When I first downloaded Honkai: Star Rail, I spent my first 20 levels rushing through story missions and pulling for new characters, completely ignoring the Omni-Synthesizer tucked away in the menu. I wasted hours replaying Calyx stages for low-drop rate upgrade materials, frustrated that I could never get enough to level my main DPS to 60. It wasn’t until a friend pointed out I could make half the items I needed in 20 seconds that I realized I’d been missing a huge progression hack. If you’re also sleeping on this feature, this guide will walk you through how to craft in Honkai: Star Rail, what items give you the most value, and how to avoid wasting hard-earned materials on useless junk.
Why Crafting Is Worth Your Time in Honkai: Star Rail
A lot of players write off crafting as a pointless side feature, but it’s actually one of the most powerful progression tools in the game if you use it right. For starters, it cuts your grind time by up to 40% for most common upgrade materials, since you can convert stacks of low-tier drops you don’t use into the high-tier items you actually need for leveling characters and Light Cones. I used to spend 30 Trailblaze Power a day farming for Advanced Metal Weaves, until I realized I could convert 3 Basic Metal Weaves I had 200 of into one advanced item, saving me days of repeated runs.
Crafting also gives you access to exclusive consumables that can turn a tough Simulated Universe run from a loss to a win. Many of the most powerful buff items in the game don’t drop from regular stages or sell in standard shops, so crafting is the only reliable way to stock up for endgame content. It also lets you clear out inventory clutter of low-tier materials you never use, so you don’t have to keep scrolling past 300 Basic Enemy Drops every time you look for a specific item.
You don’t have to dedicate hours every week to crafting, either. Spending 5 minutes a week checking the Omni-Synthesizer to make items you’re missing is enough to get almost all the benefits, without taking time away from playing story or event content.
How to Craft in Honkai: Star Rail Step by Step
If you’ve never opened the Omni-Synthesizer before, the whole process of how to craft in Honkai: Star Rail might seem confusing at first, but it’s actually really straightforward once you do it once. First, you’ll need to unlock the feature by reaching Trailblaze Level 20 and finishing the “Road to Revival” main mission on Jarilo-VI. The game will pop up a tutorial for the Omni-Synthesizer once you meet those requirements, so you won’t miss it.
Once you have it unlocked, follow these simple steps to craft any item: First, open the main menu and tap the Omni-Synthesizer icon, which looks like a small blue forge. Next, select the category of item you want to make: upgrade materials, consumables, relics, or limited-time event items. Each category has subfolders to help you find the exact item you’re looking for fast.
When you select an item, you’ll see a list of required materials and the Credit cost to make it. If you have enough materials and Credits, just tap the craft button and select how many of the item you want to make. You don’t need to spend any Stellar Jade or real money to craft any standard item in the game, so you never have to worry about paying to access this feature.
Some rare recipes are locked behind story progression, Trailblaze Level milestones, or event rewards, so check back regularly as you play to see what new items you can make. A lot of new players miss that they can unlock recipes for high-tier trace materials by clearing weekly boss fights, so make sure to check the synthesis menu after every boss run.
The Most Useful Items to Prioritize Crafting First
Not all crafted items are created equal, and some give you way more value for your materials than others, especially if you’re a new player still building up your main team. Focus on these high-priority items first to get the most out of your crafting time:
- High-tier upgrade materials for your main team: Converting 3 low-tier materials into one high-tier one is almost always a better use of your Trailblaze Power than farming the high-tier version directly, since drop rates for high-tier Calyx items are usually below 30% per run. I always keep 20 of each high-tier character and Light Cone upgrade material on hand for new pulls, so I don’t have to stop playing to grind the second I get a 5-star I want.
- Consumables for Forgotten Hall and Simulated Universe: Items like the Attack Boost Potion, Defense Reduction Pasta, and Revive Ore are game changers for tough endgame content. You can’t buy these from regular shops, and they only drop rarely from open world chests, so crafting them is the only reliable way to stock up. I always bring 3 attack boosts and 2 revives for every Forgotten Hall floor above level 50, and it’s helped me clear floors 10 levels earlier than my team’s recommended power level.
- Custom Relic Removers: If you’ve ever accidentally leveled a bad relic substat and wasted 100,000 Credits, you know how frustrating it is to lose all that investment when you swap to a better relic set. Custom Relic Removers let you recover 100% of the Credits and Relic EXP you used to level a relic, so you never have to worry about wasting resources testing out new builds for your characters. I keep at least 5 of these in my inventory at all times for when I pull a perfect relic for my main DPS.
- Trace materials for limited 5-star characters: Most limited 5-star characters require boss drop materials to level their traces, and you only get 3 runs a week at each weekly boss. If you’re short a few materials when a character’s banner drops, you can craft the missing ones using boss drop materials from other characters and Universal Synthesis Materials, so you don’t have to wait a whole week to max their traces.
That doesn’t mean you should never craft other items, of course. If you’re a casual player who just wants to make fun items like the teleportation snacks for the open world, go for it. Just make sure you’re prioritizing the items that help you progress faster first, before you waste materials on novelty goods.
Common Crafting Mistakes to Avoid Wasting Materials
A lot of new players who are still learning how to craft in Honkai: Star Rail make easily avoidable mistakes that waste hundreds of materials and thousands of Credits. The first and most common mistake is crafting low-tier items you can farm for way less Trailblaze Power. For example, crafting Basic Metal Weaves instead of farming them from the lowest level Calyx, which costs 10 Trailblaze Power per run and drops 5-7 of them, is a huge waste of resources.
Another big mistake is crafting relic sets before you reach Trailblaze Level 65. You can only get 5-star relics with 4 substats from crafting once you hit Trailblaze Level 65, so crafting relics before that is a complete waste of Relic Remains you could save for later. I made this mistake when I hit level 50, spent 200 Relic Remains crafting a bunch of 4-star relics I replaced a week later, and regretted it for months.
Many players also ignore limited-time event crafting recipes. Most events have exclusive crafting recipes that give you free Stellar Jade, event currency, and rare upgrade materials for almost no cost. I once skipped an event crafting quest because I thought it was a waste of time, and missed out on 120 Stellar Jade I could have used for a limited banner pull. Always check the event page for crafting quests as soon as a new event goes live.
The last common mistake is not checking your inventory before you craft. It’s really easy to accidentally craft 10 Advanced Metal Weaves when you already have 15 in your inventory, and you can’t refund crafted items, so always double check what you have before you tap the craft button. I set a quick reminder on my phone to check my material stock before I craft anything, and it’s saved me from wasting materials dozens of times.
Crafting is one of the most underrated features in Honkai: Star Rail, and learning how to craft in Honkai: Star Rail the right way can save you dozens of hours of grind, help you clear endgame content faster, and get more value out of every bit of Trailblaze Power you spend. You don’t have to become a crafting expert overnight, either – start with the high-priority items we listed, avoid the common mistakes, and you’ll be shocked at how much faster your team progresses. Next time you’re stuck waiting for a material to drop, check the Omni-Synthesizer first – you might just find you can make it yourself in 10 seconds.
