HSR 4.0 Free Limited 5-Star Selector Guide: Best Pick Priority

HSR 4.0’s free limited 5★ selector is one of those “log in once, feel stronger for weeks” rewards—whether you’re brand new, returning, or already comfy with your roster.

This guide keeps it simple and usable: what the selector means for different account needs, and how to choose the one unit that fits your playstyle instead of chasing whatever’s loud on your timeline.

 

Free Limited 5★ Pick in HSR 4.0

HSR Version 4.0 (starts Feb 13, 2026) is basically handing you a “choose-your-own limited 5★” gift: log in anytime from 4.0 through 4.2, open the selector, and grab one from Sparkle, Kafka, Acheron, Aventurine, Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, Jingliu, Jing Yuan—plus enough mats to raise them straight to Lv.60, so you can test-drive your pick right away. Now the fun part: which one should you claim for your account? Let’s get into the select advice next.

 

Highest Priority

Sparkle

She’s getting a 4.0 character enhancement, and it cleans up her old “balanced too hard” issues: more reliable damage amp and smoother SP/energy flow (her Ultimate can store overflowed Skill Points). Her Skill is “CRIT DMG buff + 50% action advance” on one ally, so most main DPS can use her, not just SP hogs. Eidolon value is extremely consistent: E1 big team ATK bump, E2 DEF ignore scaling, E4 more max SP + better Ultimate refund, and E6 shares her Skill CRIT DMG bonus with the whole party. Unsure? Pick Sparkle.

Recommended Teams for Sparkle

Sparxie

Yao Guang

Sparkle

Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae

Sparkle is the team’s turn + SP engine: she keeps your carry online by smoothing Skill Point pressure, then funnels huge single-target buffs so Sparxie/Yao Guang can cash out harder inside their burst windows. Best for multi-wave clears and long fights where extra turns snowball.

 

Kafka

DoT is still a legit “lazy but lethal” archetype, and her 3.4 rework made her much smoother: Skill now triggers DoT on all targets it hits, and her Talent can proc off any ally attack, so Shock + detonation uptime jumps. The DoT squad also benefits because Black Swan is getting enhanced in 4.0. Eidolons: E1 and E4 are the sweet spots; E2 is okay but a bit niche. If you already have Hysilens + Black Swan and your Kafka is still E0 (no E1), Kafka becomes the #1 pick.

Recommended Teams for Kafka

Hysilens

Kafka

Black Swan

Huohuo

Kafka is the DoT detonator and tempo glue. Black Swan/Hysilens stack disgusting DoTs; Kafka turns that setup into instant damage on demand with her Skill/Ult cadence, so fights don’t rely on waiting for ticks. Big value in Pure Fiction and MoC vs enemies that don’t cleanse often.

 

Second Priority

Acheron

This tier is mainly for people who already have E1 and can jump straight to E2. E2 is huge: it reduces the “need 2 Nihility teammates” requirement by 1, so team-building gets less picky and her Ult ramps faster. E2 + S1 feels great in early/mid 3.0, but long-term value is a question mark—future ‘after-sales’ buffs or stronger partners can swing her ceiling upward.

Recommended Teams for Acheron

Acheron

Jiaoqiu

Cipher

Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae

Acheron is the win condition: the whole squad exists to feed her faster, cleaner ult cycles (debuff flow + stack building), then she deletes boss phases with those “lights out” turns. Shines in Apocalyptic Shadow boss phases.

 

Aventurine

Same logic: if you already have E1, E2 is the meaningful upgrade target. He’s still one of the comfiest shields around, and he also scales damage because he converts DEF into CRIT Rate. The two main selector reasons here are straightforward: E2 brings real team value via a 12% All-Type RES reduction for 3 turns after his Basic, and if your roster genuinely lacks survival, Aventurine is an immediate quality-of-life fix.

Recommended Teams for Aventurine

Feixiao

Cipher

Robin

Aventurine

Aventurine is the no-drama sustain that doesn’t kill your DPS tempo. He keeps the team safe while still contributing meaningful damage value (especially in aggressive comps), letting Robin/Feixiao play greedy without getting punished. This comp is cracked for single target where burst windows matter.

 

Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae

This is a “maybe soon” slot: you’re betting on future support, but it’s not guaranteed. Value-wise, E2 is the reason: after his Ultimate, he gets 100% action advance and an extra Squama stack, so his burst window feels smoother. Still, if you don’t already enjoy SP-hungry hypercarry gameplay, he’s closer to an XP pick than a must.

Recommended Teams for Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae

Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae

Sparkle

Tingyun

Aventurine

DHIL is the SP-to-damage converter—you’re funneling resources so his enhanced turns erase elites on schedule. Best in Apocalyptic Shadow when you want one carry to hard-carry the entire half.

 

Not recommended

Jing Yuan

This one is for true mains. Late 2.x he got a big glow-up from Sunday advancing both him and Lightning-Lord, which fixes his tempo issue. But his raw numbers still feel dated, and his Eidolons aren’t special. Not a Jing Yuan enjoyer? Skip.

 

Jingliu

Also “love only.” She did get a rework/buff pass, but it didn’t fix the core feel: she’s still the classic “fill stacks → enter mode → spend turns” carry, without the modern off-turn damage loops. If you’re not emotionally attached, skip.

 

Conclusion

Pick the 5★ that makes your daily runs feel smoother—less SP pain, faster clears, comfier survival, or a team core you actually enjoy piloting—and don’t rush it: you can wait for your 4.0/4.1 pulls, then lock in the smartest upgrade. And if you end up a few pulls short on the banner you really want after deciding, LDShop is a handy backup for topping up HSR safely with better value, so your plan stays intact without wallet panic.