Team guide

F2P Teams With 4-Star and Free Characters in Honkai: Star Rail

Short on 5-stars? That’s fine. This guide covers the 4-star characters most worth building on the site’s version 4.6 tier list, the characters you get for free, budget teams for each playstyle, and how to put a team together when your roster is still thin.

Version 4.6Updated October 7, 2026

In This Guide

Free Characters Everyone Gets
The 4-Star Characters Most Worth Building
How to Build a Team Without Many 5-Stars
All 4-Star Teams for Each Playstyle
Pairing One 5-Star With a 4-Star Cast
Team Building Tips When You’re Short on Characters
Frequently Asked Questions

Free Characters Everyone Gets

Before you think about pulling, check what you already own. The characters below come from the story or from one-time rewards, cost no Stellar Jade at all, and a few of them still rank high in endgame.

Character	Path	How you get them	Overall tier
Trailblazer (Remembrance)	Remembrance	Story	S+
Trailblazer (Elation)	Elation	Story	S+
Trailblazer (Harmony)	Harmony	Story	S (S+ in all three endgame modes)
Trailblazer (Preservation)	Preservation	Story	B
Trailblazer (Destruction)	Destruction	Story	C
Asta	Harmony	Joins early in the story	A (S in all three modes)
Herta	Erudition	Given to every player	A (SS in Pure Fiction)
Lynx	Abundance	One-time Pure Fiction reward	A (S in Pure Fiction)
Yukong	Harmony	One-time Forgotten Hall reward	B
Dan Heng	The Hunt	Joins early in the story	B
March 7th	Preservation	Joins early in the story	B

The Trailblazer is your biggest giftTrailblazer (Remembrance) and Trailblazer (Elation) are both S+ Overall, and Trailblazer (Harmony) is S+ in all three endgame modes. That’s three free characters on par with plenty of 5-stars, so don’t leave them on the bench. For which Path to use and when, see which Trailblazer Path to pick.

The story is gentle at the start. The starting lineup of Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng and Asta is enough to get through Herta Space Station and the first part of Jarilo-VI. From the second half of Jarilo-VI, team building starts to matter, and adding a healer like Natasha makes things a lot easier.

The 4-Star Characters Most Worth Building

These are the standout 4-stars on the site’s tier list for version 4.6. Check the mode columns too: some characters look average Overall but are very strong in one specific mode.

Character	Role	Overall	Memory of Chaos	Pure Fiction	Apocalyptic Shadow
Gallagher	Healer (Abundance)	S+	S+	S+	S+
Tingyun	Support (Harmony)	S	S+	S	S+
Pela	DEF shred (Nihility)	S	S	S	S
Asta	Support (Harmony)	A	S	S	S
March 7th (The Hunt)	DPS (The Hunt)	A	S	A	S
Moze	Sub-DPS (The Hunt)	A	S	A	S
Herta	AoE DPS (Erudition)	A	B	SS	C
Lynx	Healer (Abundance)	A	B	S	A
Guinaifen	DoT (Nihility)	A	A	S	A
Hanya	Skill Point support (Harmony)	A	B	A	B
Xueyi	DPS (Destruction)	A	B	B	A
Qingque	DPS (Erudition)	B	A	A	S
Serval	AoE DPS (Erudition)	B	C	S	B

Why These Six Are Worth Your Materials

Gallagher

The strongest 4-star healer

The only 4-star rated S+ Overall. He puts his own debuff on enemies: any ally who hits an enemy carrying it gets healed, and that enemy also takes extra Break DMG. His healing scales with Break Effect, and he leaves your team with spare Skill Points.

Tingyun

Feeds one carry

Her Skill gives one ally ATK plus extra Lightning DMG, and her Ultimate instantly restores 50 Energy and boosts the DMG of the ally you choose. She fits teams built around one DPS, especially Energy-hungry ones like Argenti, Yunli and Clara.

Pela

The easiest DEF shred to get

Her Ultimate lowers DEF on all enemies, and her Skill strips enemy buffs. She mostly just uses Basic ATK, so your team has Skill Points to spare. Great with Acheron and Dr. Ratio, and with Ice teams once she reaches Eidolon 4.

Asta

Free and fits almost anywhere

Her Talent raises the whole team’s ATK, and her Ultimate raises everyone’s SPD. She’s the handiest support for budget teams, especially Fire teams or teams with two DPS. Once you own strong 5-star supports, she rarely keeps her slot.

Lynx

Free healer

Her whole kit scales with HP. Her Skill heals one ally and raises their Max HP, and her Ultimate heals the team and removes debuffs. The Skill also makes Destruction or Preservation characters more likely to be targeted, which is great for Yunli, Clara and Blade.

Herta

Your Pure Fiction card

Her Talent fires a Follow-up ATK at every enemy whenever one of them drops to half HP. More enemies means more value, which is why she’s SS in Pure Fiction. Against few targets she falls off hard, and she’s only C in Apocalyptic Shadow.

How to Build a Team Without Many 5-Stars

A basic team needs 1 main DPS and 1 sustain (a healer or a shielder). The other two slots go to 2 supports, or 1 support and 1 sub-DPS. The full team templates are in the beginner guide. Here’s how to apply them when your roster is still small.

Pick one main DPSTake the strongest damage dealer you own. With no 5-stars yet, March 7th (The Hunt), Dan Heng or Qingque are all fine places to start. Against big groups, make Serval your main damage dealer and bring Herta alongside her, because Herta on her own struggles to deal enough damage.
Read that DPS’s TracesCheck which stat they scale on, whether they burn through Skill Points or Energy, and whether they need teammates of a certain Path. For example, Dan Heng’s Talent only triggers when an ally’s ability targets him, so he really wants Tingyun.
Pick two supports that cover those needsFor a DPS that scales on ATK, you have Asta, Tingyun and Yukong. Need DEF shred? Pela. Short on Skill Points? Bring Hanya. Want turn advance and extra damage? Trailblazer (Remembrance).
Pick a sustainGallagher for Break teams, Lynx for a DPS that needs HP or likes getting hit, Natasha when you want steady healing on the whole team. If your DPS doesn’t want to get hit, like Yanqing or Arlan, use Trailblazer (Preservation) for shields and Taunt.
Level them in the right orderYour main DPS gets materials first: missions, endgame and the Simulated Universe all lean on them. The sustain is next in line, since the story keeps throwing tougher enemies at you. Supports and sub-DPS can wait until last.

Don’t spread your materials thinYou only get so much Trailblaze Power each day. Half-building ten characters leaves every team weak. Put everything into one main team first, and only start a second team once the first one does its job. To see how many materials each character needs, use the Ascension Planner.

All 4-Star Teams for Each Playstyle

None of these teams need a 5-star. They use only 4-stars and the Trailblazer, sorted by playstyle so you can pick the one that matches what you own.

Playstyle	Team	Why it works
All free characters	Dan Heng, Trailblazer (Remembrance), Asta, Lynx	Not one of them costs Stellar Jade. Trailblazer (Remembrance) adds damage and turn advance, Asta raises ATK and SPD, and Lynx handles healing.
Single target	Dan Heng, Tingyun, Yukong, Natasha	Tingyun’s Skill and Ultimate target Dan Heng directly, which triggers his Talent. Yukong adds CRIT stats and Natasha heals.
Super Break	March 7th (The Hunt), Trailblazer (Harmony), Asta, Gallagher	March 7th (The Hunt) uses her Skill on Gallagher so her Enhanced Basic ATK cuts through more Toughness. Trailblazer (Harmony) unlocks Super Break DMG, and Gallagher heals based on Break Effect.
Crowds and AoE	Herta, Serval, Trailblazer (Remembrance), Lynx	Serval drags every enemy’s HP down so Herta can keep firing Follow-up ATKs. Trailblazer (Remembrance) paired with Herta adds a lot of extra AoE damage. Best in Pure Fiction.
DoT	Serval, Luka (or Guinaifen, Sampo), Asta, Natasha	Serval applies Shock, Luka applies Bleed, Guinaifen spreads Burn, and Sampo adds Wind Shear while making every DoT hurt more. Asta speeds up the team and can apply Burn too.
Follow-up ATK	March 7th (The Hunt), Moze, Yukong, Lynx	Moze pairs with March 7th (The Hunt). Once she reaches Eidolon 2, March gets a Follow-up ATK of her own, which makes the pair much better. Yukong raises the team’s ATK.
Two DPS, sturdy	Qingque, Dan Heng, Trailblazer (Preservation), Lynx	Handles single targets and groups alike. Dan Heng takes care of tanky enemies, while Trailblazer (Preservation) and Lynx keep everyone alive.

Swap members to match the enemy’s WeaknessThe DoT team is the most flexible, because you can swap one slot to fit the enemy: Guinaifen against Fire-weak enemies, Sampo against Wind-weak ones, Luka against Physical-weak elites. The Super Break team works the same way. You can swap March 7th (The Hunt) for Xueyi, whose kit scales with Break Effect and fits well with Trailblazer (Harmony)’s buff.

Pairing One 5-Star With a 4-Star Cast

If you only have one 5-star, fill the other three slots with 4-stars and the Trailblazer. These teams come from the site’s character pages, and everyone except the 5-star is easy to get.

You have	Three budget teammates	What makes it work
Acheron	Pela, Guinaifen, Gallagher	Pela and Guinaifen are both Nihility, so Acheron still gets her full boost from having two Nihility teammates. Guinaifen keeps Burn going, and Gallagher heals while adding more debuffs.
Firefly	Trailblazer (Harmony), Asta, Lynx (or Gallagher)	Trailblazer (Harmony) is close to mandatory because it boosts her Super Break DMG. If you have Gallagher, use him over Lynx: he heals well and generates plenty of Skill Points.
Kafka	Guinaifen, Asta, Natasha (or Gallagher)	Spread DoT and give Kafka more SPD. Keep Guinaifen faster than Kafka.
Castorice	Trailblazer (Remembrance), Pela, Lynx	Trailblazer (Remembrance) should be at least Eidolon 1. Pela lowers DEF on all enemies, and Lynx raises Castorice’s Max HP.
Saber or Phainon	Trailblazer (Remembrance), Tingyun, Lynx (or Gallagher)	Both want two supports whose buffs go straight to the carry. Tingyun adds ATK and Energy, and Gallagher eats fewer Skill Points than Lynx.
Archer	Trailblazer (Remembrance), Hanya, Lynx	Archer wants turn advance and extra Skill Points, which is exactly what Trailblazer (Remembrance) and Hanya bring.
Sparxie	Asta, Trailblazer (Elation), Natasha	Trailblazer (Elation) is an Elation character too, and one of Sparxie’s Traces turns that into more Punchline for her Ultimate. Asta raises ATK, and Natasha keeps the team alive.
Robin	Herta, Asta, Natasha	Robin raises the whole team’s DMG and CRIT DMG. Herta’s Follow-up ATKs make great use of those buffs.
Mortenax Blade	March 7th (The Hunt), Asta, Lynx	He spreads debuffs and deals the damage himself. March 7th (The Hunt) and Asta both raise SPD, and Lynx keeps the team standing.

Build Trailblazer (Remembrance) earlyTrailblazer (Remembrance) shows up in a lot of the teams above. Beyond Castorice, Saber, Phainon and Archer, budget teams for Aglaea, Anaxa, Seele, Jingliu and Mydei use this Trailblazer too. Free, S+, and a fit for a long list of carries, so if you’re unsure who to level next, level this one. You’ll find more lineups on the teams page.

Team Building Tips When You’re Short on Characters

Watch your Skill Points. Carries that burn through Skill Points, like Qingque, Seele or Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, should go with teammates who save Skill Points, like Pela or Gallagher, or with Hanya to restore them. In a Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae team, everyone except the Harmony support should stick to Basic ATK so he gets the Skill Points.
Get your SPD order right. Yukong should act right before your DPS so the buff actually gets used. In Kafka teams, Guinaifen should be faster than Kafka so Burn is already on the enemy when Kafka detonates it.
One target or the whole team. Tingyun buffs a single ally, so she fits teams built around one carry. In a two-DPS team, Asta or Yukong, who buff everyone, are worth more.
Match your sustain to your DPS. Lynx makes Destruction or Preservation characters more likely to be targeted, which helps Yunli, Clara, Blade and Mydei since they gain from getting hit. Arlan is the opposite: he needs Trailblazer (Preservation) to Taunt so enemies leave him alone while his HP is low.
Pick characters by mode. Herta is SS in Pure Fiction but C in Apocalyptic Shadow. Qingque is only B Overall but S in Apocalyptic Shadow. Before each mode, check its own column on the tier list and read the endgame modes guide.
Eidolons worth hoping for. Pela at Eidolon 4 suits Ice teams like Jingliu. March 7th (The Hunt) at Eidolon 2 works much better with Moze.

A Light Cone for PelaFor Pela to keep up with other debuff specialists in hard content, she needs Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat. With it equipped, her Basic ATK alone applies a debuff, which makes her a great fit for Acheron teams.

Budget teams like these will carry you through the early and mid game while you save up for 5-stars. And once those 5-stars arrive, the 4-stars you built aren’t wasted: Gallagher, Pela, Tingyun and the Trailblazer still have a place in plenty of strong teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you clear endgame with only 4-star characters?

Plenty of 4-stars still rank high in specific modes: Gallagher is S+ in all three, Herta is SS in Pure Fiction, and Tingyun is S+ in Memory of Chaos and Apocalyptic Shadow. Budget teams, either all 4-star or built around one 5-star, will carry you through the early and mid game. For the hardest stages, build your 4-stars around a 5-star carry like the teams in this guide.

Who is the strongest 4-star character right now?

Gallagher. He’s the only 4-star rated S+ Overall, and he’s also S+ in Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction and Apocalyptic Shadow on the version 4.6 tier list. Tingyun and Pela come next, both S Overall.

Should I build Lynx or Gallagher?

Gallagher is stronger. He works best in Break teams and in debuff teams like Acheron’s, and he leaves your team with spare Skill Points. Lynx is free, heals based on HP, raises Max HP and removes debuffs, so she suits carries that like getting hit, such as Yunli, Clara and Blade, or ones that want HP, like Castorice and Mydei. If you have both, pick based on your carry.

Which characters are free in Honkai: Star Rail?

The Trailblazer comes with five Paths, all unlocked through the story. March 7th, Dan Heng and Asta join early on, and Herta is given to every player. Yukong and Lynx are one-time rewards from Forgotten Hall and Pure Fiction.

Which Trailblazer Path should I use in a 4-star team?

Many single-carry teams want Trailblazer (Remembrance) for extra damage and turn advance. Super Break teams need Trailblazer (Harmony), and Elation teams like Sparxie’s use Trailblazer (Elation). For carries that shouldn’t get hit, like Yanqing or Arlan, Trailblazer (Preservation) protects them with Taunt and shields. More in which Trailblazer Path to pick.

Is Asta still worth using?

Yes, especially while your roster is small. She’s only A Overall but S in all three endgame modes, she raises the whole team’s ATK and SPD, and she’s free. She only struggles to keep her slot once you have strong 5-star supports.

Updated October 7, 2026 (version 4.6). See also all guides, the tier list and the best teams.