Why Ruan Mei Is the Must-Pick Choice for Honkai: Star Rail’s Free 5-Star Selector!

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Fans eagerly anticipate HoYoverse game anniversaries, as they typically offer enticing rewards during these special occasions. Among all their titles, Honkai: Star Rail stands out the most when it comes to giveaways, and its second anniversary celebration will be no exception. Players can look forward to receiving free Stellar Jades and Star Rail Special Passes, as well as a free copy of either Ruan Mei or Luocha. Both characters are strong units, even though they’re older, but one might prove to be a much better choice for most players over the other.

The celebrations marking the two-year anniversary of Honkai: Star Rail commence on April 26, 2025, right before the start of the second banner phase for Version 3.2. During this event, players can collect their free five-star limited item.

Ruan Mei is the Obvious Best Choice for Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.2’s Character Selector

Here’s a quick overview of the two choices:

  • Ruan Mei (Harmony-Ice): This unit supports her whole team by boosting their Break Effect, Break Efficiency, RES PEN, and SPD through her Skill, Talent, and Ultimate. She’s mostly used in Weakness Break-focused teams with Firefly, and Rappa.
  • Luocha (Abundance-Imaginary): This character fills the sustain role by providing passive healing with his Talent and burst recovery using his skill. He’s a skill-point positive healer who has risen to popularity once more with the rise of HP-gobblers like Mydei and Castorice. These units enjoy Luocha’s skill-point positive and consistent healing output.

In terms of the total benefit a unit can bring to an account, Ruan Mei clearly outshines Luocha on multiple fronts.

Ruan Mei is an Ace Support for Most Teams

In simpler terms, the Support Unit you’re referring to, Ruan Mei, is particularly effective in teams that focus on Weakness Break. However, she also performs exceptionally well in other team compositions, such as Kafka’s Damage Over Time (DoT) team. Ruan Mei’s Talent increases the Speed of all allies except herself by up to 10.4%, which benefits Kafka and Black Swan by allowing them to take more turns. This increased turn count results in more applications and detonations of their damaging DoT effects. Furthermore, Ruan Mei’s basic attack and Resistance Penetration boost from her Skill and Ultimate make those detonations even more harmful for enemies.

She’s equally effective in Hypercarry compositions as a secondary support, offering similar benefits. Ruan Mei significantly assists solo carries such as Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae by increasing their turn counts and dealing immense damage to enemy Health Bars with her damage buffs and Break Effect amplification. Her adaptability alone makes her an essential choice for any gaming account.

Even Ruan Mei’s First Couple of Eidolons are Worth Picking Up

Eidolons represent enhanced, albeit non-vital, improvements for game characters. Typically, many gamers don’t prioritize getting these since they necessitate acquiring a duplicate version of the character. This process might involve using additional Star Rail Special Passes. However, during the 5-Star Selector event, players who already have Ruan Mei can acquire her exceptional Eidolon 1 and even her Eidolon 2. Here’s how they function:

Eidolons are advanced but optional upgrades for characters in the game. Most players don’t focus on getting them because they need a duplicate character, which could cost additional Star Rail Special Passes. But during the 5-Star Selector event, if you already have Ruan Mei, you can obtain her powerful Eidolon 1 and even Eidolon 2. Here’s how they work:

  • E1 – Neuronic Embroidery: When Ruan Mei’s ultimate is up, allies ignore 20% of an enemy’s DEF when attacking them. This means that the damage that allies deal will have less push-back on the enemy’s side. This, along with the ult’s RES PEN bonus, can take any team’s damage to new heights.
  • E2 – Reedside Promenade: When Ruan Mei is present in battle, all teammates increase their ATK by 40% when damaging broken enemies. This is a niche pick for those who want to deal obscene amounts of damage with their Super Break Firefly or Rappa team.

As a dedicated player, I can’t imagine missing out on Ruan Mei, unless you’ve already upgraded her to E2. For the majority of characters, Eidolon 3s aren’t really worth pursuing as they only offer maximum trace level boosts. Even if you’re craving a reliable sustain like Luocha, there are outstanding alternatives such as Gallagher, who consistently provides skill points and ultimate energy. For budget-conscious players, or those looking to maximize the value of the upcoming free selector, Ruan Mei should definitely be on your list.

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2025-04-01 19:08