New to Star Rail? Returning after a break? We've all been there - staring at the screen wondering "what the heck is TP?" or "why do people keep talking about break effect?" This glossary breaks down the most common terms you'll encounter, with some real talk about why they matter.
Bookmark this page for when you're planning teams, grinding relics, or just trying to understand what everyone's talking about in Discord. Pro tip: Check out our Pity Calculator, Warp Simulator, and Relic Scorer for the tools that actually make decisions easier.
TP (Trailblaze Power)
Your daily energy currency for farming, bosses, and exploration. Think of it as your stamina bar - it refills over time but you'll always want more. Pro tip: Save it for the good stuff!
Equilibrium Level
Basically the game's difficulty slider that cranks up as you level. Higher EL = tougher enemies but better loot. It's like the game saying 'you're getting too good at this'.
Pity
The gacha gods' mercy system. You'll get a 5★ within a certain number of pulls, guaranteed. Limited banners add drama with their 50/50 coinflips. The real pity is your wallet.
Learn more →50/50
The most stressful mechanic in gacha games. Your first limited 5★ has a 50% chance to be the featured character. Lose it? Next one's guaranteed. Cue the anxiety music.
Paths
Character roles that determine how they play: Destruction (bruisers), Hunt (snipers), Erudition (AOE mages), Harmony (supports), Nihility (debuffers), Preservation (tanks), Abundance (healers). Match them wisely!
Traces
Your character's skill tree. Grind materials to unlock passives and stat boosts. It's like leveling up in an RPG, but with way more grinding. Worth it for the power spikes though.
Light Cones
The 'weapons' of Star Rail. They give stats and special effects. Path-matching is key - a Harmony LC on a Harmony character is like finding money in your pocket.
Learn more →Crit (CR/CD)
Critical Rate and Critical Damage. The holy grail of DPS stats. Without good crit, you're just tickling enemies. Pair with ATK and damage bonuses for maximum boom.
Break Effect
Makes your damage explode when you break enemy weaknesses. Essential for 'breakers' like Xueyi. Think of it as the game saying 'you found the weak spot!'
Learn more →Res Pen / RES Shred
Ignores enemy defenses to hit harder. Characters like Pela and Silver Wolf excel at this. Perfect for when enemies feel too tanky.
EHR (Effect Hit Rate)
Your chance to actually land debuffs and break effects. Low EHR means your crowd control fizzles. Don't sleep on this stat!
ERR (Energy Regen Rate)
How fast your Ultimate charges up. Higher ERR = more frequent big attacks. Speed demons like this for their fast ult cycles.
Ult Cycle
How many turns between your big Ultimate attacks. Depends on your ERR, attack speed, and how many skill points you burn. The heartbeat of your team's damage.
SP (Skill Points)
Team-shared resource for skills. Basics refill it based on your kit. Running out mid-fight is the worst - always keep an eye on this!
DoT
Damage over Time effects like Burn, Bleed, or Shock. Scales with your ATK and DoT-specific stats. Set it and forget it damage that adds up nicely.
Advance Forward
Battle mechanic that lets you act sooner (Bronya and Asta are masters). Great for setting up combos or saving your carry from a bad position.
Taunt / Shields
How Preservation characters control enemy aggro and protect the team. Good shields can turn a wipe into a win. Don't underestimate the power of prevention!
Quantum Weakness
Enemies vulnerable to Quantum take extra damage and get shredded by Silver Wolf's debuffs. Quantum teams feel like cheating sometimes.
Follow-Up
Extra attacks that trigger outside your normal turn (Clara and Topaz shine here). Like having a second action every round. Broken when it works.
Super Break
Amplified break damage in certain content. Scales with Break Effect and makes break teams absolutely monstrous. The meta for endgame.
Harmony Buffers
Team supporters like Bronya, Asta, and Ruan Mei who boost your whole squad. They turn good teams into great ones. The unsung heroes.
Nihility Debuffers
Crowd control specialists like Pela and Silver Wolf. They make enemies weaker so your DPS hits harder. Essential for serious damage.
Preservation Sustain
Tanky shielders like Gepard and March 7th who keep everyone alive. They mitigate damage and stabilize shaky runs. Lifesavers.
Abundance Healers
Support healers like Luocha, Lynx, and Gallagher. They keep HP topped up and can cleanse debuffs. The difference between success and failure.
MoC (Memory of Chaos)
The endgame challenge where you fight in two teams. Turn count matters for stars. Where theorycrafting meets execution.
Learn more →Pure Fiction
Score attack mode that rewards fast clears and add management. Follow-up and AOE teams thrive here. Pure chaos, pure fun.
Simulated Universe
The roguelite mode with random blessings and curios. Great for farming levels, relics, and having fun. My favorite way to unwind.
Echo of War
Weekly boss fights for character materials and light cone upgrades. Tough but rewarding. Don't forget to claim your rewards!
Cavern of Corrosion
Relic farming dungeons. The bread and butter of gearing up. Planar ornaments from SU are worth chasing too.
Planar Ornaments
Special relics from Simulated Universe with powerful 2-piece bonuses. Game-changers for endgame teams. Don't sleep on these!
Speed Tuning
The art of optimizing team speed so buffs align perfectly (like Bronya speeding up your DPS). It's like conducting an orchestra - timing is everything.
Eidolons
Duplicate copies of characters that unlock powerful passives. E1 is huge, E6 is endgame. The difference between 'good' and 'god-tier'.
F2P
Free-to-play friendly options that don't require premium light cones. Proof that you can compete without spending. Knowledge over currency!
Whale
High-rollers who pull for max eidolons and light cones. They clear content in record time. We love to hate them, but respect the dedication.
Warp Simulator
Test out pity scenarios and visualize your pulls before spending. Peace of mind in a stressful game. Use it!
Learn more →Codes
Free Stellar Jade and materials from Hoyo's events. Never miss these - they're like free lunch. Check regularly!
Learn more →Still confused? Don't worry - Star Rail has a learning curve, but that's half the fun. Take it one term at a time.
Ready for more? Dive into character guides or test your luck with the Wish Simulator.