Cover-Credits:
Hoyoverse
Aventurine is a 5-star Preservation character who is set to debut in the second-half of Honkai Star Rail patch 2.1. He has great synergy with follow-up attackers and can function really well even outside of such teams as a solo sustain unit. If you are wondering if you should go for him, here's a quick breakdown of his strengths and weaknesses.
Should You Get Aventurine in Honkai Star Rail?
Before we discuss his strengths and weaknesses, here's a quick disclaimer. If you like Aventurine, you should go for him. He is a powerful character who offers a ton of value to your account and if you already like him, don't think twice before pulling for him.
If you do not have a limited 5-star sustain at all or have just one of them, he can be a great pickup. If you already have two limited 5-star sustains, then there is not a lot of reason to go for a third sustain unit.
Aventurine's Strengths
Synergistic with follow-up teams and still great outside such teams
Best shielding capabilities in the game, making your team nearly unkillable
Effect RES buff for allies can enable the planar ornament Broken Keel's 2-piece effect for himself and other supports without needing relic substats
Aventurine himself is essentially immune to debuffs
Solid self-buffs that boost damage
Crit Damage buff for all allies
He is cool
Aventurine's Weaknesses
Can be SP hungry in some scenarios
Crit Damage buff not valuable in damage over time (DoT) teams
Does not have a guaranteed cleanse or debuff protection for allies
Aventurine vs Other 5-star Sustains
Aventurine vs Gepard
Aventurine is a much more capable shielder than Gepard in terms of raw sustain. Unlike Gepard who relies solely on his ultimate, Aventurine can use his skill to generate shields in a pinch if your team is struggling. Gepard does have his own advantages like the increased taunt value which can be useful in Acheron teams if he's using Trend of the Universal Market, and Gepard also has the ability to freeze enemies which is also useful for Acheron. But in general, Aventurine is the better sustain unit.
Aventurine vs Fu Xuan
Aventurine vs Fu Xuan is a much tougher debate. While Fu Xuan can struggle against extremely hard hitting AoE attacks, she basically allows you to facetank damage in 99% scenarios. Her damage mitigation is also extremely potent and can completely negate incoming debuffs on your characters.
Aventurine vs Luocha, Huohuo, Bailu
When we compare Aventurine to the 5-star Abundance characters, both Luocha and Huohuo have a cleanse which is something Aventurine lacks. Huohuo also offers energy for allies and a massive attack buff while Luocha can generate tons of SP. Bailu is the only odd one out with no cleanse among the three Abundance units. While Aventurine does not have a cleanse his Effect RES buff will protect you in a lot of scenarios. It is also important to note that the number of enemies that inflict debuffs have reduced considerably and if you are being hit by damage over time effects, Aventurine's shields can easily block the incoming damage.
Do You Need Aventurine's Light Cone?
NO. There are fantastic free-to-play options available for Preservation units. We are getting a free light cone in 2.1 (Concert for Two) which grants him 32% DEF and up to 40% increased damage, which should be more than enough.
Landau's Choice (4-star) and Moment of Victory (standard 5-star) are also great options. The increased taunt value from both the light cones means that Aventurine is more likely to get hit. Since he is theoretically immune to crowd control effects, he can draw more aggro towards himself and protect your teammates from negative effects more consistently with either of the light cones.
Should You Get Aventurine For Follow-Up Teams?
Aventurine can bring a ton of value to follow-up teams. In a Dr. Ratio hypercarry team, he might not be as valuable as Huohuo but we'll need to wait for his release to confirm this.
In teams that consist of Dr. Ratio and Topaz, Aventurine can bring a ton of value to the team. He has a debuff for Dr. Ratio, a Crit Damage buff for both Ratio and Topaz and he can also action advance Numby through his own follow-ups. With Robin just around the corner, you might be able to create the follow-up attacker dream team very soon!
Verdict: Aventurine should be a top-tier sustain for a variety of teams and he is a very appealing pickup for players who do not have a couple of 5-star sustains on their accounts.
