Is Your First 5-Star Guaranteed in Honkai: Star Rail?
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The burning question on every Trailblazer’s mind is: is your first 5-star character in Honkai: Star Rail guaranteed? The short answer is yes and no, depending on which banner you’re pulling on. The gacha system in Honkai: Star Rail can be a bit complex, so let’s break it down to fully understand the chances of getting your coveted 5-star character.
Understanding Honkai: Star Rail’s Warp System
Honkai: Star Rail’s “Warp” system, the equivalent of gacha pulls, operates with several different banners, each with its own rules. These are the banners players typically encounter:
- Departure Warp: This is a beginner-friendly banner, offering a discounted rate for the first 50 pulls.
- Character Event Warp: A limited-time banner that features a specific, boosted 5-star character and rate-up 4-star characters.
- Light Cone Event Warp: Similar to Character Event Warp but featuring a specific, boosted 5-star Light Cone (equipment) and rate-up 4-star light cones.
- Stellar Warp: The standard, permanent banner, offering a variety of 5-star characters and Light Cones.
The Departure Warp: Your Guaranteed 5-Star
The Departure Warp banner is indeed where your first 5-star guarantee lies. This beginner-focused banner guarantees a standard 5-star character within the first 50 Warps. It’s designed to give new players a solid start, ensuring they have at least one powerful character to build a team around. This is the only banner with a guaranteed 5-star on the initial draw. This guaranteed 5-star is one of the seven standard characters available within the Standard Banner pool.
It is important to note, however, that the Departure Warp banner’s count does not influence other banners, meaning its pity system is separate.
Character Event Warp: A 50/50 Chance
Now, what about the more enticing Character Event Warp banners? These banners feature limited-time characters that are often highly sought after by players. Here’s where the situation becomes a bit different.
The Character Event Warp banner has the following structure:
- Every 10 Warps you are guaranteed at least a 4-star character or Light Cone.
- The base odds of pulling a 5-star item (character or light cone) is a low 0.6%.
- The soft pity system kicks in between the 75th and 90th pull, increasing the chance of a 5-star until it hits 100%.
- This system works in conjunction with hard pity which is at 90 pulls, which ensures that no matter what, you are guaranteed a 5-star at 90 pulls.
- Winning the 50/50: When a 5-star drops on the Character Event Warp, there’s a 50% chance it will be the featured character and a 50% chance it will be one of the standard 5-star characters from the Standard banner. This is commonly called “winning the 50/50.”
- Losing the 50/50: If you don’t get the featured character the first time around, the next 5-star character you pull from the Character Event Warp is guaranteed to be the featured one. This is often called having guaranteed pity.
Therefore, your first 5-star on a Character Event Warp is not guaranteed to be the featured character. There’s a 50% chance you might get a standard 5-star first. This is important to remember when planning your pulls and managing your resources.
The Stellar Warp and the 300-Pull Reward
The Stellar Warp banner is a permanent banner with a wide pool of both characters and Light Cones. It shares a similar pity system to the Character Event Warp but is not influenced by those event banner’s pity systems.
An often overlooked perk of the Stellar Warp is the 300-pull reward. After completing 300 Warps on this banner, you’ll be able to choose one of the seven standard 5-star characters as an additional reward. This serves as another guarantee, allowing players to specifically select one of these characters after accumulating enough pulls. This reward is unique to the Stellar Warp banner and should not be confused with the guarantee provided on the Departure Warp. The character options include Himeko, Welt, Bronya, Gepard, Clara, Yanqing, and Bailu.
The Pity System: Your Safety Net
The pity system is a core feature of Honkai: Star Rail’s gacha mechanics. It is designed to provide a safety net and ensure that even with low base pull rates, players will eventually get the rare characters they want. Here’s how it works:
- Guaranteed 4-Star: Every 10 Warps on any banner (except the Departure Warp which provides a guaranteed 5-star) will net you at least one 4-star character or Light Cone.
- Soft Pity: As mentioned above, the soft pity system starts to increase the base rate of a 5-star pull between the 75th and 90th Warps.
- Hard Pity: Every 90 Warps on Character and Light Cone Event Warps, and Stellar Warp, guarantees you a 5-star character or Light Cone.
- Pity Carryover: Pity carries over between banners of the same type, but not between banners of different types. For example, pity accumulated on the Character Event Warp will carry over to the next Character Event Warp, but not to a Light Cone Warp or the Stellar Warp.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the odds of getting a 5-star in Honkai: Star Rail?
The base odds of pulling a 5-star character are 0.3% and a 5-star Light Cone is 0.3%, totaling a 0.6% chance for any 5-star. The combined chance of getting one, including soft pity, is 1.6%.
2. Is the first 5-star guaranteed on all banners?
No. The Departure Warp guarantees a standard 5-star in the first 50 pulls. Other banners do not have guaranteed 5-stars on the first pull.
3. What is soft pity in Honkai: Star Rail?
Soft pity is a system that incrementally increases the odds of a 5-star pull from 0.6% to 100% between your 75th and 90th pull on a banner.
4. What happens if I lose the 50/50?
If you lose the 50/50 on a Character Event Warp, meaning you get a standard 5-star instead of the featured one, the next 5-star character you pull on that banner is guaranteed to be the featured one.
5. Does pity carry over in Honkai: Star Rail?
Yes, pity carries over between banners of the same type. Pity accumulated on a Character Event Warp will carry over to the next Character Event Warp but not to a Light Cone Event Warp or the Stellar Warp.
6. How many pulls does it take to get a guaranteed 5-star?
A hard pity will guarantee a 5-star within 90 pulls on any of the Character Event Warp, Light Cone Event Warp, or Stellar Warp. You can expect a 5-star within 75-90 pulls. The departure banner guarantees a 5 star within 50 pulls.
7. Can I get a free 5-star in Honkai: Star Rail?
Yes, you can get a free standard 5-star character by completing 300 Warps on the Stellar Warp banner and choosing one as an additional reward.
8. Is Bronya a 5-star character?
Yes, Bronya is a 5-star character available on the Standard Banner.
9. Can I get Bronya for free?
Yes, you can obtain Bronya by completing 300 Warps on the Stellar Warp and choosing her as an additional reward.
10. How do I farm Stellar Jade (Primogems)?
Stellar Jade (equivalent to Primogems in Genshin Impact) can be farmed by completing main story quests, side quests, daily training missions, and by participating in limited-time events.
11. Is there soft pity on the Departure Warp?
No, the Departure Warp has a fixed guarantee of a 5-star within 50 pulls. The soft pity system does not apply.
12. Who are the standard 5-star characters in Honkai: Star Rail?
The standard 5-star characters available in Honkai: Star Rail include Himeko, Welt, Bronya, Gepard, Clara, Yanqing, and Bailu.
13. Is there a difference between Caelus and Stelle?
Caelus and Stelle are essentially the same character, the only difference being their gender. They have the same stats and abilities.
14. What are the drop rates for 4-star characters?
The drop rate for 4-star characters is 5.1%.
15. Is it better to pull on the Character Event Warp or the Stellar Warp?
This depends on your needs. The Character Event Warp has the featured character, while the Stellar Warp provides standard characters. If you want a specific character, the Character Event Warp is preferable. The Stellar Warp is good for building up your roster over time.
Conclusion
So, to recap: Your first 5-star is guaranteed in the Departure Warp banner within the first 50 pulls. However, on the limited Character Event Warps, the initial 5-star is a 50/50 chance, meaning it is not guaranteed to be the featured character. The pity system and the 300-pull reward on the Standard banner provide additional guarantees. Understanding these mechanics will help you make informed decisions on when and how to use your valuable Stellar Jade. Happy trailblazing!