The Stormcleanse rotation of Memory of Chaos in Honkai Star Rail 4.4 has reset every player’s progress, so even fully cleared accounts need to run the twelve floors again. Stage 12 and its Starward Mode carry the biggest rewards, and clearing them cleanly comes down to matching your damage element to each boss and hitting the tight cycle limits.
Quick answer: For Stage 12, bring a Quantum or Lightning team (Castorice or Rin Tohsaka with Archer) for the first half, a Fire/Imaginary Elation team (Silver Wolf Lv.999 with Sparxie) for the second half, and a Fire/Physical AoE team (Evanescia or Himeko – Nova) for Starward Mode. Finish with 33 or more cycles remaining to earn the Prismatic Star.
Stormcleanse season buff and Stage 12 weaknesses
The Stormcleanse phase runs from 08/17/2026 to 09/28/2026. Its Memory Turbulence effect fires at the start of each cycle. It randomly picks one ally on the Path of The Hunt or the Path of Erudition, makes them act immediately, and raises their damage by 80% for one turn. That heavily favors Hunt and Erudition hypercarries, so building your DPS on those paths gets extra value from the buff.
Stage 12 shares its 3-star record with Stage 12 of Starward Mode, so you only need to clear the harder version once. Each half and the Starward fight uses its own element weaknesses.
| Section | Boss | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| First half (Node 1) | Stellaron Hunter: Sam | Quantum, Lightning |
| Second half (Node 2) | Alloy Mechatron: King Pom-Pom | Fire, Imaginary |
| Starward Mode (Node 3) | Harbinger of Death: Swarm Nightmare | Fire, Physical, Wind |
The star conditions for Stage 12 are winning with at least 15 cycles left, at least 30 cycles left, and finishing with no downed characters. Reaching all three plus a clear with 33 or more cycles remaining awards the Prismatic Star.
Best teams for the first half (Quantum and Lightning)
Node 1 pits you against Stellaron Hunter: Sam alongside adds that are weak to Quantum and Lightning. Sam drains your team’s HP, so pack a reliable healer. Castorice’s premium Quantum lineup remains the most consistent pick, while the Fate collaboration’s Rin Tohsaka and Archer duo covers both Lightning and burst damage.
| Team | Members |
|---|---|
| Castorice DPS | Castorice, Evernight, Cyrene, Hyacine |
| Ashveil DPS | Ashveil, Mortenax Blade, Tribbie, Hyacine |
| Archer DPS | Rin Tohsaka, Archer, Sparkle, Dan Heng – Permansor Terrae |
| F2P option | Rin Tohsaka, Archer, Sparkle, Lynx |
The Rin Tohsaka and Archer pairing works because both units stack heavy single-target damage and can trigger a joint attack together. Archer also spends a lot of Skill Points, which you use during Sam’s Secondary Combustion phase to speed up the fight.
Best teams for the second half (Fire and Imaginary)
Node 2 features Alloy Mechatron: King Pom-Pom, with enemies weak to Fire and Imaginary. Elation units matter here because they generate Punchline, which unlocks the mechanic you need to strip the boss’s damage reduction. Silver Wolf Lv.999’s dual Elation team is the cleanest three-star route, and Firefly’s hypercarry works if you own the full support package.
| Team | Members |
|---|---|
| Silver Wolf Lv.999 DPS | Silver Wolf Lv.999, Sparxie, Yao Guang, Huohuo |
| Sparxie DPS | Sparxie, Yao Guang, Sparkle, Huohuo |
| Evanescia DPS | Evanescia, Trailblazer (Lightning), Yao Guang, Huohuo |
| Firefly DPS | Firefly, The Dahlia, Fugue, Lingsha |
| F2P option | Silver Wolf Lv.999, Trailblazer (Lightning), Asta, Huohuo |
Firefly’s Break comp only performs at full strength with all four listed units, since Super Break scaling depends on the recommended supports. If you are missing any of them, default to the Silver Wolf Lv.999 lineup instead.
Best teams for Starward Mode (Fire and Physical)
Starward Mode is the extra node that grants the largest rewards. You fight Harbinger of Death: Swarm Nightmare, which is weak to Fire, Physical, and Wind, though most of its supporting enemies are weak to Fire and Physical. AoE damage is the priority because the boss keeps summoning Juvenile Stings.
| Team | Members |
|---|---|
| Evanescia DPS | Evanescia, Yao Guang, Elation Trailblazer, Huohuo |
| Himeko – Nova DPS | Himeko – Nova, Sparkle, Sunday, Welt or Dan Heng – Permansor Terrae |
| Phainon DPS | Phainon, Sunday, Cerydra, Permansor Terrae |
| F2P option | Himeko – Nova, Trailblazer (Ice), Welt, Permansor Terrae |
Evanescia attacks frequently, which lets her build Certified Bangers quickly for extra damage, while Huohuo keeps her energy topped up. Himeko – Nova’s sustainless line clears the node comfortably, but swap Welt for Dan Heng – Permansor Terrae if you struggle to survive without a dedicated healer.
Boss mechanics that decide the clear
First half: The Frigid Prowler summons two Everwinter Shadewalkers and devours them for a large ATK boost. Kill the Shadewalkers first to stop the power-up and reduce the Prowler’s defense. In the wave with Sam, use Combusted Skill Points to attack Sam and dispel Secondary Combustion, which raises the damage it takes.
Second half: Generating enough Punchline gives Alloy Pommy an Enhanced Basic ATK. Use that attack to peel a Lasting Antibac stack off King Pom-Pom. Once every stack is gone, the boss loses its damage reduction and starts taking full damage.
Starward Mode: The Harbinger of Death summons Juvenile Stings with Rapid Evolution, which blocks CRIT damage against them. Select your DPS as the Nemesis so they act immediately and ignore Rapid Evolution. Clearing enough Stings increases the damage the Harbinger takes.
Rewards and how to confirm the clear
A full Stage 12 clear returns the standard completion rewards, and Starward Mode adds the high-value bonus. The Prismatic Star only registers when you finish with 33 or more cycles remaining, so track your cycle counter on the left of the action order.
| Reward set | Contents |
|---|---|
| Stage 12 completion | Lost Crystal x2, Lucent Afterglow x8, Traveler’s Guide x2, Refined Aether x1, Credit x10,000 |
| Starward Mode (33+ cycles left) | Stellar Jade x100, Jade Feather x100, Credit x20,000 |
You know the run counted when the stage shows three stars and the Prismatic Star fills in on the results screen, with the Stellar Jade and Jade Feather delivered to your inventory. If the Prismatic Star stays empty, the most common cause is finishing with fewer than 33 cycles remaining or losing a character during either node.
Match each half to its weakness, keep a healer in the first node against Sam, and lean on Elation units for the King Pom-Pom fight, and the full 36 stars plus the Prismatic Star are well within reach before the phase closes on 09/28/2026.
