ANAXA
Build Guide – Best Relics, Light Cone & Teams
⭐ SS TIER DPS ⭐The Nousporist Sage
Anaxa (full name Anaxagoras) is a groundbreaking 5-star Wind Erudition character introduced in Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.2. As the first Wind character on the Erudition path and one of the Seven Sages of the Grove of Epiphany, he plays as a revolutionary Weakness Architect — a DPS who can implant elemental weaknesses onto enemies, radically reshaping every fight in his favor.
His unique Bounce attack system hits a single target and ricochets to four additional random enemies, stacking weaknesses with every hit. His Ultimate triggers the devastating Sublimation state, instantly applying all seven elemental weaknesses to all enemies for one turn while preventing movement. Once an enemy accumulates five different weaknesses, Anaxa enters Qualitative Disclosure — dealing 60% more damage and gaining free follow-up Skill uses after every Basic Attack or Skill. He excels as both a hypercarry main DPS and as a premiere sub-DPS partner for The Herta.
Best Light Cones
Life Should Be Cast to Flames
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Signature — Best in SlotWhy it’s #1: Tailor-made for Anaxa. Increases CRIT Rate by 18%, regenerates 10 Energy at the start of each turn, boosts DMG against weakened enemies by up to 60–100% (SS1→SS5), and reduces enemy DEF by 12% for two turns when Anaxa uses an ability. The DEF reduction stacks beautifully with his signature Genius of Brilliant Stars relic set, creating a devastating double-layer DEF ignore combo. The energy regeneration ensures near-constant Ultimate uptime.
Into the Unreachable Veil
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Herta’s LCStrong Alternative: Provides 12% CRIT Rate plus 60% Skill and Ultimate DMG boost for three turns after using Ultimate. High base ATK synergizes well with Anaxa’s Skill-focused playstyle. Note: if running alongside The Herta, prioritize this cone on her — Anaxa can use an alternative instead.
Scholar Lost in Erudition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Generalist PickExcellent Non-Signature Option: Grants CRIT Rate and significant DMG bonuses to both Skill and Ultimate — the two most important abilities in Anaxa’s rotation. Performs nearly as well as Genius relic pairings and is a strong choice for players who prioritize a more generalist approach or don’t have his signature Light Cone.
The Great Cosmic Enterprise
⭐⭐⭐⭐ F2P Best-in-SlotOutstanding Free Option: Obtained from the HSR Second Anniversary Event at max superimposition. Increases ATK% and provides additional DMG boosts scaling with the number of weaknesses enemies have — a perfect synergy with Anaxa’s weakness-stacking kit. Highly recommended for any player who cannot pull his signature cone.
Ninjutsu Inscription: Dazzling Evilbreaker
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Erudition AoEAoE-Specialist Pick: Increases ATK by 12%, stacks ATK 8% per enemy hit (up to 5 stacks), and grants +16% SPD for one turn when hitting 3+ enemies. Excels in multi-enemy fights and provides Anaxa with additional Speed for faster Skill bounces. Falls off in single-target content.
Today Is Another Peaceful Day
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Battle PassSolid Hypercarry Backup: At high superimposition (SS3–SS5), its generalist DMG% boost outperforms several 5-star alternatives. Best for hypercarry Anaxa setups when the above options are unavailable. Not F2P-friendly but reliable for players with Battle Pass.
💡 Light Cone Priority
Prioritize Anaxa’s signature Life Should Be Cast to Flames as your first vertical investment — the energy regeneration alone is a massive quality-of-life upgrade, enabling consistent Ultimate cycling. If you cannot obtain it, The Great Cosmic Enterprise (free from Anniversary event) is a genuinely competitive alternative that scales directly with his weakness-stacking mechanic.
Best Relic Sets
⚔️ 4-Piece Relic Sets (Body Cavity)
4-Piece: When attacking enemies with Quantum Weakness, ignore 10% of their DEF; always ignore 20% DEF. DEF ignore stacks additively with the signature Light Cone’s DEF reduction for a massive damage spike. Despite being a Quantum-oriented set, Anaxa can reliably apply Quantum Weakness via his talent, consistently triggering the 4-piece bonus.
4-Piece: After using Ultimate, advances Anaxa’s action forward by 25%. This extra turn bonus is exceptionally powerful in The Herta dual-DPS teams — it helps The Herta regenerate energy faster and gives Anaxa more chances to stack weaknesses and bounce his Skill. Best choice for players without his signature LC or those focused on dual-DPS synergy.
4-Piece: After using Ultimate, increases Skill and Ultimate DMG by 25% for one turn. A strong, easy-to-farm generalist option. Works in both hypercarry and dual-DPS setups. Recommended if players prefer not to farm older sets.
🔮 Planar Ornaments (Outer Ring)
Stat Priorities
Main Stats
Substat Priorities
💡 CRIT Balance Note
Since Anaxa gains substantial CRIT DMG from his Major Trace (Imperative Hiatus) — up to 140% CRIT DMG in hypercarry mode with no other Erudition unit — prioritize CRIT Rate first in relic substats. In dual Erudition teams with The Herta, the CRIT DMG bonus is lower, so balance accordingly. Always stay above 70% CRIT Rate to maintain Rutilant Arena’s passive bonus.
Trace Priority
-
Skill — “Nouslogic Ploy”
Anaxa’s bread and butter. The Bounce attack deals Wind DMG to a primary target then ricochets to four random enemies, gaining massive DMG% bonuses based on enemies on the field. In single-target, all five hits land on the same enemy. Upgrade first — this is the core of his damage output. -
Talent — “Tetrad Wisdom Reigns Thrice”
Every attack implants a random weakness on enemies, prioritizing elements they don’t already have. When an enemy reaches five weaknesses, Anaxa enters Qualitative Disclosure — dealing 60% more DMG and gaining free Skill follow-ups after Basic Attacks and Skills. Critical passive to level alongside Skill. -
Ultimate — “Epiphany: All to Nothing”
Deals Wind AoE DMG to all enemies and applies the Sublimation state — instantly granting all seven elemental weaknesses and freezing enemy movement until their next turn. Level up simultaneously with Talent for increased frequency and effectiveness. -
Basic Attack — “Logical Deduction”
Lowest damage output but still important for energy regeneration via Major Trace (Roaming Signifier grants +10 Energy on Basic Attack use). Upgrade last.
Major Traces (Unlock First)
Roaming Signifier: Basic Attack regenerates 10 additional Energy — equal to Skill energy gain. Allows flexible playstyle and energy efficiency whether playing as main DPS or sub-DPS.
Imperative Hiatus: With 1 Erudition character in the team → increases CRIT DMG. With 2 Erudition characters → increases overall team DMG. Enables both hypercarry mode (+140% CRIT DMG) and dual-DPS mode (+50% team DMG boost). Unlocking this trace determines your entire team building strategy.
Qualitative Shift: Allows Anaxa to ignore a portion of enemy DEF when the enemy has multiple Weaknesses. Functions as a personal DEF ignore buff, amplifying his personal damage significantly in late weakness-stacking stages. Crucial for maximizing damage in all content.
Best Team Compositions
🌿 Dual Erudition Hypercore
The absolute gold-standard Anaxa team composition. Anaxa and The Herta form a devastating dual-DPS core — Anaxa’s weakness stacking accelerates The Herta’s energy regeneration while granting the entire team +50% DMG via Imperative Hiatus (2 Erudition bonus). Tribbie is the ideal buffer here: her buffs apply simultaneously to both DPS units, dramatically boosting collective output. Huohuo provides healing, Energy regeneration, and ATK buffs, keeping the team sustained while enabling consistent Ultimates.
Equip Anaxa with Izumo Gensei Planar Ornaments for the CRIT Rate bonus from having a same-path ally, freeing up substats for more CRIT DMG. This team excels in all endgame modes but especially shines in Pure Fiction AoE content.
🌿 Anaxa Hypercarry with Sunday
Pure hypercarry Anaxa at his absolute damage ceiling. With no second Erudition unit, Anaxa receives his solo CRIT DMG bonus of +140% CRIT DMG from Imperative Hiatus, creating a monstrous multiplier stack. Sunday provides action advance, CRIT DMG buffs, and turn manipulation. Remembrance Trailblazer applies Memory Zone buffs that further amplify Anaxa’s output. Both support characters can advance Anaxa’s action forward, so consider using ATK% Feet boots on Anaxa while ensuring ≥134 SPD from substats.
This team delivers devastating single-target DPS, making it ideal for Apocalyptic Shadow boss encounters.
🌿 Anaxa + Tribbie + Flex
A highly flexible and adaptable team. Tribbie serves as the anchor buffer, providing consistent team-wide DMG bonuses. The third slot can be filled with Sunday for turn advance/CRIT buffs, Bronya for action manipulation, or Remembrance Trailblazer for memory zone synergy. The sustain position fits Aventurine (shield-based, good for Apocalyptic Shadow), Lingsha (AoE cleanse and healing), or Huohuo (energy grant priority).
This team adapts to any game mode and is suitable for players building Anaxa before acquiring The Herta.
🌿 F2P-Friendly Composition
An accessible F2P team that can clear all standard endgame content. Remembrance Trailblazer provides memory zone buffs that boost Anaxa’s output significantly. Pela applies DEF reduction (which synergizes with the Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters relic set — use Pioneer instead of Genius with Pela for three stacked debuffs, enabling the 4-piece bonus). Asta is a great alternative support if you need SPD buffs. A free healer like Gallagher or Natasha covers sustain.
If using Pela, equip Anaxa with Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters relics for maximum debuff synergy.
💜 The Herta Lead — Anaxa Sub-DPS
When The Herta leads, Anaxa serves as an exceptional sub-DPS. His weakness stacking actively helps The Herta regenerate energy faster, enabling more frequent Ultimates. The dual Erudition bonus from Imperative Hiatus grants +50% team-wide DMG — benefiting The Herta, Tribbie, and Anaxa simultaneously. Permansor is ideal as sustain here: his summon has high base SPD and AoE attacks that assist with weakness application. This team is one of the highest-ceiling AoE compositions in the current meta for Pure Fiction.
Eidolons Guide
| Eidolon | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| E0 | Base kit — full access to weakness stacking, Sublimation Ultimate, Qualitative Disclosure. Complete and powerful on its own. | Strong |
| E1 | Increases DEF shred effectiveness and adds extra effects to weakness combos and Skill interactions. Noticeable damage and utility gains — the best value Eidolon after the signature LC. | High Value |
| E2 | Further enhances multi-hit synergy and weakness stacking consistency. Meaningful DPS increase, especially in longer fights. | Recommended |
| E4 | Improves bounce/weakness stacking speed and burst uptime. Solid gains for pushing endgame scores but smaller marginal increase vs E1→E2. | Optional |
| E6 | Maximum DEF shred stacking, best multi-hit synergy, perfect rotation — theoretical peak performance. Very expensive investment. | Whale Territory |
💡 Eidolon Sweet Spot
E0 with the signature Light Cone is the recommended stopping point for most players. If you want vertical investment, E1 provides the best cost-to-power ratio of any Eidolon. E1 + Signature LC is the optimal “whale-light” configuration for competitive endgame performance without full Eidolons.
How to Play Anaxa
Core Rotation
Anaxa’s basic rotation centers on generating and spending his Ultimate as frequently as possible while continuously stacking weaknesses via his Skill. The core loop:
- Use Technique before battle to pre-apply weaknesses to all enemies — jumpstarts weakness stacking and can instantly trigger Qualitative Disclosure in Apocalyptic Shadow (where bosses already have 4 weaknesses).
- Open with Skill — the Bounce hits stack weaknesses rapidly across all enemies.
- Use Basic Attack to regenerate energy when Skill Points are low (+10 Energy from Roaming Signifier trace).
- Deploy Ultimate to trigger Sublimation, applying all 7 weaknesses simultaneously and freezing enemy actions between turns.
- Once enemies enter Qualitative Disclosure (5+ weaknesses), use Basic Attack → receive free Skill follow-up, doubling output without spending Skill Points.
- Repeat: maintain Qualitative Disclosure state by continuing to hit enemies, keeping the free Skill loop active.
Sublimation Timing Tips
Anaxa’s Ultimate places enemies in Sublimation state, which lasts until the start of their turn — effectively delaying their next action. If an enemy would act twice in quick succession:
- Use Ultimate after their first action to catch their second turn in Sublimation — blocking their counter entirely.
- This control mechanic is similar to Welt’s delay in older content, giving Anaxa strong defensive utility alongside his offensive role.
- In Apocalyptic Shadow, time Ultimate after boss phase transitions for maximum interrupt value.
Speed Tuning
Anaxa should be tuned to 1 SPD higher than your action-advance support (Sunday, Bronya, etc.) to take clean turns after being advanced. The target SPD breakpoints are:
- 134–135 SPD — minimum recommended threshold (triggers Firmament Frontline: Glamoth’s 12% DMG bonus)
- 160 SPD — high-speed threshold for Firmament Frontline’s 18% DMG bonus
- If using Sunday or RTB advance, SPD boots are recommended; otherwise ATK% boots are viable.
💡 Pro Tip: Single-Target Power
Anaxa’s Skill Bounce mechanic makes him deceptively strong in single-target situations. In a one-enemy fight, all five Bounce hits land on the same target — stacking weaknesses five times per Skill use while dealing full damage. Combined with Qualitative Disclosure’s free follow-up Skills, Anaxa can output enormous single-target DPS rivaling dedicated ST hypercarries.
Should You Pull Anaxa?
✅ Pull If:
- You want a Wind or Erudition DPS that excels in both AoE and single-target content
- You own or plan to pull The Herta — their synergy is among the best in HSR 4.0
- You have Sunday, Remembrance Trailblazer, or Tribbie ready as supports
- You enjoy strategic, high-skill-ceiling playstyles (rotation timing matters)
- You want a character that counters virtually any enemy regardless of element
- You’re targeting all endgame modes — Anaxa is a universal performer
- You have good CRIT relics (80%+ CRIT Rate, 150%+ CRIT DMG) ready to slot in
⚠️ Consider Skipping If:
- You already have multiple strong Erudition DPS (The Herta, Jade) and don’t need more
- You lack action-advance or strong Harmony supports to enable his rotation
- You prefer simple, straightforward characters with minimal rotation planning
- You’re saving Stellar Jade for an upcoming limited support or a different DPS
- Your relic quality is poor — Anaxa requires significant stat investment to hit his ceiling
Final Verdict: Anaxa is one of the most innovative and powerful DPS characters in HSR 4.0. His universal weakness-application mechanic makes him future-proof — any enemy type, any content. His dual-mode capability (hypercarry and sub-DPS) means he slots into more teams than almost any other limited character. With strong F2P light cone options and a flexible team budget, Anaxa is a genuinely excellent pull for most accounts. Rated SS Tier for very good reason.
Anaxa vs Other SS Tier Characters
vs Phainon (Physical Destruction): Phainon is a hypercarry Physical DPS with massive single-target burst during his transformation. Anaxa is more versatile — better AoE, weakness utility, and team synergy flexibility. Both are SS tier but in different niches. Anaxa is generally more team-enabling; Phainon has a higher solo damage ceiling.
vs Castorice (Ice Erudition): Castorice specializes in Pure Fiction AoE burst with her ice mechanics. Anaxa offers more sustained damage and cross-mode flexibility. In dual Erudition teams, Anaxa and The Herta often outperform Castorice setups, but Castorice has a lower team-cost floor.
vs The Herta (Ice Erudition): Not a direct competition — Anaxa and The Herta are best-in-slot partners for each other. Where The Herta focuses on Ice DMG amplification and stacks, Anaxa provides weakness coverage and DEF reduction that multiplies The Herta’s output. Running both together is the strongest Erudition configuration in HSR 4.0.
vs Feixiao (Wind Hunt): Both are Wind DPS, but Feixiao is a follow-up hypercarry while Anaxa is a Bounce/weakness-based DPS. Feixiao relies on teammates’ follow-ups for her ultimate, while Anaxa is more self-sufficient. Different team requirements — minimal overlap, and both remain strong in their respective setups.