Honkai: Star Rail

Deciding between pulling for either Silver Wolf or Luocha ultimately depends on the other characters the players currently own.

After adding two solid DPS characters at launch, namely Seele and Jing Yuan, Honkai: Star Rail's version 1.1 update introduces three new characters that focus on support roles. These include the 5-star Nihility character Silver Wolf, the 5-star Abundance character Luocha, and the 4-star Harmony character Yukong. While Yukong is not a limited character and players may obtain her and her eidolons in upcoming patches, 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.

Related: Honkai Star Rail: Every Playable Character, Ranked

Both Luocha and Silver Wolf bear a striking resemblance to characters from Honkai Impact 3rd, with notable similarities between Luocha and Otto, as well as Silver Wolf and Haxxor Bunny Bronya. Considering this, as well as some other non-gameplay factors, some fans may have already made up their minds to pursue these characters based on their likability and personality. However, for those considering them solely for gameplay purposes, a tough decision lies ahead. Both characters excel in their respective fields, making it crucial for players to consider several factors before determining which one holds greater value for them in Honkai: Star Rail.

The version update provides players with a substantial amount of Stellar Jade and other rewards, which may influence their consideration of both characters. However, for those who prioritize resource conservation, making a decision between Silver Wolf and Luocha holds significant weight. Fortunately, these characters offer distinct synergies within a team due to their different roles. Factors such as the team's specific role requirements, the ease of building them without expending excessive resources, as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses, are crucial considerations for players before determining whom to pull for.

As a Nihility character, Silver Wolf primarily focuses on inflicting strong debuffs on enemies, thereby enabling the team to deal increased damage. She possesses the capability to lower the enemies' DEF and elemental resistance. Moreover, her skill allows her to potentially apply an additional weakness to an enemy based on the elemental type of one of her allies, which is a unique feature. When built effectively, she can also function as a sub-DPS and assist in breaking weaknesses more easily, as she can attack the enemy with all her actions. Additionally, if her technique is utilized before initiating battle, she can reduce the toughness of all opponents, disregarding their weakness types.

Related: Honkai: Star Rail – All Healers, Ranked

As an Abundance character, Luocha specializes in healing and providing additional defensive support. It is worth noting, however, that Luocha's healing mechanics differ from the existing healing characters, Bailu and Natasha. His healing is more focused on single targets and is somewhat less controllable. This is because Luocha's healing relies on his skill - which is single target, and also particularly the field he deploys after accumulating 2 stacks, which can be activated after using his Skill or Ultimate, and consequently may take time before it can be deployed unless players use his technique before starting the battle. Unlike Bailu and Natasha, who have an AoE heal with their Ultimate, Luocha does not heal with his Ultimate. Instead, his Ultimate clears a buff from all opponents and deals Imaginary Damage to them. Luocha's field, on the other hand, allows him to heal any ally that attacks an enemy, and with his ascension bonuses, he can also heal other allies a smaller amount while they attack. Additionally, with his first eidolon, this field provides an attack buff to all allies.

When it comes to the builds of both characters, players should consider whether they already have suitable relics and light cones to maximize the benefits of each character. As a Nihility character, Silver Wolf greatly benefits from Effect Hit Rate, ATK, Speed, and Break Effect due to her kit. For Silver Wolf, it is recommended that players focus on either 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 based on the suitable pieces with optimized sub-stats. Additionally, for planar ornaments, she can make good use of Pan-Galactic Commercial Enterprise to further increase her Effect Hit Rate and ATK. However, Space Sealing Station may also be a viable option.

Related: Honkai Star Rail: How to Get Relics

It is important to note that when it comes to building Nihility characters, maximizing the stats is crucial, and players may not fully realize the value of Silver Wolf until she is ascended and well built. Fortunately, when it comes to her light cones, she can make excellent use of various Nihility 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. This means that even F2P players will have access to a strong 4-star option without needing to rely on pulling from the limited light cone banner. It is worth mentioning that 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.

When it comes to Luocha, players will notice that not only does his healing kit differ significantly from Bailu and Natasha, but also his healing scales with ATK instead of HP like them. This means that players who were previously building their other healing characters can't fully utilize their relics or light cones and will need to invest in a new set of relics. However, players who may have already been farming for Passerby of Wandering Cloud and Musketeer of Wild Wheat might have suitable pieces with ATK stats that they can use on Luocha. Additionally, players can save on Trailblaze Power when farming planar ornaments for Luocha and their other healer, as World 3 drops Space Sealing Station, which has an ATK bonus, while the other set, Fleet of the Ageless, boasts an HP stat. Furthermore, since Luocha currently has the highest ATK stat in the game, players can expect him to be valuable even without having the most optimal sub-stats on his relics, making him an easy character to build.

As for his light cones, players may find Luocha less friendly for free-to-play players compared to Silver Wolf, as there aren't any particular non-gacha Abundance light cones that benefit him well. However, Post-Op Conversation can still be a suitable option. Additionally, Luocha doesn't benefit much from light cones that have HP% effects, which limits his options. This may tempt players to pull for his 5-star light cone, Echoes of the Coffin, although while this light cone is excellent for him, players 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.

While both characters are exceptionally strong in their respective roles, they also have some drawbacks that players should take into consideration when deciding which character to pull for.

Strenghts

Weaknesses

Strenghts

Weaknesses

Alongside the personal preferences and after consideration of the above factors, there are some additional aspects players should pay attention to that depend on their future in-game goals and team considerations:

Players should pull for Silver Wolf if:

Players should pull for Luocha if:

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

More: Honkai: Star Rail – All Character Guides | Builds, Teams, Light Cones, Materials, And More

Elara is a passionate List Writer and avid gamer. She loves writing about rpg, simulation, casual co-op games as well as tech and anime. Her current favourite game is Genshin Impact.