Hey there, fellow Trailblazers! If you're like me and have been playing Honkai: Star Rail since the early days, you know that the meta is always shifting. But let me tell you, as of 2026, one four-star character has consistently proven his worth in the right teams: Sampo Koski. That's right, our favorite, slightly shady merchant from Belobog is an absolute beast when built correctly. I've been maining him alongside my Black Swan for a while now, and the synergy is just chef's kiss. Forget what you heard about him being niche—with the right gear, Sampo can shred through enemy Toughness bars like butter. Let's dive into how to make him shine.

Best Sampo Relics And Planar Ornaments

First things first, Relics. I know, I know, farming them can be a real grind. But trust me, for Sampo, it's worth it. Back when I was below Trailblaze Level 40, I didn't sweat the perfect Relics too much. I focused on leveling my characters and their Traces first. But once you hit that sweet spot past level 40, where you're guaranteed at least one five-star from every run, that's when the real farming begins. Here's the lowdown on what works best for our wind-wielding friend.

Type Name Reason For Synergy With Sampo
Relics Prisoner in Deep Confinement This is, hands down, the best in slot Relic set for Sampo if you're running him as a DoT DPS. It boosts your ATK and lets you ignore enemy DEF based on the number of DoTs applied. Perfect for stacking those Wind Shears.
Thief Of Shooting Meteor This set is a fantastic early-game option and still holds up. The four-piece gives you up to 32% Break Effect, which amps up the damage when you shatter an enemy's Toughness bar. Plus, you get a little energy back on Weakness Break. Since Sampo is a break effect monster, this set synergizes beautifully.
Eagle Of Twilight Line Now, this is a spicy pick. Even though Sampo is a Nihility character, his multi-hit Skill and Ultimate let him dish out serious damage. This makes him a viable main DPS with this set. It gives a 10% Wind DMG boost and advances your turn when you use your Ultimate. Pro tip: This set truly shines if you have Sampo's fourth Eidolon.
Planar Ornaments Talia: Kingdom Of Banditry You should always be hunting for Break Effect on Sampo. This set gives a base 16% Break Effect, with an extra 20% if your SPD is over 145. Pair this with the Thief set, and you're looking at a massive Break Effect boost, letting you focus your sub-stats on SPD for more turns.
Penacony, Land of the Dreams With Black Swan's release, using Sampo as a support Wind Shear applicator became meta. If you're running these two together (which you absolutely should), this set is a game-changer for the team's energy needs.
Space Sealing Station This is the go-to set for beginners since it's easy to farm from Simulated Universe World 3. It gives a solid ATK% boost. It's a good starting point, but you'll likely want to upgrade later for late-game content.

Sampo Relic Stat Priority

Alright, let's talk main stats. Remember, Head gives flat HP and Hands give flat ATK—no choices there. For the rest, here's your shopping list:

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Visual guide to prioritizing Sampo's stats for maximum Wind Shear impact.

  • Body: Effect Hit Rate (Crucial for landing those debuffs!)

  • Feet: SPD (More turns = more Wind Shear stacks)

  • Planar Sphere: Wind DMG Bonus (Straight damage increase)

  • Link Rope: Break Effect (His bread and butter)

For sub-stats, you're on the hunt for: ATK%, Effect Hit Rate, Break Effect, and SPD. The beautiful thing about building a DoT character like Sampo? You can completely ignore Crit stats. No more farming for that perfect Crit Rate body piece! However, I gotta be real—the DoT playstyle truly pops off when you have enablers like Kafka or Black Swan on the team.

Best Light Cones For Sampo

Light Cones are where personality meets power. Remember, you can only use Nihility Cones on him. Here's my tier list for 2026:

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Sampo's signature Light Cone, Eyes of the Prey, in all its glory.

  1. In the Name of the World (5★): This bad boy increases your damage to debuffed enemies and boosts your Effect Hit Rate and ATK for Skill damage. Since Wind Shear is a debuff, this is a match made in heaven. Even as a 5★, you can purchase it from the shop with 600 Starlight if you save up.

  2. Patience Is All You Need (5★): Kafka's signature Cone. It increases your DMG and SPD on attack and has a chance to apply Shock. For a DoT-stacking team, this is phenomenal.

  3. It's Showtime (4★): The F2P champion. You can get this for free from the MoC store. At Superimposition 5, it gives a whopping 30% DMG and 36% ATK bonus. Sampo applies debuffs so easily that maintaining max stacks is a breeze.

  4. Eyes of the Prey (4★): Sampo's signature. It's simple and effective: a direct boost to Effect Hit Rate and DoT damage. Solid choice, but at low Superimposition, a 5★ option might edge it out due to higher base stats.

  5. Fermata (4★): Another amazing free option. You can get copies from planet shops and the Forgotten Hall. At S5, it can outperform Eyes of the Prey. It boosts Break Effect and increases damage to enemies with Wind Shear—perfect for him.

  6. Before The Tutorial Mission Starts (4★): This Cone solves one problem: landing Wind Shear on high-Effect RES enemies in the late game. The 40% Effect Hit Rate is a lifesaver, even if the energy regen part is wasted on him.

Sampo Traces Overview And Priority

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Sampo ready to unleash a flurry of wind-based attacks.

Sampo's kit is all about applying and exploiting Wind Shear. Let's break it down:

  • Skill: Deals Wind DMG to a target, then hits four more random enemies. This is your primary tool for spreading Wind Shear far and wide.

  • Ultimate: Deals multiple instances of Wind DMG to all enemies and increases the DoT they take for two turns. This is your big damage amp window.

  • Technique: Throws a flashbang to blind enemies, delaying their action when you start combat. Great for controlling the battlefield.

  • Talent: The core of his kit. When Sampo attacks, he can apply the Wind Shear effect, stacking up to five times for massive damage over time.

Trace Priority:

  1. Talent & Skill (Max these first! They are his main damage sources.)

  2. Ultimate (Important for the damage amp.)

  3. Basic Attack (Leave this for last unless you're using him as a hyper-carry DPS.)

A quick note on Eidolons: They're nice to have, but don't go out of your way to pull for them. As a four-star, you'll get them eventually through luck on various banners. His early Eidolons are good, but he functions perfectly well at E0.

So there you have it, my comprehensive 2026 guide to building Sampo. Whether you're supporting a Black Swan team or letting him run wild as a Break Effect specialist, this charming scoundrel has the tools to impress. Now get out there and make those Winds of Change work for you! 🎲💨