Honkai: Star Rail 1.4 Retrospective: Jingliu, Topaz, Numby, and PS5 Launch
When the Astral Express prepared for its next jump in the autumn of 2023, a wave of new possibilities awaited Trailblazers. Version 1.4 arrived on October 11, bringing not only fresh characters and events but also a long-anticipated PlayStation 5 launch. Players on Sony's console could finally board the Star Rail and take part in the turn-based adventure, though past limited-time banners and events remained out of reach.
The New Faces of Version 1.4
Three new heroes stepped into the spotlight across the patch's six weeks of content. The first was Jingliu, a 5-star Ice character who followed the Path of Destruction. She had already made an impression in earlier story arcs as an NPC who chased and challenged Yanqing. Now she became playable, offering a high-risk, high-reward DPS playstyle.
Jingliu's kit revolved around a state of Mara corruption. When she used her Skill or Ultimate, she accumulated stacks of Syzygy. Upon reaching a threshold, she entered Spectral Transmigration, a powerful Mara-overrun form. In that state she drained a portion of her allies' max HP to boost her own ATK, and her Basic Attack was disabled. Her empowered Skill, Moon On Glacial River, consumed Syzygy stacks instead of skill points. Her Technique created an ice ring that shattered objects and froze enemies.
Next came Guinaifen, a 4-star Fire Nihility unit and Sushang's best friend. She had never appeared in the story before, yet her combat identity was built around applying Burn through her Skill and Basic Attack. Her Talent inflicted Firekiss, a stacking debuff that made enemies take extra damage from allied strikes.
The third addition was a pair rather than a single fighter: Topaz and Numby. Topaz stood as a 5-star Fire Hunt character, employed by the IPC's Special Debts Picket Team. Numby, her Warp Trotter companion, followed her into battle. Topaz applied Proof of Debt to an opponent whenever no enemy bore it at the start of an allied turn. That mark boosted follow-up damage and directed Numby toward the target. Her Skill reassigned the mark and triggered a follow-up attack, while her Ultimate amplified Numby's damage and CRIT damage, advancing Numby's action when allies hit the marked enemy. Outside combat, Numby located treasures, and winning battles with the Technique active granted extra Credits within a daily cap.
Banner Phases and the First Rerun
Phase 1 banners highlighted Jingliu as the featured 5-star. Phase 2 proved busier: Topaz and Numby appeared as the new 5-star, Guinaifen joined the 4-star pool, and alongside them came Seele. This marked the first rerun of a 5-star character since launch, giving new PlayStation 5 Trailblazers a chance to obtain the game's first limited 5-star. Each featured 5-star also received a matching Light Cone banner during her respective phase.
| Phase | Featured 5-Star | New 4-Star | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Jingliu | - | Ice Destruction, Mara state |
| Phase 2 | Topaz & Numby, Seele rerun | Guinaifen | First limited banner rerun |
Story and New Zones
Although Version 1.4 carried less main story weight than Versions 1.2 and 1.3, it added meaningful narrative side content. A Trailblaze Continuance called Future Market served as an interlude on Jarilo-VI's new Pillars of Creation map. A second location, the Old Weapons Testing Ground, hosted an upcoming event and gave players more ground to explore.
The Companion Mission Clouds Leave No Trace followed Dan Heng as he received a mysterious letter requesting a meeting. Its focus fell on the legendary High-Cloud Quintet, shedding light on Jingliu, Blade, Jing Yuan, Dan Feng, and Baiheng. A new Stagnant Shadow challenge, Shape of Scorch, dropped Searing Steel Blade, which became the ascension material for Topaz and Guinaifen.
Events and Rewards
The flagship event, Aetherium Wars, turned Jarilo-VI into a battleground for digital creatures known as Aether Spirits. Trailblazers collected, trained, and sent these spirits into tournament combat, spreading across Victory Zones and the Old Weapons Testing Ground. Spirits came in three categories with a rock-paper-scissors style advantage cycle. Rewards included Self-Modeling Resin, Tracks of Destiny, Stellar Jade, and a free 4-star pick among Serval, Pela, Luka, and Hook.
A new Simulated Universe event called Planar Infinity added exclusive challenges and buffs alongside Stellar Jade rewards. The Gift of Odyssey login event returned with ten Star Rail Special Passes across seven days. Planar Fissure granted double Planar Ornaments, while Realm of the Strange offered double Relic drops from Caverns of Corrosion. Finally, the Replay quality-of-life feature allowed players to pause story dialogue and reread conversations.
Version 1.4 may not have placed the main story at the center, but it filled the game with fresh combat options, narrative echoes, and generous activities for Trailblazers on every platform.
