ultimate DMG boost at S1. The Herta ideally prefers Skill DMG or general DMG, limiting this Light Cone's ranking. Avoid pulling specifically for The Herta unless already owned.
Before Dawn (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT DMG by 36%. Increases the wearer's Skill and Ultimate DMG by 18%. After the wearer uses their Skill or Ultimate, they gain Somnus Corpus. Upon triggering a follow-up attack, Somnus Corpus will be consumed and the follow-up attack DMG increases by 48%.
Jing Yuan's signature Light Cone, Before Dawn, offers excellent unconditional stats. The Herta cannot utilize the Follow-Up Attack buff, but the 36% CRIT DMG increase and 18% damage boost to both Skill and Ultimate are highly valuable.
Today Is Another Peaceful Day (S5)

After entering battle, increases the wearer's DMG based on their Max Energy. DMG increases by 0.4% per point of Energy, up to 160 Energy.
Today Is Another Peaceful Day is an exceptional 4-star Light Cone providing a substantial unconditional damage boost. The Herta easily maximizes its effect due to her high Energy cost, resulting in a 64% damage increase at S5. Its high base ATK makes it a top choice for F2P and low-spending players.
Night on the Milky Way (S1)

For every enemy on the field, increases the wearer's ATK by 9%, up to 5 stacks. When an enemy is inflicted with Weakness Break, the DMG dealt by the wearer increases by 30% for 1 turn.
Night on the Milky Way, a 5-star option from the standard Stellar Warp, performs exceptionally well with consistent effect maintenance. Its ATK boost reaches 45% at S1 with five enemies, but its performance diminishes with fewer targets. Maintaining Weakness Break is also crucial.
Into the Unreachable Veil (S1)

Increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 12%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, increases DMG dealt by the wearer's Skill and Ultimate by 60%, lasting for 3 turns. After the wearer uses their Ultimate, if this Ultimate consumed 140 or more Energy, recovers 1 Skill Point.
The Herta's signature Light Cone, Into the Unreachable Veil, is her best-in-slot option. It significantly boosts Crit Rate and provides a generous damage increase to both her Skill and Ultimate. The Skill Point recovery further enhances its effectiveness. Its high base ATK is also a significant advantage.