Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based RPG game that includes some complex battle mechanics encompassed by a simple UI. With relatable characters that each go through their own struggles, developers miHoYo have gone above and beyond to create a beautiful game with striking cinematics.
Some of our favorite character moments involve the Landau siblings who you’ll meet on the 2nd Planet you visit, Jarilo-VI. The elder sibling Serval is a carefree Rockstar who runs a mechanics workshop. While the middle child Gepard is the straight-laced Captain of the Silvermane Guard.
While the Landau siblings both deserve to be highlighted, this article will focus mainly on Gepard as the original premiere shielder archetype. Read on to find out Gepard’s best relics and light cones so he can keep your team alive without the need for an Abundance character!
Photo: miHoYo
Character Overview
Gepard Character Summary
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Gepard is one of the original 5-Star characters who have been available since the game’s release. Remember that we use the term available loosely since obtaining Gepard is arguably more difficult than pulling for the limited-time characters.
Most players would sigh in exasperation if they summoned a Gepard instead of the limited character they were actually aiming for but we’re here to tell you that Gepard is actually quite valuable once you’ve built him.
Photo: miHoYo
Gepard’s main draw is that he applies high HP shields to your entire team, effectively stopping anyone from taking any damage. A well-built Gepard can be slotted into your team in place of an Abundance character since he eliminates the need for healing.
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This means that players without a 2nd Healer for Memory of Chaos can invest in their Gepards instead of trying to pull for Bailu or didn’t get to pull for Luocha.
Abilities and Traces
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Gepard Abilities
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Photo: miHoYo
Photo: miHoYo
That being said, people who are looking to spend a little extra for a stronger Gepard could aim for his E1, since this increases his Skill’s Freeze chance to a total of 100% on enemies without effect resistance. Effectively lessening the damage your team takes since that enemy doesn’t take any actions.
Gepard Best Build and Relics
Gepard Best Cavern Relics
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Knight of Purity Palace is by and large Gepard’s best relic set because of the Defense increase as well as the boost to the shields that Gepard generates. Guard of Wuthering Snow is a decent alternative since it increases Gepard’s survivability, but only Gepard’s and not the whole team’s.
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You could opt to fit Gepard with two pieces from both sets to combine the Defense bonus with the Damage Reduction bonus, but we highly recommend farming for a full set of Knight of Purity Palace for the best Gepard build.
Best Cavern Relic Stats
Photo: miHoYo
Photo: miHoYo
Belobog of the Architects is Gepard’s best set because it increases his Defense by a total of 30% if you can manage to roll enough Effect Hit Rate sub-stats. Again, we want to reiterate how important Defense is for Gepard for his shields.
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Fleet of the Ageless is another considerable set for its Max HP bonus while boosting allies’ Attack. This set turns Gepard into almost a Tank-Support instead of a committed Tank if you can get enough Speed to trigger the second set bonus.
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Gepard Best Planar Ornament Stats
Photo: miHoYo
Photo: miHoYo
The next best Light Cone is the 4-Star Light Cone, Landau’s Choice. This Light Cone coupled with Gepard’s inherently high aggression value makes effectively allows Gepard to have a constant Taunt.
Photo: miHoYo
Trend of the Universal Market is another notable 4-Star Light Cone that affords more offense. This Light Clone allows Gepard the chance to proc Burn on enemies that attack him. This could pair well with the Nihility blessings in Simulated Universe, or with another playable character, Kafka.
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If you’re only starting out at the game, and don’t have many Light Cones yet, feel free to equip the Amber Light Cone as a placeholder. You could also purchase the Pseudo-5-Star Preservation Light Cone, Texture of Memories, from Herta’s Store.
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Conclusion
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Truth be told, an argument can be made for Trailblazer (Fire) when discussing who to invest in as your lineup’s Tank because of how frequently the MC can apply shields. These shields however are significantly smaller, which means enemies that hit hard will still be able to deal chip damage to your characters.
In contrast, Gepard’s shields are much bulkier, effectively mitigating all the damage that your team takes if you have enough investment to constantly use your ultimate. This eliminates the need for an Abundance character since your team will always be full HP.
In addition to this, Gepard is of the Ice element and naturally has access to Freeze, allowing you to delay or stop most enemy attacks from ever happening in the first place.
Consider investing in Gepard if you don’t have a 2nd healer for Memory of Chaos. And consider yourself lucky if you find yourself “losing” the 50-50 on a featured banner and get a Gepard instead.
