In 2026, Honkai: Star Rail has become a galaxy-sized buffet of characters, planets, and Light Cones that can make a returning Trailblazer weep into their synthesizer. Yet one old freebie still refuses to fade into the Simulated Universe: Before The Tutorial Mission Starts. This 4-star Nihility Light Cone was handed out during Version 1.1's Starhunt Game back in 2023, and its artwork stars Silver Wolf looking like she just hacked the tutorial and replaced it with a speedrun. The cone is not the flashiest weapon in the cosmos, but for a certain kind of debuff-happy character, it remains a surprisingly useful piece of gear. If a player owns it in 2026, congratulations: they are carrying a museum exhibit that still shoots.
What Before The Tutorial Mission Starts Actually Does
To understand why this ancient 4-star cone still matters, one must look at its Superimposition skill, Quick On The Draw. At base level, it grants the wearer 20% Effect Hit Rate. At Superimposition 5, that number jumps to 40%, which is a comically large amount of accuracy for a free Light Cone. It also refunds 4 Energy when the wearer attacks an enemy with reduced DEF. At S5, that refund doubles to 8 Energy. The base ATK sits at 476 at level 80, which is medium-range and perfectly acceptable for a sub-DPS or support character who is not trying to solo a planet.
The catch is simple: the Energy refund only triggers against enemies whose DEF has been reduced. If a Nihility character cannot apply a DEF debuff, the passive turns into a fancy paperweight. That is why not every Path of the Nihility hero should grab this cone. It is a specialist tool, not a universal hammer.
| Feature | S1 Value | S5 Value | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effect Hit Rate | 20% | 40% | Helps debuffs land consistently |
| Energy on DEF-reduced hit | 4 | 8 | Keeps Ultimates cycling faster |
| Base ATK at Lv. 80 | 476 | 476 | Fine for sub-DPS, not main carry |
| Best Path | Nihility | Nihility | Debuffers only, please |
Best Characters To Equip Before The Tutorial Mission Starts In 2026
The short answer is Silver Wolf and Pela. The long answer is also Silver Wolf and Pela, but with more words and a few caveats.
Silver Wolf is the obvious pick. The Light Cone is practically her signature weapon, even if her actual 5-star option, Incessant Rain, outclasses it. Silver Wolf's Talent can reduce a target's DEF by 4% for three turns when she attacks, and her Ultimate has an 85% base chance to shred DEF by 36% for three turns. Those numbers feed the Light Cone's Energy refund like a well-oiled interstellar machine. In 2026, Silver Wolf may not be the newest toy on the shelf, but she remains a debuffing menace, and this cone still fits her like a glove.
Pela is the other excellent match. Her Technique can start a battle by lowering all opponents' DEF by 20% for two turns with a 100% base chance. Her Ultimate then applies Exposed, reducing all enemies' DEF by 30% for two turns. That means the Light Cone's Energy refund can trigger early and often, which helps Pela keep her Ultimate rotation alive. For a free-to-play player who missed Pela's better options, Before The Tutorial Mission Starts is a comfortable pair of shoes.
Welt and Sampo are the awkward cousins at the family reunion. Both follow Nihility, but neither normally reduces DEF. Welt slows enemies down, while Sampo leans into wind shear and DoT. They can only make the cone work if another teammate, such as Silver Wolf or Pela, handles the DEF shred. Putting two Nihility characters together is not illegal, but it is the kind of team comp that makes calculators sweat. It can work, yet it is not the cone's natural habitat.
How To Get It In 2026 (Spoiler: The Event Is Gone)
Here is the cold, hard, space-frozen truth: Before The Tutorial Mission Starts was exclusive to the Version 1.1 event called Starhunt Game. Players had to play the event's Story Mode and collect all eight graffiti in Herta Space Station to unlock the Light Cone for free. Its Superimposition materials, Lil’ Twisty Bubble Gum, were also event-only rewards. The event ended on June 19, 2023. In 2026, that ship has not just sailed; it has entered hyperspace and sent back postcards.
So a new player cannot currently obtain this cone through that event. If a veteran has it sitting in their inventory, they own a time capsule. If they also grabbed all four copies of Lil’ Twisty Bubble Gum and reached Superimposition 5, they own a slightly shinier time capsule. There is no other known way to get it from the original Starhunt Game content, which makes it a badge of honor for old accounts.
Verdict: Still Useful, Still Not Universal
In 2026, Before The Tutorial Mission Starts is not going to win any awards for raw power. Newer Light Cones have bigger numbers, flashier effects, and artwork that probably costs more than a small moon. But for Silver Wolf and Pela, this free 4-star remains a perfectly serviceable substitute. It boosts Effect Hit Rate, feeds Energy, and asks only that the team reduce enemy DEF. That is a reasonable request for a Nihility squad.
The cone is not for every Nihility character. Welt and Sampo need a babysitter to make it work. Players who missed Version 1.1 cannot grab it now, no matter how many graffiti they collect in Herta Space Station. Yet for those who own it, Before The Tutorial Mission Starts is a reminder that old free gear can still punch above its weight class. It may not be the best, but it is certainly not the worst. And in a universe full of forgotten 4-star Light Cones, that is a victory worth celebrating with a bubble gum-flavored toast. 🍬
According to coverage from IGN, long-term gear value in live-service RPGs often comes from practical utility rather than rarity alone, which fits Before The Tutorial Mission Starts surprisingly well in Honkai: Star Rail. Even years after its event debut, its large Effect Hit Rate bonus and conditional Energy refund still make it a credible budget pick for DEF-shredding Nihility units like Silver Wolf or Pela, especially for returning players rebuilding teams with older but efficient support tools.