Honkai Star Rail: Best Kafka Build

Kafka is a 5-star Nihility character who plays a big role in the main story of Honkai Star Rail. She is a clear fan favorite due to her style and looks, while also being a DoT queen. If built correctly, she can form the strongest DoT team in the game. Here is the best Kafka build to get the maximum damage output from her kit.

Who is Kafka in Honkai Star Rail?

Kafka is a limited 5-star Nihility character with the lightning damage type. She is a DPS character who excels at DoT. Lore-wise, she is a member of the Stellaron Hunters and has so far played a big role in the main story of Honkai Star Rail. Kafka is depicted as calm, collected, elegant, respectful, and beautiful, even in combat.

Kafka Upcoming Banners and Release Date

The Honkai Star Rail 1.6 update will feature Kafka’s rerun banner in the 2nd phase. The upcoming date of the banner is estimated to be around the 17th and 25th of January 2024. Kafka’s release date in Honkai Star Rail was August 9, 2023, which was also her last featured banner.

Kafka’s Kit And Cycle Rotation (At Max Level)

Kafka’s kit is heavily DoT-focused and she does increasing damage based on the number of DoTs applied on the enemies. Let’s first take a look at her entire kit.

• Midnight Tumult (Basic Attack): It does lightning damage up to 130% of Kafka’s attack to a single target.
• Caressing Moonlight (Skill): Kafka’s skill does blast lightning damage up to 200% of her attack to the main target and 75% of the attack to the adjacent enemies. If the targeted enemy is receiving DoT currently, then all DoTs placed currently on that target immediately produce damage up to 82.5% of their original damage.
• Twilight Trill (Ultimate): It does AoE Lightning damage up to 96% of Kafka’s attack and has a 100% base chance of implementing the Shocked state on the hit enemies for 2 turns. The Shocked enemies immediately take damage from their Shock state, up to 110% of the original damage. Shocked enemies also receive Lightning DoT up to 360% of Kafka’s attack at the beginning of each turn.

• Gentle But Cruel (Talent): When allies use basic attacks to hit an enemy, Kafka launches a Follow-up attack dealing Lightning damage, equal to 189% of her Attack, and has a 100% base chance of inflicting Shock (equivalent to the one applied by her Ultimate), lasting for 2 turns. This effect can only trigger once per turn.
• Mercy Is Not Forgiveness (Technique): Attacks all enemies within a set range. Once you enter combat, deal 50% of Kafka’s attack as Lighting damage to all enemies, with a 100% base chance of inflicting Shock (equivalent to the one applied by her Ultimate) on every enemy target for 2 turns.

Her skill instantly triggers every DoT applied on an enemy for 82.5% of their original damage at max level on top of the normal skill damage. So, the ideal way to play her is to use her skill after another DoT applier (like Sampo or Luka).

To get the best out of this build for Kafka, only use her Skill and Ultimate. Her ideal cycle rotation should be similar to the following:

Skill > Skill > Ultimate > Skill > Skill > Ultimate.

Best Kafka Build: Relics, Planar Ornaments, and Sub Stats

Relics and Planar Ornaments make or break most builds. Here are the Relics, Planar Ornaments, and their main and sub-stats for the best Kafka build.

Best Relics for Kafka

• 4-piece Prisoner in Deep Confinement (Best for Kafka)
• 4-piece Band of Sizzling Thunder (Best Alternative)

The 4-piece Prisoner in Deep Confinement set is perfect for Kafka as her kit is primarily for DoT builds. This relic set gives a 12% flat increase to attack and reduces the defense of enemies by 6% for every DoT applied to them (max 3), which is tailored for more damage output from Kafka.

You can also use the 4-piece Band of Sizzling Thunder for 10% or more Lightning damage and a 20% increase to her attack when using her Skill, which you will be using all the time.

Best Planar Ornaments for Kafka

• 2-piece Space Sealing Station (Best for Kafka)
• 2-piece Firmament Frontline: Glamoth (Best for Speed builds)
• 2-piece Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise (Good for meeting the effect hit rate requirements of Kafka)

When it comes to the Planar Ornaments, the 2-piece Space Sealing Stations is best for any Kafka build as it gives her a straight attack boost. You can also use the 2-piece Firmament Frontline: Glamoth if you are building a speed Kafka and can meet the steep 160 speed requirement during battle.

The 2-piece Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise is also a good choice if your Relic sub-stats are not enough for the 67% effect hit rate requirement of Kafka at her E1 or when she is wearing her signature light cone.

Best Main and Sub Stats for Kafka

The best stats for Kafka in Honkai Star Rail are straight Attack and Speed. As DoT doesn’t CRIT in Honkai Star Rail, there is no point in adding Crit Rate and Damage on her stats. Also, you need to reach the 28% Effect Hit rate on Kafka at her E0, which is easy as you only need an extra 10% Effect Hit Rate on her sub stats as her Traces give her 18%. However, if you have her E1 or Signature Light Cone, then you need to reach 67% of the Effect Hit Rate to get the best results.

Building Kafka’s speed is also important as it will let her attack more often, achieving more damage output per cycle. But remember to always have her speed 1 less than the DoT applier in your team to have Kafka’s action after them.

Best Light Cones for Kafka

• Patience Is All You Need (Signature Light Cone): A flat 24% damage increase and for every attack launched by the wearer, their Speed increases by 4.8% (max 3 stacks). When the wearer hits an enemy not inflicted with Erode, inflict Erode with a 100% base chance. Enemies with the Erode state are considered Shocked and receive Lighting DoT equal to 60% of the wearer’s Attack at the start of each turn, lasting for 1 turn.
• Good Night and Sleep Well (Best Alternative at S5): Increases the Damage dealt by the wearer by 24% (12% at S1) for every debuff on the target enemy (max 3 stacks). The effect also applies on DoT.
• Fermata (Best F2P Alternative at S5): The Break effect dealt by the wearer is increased by 32% (16% at S1), and Damage is increased by 32% (16% at S1) to enemies afflicted with Shock and Wind Shear. The effect also applies to DoT.

Kafka Ascension and Trace Materials

All Ascension Materials for Kafka in Honkai Star Rail are:

All Trace Materials for Kafka in HSR are:

Kafka Eidolons in Honkai Star Rail

• Da Capo (E1): When a Follow-up attack is triggered from the Talent, increase the DoT received by the enemy by 30% with a 100% base chance for 2 turns.
• Fortississimo (E2): DoT of all allies increase by 25% while Kafka is present on the field.
• Capriccio (E3): Skill Level + 2, up to Level 15 max, Basic Attack Level + 1, up to Level 10 max.
• Recitativo (E4): Each enemy taking damage from the Shock status applied by Kafka generates 3 additional energy for her.
• Doloroso (E5): Ultimate Level + 2, up to Level 15 max, Talent Level + 2, up to Level 15 max.
• Leggiero (E6): The Shocked status inflicted on the enemies by Kafka from her Ultimate, Technique, or Follow-up attacks from her Talent, has an increased Damage multiplier of 156%, lasting 1 turn longer.

The only Eidolons worth investing in Kafka is her E1, which increases the DoT received by the targets when her Talent triggers a Follow-up attack by 30% for 2 turns.

Her E6 is obviously very strong but it’s not worthy enough to invest Stellar Jades, unless you just want her at E6.

Kafka Traces in Honkai Star Rail

Bonus Abilities:

• Plunder (Ascension 2): Enemies receive instant damage from all the applied DoT sources when Ultimate is used on them.
• Torture (Ascension 4): Kafka regenerates 5 extra energy when an enemy is defeated while Shocked.
• Thorns (Ascension 6): Increases the base chance of applying the Shocked state on enemies by 30% from the Ultimate, Technique, Talent triggered Follow-up attacks.

Stat Boosts:

• Attack Boost: 28%
• Effect Hit Rate Boost: 18%
• HP Boost: 10%

Best Team Comps For Kafka in Honkai Star Rail

The best teams for Kafka are DoT teams. You need at least one DoT applier, like Luka, Sampo, or Serval and they must attack before Kafka to apply the DoT. Next, you can have any defense shredder like Silver Wolf or Pela as Support. If you are building a speed team, then you can also go for Asta.

Finally, as sustain, you can pick Huohuo for extra damage buff and quicker Ulitmate, or go for Luocha or someone F2P like Natasha. You can also go for Shields and use Geopard or someone F2P like Fire MC.

Should You Pull for Kafka in Honkai Star Rail?

Kafka is an amazing character and her kit is very unique from other 5-star DPS characters. If you like DoT teams, then you should definitely pull for her. I personally enjoy her play style and suggest every Honkai Star Rail player to pull for her, simply because of her story significance and cool appearance.

Share your opinions on Kafka in the comment section and tell us whether you are going to pull for her the next time or not.