The Elusive Hunt for 5-Stars: An In-Depth Guide to Wishing Rates in Genshin Impact

As any Genshin Impact player knows, the excitement and anticipation of that long-awaited 5-star character reveal is a core part of the wishing experience. But just how rare are those elusive 5-star drops? What are the actual percentages? Do the rates ever change? Let‘s analyze the nitty-gritty details.

Overview of Wish Mechanics

For readers less familiar, here‘s a quick primer on how wishing works in Genshin:

• Uses currency called Intertwined Fates or Acquaint Fates to make wishes
• Building pity improves chances of 4/5 star drops over time
• Guaranteed 5-star drop in 90 wishes (hard pity)
• Three banner types with separate pity systems

Now let‘s get into the data and discuss what it all means for your chances of scoring those covetous 5-star characters…

The Harsh Reality of Base 5-Star Rates

The base rate for any 5-star drop is an utterly dismal 0.6% per wish. Compare that to a 4-star drop at 5.1% – you are nearly 10 times less likely to see gold on any given wish.

To put another way, you have a 99.4% chance of getting a 3-star weapon as your ceiling without factoring in pity mechanics. Not great odds when trying to snag that new must-have Waifu!

Here‘s a summary data table for reference:

Rarity	Base Rate Per Wish
5-Star	0.6%
4-Star	5.1%
3-Star	94.3%

So in the absence of pity, getting two 5-stars in a 10 wish would on average take over 1,650 wishes! Thank goodness for pity…

Soft Pity and the Hope it Provides

Allow me to clarify an important concept for Genshin wishing – soft pity. Around 75 wishes in, your chances for a 5-star begin increasing exponentially from that discouraging 0.6% base rate.

Just how much do they increase?

While miHoYo doesn‘t publish the exact numbers, crowdsourced community wish data gives us significant insight. According to paimon.moe stats encompassing millions of Genshin wishes, the rates during soft pity (74-89 wishes) climb dramatically to around 20-30% per pull.

That means your odds towards the end of soft pity are over 50 times higher than base rates! Here‘s a comparative graph:

[insert graph comparing 0.6% base rates to 25% soft pity rates]

Quite the difference! This makes targeting your wishing in that soft pity range instrumental for chasing a 50/50 win, since hard pity at 90 wishes guarantees you a 5-star.

The Rollercoaster Thrills of the 50/50

Ah yes, the unpredictable 50/50. Winning this coinflip when you attain a 5-star means bringing home the rate-up banner character you desire. Losing of course means one of the standard 5-stars.

I‘ve had my fair share of last minute 50/50s steal my savings trying to C6 my Hu Tao. But those redemption arcs where I claw my way back to guarantee the banner star through sheer will? chef‘s kiss true euphoria.

And if you, like many, simply must have the shiny new character on offer, losing that 50/50 isn‘t the end. The next 5-star is a 100% shot at the banner headliner thanks to the guarantee.

Do you prioritize new characters over cons for existing ones though? That guarantee can be redirected using the new Epitomized Path mechanic on weapon banners shown below:

[insert table comparing character 50/50, weapon banner guarantee, and EP path]

So while 50/50 brings the thrill, you have options to assure your faves come home eventually!

Comparing Weapon vs Character Wishing

Speaking of weapon banners, the Genshin community seems to agree they are whale territory given the lower guarantee chance and no soft pity. But let‘s break down the numbers:

[insert comparative table between character event, weapon event, and standard banners]

A few implications from the data:

• Weapon banner gives you a minimum 33% chance per 5-star of scoring the rate up weapon you want due to having 2 featured. More if you utilize Epitomized Path.
• Standard banner has same rates as event banner, but no guarantee of rate-up character since there are no promotional rate-ups.
• Less fate points to trigger weapon banner "spark" compared to limited character banner

There‘s certainly valid arguments on both sides here. Personally, I usually play it safe sticking to the character event banners with the more generous gacha mechanics. But for P2W spenders willing to shell out a couple hundred bucks, scoring your favorite character‘s signature 5-star armament pays dividends in combat.

Do Gacha Rates Ever Improve? Examining Historical Trends

I get asked often whether these published rates have ever improved over Genshin‘s lifecycle. It‘s a fair question given many gacha games increase base SSR rates over time to satiate their veteran playerbase.

The short answer? Not yet for Genshin Impact. These ratios have remained fixed since the original 1.0 launch back in 2020 across all rarity tiers. A few caveats:

• Probability distribution MAY have been adjusted subtly within the 0-99 pity range [Citation needed]
• More targets in the standard 5-star pool lowers your chance of a specific one like Jean
• New systems like Epitomized Path provide small boosts to acquisition odds

But unlike other gachas, no overt published rate-ups to date. Many white knights in the community decry complaints about tight rates as entitled whining. However, based on industry standards and precedent set by competitors, I expect miHoYo to concede small boosts to base 5-star rates after the 3.0 periods of sumeru launches conclude.

Not game-breaking improvements of course – an increase from .6% to say 1% would be reasonable to expect. But any small gain would vindicate players who invest countless hours grinding primos only to suffer tragic 50/50 defeats. We can only hope as I ready my quartz to refresh for primo subs!

Maximizing Your Primogem Income For Efficient Wishing

Now that we‘ve established the abysmal base rates, what‘s the most efficient way to circumnavigate the stingy RNG and guarantee your desired C2R1 waifus? Two words my friends: Primogem income.

Veteran gacha gamers live by the credo F2P BTW, but even low spenders can dramatically accelerate 5-star acquisition through diligent daily grind. I average 75-100 wishes per patch cycle thanks to optimized farming. Here‘s a cheat sheet of my top tips:

[insert table with primo farming tips totals]

Follow those guidelines religiously while clearing out one-time chests, achievements, hangouts etc and you‘ll rapidly expand your wish allowance if forced to bite the 50/50 bullet.

The Neverending Hunt for Rare Gems

That covers the comprehensive statistical breakdown of current Genshin Impact wishing mechanics and the all-important scoop on 5-star rarity rates. In summary:

• Abysmal 0.6% base 5-star rate without pity
• Soft pity massively boosts odds up to ~25% from 75-90 pulls
• 50/50 adds variance but guarantees eventual rate-up acquisition
• No rate changes since launch but signs point to future minor increases

I hope this complete guide better equips you on the exhilarating, emotional journey of gacha luck and wishing strategies. Never let those 5-star defeats get you down. With diligence in primo farming, strategic timing on the soft pity window, and efficient budgeting of mileage resources, even largely F2P wanderers can gather their dream team in this fantasy world.

May the gacha archons bless your pulls, travelers! Now to restock my moon blessing supply before Darlings banner…

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