Version 3.6 drops a bombshell with the Remembrance path and its memosprite summons, completely flipping the meta on its head around HP-scaling mechanics. This tier list breaks down all characters based on their endgame performance in Memory of Chaos and Pure Fiction, with SS-tier powerhouses Castorice, Phainon, and Tribbie absolutely dominating the field. We're looking at E0 setups with signature Light Cones and optimal relics here.
HSR 3.6 Tier List Overview & Methodology
How We Actually Rank These Characters
Look, I've been doing this long enough to know that tier lists can be... controversial. But here's the deal: we're evaluating level 80 units with maxed traces, E0 configurations, signature Light Cones (S1), and optimal 5-star relics. No whale territory here.
For DPS assessment, we're looking at damage consistency, team independence, turn efficiency, and AoE capabilities. Support evaluation? That's all about buff strength, how well they amplify your DPS, and SP generation efficiency.
The numbers don't lie either. Performance data from 27,036 players in Version 3.5 Memory of Chaos shows some fascinating trends. Firefly's leading usage at 57.34%? Not surprising. Kafka at 48.63% and Blade at 48.38%? Classic choices. But here's where it gets interesting—top players are achieving 5.5-cycle clears with Acheron (18.59% usage) and 5.79 cycles with Feixiao (7.11% usage).
Meta Analysis Framework
Version 3.6's Memory of Chaos puts a spotlight on single-target and blast damage. Meanwhile, Pure Fiction rewards AoE wave-clearing—you need 60,000 points across 4 cycles, which honestly isn't as brutal as it sounds once you get the hang of it.
Here's the kicker though: New Memory Turbulence grants a whopping 40% damage boost to units and summons, plus True Damage instances (we're talking 70,000-90,000 damage per hit) at cycle start. This fundamentally favors Remembrance strategies, and honestly? It's about time we got some fresh meta shake-up.
Environmental buffs specifically target summon-based strategies. Fun fact: Dan Heng Permansor Terrae's Souldragon actually counts as a summon for damage bonuses. The new relic sets like World-Remaking Deliverer provide 24% Max HP to wearers and memosprites plus 15% damage to allies—pretty generous, if you ask me.
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S-Tier Characters: Meta Defining Units
Top DPS Powerhouses
Phainon (Physical Destruction) is what I'd call the F2P dream come true.
This guy dominates as premier hypercarry at E0, utilizing 12-15 Flame Cores through his Ultimate for substantial HP and ATK buffs. His single-target excellence pairs perfectly with Cerydra for Skill DPS enhancement, and here's the beautiful part—he requires minimal team dependency while delivering consistent damage across all endgame content.
Castorice (Quantum Remembrance) brings something completely different to the table.
Her Wings of Death summon provides 100% action advance while consuming ally HP for amplified damage. At E2, she becomes absolutely meta-defining. The synergy with Gallagher as sustain is chef's kiss perfect due to those HP consumption mechanics. Her summon-based strategy aligns perfectly with Version 3.6's environmental buffs.
Evernight (Ice Remembrance) offers unique team utility through her jellyfish summon—yes, you read that right, jellyfish—providing consistent team buffs while maintaining strong personal damage. She's optimal at E1 and pairs seamlessly with March 7th Remembrance and Remembrance Trailblazer for True Damage and Action Advance combinations.
Essential Support Characters
Tribbie stands as the ultimate generalist support. I'm talking Resistance Penetration, Vulnerability debuffs, and follow-up attack coordination all rolled into one package. Her cross-type damage amplification makes her ideal for Herta teams or HP-scaling DPS units, offering unparalleled versatility while maintaining near-100% Ultimate uptime. That's efficiency.
Sunday revolutionizes summon-based strategies with dedicated summon damage amplification, CRIT DMG boosts, and Skill DMG enhancement versus summons. His near-neutral SP and Energy management based on target Max Energy at S1 makes him essential for hypercarry and summon-utilizing DPS units.
Remembrance Trailblazer provides exceptional F2P value. True Damage output and 100% Action Advance at full memosprite Charge? This free unit boosts team CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate at certain Eidolons, making it invaluable for high-energy Ultimate synergies without premium investment. Sometimes the best things in life really are free.
Complete DPS Character Rankings
S-Tier DPS Analysis
Anaxa (Wind Erudition) excels as both hypercarry and sub-DPS, ranking as top Erudition DPS with stack scaling based on enemy count in Pure Fiction. Her versatility in pairing with The Herta for AoE clearing while maintaining strong performance across endgame content makes her a premium investment worth considering.
The Herta absolutely dominates AoE scenarios with Interpretation stacks scaling on enemy count. She's particularly devastating at E2 for Pure Fiction wave-clearing. As premier multi-target DPS, she pairs exceptionally with Erudition sub-DPS units and benefits significantly from energy management strategies.
Kafka maintains her position as premier DoT specialist with that impressive 48.63% usage in Version 3.5 MoC. Her synergy with Hysilens for sustained DoT output is something to behold. Those multi-layered DoT effects and consistent performance across various team compositions cement her as a versatile S-tier choice that's stood the test of time.
A-Tier Solid Performers
Firefly remains the best Break DPS for vertical investment. We're talking over 300K damage post-Toughness break with proper support from Harmony Trailblazer, Fugue, or Ruan Mei. Despite that leading 57.34% usage rate in Version 3.5 MoC, team dependency prevents S-tier ranking—she needs her squad to truly shine.
Acheron (Lightning Nihility) delivers strong performance at 5.5 cycles in Version 3.5 MoC with 18.59% usage, scaling effectively with meta Nihility releases. Her requirement for E2 and 2 Nihility allies for optimal performance creates investment barriers, but boy does she reward dedicated building.
Feixiao (Hunt) provides excellent single-target damage through Toughness-ignoring Ultimate and follow-ups, achieving 5.79 cycles in Version 3.5 MoC at 7.11% usage. Her recharge mechanism on ally attacks makes her ideal for boss fights with proper team coordination.
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Support Character Tier List
Buffer Specialists
Robin maintains SS-tier status with teamwide Action Advance and damage amplification for Follow-up ATK teams. Her Concerto state provides ATK buffs based on her ATK stat plus additional damage, making her versatile for offensive buffs while requiring Ultimate management post-Concerto. She's been a staple for good reason.
Ruan Mei remains essential for Break teams with Weakness Break Efficiency, RES PEN, SPD buffs, and Break delay mechanics. Her Ice Harmony path provides DMG% for non-Break teams, making her a must-pull for versatility across Ice/Quantum or DoT team compositions. Honestly, if you don't have her yet, what are you waiting for?
Bronya offers Sunday-like action advances and damage buffs with easier SP and SPD tuning through Eidolons. Her Wind Harmony path fits Critical Hit-focused teams perfectly, providing reliable action manipulation without the complexity of newer support units.
Sustain Options Ranked
Hyacine (SS-tier) leads sustain options with HP-scaling AoE heal and cleanse capabilities. Maximum HP scaling, frequent AoE healing, debuff cleanse, and high damage output? Her Wind path synergizes perfectly with Castorice and Evernight for balanced team compositions.
Dan Heng Permansor Terrae provides strong shields tied to Summon actions on Bondmate attacks, offering ATK buffs and Follow-up ATKs based on Bondmate stats. His Imaginary path counts Souldragon as summon for that sweet 40% damage boost in MoC.
Aventurine delivers frequent shields on enemy attacks with CRIT DMG Ultimate and Follow-up capabilities after enemy hits. His Preservation path excels at tanking high-damage attacks like Hemotort Decapitation—we're talking ~5k damage plus bleed DoT. Ouch.
Remembrance Path Deep Dive
New Path Mechanics
Remembrance characters summon Memosprites as semi-independent pets providing automatic attacks, passive effects, or escalating damage output. This hybrid summoner DPS approach proves optimal in prolonged fights like multi-wave encounters or boss battles, reacting to ally and enemy actions while building stack effects.
The path debuts in version 3.0 with Amphoreus world, tied to Aeon Fuli for memory preservation themes. Memosprites function as battle companions with varied abilities. Remembrance Trailblazer gains a Mem entity providing True Damage and Action Advance capabilities at 100% memosprite Charge—pretty neat for a free character.
Team Building Strategies
Optimal Remembrance teams focus on HP-scaling synergies and memosprite coordination. The premier composition? Castorice as main DPS, Evernight for team buffs, Tribbie for RES PEN and Vulnerability, and Hyacine for HP-scaling AoE heal and cleanse. This setup achieves 1-cycle clears in Memory of Chaos. Yes, you read that correctly.
Alternative budget compositions utilize Remembrance Trailblazer as core support unit, pairing with traditional DPS characters while benefiting from memosprite buffs and True Damage output. This approach provides F2P players access to Remembrance mechanics without requiring multiple premium character investments—which is honestly refreshing.
Memory of Chaos Optimal Teams
Floor 12 Meta Teams
First Half Optimal: Castorice E0S1 + Evernight E0 + Tribbie E0 + Hyacine E0 achieves 1-cycle clears against The Ascended (1.2M HP) and Furiae Praetor (2M HP).
Strategy involves deploying Castorice for Quantum Remembrance DPS, Evernight summoning jellyfish for buffs, Tribbie applying RES PEN and Vulnerability, prioritizing Furiae Praetor to stop minion spawns. Simple, effective.
Second Half Meta: Feixiao E0 + Topaz E2 S1 + Robin E0 + Dan Heng PT E0 delivers 5-cycle clears focusing Physical/Imaginary damage. Execution requires Feixiao leading with Hunt single-target, Topaz E2 enhancing follow-ups, Robin providing Action Advance, Dan Heng PT shielding via Bondmate while buffing ATK.
Cycle Count Optimization
Stage 12 enemies include The Ascended (Lightning/Ice/Physical weakness), Furiae Praetor (Lightning/Ice/Quantum), and Sweet Gorilla (Physical/Fire/Imaginary) with specific Toughness values of 480 for bosses and 300k HP for Pheasants with -60 Toughness per summon.
Optimal cycle management involves breaking shields to charge energy, focusing high-HP targets post-break, and utilizing environmental buffs effectively. It's all about timing and priority targeting.
Character Investment Guide
F2P Priority List
Immediate Priorities: Remembrance Trailblazer provides exceptional value as free SS-tier support with True Damage and Action Advance capabilities. Phainon offers the best F2P hypercarry option at E0, requiring minimal team support while delivering consistent damage output.
Secondary Investments: Gallagher serves as S-tier sustain for Remembrance teams, particularly valuable for Castorice compositions due to HP consumption synergy. 4-star supports like Tingyun remain essential for Ultimate-heavy setups, providing energy generation and damage amplification.
Eidolon Value Analysis
Most SS-tier characters provide excellent performance at E0, with specific breakpoints offering significant improvements. Castorice E2 transforms her from strong to meta-defining, while Evernight E1 optimizes her team support capabilities without requiring excessive investment.
Support character Eidolons generally provide diminishing returns compared to acquiring new characters. There are exceptions for game-changing breakpoints like Sunday S1 for SP management, but investment should prioritize roster breadth over individual character depth. Trust me on this one.
Team Building Strategies
Core Team Archetypes
Remembrance Hypercarry: Castorice + Evernight + Tribbie + Hyacine provides balanced synergy for damage, support, and sustain with layered buffs. This composition offers longevity in high-difficulty content through HP-scaling mechanics and memosprite coordination.
Traditional Hypercarry: Phainon + Cerydra + Sunday + Ruan Mei delivers single-target burst dominance through stacked bonuses for high-multiplier strikes. Flexible fourth slot accommodates utility or energy needs based on specific encounter requirements.
AoE Specialist: The Herta + Anaxa + Tribbie + Lingsha focuses on energy and Interpretation stacks for Ultimate frequency, aiming for 4-5 Ultimates scaling with enemy count. Budget alternatives include Herta + Xueyi + Trailblazer Ice + Lynx.
FAQ
Q: Who are the best DPS characters in Honkai Star Rail 3.6? Phainon leads as premier F2P hypercarry at E0, followed by Castorice (E2 optimal) and Evernight (E1 optimal) for Remembrance strategies. Anaxa and The Herta excel in AoE scenarios.
Q: What makes Remembrance path characters special in 3.6? Remembrance units summon memosprites as semi-independent battle companions providing automatic attacks, buffs, and utility. Version 3.6's Memory Turbulence grants 40% damage boost to summons plus True Damage instances.
Q: Which support characters are essential for the current meta? Tribbie provides universal RES PEN and Vulnerability, Sunday amplifies summon damage, and Remembrance Trailblazer offers F2P True Damage. Robin and Ruan Mei remain versatile for traditional compositions.
Q: How do I build effective teams for Memory of Chaos floor 12? First half benefits from Castorice + Evernight + Tribbie + Hyacine for 1-cycle potential. Second half uses Feixiao + Topaz + Robin + Dan Heng PT for Physical/Imaginary focus.
Q: Are Remembrance characters worth pulling for F2P players? Remembrance Trailblazer provides excellent F2P value as free SS-tier support. Castorice and Evernight require investment but offer meta-defining performance. Tribbie represents the best universal support investment.
Q: What's the optimal investment priority for new players in 3.6? Start with Remembrance Trailblazer (free), then Phainon for F2P hypercarry, followed by Tribbie for universal support. Hyacine provides excellent sustain value.