Dragon Traveler Star-Up Guide: Copies, Fodder, Red and Diamond
Every Dragon Traveler star tier from 5★ to Diamond with exact copy and fodder totals, which Luminaries peak at Red 1★ or need Diamond, and a free-to-play plan.
Quick answer: A Luminary needs 8 copies and 16 six-star fodder to reach Red 1★, and 18 copies plus 40 fodder to reach Diamond. Most supports and utility units already do their job at Red 1★, so take your core units there first and save Diamond for the carries that are listed as needing it, such as Talos, Jing and Mimir.
Key takeaways
- Two 5★ copies make a 6★. After that, every step costs either another 6★ copy of the same Luminary, 6★ fodder, or both.
- Half of the steps cost fodder only. Purple 6★ to Red 1★ needs no new copy at all, just 4 fodder.
- Going from Red 1★ to Diamond costs 10 more copies and 24 more fodder, which is more than the entire climb to Red 1★.
- Hela, Morgana, Prometheus, Vivienne and Lilith are listed as fine at Red 1★. Talos, Jing, Mimir, Ifrit, Spimo and Ningrose are listed as needing Diamond.
- Artemis is the cheapest high-value unit: she is usable from Purple 3★, which is only 4 copies.
- On a free-to-play account, build one Diamond carry at a time and keep everyone else at Red 1★.
How the star tiers are laid out
A Luminary starts at 5★ when you pull it. Two 5★ copies merge into a 6★, and from 6★ you climb three bands: Purple 1★ to 6★, Red 1★ to 6★, and finally Diamond.
Two materials go into each step:
- Copies of the same Luminary. The table counts these in 5★ copies. When a step asks for a "6★ main copy", that is another 6★ of the same Luminary, so it costs two more 5★ copies.
- 6★ fodder. These are separate 6★ units consumed in the upgrade. The upgrade screen shows which units it accepts, so check there before you merge anything you may want later.
The numbers below are cumulative. Each row already includes everything above it.
Full copies and fodder table
| Tier | What this step needs | 5★ copies (total) | 6★ fodder (total) | New copies | New fodder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5★ | Pull | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6★ | Two 5★ units | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Purple 1★ | 1 fodder | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Purple 2★ | 6★ copy + 1 fodder | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Purple 3★ | 2 fodder | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Purple 4★ | 6★ copy + 2 fodder | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Purple 5★ | 3 fodder | 6 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Purple 6★ | 6★ copy + 3 fodder | 8 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Red 1★ | 4 fodder | 8 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| Red 2★ | 6★ copy + 4 fodder | 10 | 20 | 2 | 4 |
| Red 3★ | 4 fodder | 10 | 24 | 0 | 4 |
| Red 4★ | 6★ copy + 3 fodder | 12 | 27 | 2 | 3 |
| Red 5★ | 4 fodder | 12 | 31 | 0 | 4 |
| Red 6★ | 6★ copy + 3 fodder | 14 | 34 | 2 | 3 |
| Diamond | Two 6★ copies + 6 fodder | 18 | 40 | 4 | 6 |
Reading the table: copy steps and fodder steps
The steps alternate. Purple 2★, 4★, 6★, Red 2★, 4★, 6★ and Diamond each need a 6★ copy. Purple 1★, 3★, 5★ and Red 1★, 3★, 5★ need fodder only.
That pattern tells you how far a given number of copies can go. Once you own the copies for a copy step, the next fodder step is free in copies, so the real ceiling is set by your fodder.
| Copies owned | Highest tier those copies allow | Fodder needed to get there |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Purple 1★ | 1 |
| 4 | Purple 3★ | 4 |
| 6 | Purple 5★ | 9 |
| 8 | Red 1★ | 16 |
| 10 | Red 3★ | 24 |
| 12 | Red 5★ | 31 |
| 14 | Red 6★ | 34 |
| 18 | Diamond | 40 |
Two practical rules come out of this:
- Never leave a unit at Purple 6★ if you have 4 spare fodder. Red 1★ uses the same 8 copies.
- Copies 15 to 18 only matter for Diamond. Red 6★ needs 14 copies and Diamond needs 18, with nothing in between. If you are not sure you will reach 18, stop pulling for that unit at 14, or better at 8.
Where the cost sits
Red 1★ costs 8 of the 18 copies (44%) and 16 of the 40 fodder (40%) a Diamond needs. In other words, more than half of the total investment goes into the six Red steps and the Diamond step. The Diamond step on its own costs 4 copies and 6 fodder, the most expensive single step in the chart.
This is why the recommendations below lean so heavily on Red 1★. It is the point where a Luminary has had most of its cheap upgrades, and the price of each further star starts to climb.
What each tier is worth
The game does not spell out a single power jump per star, so the useful question is which tier a given Luminary needs to do its job. The kit recommendations point at a handful of thresholds.
Purple 3★: the lowest useful bar
Only one unit is listed this low: Artemis, whose low bar is Purple 3★ and middle bar Red 1★. At Purple 3★ she already works as a support, mostly through her team-wide Energy and Haste effects, and she deals real damage. For 4 copies and 4 fodder that is the best return on the roster.
Red 1★: the target for most supports
Red 1★ is the most common recommendation for units whose value is in their kit rather than their damage numbers. Hela, Morgana and Prometheus are listed as "Red 1★ at least". Lilith is listed as "Red 1★ is enough; Diamond if you can", and Azure Dragon as "Red 1★ is enough". Venus and Vivienne also have Red 1★ as their minimum.
The gear recommendations back this up. Prometheus has a dedicated Red 1★ build (Haste set plus the Arcane weapon and accessory) and a different one at full stars (HP set plus Order). The same unit plays a faster, Overdrive-cycling role while it is still fragile, and becomes a pure tank once it is fully starred.
Red 3★ to Red 5★: damage mode for dual-role units
Poseidon and Loki are both listed as "Red 1★ for support, Red 5★ for damage". At Red 1★ they bring control: Poseidon raises enemy Overdrive costs and saves allies from lethal hits, and Loki seals skills. Their damage starts to count from Red 3★ and is fully online at Red 5★.
Loki's gear list shows the switch clearly: a Haste and Arcane support build at Red 1★ and below, then Crit Damage, Penetration and Judgment once he reaches Red 3★ and above. Salome also sits here, with "Red 3★ and up for decent tankiness".
Red 6★: exclusive relic territory
Exclusive relics list their bonus effects against three thresholds: Purple 6, Red 6 and Divinity 3. That is why two units name Red 6★ together with the relic: Vivienne ("Red 1★ at least; Red 6★ with the exclusive relic") and Ophelia ("Red 6★ at least with the exclusive relic"). Without the relic, Red 6★ on its own is rarely the target.
Diamond: carries that scale with every copy
The Diamond group is mostly damage dealers and a few tanks whose kits get much stronger with full stars. Six are listed as "Diamond required": Talos, Jing, Mimir, Ifrit, Spimo and Ningrose. Ifrit copies can also be exchanged with Holy King red shards, which makes him more reachable than most.
Divinity 3: past Diamond
Four units are tied to Divinity 3 together with their exclusive relic: Faust (required), Pompey (once you own the relic), Ningrose and Azure Dragon. This is endgame spending. Our Divinity guide explains the node choices.
Star targets for every Luminary with a recommendation
This table groups the roster by its listed star investment.
| Recommendation | Luminaries |
|---|---|
| Purple 3★ low bar, Red 1★ middle bar | Artemis |
| Red 1★ at least | Hela, Morgana, Prometheus, Venus (big spenders go further) |
| Red 1★ is enough, Diamond if you can | Lilith |
| Red 1★, Diamond for Apollo teams | Rin |
| Anywhere from Red 1★ to Diamond | Himiko |
| Red 1★ for support, Red 5★ for damage | Poseidon, Loki |
| Red 3★ and up | Salome |
| Red 6★ with exclusive relic | Vivienne (Red 1★ minimum), Ophelia |
| Diamond recommended | Tyrfing, Asmodeus, Caesar, Dvalin, Heidren, Hitomi, Zagreus, Xuanwu, Orion, Tamamo |
| Diamond required | Talos, Jing, Mimir, Ifrit, Spimo, Ningrose |
| Divinity 3 with exclusive relic | Faust, Pompey, Azure Dragon (Red 1★ is enough without it) |
Some units carry a priority label instead of a star target. Atanith is top priority. Gabriel, Scheherazade, Nemesis, Chiron, Lorilin, Asteros and Vermilion Bird are high priority. Nemesis in particular changes a lot at Diamond and is a strong pick for manual play. The three starters, Fenrir, Oberonnie and Siegfried, are worth building early, and Medusa comes from the shop. Apollo is listed as one for big spenders.
A star plan for free-to-play players
Copies are the scarce resource. The plan below spends them where each copy buys the most.
1. Get your supports to Red 1★ first. A Red 1★ Hela, Morgana or Prometheus does nearly everything the kit promises. Eight copies on a support improves every team that support joins, while eight copies on a Diamond-required carry leaves it well short of its target.
2. Pick one carry for Diamond, and only one. If your main team needs a Diamond-required unit such as Talos or Jing, commit to that unit and do not spread copies. A Red 1★ carry from the Diamond-required list is usually weaker than a Red 1★ support from the Red 1★ list.
3. Always fill the fodder steps. Whenever a unit sits on Purple 2★, 4★, 6★ or Red 2★, 4★, the next star costs no copies. Spend fodder there before you spend it anywhere else.
4. Budget fodder early. Red 1★ takes 16 fodder and Diamond takes 40. If you are building three supports to Red 1★ and one carry to Diamond, that is 88 fodder. Keep spare 6★ units rather than feeding them away early.
5. Use the free Mythic pick wisely. The 29 October Mythic Summon lets you choose an SSR EX Luminary, with Hela, Prometheus, Artemis and Thor among the announced picks. On a small budget, Artemis is the easiest to make useful (Purple 3★), while Hela and Prometheus reach their target at Red 1★. Separately, Mythic Summoning tickets reach hard pity at 41 pulls, and each pull also gives 1 shard (a full 150-pull cycle is 150 shards), so count shards when you plan how many copies a ticket run will bring.
6. Skip Diamond on dual-role units unless you want their damage. Poseidon and Loki are already strong supports at Red 1★. Push them to Red 5★ only once your main carry is finished.
For pull planning, see the summon guide. For which units to chase in the first place, check the tier list and the team builds.
FAQ
How many copies does Diamond take in Dragon Traveler?
Diamond takes 18 copies of the same Luminary (counted as 5★ copies) and 40 six-star fodder in total. Red 6★ takes 14 copies and 34 fodder, so the Diamond step alone adds 4 copies and 6 fodder.
Is Red 1★ or Diamond the better target?
For most supports, Red 1★. It costs 8 copies and 16 fodder, and units like Hela, Morgana, Prometheus and Lilith are listed as doing their job there. Diamond is worth it for carries listed as Diamond-required, such as Talos, Jing, Mimir, Ifrit, Spimo and Ningrose.
Which star steps need no extra copies?
Purple 1★, 3★, 5★ and Red 1★, 3★, 5★ cost fodder only. The most useful of these is Red 1★, which needs 4 fodder on top of a Purple 6★ unit and no new copy.
What is the cheapest strong Luminary to star up?
Artemis. Her low bar is Purple 3★, which is 4 copies and 4 fodder, and her middle bar is Red 1★. She already supports the team and deals real damage at Purple 3★.
When should I take Poseidon or Loki past Red 1★?
Only when you want them as damage dealers. Both are listed as Red 1★ for support and Red 5★ for damage, and Loki's recommended gear switches from a Haste support build to a Crit Damage build from Red 3★.
Does Red 6★ matter without an exclusive relic?
Rarely. Red 6★ shows up as a target for Vivienne and Ophelia only together with their exclusive relic, whose effects are listed against Purple 6, Red 6 and Divinity 3 thresholds.
Characters in This Guide
How this guide was made
This guide summarizes strategies shared by the Dragon Traveler player community and the in-game skill descriptions, edited and cross-checked against our character database. Drafts are prepared with AI assistance, then edited by Dan for accuracy and clarity before publishing. Numbers such as event rewards or damage values can change between patches. Read our editorial policy or report a correction.
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