This article is about the playable character. For the normal variant boss, see Stellaron Hunter: Kafka. For the complete variant boss, see Stellaron Hunter: Kafka (Complete).
«You won’t remember a thing except me.»[2]
Kafka is a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail.
A member of the Stellaron Hunters who is calm, collected, and beautiful. Her record on the wanted list of the Interastral Peace Corporation only lists her name and her hobby. People have always imagined her to be elegant, respectable, and in pursuit of things of beauty even in combat.
Availability
Event Warps
Kafka has been promoted or featured with a drop-rate boost in 2 Event Warps:
Warp | Featured | Duration |
---|---|---|
Nessun Dorma 2023-08-09 |
Kafka Luka Sampo Serval |
August 9, 2023 – August 29, 2023 |
Nessun Dorma 2024-01-17 |
Kafka Hook Natasha Sushang |
January 17, 2024 – February 5, 2024 |
Other Languages
Language | Official Name |
---|---|
English | Kafka |
Chinese (Simplified) |
卡芙卡 |
Chinese (Traditional) |
卡芙卡 |
Japanese | カフカ |
Korean | 카프카 |
Spanish | Kafka |
French | Kafka |
Russian | Кафка |
Thai | Kafka |
Vietnamese | Kafka |
German | Kafka |
Indonesian | Kafka |
Portuguese | Kafka |
Change History
Version 2.0
- Updates to character voice-overs:
- New voice-over for All Languages:
- «About Sam»
- New voice-over for All Languages:
Version 1.5
- Updates to character voice-overs:
- New voice-over for All Languages:
- «Eidolon Activation»
- «Character Ascension»
- «Max Level Reached»
- «Trace Activation»
- «Added to Team With Trailblazer»
- «Added to Team With Silver Wolf»
- «Added to Team With Blade»
- «Added to Team With Himeko»
- «Treasure Opening 2»
- «Precious Treasure Opening»
- «Successful Puzzle-Solving 2»
- New voice-over for All Languages:
Version 1.3
- Updates to character voice-overs:
- Updated audio for Korean:
- «About Blade»
- «Talent 2»
- «Treasure Opening»
- Updated audio for Korean:
Version 1.2
- Kafka was released as a playable character.
Version 1.0
- Kafka was introduced as a story-exclusive character.
Version 0.90
- Kafka was readded as a story-exclusive character.
- Updates to character obtainability:
- Old: Obtained from Character Wishboxes.
- New: No longer obtainable from Character Wishboxes.
Version 0.70
- Kafka was added.
References
- ↑ Data Bank, Characters, Kafka: Character Story: Part I
«Kafka, female human […]» - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kafka’s Character Page, Honkai: Star Rail Official Website. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ↑ 角色, 《崩坏:星穹铁道》官方网站. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ↑ 캐릭터, <붕괴: 스타레일> 공식 사이트. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
Navigation
Characters | |
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Astral Express |
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Stellaron Hunters |
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Herta Space Station |
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Jarilo-VI |
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The Xianzhou Luofu |
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Penacony |
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Cosmic |
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Upcoming Characters announced by HoYoverse.
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Stats
Skill
Midnight Tumult — Basic ATK | Single Target | |
Energy Regeneration : 20 | |
Weakness Break : Single Target : 30 | |
Deals Lightning DMG equal to of Kafka’s ATK to a single enemy.
Deals minor Lightning DMG to a single enemy. |
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Level 9 | |
View Details |
Caressing Moonlight — Skill | Blast | |
Energy Regeneration : 30 | |
Weakness Break : Single Target : 60 / Blast : 30 | |
Deals Lightning DMG equal to of Kafka’s ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to of Kafka’s ATK to enemies adjacent to it. If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to of their original DMG. Deals Lightning DMG to a single enemy and minor Lightning DMG to adjacent targets. |
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Level 15 | |
View Details |
Twilight Trill — Ultimate | AoE | |
Energy Regeneration : 5 | |
Weakness Break : AoE : 60 | |
Deals Lightning DMG equal to of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG from their current Shock state, equal to of its original DMG. Shock lasts for turn(s). While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to of Kafka’s ATK at the beginning of each turn. Deals minor Lightning DMG to all enemies, with a high chance of Shocking them. |
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Level 15 | |
Bonus Traces | |
View Details |
Gentle but Cruel — Talent | Single Target | |
Energy Regeneration : 10 | |
Weakness Break : Single Target : 30 | |
After an ally of Kafka’s uses Basic ATK on an enemy target, Kafka immediately launches 1 follow-up attack and deals Lightning DMG equal to of her ATK to that target, with a base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate to the attacked enemy target, lasting for turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.
After an ally uses Basic ATK on an enemy, Kafka immediately launches a follow-up attack and deals Lightning DMG with a high chance of inflicting Shock to that target. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn. |
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Level 15 | |
Bonus Traces | |
Bonus Eidolons | |
View Details |
Attack | |
Energy Regeneration : 0 | |
Weakness Break : Single Target : 30 | |
Attacks an enemy, and when the battle starts, reduces their Toughness of the corresponding Type. | |
Mercy Is Not Forgiveness — Technique | |
Energy Regeneration : 0 | |
Weakness Break : Single Target : 60 | |
Immediately attacks all enemies within a set range. After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate on every enemy target for turn(s).
Attacks all enemies within range. After entering battle, deals minor Lightning DMG to all enemies, with a high chance to Shock them. |
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Traces
Torture | |
Requires Character Ascension 2 | |
When the Ultimate is used, enemy targets will now receive DMG immediately from all currently applied DoT sources instead of just receiving DMG immediately from the currently applied Shock state. | |
5000 3 1 |
Plunder | |
Requires Character Ascension 4 | |
If an enemy is defeated while Shocked, Kafka additionally regenerates 5 Energy. | |
20000 5 1 1 |
Thorns | |
Requires Character Ascension 6 | |
The base chance for target enemies to get Shocked by the Ultimate, the Technique, or the Talent-triggered follow-up attack increases by 30%. | |
160K 8 1 1 |
Eidolons
Light Cones
Gallery
Voice
Story
Updated for Version 1.2
Note that the information given may change if new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress.
Join our Discord to check on and participate in the theorycrafting process.
Table of Contents
Initial Thoughts
Kafka is a 5★ character available exclusively from the Nessun Dorma Warp in Honkai: Star Rail. She is a Lightning damage dealer belonging to the Nihility Path. Kafka is the premier Damage over Time (DoT) character bringing both exceptional personal damage as well as the ability to amplify the damage of other DoT characters. With her powerful Area of Effect (AoE) damage output and explosive detonations of DoT effects, Kafka makes for a well-rounded damage dealer who can lead teams to victory.
As a character whose mechanics focus on triggering DoT effects, she has unique playstyles, synergies and stat requirements that we’ll cover below.
Infographic
Mechanics
Kafka’s kit revolves around her unique ability to trigger DoT effects on her own turn without reducing their duration, granting all Damage over Time effects additional damage output and removing their reliance on enemies taking turns. The more often Kafka can act, the more often she can force DoT effects to trigger.
This makes Kafka unique in that a portion of her damage can be derived from the stats of other characters, allowing her to scale with both her own stats and kit, as well as all current and future sources of DoT. Bear in mind that this also means if you are choosing to pair Kafka with other DoT characters, these characters must also be very well invested to see good damage returns.
Kit Breakdown
Kafka’s Skill and Ultimate are what forcibly trigger DoT effects. Her Ultimate detonates DoT effects at a higher percentage of the original DoT when compared to her Skill, but this requires her A2 Bonus Trace to be able to detonate all DoT effects instead of just Shock.
While Kafka’s Skill is only capable of detonating existing DoT effects, her Ultimate is the source of her own personal DoT, inflicting Shock onto all enemies and then immediately triggering the DoT effect once. Because of the immediate DoT proc, Kafka does not need to set up her personal Shock beforehand to maximize the effectiveness of her Ultimate.
Kafka’s Talent is a follow-up attack that is triggered by ally Basic ATKs, and it will inflict her Ultimate’s Shock DoT onto the enemy hit by the follow-up attack. This allows Kafka to easily prime enemies to take high damage from her Skill without being overly reliant on her Ultimate for set up. Because the follow-up attack has a one-turn cooldown (based on Kafka’s turns), it is relatively easy to apply Shock onto multiple enemies and then keep it going, provided you meet the criteria for activation.
Kafka’s Technique is a way to begin an encounter with her Ultimate’s Shock DoT already applied onto all enemies, thus reducing Kafka’s ramp-up time.
Due to these interactions, Kafka’s Ultimate is the most important aspect of her kit, since its DoT can be applied through multiple means and is the main source of damage that will be triggered via her Skill and the Ultimate itself.
Traces
Basic ATK
Basic ATK | Midnight Tumult
Midnight Tumult [Single Target]
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 50%/100%/110% of Kafka’s ATK to a single enemy.
If you’re using this, it typically means that you’ve done something wrong.
Skill
Skill | Caressing Moonlight
Caressing Moonlight [Blast]
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 80%/160%/168% of Kafka’s ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to 30%/60%/68% of Kafka’s ATK to enemies adjacent to it.
If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to 60%/75%/78% of their original DMG.
Any DoTs that are detonated by Kafka’s skill but don’t belong to her, such as Sampo’s Wind Shear, will still scale off of the character with DoT ownership. Second highest priority after Ultimate, as this is Kafka’s most used ability.
Ultimate
Ultimate | Twilight Trill
Twilight Trill [AoE]
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 48%/80%/86% of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG from their current Shock state, equal to 80%/100%/104% of its original DMG. Shock lasts for 2 turn(s).
While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 115%/290%/318% of Kafka’s ATK at the beginning of each turn.
Like her Skill, DoT damage depends on the stats of the DoT effect’s owner. Highest priority to level, as Kafka’s Shock DoT scales off of Ultimate’s Trace Level.
This also affects her Talent and Technique, since both of those inflict the Ultimate’s DoT onto enemies.
Talent
Talent | Gentle but Cruel
Gentle but Cruel [Single Target]
After an ally of Kafka’s uses Basic ATK on an enemy target, Kafka immediately launches 1 follow-up attack and deals Lightning DMG equal to 42%/140%/159% of her ATK to that target, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate to the attacked enemy target for 2 turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.
The value of the DoT effect inflicted by this skill is dependent on the current Ultimate Trace Level.
Technique
Technique | Mercy Is Not Forgiveness
Mercy Is Not Forgiveness
Immediately attacks all enemies within a set range.
After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate on every enemy target for 2 turn(s).
Applies Ultimate’s Shock DoT to all enemies and deals improved Toughness damage. Can be used for a slightly faster ramp-up, but often is not as powerful as other techniques to engage.
A2 Bonus
Ascension 2 Bonus Ability | Torture
Torture
When the Ultimate is used, enemy targets will now receive DMG immediately from all currently applied DoT sources instead of just receiving DMG immediately from the currently applied Shock state.
Allows Kafka to detonate DoT effects from other units, not just her own Shocks.
Invaluable if using DoT inflicting characters with Kafka.
A4 Bonus
Ascension 4 Bonus Ability | Plunder
Plunder
If an enemy is defeated while Shocked, Kafka additionally regenerates 5 Energy.
Can offer potentially significant Energy gains but only in situations with lots of weaker enemies or summons.
A6 Bonus
Ascension 6 Bonus Ability | Thorns
Thorns
The base chance for Ultimate, Technique, or the follow-up attack triggered by the Talent to inflict Shock increases by 30%.
Substantially reduces Kafka’s need for EHR stats, outside of E1, reducing her recommended EHR total to about 28.3%. Since Kafka gains 18% from Minor Traces, you only need about 10% from substats in total (about 2-3 subs worth) or other outside sources.
Note: Trace levels shown are 1/10/12 (Basic ATK 1/6/7).
Trace Priority
Ability Level Priority
> > >
Ultimate > Skill > Talent > Basic
Both Kafka’s Ultimate and Skill offer great damage, but her Talent’s follow-up attack inflicts the same DoT as her Ultimate, meaning her Ultimate is the top priority to level.
Bonus Ability Priority
> >
A2 > A6 > A4
A2 will generally be the highest priority Bonus Ability to unlock, unless you are playing Kafka without any other DoT characters.
Eidolons
Eidolon 1
Eidolon 1 | Da Capo
When the Talent triggers a follow-up attack, there is a 100% base chance to increase the DoT received by the target by 30% for 2 turn(s).
Increases all DoT received by the target of her follow-up attack by 30%, and allows Kafka to utilize EHR up to 67%. However, it is still recommended to only aim for around 28% EHR, as guaranteeing the E1 effect does not make up for the loss in damage due to building additional EHR.
Eidolon 2
Eidolon 2 | Fortississimo
While Kafka is on the field, DoT dealt by all allies increases by 25%.
While Kafka is alive and on the field, DoT damage dealt by all allies is increased by 25%.
Maximum suggested stopping point for low spenders.
Eidolon 3
Eidolon 3 | Capriccio
Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
Skill levels add some damage, but the Basic ATK levels are functionally useless.
Eidolon 4
Eidolon 4 | Recitativo
When an enemy target takes DMG from the Shock status inflicted by Kafka, Kafka additionally regenerates 2 Energy.
Regenerates 2 Energy every time an enemy takes damage from Kafka’s Shock. Keep in mind this exclusively considers Kafka’s own Shock.
Allows for an ERR rope to be used if you also have her signature Light Cone.
Eidolon 5
Eidolon 5 | Doloroso
Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Ultimate levels are nice, but Talent levels have low impact.
Eidolon 6
Eidolon 6 | Leggiero
The Shock inflicted on the enemy target by the Ultimate, the Technique, or the Talent-triggered follow-up attack has a DMG multiplier increase of 156% and lasts 1 turn(s) longer.
Increases Ultimate’s Shock DoT multiplier by 156%, for a new total of 446%, and increases the duration of the DoT to 3 turns.
Colossal damage improvement overall, but the duration increase is not too impactful.
Playstyle
Kafka always wants to use her Skill every turn. You should aim to apply DoT to enemies before using the Skill.
One way to apply DoT to the enemy is by using an ally Basic ATK to activate Kafka’s Talent, though this relies on the ally being faster than Kafka. Other methods include using ally Abilities that can apply DoT or using Kafka’s Ultimate to apply Shock. Since Kafka’s Ultimate also detonates the Shock as it’s applied, this is a very efficient setup.
Kafka’s Technique can also be used to apply Shock at the start of an encounter, giving her a head start in applying DoT to all enemies.
Kafka’s Ultimate can generally be used as soon as it is available, though there may be situations where you want to hold onto it for a bit to gain more out of it, such as by waiting for teammates to apply their own DoT effects onto enemies for a larger detonation, waiting for Kafka to get buffed by a support, or debuffing enemies prior to using her Ultimate.
Relics
Relic Sets
4-Pc Band of Sizzling Thunder |
BiS option for Kafka. Performs as Kafka’s best set in general. She ideally wants to use her Skill every turn, so you should have 100% uptime on its ATK buff. |
4-Pc Genius of Brilliant Stars |
Can compete with 4-Pc Sizzling Thunder. When Kafka is against Quantum-weak enemies or has DEF Shred on her team, this set will be her best performing option; otherwise it can be slightly behind 4-Pc Sizzling Thunder.
Overall, this Relic set is one of the most efficient to farm broadly on your account because it widely competes as the 1st or 2nd choice option for many characters. On Kafka its performance varies depending on whether your team has other DEF reduction effects and if the content you are fighting has a large Quantum-weak focus. |
2-Pc Combinations | 2-Pc viable sets include: Messenger Traversing Hackerspace, Musketeer of Wild Wheat, and Band of Sizzling Thunder.
If a combination of any two of these 2-Pc sets yield a higher quantity of useful substats, then that could also be effective. |
Planar Ornaments
Space Sealing Station |
Kafka’s Best-in-Slot Planar Ornament set offers her valuable ATK%. She uses SPD Boots so she will easily reach the 120 SPD requirement. |
Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise |
If at E1, this can help alleviate the increased need for EHR while still providing a decent ATK% boost in the process. Not recommended otherwise. |
Light Cones
Patience Is All You Need |
Only marginally better than a S5 Good Night and Sleep Well, not recommended to roll for if you have 3 or more copies of that LC. |
Good Night and Sleep Well |
Best 4-star gacha Light Cone by a landslide, but requires other Nihility units or multiple Break DoTs on the enemy to maintain the full amount of stacks. |
Incessant Rain |
Kafka does not make any use of CRIT Rate, however the Vulnerability debuff from Aether Code makes up for this. Not recommended to roll for due to only marginal improvement over a high Superimposition Fermata and being worse than S3+ Good Night and Sleep Well, but you can use it if you already have it. |
In the Name of the World |
Stat stick, use if you have it but don’t pursue it. |
Fermata |
Best F2P option and incredibly solid at S5, competing with the other 5 star options outside of Patience Is All You Need. |
Eyes of the Prey |
At E0, this is worse than a Fermata at equivalent Superimposition levels, but at E1+ it becomes a better option due to the EHR it provides. |
Stats
Body |
Feet |
Sphere |
Rope |
ATK% | SPD | Lightning DMG% | ATK% |
Substat Priority:
EHR (to ~28%) > SPD > ATK > Break Effect%
EHR
Prioritize getting to 28.3% total Effect Hit Rate before going for other substats. This 28% EHR does not have to be exclusively achieved through substats since it can also be acquired through Kafka’s Traces or external factors such as Pela’s A4 Bonus Ability.
SPD and ATK
You should prioritize SPD substats as this will have the most significant bearing on Kafka’s ability to deal damage, regardless of which team composition you go for. More SPD is better, so long as you are able to keep up with the increasing SP costs associated with going faster. More ATK is never a bad thing, though this has a lower priority compared to SPD and EHR.
Break Effect
Break Effect% is a stat that Kafka can potentially make good use of against Lightning weak foes to improve the damage of the DoT from Weakness Break, especially since her Ultimate and Skill are capable of detonating the Break DoT. However, this is oftentimes an unreliable overall damage increase, since it relies entirely on Kafka being the one to Break the enemy which is not always possible. It is also completely useless against enemies that are not weak to Lightning. As such, Break Effect% is better used on other characters while Kafka focuses on SPD and ATK%.
One thing to keep in mind is that building Break Effect% is only an effective strategy when built on a single character of a team, since an enemy can only be Weakness Broken by one character at a time.
CRIT
You may have noticed that we do not have CRIT in our substat priority list.
You should build Kritka 🤯 NOW! ⏲️
And give somebody 🧑🦲 else a piece of this knowledge 🧠 and Kritka 🔥 so we can all live 🌎 in Band of Sizzling Thunder ⛈️ Cavern farming crit pieces. 🧑🌾
Because what ❓ else are you here for? 🧐
To worship 🙌 Kafka?
Build Kritka. 🛠️
I mean that, with a hundred 💯 Crit Value.
With a thousand Crit Value. 🔒
guys it only joke no crit pls
DoT cannot crit and Kafka’s DoT detonation effect similarly cannot crit, leaving her CRIT-scaling multipliers which are nothing short of abysmal. The CRIT-scaling hit of her Ultimate has an 80% multiplier per enemy at Trace level 10, which is even less than her Basic ATK. In comparison, her DoT damage from Shock (which is completely incapable of hitting crits) is 290% of her ATK at the same level.
Building for CRIT will pull far more valuable substats away from the strongest part of Kafka’s kit. Again, this is dreadful. If you get CRIT substats by chance, that’s just unlucky, but no matter how good that CRIT may seem, don’t get baited. Invest in Kafka DoT stocks instead.
Notable Synergies
Kafka has a unique set of synergies due to her reliance on DoT in terms of both her secondary Damage dealer options and the support buff and debuff options. Characters that can apply DoTs have a natural synergy with Kafka’s detonation effect, but characters that can enhance Kafka’s own DoT or that are able to debuff enemies are also very potent.
Second Damage Dealer
These characters require high investment as well, but can also contribute considerable damage.
Sampo |
Large AoE Wind Shear damage and DoT Vulnerability debuff benefit Kafka greatly. After he’s done maxing out his stacks, he can Basic ATK repeatedly to generate SP. Also allows for an easy 3 stacks on Good Night and Sleep Well. Great synergy. |
Luka |
Highly recommended for content against single targets and/or Physical weak enemies. He can also dispel problematic enemy buffs similarly to Pela’s Skill if necessary. Luka’s Ultimate also increases the DMG that a single enemy receives, amplifying DoT as well. Due to his Ultimate’s high Energy cost, he can become an SP sink if you’re not careful. |
Serval |
Kafka’s Talent can sustain her Shock effortlessly against a single enemy, but has more difficulty in AoE situations. Against multiple durable enemies, or those with powerful CC, Serval helps to maintain Shock uptime while contributing her own Shock DoT. One advantage Serval brings to Kafka teams is her ability to extend Break Effect Shock favoring her against enemies that are weak to Lightning. Keep in mind that the personal DoT contribution of Serval is significantly lower than either Sampo or Luka. |
Buffer
These characters buff Kafka and/or her teammates. They typically require lower investment than another damage dealer.
Asta |
One of Kafka’s best flex slot choices, especially against Fire-weak enemies. Can buff both Kafka and any other damage dealers, and gives an ATK% and flat SPD buff to the entire team. The more SPD, the more frequently Kafka can detonate DoTs, and this therefore equates to more damage. Can also be run SP neutral. Contributes a DoT of her own, though it is largely negligible. |
Tingyun |
Tingyun’s ATK% and DMG% buffs offer a considerable increase to Kafka’s personal damage output. Her Ultimate’s Energy Regeneration allows Kafka to detonate more DoT instances more frequently. Her Skill’s 3 turn duration can also help achieve SP positive or neutral scenarios. However, keep in mind that if you are running a second damage dealer, Tingyun will not help them at all, as her buffs are exclusively single target. |
Bronya |
While Kafka cannot make effective use of CRIT DMG, Bronya still grants ATK%, DMG% and can advance Kafka’s turn. Granting Kafka additional actions leads to additional uses of her Skill and Ultimate, which in turn causes additional detonations.
Bronya’s high SP requirements can make it difficult to use her alongside Kafka without Bronya’s E1 or signature Light Cone, though this can be somewhat mitigated with careful play. Because of this, Bronya can be considered an advanced option, and is therefore not generally recommended. |
Debuffer
These characters debuff the enemies. Freeze has been counted as a ‘debuff’ due to it being an enemy-centered effect.
Silver Wolf |
A universally good debuffer that can implant Lightning Weakness, or Quantum Weakness for the Genius of Brilliant Stars Relic set bonus. She also helps Kafka’s team break faster, and potentially adds an additional Break Effect DoT into the mix. Her DEF Shred also stacks with the aforementioned Relic set. However, take care not to Break with Silver Wolf as the delay from the Entanglement debuff will reduce your DoT ticks due to slowing the enemy. |
Pela |
Notable for her AoE DEF shred stacking with the 4pc set effect of Genius of Brilliant Stars and becoming even more potent. A decent SP positive pick that does not require much investment, and also has access to a buff dispel. Additionally, she grants 10% Effect Hit Rate to everyone in the party, bringing Kafka up to 28% before any Relic stats. |
Freeze Unit (March 7th, Gepard) |
Freeze synergizes well with DoT effects as enemies take a turn to recover from Frozen, during which DoT effects tick down but the enemy does not get to act. Freezing enemies will provide more DoT ticks over the course of the fight while simultaneously stretching the time between enemy attacks without the downsides of other control effects, such as Imprisonment or Entanglement.
EHR main stat pieces and a focus on EHR substats for these characters will lead to an increase in overall DoT damage and safety. Keep in mind that both of these characters can be very SP hungry when played for Freeze. |
Notable Anti-synergies
Welt |
Slowing or Imprisoning the enemy directly delays their turn reducing the rate of ticking DoT damage. Welt’s Ultimate DMG Vulnerability also stacks additively with Sampo’s, so you are better off using someone else. |
Strong Imaginary/Quantum Breakers (i.e. Qingque, Yukong) |
Controlling effects such as Entanglement or Imprisonment reduce the rate at which DoT effects tick due to the enemy becoming delayed and should be avoided. |
Teams
Make sure to keep Weaknesses, SP, and content in mind when you draft your team. A team that works very well against waves of small enemies may do terribly against an Elite. Similarly, a team that cannot sustain its main playstyle is eventually going to fail.
Because Kafka is not really reliant on any one specific teammate, her team compositions are quite flexible. Putting Kafka alongside any combination of the aforementioned teammate options is likely to result in a good team, though again make sure to consider SP when constructing your party.
Additionally, because Kafka is quite frail, adding a solid defensive option is imperative and non-negotiable if you are aiming to tackle end game content such as Memory of Chaos. Forgoing that for more damage will not bring you good results. Don’t try it.
While it is certainly possible to play Kafka in a triple carry setup, it comes with significant drawbacks, most notably that a setup like this is extraordinarily fragile. You sacrifice practically all defensive utility while not necessarily surpassing the damage profile of Dual Carry or Solo Carry. This setup also requires substantially more resources to be put into each character, since all three of your damage dealers need to be at a high investment to take full advantage of their personal damage.
Solo Carry
(Solo Carry is functionally the same as “Hypercarry” but without CRIT. This is to more easily recognize that you should not build CRIT.)
Kafka can work as a solo carry and DoT unit on a team with dedicated support units. These teams rely on Kafka dealing highly increased Shock damage due to allies providing buffs for Kafka’s damage output, or applying debuffs to enemies.
Example Teams
Keep in mind that these are not the only possible teams to play with Kafka, just some examples.
Tingyun Asta Solo Carry
Extremely fast team that does not rely on applying debuffs onto enemies. Tingyun can be played net SP positive, meaning that Asta can more freely use her Skill to maintain exceptional uptime on her Ultimate, resulting in a very fast, permanently buffed Kafka who can use her Ultimate far more frequently. Kafka should not be built for CRIT even for “Hypercarry”. Once again, do not build CRIT.
Note: This team struggles to utilize GNSW on Kafka.
Bronya Solo Carry
Allows Kafka to double up on turns, giving her more Skill uses and thus increasing the number of times she can detonate her own DoT. Only a Fast Bronya will be able to realistically keep up with Kafka, and this also requires careful play and a lot of SP to maintain. You should aim to maximize your usage of her skill without depriving Kafka of SP. This team can struggle with emergency situations due to a lack of free floating SP.
Note: Bronya cannot be reasonably used with Kafka in a Dual Carry setup, as it is borderline impossible to find the SP to make that team even get started, let alone maintain it for any length of time, meaning that by choosing to use Bronya with Kafka, your second Flex slot becomes notably more limited.
Double Debuffer Solo Carry
A double-debuffer team also works for a solo carry Kafka. This team has plenty of SP and is not particularly Skill dependent, allowing for flexible use of Skills based upon the situation. This means you have the leeway to use SP on Pela’s Skill for the purposes of dispelling enemies, or to use the surplus SP for emergency purposes on your Defensive Flex.
Note: Bailu and Gepard work particularly well as Defensive Flexes here due to their elements. Gepard in particular can make great use of any surplus SP to take advantage of his Skill’s Freeze, and subsequently increase the rate at which enemies will take DoT ticks.
Double Defensive Solo Carry
Keep in mind that this team will not perform very well damage wise compared to all other team options. Ideally your Kafka should be very highly invested, to the point of being able to almost clear as the solo damage option. For the non-Defensive Flex Slot, any of Kafka’s other synergistic teammates can work.
Although any defensive character can be used, notable choices include March 7th and Gepard for access to Freeze. Preservation units holding Trend of the Universal Market can be another source of DoT, though this would really only be for the purposes of maximizing the effects of GNSW.
Dual Carry
Dual Carry Kafka teams utilize her kit to detonate the DoT effects provided by one additional DoT damage dealer. These teams can use either a buffer or debuffer to enhance team damage output.
Example Teams
Keep in mind that these are not the only possible teams to play with Kafka, just some examples.
F2P
Only Skill once per Ultimate use with Serval to tag enemies with her Shock, then Basic ATK to generate SP. Focus on generating SP necessary for Kafka and maximizing your Ultimate uptime with Asta. Serval is also capable of extending Break Shock, so this can also contribute extra damage for Kafka’s Skill and Ultimate DoT detonations.
This team lags behind other options, but it is very accessible if the only gacha character you own is Kafka, and is still decent, especially against Lightning weak foes.
Sampo Dual Carry
Good single target with very strong AoE. Focus on getting 5 stacks of Wind Shear with Sampo as soon as possible without depriving Kafka of SP. After your primary targets have 5 stacks, use his Basics to generate SP unless you need more Toughness damage from his Skill.
Although Asta is highlighted in this image, she can be replaced by other SP positive units such as Pela or Silver Wolf. An Asta-specific note is that the extra SP from Sampo’s Basic ATKs are well spent on Asta’s Skill to increase her Energy gains and improve her Ultimate uptime.
Luka Dual Carry
Very strong single target focus. Luka is mostly SP neutral, since he needs to maintain his Skill’s Bleed but also wants to be using his Enhanced Basic ATK to detonate his own Bleed too. Silver Wolf provides significant single target debuffs and DEF Reduction that stacks fully with Luka’s DMG Taken debuff from his Ultimate. This team typically wants a fully SP positive Defensive Flex since both Silver Wolf and Luka also want to be using SP on occasion.
Although Silver Wolf has excellent synergy with Luka due to their shared single-target focus, Pela or a SP positive Asta can also be substituted here.
Triple Carry
Triple Carry Kafka teams use 2 additional DoT carries, forgoing any kind of support units. As of version 1.2, there are still a very limited number of DoT units, so this team can be hard to put together. One must take care to properly manage SP while dealing enough damage and properly sustaining the team.
Example Teams
Keep in mind that these are not the only possible teams to play with Kafka, just some examples.
Sampo Luka Triple Carry
This team requires the highest investment out of most of Kafka’s team options to take full advantage of it while having little to no survivability. Careful balancing of Sampo and Luka’s SP is also required, as well as high investment into a strong solo defensive option.
Credits
Arbutus unedo
Cyn
ducc
Feito
Monochrom9
nyte
Reens
skylarke
Sushou
Changelog
- August 13 2023 – Published for v1.2
- August 17 2023 – Added Infographic for v1.2
- August 25 2023 – Changed from Quick Guide to Guide.
Kafka Build Guide
SS Tier
Kafka Stats at Max Lv
Kafka Overview
Kafka is one of the Lightning element characters in Honkai Star Rail.
A member of the Stellaron Hunters an ability called Spirit Whisper, has been wanted by the Pteruges-V Devils for her ability to hypnotize people through language.
As a Nihility, Kafka debuff their enemies and gain an advantage by reducing the enemy’s overall battle power.
Kafka Max Lv Ascension Materials
Kafka Skills
Kafka Abilities Priority
Midnight Tumult
Kafka Normal Attack
Single Target
Level: 1
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka’s ATK to a single enemy.
Caressing Moonlight
Kafka Skill
Blast
Level: 1
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 80% of Kafka’s ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to 30% of Kafka’s ATK to enemies adjacent to it. If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to 72% of their original DMG.
Twilight Trill
Kafka Ultimate
AoE ATK
Energy Cost: 120
Level: 1
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 48% of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG equal to 115% of the DoT. Shock lasts for 2 turn(s). While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 80% of Kafka’s ATK at the beginning of each turn.
Kafka Talents
Gentle but Cruel
Kafka Talent
Enhance
Level: 1
After an ally of Kafka’s uses Basic ATK on an enemy, Kafka immediately launches 1 follow-up attack and deals Lightning DMG equal to 60% of her ATK to that enemy, with a base chance of 100% of increasing the DoT inflicted by 15% for 2 turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.
Kafka Technique
Mercy Is Not Forgiveness
Kafka Technique
Immediately attacks the enemy. After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka’s ATK to a random enemy. In addition, all enemies have a 100% base chance to become Shocked for 3 turn(s).
While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 50% of Kafka’s ATK at the beginning of each turn.
Kafka Traces
Torture
First Tier
When DoTs immediately deal DMG to enemies due to Kafka’s Skill or Ultimate, their DMG multiplier is proportionally increased. The increased proportion is equal to 15% of Kafka’s Break Effect, up to a max of 30%.
Second Tier (Ascension 2)
Break effect +5.3%
Third Tier (Ascension 3)
ATK +4%
Forth Tier (Ascension 3)
HP+4%
Plunder
First Tier
If an enemy is defeated while Shocked, Kafka additionally regenerates 5 Energy.
Second Tier (Ascension 4)
ATK +6%
Third Tier (Ascension 5)
Break effect +8%
Forth Tier (Ascension 5)
ATK +6%
Thorns
First Tier
Talent has a 20% increased base chance to increase the DoT that the enemies receive. Ultimate has a 20% increased base chance to Shock enemies.
Second Tier (Ascension 6)
HP +6%
Second Tier (Lv.75)
Break effect +10.7%
First Tier (Lv 1)
ATK +4%
Second Tier (Lv 80)
ATK +8%
Kafka Max Trace Lv Ascension Materials
Kafka Eidolon
Kafka Key Eidolons
Da Capo
Kafka Eidolon Level 1
When using Ultimate, instead of immediately receiving DMG from the Shock state, enemies will now immediately receive DMG from all currently applied DoT sources.
Fortississimo
Kafka Eidolon Level 2
Weakness Break Efficiency boosted by 50%.
Capriccio
Kafka Eidolon Level 3
Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
Recitativo
Kafka Eidolon Level 4
The duration of the increased DoT caused by Talent is extended by 1 turn(s). This effect is stackable and can stack up to 2 time(s).
Doloroso
Kafka Eidolon Level 5
Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Leggiero
Kafka Eidolon Level 6
The Ultimate increases the DMG multiplier of Shock DMG dealt to enemies by 100% and extends the duration of Shock by 1 turn(s).
Kafka Build
Kafka Best Light Cone
Light Cone Name |
Patience Is All You Need |
---|---|
Rarity |
|
Light Cone Type |
The Nihility |
How to Obtain |
Light Cone Event Warp |
Patience Is All You Need Overview and Effect
Spider Web
Increases DMG dealt by the wearer by 24%/28%/32%/36%/40%. After every attack initiated by the wearer, the wearer’s SPD increases by 4.8%/5.6%/6.4%/7.2%/8% up to 3 stack(s), with a 100% base chance of causing the attacked enemy to take 60%/70%/80%/90%/100% additional DoT DMG for 1 turn.
Other Light Cones can be used
Kafka Best Relics
Relics Set 1
Prisoner in Deep Confinement (4 Set)
2 Set Effect – ATK increases by 12%.
4 Set Effect – For every DoT the target enemy is afflicted with, the wearer will ignore 6% of its DEF when dealing DMG to it. This effect is valid for a max of 3 DoTs.
Space Sealing Station (2 Set)
2 Set Effect – Increases the wearer’s ATK by 12%. When the wearer’s SPD reaches 120 or higher, the wearer’s ATK increases by another 12%.
Firmament Frontline Glamoth (2 Set)
2 Set Effect – Increases the wearer’s ATK by 12%. When the wearer’s SPD is equal to or higher than 135/160, the wearer deals 12%/18% more DMG.
Kafka Team Comp
Kafka Premium Best Team
Kafka is a Main DPS in the team. Kafka’s DPS build is used
Kafka
Main DPS
Kafka is a Main DPS in the team. Kafka’s ultimate applies DoT on enemies and his skill deals additional DMG to enemies with DoT.
Tingyun
Support
Tingyun is a versatile support character who can increase the ATK of her allies. Her ultimate skill regenerates 50 Energy for a target ally and increases their DMG.
Asta
Support
Asta can increase the SPD of all allies, allowing them to perform more attacks before the enemy’s turn. For every Charging stack Asta can increase the ATK of her allies.
Luocha
Healer
Luocha’s skill restores HP of allies based on his ATK. Luocha’s Ultimate dispels enemies’ debuff and deal Imaginary AoE DMG to enemies. When stack of “Abyss Flower” reaches 3, a field is applied on enemy. Allies’s HP is restored by attacking enemy with the shield.
This is Kafka general best team. For simulated universe, please refer to the below page:
Kafka F2P Best Team
Kafka is a Main DPS in the team. Kafka’s build is used
Kafka
Main DPS
Kafka is a Main DPS in the team. Kafka’s ultimate applies DoT on enemies and his skill deals additional DMG to enemies with DoT.
Luka
Support
Luka’s primary role is to increase the damage received by a single enemy target and quickly break their weaknesses.
Increase the damage dealt by the “inflict bleed” effect based on their own maximum HP%.
Sampo
Sub DPS
Sampo’s Ultimate Skill can increase damage from all DoT effects on enemies.
Natasha
Healer
Natasha is a Healer in the team , whose abilities are focused on restoring the health of allies.
This is Kafka general best team. For simulated universe, please refer to the below page:
Kafka Ascension Material
Rank |
Req Lv |
Credit |
Mat#1 |
Mat#2 |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
20 |
4000 |
|
Thief’s Instinct x 5 |
||
2 |
30 |
8000 |
|
Thief’s Instinct x 15 |
||
3 |
40 |
16000 |
|
Usurper’s Scheme x 6 |
|
Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff x 3 |
4 |
50 |
40000 |
|
Usurper’s Scheme x 12 |
|
Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff x 8 |
5 |
60 |
80000 |
|
Conqueror’s Will x 5 |
|
Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff x 20 |
6 |
70 |
160000 |
|
Conqueror’s Will x 8 |
|
Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff x 35 |
Ezequiel Leis
Honkai Star Rail players already met Kafka in the game, but need to wait a little longer to add her to their teams. In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the character, including abilities and more.
Honkai Star Rail has many more characters arriving in the coming months, and players have their sights set on Kafka, a powerful five-star character. In fact, players already met Kafka in the tutorial of the game, and that’s why they are so eager to add her to their teams.
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Let’s go through everything we know about Kafka in Honkai Star Rail, including her expected release date, abilities, and more.
- Who is Kafka in Honkai Star Rail?
- Kafka Honkai Star Rail release date
- Honkai Star Rail Kafka abilities
- Kafka trailer
Who is Kafka in Honkai Star Rail?
Kafka is a Honkai Star Rail Lightning element character in the Path of The Nihility, which means she specializes in debuffing and weakening opponents.
She’s a Stellaron Hunter, like Blade and Silver Wolf, characters that will also arrive in the game later this year. There’s a lot of mystery around her figure and the Interastral Peace Corporation’s entry on her only registered her name and a phrase: “Likes collecting coats.”
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Players will have the chance to delve into her story once she officially arrives in Honkai Star Rail.
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Players expect Kafka to arrive in Honkai Star Rail very soon.
Kafka Honkai Star Rail expected release date
It was confirmed that Kafka will arrive in Honkai Star Rail with update 1.2. While there’s no official release date for that version, players expect it will launch on July 19.
Honkai Star Rail Kafka abilities
Here’s every skill and ability Kafka has in Honkai Star Rail:
- Midnight Tumult (Basic attack) – Deals half of Kafka’s ATK stat as Lightning DMG to a single enemy.
- Caressing Moonlight (Skill) – Deals 70% of Kafka’s ATK stat as Lightning DMG to an enemy and 25% to adjacent enemies.
- Twilight Trill (Ultimate) – Deals 38% of Kafka’s ATK as Lightning DMG to all enemies. Additionally, enemies are Shocked and immediately take DMG equal to 82% of received DMG. When Shocked, enemies receive additional DoT at the start of their turn.
- Gentle But Cruel (Talent) – After an ally uses their Basic ATK on a Shocked enemy, Kafka immediately deals Lightning DMG to that enemy. This effect can only be triggered once per turn.
- Mercy Is Not Forgiveness (Technique) – Immediately attacks the enemy. After entering battle, deals 50% of Kafka’s ATK as Lightning DMG to a random enemy. With this, all enemies have a chance of being Shocked for 3 turns.
Honkai Star Rail Kafka trailer
While there isn’t a trailer centered around Kafka, Honkai Star Rail players can see glimpses of the character on the Tokyo Game Show teaser released in 2022:
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That’s everything you need to know about Kafka in Honkai Star Rail. We’ll make sure to update this article when her release date is confirmed alongside a useful guide so you can build her properly.
For more Honkai Star Rail content, be sure to check out our other useful guides and articles:
Honkai Star Rail The Adventurous Moles quest guide | Honkai Star Rail PC and mobile requirements | How to unlock daily missions in Honkai Star Rail | Honkai Star Rail To The Faint Star Quest guide: Missing piece locations | Honkai Star Rail The Adventurous Moles quest guide: All page locations & solutions | Best Dan Heng Honkai Star Rail build guide: Light Cone, Relics, Planar Ornament, more | How to reroll in Honkai Star Rail | Best Bailu Honkai Star Rail build: Light Cones, Relics, Planar Ornaments, more | Best Honkai Star Rail Battle Pass Light Cones
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