Who Should You Pull in Honkai: Star Rail 4.4 Phase 2?

Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4 Phase 2 creates a difficult decision because Cerydra, Anaxa, and Aventurine solve three different account problems. Before converting a large Stellar Jade reserve into Special Passes, players with a confirmed purchase plan can compare options through Topuplist and its dedicated Honkai: Star Rail top-up page, but the correct first step is deciding whether the roster lacks amplification, damage, or reliable sustain. A popular character is not automatically the best upgrade for every account.

The rerun phase is scheduled for August 5 through August 25, 2026, in server time. Himeko Nova remains available throughout Version 4.4, so she is still part of the wider pull decision even though this guide focuses on the three Phase 2 reruns. The useful question is not which character ranks highest in isolation. It is which character adds a functional team, fixes repeated failures, or reduces the investment needed to clear difficult content.

Name the Problem Before Opening the Warp Screen

Pull priority becomes easier when the player can name one concrete failure. If a favorite carry already deals enough damage but lacks the support that completes its rotation, Cerydra may be the meaningful upgrade. If the account owns strong supports and sustains but cannot field another competitive damage team, Anaxa can fill the larger gap. If promising lineups repeatedly fail because the available healer or shielder cannot protect them, Aventurine may improve more content than another offensive unit.

Do not begin with theoretical ceiling. A ceiling matters only when the account can assemble the teammates, relic quality, Speed tuning, Energy plan, and encounter conditions needed to reach it. A lower-ceiling choice that works immediately can create more real progress than a showcase unit waiting weeks for a complete team.

Use three questions. Can at least two teams survive long enough to finish current endgame stages? Do those teams have damage dealers that match the player's preferred archetypes? Is one premium support being demanded by too many lineups? A survival failure points toward Aventurine. A missing offensive core points toward Anaxa. A contested support slot points toward Cerydra or another amplifier.

Cerydra Rewards a Roster That Already Has a Plan

Cerydra is most attractive when the account already owns a damage dealer who benefits strongly from her support profile. Her value comes from improving an existing engine rather than replacing it. Specialist supports can look ordinary on an empty account and exceptional when the correct carry, rotation, and relic foundation are already present.

Players often discuss Cerydra with units such as Phainon and Anaxa because her amplification can strengthen teams built around their output patterns. The exact gain still depends on investment, turn order, enemies, and alternatives already owned. A player with a complete premium support roster may see a smaller relative improvement than someone whose chosen carry still uses a temporary four-star option.

Cerydra becomes a sensible first choice when three conditions are true: the compatible carry is used regularly, the team already survives, and the support slot is its obvious weakness. In that situation she raises performance without forcing the player to build an entirely new archetype.

Delay Cerydra when the account has no clear home for her. Pulling a support because a future team might need her can be reasonable for a collector with a deep reserve, but it is weaker for a player who needs immediate progression. Future compatibility is not the same as present value, and an unused premium support cannot clear content by herself.

Anaxa Is the Offensive Expansion Pick

Anaxa is the direct answer for an account that needs another damage-centered lineup. A new carry can open a second side of Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow, or a limited combat event, but only when the account can also provide suitable supports and sustain.

The strongest reason to pull Anaxa is not a single damage screenshot. It is that the player enjoys his combat pattern and has enough supporting pieces to make the team functional. A carry is a larger project than a support. Relics, traces, Light Cone choices, teammate builds, and encounter selection all influence the result.

Check whether Anaxa would compete with an existing carry for the same premium support. If both teams require one unit, obtaining another damage dealer may not create a second independent lineup. It may create two attractive teams that cannot be deployed together. Anaxa is a stronger recommendation when spare support depth exists, his offensive coverage is missing, and the player can commit farming time.

He is a weaker recommendation when the roster already contains several finished carries but only one reliable sustain or one premium amplifier. In that case, adding another damage project increases competition without correcting the shared bottleneck.

Aventurine Turns Promising Runs Into Completed Runs

Aventurine is easy to undervalue because sustain rarely produces the largest number on screen. His value is consistency: preventing sudden defeats, reducing restarts, and preserving offensive turns that would otherwise be spent recovering. For a developing account, one reliable limited sustain can improve story bosses, farming, Simulated Universe content, and several endgame modes at once.

He is the safest general recommendation when the account's second sustain clearly fails. His shields can be especially comfortable in teams that appreciate protection against burst damage or interact with follow-up attacks. The result should be measured in completed runs and stable rotations, not only in a damage simulation.

The recommendation becomes less urgent when Lynx, Natasha, Gallagher, or another available option already keeps the second team stable. Free and four-star sustains are not automatically inadequate. Their value depends on build quality, enemy mechanics, cleansing needs, and how quickly the team ends the fight.

A future sustain may eventually compete with Aventurine, but waiting indefinitely for an unknown replacement does not help an account that cannot clear current stages. Compare the certainty of solving today's problem with the uncertainty of a unit that has not entered a confirmed banner.

New Player Priority

For a genuinely new account, Aventurine usually offers the widest immediate use when survival is unstable. He can join many lineups without locking the player into one narrow damage archetype. Reliable protection also makes early progression less punishing while the rest of the roster is underbuilt.

Anaxa can be the better first target when the account already owns dependable sustain but lacks a second carry. Cerydra is generally the most roster-dependent option. She can be outstanding, but a new player should confirm that the unit she is meant to empower is already owned or is the account's firm next target.

This is not a permanent ranking. A new account centered on Phainon can reasonably prioritize Cerydra. An account that started with multiple strong sustains may gain little from Aventurine. The answer changes as soon as the starting roster changes.

Established Account Priority

Established players should judge marginal improvement rather than broad usefulness. If every major mode is already cleared comfortably, the best pull may be the character who strengthens a favorite team, expands strategic variety, or offers the most enjoyable playstyle.

At that stage, Cerydra can be more valuable than Aventurine because a small survival improvement may not affect results while a premium support meaningfully raises a selected carry. Anaxa can be worth more than either if he creates a genuinely new lineup instead of duplicating an existing role.

Veteran accounts should also consider relic and Light Cone readiness. A character who can use prepared equipment becomes operational immediately. One who requires weeks of farming has a hidden opportunity cost, especially when Version 4.5 preparation is already competing for Trailblaze Power.

Do Not Forget Himeko Nova

Himeko Nova stays available throughout Version 4.4. Players still considering her should not treat the three reruns as the only options. Apply the same test to her: identify the missing function, determine how much of the required team already exists, and compare her real account improvement with the reruns.

The presence of four relevant limited characters makes split pulling dangerous. Ten or twenty speculative pulls on several banners can consume a large reserve without securing any intended result. Pity and guarantee are resources. Assign them to one priority before opening the Warp screen.

Match the Character to the Account

The table is a starting point, not a command. Personal preference can legitimately outrank efficiency. Pull planning exists to make the cost visible, not to remove enjoyment from the decision.

Character or Signature Light Cone?

Character ownership usually matters more than a signature Light Cone for an account still building roster breadth. Before entering a Light Cone banner, check whether the character has a functional free, shop, Battle Pass, or four-star alternative. A signature can improve damage or comfort, but it consumes pulls that might secure an entirely missing role.

For Cerydra, compare how much the signature improves her team support over available alternatives. For Anaxa, separate personal damage gain from whole-team improvement. For Aventurine, ask whether an alternative already provides enough defense, utility, or consistency.

Do not use one percentage from an ideal simulation as a universal answer. Light Cone value changes with superimposition, relic quality, teammate buffs, enemy behavior, and the stat limiting the build. Test the character first, then decide whether the signature fixes a real problem rather than merely increasing an already sufficient number.

Build a Pull Budget That Survives Bad Luck

Record current character-banner pity, guarantee status, Special Passes, and the Stellar Jade that can realistically be earned before August 25. A player with high pity and guarantee has more control than a player at low pity without guarantee, even when their visible Jade balances are similar.

Set a stopping rule before pulling. It can be stopping after the first five-star, stopping after losing the 50/50, or preserving a fixed reserve for the next version. The rule must also survive good luck. An early win is not automatic permission to chase another banner, an Eidolon, and a signature Light Cone.

Count predictable income rather than optimistic income. Daily training, known events, endgame resets, maintenance compensation, and owned passes can be estimated. Unannounced gifts, perfect achievement completion, or content the player may not finish should not be treated as guaranteed funds.

Test Comfort, Not Just Damage

Character trials do not reproduce every endgame situation, but they reveal animation timing, control flow, targeting, and basic comfort. Notice whether Cerydra fits the pace of the intended carry, whether Anaxa remains enjoyable over repeated turns, and whether Aventurine's shield cycle feels dependable.

Then compare showcase teams with the account's real roster. Replace premium Eidolons and signature Light Cones mentally with the pieces actually owned. A team that looks effortless in a fully optimized video may require much tighter Speed tuning or Energy management at ordinary investment.

The best target is a character the player will still use after the banner's novelty fades. Enjoyment has practical value when it leads to regular use, while a mathematically strong character left at low level provides none.

Common Pulling Mistakes

The first mistake is treating a rerun as a final chance. Characters can return again, even when the schedule is uncertain. Fear of missing out should not replace an account plan.

The second is counting a character's best team without checking ownership. If three other limited units are required to reproduce the result, the real cost is much larger than one successful pull.

The third is using pity as an excuse. Being close to a five-star does not make every banner good value. High pity increases the importance of choosing carefully.

The fourth is ignoring build time. A new character may sit unused while traces, ascension materials, relics, and teammates are prepared. Immediate value depends on readiness, not acquisition alone.

The fifth is confusing popularity with necessity. All three reruns can be strong without any of them being mandatory. Endgame content rewards coherent teams more than isolated ownership lists.

Final Recommendation

Choose Aventurine when survival and run consistency are the clear barriers. Choose Anaxa when support and sustain depth already exist but the account needs another offensive core. Choose Cerydra when a compatible carry is already built and its support slot is the missing premium upgrade.

Saving is also a successful decision. Version 4.4 offers several attractive targets at once, and no account needs to own all of them. The honest answer to "who should I pull" can be nobody when the roster has no urgent gap, the budget cannot secure the target, or a future favorite matters more.

FAQ

When do the Version 4.4 Phase 2 reruns begin?

Cerydra, Anaxa, and Aventurine are scheduled for August 5 through August 25, 2026, based on server time. Check the live Warp countdown because regional servers transition at different local hours.

Is Aventurine the best choice for every new player?

No. He is a strong general option when survival is unreliable, but an account with dependable sustain may gain more from Anaxa or from Cerydra supporting a compatible carry.

Should I pull Cerydra without a clear team for her?

Only for personal preference or a firm future plan. A specialist support is easiest to justify when the intended team already exists and the support slot is its main weakness.

Is Anaxa worth pulling if I already own several carries?

He is worth considering when he creates a distinct team, covers a missing need, or is a favorite. If he competes with current carries for the same supports, another role may improve the account more.

Where can I prepare Oneiric Shards for the banner?

Players with a confirmed purchase plan can review the Topuplist official site and the Honkai: Star Rail top-up page. Verify the UID, server, product, and delivered currency before using any Shards.

Should I choose a character or a signature Light Cone first?

Developing accounts usually gain more flexibility from the character. Consider the signature only after confirming that available alternatives do not meet the build's actual needs.

Is saving for Version 4.5 a bad decision?

No. Saving is sensible when none of the reruns solves a major account problem, the reserve cannot secure a target, or a future character matters more.