How exactly does Dan Heng's slow mechanic work?

Dan Heng’s Skill, “Cloudlancer Art: Torrent,” has a chance to reduce the target’s Speed by 12% for 2 turns whenever he lands a Critical Hit. This is why building Critical Rate is so important for him; it’s not just for damage, but also for utility. His Ultimate then deals significantly increased damage multipliers if the target is already suffering from a Slow state.

Why is Energy Regeneration Rate considered on the Link Rope?

While Attack % is the standard choice for consistent damage, an Energy Regeneration Rate (ERR) rope can be valuable in specific setups. It allows Dan Heng to get his Ultimate back one turn sooner in his rotation. Since his Ultimate is his biggest source of damage and also advances his action forward (if using the Eagle set), the utility of more frequent Ultimates can sometimes outweigh the raw stat loss of an Attack rope.

Can I use Dan Heng as a sub-DPS?

Yes, he works well as a sub-DPS because he is not extremely Skill Point hungry. His Basic Attack deals decent damage and advances his action (via his Trace), so he can generate Skill Points for a main carry while occasionally using his Skill to slow a priority target or break a Wind weakness bar. He slots well into teams that need a Wind breaker but already have a heavy SP user.

What does Dan Heng's second Eidolon (E2) actually do?

Dan Heng’s E2, “Quell the Venom Octet, Quench the Vice O’Flame,” reduces the cooldown of his Talent by 1 turn. Normally, his Wind Resistance Penetration Talent has a 2-turn cooldown, meaning it can only trigger every other turn.

Is Dan Heng's E4 "Roaring Dragon and Soaring Sun" important for his rotation?

Yes, it is a game-changer for his turn economy. E4 causes his Ultimate to advance his next action forward by 100% if the Ultimate kills an enemy. This essentially gives him a free “extra turn” immediately after securing a kill, allowing him to follow up with a Skill or Basic Attack to generate energy or finish off another target.

Dan Heng Complete Build Guide

Dan Heng is more than just the silent guard of the Astral Express; he is one of the most reliable single-target damage dealers available to every player in Honkai: Star Rail. As a 4-star character following the Path of The Hunt and wielding the Wind element, he specializes in high-speed combat, enemy deceleration, and punishing burst damage. While many players might overlook him for flashier 5-star units, a properly built Dan Heng can rival premium characters in single-target scenarios, making him a cornerstone for tackling elite bosses and Memory of Chaos stages weak to Wind.

To unlock his full potential, players must understand the nuances of his kit, particularly his reliance on Speed breakpoints and the specific trigger conditions of his Talent. This guide dives deep into the optimal setups to turn this reserved archivist into a battlefield storm.

Best Relics and Planar Ornaments

Choosing the right relic set for Dan Heng is about maximizing his turn economy. The Eagle of Twilight Line is widely considered his optimal cavern relic set because its 4-piece bonus advances his action forward by 25% after he uses his Ultimate. This mechanic is powerful because it effectively shortens the gap between his turns, allowing him to cycle back to his Skill faster. In a game where turn order can decide the outcome of a battle, this “action advance” can often be more valuable than raw stat increases, letting him break enemy toughness bars before they can react.

For players who have not yet farmed a good Eagle set, the Musketeer of Wild Wheat serves as a strong, unconditional alternative. The 4-piece Musketeer bonus grants a Speed boost and increases Basic Attack damage. Since Dan Heng often weaves Basic Attacks into his rotation to manage Skill Points, this set provides a consistent performance floor.

When selecting Planar Ornaments, the Space Sealing Station is a classic choice for maximizing his Attack stat, provided you can hit the 120 Speed requirement—a threshold Dan Heng naturally clears with Speed boots. Alternatively, Inert Salsotto becomes superior if you have managed to reach 50% Critical Rate from your substats. The boost to Ultimate damage provided by Salsotto synergizes perfectly with his burst-heavy playstyle, making his finishing moves significantly more lethal.

Relic Stat Priorities:

Body: Critical Rate or Critical Damage (Target a 1:2 ratio, e.g., 60% Rate / 120% DMG).
Feet: Speed (Essential for more turns and frequent application of Slow).
Planar Sphere: Wind Damage Boost (Always superior to ATK% for damage scaling).
Link Rope: Attack % (For consistent damage) or Energy Regeneration Rate (For faster Ultimates).

Best Light Cones Explained

The Path of The Hunt offers a variety of strong Light Cones, but Dan Heng benefits most from those that enhance his Critical stats and reward his high speed.

In the Night (5-star) is the premium choice for him. This Light Cone, originally designed for Seele, converts Speed into raw Skill and Ultimate damage. Since Dan Heng builds Speed naturally to apply his slows, this cone allows him to double-dip on that investment, granting massive damage multipliers that scale linearly with how fast he is.

For free-to-play players, Cruising in the Stellar Sea (5-star Herta Store) is an exceptional tool. It provides a flat Critical Rate buff that increases further when enemies are below 50% HP. This helps Dan Heng secure kills on weakened targets, triggering the cone’s secondary Attack buff and allowing him to snowball through waves of enemies.

Among the 4-star options, Swordplay stands out for boss encounters. Its passive stacks a damage buff every time the wearer hits the same target. Because Dan Heng’s Skill, “Cloudlancer Art: Torrent,” hits multiple times in a single animation, he can instantly reach max stacks on this Light Cone, granting a massive damage increase that rivals some 5-star options. Only Silence Remains is another solid 4-star choice, offering unconditional Attack and a situational Crit Rate boost that is easy to maintain in boss fights where few adds are present.

Team Synergies and Composition

Building a team around Dan Heng requires understanding his passive Talent, “Superiority of Reach.” This talent grants him substantial Wind Resistance Penetration for his next attack whenever he is the target of an ally’s ability. This means he pairs best with supports who can actively target him with buffs, heals, or shields.

A “Slow-Down” composition featuring Welt is one of Dan Heng’s strongest synergies. Welt’s ability to slow enemies stacks with Dan Heng’s own speed reduction mechanic. Since Dan Heng’s Ultimate deals extra damage to slowed enemies, Welt ensures this condition is permanently met without Dan Heng needing to apply it himself. Adding a support like Asta to this team creates a “Speed Control” archetype where your team takes multiple turns for every single enemy action.

For a “Hypercarry” setup, Bronya is the premier support. Her Skill instantly advances Dan Heng’s action and buffs his damage. Crucially, because her Skill targets him, it automatically triggers his Wind Resistance Penetration talent. This combo allows Dan Heng to strike immediately with ignored defenses, leading to some of the highest burst damage potential available to him. Tingyun is another excellent partner, as her Energy regeneration allows him to cast his Ultimate more frequently, and her Attack buff (which targets him) also keeps his talent active.

Recommended Team Archetypes:

The Controller: Dan Heng (DPS), Welt (Debuffer/Slow), Asta (Speed/ATK Buffer), Luocha (Healer).
The Hypercarry: Dan Heng (DPS), Bronya (Buffer/Action Advance), Tingyun (Battery/Buffer), Natasha or Bailu (Sustain).

Dan Heng proves that you don’t need to spend limited currency to have a top-tier Wind DPS. By prioritizing Speed and Critical stats on his relics and pairing him with supports that can trigger his potent Resistance Penetration talent, he becomes a precision instrument capable of dissecting the toughest enemies. Whether you run him with Welt to control the flow of battle or with Bronya to unleash rapid-fire assaults, Dan Heng remains a versatile and powerful asset for any Trailblazer’s journey. For the best gaming experience, play Honkai: Star Rail on BlueStacks!