Version 4.6 is a small patch with a big catch. There is only one new 5-star, Pearl, but her banner sits next to two reruns that both matter more than usual, because everything in this update points at one archetype. If you do not play Elation, most of 4.6 is a saving window.
Quick answer: Skip 4.6 unless you are building Elation. If you are, Pearl is the priority, Evanescia is the DPS to pair with her, and Mortenax Blade is optional.
Honkai: Star Rail 4.6 banner schedule and windows
Version 4.6 goes live on September 27 at 10:00PM (UTC-5) for North America, which lands on September 28 for Europe and Asia. The patch runs six weeks and splits into two phases, with Pearl’s banner staying up the whole time instead of only the first half.
| Banner | Featured 5-star | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Character (full patch) | Pearl | Launch – Nov 10 |
| Character (Phase 1) | Evanescia | Launch – Oct 21 |
| Character (Phase 2) | Mortenax Blade | Oct 21 – Nov 10 |
| Light Cone (Phase 1) | Colors for Tomorrow, Until the Flowers Bloom Again | Launch – Oct 21 |
| Light Cone (Phase 2) | Colors for Tomorrow, Reforged in Hellfire | Oct 21 – Nov 10 |
The 4-star lineup does not change between phases. Qingque, Xueyi, and Misha are rate-up on every character banner, and the 4-star Light Cones are Planetary Rendezvous, Boundless Choreo, and Post-Op Conversation throughout.
Best and worst picks across the three 4.6 banners
| Character | Element / Path | Role | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evanescia | Physical / Elation | Main DPS | Best overall pull |
| Pearl | Ice / Elation | Sustain | Best for Elation owners |
| Mortenax Blade | Fire / Nihility | Flexible DPS | Situational |
Evanescia: the strongest single pull in 4.6
Evanescia is the top-ranked damage dealer on the Elation path and sits in the highest tier of 5-star DPS units. Her kit builds Certified Banger stacks and holds up without premium support, which is the main reason she is the safer of the two Elation pulls for a thinner roster. A lineup of Kevin, Huohuo, Mortenax Blade, and Evanescia clears endgame content without needing a second limited support.
She is also the unit that makes Pearl worth owning. Pearl’s ceiling depends on how many Elation bodies you can field, so pulling Pearl without Evanescia or a comparable Elation carry leaves most of Pearl’s numbers idle.
Pearl: the first Elation sustain, and only worth it for Elation teams
Pearl is an Ice sustain unit rated at 5 stars and aligned with the Path of Elation; she is the archetype’s first healer. Her scaling uses DEF. Her Ultimate marks an ally as the Aesthetic Archetype, then uses that ally’s stats to determine Pearl’s Elation damage. When the team contains four Elation characters, the Ultimate also grants an extra turn—a benefit no other sustain unit currently offers. She reaches true 5-star performance in a full Elation lineup such as Pearl, Silver Wolf Lv. 999, Evanescia, and Yao Guang.
Her kit beyond this is strictly healing. Huohuo, Aventurine, or the Trailblazer’s Preservation option already filling your sustain slot makes Pearl a sidegrade instead of a solution. She becomes an easy recommendation if you pulled Aventurine Waveflair in 4.5: his damage improves as the team takes more actions, while Pearl advances the ally she has marked.
In the story, Pearl is a Preservation character and the fourth playable member of the Ten Stonehearts, following Topaz, Aventurine, and Jade. Her gameplay, however, belongs to Elation, so do not build her as a shielder.
Mortenax Blade: flexible, but the weakest case of the three
Mortenax Blade is a Fire Nihility unit whose selling point is that he does not need a specific team. He survives on his own with a self-revive, and he slots into Nihility, Elation, and follow-up attack comps without rework. That makes him a good roster filler and a poor priority. If you are choosing one banner in 4.6 and you already have a working DPS, his Phase 2 window is the one to let pass.
4.6 Light Cones and the free alternatives
| Character | Signature Light Cone | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl | Colors for Tomorrow | Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures |
| Evanescia | Until the Flowers Bloom Again | — |
| Mortenax Blade | Reforged in Hellfire | Before the Tutorial Mission Starts, Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat |
Colors for Tomorrow gives Pearl DEF +48%, adds team healing, and applies an enemy vulnerability that scales with how many Elation characters you field. Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures is free from the Memory of Chaos shop and raises Elation damage taken by enemies, which covers most of what you need if you skip the banner. Evanescia’s Until the Flowers Bloom Again supplies CRIT DMG and Energy Regeneration.
Mortenax Blade is the most forgiving here. Both free-to-play Nihility options hold him up well enough that his signature is a luxury rather than a requirement.
The maximum guarantee for both the character and Light Cone is 340 pulls: 180 pulls cover the character and 160 cover the cone, totaling roughly 54,400 Stellar Jade. Plan your budget around a single target instead of both.
Endgame buffs that reward Elation right now
Two endgame modes carry over from 4.5 and both favour the same archetype, which shortens the window where a fresh Pearl or Evanescia pays off immediately.
- Apocalyptic Shadow’s Celestial Lupine remains available through October 5. During it, Skill DMG is increased by 25%, while Elation Skill DMG receives a 15% boost.
- Pure Fiction’s Domain Genesis is available until October 19. Each Punchline you obtain gives allies 2 additional Grit Value.
- Memory of Chaos opens a new phase when 4.6 goes live.
- Anomaly Arbitration, Return of the Legion, updates with the patch and pays out Lone Stardust, Interference Keys, Self-Modeling Resin, and limited avatar frames.
What to save for after 4.6
Two patches ahead are worth accounting for before you spend. Version 4.7 brings the game’s first playable Aeon, Aeon ★ Aha, previously known as Nihilux, as a 5-star Quantum Elation unit and the hypercarry the path has been missing. Version 4.8 then opens the Zenless Zone Zero crossover, with Ellen Joe and Astra Yao joining from New Eridu.
That sequencing is the real argument for restraint. If you are committed to Elation, Pearl plus Aeon ★ Aha is the pairing to plan around, and Evanescia in Phase 1 is the pull that helps in the meantime. If you are not, 4.6 is a six-week stretch where doing nothing is a perfectly good outcome.
