If you’ve ever tried to ascend a new 5-star character or craft a meta relic set, you know how gutting it is to hit a material wall right when you’re almost done. I was in that exact spot last month when I pulled Ruan Mei, only to realize I had zero Link Ropes left in my inventory after dumping all my stock into my Jingliu build. If you’re in the same boat, learning how to get Link Ropes in Honkai: Star Rail will save you hours of wandering around maps confused, and let you upgrade your units faster than you thought possible. Link Ropes are a mid-to-late game crafting material used for ascending 4 and 5-star characters, crafting high-level relic sets, and enhancing endgame Light Cones, so you’re going to need a lot of them the further you get into the game. I’ve spent weeks testing every possible source of Link Ropes, and I’ve rounded up all the reliable, repeatable methods so you don’t have to waste your Trailblaze Power on dead ends.
How to Get Link Ropes in Honkai: Star Rail: Repeatable Farming Routes
The most consistent way to farm Link Ropes long-term is to run repeatable elite enemy routes on the Xianzhou Luofu, specifically in the Alchemy Commission and Scalegorge Waterscape regions. You’ll need to be at Trailblaze Level 40 or higher to get consistent drops, so don’t waste your time farming these before you hit that threshold, as drop rates are less than 10% for lower level accounts. I usually run this route 3 times a week when I have extra Trailblaze Power left over after doing my weekly boss runs, and I get between 8 and 12 Link Ropes per run, which is way faster than waiting for event rewards. Always prioritize farming elite enemies marked with an orange drop icon on your map, as these have a 35% higher chance of dropping Link Ropes than regular common enemies. Don’t forget to activate the Divine Seed buff from the Alchemy Commission’s vendor before you start your run, as it increases all material drop rates by 20% for 30 minutes, which stacks with any event drop buffs you might have active.
Event and Quest Rewards for Free Link Ropes
If you don’t want to spend your hard-earned Trailblaze Power on farming, you can get a ton of Link Ropes for free from limited-time events and side quests. Most major version events in Honkai: Star Rail include at least 20 to 30 Link Ropes as part of their reward track, and you don’t even have to clear the hardest difficulty levels to get them. I usually clear all the casual event challenges first, since they take less than 10 minutes each and give you enough Link Ropes to ascend one character fully. Don’t skip the hidden side quests on the Xianzhou Luofu, either. There are 7 hidden quests scattered around the Alchemy Commission that give between 2 and 5 Link Ropes each, and you can complete all of them in under an hour with no combat required. Also, the Forgotten Hall’s monthly reward track gives 15 Link Ropes every reset, even if you only clear the first 5 floors, so it’s worth checking in every month to claim those before they expire.
These are the top free Link Rope sources that cost zero Trailblaze Power to collect:
- Limited-time version event casual reward tracks (20-35 Link Ropes per event)
- Hidden Xianzhou Luofu side quests (2-5 Link Ropes per quest, 7 total available)
- Forgotten Hall monthly reward reset (15 Link Ropes per month for clearing first 5 floors)
- Daily training point rewards (1-2 Link Ropes per week from maxing daily training 6 days a week)
How to Use Link Ropes Efficiently to Avoid Waste
It’s easy to burn through your Link Rope stockpile if you’re upgrading every character you pull, so it’s important to prioritize which units to spend them on first. I used to waste Link Ropes on low-tier 4-star characters I never used in my team comps, and I ended up having to farm for 2 weeks straight when I pulled Jingliu and didn’t have enough materials to ascend her to level 80. Always prioritize your main DPS and core support units first before upgrading side characters you only use for niche challenge content. Link Ropes are also used to craft the Musketeer of Wild Wheat and Hunter of Glacial Forest relic sets, which are two of the most used endgame sets for physical and ice DPS units, so you should set aside at least 30 Link Ropes if you’re planning to craft either of these sets for a new unit. One mistake a lot of new players make is using Link Ropes to enhance low-level Light Cones that they’ll replace after a few weeks, so save your Link Ropes for 4 and 5-star Light Cones that you plan to use long-term. If you’re not sure whether a unit is worth investing your Link Ropes in, check recent tier lists or ask your friend group for their opinions before you spend your materials.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming Link Ropes
Even if you’re following the best farming routes, there are a few common mistakes that can slow down your Link Rope grind by days or even weeks. The first mistake I see a lot of players make is farming Link Ropes before they hit Trailblaze Level 50. Once you hit TL 50, elite enemy drop rates for rare materials increase by 40%, so you’ll get almost twice as many Link Ropes per run as you would at TL 40. Never use Trailblaze Power refreshes for Link Rope farming unless you’re in a huge rush, since it’s much more cost-effective to use your Stellar Jade for limited-time banner pulls or weekly boss runs. Another common mistake is forgetting to pick up the daily Link Rope respawns in the Scalegorge Waterscape. There are 3 hidden chests that spawn every 24 hours in the western part of the map that each have a 50% chance of dropping 1 Link Rope, and you can collect them all in less than 2 minutes every day. It might not seem like a lot, but over the course of a month that adds up to 45 extra Link Ropes for zero cost. You also don’t want to skip the Nameless Honor battle pass track, since it gives 25 Link Ropes for free even on the free tier, and you can get an extra 30 if you pay for the premium pass.
At the end of the day, you don’t have to spend hours grinding every day to build up a healthy stockpile of Link Ropes. Mixing repeatable farming runs with free event and quest rewards will give you more than enough materials to upgrade all your favorite units, as long as you avoid the common mistakes that waste both your time and your Trailblaze Power. I’ve been using these methods for the past 6 months, and I’ve never run out of Link Ropes when I need them for a new character or relic craft. Whether you’re a new player just getting to the Xianzhou Luofu or a veteran clearing endgame challenge content, knowing how to get Link Ropes in Honkai: Star Rail will make your entire gameplay experience way less stressful and way more fun. Don’t forget to check back for updated farming routes every time a new version drops, as new maps often add additional Link Rope sources that you can add to your rotation.
