---OVERVIEW---
Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.6 has dropped and I've finally decided to make a guide on time for once, so here we are. Critter Pick is the new flagship event in the game, and has a few nifty rewards to boot. The most enjoyable part of this is the gameplay, however, and the cute little reactions your friends have to the cute little abominations that resemble them. This guide's going to be primarily based on the main gameplay of this event, as I've already forgotten most of the Quests' contents. We'll talk about them briefly though, and they're easy enough that you should be able to clear them with no issue.
The event is centered on the little cat-like creatures that Ruan Mei made, and you essentially breed them to make new creatures. There's also a little side quest with Asta and her dog Peppy, so that's nice too.
UPDATES:
28/12/23 - Added the 10th Rare Creature, Pure Sugar Child. Credit goes to roseduelist04 for informing me about the achievement it unlocks in the comments, as I wouldn't have found it without knowing.
---Missions---
As with all events in this game, there are various missions to complete and rewards to collect. I'll briefly go over all of them here as they are entirely progression based, and I don't wanna spoil the event too much while giving you the information. There will be some spoilers here, however, so be warned.
The four main mission types
Mostly, you'll be filling out these four categories: Index Expansion, Accommodate Creations, Stand By Me and Mission Progress. There's also a fifth type, but we'll get to those in a bit.
---Index Expansion---
All three Index Expansion Missions
Index Expansion is primarily focused on breeding creatures with Special Mutations that make them resemble a character that you've met on your journey's. We'll talk about how to get each of them in a moment, but it should be noted that you can only make them after you have unlocked them. The missions are as follows:
- Unlock a total of 3 rare creations (Breed three different types of Special Mutation at least once)
- Unlock a total of 6 rare creations (Breed six different types of Special Mutation at least once)
- Unlock a total of 9 rare creations (Breed every type of Special Mutation at least once)
---Accommodate Creations---
All three Accommodate Creations missions
Accommodate Creations is focused on accommodating your creatures, placing them in zones around the event area in the overworld. You can interact with them afterward and there is no limits to which ones you can place. You can only place three in one area, however, and there are three areas which you will be lead to. The missions are as follows:
- Accommodate 3 creations at the same time (place three creatures in accommodations)
- Accommodate 6 creations at the same time (place six creatures in accommodations)
- Accommodate 9 creations at the same time (place nine creatures in accommodations)
Three creatures in an accommodation.
---Stand By Me---
All three Stand By Me missions
PStand By Me is focused on completing the different difficulties of "It All Started With a Man and a Dog", the new challenge in the event area. In the challenge you primarily play as Peppy whilst retrieving Curios from various creatures that have run off elsewhere. These are replayable, and can be found by talking to the Small Robot in the event area.
The Little Robot
The highest difficulty of the challenge
The missions are as follows:
- Complete "It All Started With a Man and a Dog (Difficulty I)" (Exactly as it sounds)
- Complete "It All Started With a Man and a Dog (Difficulty II)" (Exactly as it sounds)
- Complete "It All Started With a Man and a Dog (Difficulty III)" (Exactly as it sounds)
---Mission Progress---
All three Mission Progress missions
Mission Progress is focused on completing the event's story and seeing all there is to offer. Each quest unlocks three more Special Mutations and provides you with a few more creations with colors you haven't seen before (more on those later). This s essentially the story of the update, so this is likely the last set you'll complete. The missions are as follows:
- Complete the adventure mission "Critter Pick: Nurture" (Exactly as it sounds)
- Complete the adventure mission "Critter Pick: Care" (Exactly as it sounds)
- Complete the adventure mission "Critter Pick: Reunion" (Exactly as it sounds)
Additionally, after you complete Critter Pick: Reunion, you'll unlock the recipe for a new food item, as well as two of the item itself.
Don't worry, this one isn't a living creature. Probably.
---Synthesizing Creatures---
This next session is going to focus on creating the creatures themselves and going over every option you have available. There's a lot of customization, so explore to your heart's content.
---Research Level---
The first four rewards.
The last two rewards.
By discovering new patterns for your creations and finding Special Mutations, you'll earn points that increase your Research Level. This is essential to earn the other new event item: an event exclusive chat box.
The rewards for each mission are as follows:
- Reach Research Level 1 --- Traveler's Guide x5
- Reach Research Level 2 --- Stellar Jade x50
- Reach Research Level 3 --- Refined Aether x5
- Reach Research Level 4 --- Stellar Jade x50
- Reach Research Level 5 --- Lost Crystal x5
- Reach Research Level 6 --- Celestial Incubator x1
Celestial Incubator, the new chat box.
---Appearance---
When breeding your creations, you can inherit a variety of attributes, making them completely customizable. Which trait they inherit is random, although the more you breed the same two creatures the higher chance you have of obtaining a Special Mutation.
All five Skins and All five Fillings
The first two things you are going to notice are the Skins and Fillings. Skins are the top part of the creature, resembling some kind of cushion or hat. If the Delicious Bean Cake's recipe is to be believed, it may be made out of pastry. The color of the creation's bodies is determined by it's Filling, including its tail. If the Delicious Bean Cake's description is to be believed, they are made out of bean paste. The list of each available is as follows:
Skins:
- Blue
- Grey
- Green
- Purple
- Orange
Fillings:
- Pink
- Grey
- Purple
- Tan
- Orange
---Patterns---
All four patterns
In addition to Skins and Fillings, some creations may have Patterns as well. These are always white, and resemble the patterns on a cat. These may not always be passed down if one parent doesn't have a pattern. I'm not going to list them as I'm not sure how to describe them, but the screenshot from above should provide some clue as to how they appear.
---Mutations: Eyes and Decorations---
All 5 Eye Mutations
All 10 Decorative Mutant Traits
Mutant Traits will rarely appear when creating creatures. The are determined by which item you are given the option to fuse them with, typically having an appearance related to that item in question. These aren't always going to appear, and have no relation to the offspring. The list of mutations and their items are as follows:
Eyes:
- Pixelated Sunglasses --- Eye of Lightning
- Heart Pupils --- Basic Ingredients
- Bandage and Sparkle Pupils --- Extract of Medical Herbs
- Teary Pupils --- Solid Water
- Eyepatch --- Metal
Decoration
- Bandaged Tail --- Vortex of Wind
- Red Ribbon on Tail --- Feather of Flame
- Brown Band on Tail --- Mechanical Parts
- Burnt Bandaged Tail --- Phlogiston
- Monochrome Ribbon on Tail --- Virtual Particle
- Flower on Skin --- Seed
- Sweatdrop --- Trash
- White Line --- Core of Ice
- Four-Leaf Clover --- Leaf of Imaginary
- White Substance on Skin --- Protein Rice
Example of a creature.
---Special Mutations---
When creating creatures with certain appearances, you may get a chance to perform a Special Mutation. This creates a creature that resembles a companion of yours, which you can then show to the respective companion to get some fun dialogue. Here are all the special creatures. You unlock the ability to make them by completing the event's story, so they will be sorted here by aquisition.
---First Set---
You have your Mother's and/or Father's eyes...
Trash Cake is the first Rare Creature you are going to obtain, based on The Trailblazer. It can be made with a grey Skin, grey Filling and some Trash. Its Skin is designed to resemble a Trash Can, and it has a black and yellow color scheme, referencing The Trailblazer's clothing.
Don't worry, this one won't die for its sins.
Rice Dumpling is one of the first Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Dan Heng. It can be made with a green Skin, grey Filling and a Leaf of Imaginary. Its skin resembles Dan Heng's outfit, being white, gold and green with his signature maple leaf motif. its eyes resemble Dan Heng's, and it shares his eye markings. Its tail also has some gold markings.
The cutest creature for the cutest playable character.
Ice Cake is one of the first Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling March 7th. It can be made with a blue Skin, pink Filling, a certain pattern and a Core of Ice. Its skin resembles March 7th's outfit, now bearing a white spot, line and her flower motif. Its eyes also resemble March 7th's, having the same pink-blue gradient. Its eyes have stars in them.
---Second Set---
I suppose just one bite wouldn't hurt...
Lambda's Friend is one of the second set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Ruan Mei. It can be made with a blue Skin, grey Filling, a certain pattern and some Seeds. Its Skin resembles Ruan Mei's outfit, now bearing a pink spot and blue and white accents. Its filling is now brown and it shares Ruan Mei's eyes.
Careful you don't cut yourself on all that edge.
Sesame Cake is one of the second set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Blade. It can be made with an orange Skin, grey filling, a certain pattern and a Vortex of Wind. Its Skin resembles Blade's outfit, bearing a blue-red gradient with orange accents and a golden plant pattern. It has Blade's orange and yellow eyes, and its pattern is now grey.
This'll get me a load of likes. I'm sure of it.
Troublemaker is one of the second set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Guinaifen. It can be made with an orange Skin, orange Filling, a certain pattern and a Phlogiston. Its Skin and tail resemble Guinafen's outfit, now bearing green and yellow accents with red decorations. Its Filling is a little lighter, resembling Guinafen's color scheme and has her orange eyes.
---Third Set---
Insert puppet = [BIG SHOT] joke here.
Wisteria Cake is one of the third set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Herta. It can be made with a purple Skin, tan Filling, a certain pattern and a Virtual Particle. Its Skin and eyes are a dark purple, resembling Herta's. Its tail also has a stripy pattern.
Finally, a cat that actually acts like a lazy cat.
Lucky Snack is one of the third set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Qingque. It can be made with a green Skin, tan Filling, a certain pattern and a Feather of Flame. its Skin has white accents and lighter green symbols on the bottom, resembling Qingque's outfit. Its tail has Qingque's symbol on it and it has lime green eyes.
Just like a cat, Kafka does like to play with strings...
Shader Cat is one of the third set of Rare Creatures you can obtain, resembling Kafka. It can be made with a purple Skin, purple Filling, a certain pattern and an Eye of Lightning. the Skin has a cobweb on the side and a pair of sunglasses, resembling Kafka's outfit. The tail has a leather strap on it and the creature has bright pink eyes.
---Secret 10th Creature---
Gotta Catch 'em All!
Pure Sugar Child is a secret Rare Creature that resembles Clara. It isn't discovered by completing quests, but by finding one after saving it from two True Stings in the southern part of the Seclusion Zone in the Herta Space Station. After being discovered, it can be made with a grey Skin, pink Filling, a certain pattern and some Protein Rice. The creature has a red Skin with white fluff-like patterns on the bottom and the Protein Rice mutation on top, resembling Clara's clothes and hair. It has a leather band on its tail and Clara's red eyes.
Huge thanks to roseduelist04 for bringing this to my attention as I was unaware of the achievements for the event and the hidden creature.
---My Own Thoughts---
I promise that the event is much better than I presumably made it sound. The customization is fun and I loved seeing the little tidbits of each character as they saw their lookalike. This is the first time I've done a guide on events so any way I can improve would be greatly appreciated, as this is the first guide I have done on an event rather than a battle or an update. As always, leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed the guide and be sure to request any guide you'd like to see next.
I'll call her Macha
