Ruan Mei, Luocha, or Save? Best Picks for Honkai: Star Rail 3.2

Hey Trailblazers! The Honkai Star Rail 3rd Anniversary celebration is here, bringing exciting updates—including the free 5-Star Character Shop where you can claim either Ruan Mei or Luocha! If you're torn between these top-tier units or considering saving your tokens, this guide will break down their strengths and downsides to help you decide. Keep reading, and don't forget to follow LDshop. We will offer you with more useful information about upcoming events to improve your gameplay experience!

 

Event Overview

During the 3.2 Anniversary event, a new Stellar Convergence shop will be available where players can trade token for 5-star characters.

Exchanged Item

• Limited 5-star character: Ruan Mei (Harmony, Ice) and Luocha (Abundance, Imaginary)
• Permant 5-star character: Himeko, Welt, Bronya, Gepard, Clara, Yanqing, Bailu

*Additional characters will join the exchange shop roster in future update.

Token: Golden Companion Spirit

Ways to get: 3.2 Time-limited events & exchanged by Golden Companion Spirit

Exchange rate:

Golden Companion Spirit x1 = 5-star Character x1

Silver Companion Spirit x2 = Golden Companion Spirit x1

*Silver Companion Spirit can be obtained when you get an eidolon of a five-star character that's already on maximum eidolons.

*As an anniversary reward, every player can get one Golden Companion Spirit by logging in during Version 3.2 and 3.4. Keep reading for character analysis!

 

Ruan Mei (Harmony, Ice)

Ruan Mei is widely regarded as one of the best supports in the game. She is an excellent Aoe buffer with decent hypercarry. She participates on a variety of teams: In DoT teams, she will get a boost with Kafka  buffs; In Dual DPS teams, she serves as a follow-up; In  HP scaler teams, her buffs are universal and aoe, similar to Tribbie. Moveover, Ruan Mei is specifically great with Break-based teams. So if you have Firefly, Boothill, or Rappa, or even a 4-star Break carry, you can easily go for her.

Why Pick her

If you don’t have her yet, she’s a game-changer. Her universal utility means she fits into almost any team, enhancing your ability to clear endgame content like Memory of Chaos or Apocalyptic Shadow.

On the other hand, the anniversary banner will feature a rerun of Fugue. For Trailblazers who already own her, picking Ruan Mei allows immediate formation of a top-tier Break team. Even for those without Fugue, choosing Ruan Mei remains optimal when considering both versatility and acquisition cost - her priority as the selector choice remains unchanged.

If you already have her, her E1 (20% DEF ignore during her Ultimate) is a strong upgrade, especially for Break or high-damage teams, making it a worthwhile investment.

Downsides

Outside of break, E2 Ruan Mei sounds decent, but has a strange condition that many DPS will not be able to reach before the enemy dies. In break teams, this is ineffective.

E4 Ruan Mei is just a minor buff to her own  damage, and E6 is decent but least players will pull her at E5 or E6.

If you already have her at E2 or higher, additional Eidolons just increases trace levels, with diminishing rewards. Also, if you do not use Break teams, her usefulness may be significantly lower than a specialized healer.

 

Luocha (Abundance, Imaginary)

Luocha is a great healer with skill-point-positive healing and his ability to remove enemy's buffs is rare for a sustainer. On the other hand, he is easy to use and pairs well with characters like Mydei or Castorice, who burn through HP quickly. As a result, he is definitely worth over Bailu at least in this shop.

Furthermore, although E0 Luocha doesn't show clear advantages compared to Gallagher and each has their own pros and cons, for beginner who lack Gallagher or sufficient sustain characters, Luocha still remains a highly versatile option.

Why Pick him

If you lack a strong limited healer, Luocha provides excellent sustain, freeing up your team-building options. His passive healing reduces the need to spam Skills, making him ideal for Skill-point-hungry DPS units.

Downsides

He is less necessary if you already have someone like Gallagher, who has a similar niche, delivers more SP positive, and is a 4 star that is easily obtained.

As the healer role has more viable alternatives, he might be replaced in the future. Luocha should only be taken for a second strong sustain. If you already have Aventurine, Fu Xuan, Lingsha, or Huohuo, he will only be useful if you don't want or can't employ Gallagher and require Luocha in HP scaling teams.

For his Eidolons, E1 Luocha is ineffective for increasing ATK and does not benefit HP scalers. E2 Luocha exhibits anti-synergy with units that seek to drop HP. Only his E6 is powerful, but likewise Ruan Mei, least player will pull him at E5. So, if you already have him, his E1 is fine but less significant than Ruan Mei's E1.

 

Saving the Token

To obtain the precious Golden Companion Spirit, trailblazers can acquire them through the following ways:

Limited-Time Event Rewards

Participate in the "Stellar Companions" event (available from Version 3.2 to 3.4) – Reach Trailblaze Level 4 to claim Golden Companion Spirit x1 directly.

During Version 3.2's "Cherished Recollection" event – Collect a set amount of Ancient Dream Essence to exchange for Golden Companion Spirit x1.

Eidolon Overflow Conversion

When obtaining a 5-star character with maxed Eidolons (including Permanent Limited, and Event Exchange characters), each overflow Eidolon will be converted into Silver Companion Spirit x1.

Silver Companion Spirit x2 = Golden Companion Spirit x1

Retroactive Compensation

Version 3.2 will retroactively distribute Silver Companion Spirit for all previously overflowed Eidolons.

Additionally, this Shop event is linked to the anniversary's "Character Event Warp Optimization" — After the Version 3.2 update, Trailblazers can now replace standard 5★ characters with Fu Xuan, Blade, or Seele in the "Character Event Warp". This change not only dramatically increases the drop rate for these specific characters, but also boosts accumulation efficiency for Golden Companion Spirit.

Considering that Golden Companion Spirit are permanent resources that remain usable even after Version 3.4, and while the current exchange shop primarily features Ruan Mei and Luocha, future updates are expected to add limited characters like Topaz and Aventurine. Therefore, if you already own Ruan Mei or Luocha with high Eidolon levels, it is recommended to reserve your resources for now. Waiting to exchange for upcoming powerful characters will more effectively address gaps in your team composition.

 

Conclusion

Highly recommended for maximal E1 Ruan Mei and/or E0 Luocha.

Pick Ruan Mei If:

You don't have she or you want to run Break teams -- Ruan Mei is the better choice due to her unmatched support capabilities and broader impact for most players;

You've already had her at E0 and wish to pull her at E1 -- it provides a large power boost for damage output.

Pick Luocha If:

You lack a reliable limited healer and struggle with survivability in endgame modes.

You have characters like Mydei or Castorice who need consistent healing, and your existing sustains aren't cutting it.

Save Tokens If:

You've previously had both Ruan Mei and Luocha, and their next Eidolons don't interest you.

You're expecting that a specific character will be added later that better fits your playstyle or collecting ambitions.

 

Here’s everything you need to know to choose the best options for the upcoming Stellar Convergence Shop in Honkai: Star Rail! Whether you’re eyeing Ruan Mei, Luocha, or saving your tokens for a future character, having enough resources is key to elevating your gameplay experience to the next level. Why not power up with LDshop for fast, secure HSR top-ups? With the HSR First-Time Top-Up Bonus Reset, we offer multiple payment options and exclusive discounts, ensuring you get the most resources with the least investment. Don’t miss out—head to LDshop now!