Version 3.4 of Honkai: Star Rail is bringing long-awaited buffs and reworks to four characters that had fallen off the meta radar: Kafka, Blade, Jingliu, and Silver Wolf. These changes sort of address old weaknesses, and aim to bring each one of them back to the front. But which one got the best upgrade?
Player Lew98765 shared a post on Hoyolab where they went in-depth over the pros and cons of each character and their buffs.
Let’s go over it and see which one may have gotten the best parts!
#1 Kafka – Massive Buff, Future-Proof Scaling
Kafka’s rework fixes nearly every issue players had with her DoT trigger mechanics. She now works more naturally, enables stronger team comps, and even brings utility through buffs.
Buff highlights:
- Her Skill now applies DoT to all enemies, not just one.
- Her Talent (Follow-Up) now triggers after any ally attack, not just Basic ATKs.
- Follow-Up Attacks now have 2 charges and trigger DoTs.
- Charges refresh at turn end and after Ult.
- Her passive now gives a +100% ATK buff to allies with 75%+ Effect Hit Rate.
Kafka’s buffs don’t just improve numbers, they redefine how she fits into teams. With a smoother rotation, stronger triggers, and the potential to support allies with massive ATK buffs, Kafka now fixes DoT teams and buffs normal DPS units alike. She also synergizes with new characters like Hysilens, signaling a comeback for DoT metas.
- Better uptime and smoother team synergy
- Works in both DoT and regular ATK teams
- Very likely to remain relevant with future DoT units
- Still reliant on solid DoT applicators
- If you don’t own her, building a DoT team is hard
#2 Silver Wolf – More Utility, Less RNG
Silver Wolf’s buffs polish her kit without changing her role. She’s still the same unit, but now with better control and AoE support.
Buff Highlights:
- Her Ultimate now hits multiple enemies and shreds AoE DEF.
- Her Skill’s weakness implant now matches the first team member’s type instead of being random.
- Gains 5 Energy each turn and 20 at the start via Technique.
The RNG weakness implant was Silver Wolf’s biggest issue, and it’s finally fixed. She’s now a reliable way to enable mono teams and Genius of Brilliant Stars builds. Her AoE Ult gives her better reach, though she may still be outclassed by top-tier Harmony units in buffing roles.
- More predictable and consistent utility
- Better energy economy
- More viable in AoE situations
- Lost her flexibility in targeting multiple elements
- Still not as valuable as top supports, but a good alternative now
#3 Blade – Cleaner Scaling, Stronger Synergy
Blade’s buffs focus on consistency and sustainability. By removing ATK scaling and giving him better aggro and energy, he becomes a more dependable HP-scaling damage dealer.
Buff Highlights:
- All abilities now scale fully with Max HP.
- His Ult’s “HP Tally” now includes a portion of healing received.
- Follow-Up Attacks regenerate 15 more Energy.
- Skill (Hellscape) now gives aggro increase, so enemies target him more.
Blade’s rework simplifies his build options and improves synergy with HP-centric teams. More Energy and better aggro help him rotate his Ultimate and Follow-Up Attacks more often. He now works better with characters like Hyacine, Jade, or Tribbie.
- Much easier to build (just stack HP)
- More self-sufficient and tanky
- Stronger synergy with HP meta units
- Still reliant on teammates for best damage output
- Not worth pulling if you already have similar options
#4 Jingliu – Big Changes, But Awkward Fit
Jingliu receives the most changes, but for her, it may not be for the best. While the numbers go up, her synergy goes down, unless you have the right characters.
Buff Highlights:
- Now scales purely with HP.
- Gains CRIT DMG instead of ATK when draining allies.
- Enhanced State now starts with 3 Syzygy, max increased to 4.
- Gains 1 Syzygy stack when allies lose HP a certain number of times.
- Her next attack after gaining Syzygy ignores 25% DEF.
Jingliu’s changes give her more damage and uptime only if you have the right teammates (e.g., Hyacine or Tribbie for HP drain synergy). Unfortunately, she loses compatibility with ATK buffers like Robin and many Light Cone options. It’s a buff, but one that forces you into a niche comp.
- Higher potential DPS in HP teams
- Longer time in Enhanced mode
- Better burst with DEF ignore
- Many players will have to rebuild her entirely
- Loses synergies
- Needs specific HP-drain enablers to function well
Overall, these buffs are all bringing something new to those old characters that had not much use anymore. While not all reworks are created equal, they do address core flaws in each character’s kit, and definitely makes them easier to use again with the latest characters who released or will release in the upcoming updates.
While Kafka seems to be the winner from a first look at things, they all got welcomed updates, so if one of them if your favorite character, you don’t have to hesitate anymore!
