F2P Survival Guide
Everything a free-to-play player needs to know: how many pulls you actually get, who to pull first, how to build teams without spending, and how to spend wisely if you ever decide to.
💰 How Many Free Pulls Do You Get?
Wuthering Waves is one of the most generous gacha games on the market. Here's exactly how many pulls you can expect per patch as F2P:
| Source | Approximate Pulls |
|---|---|
| Daily Activity (60 Astrite/day × 42 days) | ~16 pulls |
| Events (flagship + side events) | ~20 pulls |
| Tower of Adversity (24-30 stars, bi-weekly × 3) | ~15 pulls |
| Version update compensation + livestream codes | ~10 pulls |
| Exploration & chests (new area each patch) | ~25 pulls |
| Dailies, Battle Pass free tier, miscellaneous | ~15 pulls |
| Monthly shop reset (Coral exchange) | ~7 pulls |
| Total per patch (~6 weeks) | ~110 pulls |
💡 What this means: Every patch you get enough pulls for ~1.4 pity cycles (80 pity each). You can guarantee a limited 5-star roughly every 1.5 patches as F2P — ~9 weeks. That's 5-6 limited characters per year without spending a cent.
With the $5/mo Lunite Subscription, you add ~28 pulls per patch, bringing the total to ~138. With Lunite + Battle Pass, ~152 pulls per patch — enough to guarantee the featured character every single patch.
🎯 Smart Pull Priority (F2P Edition)
As F2P, you can't afford to pull on every banner. Your pull priority should be:
- Shorekeeper — The single best pull for any account. Universal crit buffs, healing, KO revive, fits 95% of teams. Irreplaceable two years after release. Priority #1.
- A strong limited DPS you enjoy — Pick one DPS whose playstyle clicks with you. Jinhsi (nuke), Cartethyia (AoE), Carlotta (ranged), or Camellya (melee). Pull their banner and build your account around them.
- Their signature weapon — Unlike other gacha games, the weapon banner in WuWa is guaranteed at 80 pulls with no 50/50. If you have pulls left, go for the weapon — it's a 15-25% damage increase over free options.
- Sub-DPS / Support for your main team — Now fill gaps. Sanhua, Mortefi, and Verina are the best F2P-friendly options.
- Second team for ToA — Endgame requires two teams. Start building your second DPS + support pair.
⚠️ F2P Golden Rule: Never spend Astrite on the standard banner. Never pull on a weapon banner unless you already have the character. Never pull for a character unless you can build their required teammates. Skipping a banner is always the right call if you're unsure.
👥 Best F2P Characters to Build
These characters are easily obtainable and remain competitive in endgame:
- Verina (5★, free from beginner selector) — The only free 5-star healer. ATK buffs, team-wide healing, fastest Concerto generation in the game. Still T0 in 2026. Pick her from the free selector, always.
- Sanhua (4★) — Fastest rotations, Basic ATK buffs, enables Camellya and many other DPS. Unlocks at C0, easy to get copies. "Ages like wine."
- Mortefi (4★) — Heavy ATK buffer, enables Jiyan and any Fusion DPS. Free from story progression. The must-build 4-star sub-DPS.
- Baizhi (4★, temporary) — Budget healer for your second ToA team until you get Shorekeeper or another 5-star healer. Don't over-invest.
- Havoc Rover (Free MC form) — S/A-tier DPS that costs nothing. Ideal for new accounts as your first carry while saving pulls for limited characters.
🔰 Beginner team template (0 pulls): Havoc Rover (DPS) + Sanhua/Mortefi (Sub-DPS) + Verina (Healer). This team clears all story content and early ToA floors with zero premium pulls.
📊 Pull Value Tier List
Not a strength ranking — this is a cost-effectiveness ranking: how much value each character provides relative to how expensive they are to obtain and build.
| Tier | Characters | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S — Must Pull | Shorekeeper | Universal, irreplaceable, fits every team. Best pull-per-Astrite in the game. |
| A — High Value | Cartethyia, Aemeath, Carlotta, Jinhsi | Strong standalone DPS with proven endgame performance. Pull based on playstyle preference. |
| B — Good Value | Zani, Augusta, Camellya, Changli | Strong but team-dependent or higher skill ceiling. Great if you have their partners. |
| C — Situational | Brant, Zhezhi, Yinlin | Niche roles that require specific teams. Pull after your core is solid. |
| D — Skip (F2P) | Lingyang, Calcharo, Encore | Outclassed or clunky. Only build if you already have them and enjoy them. |
💳 How to Spend (If You Ever Do)
If you decide to spend, here's the efficiency ranking — most pulls per dollar first:
| Option | Cost | Pulls | Cost/Pull | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunite Subscription | $5/month | ~18.5 | $0.27 | S-tier value. Buy first. |
| Weekly Subscription | $10 | ~14.3 | $0.70 | Once per patch. Good. |
| Battle Pass (Insider) | $10 | ~9.3 | $1.08 | Good for new players (mats + weapon). |
| First-purchase bundle | $1-$100 | Varies | $1.50+ | Buy each tier once. Don't repeat. |
| Direct top-up (no bonus) | Any | Varies | $2.50+ | Worst value. Avoid. |
💡 Best spending plan for $15/month: Lunite Subscription ($5) + Battle Pass ($10, every other patch). This gives you ~23 extra pulls per patch plus a BP weapon, materials, and credits. Total pulls: ~130/patch — you'll get most characters you want.
📅 Updated: 2026-07-17