Silver Wolf or Luocha: Make the Ultimate Choice in Honkai's Star Rail Gacha Pulls

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Honkai: Star Rail's version 1.1 update introduces three new characters that focus on support roles - the 5-star Nihility character Silver Wolf, the 5-star Abundance character Luocha, and the 4-star Harmony character Yukong. While many players may find it difficult to decide whether they should pull for Silver Wolf or Luocha, or instead save up for the confirmed limited characters of version 1.2, Kafka and Blade, it's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these two characters before making a decision.

Both Luocha and Silver Wolf share uncanny similarities with characters from Honkai Impact 3rd. Luocha bears a striking resemblance to Otto, while Silver Wolf's appearance is reminiscent of Haxxor Bunny Bronya. For some fans, this may make their decision to pursue these characters based on their likability and personality a no-brainer. However, for those who are solely focused on gameplay, choosing between the two can be a difficult task. Both characters are skilled in their respective fields, which means players must carefully consider multiple factors before deciding which one will be more valuable in Honkai: Star Rail.

Silver Wolf Or Luocha In Honkai: Star Rail

The latest version update rewards players with a generous amount of Stellar Jade and other prizes, which may impact their decision-making process when choosing between characters. However, if resource conservation is a top priority, players must carefully weigh their options between Silver Wolf and Luocha. Thankfully, these characters offer unique synergies within a team due to their distinct roles. Players must consider various factors, such as the team's specific role requirements, the ease of building them without overspending resources, and their respective strengths and weaknesses before deciding whom to pull for.

Roles

Silver Wolf, a Nihility character, specializes in weakening enemies through powerful debuffs, increasing the damage output of her team. Her abilities include reducing the enemies' DEF and elemental resistance, making them vulnerable to attacks. What sets her apart is her unique skill that potentially applies an additional weakness to an enemy based on the elemental type of one of her allies. With an effective build, she can also function as a sub-DPS, attacking enemies with all her actions and breaking weaknesses more easily. Before initiating battle, she can further reduce the toughness of all opponents, regardless of their weakness types, with the use of her technique.

Luocha specializes in healing and defensive support, with a focus on single targets. Unlike Bailu and Natasha, his healing mechanics rely on his skill and the field he deploys after accumulating 2 stacks. This field can be activated after using his Skill or Ultimate, but may take time to deploy unless players use his technique before the battle. While his Ultimate doesn't heal, it does clear a buff from all opponents and deals Imaginary Damage to them. Luocha's field allows him to heal any ally that attacks an enemy, with additional healing for other allies from his ascension bonuses. His first eidolon also provides an attack buff to all allies on the field.

Builds

When building both characters, it's important to consider whether suitable relics and light cones are available to maximize their benefits. Silver Wolf, as a Nihility character, benefits greatly from Effect Hit Rate, ATK, Speed, and Break Effect due to her kit. To build her, players are recommended to focus on a 4-piece set of Genius of Brilliant Stars, Musketeer of Wild Wheat, or even Thief of Shooting Meteor, or a mix of 2-piece sets with optimized sub-stats. For planar ornaments, Pan-Galactic Commercial Enterprise can be used to further increase her Effect Hit Rate and ATK, while Space Sealing Station may also be viable.

It should be noted that maximizing stats is crucial when building Nihility characters, and players may not fully realize the value of Silver Wolf until she is well-built and ascended. Fortunately, she can make excellent use of various Nihility light cone options, including the newly added Before the Tutorial Mission Starts, which will be available during the first event of the patch and can be fully enhanced even by F2P players. This light cone will also be beneficial for other Nihility characters, such as Pela, in case players decide not to pull for Silver Wolf or choose to use a different light cone on her.

Luocha's healing kit stands out from Bailu and Natasha's, as his healing scales with ATK instead of HP. This means that players who have been focusing on building their other healing characters may need to invest in a new set of relics. However, those who have been farming for Passerby of Wandering Cloud and Musketeer of Wild Wheat may have suitable pieces with ATK stats that they can use on Luocha. When farming for planar ornaments for Luocha and their other healer, players can save on Trailblaze Power by utilizing World 3 drops Space Sealing Station, which has an ATK bonus, or Fleet of the Ageless, which boasts an HP stat. Additionally, Luocha's high ATK stat makes him valuable even without optimal sub-stats on his relics, making him an easy character to build.

In terms of light cones, Luocha may not be as friendly for free-to-play players compared to Silver Wolf since there aren't any particular non-gacha Abundance light cones that benefit him well. However, Post-Op Conversation can still be a suitable option. Luocha doesn't benefit much from light cones with HP% effects, limiting his options. Players may be tempted to pull for his 5-star light cone, Echoes of the Coffin, which is excellent for him. However, they can still consider 4-star light cones that benefit Outgoing Healing instead, such as Perfect Timing or Shared Feeling, if they were lucky enough to obtain them from gacha.

Strengths and Weaknesses

While both characters excel in their designated roles, it's important for players to weigh in their weaknesses before making a decision on which character to summon for.

Silver Wolf's Strengths and Weaknesses:

Luocha's Strengths and Weaknesses:

Verdict: Pulling Silver Wolf vs Luocha

In addition to personal preferences and the factors mentioned above, players should also consider their future in-game goals and team considerations. These may include choosing a role that complements the team's overall strategy or selecting a champion that can help achieve specific objectives. It's important for players to think beyond their own individual playstyle and consider how their choices can benefit the team as a whole.

If players have pulled for Seele and are looking to build mono-teams with a focus on the Quantum element, Silver Wolf is a good choice. She can implant Quantum weakness to enemies with 100% accuracy in the future. Those who are willing to make a long-term investment in Silver Wolf and do not want to wait for her rerun will see her true power when upcoming characters are added. Players who have already invested in Bailu and Natasha as their healing characters may not require an additional healer like Luocha. Those who enjoy Nihility characters can find a suitable spot for her in their team composition instead of Kafka or other Nihility or Harmony characters. The team composition should include a DPS character, a healer, and an additional flexible support unit based on the content.

It is recommended for players to opt for Luocha if they lack access to Bailu as a secondary healer and do not wish to wait for an extended period to acquire another healer. Additionally, those interested in taking on endgame content like the high-level Forgotten Memory levels, which necessitate two healers for efficient and effortless clears, should also consider Luocha. Moreover, players looking to increase their Imaginary character count may find Luocha a valuable addition to their team. Lastly, players planning on pulling for Blade in version 1.2 should note that these two characters work well together.

Honkai: Star Rail is now available on Android, iOS, and PC. A PlayStation version is in development.