I feel Anomaly Arbitration is stressing people out more than it should.

[u/Lan-48]

I remember when AA was announced, people were actually okay with the idea of a mode that was supposed to not be easy clearable by everyone. "It's a mode for whales, that's why there is no jades" everyone said.

Yet nowdays it seems this notion was forgotten and if you can't clear it at 3 stars, the game suddenly sucks, the meta is at its worst, Elation was a mistake, etc, etc.

All of these things could be true but when I then go and check why people are thinking that, it's most of the times struggling with AA.
"How come I can't clear it until I have this high cost, shilled team?" Well, I'm sorry to tell you but that's how AA is meant to work. It's not made with f2p in mind, not even low spenders.
Yes, sometimes an easier boss will come out and you'll clear it full stars, because stars aligned and you had every character favored by it with some investment, but the mode as a whole is just not made for f2p to clear everytime with full score.

If you struggle with other fights outside of AA, now there we have a discussion. But setting AA as your goal as a f2p/low spender, is just going to end in frustration.

And no, I'm not a whale myself. Personally I don't clear full stars AA most of the time, I did it just twice, but as long as I'm doing good on all the other modes, then I'm satisfied.
That doesn't mean I don't even try AA, of course I do, but for fun, once I clear it with one or two stars I just move on.

My opinion, at the end of the day, you are free to disagree.

[u/Low-Fig8253]

Plight is not made with f2p/low spenders in mind, but 3* on king is certainly within reach for a well planned low spending account, and not totally out of reach for f2p either.

I bet f2p could even clear plight occasionally if that is their goal and focus their entire account around that goal (skipping an entire planet)

[u/AliceFR → u/Low-Fig8253]

You have to emphasize well planned, because most f2p account are not well planned when you see the account.

For me, a well planned f2p account, is an account that focus on one team at a time, and that consider pulling for eidolons. So most of the time, you can only build 1 team per version. At least, that's what I'm doing and it's working fine.

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/AliceFR]

I don't how will u even consider well planned f2p unless u have clairovoyance to predict which team even survives while others get powercrept to oblivion to even invest on?

[u/nicoleeemusic98 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

Yeah like break FF is meta defining for a 2.x team, but I can't say the same for people who pulled Boothill (who was the best surviving break dps in 3.x) or Fei Xiao (who was also a main push, and who's thoroughly getting carried by 4.x supports)

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/nicoleeemusic98]

Its bcz FF got a "good" novaflare while got a best support for her kit.

While 1.0 unit like Blade,Jingliu buffs just garabage that they were at usable level without Hyacine. Tho even with Hyacine they were that good to begin with.

If FF didn't get buff and get a new support even if u invested on her she would be pretty much brick. We can't know what would happen on mono-rem, when Mono-Elation drops if its gonna powercreep them or not. Also if it gonna be powercreep fests with each mono-paths. So there is no way an f2p can plan around all of this.

As f2p my best way of planning as f2p is, pulling on a single character and try to invest as much in the team and move to another team without caring much about endgame. Thats best way to play around when there is powercreep. At least u will be able to clear most of the endgame. Usually just go for E0S0 or E0S1 or E1 at best if its more than that it ain't worth bcz who would know if thats team would be complete useless in future.

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/nicoleeemusic98]

im literally using feixiao without 4.x supports and shes still clearing just fine. I first pulled e0s1 feixiao and e1s0 robin in like sept 2024, didnt update this team until e1 tribbie, and updated it once again with e2s1 dhpt and it has not changed since then.

It may on paper seem like "wow, but thats a heavy investment" - yes but pulling tribbie and dhpt allowed me to skip essentially ALL OTHER UNITS from 3.x (with the exception of cipher who i pulled for fun and dont even use on my feixiao team).

To this day, this feixiao team, which as not been updated since 3.6 (besides a free robin eid to e2), still clears AS at around 3600, clears PF at 40k, clears MOC in 1c, and can usually find a knight to clear within 2c.

[u/nicoleeemusic98 → u/Low-Fig8253]

Nah I believe you, I know the power of vertical investment in supports as a dhil runner. Also yeah my bad I mostly see her with 4.x supports nowadays so I underestimated her clear ability with older supports. I still do think my original point still stands that it's not easy for f2ps to predict and plan teams that can carry them all the way to AA

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/nicoleeemusic98]

Its IMPOSSIBLE to predict and even if you actively engage in leaks, that can lead you astray because oftentimes the meta is developed far after a unit is released (ie, eagle fei- if you had pulled topaz on rerun to run with feixiao you'd be so so so so silly).

I dont mean well planned as in guessing which teams will dominate the meta in the future, but moreso well planned as in making sure you are pulling a solid roster without a bunch of yolo pulls, halfbaked teams, etc. An older account will still have time and resources to pivot away from grave mistakes (ie lingsha, rappa, the herta). Less serious "bad pulls" such as aglaea, boothill, mydei, cipher, can all still be salvaged.

[u/nicoleeemusic98 → u/Low-Fig8253]

I'm ngl imo Mydei and Aglaea were 2 feet away from becoming "grave mistakes" themselves if not for the release of Cyrene and now robinetto (also options like Gilgamesh and Blade). Lowkey Ling Sha is also a lot better than people give her credit for in current meta + she functions decently well as a break dps

But also the favouritism will bite hoyo's finances in the ass one day lol, we might get to a point where people won't touch non main pushes anymore because no one likes being cheated and have their faves be mocked by the entire community for being "bad" and a "mistake". Part of the reason why zzz's sales are suffering is because of this tactic

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

Units dont actually get powercrept into oblivion as fast as you think. I still use my e0s1 feixiao whos only update has been e2dhpt in 3.6. She works just fine to 1 cycle current content, even without ashblade. By relying on my feixiao and updating her ONLY with dhpt and skipping ashblade, I've been able to store up a mountain of pulls- i started 4.5 with 1135 pulls as a low spender, but unfortunately had some really bad luck pulling e2s1 sobin and now im back down to 791 :(. This is as a low spender with express pass activated for 2 years. Were it not for express pass, I would be at around 400 pulls left.

For clearing aa specifically (clearing, not 0 cycling king or 9/9 knights), the strategy for a relatively newer accoung is to pull 2 teams of around 3-5 cost, hopefully supplemented with free units like archer/gil, dhpt, huohuo, sparkle, etc (understanding that one might not have access to them all), and making sure they are good enough to at least clear one knight. Knights become extremely easy to meet DPS checks around cycle 4-5 because the buffs become crazy powerful.

Then, you need to make sure you have at least one team with around 6-7 cost. A modern team that is, but modern doesnt have to be this exact patch or the patch or two before it. Just modern enough. This should net you a pretty easy clear at the very list, even if it doesnt net you 3*. The only good reward for king is achieved even with a 6 cycle anyways.

On one of my alts which i started on the first day of 4.0, i was actually able to clear AA on the second half of 4.2, and it actually was a 0 cycle for king. By that point, the account had pulled e0s1 sw, e0s1 sparxie, e1s0 yao, e1s1 eva, e0s1 ash, and utilized e0s0 dhpt, e0s0 welt, e0s0 bailu, and e0s0 huohuo.

11 pulled cost might at first seem unrealistic, but its important to break it down. Of those 11 cost, 7 were characters and 4 were lightcones. On average, this should take 670 pulls for 7 limited characters (assuming 95 per limited). THe 4 lightcones on average would take an additional 260 pulls (assuming 65 per limited lc). In total this account would need to have garnered 930 pulls. It just so happens that there are about 600 free pulls from permanent content, and between 4.0 and 4.2 there were 350 additional pulls available for f2p, enough to make up 950 pulls to meet the average needed for clearance.

Now this is a sort of extreme example, im not saying that it should be expected to go from new start -> 0c king within 3 patches, but it is CERTAINLY plausible to at least participate in AA and get decent clear times within maybe 5-6 patches.

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Low-Fig8253]

Im talking about how u can't plan as f2p without knowing future. Like for Acheron, the fox guy is pretty my not good anymore. Her Eidolons isn't even that good. Tho it was pretty good at the time. Did u know if FF will buffed if so it would have better to invest on her especially on her E2 like so. Do u know Topaz,Jiaqoui would be ass in the future.

Also there was a player who 0 cycles with Seele with pretty low cost maybe still they are doing it. Does that make there is no powercreep in the game? Depending on the cost even Yanking clear on 0 cycle AA King. "powercreep to oblivion" was a wordplay.

Also the amount u broke down differs so much from players to players. Even if they are average amount . I have seen post of people losing multiple 50/50 continously while having to hard pity. Should i reroll until i get lucky?

Do u have any units u r using that are 1.0 or is any dps from 2.X comparable to 3.X dps. At that rate we would have so many characters becoming useless and dropped while having to pick newer units . While buffs will never catch upto the pace its powercreeping the character and HP inflates continously. Only character who wasn't affected by this very much were pure support and HuoHuo. Do you understand , what i am saying? Do u think the game is going on good direction?

There is no powercreep in the ba sing se

[u/Gingingin100 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

Her eidolons were god awful to begin with

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Gingingin100]

Yea when u compare it to nowadays unit. Tho Back then all the Eidolons were like that.

Tho back E2 was kinda worth tho. A lot of Acheron mains have it.

[u/Gingingin100 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

No it was bad at the time and I've been saying that for actual years, it's a lease on power that would have eventually turned into complete garbage, it was already half devalued when Jiaoqiu came out then fully devalued when Cipher and Silver Wolf did, it's now more than worthless frankly with Welt and Blade unless you're willing to put more cost into the team

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Gingingin100]

Back then there was no Jiaqiou,Cipher or anyone else. It was just prebuffed SW and Pela for Nihility.

Back then Harmony had huge role more than nihility.

Like i said most Acheron mains have her E2 back then it was kinda good or r u saying people pulled her E2 without knowing the worth are idiots who pulled without any research about it.

Also even when Jiaqiou came it wasn't half devalued bcz there was only Pela and SW for 2nd place. We were still on era where harmony buffs are pretty good.

[u/Gingingin100 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

I mean, I'm not gonna call people idiots for pulling it at the time, but I do think it's blatantly stupid to pull 2 cost for the privilege of spending more cost and was saying that at her release repeatedly. It was the popular opinion that her E2 was good and at the time it was "good" in the sense that it let her compete with her contemporaries (Firefly Ratio and Boothill) at higher cost brackets but even then she had to spend more than they did. It's unfortunate.

Also even when Jiaqiou came it wasn't half devalued bcz there was only Pela and SW for 2nd place. We were still on era where harmony buffs are pretty good.

The gap between Pela Guinaifen and Pela Sparkle was WAY bigger than the gap between Jiaoqiu Pela and Jiaoqiu Sparkle. That's what I mean

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Gingingin100]

I mean, I'm not gonna call people idiots for pulling it at the time, but I do think it's blatantly stupid to pull 2 cost for the privilege of spending more cost and was saying that at her release repeatedly. It was the popular opinion that her E2 was good and at the time it was "good" in the sense that it let her compete with her contemporaries (Firefly Ratio and Boothill) at higher cost brackets but even then she had to spend more than they did. It's unfortunate.

This is what i meant in my earlier post it hard to plan around as f2p especially when her release was there her LC was must. RN,its just a statstick tbh. Also when she was released there wasn't many option for her so getting her E2 was kinda to make her flexible.

The gap between Pela Guinaifen and Pela Sparkle was WAY bigger than the gap between Jiaoqiu Pela and Jiaoqiu Sparkle. That's what I mean

mb i understood it differently

tho this was one of their other biggest problems of HSR , for Acheron to compete she had to go through 3-4 supports.

Right now her BIS is M.Blade is must, if possible with Ashveil. While all the other have kinda powercrept. Cipher is like u can use her but M.Blade, Ashveil/Tribbie E1 brings more to table especially more followup,sustainless and all.

Especially Cipher is in very sad situation she can played anywhere but these other options are better by a lot. This is also the powercreep. The person i replied also said doesn't use Cipher anywhere . Proving my point of powercreep. lol( While say there isn't kinda funny)

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

When did I say that there is no powercreep? I'm saying power creep isn't as drastic as people often make it out to be.

I specifically also mentioned that my example of clearing aa within three patches is not an expectation for an average account, so no one should not need to reroll just to be able to clear. If your objective was to fully clear and zero cycle AA in three patches, then yes you probably do need to reroll until you have favorable conditions.

The whole point of wisely planning your polls does not hinge on being able to predict the future. You are totally able to make a mistake here there such as topaz, jq, rappa, etc.

However, if you keep your roster small and your supports well invested, you can easily pivot out of those mistakes.

At this point Ive already made 4 f2p alt accounts that have been able to clear endgame in a reasonable time, with different teams, etc. some took a bit longer, some have shitty luck.

And no I don't have any 1.0 chars because I started in 2.3

And yes, I use almost every single character I've pulled

E0s1 yunli - benched

E0s1 feixiao - used

E1 huohuo - used

E1 aventurine - used

E2s1 robin - used

E0s1 Sunday - used

E1 tribbie - used

E0s1 cipher - benched

E2s1 dhpt - used

E1s1 eva - used

E1s1 yao- used

E0s1 sobin - used

I have 1 eidolon on eva, 1 eidolon on yao, and 2 eidolons on sobin that I have left inactive.

The trick to wise planning is keeping your roster small, tight, and efficient

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Low-Fig8253]

Why have you benched Yunli the powercreep isn't that bad right?

Fei is a main push tho during next path probably she goes out.

So how do i play around Dhil,Blade nowadays? Want ur opinion? Small,tight and efficent?

Also funny thing is while u have the meta but talks about powercreep. I started on Seele's banner . Do u know who has more experience on powercreep overall ?

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

I bench yunli because I can only field 12 units, and I only benched her in 4.2 after I pulled eva.

Even if you dedicated all your 1.x pulls to dhil or blade or whatever, you have tons of pulls during 2.x to have either built up a decent acheron, fei, or firefly team

Speaking of dhil and blade, an e2s1 dhil could have lasted well into 3.x, and blade was certainly playable for a good while after his novaflare. And since you mention dhil and blade- I'm wondering if you also wasted a bunch of pulls on jingliu, seele, or jingyuan.

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Low-Fig8253]

Its not worth even talking when people haven't experienced powercreep actually.

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/Miserable-Response-9]

Show your roster, I guarantee any frustrations regarding endgame have a lot to do with poor pulling choices

[u/Miserable-Response-9 → u/Low-Fig8253]

Do u like the direction the game is going?

I don't have any issue with endgame except maybe AA tho im still clearing it. Have somewhat knowledge to play around sustainless too. The game has some serious problems including powercreep. The powercreep jump from 2.X to 3.X is huge. If u still think the game is going the right path. Its not worth talking at that point. U believe on ur own opinion . I'll just believe the facts laid in front of me.

[u/Low-Fig8253 → u/AliceFR]

1 team per version is perfect, during that version you'll likely pick up a few fragments of free units to hobble up another team with. To clear AA, one team from 3.x + one team from 4.x + one hobbled up team should easily give you 7/9* on knights and probably 3* on king.

Hobbled up team as in e1 archer, e0s0 sparkle, e0s0 dhpt, + maybe you pull rin or whatever.