You just pulled your dream 5-star character, leveled them to 80, maxed all their key traces, and their damage still feels underwhelming? Chances are their relic loadout is holding them back. I’ve been playing HSR since launch, and I’ve made every possible relic farming mistake in the book, so I know exactly what works and what doesn’t. If you’re wondering how to get relics in Honkai Star Rail that actually move the needle for your team, you’re in the right place. This guide skips the fluff and covers every reliable way to farm usable relics, no paywall required.
How to get relics in Honkai Star Rail through regular cavern runs
Caverns of Corrosion are the most common source of regular 4 and 5-star relic sets, and they cost 40 Trailblaze Power per run. Each cavern drops two specific sets, so you can target the exact set bonuses you need for your DPS, support, or tank characters. Drop rates scale with your Equilibrium Level, so you won’t see consistent 5-star drops until you hit TL 60, with rates jumping to around 25% per run at TL 65 and above.
You should only farm caverns for sets that multiple characters can use to avoid wasting power. For example, the Musketeer of Wild Wheat set works for almost every physical DPS, and the Passerby of Wandering Cloud set is perfect for all healers, so farming those sets gives you way more value than targeting a niche set that only one character can use. Don’t waste power farming caverns before TL 50 either, since 5-star drop rates are so low at that point you’re better off spending resources on character ascension and trace materials instead.
Hidden free relic sources most players miss
You don’t have to spend Trailblaze Power to get high-quality relics. There are tons of free sources scattered across the game that most players ignore, especially when they first start playing. I once got a 5-star speed boot with a 12 speed substat from a random hidden chest in Penacony, no power spent at all, and it’s still the best boot I have for my Asta build.
- Simulated Universe bonus rewards: Every week, you get 8 free immersion rewards that drop relic sets, planar ornaments, and light cone ascension materials. Save your immersion rewards for double drop events to double your haul for free with no extra cost.
- Forgotten Hall and Pure Fiction clears: Each floor clear gives you one-time rewards of 5-star relics, including random planar ornaments and set pieces for meta builds. Even clearing the first 5 floors of each mode gives you enough relics to gear a full support team.
- Nameless Honor battle pass: Both free and paid tracks give out selectable 5-star relic boxes every 10 levels, letting you pick the exact set and slot you need for a key character. These boxes are perfect for filling that last missing piece of a 4-set bonus.
- Omni-Synthesizer crafting: You can convert unwanted relics into relic dust, then craft specific set pieces you’re missing. The synthesizer lets you pick the main stat for body, feet, planar sphere and link rope pieces, so it’s perfect for getting that elusive crit rate body or speed boot you’ve been grinding for weeks.
These free sources add up fast. I get at least 3 usable 5-star relics a week from them alone, without spending any extra Trailblaze Power on cavern runs. If you’re short on resources, these are the best way to build up your relic stash without grinding for hours.
How to farm high-substat relics without wasting trailblaze power
Once you have all your core characters set up with correct main stats, you can start chasing better substats to push your damage higher. A lot of players make the mistake of grinding for perfect substats too early, which wastes hundreds of Trailblaze Power that could be used for other progression. The first rule of efficient relic farming is that main stats always matter more than substats, no matter how good the substats look.
Prioritize main stats over substats 100% of the time when gearing a new character. For example, a Hunt character with a 5-star crit rate body with bad substats will always outperform a 5-star ATK body with godlike substats. When you get a new relic drop, only keep it if it has at least one relevant substat for the set’s intended use. A Musketeer ATK chest with Effect Res and Defense substats is fine to dust immediately if you’re using it for a DPS character, since none of the substats will help your damage output.
Planar ornaments drop from World Bosses, which cost 60 Trailblaze Power per run, so they’re more expensive than regular cavern relics. Only farm those if you need a specific set for multiple characters, or if you’ve already maxed out all your core character’s regular relic sets. I once spent two weeks farming the Rutilant Arena set for my Seele and got zero crit rate pieces, so I used a synthesizer box to get the exact piece I needed instead, saving myself 800+ Trailblaze Power that I used to level up my support team instead. This method cuts down the time you spend trying to get relics in Honkai Star Rail that actually work for your team by a huge margin.
Common relic farming mistakes to avoid
Even if you follow all the best farming routes, you can still waste tons of resources if you make these common mistakes. I’ve made all of them myself, so I know how frustrating it is to spend weeks grinding and end up with nothing usable for your team.
The first mistake is farming niche sets for one character only. If you only have one Imaginary DPS, don’t farm the Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters set unless you have another Imaginary character coming up that can use it too. You’ll burn through all your Trailblaze Power and end up with dozens of useless pieces you can’t use for anyone else. Stick to versatile sets first, then target niche sets once you have all your core teams geared.
The second mistake is upgrading every relic you get. Upgrading a 5-star relic to +15 costs 172,800 relic exp, which is a massive amount for F2P players. Only upgrade relics that have at least 2 relevant substats for their intended user before you pour exp into them. I learned this the hard way when I upgraded a 5-star ATK boot for my Kafka, only to realize it had no Speed or DOT substats, and it was basically useless after +15.
You also don’t need to sleep on 4-star relics for supports. A fully upgraded 4-star set with correct main stats works just as well as a 5-star set for characters like Natasha, Asta, or March 7th, especially if you’re still progressing through the game. You can always replace them with 5-star pieces later once you have extra resources to spare.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get relics in Honkai Star Rail is less about grinding nonstop and more about being smart with your limited Trailblaze Power. Focus on getting correct main stats first, use free sources like Simulated Universe and battle pass rewards to fill gaps, and don’t waste resources chasing perfect substats until you have all your core teams fully geared. You don’t need to spend real money to get great relics, just plan your farming routes around sets that benefit multiple characters, and you’ll have your team hitting for top damage in no time.
