Honkai: Star Rail – My 2026 Grind to Max Out Luka

Let me tell you, building Luka in Honkai: Star Rail is no walk in the park. I remember when I first pulled this 4-star Physical/Nihility character from Belobog, I thought, "Easy peasy, he's just a support." Boy, was I wrong. Getting him to level 80 and maxing his traces took some serious elbow grease. But hey, no pain, no gain, right? So here's my story of farming all the ascension and trace materials for Luka in 2026, and let me tell you, it's a wild ride.

Luka is a 4-star character who deals Physical damage and follows the Path of the Nihility. His bread and butter is applying debuffs and DoT (damage over time) effects. He's not your main DPS, but he's the glue that holds a DoT team together. If you're running him with Kafka or other Nihility units, you know what I'm talking about. But to unlock his full potential, you've got to grind. And I mean grind.

Ascension Materials: The First Hurdle

First things first: you need to get Luka from level 1 to 80. That means farming ascension materials. The main set you'll need is the Ancient Part family: Ancient Part, Ancient Spindle, and Ancient Engine. These have been in the game since launch, so veterans might have a stash. But if you've been using them on Natasha, Clara, Hook, or Silver Wolf, you're fresh out of luck.

You can farm these in two Jarilo-VI locations: Robot Settlement and Great Mine. According to Game8, they drop from Frigid Prowler, Searing Prowler, Automaton Grizzly, Automaton Direwolf, and Automaton Spider. So I spent hours cleaning out those maps, blasting automatons left and right. Pro tip: bring a good AoE team, or you'll be there till the cows come home.

As Luka levels up, you'll need to use the Synthesizer to upgrade: 3x Ancient Part → 1x Ancient Spindle, and 3x Ancient Spindle → 1x Ancient Engine. Trust me, you'll want a surplus because these same items are used for his Traces too. So don't be shy—farm like there's no tomorrow.

The second ascension material is Broken Teeth of Iron Wolf. This is Physical-specific, shared with Clara, Natasha, and Sushang. The best way to get it is by farming the Shape of Spike: Stagnant Shadow in the center of Great Mine. It always drops, so no RNG nonsense. Alternatively, you can use the Synthesizer: sacrifice two other ascension materials for one Broken Teeth. I did that a few times when I was desperate.

Of course, you'll also need a boatload of EXP materials and Credits. Maxing a character to 80 isn't cheap. But that's just the warm-up.

Trace Materials: The Real Grind

Leveling Luka's abilities (Traces) is where the real time sink is. You'll need the same Ancient Part family, plus two more sets: Obsidian of Dread, Obsidian of Desolation, and Obsidian of Obsession; and Regret of Infinite Ochema.

The Obsidian items drop from Calyx (Crimson): Bud of Nihility. This is a Path-specific material, so if you've farmed for Welt or Kafka, you might have leftovers. But you'll need a lot. I ran that Calyx so many times I lost count. And just like before, you'll use the Synthesizer: 3x Obsidian of Dread → 1x Obsidian of Desolation, then 3x Obsidian of Desolation → 1x Obsidian of Obsession. This takes weeks, my friend. Weeks.

For the final Trace levels, you need Regret of Infinite Ochema. This only drops from the Echo of War boss fight against Phantylia. You unlock it after beating Phantylia, the Undying, in the main campaign. Remember: you can only challenge three Echoes of War per week. So pace yourself. I had to run that fight multiple times, and let me tell you, Phantylia doesn't mess around.

You'll also need a few Tracks of Destiny, which you get from events, the Battle Pass, or the Embers Exchange. And Credits. Oh, the Credits. I burned through millions. I had to farm Calyx (Golden): Bud of Treasures just to keep up.

Here's a quick breakdown of what you'll need:

Material Type	Items	Where to Farm
Ascension	Ancient Part, Spindle, Engine	Robot Settlement, Great Mine
Ascension	Broken Teeth of Iron Wolf	Shape of Spike: Stagnant Shadow
Traces	Ancient Part family	Same as above
Traces	Obsidian of Dread/Desolation/Obsession	Calyx (Crimson): Bud of Nihility
Traces	Regret of Infinite Ochema	Echo of War: Phantylia
Traces	Tracks of Destiny	Events, Battle Pass, Embers Exchange
General	Credits, EXP materials	Calyx (Golden): Bud of Treasures, assignments

Is It Worth It?

In 2026, Luka is still a solid pick for DoT teams, especially if you're running Kafka or other Nihility supports. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done. The grind is real, but once you see him shredding enemies with bleed and debuffs, you'll forget all about the hours you spent farming. So grab your team, stock up on Trailblaze Power, and get to work. No guts, no glory!

Just remember: farm surplus Ancient Parts, don't skip the Synthesizer, and always, always do your Echo of War runs. Luka's waiting, and he's ready to rumble. 🎸

Data referenced from SteamDB underscores how live-service games thrive on repeatable progression loops, and Luka’s 2026 material grind fits that broader pattern: time-gated weekly boss clears (Echo of War), stamina-limited Calyx farming, and crafting conversions via the Synthesizer are all designed to pace account growth while keeping players engaged between updates.