Archer Best Build, Team and Eidolons HSR 2026

I’ve put together the Light Cones, Relics, Trace priority, stat priority, teams, and Eidolon verdicts for the best Archer build in HSR, including a free-to-play (F2P) route for players without the resources to pull for his signature Light Cone or premium teammates.

Archer is a free 5 star Quantum unit on the Path of Hunt who turns Skill Points into one of the hardest-hitting single-target loops in HSR. He fires his Skill up to five times a turn, and every extra shot hits harder than the last.

TL;DR – Best Archer Build at a Glance

Best Light Cone	The Hell Where Ideals Burn
Best F2P Light Cone Alternative	Cruising in the Stellar Sea
Best Relic Set	As Navigator Isee Sees It (4pc)
Best Planar Ornament Set	Tengoku Livestream (2pc)
Main Stats	Body: CRIT Rate Boots: ATK% Planar Sphere: Quantum DMG% Link Rope: ATK%
Substat priority	CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > ATK%
Best team (Overall)	Archer (DPS) Sparkle (Support) Rin Tohsaka (Hybrid) Dan Heng Permansor Terrae (Support)
Best team (F2P)	Archer (DPS) Trailblazer (Ice) (Support) Hanya (Support) Lynx (Support)

How to Play Archer: Rotation and Tips

Archer’s playstyle revolves around his Skill Points (SP), and his rotation mainly consists of entering his Skill’s Circuit Connection state and firing until he runs dry.

Each Skill use costs 2 SP, and the damage bonus stacks the longer he stays in Circuit Connection, so spend as much banked SP on him as possible every turn. His Talent throws in extra hits whenever an ally attacks, and it refunds 1 SP each time, which is what keeps his own spam going.

His Ultimate hits for a massive multiplier and refills his Talent charges, so use it right before a big Skill turn whenever you can. If SP is genuinely short, a Basic ATK is a better use of his turn than a partial, unbuffed Skill volley.

Best Light Cones for Archer

The Hell Where Ideals Burn is Archer’s signature Light Cone and the clear best pick for this Archer build in HSR. It gives him a CRIT Rate boost right away and stacks a large, mostly permanent ATK increase every time he uses his Skill, with only a short ramp-up at the start of a fight.

Cruising in the Stellar Sea is his best free-to-play (F2P) option. It grants a large chunk of CRIT Rate and a two-turn ATK buff after Archer lands a kill, though the buff does require him to keep securing kills to stay active.

Baptism of Pure Thought works well in a debuff-heavy team. With three debuffs active and good Ultimate uptime, it lets his Follow-up attacks ignore enemy DEF, though it needs a specific team shape to shine.

Worrisome, Blissful gives a straightforward CRIT Rate buff and boosts CRIT DMG dealt to enemies under the Tame state, making it a solid generalist alternative when his signature isn’t available.

See You at the End is his best 4 star option. Its Skill and Follow-up DMG bonuses stay always active, which makes it easier to build around than some of the conditional 5 star alternatives.

For a more in-depth look at Archer’s best Light Cones, visit our Best Archer Light Cones Guide.

Best Relic and Planar Ornament Sets

As Navigator Isee Sees It (4pc) is Archer’s best Relic set since most of his damage comes from repeated Skill hits, and this set’s ATK and Skill DMG bonus stacks quickly across a single Circuit Connection turn.

Genius of Brilliant Stars (4pc) overtakes Navigator specifically against Quantum-weak enemies, since it lets Archer ignore enemy DEF. Watch total DEF Shred from teammates and Eidolons so it doesn’t exceed 100% and go to waste.

Tengoku Livestream (2pc) is his best Planar Ornament, since it hands out a large CRIT DMG buff whenever Archer spends at least 3 Skill Points in one turn, which he almost always does.

Archer’s Stat Priorities

Like most single-target DPS units, Archer wants critical hit (CRIT) stats above nearly everything else, since every one of his hits needs to land as a crit to matter.

• Priority 1: CRIT Rate
• Priority 2: CRIT DMG
• Priority 3: ATK%

🎯 Ideal Stat Goals: Aim for 2,800+ ATK outside combat, and don’t chase Speed past his base 105 breakpoint, since a turn-advance support like Sparkle handles pulling him up the turn order. Flat substats are fine filler once percentage rolls run dry.

Archer’s Trace Priorities

Traces	Priority Level	Why?
Basic ATK: Kanshou and Bakuya	Low	Archer almost never uses his Basic ATK once he has enough Skill Points, so this Trace can wait until everything else is maxed.
Skill: Caladbolg II: Fake Spiral Sword	Highest	This is where nearly all of Archer’s damage comes from, and every level directly raises his Circuit Connection output.
Ultimate: Unlimited Blade Works	Highest	A massive single-target multiplier that also restores his Talent’s Charges, feeding straight back into his Skill loop.
Talent: Mind’s Eye (True)	High	Provides Follow-up damage and recovers Skill Points every time an ally attacks, which keeps his Skill spam fed.
Bonus Ability: Guardian	Highest	Grants a large CRIT DMG buff once the team banks 4 or more Skill Points, which lines up with most of Archer’s own turns.
Bonus Ability: Hero of Justice	High	Gives Archer a Talent Charge the moment he enters combat, so his Follow-up loop starts from turn one.
Bonus Ability: Projection Magecraft	Highest	Raises the team’s Skill Point cap by 2 while Archer is on the field, directly supporting his heavy SP cost.

Archer’s Ascension Materials (Max Ascension)

Material	Total
Extinguished Core	15
Glimmering Core	15
Squirming Core	15
Darkveil Moonlight	65
Credit	308,000

Archer’s Trace Materials (Max Traces)

Material	Total
Meteoric Bullet	15
Extinguished Core	41
Destined Expiration	72
Glimmering Core	56
Countertemporal Shot	139
Squirming Core	58
Guardian’s Lament	12
Tracks of Destiny	8
Credit	3,000,000

Best Archer Teams (Overall, F2P, and Alternatives)

Listed below are Archer’s best overall team, F2P team, and alternative teammates to help shape your teambuilding choices based on which units are actually available in your current roster.

Best Overall Archer Team

Best Archer Team (Overall)	Role
Archer	DPS
Sparkle	Support
Rin Tohsaka	Hybrid
Dan Heng Permansor Terrae	Support

Sparkle is Archer’s best support since she raises the team’s Skill Point cap by 2 and can pull him up the turn order without him needing any Speed investment of his own. Rin Tohsaka brings a Joint Follow-up attack that recovers a large chunk of Skill Points every time it triggers, on top of a large ATK and CRIT DMG buff aimed squarely at Archer. 

Dan Heng Permansor Terrae rounds the team out with shields and an ATK buff while staying comfortably Skill Point positive.

Best F2P Archer Team

Best F2P Archer Team	Role
Archer	DPS
Trailblazer Remembrance	Support
Hanya	Support
Lynx	Support

Trailblazer Remembrance and Hanya are Archer’s best fully free-to-play (F2P) options, since neither requires a limited banner pull and both cover turn-advance and Skill Point generation. Lynx rounds out this team as a Quantum-focused support who keeps the team’s damage on-element without needing any investment at all.

Best Archer Team Alternatives

Silver Wolf is a drop-in replacement for Rin Tohsaka, bringing heavy DEF Shred and the ability to implant Quantum Weakness on enemies that aren’t naturally weak to it, which keeps Archer’s damage consistent off-element.

Cipher is a strong final slot since she plays completely Skill Point neutral and adds unconditional damage amplification, letting her finish off enemies once Archer’s Skill spam has already shredded their Toughness.

Gallagher is a sustain replacement for Permansor Terrae, since his kit specializes in Skill Point generation on top of solid healing, which directly fuels Archer’s heavy SP cost.

Tribbie can work as a Skill Point-friendly support, though her lower Speed and this team’s lack of AoE damage mean her Ultimate comes online less often than it would in a more AoE-focused lineup.

Sunday is a turn-advance alternative to Sparkle, though his full Action Advance puts more pressure on the rest of the team to restore Skill Points quickly enough for Archer’s next turn.

Whichever alternative you plan to slot in, the constant that matters most for Archer is Skill Point supply. Most of the teammates listed above earn their spot by keeping his SP bank full, not really by adding raw damage of its own since Archer, when built correctly, can cover that on his own.

Archer Eidolons: Which Are Worth It

Eidolons	Return on Investment	Explanation
E1: The Unreached Dream	Highest	Restores 2 Skill Points after Archer uses his Skill 3 times in one turn, a huge quality-of-life fix for his heaviest resource cost.
E2: The Unfulfilled Happiness	Highest	His Ultimate now reduces the target’s Quantum RES by 20% and inflicts Quantum Weakness for 2 turns, letting him deal full Quantum damage to any enemy.
E3: The Untamed Will	Low	A straightforward level increase to Skill and Basic ATK, with no new effect attached.
E4: The Unsung Life	High	Increases Ultimate DMG dealt by 150%, a clean damage boost for players continuing past E2.
E5: The Nameless Watch	Low	Another level increase, this time to Ultimate and Talent, with no new effect attached.
E6: The Endless Pilgrimage	Highest (Whale Territory)	Restores 1 Skill Point at the start of his turn, raises his Skill’s maximum DMG stacks, and lets his Skill DMG ignore 20% of enemy DEF.

E2 is the practical stopping point for most spenders, since it turns Archer into a Quantum Weakness implanter that can be dropped into almost any team. 

Don’t worry if you can’t quite get to E2 due to limited pulling resources though, as E1 is also an excellent copy to stop at if you want sizable damage and QoL improvements, but don’t need the extra comp flexibility his E2 gives.

Verdict: Is Archer Worth Building in 2026?

Archer’s Tier Ratings
Overall Rating	EX
Endgame Ratings	Memory of Chaos: EX Pure Fiction: S Apocalyptic Shadow: EX

Archer is a free DPS (if you choose to claim him instead of Gilgamesh for free during the Fate Contract: Renewal event) with one of the highest damage ceilings of any single-target unit in the game, and building him costs next to nothing aside from the usual investment in Light Cones and Relics.

He performs best in single-target-heavy content like Memory of Chaos and Apocalyptic Shadow, where his Skill spam can fully ramp up against one priority target. He’s noticeably weaker in Pure Fiction, which rewards area damage his kit largely can’t provide.

If you already have Sparkle or Rin Tohsaka built, this Archer build in HSR is one of the most rewarding investments available right now, and it only gets stronger with a light Eidolon investment.

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