The Herta Guide — Ice Erudition DPS (v3.4)

TL;DR

The Herta is a 5-star Ice Erudition character — the actual real deal, not a puppet. She is a premier AoE DPS who specializes in follow-up attacks and massive Ice damage through her unique Knowledge stacking mechanic. She generates Knowledge stacks whenever allies attack, which she then consumes to unleash devastating enhanced attacks. Her follow-up attack fires automatically when a Knowledge-marked enemy is struck by any ally, making her the centerpiece of follow-up attack team compositions. The Herta is the definitive S-tier DPS for Pure Fiction and AoE-heavy content in v3.4.

Core Mechanics

Knowledge / Inspiration Stacks

The Herta's core resource is Knowledge, represented by a stack counter visible on her portrait. Whenever any ally (including herself) attacks an enemy, she gains 1 Knowledge stack. At 5 stacks, her next Skill or follow-up attack becomes enhanced, consuming all stacks to deal bonus Ice damage and additional hits spreading across all enemies. This creates a natural synergy with fast attackers and multi-hit characters — more hits from allies means more Knowledge generation, which means more enhanced The Herta attacks.

Follow-Up Attack (FUA)

The Herta's Talent marks any enemy below 50% HP with a Knowledge Mark. When any ally attacks a marked enemy, The Herta launches a follow-up attack dealing AoE Ice damage to all enemies. This FUA has its own multiplier and can itself consume Knowledge stacks for extra damage. The FUA counts as an attack for Knowledge generation purposes, creating a powerful feedback loop: attacking marked enemies triggers her FUA, which generates more Knowledge, which powers up her next action.

Enhanced Skill

After reaching max Knowledge stacks, The Herta's next Skill becomes Enhanced, gaining higher multipliers and hitting all enemies an additional time per consumed stack. At 5 stacks, this essentially doubles her Skill damage output. Managing her stack count — knowing when to consume for burst versus saving for her FUA — is the key skill expression for optimal play.

Best Light Cones

Best Relics & Planars

Stat Priority

• Body: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG (aim for 1:2 ratio with 70%+ CRIT Rate)
• Boots: ATK% or SPD (SPD preferred for faster Knowledge generation)
• Orb: Ice DMG%
• Rope: ATK% or Energy Regeneration% (ER% if using non-signature light cone)
• Substats: CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG > ATK% > SPD
• Target: 70%+ CRIT Rate, 140%+ CRIT DMG, 134+ SPD with SPD boots

Best Team Compositions

Premium FUA: The Herta + Topaz + Robin + Aventurine

The ultimate follow-up attack team. Topaz provides FUA vulnerability debuffs and her own Numby attacks to help build The Herta's Knowledge stacks. Robin's team-wide ATK buff and action advance supercharges the entire squad. Aventurine provides consistent shield uptime and his own follow-up attacks that further stack Knowledge. This team turns every enemy action into a cascade of follow-up attacks, with The Herta at the center.

Dual Erudition: The Herta + Argenti / Jade + Robin + Huohuo

Double Erudition for maximum AoE coverage. Argenti or Jade provide secondary AoE damage while building The Herta's stacks with their frequent multi-target attacks. Robin enables both carries to act faster, and Huohuo provides Energy Regeneration to keep everyone's ultimates cycling. This composition absolutely dominates Pure Fiction and multi-wave MoC chambers.

Hypercarry: The Herta + Tingyun + Bronya + Fu Xuan

Focuses entirely on maximizing The Herta's personal damage output. Tingyun provides Energy and ATK buff. Bronya gives extra turns, which means faster Knowledge generation and more enhanced skills. Fu Xuan supplies CRIT Rate and team survivability. This team leans into The Herta's raw multipliers and works well even against single-target bosses.

F2P: The Herta + Herta (4-star) + Tingyun + Lynx

Accessible and surprisingly effective. The 4-star Herta puppet also has a follow-up attack that triggers on 50% HP enemies, creating a double-Herta FUA chain. Tingyun feeds energy, and Lynx provides heals and aggro management. Not as strong as premium options but more than viable for Pure Fiction and most story content.

Eidolons & Resonance

• E1: The Herta's Skill ignores 20% of enemy Ice RES. Strong offensive upgrade.
• E2: Gain an extra Knowledge stack on FUA trigger. Faster rotations, more enhanced skills.
• E4: Team Ice DMG% buff after The Herta uses her ultimate. Good support value.
• E6: Enhanced Skill no longer consumes Knowledge stacks — every skill after max Knowledge is enhanced. Massive QoL and damage spike.

Rotation Tips

Standard opener: Skill (start building Knowledge) → Ally attacks build stacks → Once at 5 stacks, use Enhanced Skill or let her FUA consume them. Priority: use Enhanced Skill if the target has high HP; let the FUA consume if the Knowledge Mark is already applied. In multi-wave content, pre-stack Knowledge on the current wave before it ends so you start the next wave with a loaded Enhanced Skill. With Robin in the team, align her ultimate with The Herta's Enhanced Skill window for maximum burst. Avoid overcapping Knowledge stacks — if you're at 4 stacks and allies are about to attack, use your Skill first to consume before you hit the cap.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Knowledge stacks can The Herta hold?

The Herta can hold up to 5 Knowledge stacks. Once at max, the next Skill or follow-up attack consumes all stacks for bonus damage. Any additional Knowledge gained at max stacks is wasted, so manage your rotation carefully to avoid overcapping.

Does The Herta need her signature light cone?

No, but it is her best option by roughly 20-25% over the next best 5-star alternatives. Night on the Milky Way works exceptionally well in AoE content, and The Seriousness of Breakfast is a perfectly serviceable F2P option. Her signature becomes more valuable if you plan to use her in MoC scenarios with fewer enemies.

Is The Herta good in Simulated Universe / Gold and Gears?

Yes — she excels in any SU content thanks to Erudition buffs and Ice synergies. The Propagation path works well with her Knowledge mechanic, and Remembrance path freeze synergies are devastating in AoE encounters. She is one of the best units for high-difficulty Swarm Disaster runs.

Should I use SPD or ATK% boots?

SPD boots are generally preferred for faster Knowledge generation and more turns in cycle-limited content. ATK% boots are viable if you have sufficient speed substats (134+ SPD without boots) or if you're using her primarily in Pure Fiction where speed matters less than raw damage output.

Is The Herta better than Jing Yuan as an Erudition DPS?

The Herta significantly outperforms Jing Yuan in most scenarios thanks to her more reliable follow-up attack (not tied to a summon that can be CC'd) and her self-contained Knowledge stacking that doesn't require enemy-specific conditions. Jing Yuan remains competitive in Lightning-weak content and when using Sunday, but The Herta is the stronger general-purpose Erudition carry.