Who Is Imbibitor Lunae
Imbibitor Lunae is the transformed version of Dan Heng, walking the Path of Destruction and dealing Imaginary damage. Unlike many characters, his kit revolves around charging his Basic Attack to perform enhanced strikes that scale heavily with Attack and Critical stats.
The more Skill Points you feed him, the stronger he gets. That’s his unique rhythm – he isn’t a spammer; he’s a controlled powerhouse who rewards planning and good resource management.
How His Kit Works
His gameplay revolves around boosting his Basic Attack through Skill Points. Each “stack” of enhancement adds power, and at three stacks he unleashes his strongest version (often referred to as Transcendence) – his biggest burst.
- Use Skill to enhance Basic Attack (up to three times).
- At three stacks, Basic Attack turns into a big multi-hit nuke.
- His Ultimate restores energy and gives a special charge, Squama Sacrosancta, which lets you fire off a free enhanced strike.
The loop is simple:
- Build enhancement stacks with Skill.
- Strike with the fully enhanced Basic Attack.
- Use Ultimate to recharge and gain Squama Sacrosancta.
- Use the free enhanced attack and repeat the cycle.
Managing Skill Points well is the key to keeping his flow smooth and his numbers big.
Stat Priorities
Focus on Attack %, Crit Rate, and Crit Damage. Imaginary DMG Bonus and a bit of Speed come next. Avoid stacking Speed too high, or he’ll burn through Skill Points too quickly. Keep him balanced so your team can sustain him properly.
| Stat | Priority | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crit Rate | High | 65-75% | Ensures stable damage output. |
| Crit Damage | High | 140-180% | Scales best once Crit Rate is stable. |
| Attack % | High | As much as possible | Main multiplier for all skills. |
| Imaginary DMG Bonus | Medium | +10-20% | Usually comes from relic sets and Sphere. |
| Speed | Medium | 115-120 SPD | Don’t overspeed – keep rhythm with the team. |
| Effect RES / HP | Low | Optional | Add survivability if content feels too punishing. |
Recommended Main Stats
- Body: Crit Rate or Crit Damage.
- Feet: Attack % or Speed (depending on your comfort).
- Planar Sphere: Imaginary DMG Bonus.
- Link Rope: Attack %.
Try to keep your Crit Ratio near 1:2 (for example, around 70% Crit Rate and ~150% Crit Damage) for consistent bursts.
Best Light Cones
His Light Cone choices are straightforward: you want Crit, Attack, and effects that reward his Basic Attack-focused kit.
- Brighter Than the Sun (Signature): Perfect fit. Gives Crit Rate, Attack, and helps his overall uptime and energy. Best-in-slot if you have it.
- On the Fall of an Aeon: Great free option. Stacks Attack when you hit enemies and grants extra damage after Weakness Break.
- Under the Blue Sky: Reliable Crit Rate and Attack, with extra value after defeating enemies – good for general content.
All of these work, just with different ceilings. If you don’t have his signature cone, On the Fall of an Aeon is a very strong and accessible alternative.
Relic and Ornament Sets
The best relic combo amplifies his Imaginary damage and supports his hypercarry role.
Best Cavern Relics
- Wastelander of Banditry Desert (4-piece):
- 2-piece: Increases Imaginary DMG.
- 4-piece: Boosts Crit stats against debuffed or imprisoned enemies.
This is his ideal set – it boosts both his element and Crit, especially when you run supports that apply debuffs.
Early / Temporary Options
- Musketeer of Wild Wheat (4-piece): A strong starter set with Attack, Speed and Basic Attack buffs.
- 2-piece Wastelander + 2-piece Musketeer: Good hybrid while you’re farming better pieces.
Best Planar Ornaments
- Rutilant Arena: Extra Crit Rate plus bonus Basic Attack/Skill damage when your Crit Rate meets the condition. Perfect for an enhanced Basic Attack playstyle.
- Firmament Frontline: Glamoth: Gives Attack based on Speed. Use this if your Crit stats are already solid and you want extra scaling from Speed.
If in doubt, start with Rutilant Arena – it lines up naturally with how Imbibitor Lunae wants to play.
Best Team Compositions
Lunae eats Skill Points fast, so surround him with supports that refund or save SP. Teams should include:
- One strong buffer.
- One healer or sustain.
- One extra SP-friendly unit or debuffer.
| Team Setup | Composition | Strength | SP Efficiency | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Imbibitor Lunae, Sparkle, Tingyun, Luocha | ★★★★★ | Excellent | Limited units, top synergy |
| Mid-Tier | Imbibitor Lunae, Hanya, Yukong, Lynx | ★★★★☆ | Good | Mostly 4★ characters |
| Free-to-Play | Imbibitor Lunae, Asta, Tingyun, Natasha | ★★★☆☆ | Average | Easy to build early on |
| Experimental | Imbibitor Lunae, Pela, Bronya, Bailu | ★★★☆☆ | Unstable | Good for fun variations |
Teams with Sparkle or Hanya shine the most since they directly fix his Skill Point drain problem. Luocha or Lynx handle sustain without eating SP, and Tingyun buffs him naturally with Attack and energy.
Gameplay Tips
- Don’t press Skill every turn. Build up to a full three-stack combo, then burst. Overusing Skill without planning leaves your team dry on SP.
- Always track Squama Sacrosancta. It’s a free enhanced attack – don’t waste it on a low-impact turn if you can help it.
- Rotate supports for buffs. Keep Attack and Crit buffs up before you unleash his big combo.
- Time Ultimate before your main combo. Using his Ultimate just before your burst turn lets you stack damage and flow better.
Common Mistakes
- Making him too fast: Too much Speed desynchronizes him from buffers and burns Skill Points faster than your team can recover.
- Over-investing in pure Attack: A huge Attack stat with weak Crit balance feels bad. You need both Crit Rate and Crit Damage for reliable bursts.
- Ignoring SP economy: Running him with three Skill-hungry allies makes the whole team feel strained and clunky.
- Using full bursts on weak mobs: Wasting three-stack combos on low-HP enemies is inefficient. Save your big turns for bosses and elites.
Farming and Progression Path
You don’t need perfect relics right away. Build him step by step:
- Early Game: Use Musketeer of Wild Wheat or any decent ATK/Crit gear you have.
- Mid Game: Start farming Wastelander of Banditry Desert. Mix 2-piece Wastelander with 2-piece Musketeer until you have good rolls.
- Planar Ornaments: Target Rutilant Arena once you reach higher World Levels. It lines up perfectly with his Basic Attack damage.
- Upgrade Priority: Focus on relics with Crit substats (Crit Rate, Crit Damage, ATK%). Ignore flat DEF and weak rolls – they’re a trap for your fuel (resin).
Example Rotation
- Tingyun buffs Lunae – adds Attack and energy.
- Use Lunae’s Skill twice – charge his Basic Attack with enhancement stacks.
- Execute the full three-stage combo – unleash the enhanced Basic Attack.
- Use Ultimate – deal damage, restore energy and gain Squama Sacrosancta.
- Next turn: use the free enhanced attack from Squama, then rebuild stacks as needed.
Adjust this depending on enemy health and your current Skill Point situation. You don’t always need the full three-stack for weaker waves.
Final Thoughts
Imbibitor Lunae rewards patience and rhythm. He’s not for button mashers – he’s for players who enjoy precision, planning and big numbers. Keep his Crit stats strong, balance his Speed, and give him the right supports.
When it all clicks, his gameplay feels smooth, cinematic and deeply satisfying. He’s one of the cleanest DPS experiences in Honkai: Star Rail – a true blend of strength and style.