Yanqing Build Guide HSR 4.3 – Best Relics, Light Cones & Teams

TL;DR

• Yanqing is a 5-star standard Ice Hunt DPS who gains massive CRIT buffs through Soulsteel Sync — but loses them instantly if he is hit.
• He requires a shielder exclusively — not a healer — because taking any damage drops Soulsteel Sync and loses all his buffs.
• Best relic set is Scholar Lost in Erudition (4-piece) for CRIT DMG and Ultimate DMG amplification.
• Best light cone is In the Night (5-star) — boosts CRIT Rate, Skill and Basic ATK DMG based on SPD, and Ultimate CRIT DMG.
• Do not build CRIT Rate beyond ~20% on relics — his Talent and Ultimate already give him 80% CRIT Rate combined during buff windows.
• He needs Sunday or Tingyun to cycle his expensive 140 Energy Ultimate comfortably.
• Yanqing is T5 in MoC and not recommended for Pure Fiction — he is entirely single-target with no AoE capability.

Who Is Yanqing in Honkai Star Rail?

Yanqing Build Guide HSR 4.3 — Yanqing is a 5-star Ice character who follows the Path of The Hunt. He is the spirited lieutenant of the Xianzhou Luofu and its most proficient swordsman — born for the blade and obsessed with it. He is part of the standard banner pool, meaning players may obtain him from normal Stellar Warp pulls or as a loss on the 50/50 system during limited character banners. In combat, Yanqing is a single-target hypercarry who activates a powerful self-buff state called Soulsteel Sync through his Skill, gaining enormous CRIT bonuses and a follow-up attack chain. His critical weakness is that Soulsteel Sync is instantly lost if he takes any damage — making a shield unit a strict requirement rather than a preference.

For teammates, supports, and other Ice DPS options, check out guides for Jingliu, Sunday, Bronya, Tingyun, Aventurine, and Fu Xuan.

How Yanqing Works – Soulsteel Sync Explained

Soulsteel Sync is Yanqing’s core mechanic and the foundation of every build decision around him. When activated by his Skill, Soulsteel Sync lasts for 1 turn and grants Yanqing a significant CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG boost. His Talent further boosts his CRIT stats while Soulsteel Sync is active and gives him a 50% fixed chance to fire a follow-up attack after hitting an enemy. That follow-up has a 65% base chance to Freeze the target for 1 turn.

The catch is severe: if Yanqing takes any damage while Soulsteel Sync is active, it is immediately removed. Every buff tied to it disappears instantly. This is why he cannot use a healer — a healer only responds after damage is taken, by which point the sync is already gone. He needs a shield that absorbs the hit before it registers as damage taken. Aventurine and Fu Xuan are his best sustain options.

The ideal rotation is simple: use his Skill to activate Soulsteel Sync, then use his Ultimate while the buff is active to combine the Soulsteel CRIT DMG boost with the Ultimate’s own CRIT Rate bonus. This stacks his CRIT stats to enormous levels — but only lasts for that one turn window. Getting his Ultimate off while Soulsteel Sync is active is the core execution challenge of playing Yanqing well.

Yanqing Kit Breakdown

Basic ATK – Lone Wolf

Deals Ice DMG equal to 50% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy. Yanqing’s Basic ATK is rarely used in standard rotations. Since his Skill activates Soulsteel Sync and his entire kit is built around maintaining that buff state, the goal is to Skill every turn when Skill Points allow. Use Basic ATK only when SP is critically low. His A6 trace gives him a 10% SPD increase for 2 turns after landing a CRIT, which can occasionally make the Basic ATK worth using to maintain SPD momentum in specific rotations.

Skill – Darting Irises

Deals Ice DMG equal to 110% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy and activates Soulsteel Sync Link for one turn. While Soulsteel Sync is active, Yanqing gains +15% CRIT Rate and +15% CRIT DMG from his Talent bonus, plus a 50% chance to fire a follow-up attack after every attack. The follow-up itself has a 65% base chance to Freeze. You should aim to use his Skill whenever it is his turn, then use his Ultimate when Soulsteel Sync is active for maximum buff stacking.

Ultimate – Amidst the Raining Bliss

Increases Yanqing’s CRIT Rate by 60%. When Soulsteel Sync is active, Yanqing’s CRIT DMG increases by an extra 30%. These buffs last for one turn. Afterward, deals Ice DMG equal to 210% of Yanqing’s ATK to a single enemy. The 60% CRIT Rate from his Ultimate combined with the 20% CRIT Rate from his Talent gives him 80% CRIT Rate during Ultimate turns — before any relic or light cone stats. This means CRIT Rate overcapping is unavoidable during his buff window. Building additional CRIT Rate on relics is wasteful — prioritise CRIT DMG instead. The Ultimate costs 140 Energy, one of the highest costs in the game. Energy support from Sunday or Tingyun is needed to maintain comfortable buff uptime across cycles.

Talent – Soulsteel Sync

While Soulsteel Sync is active, Yanqing gains +15% CRIT Rate and +15% CRIT DMG. After each attack, there is a 50% fixed chance to fire a follow-up attack that deals Ice DMG equal to 25% of his ATK and has a 65% base chance to Freeze the target for 1 turn. The Freeze follow-up is the secondary damage source in his kit — it deals relatively low individual damage but stacks up over extended Soulsteel windows and contributes meaningful Toughness reduction against Ice-weak enemies.

Technique – Whiteout

Yanqing fires a ray of ice at nearby enemies before battle. Enemies hit by this are slowed for a brief period. After entering combat, all enemies take increased damage for 2 turns based on Yanqing’s ATK. A simple pre-combat opener that deals early Ice DMG and sets up a brief ATK-scaling damage window before the first turn. Not mechanically complex but always worth using before tough encounters.

Yanqing Bonus Traces

• A2 – Stiffen: Yanqing deals extra DMG to enemies with high HP for two turns. When Soulsteel Sync is active, Yanqing is less likely to be attacked by enemies. The reduced aggro from enemies while in Soulsteel Sync helps preserve the buff even when the team is not running a full shield — enemies are less likely to target Yanqing directly during the critical buff window.
• A4 – Perseverance: Increases his Effect RES by 20% during Soulsteel Sync. Useful for resisting crowd control debuffs that could interrupt his turn. Crowd control effects like Freeze and Concussion skip Yanqing’s turn, expiring the 1-turn Soulsteel Sync without him acting. Bronya and Sunday both cleanse before advancing, making them critical for CC-heavy content.
• A6 – Frost Spell: Grants Yanqing a 10% SPD increase for 2 turns upon scoring a CRIT. In practice this is near-permanent — Yanqing crits on almost every hit during Soulsteel Sync. More SPD means he acts more frequently, cycling his Skill and refreshing Soulsteel Sync faster. His high base SPD of 109 makes this bonus especially impactful.

Yanqing Trace Priority

Level his Skill first. Every Skill use activates Soulsteel Sync, and higher Skill levels increase the ATK multiplier and the CRIT buff values from the Talent’s interaction with the sync. Then level his Ultimate for the ATK multiplier on the main hit and the CRIT DMG boost it adds during sync. The Talent can be leveled third for follow-up attack damage.

1. Skill (activates Soulsteel Sync and scales CRIT bonuses)
2. Ultimate (main damage spike — always use during Soulsteel Sync)
3. Talent (follow-up ATK multiplier and Freeze chance)
4. Basic ATK (lowest priority)
5. All Bonus Traces — unlock all three for the aggro reduction, Effect RES, and SPD bonuses

Best Light Cones for Yanqing in HSR 4.3

1. In the Night (5-Star – Best in Slot)

In the Night is the perfect tool for Yanqing. It increases CRIT Rate and boosts Basic ATK and Skill DMG based on the amount of SPD above 100 that the wearer has. It also provides a boost to Ultimate CRIT DMG. Yanqing has a base SPD of 109 and gains another 10% from his A6 trace during combat — so his SPD is consistently high enough to get meaningful bonuses from this light cone’s SPD scaling. The Ultimate CRIT DMG bonus stacks directly with the 30% CRIT DMG from Soulsteel Sync during his Ultimate turn, amplifying his peak burst window. This is originally Seele’s signature light cone from the standard banner’s light cone warp, making it accessible over time without limited banner spending.

2. Sleep Like the Dead (5-Star Standard Alternative)

Increases CRIT DMG and, when a follow-up attack hits a CRIT, gives a chance to raise the wearer’s CRIT Rate by 36% for 1 turn. Since Yanqing’s follow-ups crit constantly during Soulsteel Sync, this proc fires reliably. Works well for further inflating his already-massive CRIT stats during Soulsteel windows. Available from the standard banner over time.

3. Cruising in the Stellar Sea (4-Star – Best F2P Option)

Increases CRIT Rate and gives additional CRIT Rate when attacking enemies with 50% HP or less. Since boss encounters often spend extended time in the second half of their HP bar, the conditional CRIT Rate boost is reliably active during the most important damage phases. A strong and accessible 4-star for players without 5-star Hunt light cones.

4. Swordplay (4-Star – Boss Fight Option)

Boosts ATK and CRIT Rate when 2 or fewer enemies are on the field, stacking up to 5 times. Yanqing almost exclusively fights single targets in Memory of Chaos boss content — 2 or fewer enemies is nearly always true. Stacking to 5 gives meaningful CRIT Rate. A solid alternative when Cruising in the Stellar Sea is unavailable.

5. Arrows (3-Star – Budget Pick)

Gives a significant CRIT Rate bonus at the start of the first 3 turns of a battle. A very early-game placeholder that helps Yanqing hit reasonable CRIT numbers before farming proper 4-star or 5-star options. Replace this as soon as possible.

Best Relics for Yanqing in HSR 4.3

Best 4-Piece Set: Scholar Lost in Erudition

Scholar Lost in Erudition is the best relic set for Yanqing. The 2-piece gives 8% CRIT Rate. The 4-piece gives CRIT DMG after using the Ultimate, and further increases Ultimate and Skill DMG after follow-up attacks land. Since Yanqing uses his Skill and Ultimate as his two core rotation actions and fires follow-up attacks constantly during Soulsteel Sync, all three conditions for the 4-piece are met simultaneously in every proper rotation. The result is a compounding CRIT DMG and DMG% boost that aligns perfectly with his burst windows.

Alternative: 4-Piece Hunter of Glacial Forest

The classic Ice DPS set. The 2-piece gives 10% Ice DMG. The 4-piece gives 25% CRIT DMG for 2 turns after using the Ultimate. Works well and was the standard Yanqing set before Scholar Lost in Erudition was introduced. Scholar generally edges it out now but Hunter of Glacial Forest remains a strong second-choice option with good Ice DMG amplification.

Alternative: 2-Piece Scholar + 2-Piece Hunter

A transitional mix that combines CRIT Rate from Scholar and Ice DMG from Hunter. Use this while farming for a clean 4-piece Scholar set. Both 2-piece bonuses contribute directly to Yanqing’s damage without any wasted stats.

Best Planar Ornaments: Firmament Frontline: Glamoth

The best planar ornament set for Yanqing is Firmament Frontline: Glamoth. It increases ATK% and gives a further ATK% bonus when Yanqing’s SPD is at or above 135 or 160. Given his high base SPD of 109, his A6 SPD bonus, and standard SPD substats, hitting 135 SPD is straightforward. The combined ATK amplification feeds directly into his Skill, Ultimate, and follow-up attack multipliers. More ATK means every component of his damage loop deals more, making this the most efficient ornament for pure output.

Alternative Planar Ornament: Space Sealing Station

Increases ATK and gives further ATK% when SPD is 120 or above — an easier threshold than Glamoth’s 135. A reliable alternative in builds where Glamoth’s higher SPD threshold is harder to reach, or while farming for better Glamoth pieces.

Yanqing Stat Priority

• Body: CRIT DMG (do not use CRIT Rate — his Talent and Ultimate already cap it during buff windows)
• Feet: SPD or ATK%
• Planar Sphere: Ice DMG Boost%
• Link Rope: ATK% or Energy Regeneration Rate
• Substats priority: CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD > CRIT Rate (only to ~20% baseline)

Critical note on CRIT Rate: CRIT Rate overcapping is unavoidable with Yanqing. His Talent provides 20% and his Ultimate provides 60%, totalling 80% base CRIT Rate during Ultimate turns. Building additional CRIT Rate on relics is wasteful — prioritise CRIT DMG instead. Aim for roughly 20% CRIT Rate from relics as a baseline to cover turns where his Ultimate is not active. Everything else should go into CRIT DMG, which has no overcap concern and directly amplifies every hit during his burst window.

Best Teams for Yanqing in HSR 4.3

Team 1: Sunday Hypercarry (Best Team)

The universal single-target hypercarry setup is Yanqing’s best configuration. Sunday advances Yanqing’s action forward and stacks CRIT DMG. He also cleanses debuffs before advancing, which is essential in CC-heavy content where Freeze or other crowd control effects would otherwise expire Soulsteel Sync before Yanqing can act on it. Add Tingyun for ATK buffs and generous Energy restoration to help cycle the 140 Energy Ultimate. Use Aventurine as the sustain — his shield prevents Soulsteel Sync from breaking and his follow-up attacks contribute to a high-action-count team that benefits everyone.

Team 2: Bronya + Shield Sustain

Before Sunday, Bronya was Yanqing’s premier support. She advances Yanqing’s action and applies a strong DMG% buff and CRIT DMG boost through her Ultimate. She also cleanses debuffs before advancing, preserving Soulsteel Sync in CC-heavy fights. Pair with Tingyun or Pela in the third slot and Fu Xuan as the shield sustain. Fu Xuan’s 12% team CRIT Rate from Knowledge also supplements Yanqing’s off-buff CRIT Rate.

Team 3: Pela Ice Support

In an Ice-focused lineup, Pela at E4 reduces the target’s Ice RES by 12% with every Skill use — a direct Ice DMG amplifier on top of her universal 40% DEF shred. Combine Yanqing, Pela, a Harmony buffer, and a shielder for a budget-accessible team that performs well in Memory of Chaos. Pela’s DEF shred stacks multiplicatively with Yanqing’s Ice DMG bonus, making every hit during Soulsteel Sync deal more damage than either buff alone would suggest.

Team 4: F2P Budget Team

Yanqing / Tingyun / Pela / Gepard — all accessible standard or 4-star characters. Tingyun covers ATK and Energy. Pela shreds DEF. Gepard provides a shield to protect Soulsteel Sync. Gepard is specifically one of the few free shielders in the game and his Ultimate creates a team-wide shield that prevents Yanqing from taking any damage during its duration. This team is viable through Memory of Chaos 10 and is a solid starting point before building out premium supports.

Yanqing Eidolons – Are They Worth It?

Yanqing is a standard 5-star, so players accumulate eidolons passively through standard banner pulls. It is with some difficulty that one must note his eidolons do not really improve much for Yanqing as his core issues are not with raw damage — they are with the fragility of Soulsteel Sync and his complete inability to deal AoE damage. The eidolons provide incremental improvements but do not fundamentally fix these structural weaknesses.

• E1 – Svelte Saber: Doubles Yanqing’s damage against targets affected by Freeze. His follow-up attacks Freeze targets, so this effectively gives him a 100% DMG boost on any hit that follows a Freeze proc — which can chain well in extended Soulsteel Sync windows. Situationally strong in fights where Freeze applies reliably.
• E2 – Refracted Sunbeams: Boosts his Energy Regeneration when Soulsteel Sync is active. Directly helps with his most significant build challenge — cycling the 140 Energy Ultimate fast enough to maintain consistent buff uptime. A meaningful quality-of-life eidolon.
• E4 – Spume Cleave: Increases his Ice RES PEN whenever his HP is over 80% of his Max HP. In teams with a proper shielder, Yanqing rarely takes damage and almost always remains above 80% HP — making this a near-permanent passive Ice RES penetration bonus. Strong and consistent in his intended team setup.
• E6 – Glacial Evermore: Adds another turn to the duration of his Ultimate’s buff if he defeats an enemy while that bonus is in effect. Niche — only useful in wave content where enemies die quickly, which is not where Yanqing plays best. The weakest eidolon in his kit.

The recommended eidolons to target, if accumulating them passively, are E1 and E2 first, then E4. None of them are worth actively pulling for over other standard characters.

Is Yanqing Worth Building in HSR 4.3?

Yanqing is functional with heavy investment but outclassed by modern DPS characters. He is rated T5 in Memory of Chaos in patch 4.3 — meaning he clears content but requires significantly more investment than newer Hunt or Ice DPS characters to achieve similar results. He is not recommended for Pure Fiction at all — he is entirely single-target with no AoE capability, and his follow-up attacks only hit the same single target.

That said, as a standard 5-star that many players have pulled unexpectedly, he is worth building to a functional level rather than leaving at level 1. With proper relic investment, a shielder, and Energy support from Sunday or Tingyun, he clears standard Memory of Chaos content. He is best viewed as a serviceable starter DPS for Ice content who eventually gets replaced by stronger limited options like Jingliu or Yunli.

For official version details and patch notes, visit the official Honkai Star Rail site and the HSR Version 4.3 wiki page.

Yanqing Build Guide HSR 4.3 – FAQ