I still remember the first time I met March 7th in Honkai: Star Rail: a cheerful girl who was found slumbering in eternal ice and cannot seem to remember anything. Her past may be rough, but she stays optimistic and always keeps a camera on hand because she likes to capture every moment. She was one of the first 4-Star characters given to Trailblazers at the beginning of the game, so I quickly learned that collecting her materials is essential if I want better chances of defeating enemies and progressing. In 2026, I still keep her checklist nearby because she remains a comfortable, flexible project for my account.
Why should I invest in a starter 4-Star when my roster is full of newer options? For me, the answer is flexibility. March 7th shares the same mechanics as the Trailblazer: she can switch her Element and Path. Unlike Dan Heng's separate Imbibitor Lunae form in HSR, March 7th's Ice and Imaginary versions share Ascension and level-up materials, but each version has its own Trace level-up materials. That means one broad farming plan can support both her Preservation and Hunt roles, while the fine details change at the Trace stage. I like that kind of efficiency, and I like having a character who can wear two very different hats without forcing me to rebuild her from zero.
Here is the material summary I use as my core checklist:
| Material type | Items | What I use them for |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy drops | Thief's Instinct / Usurper's Scheme / Conqueror's Will | Common upgrade and Trace needs |
| Boss drop | Horn of Snow | Ascension material |
| Preservation Trace materials | Endurance of Bronze / Oath of Steel / Safeguard of Amber | Ice and Preservation Trace upgrades |
| Weekly boss drop | Destroyer's Final Road | High-level Trace material |
| Hunt Trace materials | Meteoric Bullet / Destined Expiration / Countertemporal Shot | Separate Trace upgrades for Imaginary and Hunt March 7th |
When I first looked at her requirements, I assumed Ascension and Traces were one simple pile of items. They are not. The Talent feature is a bit complicated in Honkai: Star Rail, which is why I split it into three buckets: Basic Attack Trace materials, Skill/Talent/Ultimate Trace materials, and Skill Tree Trace materials. Once I started treating them separately, farming became much less confusing.
For March 7th's Ascension materials, I head to the Supply Zone and Storage Zone in Honkai: Star Rail. Her Skill, Talent, and Ultimate Trace materials also come from items obtainable in the Storage Zone and Supply Zone. That overlap is convenient because I can plan a few focused farming sessions instead of running around the map with no direction. The boss drop, Horn of Snow, is a separate stop, and the weekly boss drop, Destroyer's Final Road, is the long-term bottleneck I never want to forget.
The Skill Tree is where the two versions really start to separate. March 7th gains Ice DMG and Effect RES from leveling up the Tree Trace in her Ice and Preservation form. That makes sense for a defensive support who wants to stay alive and contribute a little extra damage. Her Hunt and Imaginary version is different: she gains ATK and Crit DMG from her Skill Tree level-up. So if I am building Hunt March 7th for personal damage, I should not copy my Preservation priorities blindly.
What about Hunt March 7th specifically? Her enemy drops are still Thief's Instinct, Usurper's Scheme, and Conqueror's Will. Her Trace materials are Meteoric Bullet, Destined Expiration, and Countertemporal Shot. Her weekly boss drop is still Destroyer's Final Road. The important twist is that Imaginary March 7th's Basic Attack is the most important skill to level up if I want to maximize her personal DPS. I learned that the hard way: flashy upgrades are tempting, but the Basic Attack deserves early attention for the Hunt version.
My 2026 farming routine is simple. First, I stock up on the shared enemy drops because both versions need them. Second, I collect Ascension materials from the Supply Zone and Storage Zone until I have enough for the level cap I want. Third, I decide which version I am actively using: Preservation for comfort and survival, or Hunt for a more aggressive damage role. Only then do I spend the version-specific Trace materials. Finally, I treat Destroyer's Final Road as a weekly habit, not a last-minute panic farm.
Is it worth maxing every Trace immediately? No. I prefer to level the key Traces first, then let the rest fill in over time. For Preservation March 7th, I value the survival and Ice DMG nodes from her Skill Tree. For Hunt March 7th, I prioritize her Basic Attack and the ATK and Crit DMG nodes. This keeps my resources honest and stops me from spreading them too thin.
March 7th may look like a simple starter character, but her dual-path setup gives her surprising long-term value. With one shared Ascension plan and two separate Trace checklists, she rewards players who organize their farming. I still bring her camera-loving optimism into my team planning, and in 2026 I am glad I kept her materials organized instead of letting them sit half-finished.