If you’ve ever stared at your primogem balance hovering just under 1600, wondering if you should save up for a multi-pull or do single pulls as you earn them, you’re not alone. Wishing strategy is one of the most debated topics in the Genshin Impact community, with players split over which method gives better odds of landing limited 5-star characters and weapons. A common question that pops up in forum threads and Discord servers is are 10 pulls better genshin impact, and the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. I’ve tested both methods across 3 years of playing, tracked my pull results, and dug into official gacha mechanics to break down exactly when each strategy works, and when you’re better off going with one over the other.
How Genshin Impact’s Gacha Pity System Actually Works
Before we compare pull methods, it’s critical to understand the core rules that govern all wishes on Genshin Impact’s banners. First, official drop rates are identical for single pulls and 10 pulls, no matter what type of banner you’re pulling on. For limited character event banners, you have a base 0.6% chance to get a 5-star character per pull, and a 5.1% chance to get a 4-star character or weapon per pull. These rates never change based on if you pull one at a time or 10 at a time.
Pity counters also carry over seamlessly between single and 10 pulls, so you never lose progress if you switch between methods. For 4-star items, pity triggers at 10 pulls: if you haven’t gotten a 4-star or higher in 9 pulls, your 10th pull (whether it’s a single or part of a multi) will be at least a 4-star. For 5-star characters on limited banners, hard pity triggers at 90 pulls, and soft pity increases your 5-star drop rate by roughly 6% per pull starting at 74 pulls, meaning most players get their 5-star between 75 and 80 pulls.
I confirmed this myself last year when I was pulling for Nahida. I did 72 single pulls over two weeks, then did a 10 pull when I saved up enough primogems, and got her on the 76th pull total. The pity counter didn’t reset or change when I switched from single pulls to a 10 pull, just as the official rules state.
Are 10 Pulls Better in Genshin Impact? Breaking Down Pros and Cons
Now that you understand the pity system doesn’t favor either pull type, we can look at the practical differences that might make 10 pulls a better fit for your play style. The biggest perks of sticking to 10 pulls include:
- Faster progress through low pity counts – If you’re at 0 pity and just want to burn through a chunk of primogems quickly to see if you get an early lucky drop, 10 pulls let you skip the repetitive animation of tapping single pull over and over, which saves a lot of time if you have 50+ pulls saved.
- Guaranteed 4-star per 10 pull batch – While single pulls also give a 4-star every 10 pulls, 10 pulls let you get that guaranteed 4-star immediately, instead of waiting days or weeks to save up for individual pulls one by one if you earn primogems slowly.
- Easier to track pity for new players – If you don’t want to use a third-party pity tracker or keep a manual count, doing 10 pulls at a time makes it simple to count how many pulls you’ve done since your last 5-star, with no extra work required.
But 10 pulls aren’t always the best choice, and they have some notable downsides that can cost you thousands of primogems if you’re not careful. The biggest flaw of 10 pulls is that you can’t stop a 10 pull midway – once you hit that button, you’re committed to all 10 pulls, even if you get the 5-star character you wanted on the very first pull of the batch. I’ve seen friends waste 1440 primogems on extra pulls they didn’t want to do, just because they hit 10 pull and got their target immediately.
10 pulls also work poorly if you’re on a tight primogem budget. If you only have enough for one or two 10 pulls total, you might end up wasting pulls on characters you don’t want if you get your target early, instead of saving those primogems for a future banner you care more about.
When You Should Use Single Pulls Instead of 10 Pulls
If you’re tight on primogems, or you’re within 10 pulls of hitting soft or hard pity, single pulls are almost always the better choice. I’ve saved over 10,000 primogems over the years by switching to single pulls when I’m close to pity, because I can stop immediately once I get the 5-star I’m chasing, instead of wasting extra pulls on a full 10 pull batch.
Single pulls are also ideal if you’re only hunting for a 4-star character on the banner – for example, if you just want to get a copy of Kuki Shinobu on a limited Archon banner, you can stop as soon as you get her, instead of wasting extra primogems on the rest of a 10 pull. I did this last year when I wanted a single copy of Yun Jin on the Shenhe banner: I got her on my 3rd single pull, and saved the 1120 primogems I would have spent on the other 7 pulls of a 10 pull for the next banner.
If you’re a free-to-play player who only earns a few hundred primogems a week from dailies and events, single pulls also feel more rewarding, since you don’t have to wait weeks to save up for a full 10 pull. You can pull as soon as you earn 160 primogems, which makes the grind feel more satisfying for casual players who don’t spend money on primogems.
At the end of the day, single pulls give you far more control over how many primogems you spend per banner – which is a huge plus for players who want to stretch their savings as far as possible across multiple limited banners.
Pro Tips to Maximize Your Wishing Odds No Matter Your Strategy
Whether you prefer 10 pulls or single pulls, there are a few simple rules you can follow to avoid wasting primogems and get the characters you want faster. First, always track your pity count, either with a trusted community tool or a simple note on your phone. You don’t want to accidentally pull on the wrong banner and waste 70+ pulls of pity you saved for a limited character you’ve been waiting months for.
Never pull on the standard banner unless you have extra acquaint fates you don’t know what to do with – limited character banners give you far more value, since you can pick which 5-star you’re chasing, instead of getting random standard banner drops like weapons or characters you already have. I only pull on the standard banner when I get free acquaint fates from battle pass or level up rewards, and I never spend primogems on it.
If you’re planning to pull on a weapon banner, make sure you understand the epitomized path system before you spend any primogems. Weapon banners have two 5-star rate-up items, and you need to pick a target weapon to build pity for it. It takes up to 240 pulls to guarantee your target weapon, so only pull on weapon banners if you have enough primogems saved to hit that guarantee, or you’re comfortable with the risk of getting the wrong 5-star weapon.
Don’t pull on a banner just because you have extra primogems lying around. It’s tempting to pull for fun when you have 1600 primogems saved and no upcoming banner you’re excited for, but you’ll regret it when a character you love gets announced a few weeks later and you have no primogems left to pull for them.
At the end of the day, the answer to are 10 pulls better genshin impact depends entirely on your play style, how many primogems you have saved, and what you’re chasing on the banner. If you want to save time, don’t want to track pity closely, and have plenty of primogems to spend, 10 pulls are a convenient, low-fuss option. If you’re a free-to-play player, close to pity, or only hunting for a specific 4-star, single pulls will almost always give you more value and save you primogems in the long run. The best strategy is the one that feels most fun for you – Genshin Impact is a game first, and wishing should be exciting, not stressful, so don’t get too caught up in “optimal” strategies if they take the joy out of pulling for your favorite characters.