I remember the launch of Wuthering Waves back in 2024, when we were all scrambling to figure out which banners to pull on, and the standard banner felt like that reliable old friend who’s always there for you. Two years later, not a whole lot has changed about that feeling – but let me tell you, the standard banner has grown on me even more, and I’ve got some thoughts to share.
When you first dive into Wuthering Waves, you’re greeted not by one, but by three flavors of standard banners. It sounds complicated, but honestly, it’s a clever way to ease new players into the gacha grind. The first one that demands your attention is the Utterance of Marvels, or the Novice Convene. This is where you get to spend 50 Lustrous Tides but only pay the price of 40 – a neat 20% discount across five multi-pulls. And the kicker? You’re guaranteed a random 5-star character from the standard roster by the time you’ve done those five ten-pulls. If you happen to hit that minuscule 0.8% early and snag a 5-star before you’ve spent all 50 Tides, you can divert the leftover currency to the other standard banners. Who doesn’t love efficiency?
Then, after you’ve used up the Novice Convene, a second limited-time standard banner unlocks. This one lets you target a specific 5-star character from the standard pool. You’ll need exactly 80 Lustrous Tides to hit hard pity and walk away with your chosen unit. For many of us, that was Verina on day one, and it probably still is today. Why? Let me break that down.
As of 2026, the permanent standard banner operates pretty much the same as it did at launch: spend 80 Lustrous Tides, get a random 5-star. The base rate is still that tempting 0.8% per pull, which averages out to around a 1.8% consolidated probability thanks to the ever-frustrating but somehow addicting pity system. You’ll see a 4-star every ten pulls without fail, and if you’re that one infuriatingly lucky player on YouTube, you might even land double or triple 5-stars in a ten-pull. I’m not bitter. Really.
Now, onto the characters. The standard pool at launch had Verina, Encore, Calcharo, Lingyang, and Jianxin. Two years on, Kuro Games has followed the path of Genshin Impact and sprinkled a few new 5-stars into the standard mix – though I’ll keep this spoiler-free if you’re a returning player. The consensus back in 2024 was that Verina was the undisputed queen of your guaranteed target pull. Is she still? Let’s ask ourselves: has any support character since offered the same level of team-wide healing combined with massive damage buffing? I’d argue Verina has remained remarkably future-proof, much like Bailu was in Honkai: Star Rail’s early months. If you’re starting fresh in 2026 and wondering where to spend your Lustrous Tides, I’d still steer you toward Verina without a second thought. She’ll slot into almost any team you can build and make life ten times easier.
But what about the 4-star characters? The standard banner hands them out like candy – every 4-star the game has ever released (including those from limited event banners) can show up here. And don’t forget the 3-star and 4-star weapons. It’s almost like the game is apologizing when you don’t get the 5-star you wanted. “Sorry, here’s a Dauntless Evernight, better luck next time.” At least some of those weapons have become surprisingly useful with the introduction of new characters that scale well with them.
And then there’s the dreaded 50/50. When you pull on a limited event character banner, you’re not guaranteed the featured unit. You have a roughly 50% chance to get them, and if you lose that coin toss, you’ll receive one of the standard banner 5-stars instead. I’ve seen people quit gacha games over this. It’s brutal. If you’ve been playing since 2024, you’ve likely lost your fair share of 50/50s – I know I have. But here’s the silver lining: that loss often gifts you a constellation (or sequence, for Wuthering Waves) for a standard character that might suddenly become a key part of your roster. Jianxin, for example, grows from a decent support into a respectable sub-DPS with a few extra sequences. So, is losing the 50/50 truly a loss, or is it a long-term investment in disguise? I’ll let you decide after you’ve thrown your 80th pull at a banner and seen that telltale gold light only to get a dupe Lingyang.
So, why am I still talking about the standard banner in 2026? Because “standard” doesn’t mean “bad.” It’s the bedrock. It’s always there, always giving you something – sometimes exactly what you need, sometimes a stepping stone to your next team comp. The discount Novice Convene is a godsend for new players. The targeted banner eliminates the randomness when you absolutely need that one unit. And the permanent banner? It’s the quiet engine that churns out resources, weapons, and constellations for your growing army of Resonators.
If you’re a veteran, you’ve probably already emptied the standard banner of its immediate value. But every new player entering the world of Solaris-3 in 2026 should still approach these banners with a plan. Use the Novice Convene wisely, carefully select your guarantee, and embrace the 50/50 losses as part of the journey. After all, that’s what being a gacha gamer is all about – the thrill of the unknown, tempered by the comfort of the permanent.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some Lustrous Tides burning a hole in my pocket, and that standard banner isn’t going to pull itself.
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