Best Herta Store Light Cones in HSR 2026: Buy Order & S5 Priority

Last updated: June 30, 2026 | Current version: Honkai: Star Rail 4.3

The HSR Herta Store Light Cones are among the most valuable guaranteed upgrades available to free-to-play players, but buying them in release order is rarely the best strategy.

Each permanent five-star Light Cone costs eight Herta Bonds, and taking one from S1 to S5 costs another eight Bonds. That means every purchase competes directly with a full Superimposition upgrade, a returning event Light Cone, or future additions to the store.

This guide ranks all seven permanent five-star Herta Store Light Cones, explains their S1-to-S5 value, identifies their best users, and helps you decide whether to buy a new cone, finish an existing one, or save your Herta Bonds.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

Quick Answer

For most HSR accounts, the default Herta Store buy order is:

1. On the Fall of an Aeon
2. Memory’s Curtain Never Falls
3. Eternal Calculus
4. Cruising in the Stellar Sea
5. Elation Brimming With Blessings
6. Solitary Healing
7. Texture of Memories

However, buy Memory’s Curtain Never Falls first for an active Remembrance support, Eternal Calculus first when Pure Fiction is your main problem, or save your Herta Bonds when none of the available cones immediately improves a character you use.

🏆 Herta Store Light Cone Ranking at a Glance

This is an account-neutral ranking. A lower-ranked cone should move to the top when it directly completes an important build on your account.

Rank	Light Cone	Best For	Buy Priority
1	On the Fall of an Aeon	ATK-scaling Destruction DPS	High
2	Memory’s Curtain Never Falls	Skill-using Remembrance support	High if actively used
3	Eternal Calculus	Erudition DPS in multi-target content	High for Pure Fiction
4	Cruising in the Stellar Sea	CRIT-based Hunt DPS	Medium–High
5	Elation Brimming With Blessings	Ally-targeting Elation support	Highly conditional
6	Solitary Healing	DoT or Break Nihility builds	Niche
7	Texture of Memories	Personal tank survivability	Low–Medium

Before spending Bonds, compare these options with the four-star, event, Battle Pass, and limited alternatives already in your inventory. The broader Honkai Star Rail Light Cones guide can help you identify whether the Herta option is an upgrade or only a sidegrade.

🔍 How We Ranked the Herta Store Light Cones

• Immediate account impact: Can the cone solve a current build problem?
• Passive uptime: Can a normal rotation activate the full effect consistently?
• S1-to-S5 value: Does Superimposition provide a meaningful upgrade?
• Compatible user pool: How many current characters can use the passive effectively?
• Replacement difficulty: Are comparable four-star alternatives easy to obtain?
• Endgame coverage: Is the cone useful in Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, or Apocalyptic Shadow?

Ranking rule:

Character-specific recommendations take priority over the default order. A cone ranked fifth overall can still be your best first purchase when it fully matches a character you already use.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

🛒 How Herta’s Store Works in HSR 4.3

💠 Permanent Five-Star vs Returning Event Light Cones

As of Version 4.3, Herta’s Store contains seven permanent five-star Light Cones:

• On the Fall of an Aeon — Destruction
• Cruising in the Stellar Sea — The Hunt
• Texture of Memories — Preservation
• Solitary Healing — Nihility
• Eternal Calculus — Erudition
• Memory’s Curtain Never Falls — Remembrance
• Elation Brimming With Blessings — Elation

Elation Brimming With Blessings was added in Version 4.1 alongside the playable Elation Path. Version 4.3 did not add another permanent five-star Light Cone, but it did add the Age of Trailblaze! Formalwear Set cosmetic to Herta’s Store.

The store also offers selected four-star Light Cones from past limited-time events. These are separate from the seven permanent five-star cones and are not included in the main ranking.

💰 Herta Bond and S5 Cost

Purchase	Cost	Total Needed
One five-star Herta Store Light Cone	8 Herta Bonds	8 Bonds for S1
One Superimposer (Custom-made)	2 Herta Bonds	4 needed for S5
One five-star cone at S5	8 + 8 Herta Bonds	16 Bonds total
All seven permanent cones at S1	8 Bonds each	56 Bonds total
All seven permanent cones at S5	16 Bonds each	112 Bonds total

Warning: Do not buy Star Rail Passes too early.

A standard pull gives you a random result. A Herta Store cone or Superimposer gives you a guaranteed account upgrade. Standard Passes should normally be treated as a late-game currency sink after your important equipment needs are covered.

🧭 Why Path Matching Matters

A character receives the base HP, ATK, and DEF of any equipped Light Cone, but its passive only activates when the character follows the matching Path.

For example, a Nihility character equipped with On the Fall of an Aeon receives its base stats but does not receive the stacking ATK or post-Break damage bonus.

Players who are still learning how Paths affect character roles can review this explanation of HSR Paths, elements, roles, and team building.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

⭐ Best Five-Star Herta Store Light Cones Ranked

1. On the Fall of an Aeon — Best General First Purchase

Path: Destruction
Best users: ATK-scaling Destruction DPS such as Firefly, Xueyi, and other compatible carries without a stronger signature option
Best modes: Memory of Chaos, Apocalyptic Shadow, general progression
S5 priority: High when permanently equipped
Skip if: Your active Destruction unit scales poorly with ATK or already owns a clearly stronger option

At S1, each attack increases the wearer’s ATK by 8%, stacking up to four times. At S5, the value rises to 16% per stack, allowing the wearer to build up to 64% ATK after four attacks.

Breaking an enemy’s Weakness also increases damage dealt by 12% at S1 or 24% at S5 for two turns.

Aeon ranks first because its ATK stacking is straightforward, its compatible user pool is broader than most other Herta cones, and its S5 improvement is large enough to matter over a full battle.

Why It Is Usually the Safest Choice

• The ATK effect activates through normal attacks rather than a narrow team condition.
• The maximum ATK bonus doubles from S1 to S5.
• It works in both single-target and multi-target encounters.
• It can be transferred between several ATK-scaling Destruction characters.
• It can reduce the pressure to pull a limited signature Light Cone.

What Limits Its Value

• It takes several attacks to reach maximum stacks.
• The damage bonus requires the wearer to trigger Weakness Break.
• HP-scaling or mechanically unusual Destruction characters may prefer a more specialized cone.

Verdict:

Buy Aeon first when an active ATK-scaling Destruction carry can equip it immediately. Take it toward S5 before buying unrelated cones that would remain unused.

2. Memory’s Curtain Never Falls — Best Support Investment

Path: Remembrance
Best users: Skill-using Remembrance supports, especially Remembrance Trailblazer and Hyacine-style support rotations
Best modes: All endgame modes when the buff remains active
S5 priority: High for a regularly used support
Skip if: The wearer rarely uses Skill or another cone provides more important kit-specific utility

Memory’s Curtain Never Falls increases the wearer’s SPD by 6% at S1 and 12% at S5. After the wearer uses Skill, all allies deal 8% more damage at S1 or 16% more damage at S5 for three turns.

Support cones often remain useful longer than narrow personal damage options because they can improve several teammates and team archetypes. The three-turn duration also makes the damage buff easier to maintain than a one-turn effect.

Why It Can Be Your Real Number-One Purchase

• Speed improves turn frequency and rotation consistency.
• The damage buff applies to the entire team.
• The passive supports ATK-, HP-, and other damage-scaling allies.
• S5 doubles both major percentages compared with S1.

From a planning perspective, Curtain should move above Aeon when your Destruction characters already have functional cones but your active Remembrance support lacks a reliable option.

Rotation check:

Do not judge the cone only by its stat line. Confirm that the wearer uses Skill often enough to refresh the three-turn team damage buff during normal play.

3. Eternal Calculus — Best Pure Fiction Purchase

Path: Erudition
Best users: Herta, Himeko, Jade, Serval, The Herta, and other ATK-scaling Erudition carries
Best modes: Pure Fiction and enemy-heavy farming stages
S5 priority: Medium–High for an active AoE carry
Skip if: Your main challenge is a prolonged single-target boss fight

Eternal Calculus provides 8% ATK at S1 and 12% at S5. After an attack, each enemy hit grants an additional 4% ATK at S1 or 8% at S5, stacking up to five times until the wearer’s next attack.

Hitting three or more enemies also grants 8% SPD at S1 or 16% SPD at S5 for one turn.

In a five-target wave, the conditional ATK portion can reach 20% at S1 or 40% at S5 before adding the cone’s permanent ATK bonus. That makes it substantially more valuable in Pure Fiction than in single-target content.

If Pure Fiction is the mode holding back your account, review the wider Pure Fiction team and scoring guide before deciding whether the real problem is your Light Cone, team structure, or wave strategy.

Why It Ranks Highly

• Strong S5 scaling when several targets are present.
• Temporary Speed can help generate more actions in wave content.
• Multiple Erudition characters can use it effectively.
• It does not require defeating an enemy to gain its main ATK effect.

Main Limitation

The conditional ATK and Speed bonuses lose value as the number of targets falls. Eternal Calculus should be evaluated in the content it was designed to solve, not through a one-enemy damage test.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

4. Cruising in the Stellar Sea — Reliable CRIT, Conditional Full Value

Path: The Hunt
Best users: Seele, Dr. Ratio, Hunt March 7th, Feixiao, and other CRIT-based Hunt characters without stronger options
Best modes: Mixed boss-and-add encounters
S5 priority: High for an active Hunt carry
Skip if: The character already reaches its CRIT target or rarely defeats smaller enemies

Cruising provides 8% CRIT Rate at S1 and 16% at S5. Against enemies at or below 50% HP, it grants another 8% at S1 or 16% at S5.

After the wearer defeats an enemy, ATK increases by 20% at S1 or 40% at S5 for two turns.

The permanent CRIT Rate is dependable. The problem is that the cone’s full value requires low-HP targets and regular kills, which are less consistent during long boss phases with no additional enemies.

Buy Cruising When:

• Your Hunt carry needs CRIT Rate to stabilize the build.
• The character frequently secures kills in mixed waves.
• You lack a high-superimposition four-star or signature alternative.

Delay Cruising When:

• Your relic build already reaches the desired CRIT Rate.
• You mainly need damage against one durable target.
• A character-specific four-star cone has better passive uptime.

5. Elation Brimming With Blessings — Top-Tier Only for the Right Rotation

Path: Elation
Best users: Elation characters that use Skill or Ultimate on one ally
Best modes: Any mode where the targeted Elation buff reaches the main damage dealer
S5 priority: High but highly conditional
Skip if: The wearer cannot trigger the ally-targeting requirement consistently

Elation Brimming With Blessings increases the wearer’s ATK by 20% at S1 and 40% at S5. After the wearer uses Skill or Ultimate on one ally, that target gains 12% Elation at S1 or 24% at S5 for two turns.

This cone cannot be ranked through stats alone. Its real value depends on whether the wearer’s normal rotation targets a single ally and whether that ally is responsible for a meaningful share of the team’s damage.

For an active Elation character who reliably targets the team’s main damage dealer with Skill or Ultimate, this cone can become a top-two account purchase. Without that rotation, it should remain a low priority.

Do not buy it only because it is newer.

Check the actual targeting pattern, buff recipient, and available alternatives before spending eight Herta Bonds.

6. Solitary Healing — Useful in Specific DoT and Break Scenarios

Path: Nihility
Best users: Kafka, Black Swan, Sampo, and other DoT users in wave-heavy content
Best modes: Pure Fiction and stages with repeated enemy defeats
S5 priority: Medium only when the full passive is useful
Skip if: The wearer does not apply meaningful DoT or needs Effect Hit Rate and debuff utility more

Solitary Healing increases Break Effect from 20% at S1 to 40% at S5. After the wearer uses Ultimate, their DoT damage increases from 24% to 48% for two turns.

When an enemy affected by the wearer’s DoT is defeated, the cone restores four Energy at S1 and six Energy at S5.

The passive is strongest when all three components matter: the wearer benefits from Break Effect, deals meaningful DoT, and repeatedly defeats DoT-affected enemies. That combination is much easier to achieve in wave content than against one durable boss.

Fugue can use the Break Effect as a budget stat source, but the DoT portion may be partially wasted depending on the team. Compare the option with the best Fugue Light Cones before investing.

Best Reasons to Buy It

• Your Nihility character actively deals DoT.
• Enemy defeats meaningfully improve the Ultimate rotation.
• You need a guaranteed option rather than a gacha cone.

Reasons to Delay It

• The character mainly applies debuffs rather than DoT.
• The stage contains one enemy and very few adds.
• You already own a high-superimposition Nihility alternative with better uptime.

7. Texture of Memories — Strong Personal Defense, Low General Priority

Path: Preservation
Best users: Fu Xuan, Fire Trailblazer, and tanks that value Max HP and personal mitigation
Best modes: Difficult survival checks
S5 priority: Low–Medium
Skip if: The sustain unit survives comfortably or needs teamwide utility more than personal defense

Texture of Memories increases Effect RES from 8% at S1 to 16% at S5.

When the wearer is attacked without a Shield, they gain a Shield equal to 16% of Max HP at S1 or 32% at S5 for two turns. This effect has a three-turn cooldown.

When attacked while Shielded, the wearer receives 12% less damage at S1 or 24% less damage at S5.

The cone provides substantial personal durability, but it does not directly increase aggro, strengthen teamwide Shields, restore Skill Points, heal allies, or amplify team damage. That makes it less urgent than a damage or support cone for most accounts.

When Texture is worth buying:

Buy it when your active Preservation unit is personally dying and the HP-based Shield meaningfully solves that problem. Do not use it to hide underleveled relics, Traces, or character levels.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

⬆️ Herta Store Light Cone S1 vs S5 Priority

S5 is not automatically the correct next purchase. The value depends on whether the cone is already used every day and whether another team lacks a functional option.

📊 S1-to-S5 Comparison

Light Cone	Main S1 → S5 Gain	S5 Priority	Recommendation
On the Fall of an Aeon	ATK per stack 8% → 16%; Break DMG bonus 12% → 24%	High	S5 when used by a main DPS
Memory’s Curtain Never Falls	SPD 6% → 12%; team DMG 8% → 16%	High if active	Strong long-term support investment
Eternal Calculus	Per-target ATK 4% → 8%; SPD 8% → 16%	Medium–High	Prioritize for Pure Fiction
Cruising in the Stellar Sea	CRIT Rate 8% → 16%; kill ATK 20% → 40%	High if active	Good stat improvement for Hunt DPS
Elation Brimming With Blessings	ATK 20% → 40%; target Elation 12% → 24%	High but conditional	S5 only for a compatible rotation
Solitary Healing	Break Effect 20% → 40%; DoT DMG 24% → 48%; Energy 4 → 6	Medium	Only when most of the passive is useful
Texture of Memories	Effect RES 8% → 16%; Shield 16% → 32%; mitigation 12% → 24%	Low–Medium	S5 only when survival is the real issue

🧠 Buy a New Cone, S5, or Save?

Your Situation	Best Action	Why
Your main character uses an S1 Herta cone in every battle	Work toward S5	The upgrade affects your account immediately
A second endgame team has no usable cone	Buy a new S1 cone	Team coverage matters more than maximizing one slot
No current character needs another Herta cone	Save Bonds	Future store additions may be more useful
You are still changing teams frequently	Keep a reserve	Early account priorities can change quickly
You only want collection completion	Wait until core builds are finished	Unused S1 copies provide no combat value

New players should also avoid spreading resources across too many characters and cones at the same time. The HSR beginner progression guide explains why concentrated investment usually leads to faster account growth.

Image: Honkai: Star Rail © HoYoverse

🧩 Which Herta Store Light Cone Should Your Account Buy?

Using an ATK-scaling Destruction carry?

Buy On the Fall of an Aeon and consider taking it to S5.

Using a Skill-heavy Remembrance support?

Buy Memory’s Curtain Never Falls for Speed and teamwide damage amplification.

Pure Fiction is your weakest endgame mode?

Buy Eternal Calculus for an active Erudition carry.

Your Hunt DPS needs CRIT Rate?

Buy Cruising in the Stellar Sea, then rebalance relic stats around its permanent and conditional CRIT Rate.

Your Elation support targets one ally during normal rotations?

Consider Elation Brimming With Blessings, but confirm that the buff reaches the team’s main damage dealer.

You play DoT in enemy-heavy content?

Consider Solitary Healing when the wearer benefits from its Break Effect, DoT bonus, and Energy recovery.

Your Preservation unit is the character dying first?

Consider Texture of Memories after checking levels, Traces, relics, and team composition.

Three-question purchase checklist

• Will I equip this cone immediately?
• Can the wearer activate the full passive consistently?
• Is it meaningfully better than the option I already own?

Current-banner note:

A newly pulled character or signature Light Cone can change your Herta Store priority. Check your equipped alternatives before spending Bonds, but do not pre-buy equipment for a character you do not own. Future banner details should always be updated from official HoYoverse announcements.

🎁 Returning Event Light Cones in Herta’s Store

Players who missed selected limited-time events can exchange Herta Bonds for the associated four-star Light Cones and their dedicated Superimposition materials.

The currently available returning event Light Cones are:

Event Light Cone	Path	General Value	Best Use Case
Before the Tutorial Mission Starts	Nihility	High when conditions are met	Effect Hit Rate and Energy-focused debuff supports
Hey, Over Here	Abundance	Situational	HP-scaling healers that regularly use Skill
For Tomorrow’s Journey	Harmony	Strong but character-dependent	ATK-scaling Harmony characters with relevant Ultimate windows
Ninja Record: Sound Hunt	Destruction	Good for specific HP-changing kits	Destruction characters that repeatedly lose or restore HP
The Great Cosmic Enterprise	Erudition	Enemy-dependent	Erudition characters fighting enemies with several Weakness Types
The Forever Victual	Harmony	Kit-dependent ATK option	Harmony characters whose buffs scale strongly from personal ATK

The initial event Light Cone normally costs four Herta Bonds when it is available to an account that does not already own it. Its dedicated Superimposition material costs one Herta Bond per copy until the cone reaches S5.

Clarification: Where’s the Rabbit?

Where’s the Rabbit? is a Message and Chat Box cosmetic, not a Light Cone. It appears in Herta’s Store but should not be counted as a seventh returning event Light Cone.

Event cone priority:

Before the Tutorial Mission Starts can be extremely valuable for the right Nihility support, but you should not automatically buy every missed event cone. A four-star cone that remains unused is still a poor use of limited Bonds.

❌ Six Common Herta Store Buying Mistakes

1. Buying a Cone Without an Active User

A high-ranked cone sitting unused at Level 1 provides no account value. Identify the wearer before making the purchase.

2. Ignoring Path Restrictions

An off-Path character receives only the cone’s base stats. The passive does not activate.

3. Buying Every S1 Cone Before Upgrading an Important One

Several unused S1 cones are usually less valuable than one S5 cone equipped by a core damage dealer or support.

4. Treating Conditional Effects as Permanent

Cruising’s extra CRIT Rate needs a low-HP target, Eternal Calculus wants multiple enemies, and Elation Brimming With Blessings requires an ally-targeting action.

5. Spending Bonds on Star Rail Passes Too Early

A standard pull is random. A permanent cone or Superimposer is a guaranteed upgrade with a predictable result.

6. Pre-Buying for an Unowned or Unconfirmed Character

Do not spend eight Bonds based on speculation. Wait until the character, final kit, Path, and real rotation are officially available.

✅ Final Herta Store Buy Order

Recommended account-neutral order:

1. On the Fall of an Aeon — safest general DPS value
2. Memory’s Curtain Never Falls — strongest general support investment when actively used
3. Eternal Calculus — excellent for Pure Fiction and multi-target combat
4. Cruising in the Stellar Sea — reliable CRIT option with conditional full value
5. Elation Brimming With Blessings — potentially top-tier for a compatible Elation support
6. Solitary Healing — specialized DoT and Break option
7. Texture of Memories — defensive purchase when personal survival is the real problem

That order should change whenever your roster provides a clear reason:

• Use a Remembrance support every day? Curtain may be first.
• Need better Pure Fiction performance? Calculus may be first.
• Have a compatible ally-targeting Elation support? Blessings can become a top-two purchase.
• Have no immediate user for any cone? Save your Herta Bonds.

Final rule:

The best Herta Store Light Cone is the one that activates its full passive, immediately improves a character you use, and reduces the need to spend Stellar Jade on a limited alternative.

📚 Sources & Update Notes

🔬 How This Ranking Was Evaluated

This ranking compares each permanent cone at S5 using passive uptime, compatible user pool, S1-to-S5 scaling, replacement availability, and usefulness across Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow.

Character-specific recommendations override the account-neutral ranking. The article does not claim that one cone is mathematically best for every character or encounter.

Data note: Light Cone effects in this guide are shown using their current Superimposition 1 and Superimposition 5 values. Store inventory, exchange costs, and version additions were cross-checked against official update notices, HoYoWiki, and current Herta’s Store records.

• Official Version 4.1 Update Details
• Official HoYoWiki — Solitary Healing
• Honkai: Star Rail Wiki — Herta’s Store Inventory
• Prydwen — Current Light Cone Data

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Herta Store Light Cone in HSR 2026?

On the Fall of an Aeon is the safest default first purchase for an account using an ATK-scaling Destruction DPS. Memory’s Curtain Never Falls or Eternal Calculus can be better when your immediate priority is Remembrance support or Pure Fiction.

Which Herta Store Light Cone should F2P players buy first?

F2P players should buy the cone that immediately replaces a weak option on an active character. Do not follow a fixed tier list when a different cone solves a more urgent team problem.

How many Herta Bonds does an S5 five-star Light Cone cost?

The Light Cone costs eight Herta Bonds. Four Superimposers cost another eight Bonds, making the total cost of one S5 permanent Herta Store cone 16 Herta Bonds.

Should I buy a new S1 Light Cone or upgrade one to S5?

Buy a new S1 cone when another active team has no functional option. Upgrade to S5 when the cone is already used in most battles and no other team has an urgent equipment gap.

Is Cruising in the Stellar Sea worth buying?

Yes, especially for a CRIT-based Hunt character that lacks a stronger alternative. Its permanent CRIT Rate is reliable, but its extra CRIT and ATK effects depend on enemy HP and defeating targets.

Is Memory’s Curtain Never Falls worth S5?

Yes, when a regularly used Remembrance support can maintain the Skill-triggered buff. S5 doubles both the Speed bonus and team damage bonus compared with S1.

Should I buy Star Rail Passes with Herta Bonds?

Usually not until your important permanent and returning event Light Cones are covered. A standard pull is random, while a Light Cone or Superimposer provides a guaranteed upgrade.

Should I save Herta Bonds for future Light Cones?

Saving is the correct choice when none of the current options improves an active team. HoYoverse has added new Path-specific cones to Herta’s Store over time, so keeping a reserve protects future flexibility.