Kafka, Blade, and Jingliu Meta Comeback? Honkai Star Rail 3.4 Buff Breakdown

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With version 3.4 of Honkai: Star Rail shaking up the endgame landscape, some familiar faces are making a return to the spotlight. Kafka, Blade, and Jingliu—previously overshadowed by the rise of Sparkle, Dr. Ratio, and Boothill—are now climbing back into meta viability thanks to indirect buffs, new relics, and favorable enemy types in both Pure Fiction and Memory of Chaos.

So, are these once top-tier DPS units truly back? Or is their resurgence more hype than substance?

Let’s break it down.

πŸ”₯ Kafka – DoT’s Back on the Menu

Honkai Star Rail 3.4 Buff Breakdown
Kafka's DoT-centric playstyle thrives in multi-wave, multi-target content, and Patch 3.4 delivers exactly that.

✅ What Changed:

  • Pure Fiction now favors multi-hit, AoE-focused teams, giving Kafka an edge.

  • Synergies with Black Swan, Ruan Mei, and Luka allow for devastating DoT stacking.

  • Kafka’s ideal teams can consistently score 20K–40K per tick with proper speed tuning.

πŸ§ͺ Best Teams:

  • Kafka / Black Swan / Ruan Mei / Fu Xuan (High sustain, full DoT synergy)

  • Kafka / Boothill / Asta / Natasha (Speed scaling, low investment variant)

πŸ“Š Verdict:

Kafka is S-tier in Pure Fiction, viable in MoC if enemies align. Her flexible build paths and synergy with top 3.4 supports have put her squarely back in the competitive scene.

πŸ—‘️ Blade – Still the King of Self-Sustain?

Blade never truly left the meta, but he dipped in popularity after Sparkle and Argenti dominated single-target play. In 3.4, though, he’s finding new life—especially in MoC and Swarm Disaster.

✅ What Changed:

  • MoC stages now favor survivability, which aligns with Blade’s HP-drain kit.

  • Sparkle fixes his energy regen and skill point starvation, making him far smoother to play.

  • New Iron Cavalry relic set offers an alternate damage-scaling path.

🧬 Best Teams:

  • Blade / Sparkle / Bronya / Fu Xuan (Crit-focused rotation, high uptime)

  • Blade / Ruan Mei / Lynx / Pela (F2P-friendly variant with decent sustain)

πŸ“Š Verdict:

Blade is now A+ to S-tier in MoC, and a stable pick in Swarm-based content. While not the flashiest DPS, he’s consistent, durable, and smooth in Sparkle-centric comps.

🧊 Jingliu – Back from the Ice Age?

Jingliu, once a burst queen, fell off with the introduction of faster, crit-scaling kits. But she’s quietly climbing again thanks to meta-specific buffs and Sparkle’s synergy.

✅ What Changed:

  • MoC bosses are now Ice-weak, making Jingliu ideal for top-floor clears.

  • Sparkle + Ruan Mei rotations offer crit buffs, speed breaks, and energy generation.

  • She thrives in Mono Ice or dual-carry lineups with Pela or Topaz.

❄️ Best Teams:

  • Jingliu / Sparkle / Ruan Mei / Pela (Freeze + crit ramp combo)

  • Jingliu / Asta / Tingyun / Gepard (Budget crit stacker with tank)

πŸ“Š Verdict:

Jingliu is S-tier for MoC boss stages, especially floors 11 and 12. Less suited for Pure Fiction, but still viable with AoE support.

πŸ“ˆ 3.4 Meta Snapshot – Where They Stand

CharacterRoleBest ModesCurrent Tier (3.4)Notes
KafkaDoT / AoE DPSPure Fiction, SUS TierDoT queen when paired with Black Swan or Boothill
BladeHP-Scaling DPSMoC, SwarmA+ / S TierExcels in sustain fights, especially with Sparkle
JingliuBurst / Crit DPSMoC Boss StagesS / A+ TierIce-weak bosses boost her value

🧠 Pro Tips & Team-Building Notes

  • Kafka scales off speed and synergy; invest in SPD tuning + Lightning DoT gear.

  • Blade benefits from HP + Crit balance and benefits massively from Sparkle’s crit buffs.

  • Jingliu relies heavily on proper SP management—Sparkle’s triple-skill uptime is essential.

πŸ—£️ What the Community Thinks

“Kafka + Black Swan is meta-defining in PF. It’s stupid how much damage they stack now.” – Reddit/HonkaiStarMeta
“Jingliu’s one of the few DPS who can comfortably burst MoC 12 final boss. Don’t sleep on her.” – CN forums
“Blade is boring but never bad. He’s my go-to for when I just want MoC clears without thinking.” – YouTube comment

🌐 Community Links & Related Articles

✅ Final Verdict – Are They Meta Again?

Absolutely. All three characters—Kafka, Blade, and Jingliu—are experiencing a resurgence in 3.4, though in different roles:

  • Kafka dominates Pure Fiction.

  • Blade is a top-tier MoC stabilizer.

  • Jingliu is the current Ice-based burst queen for late-floor boss fights.

If you’ve already invested in any of them, now is the perfect time to dust them off. If not, they’re still worth building—especially with how 3.5 might push DoT and Ice even further. 

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