Gallagher Luka Guide: Physical Sustain for Dahlia

Why Gallagher + Luka Works

Off-meta physical sustain challenges the idea that endgame needs limited 5-star sustain. Gallagher + Luka succeeds by addressing three needs: consistent Break Effect healing, persistent Bleed debuffs, and SP efficiency enabling Dahlia's Zone.

Gallagher's Special Brew heals 1600 HP at Lv10, scaling with Break Effect. At 150% Break Effect minimum, healing frequency matches Apocalyptic Shadow Stage 2 damage patterns. Besotted talent adds 12% Break DMG at Lv10, amplifying Dahlia's Super Break. His Ultimate advances action 100% through Organic Yeast, creating healing windows without SP drain.

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Luka contributes Physical damage and debuff stacking. His Skill applies 100% Bleed—24% enemy max HP DoT per turn capped at 130% Luka's ATK over 3 turns. Against inflated HP bosses, this percentage damage outperforms flat abilities. Ultimate adds 12% enemy DMG taken for 3 turns, stacking multiplicatively with Dahlia's 18-23% DEF reduction. Enhanced Basic triggers 68% original DMG vs bleeding targets without consuming SP.

Core Philosophy

Off-meta prioritizes resource efficiency over rarity. Gallagher converts Break Effect to healing, Luka converts enemy max HP to damage, Dahlia converts Toughness to Super Break. This creates self-reinforcing loops where each investment amplifies others.

4-star accessibility reduces barriers. Gallagher appears on Dahlia's Phase 1 banner (Dec 16, 2025 - Jan 7, 2026) alongside Luka. Pulling for Dahlia E0S0 naturally accumulates Eidolons—Gallagher E6 provides +20% Break Effect and +20% Weakness Break Efficiency.

Physical Damage Synergy

Physical suffers limited elemental coverage, but Dahlia's Ultimate implants Dance Partner weakness, granting universal access. This transforms Luka from niche to universally applicable.

Debuff synergy operates through multiplicative stacking. Wilt reduces DEF 18-23% for 4 turns; Luka's Ultimate adds 12% DMG taken for 3 turns. Combined effect increases damage ~35-40% depending on enemy DEF.

Apocalyptic Shadow Stage 2

Node 2 features Opportunistic Provocateur with Fire/Wind/Lightning/Imaginary weaknesses. Dahlia's Fire exploits one; Dance Partner grants others. Boss emphasizes sustained damage over burst, favoring Luka's Bleed.

6-week reset at Monday 04:00 provides practice. Unlike Pure Fiction mob-clearing or Memory of Chaos DPS checks, Apocalyptic Shadow rewards defensive consistency and debuff uptime. Gallagher's healing aligns with boss patterns; Luka's 3-turn Bleed ensures continuous damage; Dahlia's 3-turn Zone matches these timings.

Team Composition

Gallagher + Luka + Dahlia core occupies three slots, leaving one flex for Break support, secondary DPS, or utility.

Gallagher: Budget Sustain

Gallagher needs 150% Break Effect minimum. Base stats at Lv80: 1305 HP, 529 ATK, 441 DEF, 98 SPD. Novel Concoction converts Outgoing Healing to +50% Break Effect (capped 75%), creating feedback where healing builds boost Break damage.

Relics: Body Outgoing Healing%, Feet SPD (145 Talia breakpoint), Sphere HP%/DEF%, Rope Energy Regen. Substats: Break Effect to 150%, SPD to 145+, HP% 30%+, Effect RES 30-40%.

Honkai Star Rail Gallagher relic and ornament guide for 150% Break Effect build

145 SPD activates Talia's +20% Break Effect vs base +16%—4% difference = 3-5% increased healing/Break damage.

Sets:

Messenger 4pc: +6% SPD, +12% team SPD on Ultimate
Passerby 4pc: +10% Outgoing Healing, regenerates 1 SP on Skill
Thief 4pc: +16% Break Effect, +3 energy on break

Ornaments:

Talia: +16% Break Effect, +20% at 145+ SPD (optimal)
Broken Keel: +10% Effect RES, +10% CR/CD for team at 30%+ Effect RES
Fleet: +12% Max HP, +8% ATK for team at 120+ SPD

Light cones:

Post-Op Conversation: +12-24% Outgoing Healing, +12-24% energy on Ultimate
Quid Pro Quo: Restores 16-32 energy to ally on Skill
Multiplication: +24-48% Outgoing Healing when healing

Traces: Novel Concoction > Besotted > Special Brew > stat nodes.

Luka: Physical Break + Bleed

Luka at Lv80: 917 HP, 582 ATK, 485 DEF, 103 SPD. Skill deals 60% ATK Physical + 100% Bleed. 24% enemy max HP DoT bypasses ATK scaling beyond 130% ATK cap.

Relics: Body CR%/ATK%, Feet SPD, Sphere Physical DMG%, Rope ATK%. Substats: CR 50-70%, CD 100-140%, ATK% 30%+, SPD 134-145.

Sets:

Champion 4pc: +10% Physical DMG, +10% ATK on weakness hit/break
Prisoner 4pc: +12% ATK, +12% DEF ignore vs DoT enemies
Thief 4pc: +16% Break Effect, +3 energy on break

Ornaments:

Space Sealing: +12% ATK, +12% ATK at 120+ SPD
Inert Salsotto: +8% CR, +15% Ultimate/follow-up at 50%+ CR
Talia: +16% Break Effect, +20% at 145+ SPD

Light cones:

Eyes of Prey: +24-48% DoT, +24-48% Effect Hit Rate
Resolution: +24-48% DEF ignore vs 50%+ HP enemies
Good Night: +24-48% DMG per debuff (max 3 stacks)

Traces: Skill > Ultimate > Enhanced Basic > stat nodes.

Technique applies 50% ATK Physical + Bleed + +1 Fighting Will on entry—pre-loads damage before first action.

Dahlia E0S0: Debuff Core

Dahlia at Lv80: 1086 HP, 679 ATK, 606 DEF, 96 SPD. Needs 250-360% Break Effect and 145+ SPD. Skill deploys 3-turn Zone with +50% Weakness Break Efficiency, converting Toughness to Super Break.

Relics: Body Break Effect%, Feet SPD, Sphere Fire DMG%, Rope Break Effect%. Substats: Break Effect to 360%, SPD to 145+, Effect Hit Rate 30%+.

Sets:

Iron Cavalry 4pc: +16% Break Effect, +10-25% DEF ignore on Super Break at 250-360% Break Effect (core scaling)
Thief 4pc: +16% Break Effect, +3 energy on break

Ornaments:

Forge: +12% Break Effect, +12% Fire DMG on break (optimal)
Talia: +16% Break Effect, +20% at 145+ SPD

Light cones (no signature):

In the Name: +24-48% DMG to debuffed, +18-36% Effect Hit Rate
Solitary Healing: +24-48% Break Effect, +8-16% DoT
Fermata: +16-32% Break Effect, +16-32% Weakness Break Efficiency on break

Traces: Skill > Ultimate > Talent > stat nodes.

Talent assigns Dance Partner to highest Break Effect ally. Ultimate applies Wilt 18-23% DEF reduction for 4 turns + 300-360% ATK Fire DMG.

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Fourth Slot Options

Firefly: Fire Break DPS, high SP consumption conflicts with Dahlia
Rappa: Imaginary Break, lower SP costs fit better
Fugue: Break Effect buffs, Toughness reduction
Harmony TB: Super Break (redundant but stacks), energy generation
March 7th Preservation: Shields, counters, reduces Gallagher pressure
Asta: SPD buffs, Fire DMG bonuses
Pela: DEF shred stacks with Wilt

Balance SP economy—characters using Basic Attacks frequently—with damage and survivability.

Complete Rotation

Opening Sequence

Pre-combat: Luka Technique applies 50% ATK Physical + Bleed + +1 Fighting Will.

Turn 1:

Dahlia Skill (Zone, -1 SP)
Gallagher Basic (+1 SP)
Luka Skill (Bleed refresh, -1 SP)
Fourth slot (varies)

Net -1 SP. Start with 3 SP, leaves 2 available.

Cycle 1-2: Debuff Foundation

Cycle 1 (Turns 2-4):

Turn 2: Dahlia Basic/Skill, Gallagher Skill if HP <70%, Luka Enhanced Basic (68% vs bleeding)
Turn 3: Dahlia Ultimate (Wilt + Dance Partner), Gallagher Basic, Luka Skill (Bleed refresh)
Turn 4: Repeat based on action values

Cycle 2 (Turns 5-7):

Maintain Zone every 3 turns
Refresh Bleed before expiration
Gallagher Ultimate at <60% HP or before burst
Stack Fighting Will via Luka Ultimate

Mid-Fight: Standard Loop

3-turn cycle:

Turn N: Dahlia Skill (Zone), Gallagher Basic, Luka Skill (Bleed)
Turn N+1: Dahlia Basic/Ultimate, Gallagher Skill/Ultimate, Luka Enhanced Basic
Turn N+2: Dahlia Basic, Gallagher Basic, Luka Enhanced Basic

Net +3 SP per cycle. Adjust for high-damage phases requiring more Gallagher healing.

Ultimate Timing

Costs: Dahlia 120 energy, Gallagher 110, Luka 120.

Sequence:

Dahlia Ultimate (Wilt DEF reduction)
Luka Ultimate (+12% DMG taken, +2 Fighting Will)
Gallagher Ultimate (heal after counterattacks, 100% action advance)

Wilt's 4-turn duration outlasts Luka's 3-turn buff. Apply Dahlia first so both affect Luka's damage.

Energy Regen Rope on Gallagher enables 2-3 casts per encounter.

Emergency Protocols

Team HP <50%: Gallagher Skill immediately, Ultimate if available
Gallagher HP <30%: Fourth slot defensive abilities, others Basic for SP
Zone expires mid-cycle: Dahlia Skill out-of-sequence
Bleed expires early: Accept 1-turn downtime, refresh next action

Effect RES 30-40% on Gallagher reduces CC duration from boss debuffs.

Build Optimization

Gallagher Stats

Targets: 150% Break Effect, 145 SPD, 30%+ HP%, 30-40% Effect RES.

Sets: Messenger 4pc (team SPD) / Passerby 4pc (SP regen) / Thief 4pc (Break). Ornament: Talia (Break) / Broken Keel (team CR/CD) / Fleet (team ATK).

Main stats: Body Outgoing Healing%, Feet SPD, Sphere HP%/DEF%, Rope Energy Regen.

Light cone: Post-Op (Outgoing Healing) > Quid Pro Quo (energy) > Multiplication (budget).

Luka Stats

Targets: CR 50-70%, CD 100-140%, ATK% 30%+, SPD 134-145.

Sets: Champion 4pc (Physical) / Prisoner 4pc (DoT) / Thief 4pc (Break). Ornament: Space Sealing (ATK) / Inert Salsotto (Ultimate DMG) / Talia (Break).

Main stats: Body CR%/ATK%, Feet SPD, Sphere Physical DMG%, Rope ATK%.

Light cone: Eyes of Prey (DoT) > Resolution (DEF ignore) > Good Night (debuff scaling).

Dahlia Stats

Targets: 250-360% Break Effect, 145+ SPD, 30%+ Effect Hit Rate.

Sets: Iron Cavalry 4pc (DEF ignore scaling) / Thief 4pc (Break). Ornament: Forge (Break + Fire) / Talia (Break).

Main stats: Body Break Effect%, Feet SPD, Sphere Fire DMG%, Rope Break Effect%.

Light cone: In the Name (debuff DMG) > Solitary Healing (Break) > Fermata (Break).

At 250% Break Effect: 15% DEF ignore. At 360%: 25% DEF ignore + 50% Super Break DMG.

Speed Tuning

Targets:

Gallagher: 145-155 SPD (Talia, frequent healing)
Luka: 134-145 SPD (early Bleed)
Dahlia: 145-160 SPD (Talia, Zone refresh)

145 SPD = 68.97 AV. 160 SPD = 62.50 AV. Difference = ~1 extra turn per 15-16 actions.

SPD boots provide 25 flat SPD—non-negotiable for sustain/support.

Skill Point Economy

Per character:

Dahlia Skill: -1 SP (every 3 turns)
Dahlia Basic: +1 SP
Gallagher Skill: -1 SP (as needed)
Gallagher Basic: +1 SP
Luka Skill: -1 SP (every 3 turns)
Luka Enhanced Basic: +1 SP

Standard 3-turn cycle:

Turn 1: -1 SP (Dahlia Skill, Gallagher Basic, Luka Skill)
Turn 2: +3 SP (all Basics)
Turn 3: +1 SP (Dahlia Basic, Gallagher Skill, Luka Enhanced Basic)
Total: +3 SP per cycle

Basic vs Skill Usage

Use Basics when:

SP <2
Zone/Bleed/Wilt active with >1 turn remaining
Team HP >70%
Enemy Toughness full

Use Skills when:

Zone/Bleed expired or expiring
Team HP <60%
Enemy Toughness <30%
SP >4

Balance Indicators

Healthy: SP 2-5, team HP 60-80%, debuff uptime 90%+
Offense-heavy: SP <2, team HP 40-50%, debuffs 100% but survival threatened
Defense-heavy: SP >5, team HP 90%+, debuffs 70-80%, damage insufficient

Adjust: If offense-heavy, use more Basics and Gallagher Skills. If defense-heavy, use Dahlia/Luka Skills aggressively.

Apocalyptic Shadow Stage 2

Boss Mechanics

Opportunistic Provocateur has Fire/Wind/Lightning/Imaginary weaknesses. Attack patterns by HP:

100-70%: Single-target, moderate damage
70-40%: Increased AoE, damage spikes
40-0%: Mixed patterns, highest damage

Dahlia's Dance Partner grants access to all weaknesses. Prioritize Fire breaks through Dahlia/Gallagher.

Time Wilt during broken windows. Broken enemies take increased Toughness damage for 1-2 turns. Apply Wilt during break to maximize 4-turn overlap.

Phase Transitions

At 70% and 40% HP, boss triggers burst damage.

Transition prep:

Gallagher Ultimate charged
Team HP >60%
Dahlia Zone active (refreshed within 2 turns)
Luka Bleed active
SP ≥3

Post-transition: Re-establish debuffs. Use Dahlia Ultimate out-of-sequence if needed.

Damage Optimization

Max rewards: clear within 10 cycles. Partial: 15 cycles. Issues: 20+ cycles.

Maximize debuff overlap windows (2-3 turns where all active):

18-23% DEF reduction (Wilt)
12% DMG taken (Luka Ultimate)
50% Weakness Break Efficiency (Zone)
24% max HP DoT (Bleed)
15-25% DEF ignore (Iron Cavalry)

Stacking = 2.5-3x damage vs unbuffed.

Debuff Resistance

Boss has moderate Effect RES. Dahlia needs 30-40% Effect Hit Rate for consistent Wilt.

Formula: Application = Base × (1 + Effect Hit Rate - Effect RES). Against 40% Effect RES, 40% Effect Hit Rate restores 100% chance for 100% base abilities.

Dahlia Ultimate and Luka Skill both have 100% base—30-40% Effect Hit Rate suffices.

Gallagher vs Lingsha

Healing Comparison

Honkai Star Rail Gallagher vs Lingsha healing comparison chart

Lingsha scales with Max HP, provides direct heals + Fuyuan regeneration. Healing frequency exceeds Gallagher's.

Gallagher: 1600 HP Special Brew at Lv10. At 150% Break Effect + 50% Outgoing Healing = ~2400-2800 HP per Skill. Lingsha: 3000-4000 HP equivalent—25-40% higher.

10-turn frequency:

Gallagher: 5-6 instances (12,000-16,800 total)
Lingsha: 12-16 instances (20,000-30,000 total)

50-80% difference matters in high-damage content. Apocalyptic Shadow Stage 2 falls within Gallagher's capacity with proper timing.

Synergy Differences

Lingsha: Break Effect buffs, Fuyuan Toughness damage, Fire damage, cleanse. Gallagher: +12% Break DMG (Besotted), Fire element, SP-positive via Basics.

Lingsha's cleanse removes ally debuffs—valuable vs CC bosses. Gallagher lacks cleanse, needs Effect RES investment.

When Gallagher Wins

SP Economy: Gallagher generates SP via Basics. Lingsha's higher healing = higher SP consumption. With SP-negative DPS (Firefly, Rappa), Gallagher enables aggressive DPS Skill usage.

Investment Efficiency: Gallagher needs 150% Break Effect + 145 SPD—achievable with 4-star relics. Lingsha needs Max HP + Break Effect + SPD—demands higher quality.

Eidolon Access: Gallagher E6 (+20% Break Effect, +20% Weakness Break Efficiency) appears frequently as 4-star. Lingsha Eidolons need limited pulls. E6 Gallagher ≈ E0 Lingsha Break support, F2P-accessible.

Investment Requirements

Gallagher:

Farming: 2-3 weeks (150% Break, 145 SPD, 30% HP%)
Light cone: Post-Op (4-star) or Quid Pro Quo (free)
Eidolons: E0 functional, E6 optimal (rate-up)
Materials: ~3M credits, 200 purple books

Lingsha:

Farming: 4-6 weeks (Max HP, Break, SPD)
Light cone: Signature 5-star or 4-star alternatives
Eidolons: E0 functional, E1+ luxury
Materials: ~5M credits, 300 purple books

2-3 week difference + guaranteed 4-star vs limited 5-star = Gallagher accessible within 1-2 months. Lingsha needs 3-6 months.

Common Mistakes

Rotation Errors

Mistake 1: Wilt Outside Broken Windows Using Dahlia Ultimate at full Toughness wastes 1-2 turns before break. Solution: Delay Ultimate until Toughness <30%, break within 1 turn for full 4-turn overlap.

Mistake 2: Early Bleed Refresh Refreshing at 2 turns remaining wastes 1 DoT turn + SP. Solution: Refresh at 1 turn remaining or after expiration.

Mistake 3: Gallagher Ultimate at Full HP Healing at full HP wastes heal component. Solution: Reserve for <60% HP or before burst damage.

Viability Misconceptions

4-star teams can't clear endgame Reality: Optimized 4-star builds clear consistently. Margin narrows vs 5-star, but skill compensates.

Gallagher needs Eidolons to solo-sustain Reality: E0 suffices with 150% Break Effect and proper timing. E6 improves comfort, not necessity.

Physical is unviable Reality: Dahlia's Dance Partner grants universal weakness. Luka's percentage Bleed bypasses Physical scaling issues.

Relic Mistakes

Mistake 1: ATK% on Gallagher Healing scales with Outgoing Healing + Break Effect, not ATK. Solution: Prioritize HP%, DEF%, Break Effect, SPD. Treat ATK% as dead stat.

Mistake 2: No Effect Hit Rate on Dahlia Wilt fails vs resistant enemies without Effect Hit Rate. Solution: Invest 30-40% Effect Hit Rate. Consistent Wilt > marginal Break Effect.

Mistake 3: Excessive CR/CD on Luka Bleed doesn't crit. Excessive CR/CD = diminishing returns. Solution: Target 50-70% CR, 100-140% CD, then prioritize ATK% + Break Effect.

SP Mismanagement

Pattern 1: Operating at 1-2 SP Low reserves eliminate flexibility. Solution: Maintain 3+ SP via aggressive Basics when buffs active.

Pattern 2: Hoarding Beyond 5 Max cap = 5. Generating beyond wastes value. Solution: At 5 SP, prioritize Skills to convert excess before cap.

Pattern 3: Ignoring Fourth-Slot Consumption SP-negative characters (Firefly, Rappa) need core trio surplus. Solution: Increase Basic frequency by 1-2 per cycle. Monitor trends.

Advanced Optimization

Micro-Adjustments

Speed Tuning for Turn Order Set Dahlia 5-10 SPD higher than Luka for Zone before Bleed.

Example:

Dahlia: 155 SPD (acts first, Zone)
Gallagher: 145 SPD (second, SP/heal)
Luka: 140 SPD (third, Bleed in Zone)

Energy Breakpoints Gallagher: 110 energy cost, 30 per Skill, 20 per Basic.

3-cycle Ultimate:

Cycle 1: Skill (30) + Basic (20) + Basic (20) = 70
Cycle 2: Basic (20) + Basic (20) = 110, Ultimate ready
Cycle 3: Repeat

Generates Ultimate every 6 turns, aligning with Zone/Bleed.

Substat Efficiency Break Effect: 5.8% per roll. SPD: 2 flat per roll.

Efficiency = (Value / Target) × 100

Break: (5.8 / 360) × 100 = 1.61% progress
SPD: (2 / 145) × 100 = 1.38% progress

Break rolls = 16% higher efficiency. Prioritize multi-Break relics.

Alternative Variations

Gallagher + Luka + Dahlia + Harmony TB: Double Super Break stacking, energy generation.

Gallagher + Luka + Dahlia + Pela: DEF shred stacks to 40-45% total vs high-DEF enemies.

Gallagher + Luka + Dahlia + Asta: SPD buffs (faster rotations), Fire DMG bonuses. May disrupt turn order.

Substitutions:

Lynx for Gallagher: Quantum element, aggro manipulation, lower healing
Guinaifen for Luka: Fire DoT + DEF shred, lower percentage damage

Future-Proofing

Modular Fourth Slot: Heavy investment in core trio, flexible fourth adapts to meta shifts.

Relic Flexibility: Iron Cavalry (Dahlia) and Champion (Luka) retain value across Break/Physical teams.

Eidolon Pacing: Pursue E6 through natural rate-ups, not forced pulls. Preserves Stellar Jade.

Light Cone Generalization: 4-star cones (Post-Op, Eyes of Prey) transfer to future same-path characters.

BitTopup Resources

Resource allocation:

Dahlia E0 (limited banner Stellar Jades)
Gallagher Eidolons (rate-up pulls)
Luka Eidolons (rate-up)
Stamina refills (relic farming)
Light cone refinement (4-star)

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FAQ

Can Gallagher replace Lingsha in Dahlia teams? Yes. Gallagher provides 60-70% of Lingsha's healing but sufficient for Stage 2 clears with 150% Break Effect. Trade-off: reduced margin, needs precise Ultimate timing. SP-positive potential benefits SP-hungry teams more than Lingsha.

Optimal rotation for Gallagher Luka Dahlia? Turn 1: Dahlia Skill + Gallagher Basic + Luka Skill. Turn 2: Dahlia Basic + Gallagher Basic/Skill + Luka Enhanced Basic. Turn 3: Dahlia Basic + Gallagher Basic + Luka Enhanced Basic. Use Dahlia Ultimate at <30% enemy Toughness. Gallagher Ultimate at <60% HP. Luka Ultimate when available.

How does physical sustain work in Stage 2? Gallagher's Break Effect heals (1600 HP every 2-3 turns) maintain HP. Luka's 24% max HP Bleed provides consistent damage. Dahlia's Dance Partner grants Physical access to boss weaknesses despite mismatch.

Is Dahlia E0S0 viable without limited 5-stars? Yes. Zone, Wilt, Dance Partner provide full value at E0 without signature. Reach 250-360% Break Effect via Iron Cavalry + Forge. Limitation: reduced SP vs signature's +1 SP on weakness—needs careful Basic usage.

What speed for Gallagher in Dahlia teams? 145 SPD minimum for Talia's +20% Break Effect. 145-155 range balances healing frequency with Break investment. SPD boots (25 flat) + 20-30 substats reach breakpoint from 98 base.

How to manage skill points? Maintain 3+ SP via aggressive Basics when buffs active. Core trio = -1 to 0 SP per 3-turn cycle. Monitor trends—if declining, increase Basics. At 5 SP max, use Skills to convert excess before waste.

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