If you’ve ever stared at a limited-time Genshin Impact banner featuring a 5-star character you’ve been waiting months for, only to realize you have zero pulls left, you know how frustrating that gap feels. Learning how to get intertwined fate in Genshin Impact is the only way to access those limited banners, which never return to the standard permanent pool. I’ve been playing Genshin since launch, and I’ve pulled over 12 limited 5-stars without spending more than $15 a month, so I’ve tested every possible method to farm these fates efficiently. This guide breaks down every free and paid route, plus common mistakes to avoid so you don’t waste your hard-earned currency on pulls you don’t actually want.
Free Ways to Get Intertwined Fate in Genshin Impact (No Spending Required)
You don’t have to swipe your credit card to get enough fates for a guaranteed 5-star, which takes 90 pulls on a limited banner. Most casual players can earn 40-60 fates a month for free if they stick to a consistent routine, even if they only log in for 30 minutes a day. The most reliable free sources are:
- Daily Commissions: Completing all 4 daily quests gives you 60 primogems a day, which translates to 1 intertwined fate every 2 and a half days, since 1 fate costs 160 primogems. You also get extra rewards from the Katheryne check-in that can include fates directly during event periods.
- Exploration and Puzzles: Every region has hidden chests, time trial challenges, and teleport waypoints that give primogems as rewards. 100% exploring a new region like Fontaine can net you up to 80 intertwined fates total, including primogems, fates from the reputation system, and statue of the seven level ups.
- Event Rewards: Most limited time events give 2-4 intertwined fates directly as completion rewards, plus thousands of primogems that you can convert to more fates. Events only run for 2-3 weeks each, so you’ll want to prioritize these if you’re saving for an upcoming banner.
- Spiral Abyss: Clearing floors 9-12 of the Spiral Abyss every two weeks gives up to 600 primogems per full clear, which is almost 4 fates every reset. You don’t need full 5-star teams to clear floor 11, so even mid-game players can earn at least 2-3 fates per reset here.
- Battle Pass Free Tier: The free track of every battle pass gives 4 intertwined fates at level 50, even if you don’t pay for the premium Gnostic Hymn tier. You can level up the pass just by doing daily and weekly quests, so this is a no-brainer free source.
One common mistake I see new players make is wasting primogems on the standard banner Acquaint Fates instead of saving for Intertwined Fates. Unless you’re specifically hunting for a standard 5-star like Diluc or Jean, every primogem you earn should go toward Intertwined Fates for limited banners you actually want. You’ll also get free Intertwined Fates from birthday rewards, annual anniversary events, and occasional maintenance compensation, so make sure to check your in-game mail every time you log in.
Low-Cost Paid Methods to Earn Extra Intertwined Fates
If you’re willing to spend a small amount each month to speed up your fate farming, there are a few options that give way more value than buying primogems directly from the shop. You don’t have to drop hundreds of dollars on pulls, even if you want a guaranteed limited 5-star every few months. The Blessing of the Welkin Moon is by far the best value paid option in the game. For $4.99 a month, you get 90 primogems a day for 30 days, plus a one-time 300 genesis crystals. That adds up to 3000 primogems total, which is almost 19 intertwined fates per month for less than the cost of a coffee a week. It’s the only paid purchase I’ve made consistently since launch, and it’s more than enough to get me a guaranteed 5-star every 2-3 months.
The premium Battle Pass, or Gnostic Hymn, is another great low-cost option at $9.99 per 6-week cycle. It gives you 4 extra Intertwined Fates, plus tons of upgrade materials and genesis crystals that you can convert to more primogems. If you log in regularly enough to hit level 50 on the pass every cycle, it’s well worth the cost, as you get more than 10 times the value of buying primogems directly. Avoid buying single genesis crystal packs from the shop unless it’s an emergency and you’re 1 pull away from a guaranteed 5-star. Those packs are extremely overpriced, and you’ll get way more value from the Welkin Moon and Battle Pass if you plan to spend money long-term. You also get extra Intertwined Fates from top-up bonuses every time there’s a major version update, so you can save your purchases for those periods to double your value.
Pro Tips to Maximize Your Intertwined Fate Savings
Even if you’re earning tons of fates every month, it’s easy to waste them on impulse pulls for characters you don’t actually want or need. I’ve made this mistake before, blowing 70 pulls on a random banner just because it was new, then having no fates left when the character I’d been waiting for dropped a month later. First, make a pull plan before you start saving. Look at the official Genshin roadmap and leaker updates (if you’re comfortable with spoilers) to see which characters are coming in the next 3-6 months. Decide which characters you absolutely want to pull for, and don’t touch your saved fates for any other banners, no matter how tempting they look.
Next, take advantage of the pity system. Every 90 pulls on a limited banner guarantees you a 5-star character, and 50% of the time it will be the featured limited 5-star. If you lose the 50/50 to a standard 5-star, your next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured one. If you’re at 70+ pulls without a 5-star, you’re in “soft pity” range, where your drop rate increases dramatically, so you’ll want to make sure you have enough fates to hit that pity if you’re going for a featured character. Another easy trick is to convert your primogems to Intertwined Fates as soon as you earn them. It’s way harder to impulse spend fates that are already in your inventory for a specific banner, instead of leaving primogems sitting there that you can spend on random pulls on a whim. I do this every time I earn 160 primogems, and it’s saved me from wasting hundreds of pulls over the years. You should also avoid pulling on weapon banners unless you have a lot of extra fates saved. Weapon banners have a more complicated pity system, and you’re more likely to waste fates on weapons you don’t need, so it’s better to focus on character banners first unless you’re a endgame player who already has all the characters you want.
Common Intertwined Fate Mistakes to Avoid
After helping dozens of my friends plan their pulls, I’ve seen the same mistakes pop up over and over again that cost players dozens of fates they could have used for their favorite characters. The first and most common mistake is wasting primogems on Acquaint Fates for the standard banner. The standard banner has a huge pool of characters and weapons, so you’re extremely unlikely to get the specific 5-star you want, even if you spend hundreds of pulls. Never spend primogems on Acquaint Fates unless you’ve already gotten every limited character you want and have nothing else to spend your currency on. The Acquaint Fates you get for free from level ups and reputation rewards are more than enough for the standard banner.
Another big mistake is pulling on a banner just for 4-star characters. 4-star characters are added to the standard pool over time, and you’ll get most of them for free from random pulls on limited banners anyway. It’s never worth wasting pity on a banner just for a 4-star, since you could end up getting a 5-star you don’t want and losing your 50/50 guarantee for the character you actually want. Many new players also don’t realize that pity carries over between banners of the same type. If you do 60 pulls on the current limited character banner and don’t get a 5-star, that 60 pulls counts toward the pity on the next limited character banner, so you don’t lose your progress if you decide to skip the current featured character. That means you can save up pulls across multiple banner cycles without losing any progress toward your guaranteed 5-star. The last mistake I see is spending real money on pulls when you’re frustrated because you lost a 50/50. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and drop $50 on primogems to get the character you wanted, but that’s a slippery slope that can lead to overspending. If you lose a 50/50, take a break, remind yourself that the next 5-star is guaranteed, and go back to farming fates for the next rerun of that character.
At the end of the day, farming Intertwined Fates doesn’t have to be a grind that takes over your life, or a hobby that costs you hundreds of dollars a month. With a little bit of planning and consistency, you can earn more than enough fates to get every limited character you want, even if you’re a completely free-to-play player. I’ve used all the methods in this guide to build a roster of almost every limited 5-star I’ve ever wanted, and I only spend $15 a month on the Welkin Moon and Battle Pass. If you follow these tips and avoid the common mistakes, you’ll never have to stare at a limited banner with zero pulls left again. Learning how to get intertwined fate in Genshin Impact is the first step to building the team of your dreams, and you can start implementing these methods the next time you log in.