This article is a translation of the following Japanese article:
: Hey, you guys. In the new year of 2026, are you using your New Year’s gift with care? I don’t think there are any idiots out there who let the excitement of the New Year get the better of them and went all out on regular gachas and weapon gachas. Today, I will give you a thorough lecture on How to save and use Gacha stones, which is the lifeline for non-paying and micro-paying players to survive in the galaxy called Collapse: Star Rail.”
: “Ugh…my ears hurt! Kana-chan in March was so cute in her New Year’s costume, and before I knew it, the stones had disappeared! And Shiratsuyu-chan slipped through the cracks! Even though she’s good at healing! Why does my star ball always melt at Mach?! Is it Hoyoba’s conspiracy!?”
: “Your wallet strings are just loose. Don’t run away to conspiracy theories. Listen, Stare is basically a game with a lot of distribution. Even if you don’t pay, it’s designed so that if you play in a planned manner, you can secure at least one ★5 character in each version. However, people like you who pull randomly will end up crying that they don’t have any stones for the rest of their lives. Today, I’ll show you how to make that “plan” with numbers.”
1. Know the reality: Total amount of “Star Orbs” accumulated in 1 version
: “The first thing you need to understand is ‘How many stones can you get if you play normally?”If you don’t know this, you’ll make reckless gacha plans and die.”
: “Calculating from the current trends in 2026 (assuming Ver.4.
: “Eh, are you getting that much?! If you say 90 consecutive times, isn’t that just one ceiling charge? I don’t remember receiving that much!”
: “That’s because you’re slacking off or wasting the fraction. Look at the breakdown.”
- Daily training (42 days): 2520 star beads (approximately 16 consecutive)
- Highly difficult content (backyard, fiction, latter days): 2000-3000 stars for full completion
- Event rewards & logbos:Over 1000 for large events, 10 tickets for logbos, etc.
- Upgrade distribution & live broadcast code: 600 + 300 star beads
- Simulated universe point reward: Earn steadily every week
: “It’s a matter of collecting all of these and finally reaching the ceiling once. In other words, ‘One limited ★5 per version (if there is no slip-through)’ is the limit for no charge. Drive this to the bone.”
2. How to save wisely: dig up hidden treasures that are often overlooked
: “There is a limit to the amount of distribution. However, there are often ‘buried treasures” that have not yet been recovered in the maps and systems.If dust is added, it will be about 10 consecutive times.
① Achievement collection
: “Achievements…? Is that something like ‘defeating something’? You can only get 5 or 10 in one, right? It’s a pain.”
: “Those who laugh at those five will cry at the gacha. There are thousands of achievements in the current star. If you fill them in seriously, you’ll get thousands of stars. Especially the “hidden achievements”and“choice branching”types, collect them one by one while looking at the Wiki.It’s also a great way to kill time during the blank period.”
② Fill in the mock universe picture book
: “Did you know that picture book rewards are added every time a new expansion content (difference universe, unknown region, etc.) comes out? You can get stones just by obtaining a blessing or a strange object once. Dig in with fates and characters you don’t usually use and fill up the picture book.”
③ Official forum and web events
: “Don’t overlook the login bonus of HoYoLAB (official app) or the web events that are held from time to time. You can get dozens of stones just by clicking in your browser. Those who dismiss this as ‘only a few dozen’ will end up crying when they reach the ceiling in one more attempt.”
3. Golden rule of gacha planning: Endure “1.5 months” without paying
: “Now you know how to save.Next is the most important How to use.It’s physically impossible to draw all the limited characters without paying or paying a small fee.You’ll have to make a selection.”
: “In conclusion, think about the non-paying gacha plan in units of 2 versions (approximately 3 months).Assuming that you can accumulate about 80 reams in one version, it will take 2 versions to accumulate up to the hypothetical ceiling of 160 reams (with loopholes).”
- Basic rules:Do not pull unless the “character you want” and the “human rights character” overlap.
- Aesthetics of passing:No matter how attractive the PV is, if the performance is poor or it doesn’t match what you have, have the courage to pass on it.
- Waiting for reprint:If you don’t have any stones now, but you want them, put them on the waiting list for reprint in 6 months.
: “Oh… are you going to ban Gacha for three months!? I can’t do it! My hands are shaking! The “NEW” mark on the Gacha screen tempts me! What should I do if I get withdrawal symptoms!?”
: “In that case, distract yourself by playing ‘Gacha Simulator’.Listen, the worst way to lose your mind is to half-heartedly spin 30 consecutive times and end up only getting a 4-star character.I think Stare’s gacha only has two options: ‘Spinning until it appears’ or ‘Don’t spin at all.’
4. Absolute no-no action: If you do this, you are guaranteed to be a “loser”
: “Here, I would like to list an act that beginners tend to do: “Throwing away the star ball”If there were someone doing this, it would make me want to hit them from behind with a harissen.”
① Use stones for constant gacha (Gunsei Jump)
: “That’s out of the question. Use only the distributed “Silver Tickets” to play the regular gacha. Even if you use stones to draw regular characters, they won’t have the same power as the limited characters, and someday they’ll slip through to the point where you don’t want to. Even if you break the stones and get White Dew and Jeppard, will you still be able to smile?”
② Use stones to recover stamina (development power)
: “Oh, I do this sometimes….I don’t have enough training materials, so I just want to go around one more time…I think 50 would be fine…”
: “They say those 50 are fatal! Even if you delay training for a day or two, you won’t die, but you won’t be able to wait for the limited character pickup period. Only oil magnates or crocks who aim to be the fastest conqueror in the world can use stones to recover stamina. Ordinary people should just lie down and wait.”
③ Get your hands on the weapon gacha (light cone)
: “This is the biggest trap of no-payment/micro-payment. The devil whispers, “If you have a motif weapon (mochi), you will become stronger.” However, stare is “Herta Shop Weapon” and “Star 4 Weapon.” > is better.It is better to secure a strong supporter (character) than a non-convex character + a mochi weapon.The strength of the entire party will increase when you have enough characters for two parties.”
5. Recommendation of small charges (Monthly Pass/Nanashi)
: “So far, we’ve been talking about completely free payment, but if you say, “I can pay about 1,000 yen a month,” the story changes. “Train Supply Mark (Monthly Pass)” and “Nanashi’s Merit (Season Pass)””
: “It’s here! An invitation to pay! But how much is it actually worth? I can live with the price of two rice balls at a convenience store!”
: “In terms of cost performance, these two are overwhelming. Especially with the monthly pass (610 yen), you can get a total of nearly 3,000 stones just by logging in every day. It’s more than 10 times more efficient than the normal stone purchase rate. Just by purchasing this, your gacha plan will be relaxed from “once every 3 months ceiling” to “once every 2 months ceiling”.
- Tuition fee priority:
- SS:Train Supply Mark (Monthly Pass) – A level where there is no reason not to buy it.
- S:Nanashi’s Merit (Season Pass) – Training materials and limited star 4 light cone are delicious. You can also get some stones.
- C:Purchase stones with 2x bonus – An emergency measure when you really want a character.
- Out of the question:Purchasing stones without bonuses – a millionaire’s game.
: “If you plan on continuing for a long time, just keep the monthly pass.The daily “feeling of security that the stones are increasing” will maintain your mental health.”
6. Summary: Star ball management is “future prediction”
: “Finally, the trick to using Star Orbs wisely is to ‘look into the future.” Always keep an eye out to find out what characters will be coming next, and who will be reprinting them, through SNS and leak information (*don’t take information before the official announcement with a grain of salt).”
: “I see….You don’t just look at the gacha in front of you right now, you save by imagining, “I might get a swimsuit skin (fantasy) next month!’ I think I can do that too!”
: “I wouldn’t care if I could save money based on delusions, but it’s the right mindset.‘If you don’t draw, the stones won’t go down.’It goes without saying, but only those who can put this into practice will be able to get the character they want.”
: “That’s the thing. In 2026, attractive characters will be introduced one after another. However, you won’t be able to admire all the characters. Figure out your “favor” and “human rights,” and make a breakthrough and spin the gacha. Preparing so that you don’t cry even if you die in an explosion, that’s what you save on a daily basis.”
: “Alright! From today on, I’m going to play Backyard and Fictional Epic without skipping a beat! And I’m also going to buy a monthly pass! With this, I’m sure the next limited character will be perfect!”
: “…you’ll need about 10 years of monthly passes to reach full growth. Well, it’s not a bad first step. Disband!”
: “Well then, readers. Please plan your use accordingly!”
