The Archer LC situation

Today I want to do an "educational post" about an issue I know in advance many people will not see or understand, or simply disagree with, but I hope this post will change your mind on why it's an issue

Following HSR 3.4 Livestream a special event was announced, all players who spend 200 special passes within version 3.4 will receive Archer's lightcone in addition to the free Archer everyone will get

Now if I make a post about it you probably guess it's because there is a problem.. or even several..

Issue 1 : The event

The real amount of pulls needed

This event only last during version 3.4 while the collab banner last longer

First 3.4 version doesn't contain enough pulls to guarantee this LC if you didn't keep some pulls before (kinda obvious)

But the amount of pulls you think you will have may be even lower than you anticipated

The amount of rumored pulls you can get during the version is unsure

some reliable sources says around 90

some doubtful sources says up to 120

Given several sources contradict each other I recommend you to be even more careful than usual about it

But you also have to consider that not all rewards are available on version launch a part of what come from events and end game mode resets is gatekept to later in the version, and it's assumed you do everything which not everyone can, so in reality you will have less than whatever is estimated

In reality you need to already be rather close from 200 pulls to get that LC

Possible banner limitations

While you can spend 200 special passes anytime within the version and on any banner they only last for half the version so wherever you plan to spend during the first or second half will matter a lot toward the pulls you have as we saw above that not all rewards are available on version launch

This matter less if you only pull for collab banners which is recommended if you care about it given they shouldn't rerun unlike the rest of the banners

Pushing you to pull more

The event is limited to version 3.4 to make you pull more, by setting a goal at 200 pulls, a lightcone maximum cost is 160

You generally get LC for less but because this event exist it will draw everyone to not pull on the lightcone banner and try to get it through the event by doing 200 pulls elsewhere, this way you feel forced to go all the way in to take the guaranteed LC even if it cost most than on its own banner, because it just feels better

And just like you feel pushed to do 200 pulls you may even feel pushed to do even more to get a character or lightcone you already started pulling on without getting it yet, in order to finish what you started before banner end

Gatekeeping informations

While we knew about the collab and had good reasons to keep pulls this event existence was gatekeeped until the very last moment so that no one would expect it, paired with 3.3 having some great banners to ensure more people would be low on pulls

Are players to blame ?

I don't think we can or should blame it on players for not having enough pulls,

As we saw above you really need to already be close from 200 pulls, and if you planed to pull on first half banner you have access to even less of the version pulls making it even harder to reach 200 without existing savings

But there are other reasons for some players not being ready

some may not be interested into Saber and only want their free Archer,

some expected to get enough pulls with the version to guarantee one char,

some might be on a guarantee with only one pity ready thinking it would be enough for non collab chars

or some pulled for important units they needed earlier,

in the end it's a gacha their goal is not to let you access this easily

In my opinion an event with a pull goal a borderline spending event

It's not as bad but remain problematic as it pushes a lot of fomo (fear of missing out) onto players

How it affect players

Yes the goal is reachable for players who kept pulls

But that's not the case of everyone, and we saw why

So what if you don't have enough ? let's imagine how it feels

You farm, you clear all the content in the version, go back to old things you may have missed, you try to get enough pulls until the very last moment, alas you realise you won't ever have enough because 200 pulls is too much to farm in one version

But you are already in because you pulled, you tried, because the first half had some interesting banners, because you had to pull, even if you pulled in the second half, or just on the collab banners, you are so close from getting the lightcone that now you know switching to the lightcone banner will cost you too much, starting all over again is not an option

The only option left.. is spending money or losing on that incredibly valuable and rare unique offer..

And that's how they get you..

That's how what appear as a "free reward" on one side can suddenly turn into a predatory event with spending incentive from another perspective, using fomo to push players to spend money out of desperation, out of fear to miss a unique offer, such a good offer that it may never happen again, something that won't ever come back so that you feel like you need it

That's what makes it a borderline spending event, anytime a gacha event give a pull goal they know some players will spend

Maybe you don't see yourself in this and it's fine, but we all know this will be the case of so many players, you may think it's the same with the collab itself, yes it pushes fomo, but the collab last several banners, so anyone who's really looking to get Saber for example can absolutely guarantee her, because the time it self you will get all the pulls you need, but the lightcone you can't

That aside even for spender this is concerning, a lot of spenders are often used to recharge as soon as they are missing a few pulls to guarantee what they really wanted, but by setting a higher pull goal than what they may go for it ensure that a lot of spenders will spend more than usual, exactly like the recharge event for anniversary (that had a way higher spending goal than this) pushing players to possibly spend more than they need or want to reach that goal

Issue 2 : The lightcone

Now there is also an issue with the lightcone itself

Everyone get a free Archer which already give you a reason to want the lightcone

Obviously not everyone plan to build Archer

But you probably think that another hunt unit will make a good use of it, which is a second reason you may want it

Thing is.. they made this lightcone extremely niche

The lightcone is niche

I regretfully cannot disclose the precise effects because they made sure to gatekeep that information as well, so that you don't know untill it release and it's too late, you can find it yourself very easily on the internet

So here is what I can say :

• Archer is the only hunt unit that can fully use this lightcone, currently no one else synergize with any of the effects

• Only Sparkle OR Archer can enable some of this lightcone effect to work, in which case it may come as a sidegrade or even minor upgrade to Cruise in the stellar sea if one of these two characters is in the team

• If neither Sparkle or Archer is in the team and the LC isn't used by Archer, it's pretty much useless, because nearly the totality of the effect it provides won't be usable, making it at the very least one of the weakest lightcone to exist and an absolute downgrade to many existing F2P options

Attempt to sell Sparkle

There is another important fact

Archer is a special character who can use his skill up to 5 times in a row, each use consumpe 2 SP, that makes him the most SP hungry character of the game, in that regard he want Sparkle, he doesn't strictly need her but she is his best teammate without a doubt, because if you play with her you won't have any room for mistake and will need to shorten his burst because you will simply never have the SP amount needed nor the max SP capacity which always limit him

This also mean that the most casual players will struggle a lot with him because it takes a lot of setup to improve the SP management, as a result, they'll feel more pushed to need Sparkle than veteran players

HSR is absolutely using the collab to boost Sparkle sales after powercreeping her with Sunday, by making a character and a lightcone not weak but niche, so that Sparkle is currently the only character to enable a certain part of their potential

For those who know it's exactly the same thing they do with buffed characters, Jingliu went HP scaling to increase Tribbie and Hyacine sales, Blade works with them too, Kafka is getting reworked before an upcoming DoT unit is released, while there is benefit to having these units HSR is always finding a way to make it beneficial for their sales in the end

If you have Sparkle you probably think this is the greatest thing that she become more relevant but what if you don't ? what if you were trying to be smart and get Sunday due to his more polyvalent nature and bigger buffs ? now you are being punished by a niche meta made to sell Sparkle to use your new "free dps" at the best of his potential as no one else can fill that need, no one else can increase max SP and generate SP currently

Just to make sure I'm clear one last time

I'm not saying Archer is weak or bad

I'm not saying that he doesn't work with Sparkle

Only saying that there is a huge incentive to get Sparkle as she is Archer best teammate by providing effects no one else have yet, this apply to the lightcone as well, only her enable it, when you will see the lightcone you will understand

Why do they give this lightcone ?

One of the reason they can afford to give this lightcone through an event is because they made it so niche that it will not disrupt the current power balance or any of the sales of their next hunt lightcone because even if you use Sparkle to enable it to work it is still rather weak for a signature, not on Archer, but on anyone else..

This lightcone lives and die with Archer

It's gonna be strong on release as long as Archer is meta, which he will be on release, but on long term it's a no risk for them because Archer will get powercrept, so as soon as it happens this lightcone will become useless as if you didn't have it

The chances for a character to have a similar kit than Archer is very unlikely so its value just dies with him pretty much

About Archer getting powercreep sorry if that displease you but if HSR proved us one thing : anything can get powercrept

Consider hunt dps, with great damage but limited gameplay to access these dmg

Doesn't that remind you of someone else who was given for free ?

Dr Ratio, why did they give him ?

Someone else who was rumored to break the game on release because he was so good.. yeah..

Because they knew the majority was gonna pull RuanMei who was way more valuable

Because they knew he would help sell other units to get rid of his limitations (need for several debuffs)

Because they knew they could powercreep him, and they did

Now also consider Archer is a collab unit, he may never get a rerun with no access to his sig and eidolons again..

I'm not trying to discourage you from using him, as a fact I can ensure you he will be extremely strong, and he should last a good time but don't expect him to not get powercrept at some point, because nothing will stop it from happening, and that day his lightcone will become useless

This lightcone will also help him to stay relevant longer, if you invest well, so it's not all bad, it's just important to keep it in mind

Conclusion (TLDR)

So to sum up :

• Free Light cone from one perspective, potentially highly predatory fomo event that push to spend money from another
• Light cone is niche, only Archer can really use it, no value for other dps
• Both Archer and the lightcone are an attempt to boost sales of Sparkle

Yes we could say this balance it, but it's always more complicated than this

Even if everyone knew about the value of the LC some will inevitably feel like they need it, either by fomo or just for Archer

Even if the lightcone appear as "free reward" people need to be more careful about what is really free and what isn't

The game is definitely making more money by just adding this supposed "free LC" rather than not adding it, it cost them nothing, it's one of the nichest and least impactful lightcones, it's rumored to be least impactful than Archer's E1, it was literaly the majority of thing people would pull out of the entire version, so don't think it's a gift, it's an attempt to make money while making a good marketing move, which is even more money

Just like character buffs, there is always money involved behind every change, even the ones that appear as the most positive.

My recommendations

Now that we talked about the issues, here goes my recommendation if you need it

If you have the 200 pulls :

• If you want to use Archer long term : I recommend aiming at his eidolons in priority, Sparkle and SW who are getting a rerun are his best teammates, get his sig as a bonus, all of this will make him a very strong dps

• If you want other units : just pull but don't bother about reaching 200 if you get all you need before reaching it
• Tribbie is most likely the most valuable Harmony units to have currently
• SW is an alternative to Tribbie who win in single target teams
• Phainon should be a very solid and fun to use dps with some complexity if you think you can deal with it

• If you have Sparkle : I'll be fair she doesn't makes the lightcone worth on any other dps than Archer, it being a possible upgrade over Cruise in the stellar sea is kind of a joke as any sig LC of the corresponding dps will still give you better results with some being far more valuable for several dps

If you don't have the 200 pulls and know you can't reach it :

• First thing don't stress, don't feel pushed to spend

• If you want to use Archer long term :
• F2P Option exist and will work well, sig isn't a must, it doesn't unlock anything for his gameplay just provide dmg
• You could still try to pull on his sig banner, but only do if you are absolutely sure you cannot reach 200 pulls otherwise you may regret if you discover you can reach it and get two copies of it, you have been warned about the risks
• While Spakle and SW are very valuable to him there is no reason they won't get more reruns, unlike collbat content, so LC and eidolons should be higher priority unless you really have no supports or need them for several teams
• As collab banners last for more than 3.4 you can always try to get LC/Eidolons next banner if the supports are really more valuable currently, especially if you don't care about 3.4 banners

• If you don't care about Archer, well no stress no problem you have no need for that sig so it's all good, you are not missing out on anything insane you are not ruining your account

Should you use Archer or not ?

This can help you decide wherever you care about the lightcone or not

If you a meta player he should easily be the new best single target damage dealer by an insane margin, I insist on the margin being very large, which mean easier clear in the current meta despite AoE focus, as powercreep usually go, you won't regret building him, as for how long he should last it's harder to tell sadly but he's on par with most limited DPS

If you don't really care about end game and such, you can still use him low invest and it should be fine, but keep in mind his huge SP consumption may make a bit unpleasant sometime so you will still have to carefully make your team

Hope this post was informative and helpful