The three banner questions
Before every summon, answer three things: What role do I lack? How far am I from pity? Does pity transfer? If any answer is unknown, do not spend yet.
Current launch documentation describes Beginner, Standard and Mini banner types. The Beginner option is designed for early progression, Standard holds the broader permanent pool, and Mini banners rotate featured units. Exact costs and pools can change, so check the live details panel.
| Banner | Best use | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Early account value | Limited availability or pull count |
| Standard | Broad permanent roster | Low chance of one specific target |
| Mini / featured | Chasing a needed rate-up | Short duration and isolated pity |
Best first Mythic targets
Current community testing places Megumi, Yuta and Frieren at the top of the overall list. Megumi offers flexible summons and boss pressure. Yuta combines damage with survivability. Frieren clears grouped waves quickly and is especially valuable for farming.
That does not make every other banner a skip. If you already have strong wave clear, Ichigo’s boss damage can improve Raid progress more than a duplicate generalist. If your team struggles before expensive carries can be placed, a cheaper Legendary may solve the real problem.
Use the full Anime Expeditions tier list to compare Story, Raid and farming columns separately.
When to stop pulling
Stop when you obtain the role you came for, when the featured pool rotates away from your target, or when the remaining Gem balance cannot reach a meaningful threshold. Continuing only because you already spent resources is the sunk-cost trap.
A duplicate can be valuable if the game uses shards, fusion or another progression system, but launch documentation has not consistently confirmed the exact duplicate economy. Do not chase duplicates until you can see the benefit in the current client.
Pity is part of the banner value
A good unit on a banner with no reachable guarantee may be a worse decision than a slightly weaker unit near your existing pity. Read the Anime Expeditions pity system before distributing Gems.
Assume counters are separate until the game explicitly labels them shared. Take a screenshot of the counter before switching banners. If the number remains, you have evidence of transfer; if it resets or displays a separate value, plan each pool independently.
Free-to-play pull rules
First, collect every active code and one-time reward. Second, keep enough Gems to finish the cycle you start. Third, choose account coverage over duplicates. A roster with one wave clearer, one boss killer and useful low-cost support is more resilient than several units that all demand the same placement budget.
Avoid rolling simply to make early Story easier if a small upgrade or placement change would solve the stage. Summoning is permanent spending; strategy changes are free.
Launch-week verdict
For a new account with no Mythic, the beginner-value pool comes first if its terms are favorable. After that, Megumi is the safest general recommendation, Frieren is the farming recommendation, and Yuta is the consistency recommendation. Players focused on Raids can consider Ichigo when their wave clear is already stable.
Redeem the latest Anime Expeditions codes before pulling, and verify every featured rate and pity rule in the banner panel. Launch-week guides are decision support, not a replacement for the current game interface.