Cipher vs Aglaea: Which 5-star should you get in Honkai Star Rail 3.3 second half?

Two 5-star character banners will be featured during the second phase of Honkai Star Rail 3.3, allowing players to acquire Cipher and Aglaea. Since both banners will be available alongside one another, players can choose the unit they want to pull. Although Cipher and Aglaea tread on different Paths, players might wonder which one to get while these characters are obtainable.

Cipher is the better choice in the second phase of Honkai Star Rail 3.3. The following section discusses why you should get the new Nihility unit over Aglaea.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely rely on the author’s opinion.

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Trailblazers should get Cipher during the second phase of Honkai Star Rail 3.3

As mentioned, we recommend players roll for Cipher over Aglaea in the second phase of Honkai Star Rail 3.3. The former is the newest Nihility unit that excels in making enemies vulnerable and deals an exceptional amount of damage.

Cipher can launch follow-up attacks, allowing her to have good synergy with various characters, especially Feixiao. Moreover, she works well with Acheron as the latter’s damage output is exceptionally high, allowing her to record a significant amount of damage in a short duration.

When compared to Aglaea, Cipher’s utility is much better. Since the former was overshadowed by the other Remembrance DPS unit, Castorice, her popularity and pick rate in various end-game activities have dropped significantly.

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Advantages of Cipher over Aglaea

• Cipher can launch follow-up attacks while Aglaea cannot.
• Cipher can place a debuff on an enemy, making them vulnerable.
• Cipher can record a percentage of damage dealt by her allies to the debuffed enemy.

Advantages of Aglaea over Cipher

Aglaea (Image via HoYoverse)

• Aglaea can summon a memosprite while Cipher cannot.
• Aglaea can deal a significant amount of damage, while a big chunk of Cipher’s damage comes from her teammates.
• Aglaea can easily clear end-game activities, while Cipher needs assistance to do the same.

While Aglaea is still a decent character, spending a significant amount of Star Rail Special Passes on her is not worth it, as Cipher can deal more damage. Furthermore, Cypher can boost a meta team composition's damage output substantially with her abilities. However, rolling for a certain character solely depends on the player's account and what they want.

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For more Honkai Star Rail articles, check out the following section:

• Hyacine banner in Honkai: Star Rail: Release date, 4-stars, and Light Cones
• Honkai Star Rail 3.3 banners order and schedule
• Honkai Star Rail 3.3 Light Cones: All signature LCs officially revealed
• Cipher banner in Honkai: Star Rail: Release date, 4-stars, and Light Cones
• Best Hyacine build in HSR: Light Cones, relics, stats, teams, and more
• Honkai: Star Rail Hyacine teams guide: Best F2P and premium team comps