Honkai: Star Rail is a game of numbers, but honestly, it’s also a game of vibes. You spend weeks farming Relics just to get a 2% crit increase, yet players often overlook the most basic tools sitting right in their inventory. One of those tools is the Hero of Triumphant Song HSR Light Cone.
It's a three-star. I know. You're probably thinking about foddering it into a five-star signature weapon right now. Stop.
Most people ignore three-star Light Cones because they assume rarity equals power. In many cases, they’re right. But the Preservation path is weird. It’s not always about having the highest base stats; sometimes, it’s about a specific utility that bridges the gap for players who didn't pull for Fu Xuan or Aventurine. Hero of Triumphant Song is the "budget" option that actually puts in work if you understand how defense scaling works in the current meta.
What Hero of Triumphant Song HSR Actually Does
Basically, this Light Cone is simple. Its passive effect, "Victory," provides a flat Defense increase for a few turns right after the wearer enters battle. At Superimposition 5 (which is incredibly easy to get since you'll pull dozens of these while hunting for banners), that Defense boost hits 24%.
Twenty-four percent.
That’s a massive chunk of survivability for a "trash" item. If you’re running a character like Trailblazer (Preservation) or March 7th in the early-to-mid game, your biggest hurdle isn't damage—it’s staying alive long enough to let your DPS do their job.
Why the "Entrance" Mechanic Matters
The buff triggers upon entering battle and lasts for three turns. In the Simulated Universe or shorter Forgotten Hall stages, those three turns are often the most dangerous part of the fight. It's when your team hasn't set up their shields yet. It's when the enemy speed-tuning might allow a boss to take two turns before your healer can move.
The Hero of Triumphant Song HSR acts as a safety net. It gives your Preservation unit that extra bulk needed to eat an initial onslaught. However, you have to be honest about its limitations. It doesn't scale into 15-turn slogs. If the fight goes long, the buff falls off, and you're left with the mediocre base stats of a three-star cone.
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The Math Problem: Three-Star vs. Four-Star
Let’s get technical for a second. A level 80 Hero of Triumphant Song HSR has a base Defense of 330. Compare that to a four-star like Day One of My New Life, which sits at 463. That’s a huge gap.
Wait.
If the base stat is lower, why bother? Because Superimposition matters. A S1 four-star cone is often weaker in terms of raw percentage buffs than a S5 three-star. If you are a free-to-play player who hasn't been lucky with Gacha Light Cones, the 24% boost from this "Hero" cone can actually result in a higher total Defense stat than a low-level four-star with a useless passive.
It’s about efficiency. You use what you have until you get something better. This cone is the definition of "reliable enough for now."
Who Should Actually Equip This?
Don't put this on Gepard. Please. If you have Gepard, you likely have access to better options like Landau's Choice or even the shop-purchasable Texture of Memories.
This cone is for two specific types of players:
The Newcomer: You just unlocked the Fire Trailblazer. You have zero good Light Cones. You're dying in World 3 of the Simulated Universe. Slap a S5 Hero of Triumphant Song on them. The Defense boost increases the strength of the Fire Trailblazer’s shields (since they scale off DEF) and makes them much harder to kill while they're taunting enemies.
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The Pure F2P Challenger: Some people play this game without spending a single jade on the Light Cone banner. For them, every three-star is a tool. In a niche Pure Fiction setup where you just need a Preservation unit to survive three waves of mobs, this cone is actually decent because the "turns" reset or the fight ends before the buff expires.
The Common Misconception About "Entry" Buffs
There is a weird myth in the HSR community that "entry" buffs are useless because they don't last. While that's true for long-form content like later stages of Memory of Chaos, it ignores how most people actually play the game.
Daily farming? Three turns is plenty.
Early Simulated Universe? You're getting blessings that take over the heavy lifting anyway.
Story bosses? Many have phases that can trigger "entry" mechanics depending on how the game tracks the encounter transition.
Hero of Triumphant Song HSR isn't trying to be the best. It's trying to be the floor. It’s the baseline that ensures your tank isn't made of paper while you wait for a lucky pull.
How to Optimize Your "Trash" Gear
If you’re going to use this, you have to go all in on the Superimposition. Never use a S1 three-star. It’s a waste of resources.
- Keep five copies.
- Merge them immediately.
- Lock it so you don't accidentally use it as XP.
Pairing this with a 2-piece Belobog of the Architects Planar Ornament set is the play. Since the cone boosts your DEF, it helps you reach the thresholds required for the secondary bonuses of your relics. It’s a symbiotic relationship that helps a low-investment build feel much more premium than it actually is.
Comparisons to Other Low-Rarity Cones
You might see Amber and wonder if it’s better. Honestly? Amber is usually better for pure Defense because it gives a massive 32% boost (at S5) and an extra 32% when health is low.
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So why look at Hero of Triumphant Song HSR?
Variety. Sometimes you're running two Preservation units (don't judge, it happens in high-difficulty Swarm Disaster). Sometimes you've already used your Amber on March 7th and you need something for the Trailblazer. The Hero cone provides that immediate, unconditional bulk from turn one without needing your HP to drop. It’s proactive rather than reactive.
The Nuance of Survival
In turn-based games, the first round is often the most important. If your tank gets debuffed or shredded before they can act, the run is over. That’s the real value here. It’s not about the ceiling; it’s about the floor. It ensures that your stats are high enough at the start of the match to survive the "speed gap" that often exists between your unoptimized gear and the enemy's base speed.
Practical Steps for Your Account
If you are struggling with content and your Preservation characters are dying, check your Light Cones. If you don't have a four-star or five-star option leveled up, do not ignore your three-stars.
- Check your inventory for five copies of Hero of Triumphant Song.
- Superimpose them to S5 immediately to get that 24% Defense boost.
- Level it to 50 or 60. Don't go to 80 unless you're truly desperate, as the resource cost vs. stat gain starts to favor four-stars heavily at that point.
- Focus on your Relics. Use the Defense boost from the cone to compensate for poor substat rolls on your boots or chest piece.
Using Hero of Triumphant Song HSR isn't a sign of a bad player. It's a sign of a player who knows how to manage resources. In a game where the gacha can be cruel, knowing which "low-tier" items actually hold their weight is the difference between clearing a stage and hitting a wall.
Keep an eye on your turn counts. If you find your tank dying on turn six or seven, that’s your signal that the Hero cone has done its job and it’s time to move toward a more permanent solution. But for those first three turns? You’re essentially wearing a suit of armor made of pure math. That’s enough to get most players through the toughest parts of the early game.
Don't sleep on the "Victory" passive. It might not be flashy, and it won't get you a million views on a showcase video, but it will keep your team standing when the boss decides to drop a meteor on your head. And in Honkai: Star Rail, standing is the first step to winning.