Hook is a character who often goes unnoticed. This mischievous young child may appear innocuous, but she holds the esteemed position of being the foremost damage dealer in the Honkai: Star Rail 1.0 game when it comes to Fire abilities. With her Diggertron, she can set foes ablaze and cause explosive damage, proving her competence even in confrontations with multiple enemies.
For players seeking a formidable unit specialized in dealing Fire damage in Honkai: Star Rail, investing in Hook is an excellent choice. Her entire skill set is meticulously crafted to inflict significant harm on adversaries. However, in order to fully unleash her potential, it is crucial to assemble her with the appropriate equipment and enhancements, as she primarily functions as a damage per second (DPS) character.
Honkai: Star Rail Hook Build
Hook belongs to the Destruction archetype, granting her proficiency in delivering damage to both single targets (ST) and multiple targets (AOE). Players have the option to prioritize enhancing her basic attack attributes for a well-rounded setup, or they can concentrate on maximizing her ability to apply damage over time (DoT) effects, which is particularly beneficial in specific team compositions tailored to exploit such capabilities.
Consider using the following on Hook:
- Core Stat Priorities: CRIT, ATK%, SPD
- Planar Ornament Stats: Fire DMG, ATK%
- Relic Sets: Firesmith of Lava-Forging (4PC), Space Sealing Station (2PC)
- Light Cones: On the Fall of an Aeon (5-Star), The Moles Welcome You (4-Star), Woof! Walk Time! (4-Star)
To optimize Hook's performance, players should prioritize maximizing her damage output to effectively break Toughness bars. It is advisable to search for Relics with defensive substats to ensure she doesn't get defeated instantly in high-level content. Additionally, incorporating some Effect Hit Rate on Hook's Relics is recommended to enhance her ability to consistently apply the Burn effect against formidable opponents.
The Firesmith of Lava-Forging set is the primary choice for Fire characters' Relics. This set significantly boosts the damage of their next attack after using their Ultimate ability, aligning perfectly with Hook's playstyle. However, if players prefer upfront damage, they can switch to the Musketeer of Wild Wheat set. In case there is a need for more Critical Hit (CRIT) statistics, the Planar Ornament set can be replaced with either the Inert Salsotto or Celestial Differentiator sets.
All 5-star Light Cones are suitable for Hook, but On the Fall of an Aeon synergizes exceptionally well with her, given her reliance on continuous enemy attacks. The Moles Welcome You can be considered as a more budget-friendly alternative, which performs equally effectively. Another commendable choice, especially for free-to-play (F2P) players, is the Woof! Walk Time! Light Cone, as it amplifies the wearer's damage against Burning targets.
Hook Abilities and Trace Leveling Order
Hook's job is to deal damage, and that's exactly what all of her abilities do. Leveling her up is pretty straightforward:
- Boom! Here Comes the Fire! (Ultimate)
- Hey! Remember Hook? (Skill)
- Ha! Oil to the Flames! (Talent)
- Basic attack
A significant portion of Hook's damage output stems from utilizing her Skill ability, which excels at inflicting damage on a single target. However, when Hook employs her Ultimate, her Skill is enhanced, allowing it to cause damage to multiple enemies. Moreover, it possesses a guaranteed 100% chance to inflict the Burn status effect, adding an extra advantage.
Burn holds a crucial role in Hook's abilities. Her innate Talent enables her to deal increased Fire damage when attacking targets that are already burning. Additionally, upon unlocking Hook's first Ascension passive, triggering her Talent will also grant her a small amount of HP regeneration. This combination of free damage and healing permits players to allocate additional Effect Hit Rate to their statistics without compromising their overall damage per second (DPS) output and survivability.
As always, it is advisable to acquire floating stat Traces and activate Ascension passives whenever the situation calls for them.
Honkai: Star Rail Hook Team Comps
Hook, categorized as a Destruction character, possesses the ability to reliably deal both single-target (ST) and area-of-effect (AOE) damage. In comparison to other units, she naturally exhibits greater durability, and she possesses a degree of self-sustainability in terms of maintaining her own HP, thanks to one of her Ascension passives. With substantial investment and a dose of good fortune, Hook can potentially tackle Simulated Universe Worlds independently. However, for general gameplay, it is always advisable to have a well-rounded cast of supporting characters by her side.
Ult Charge Hypercarry Team
Hook heavily relies on frequent usage of her abilities to maximize her damage output, especially when confronting groups of three or more enemies. This makes her an excellent choice for a speed (SPD)-oriented hypercarry composition, which includes two Support characters capable of enhancing her offensive capabilities.
- DPS: Hook
- Support 1: Tingyun
- Support 2: Bronya/Asta
- Tank: March 7th/Fire Trailblazer
In this team setup, Tingyun takes precedence as the primary Support due to her ability to charge Hook's Ultimate with her own. Tingyun's Ascension 6 passive, as the leader of the Moles, grants her 5 Energy each time she employs her Ultimate while advancing her next turn by 20%. This synergizes well with Hook's performance when coupled with SPD buffs from Asta, although Bronya's Combat Redeployment can achieve a similar effect.
March 7th and Fire Trailblazer are the preferred Tank options, as they can assist Hook in enduring enemy attacks. These Tanks can redirect enemy aggro towards themselves, and if the enemy executes a sweeping attack, Hook may be incidentally hit, generating a small amount of energy for herself. Typically, such damage is insignificant since Hook can replenish her HP whenever she strikes a Burning target.
One drawback of this team composition is its heavy reliance on equipping Hook with the best possible Relics and Light Cones. If she fails to dispatch enemies swiftly enough, the team may encounter challenges regarding survivability.
Double Burn Team
This team composition shares similarities with the previous one, but it primarily relies on having a second character capable of inflicting the Burn debuff on enemies. Currently, in the initial version of Honkai: Star Rail, Hook and Himeko are the only characters with abilities that can apply this debuff. However, future character releases may expand the possibilities for this setup.
- DPS: Hook
- Sub-DPS: Himeko
- Tank: March 7th/Fire Trailblazer
- Flex slot: Healer or Support
As mentioned earlier, Hook's complete set of abilities comes into play when her enemies are burning. In addition to her passive healing, her Talent grants her bonus ATK% and 5 Energy whenever she attacks a target afflicted with the Burn status. Himeko can ignite this interaction while simultaneously dealing considerable AOE damage to all enemies on the battlefield, although she might require some additional Effect Hit Rate to ensure her Burns successfully land. Both characters benefit from attacking burning enemies, resulting in a natural synergy between them.
The fourth slot in this team is flexible, and players can choose whether they require more damage or survivability. Both Tingyun and Bronya can amplify the damage of Hook's Burn stacks while also contributing to the regeneration of her Ultimate's Energy. On the other hand, a Healer such as Natasha or Bailu can sustain the team's survival in challenging content, particularly in situations where enemies surpass the levels of the allies.
>>> Read more: Honkai Star Rail Tingyun Build Guide: Relics, Light Cones And Teams