Honkai: Star Rail – Best Character Builds For Arlan

Using Honkai: Star Rail’s best build for Arlan is an excellent way of optimizing his damage output and presence on the field as a DPS character. The leader of Herta Space Station’s security division is one of the first characters that players meet, though he is not playable during the early portion of the game. If players obtain him once they unlock the Warp system in Honkai: Star Rail, however, they can use Arlan as a secondary DPS or a direct substitute for the Trailblazer (Physical), as he also follows the Path of The Destruction.

While Arlan does not stand among the best characters to use in Honkai: Star Rail, having him is still a good way of changing a team comp and incorporating the Lightning Element into it. Depending on how players customize the build for Arlan, he can either be a fully-offensive striker or assume a tankier and self-healing posture within a party. The trick is taking advantage of Arlan’s HP loss that comes with his skill and reverting that into damage output while also being able to mitigate it, either through other team members or himself.

Related: Honkai: Star Rail Tier List- Best Characters To Use Right Now

Best Light Cones For Arlan

When searching for Light Cones for Arlan, players need to be mindful of two important details: it should be a Destruction Light Cone, which matches his own Path, and the main mechanic around him is getting offensive advantages with HP loss. The best 5-star Light Cone for Arlan’s build in Honkai: Star Rail is Clara’s signature Something Irreplaceable. Aside from its impressive base ATK stat (582 at level 80), its Superimposed ability helps manage Arlan’s life throughout battles.

It grants a 24% ATK boost, and when the user defeats an enemy or is hit, they restore HP equal to 8% of their own ATK. Whenever this happens, the user’s DMG is increased by 24% until the end of their next turn. Arlan is expected to lose a lot of HP while battling, especially because Arlan’s Talent sees him deal more DMG for every percent of HP below his Max HP (up to 40%), so having a way of healing him just enough to keep him outside the danger zone is a fantastic strategy.

A 5-star Light Cone substitute for Arlan’s build is the F2P (free-to-play) On The Fall of an Aeon. This weapon offers a lower base ATK (529 at level 80) and does not contribute to Arlan’s mechanic of HP loss. Instead, it increases the user’s ATK by 8% every time they attack, up to four times. In addition, when players inflict a Weakness Break in Honkai: Star Rail, they also get a 12% DMG increase for two turns. The Light Cone does not work hand-in-hand with Arlan’s abilities, but it does promote him as a DPS, boosting Arlan’s offensive powers significantly.

Curiously enough, the best substitute for Something Irreplaceable is a tie between the 4-star Light Cones called Nowhere To Run and A Secret Vow. The former increases the user’s ATK by 24%¨, and when they defeat an opponent, they restore HP equal to 12% of their own ATK stat. This is a great way to deal with Arlan’s HP loss and, effectively, plays the same part as the best 5-star Light Cone. The best build for Arlan in Honkai: Star Rail can be checked in the table below, which details the ideal Light Cones, recommended Relics and Ornaments, stat priority, and more:

The latter is more fitting for Arlan’s HP loss mechanic. While he naturally gains a DMG boost with less HP through his Talent, A Secret Vow helps take advantage of that. It grants an impressive 20% DMG increase to the user. Additionally, it deals an additional 20% DMG to opponents who have a higher HP percentage than the user. While this would mostly set Arlan in a sub-DPS role, setting up the stage for the main DPS to eliminate foes, this is a fantastic Light Cone to equip.

The choice of Light Cone for Arlan’s build in Honkai: Star Rail will ultimately depend on availability and player preference. If HP management is a concern, there is no mistake using Something Irreplaceable or Nowhere to Run, as they heal and offer considerable damage output bonus.

If the strategy is to take full advantage of Arlan’s HP loss mechanic and use a healer to prevent Arlan from falling, A Secret Vow is the best way to go. On the Fall of an Aeon is a 5-star substitute in case none of the other Light Cones are available, as it will provide satisfactory ATK and DMG bonuses.

Best Relics, Ornaments, & Stats For Arlan

The best Relic set in Honkai: Star Rail for Arlan to equip is Band of Sizzling Thunder. As is indicative of its name, it boosts Lightning DMG. The increase is 10% when there are two pieces equipped. The four-piece bonus sees the user’s ATK increase by 20% for one turn when they use their Skill. Considering how much Arlan’s build should use his Skill to lower his HP and take advantage of the DMG bonuses, this Relic set’s bonuses go work extraordinarily well with the character.

If players are looking for an early-game option, they should use Musketeer of Wild Wheat. This Honkai: Star Rail set will increase the character’s overall damage output through ATK boosts and works very well during the first stages of the game. This is one of the two sets that players unlock early on – the other being Thief of Shooting Meteor – and considering Arlan’s role as a DPS, Musketeer is the best early choice.

Once the acquisition of Planar Ornaments is unlocked through Herta’s Simulated Universe, players should start looking for some to use in Arlan’s best build in Honkai: Star Rail. Again, there are options, and the choice will depend on what players are looking for. If Arlan needs a boost to his ATK stat, Space Sealing Station is the ideal Ornament set to use. If players want an improved CRIT Rate stat, Inert Salsotto is the best. On the other hand, Celestial Differentiator is the way to go if CRIT DMG needs to be improved.

The only necessity when choosing Ornaments is using one that will boost Arlan’s DPS powers. The same applies to the stat priority when farming these Relics and Ornaments. A strong CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG distribution should be of the utmost concern, followed by ATK and Lightning DMG. SPD is a good start for a DPS, and, in case Arlan’s Honkai: Star Rail build is proving a bit difficult to manage with all the HP loss, a minor investment to HP should help.

Skill Priority For Arlan

The abilities that players want to improve first when leveling Arlan are his Skill and his Talent. Arlan’s Skill is the main star of the HP loss mechanic and the one that sees him losing HP. The Talent comes second because it is the one that grants him a DMG boost when he’s attacking without a full HP bar. Following that is his Ultimate. This Trace deals a heavy amount of damage against a single target while also spreading a portion of it to adjacent enemies. The last Trace priority in Arlan’s build in Honkai: Star Rail is his Basic Attack.

Arlan’s Basic Attack is relatively weak and should only be used when he reaches a certain HP threshold that limits his DMG boost provided by HP loss or when the team is out of Skill Points to use in the battle. It is important to level all skills when possible, however, as strategies change depending on opposing teams and how they behave in Honkai: Star Rail.