Fans of HoYoverse have learned to mark their calendars for game anniversaries, anticipating a bounty of thrilling rewards. When it comes to generous giveaways, Honkai: Star Rail consistently leads the pack. As the game gears up for its second anniversary celebration, players can look forward to receiving not just free Stellar Jades and Star Rail Special Passes, but also a no-cost copy of either Ruan Mei or Luocha. While both characters have proven their worth over time, one might offer more strategic value for the majority of players.
Kicking off on April 26, 2025, just in time for the second banner phase of Version 3.2, the second anniversary festivities will officially begin. This event grants players the opportunity to secure a free limited five-star character.
Ruan Mei vs. Luocha: Two Strategic Powerhouses
Let’s delve into what makes each character tick:
Ruan Mei (Harmony-Ice): This unit is a team-wide support powerhouse. Her skills boost Break Effect, Break Efficiency, RES PEN, and SPD, particularly beneficial for Weakness Break-oriented teams featuring characters like Firefly and Rappa.
Luocha (Abundance-Imaginary): Playing a sustaining role, Luocha excels in healing with his passive abilities and skill-based burst recovery. Luocha’s healing attributes become particularly valuable when paired with the likes of HP-demanding units such as Mydei and Castorice.
When evaluating which character could bring more to your lineup, Ruan Mei stands out as the more appealing option for numerous reasons.
Why Ruan Mei Shines Across Teams
Ruan Mei excels in any Weakness Break-focused team and even proves invaluable in compositions like Kafka’s Damage Over Time team. Her Talent increases the SPD of all allies by 10.4%, excluding herself, thereby allowing characters like Kafka and Black Swan to enhance their turn efficiency, consequently amplifying their devastating DoT effects. Her Skill and Ultimate enrich the team’s firepower with DMG and Resistance Penetration boosts, ensuring detonations pack a punch.
Moreover, she fits seamlessly into Hypercarry formations as a secondary supporter. By enhancing the capabilities of solo carriers like Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae, Ruan Mei’s DMG buffs and Break Effect boost play a critical role in maximizing attack potential. Her adaptability makes her a strategic asset for any player’s account.
The Value of Ruan Mei’s Initial Eidolons
Eidolons provide significant but non-essential enhancements to characters. Although many players are hesitant to spend additional resources for duplicate pulls, the 5-Star Selector event offers a unique chance. Players who already possess Ruan Mei can obtain her impactful Eidolon 1 and even Eidolon 2, described below:
E1 – Neuronic Embroidery: With Ruan Mei’s ultimate, allies can bypass 20% of an enemy’s DEF, making their attacks more potent due to reduced defensive resistance.
E2 – Reedside Promenade: Ruan Mei’s presence in battle boosts all allies’ ATK by 40% when attacking broken enemies, ideal for those wishing to leverage massive damage with Super Break Firefly or Rappa teams.
The primary reason to bypass Ruan Mei is if players already have her at E2, as Eidolon 3s generally only provide minor trace level upgrades. Even players considering a healer like Luocha have solid alternatives in four-star characters like Gallagher, known for his reliable skill points and energy regeneration. Thus, Ruan Mei remains the optimal choice for players, particularly F2Ps, seeking the most from the free selector.
