The Vanguard Knight rotation of Apocalyptic Shadow is live in Honkai Star Rail 4.4, resetting every stage and its rewards. This cycle puts Argenti and Lance of Fury in your path, while the Starward node throws Blaznana Monkey Trick at you. Each boss has its own weaknesses and its own set of stage buffs, so the fastest clears come from matching your team to both.
Quick answer: Run Phainon or a Firefly Super Break team on Node 1 (Argenti), Castorice’s Remembrance core or a Silver Wolf LV.999 Elation team on Node 2 (Lance of Fury), and a Himeko Nova follow-up team or Ashveil with Mortenax Blade on the Starward node (Blaznana Monkey Trick). Pick the stage buff that matches each team’s damage type.
Boss weaknesses and node buffs
Before you lock in a lineup, check which elements each boss is exposed to and which buffs the node offers. You can only equip one buff per node, so choose the one that amplifies your team’s win condition.
| Node | Boss | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Node 1 | Argenti | Imaginary, Ice, Fire, Physical |
| Node 2 | Lance of Fury | Quantum, Lightning, Ice, Fire |
| Node 3 (Starward) | Blaznana Monkey Trick | Imaginary, Fire, Lightning, Ice |
| Node | Available buffs |
|---|---|
| Node 1 | Shatterstrike (Break damage), Linebreaker (position 1 ignores 15% DEF), Blighted to the Bone (DoT energy and 40% All-Type RES ignore) |
| Node 2 | Oppose With Tenderness (Elation RES ignore, Punchlines on Armor break), Unstoppable Force (memosprites ignore 20% DEF), Unto Apotheosis (up to +60% CRIT DMG on Skill Point use) |
| Node 3 | Knowledge and Decorum (Erudition unit grants +25% All-Type RES PEN), Whirlwind Turn (+25% SPD vs DoT targets), Moment of Opportunity (+50% follow-up and Ultimate damage) |
Node 1: Best teams against Argenti
Argenti opens every stage and is vulnerable to Imaginary, Ice, Fire, and Physical. Two team styles clear him cleanly.
- Phainon, Cerydra, Sunday, and Dan Heng Permansor Terrae
- Firefly, Fugue, The Dahlia, and Lingsha
Phainon’s hypercarry lineup shines here because his heavy AoE output cuts straight through Argenti’s mechanic. Place him in position 1 and equip the Linebreaker buff so his damage ignores 15% of the boss’s DEF. If you prefer a Break approach, Firefly’s Super Break team pairs with the Shatterstrike buff, which stacks extra Break damage as enemies enter the Weakness Break state and pushes your score higher.
Node 2: Best teams against Lance of Fury
Lance of Fury holds the second node and is weak to Quantum, Lightning, Ice, and Fire. Both a Remembrance core and an Elation carry work well.
- Castorice, Evernight, Cyrene, and Hyacine
- Silver Wolf LV.999, Sparxie, Yao Guang, and Huohuo
Castorice’s premium composition is the strongest pick if you take the Unstoppable Force buff, which lets every memosprite ignore 20% of the enemy’s DEF. Cyrene’s buffs feed Castorice massive damage, and the memosprite boost lifts the whole team’s output, so the node ends fast. For an Elation team built around Silver Wolf LV.999, Sparxie, and Yao Guang, choose Oppose With Tenderness for the Elation RES ignore. If Sparxie is on the field, Unto Apotheosis is the better call, since its stacking CRIT DMG rewards frequent Skill Point spending.
Node 3 (Starward mode): Best teams against Blaznana Monkey Trick
The Starward-exclusive node pits you against Blaznana Monkey Trick, which is weak to Imaginary, Fire, Lightning, and Ice. Two AoE-focused teams handle it.
- Himeko Nova, Mortenax Blade, Remembrance Trailblazer, and Dan Heng Permansor Terrae
- Ashveil, Mortenax Blade, Huohuo, and Tribbie
Himeko Nova is the top choice here. Alongside Mortenax Blade she dishes out heavy AoE damage across every enemy, and the Assist Skills from the Remembrance Trailblazer and Dan Heng Permansor Terrae add extra hits into the mix. If you skipped Himeko Nova, the Ashveil team with Mortenax Blade is a strong backup. Because that lineup deals most of its damage through follow-up attacks and Ultimates, equip Moment of Opportunity, which raises both by 50% and adds another 50% against Weakness-broken enemies.
The clearest path through Vanguard Knight is matching each boss’s weakness to a carry you already own, then leaning on the buff that scales your team’s core damage type. Break and hypercarry teams cover Argenti, a Remembrance or Elation core answers Lance of Fury, and follow-up damage carries the Starward node against Blaznana Monkey Trick. Clear the refreshed stages while the cycle is active to bank the full run of rewards.
