The Argenti re-run banner will appear soon in Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.3, running along new Erudition character Jade. But should you consider pulling for him, or would it be better for you to save your precious Stellar Jades for either Jade or a future character? Honestly, I think Argenti can be skipped if you’re not too keen on Pure Fiction or can clear it without issue. After reading his pros and cons, you can make your own decision as to whether or not to pull for him.
How does Argenti work in Honkai: Star Rail?
Argenti is, for better or for worse, an incredibly easy character to use. His kit is very simple, focusing on AoE attacks and his Ultimate. With only 90 Energy (cheaper than other attackers) he can unleash a weaker version of his Ultimate to attack all targets. The powered up version of his Ultimate requires 180 Energy, but it deals more damage, as well as hits extra times. That’s basically it.
Why should you pull for Argenti?
Due to his ability to hit all targets at once with his Skill and his Ultimate, Argenti is an amazing character for modes and events like Pure Fiction. This on its own is fantastic. While Pure Fiction, like Memory of Chaos, does change its bonuses depending on the current meta and banner character (such as the focus on Break Effect thanks to Boothill and Firefly), certain characters like Himeko and Herta are always welcome thanks to their ability to consistently attack and defeat multiple enemies at once. Having and building Argenti means you don’t have to worry as much about shifting up your team or needing the most recent character.
Though not flashy, Argenti’s kit also makes it easy to put him in teams. He can work as a both a main or a sub attacker. Unlike some attackers like Firefly (who focuses entirely on Break DMG) and Kafka (who focuses entirely on DoT), you can use any support character with Argenti and he can reap almost all of their benefits.
Why shouldn’t you pull for Argenti?
For starters, if you really want to pull in 2.3, you need to consider whether Jade is a better fit for your account than Argenti. Jade is, like Argenti, an Erudition character who’s capable of attacking all enemies at once. She can double as a support unit with her follow-up attacks and her ability to buff an ally or herself. If you’re not too worried about modes like Pure Fiction, then Jade or some of the upcoming characters (Yunli and Jiaoqiu) might be a better investment. Argenti’s sole use in a team is attacking things. He’s very good at this, mind you. But there are so many other characters who are good at just attacking things.
Argenti’s also a little bit dated in that his best Relics are Champion of Streetwise Boxing. This Set is available in the same Cavern of Corrosion as the Thief of Shooting Meteor Set. Fortunately for Argenti, Break Effect is all the rage right now so farming for Thief isn’t so bad. But if you’re a longtime player, then you should already have tons of Thief pieces from normal farming. You can synthesize Relics for Argenti instead of going into the Cavern. But if you need to farm anew for Argenti, you might want to consider building some other characters for Pure Fiction. It’s really not worth the Trailblaze Energy unless you’re pulling for Argenti out of love.
Argenti is a fantastic unit for clearing content like Pure Fiction. Very few characters can match him when it comes to his performance as an AoE attacker. However, his needing to take Champion of Streetwise Boxing can make him hard to build (read: annoying to farm for) and depending on your existing roster, you might not need him. I recommend pulling for him only if you’re having trouble with Pure Fiction and you actually care about that mode or similar events.
Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You can only pull for Argenti when the “Thorns of Scented Crown” banner is live.
