Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 Pure Fiction — Every Top Team for the Wordless Novel Phase

Pure Fiction's Wordless Novel phase in Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 runs from February 16, 2026, through March 30, 2026. The mode rewards multi-target damage dealers and teams that can rapidly build Punchline stacks for Aha's Elation Skill, and Stage 4 is the hardest checkpoint standing between you and a full 12-star clear worth 800 Stellar Jades. Below is a breakdown of the Grit mechanics, element weaknesses, enemy priorities, and the strongest team compositions across every stage — with a focus on Stage 4.

Wordless Novel Grit Mechanics

Every time your team earns a Punchline point, allies also accumulate 2 Grit Value. Once Grit is full, the fight enters Surging Grit, during which Aha gains an extra turn using a fixed 20 Punchline without consuming them. Enemy damage taken rises by 50%, and Aha Instant's SPD jumps by 40. These windows are where the bulk of your score comes from, so picking a Cacophony buff that generates Punchline quickly is critical.

Three Cacophony buffs are available this phase. Delirium grants 1 Punchline every time an ally uses a Basic ATK or Skill and boosts all ally DMG by 50% during Surging Grit — making it the default pick for most teams. Tirade generates Punchline on Break DMG and increases Break DMG by 30% during Surging Grit, ideal for Firefly or Rappa squads. Euphoria raises Elation DMG taken by enemies by 30% during Surging Grit and further increases Aha Instant's SPD by 20, a niche but powerful option for Sparxie comps.

Stage 4 Element Weaknesses and Enemy Priorities

Stage 4 splits its weakness coverage cleanly. The first half favors Physical and Fire characters, while the second half favors Quantum and Imaginary. Matching these weaknesses matters more here than in earlier stages because Wave 3 bosses have significantly higher toughness bars.

First Half Wave-by-Wave Priorities

Wave 1 features Everwinter Shadewalkers, a Servant of Tides, and a Furbo Journalist. Kill the Furbo Journalist as fast as possible — it awards Punchline based on the damage of the hit that finishes it off, so save a heavy-hitting attack. Take down the Everwinter Shadewalkers next because they can delay your units' turns in the action order.

Wave 2 introduces a Rocking Rebel, Black Tide's Corroded Axe, and Aggressive Reading Material. The Rocking Rebel takes extra damage if Aha Instant triggers while it is charging, but if it finishes charging, it unleashes a dangerous AoE. Prioritize breaking it or timing your Grit window.

Wave 3 pits you against Bronya (the boss), Grunt: Security Personnel, and Ichor Memosprite: Pheasants. Defeat the Security Personnel Grunts first to collect Performance Points that buff your team's damage. Killing the Pheasants deals toughness damage directly to Bronya, so AoE is extremely valuable here.

Second Half Wave-by-Wave Priorities

Wave 1 has a Furiae Philosopher, Tide-Eroded Blades, and another Furbo Journalist. Breaking the Furiae Philosopher's War Armor regenerates Ultimate energy for your team — exploit this aggressively.

Wave 2 brings a Noontide Gryphon, Security Doggo, and Black Tide's Decrepit Bow. The Decrepit Bow applies corrosion, and the Gryphon compounds incoming damage. If you cannot burst them down quickly, make sure your sustain character can handle the pressure.

Wave 3 features the Swarm: True Sting boss alongside Tide-Eroded Blades and Juvenile Stings. Prioritize the Juvenile Stings — when they die, they explode, inflicting Vulnerability on all remaining enemies, which dramatically speeds up the boss kill.

Stage 4 Best Teams — First Half

The Sparxie / Yao Guang / Sparkle lineup is the premium pick for the first half. Sparkle's CRIT DMG buff and 50% action advance keep your carry cycling rapidly, and Euphoria amplifies the Elation damage that Sparxie generates. Phainon with Sunday and Cerydra is a strong alternative that leans on Delirium's per-action Punchline generation. Break-focused teams built around Firefly or Himeko pair naturally with Tirade, which rewards Break DMG with extra Punchline and a 30% Break DMG bonus during Surging Grit.

The DoT squad of Hysilens, Kafka, and Black Swan — both of whom received enhancements in Version 4.0 — works well here under Delirium. Kafka's reworked Skill triggers DoT on every target it hits, and Black Swan's enhanced kit stacks Arcana faster, making Punchline generation consistent across waves.

First Half F2P Team

Serval, Dan Heng, Asta, and Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae with the Delirium buff. Serval's Lightning AoE handles mob waves, Asta provides SPD and ATK buffs, and Permansor Terrae covers sustain. This team won't hit 40,000 on its own without strong relics, but it can comfortably clear 30,000 and let a stronger second-half squad carry the star count.

Stage 4 Best Teams — Second Half

Castorice is the standout carry for the second half. Paired with Cyrene and Tribbie under Delirium, her Remembrance-path kit tears through Quantum- and Imaginary-weak enemies. One practical note: Castorice's exploding dragon bounces are somewhat RNG-dependent in Pure Fiction. If side mobs survive, the bounces scatter instead of focusing the boss. Running Remembrance Trailblazer instead of Anaxa can help stabilize this by providing more consistent memosprite damage. Hyacine should be built with at least 200 SPD to activate one of her key traces.

The Herta paired with Anaxa and Tribbie remains a reliable Erudition powerhouse. Herta's follow-up attacks chain endlessly when enemies keep spawning, and Tribbie's universal support amplifies every hit. Rappa with Fugue, The Dahlia, and Lingsha is the Break-focused alternative, running Tirade for the same reasons as the first-half Firefly comp.

Second Half F2P Team

Herta, Xueyi, Trailblazer (Ice), and Lynx with Delirium. Xueyi's Quantum damage exploits the second half's weakness spread, and Herta's follow-up attacks handle mob cleanup. Trailblazer (Ice) provides Remembrance-path support, while Lynx keeps the team alive.

Other Recommended Characters

If you don't own the premium options above, several other characters slot in effectively. For the first half, Yao Guang, Rappa, Yunli, Argenti, and Gallagher all perform well. Argenti in particular has historically been one of the highest-scoring DPS units in Pure Fiction thanks to his massive AoE Ultimate. Supports like Tingyun, Bronya, and Huohuo round out budget-friendly first-half squads.

For the second half, Acheron with Jiaoqiu and Cipher remains viable, as does Imbibitor Lunae with Sparkle. Aventurine, Jade, and Luocha are all solid sustain or sub-DPS options depending on your roster.

Stage 4 Completion Rewards

On top of these per-stage drops, earning Insignias from star ratings across all four stages yields up to 800 Stellar Jades and 600 Jade Feathers per full clear cycle. Jade Feathers can be spent in the Jokes Come True shop on Self Modeling Resins and Relic Remains.

Pure Fiction resets every six weeks on a Monday at 04:00 server time. The Wordless Novel phase runs until March 30, 2026, giving you roughly six weeks to experiment with team compositions and push for a full 12-star clear. If your first-half team can comfortably hit 40,000, the second half only needs 20,000 for three stars on Stage 4 — so invest your strongest roster where it matters most.