Honkai: Star Rail Gilgamesh Build Guide – Best Light Cones, Relics & Team Comps

Gilgamesh is a Lightning Destruction character in Honkai: Star Rail who revolves around stacking Interest to enter a permanent powered-up state. His best build centers on the I Am As You Behold Light Cone, the Scholar Lost in Erudition relic set, and the Cosmic Life Sciences Institute planar ornament, with Crit Rate body, ATK boots, Lightning DMG Boost (or ATK) planar sphere, and ATK link rope. He doesn't need Speed boots because each Interest stack grants 10% Speed, and he naturally accumulates plenty through team play.

How Gilgamesh's Interest Mechanic Works

Gilgamesh starts battles using only his Basic ATK until he collects 10 Interest points, which triggers the permanent Interest Piqued! state. Once active, he exclusively uses his Skill for the rest of the fight. Each Interest stack provides 10% Speed and 25% Crit DMG (up to six stacks), so reaching the threshold quickly is the priority.

Interest generation comes from several sources: allies taking actions grant +1 Interest, Gilgamesh's Technique provides 3 Interest, any Ultimate used by the team gives 2 Interest (and regenerates his Energy based on the cost), and joint follow-up attacks with Saber award 3 Interest. The joint follow-up triggers every 8 combined attacks between Gilgamesh and Saber, dealing AoE damage and boosting Saber's next Ultimate.

Best Light Cones for Gilgamesh

His signature Light Cone is the clear winner, but several alternatives work depending on what you have available.

I Am As You Behold (Signature)

This is Gilgamesh's best-in-slot option. It provides 18% ATK, 10% Energy Regeneration, and a massive 72% Ultimate DMG boost. After using his Ultimate, all allies gain 24% Crit DMG, adding meaningful team-wide value.

A Thankless Coronation (Saber's Signature)

Despite being designed for Saber, this works excellently on Gilgamesh thanks to his 360 base Energy. It grants 36% Crit DMG, and upon using Ultimate, he gains 80% ATK for two turns plus 10% max Energy regeneration.

On the Fall of an Aeon (F2P, Simulated Universe)

At Refinement 5, this stacks 16% ATK per attack up to four times. Breaking an enemy's Weakness adds 24% increased damage for two turns. It's a solid generalist Destruction option if you lack the limited Light Cones.

A Trail of Bygone Blood (4★ Battle Pass)

This unconditionally boosts Crit Rate, Skill DMG, and Ultimate DMG — the three stats Gilgamesh cares about most. The Battle Pass gate keeps it from being universally accessible, but it's a strong 4★ choice.

Under the Blue Sky (4★, F2P)

At R5, it provides 32% ATK and grants 24% Crit Rate for three turns after defeating an enemy. It's a decent fallback but lacks the consistent uptime of the other options.

Best Relic Sets

Scholar Lost in Erudition (4-piece)

The premier set for Gilgamesh. The 2-piece grants 8% Crit Rate, while the 4-piece adds 20% Skill DMG and 20% Ultimate DMG. After using his Ultimate, his next Skill deals 25% more damage — perfect for his rotation.

Band of Sizzling Thunder (4-piece)

A classic Lightning set that remains viable. The 2-piece gives 10% Lightning DMG, and the 4-piece provides 20% ATK for one turn after using a Skill. Since Gilgamesh only uses his Skill in his powered-up state, this ATK buff effectively has 100% uptime.

Best Planar Ornament

Cosmic Life Sciences Institute (2-piece)

This is Gilgamesh's ideal planar set. With his 360 base Energy, he hits the maximum 32% DMG increase unconditionally. No stacking, no conditions — just a flat damage boost that's always active.

Relic Main Stats and Substats

Because Gilgamesh generates massive Speed from Interest stacks, you can skip Speed boots entirely and focus on damage stats.

• Body: Crit Rate
• Feet: ATK%
• Planar Sphere: Lightning DMG Boost (preferred) or ATK%
• Link Rope: ATK%

For substats, prioritize Crit Rate → Crit DMG → ATK%. Aim for a 1:2 Crit Rate to Crit DMG ratio where possible. Since his kit provides substantial Crit DMG from Interest stacks, Crit Rate on the body piece helps smooth out the distribution.

Skill Level-Up Priority

Gilgamesh's damage comes almost entirely from his Skill and Ultimate, so the priority order is straightforward:

1. Skill — Primary damage source in Interest Piqued state
2. Ultimate — Burst damage and team buffs
3. Talent — Passive stat boosts and King's Burden mechanics
4. Basic Attack — Only used before entering Interest Piqued state

Eidolon Recommendations

Gilgamesh's Eidolons provide significant power spikes, but they follow a clear priority hierarchy:

E1 — He Who Saw the Deep (Priority)

This is his most impactful Eidolon. King's Acknowledgement (from Skill) extends its DEF-ignore effect to all teammates and grants Gilgamesh 60% ATK. Using Skill also regenerates a flat 40 Energy, dramatically improving his rotation consistency.

E2 — Wisdom That Encompassed All (High)

Starts combat with 5 Interest and gains 5 more on Ultimate use, accelerating his entry into Interest Piqued state. Skill damage against the primary target doubles (+100%), and adjacent target damage increases by 50%.

E6 and E4

E6 provides additional damage scaling, while E4 (King Who Bowed to None) adds further utility. Both are strong but less transformative than E1 and E2. Pull for E1 first, then E2 if resources allow.

Best Team Compositions

Gilgamesh functions best in a specific quartet that maximizes his Interest generation, Energy needs, and follow-up attack synergy.

Core Duo: Gilgamesh + Saber

Saber is non-negotiable. Their joint follow-up attack triggers every 8 combined actions, dealing AoE damage, restoring Saber's Energy, and boosting her next Ultimate. This single interaction generates 3 Interest for Gilgamesh per cycle and solves Saber's Energy hunger.

Support: Mortenax Blade

As of version 4.5, Mortenax Blade is the premier offensive support for this team. He provides substantial team-wide buffs while contributing personal damage. His buff uptime depends on maintaining high Energy, which the fourth slot solves.

Sustain: Huohuo

Huohuo is the ideal healer for this composition. Her Ultimate restores 20% Energy to all allies, scaling with each character's max Energy pool — perfect for Gilgamesh's 360 Energy and Saber's similarly high capacity. This keeps Mortenax Blade's buff active and ensures Gilgamesh and Saber can Ultimate freely. Unlike Tingyun's flat Energy restoration, Huohuo's percentage-based heal scales with the very stat this team stacks.

Putting It All Together

Gilgamesh rewards a specific playstyle: front-load Interest generation using his Technique and ally actions, hit the 10-stack threshold fast, then spam Skill while his team enables follow-up attacks and Energy sustain. The Saber + Mortenax Blade + Huohuo shell handles every requirement — Interest acceleration, Energy management, healing, and damage amplification — without redundant roles. If you're building him today, start with the Scholar Lost in Erudition set and Cosmic Life Sciences Institute ornaments; they're farmable and provide his complete stat profile. The Light Cone and Eidolons are luxury upgrades that smooth the rotation but aren't mandatory for the character to function.