Installation & Account Setup

New to Punishing: Gray Raven? This guide covers choosing your server, understanding banner currencies like Black Cards, and which banners to prioritize for F2P players.

So, you've decided to dive into the world of Punishing: Gray Raven! It's a fantastic game, but like many gacha games, it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. Don't worry, I'm here to help you get set up and understand the basics so you can start your journey as a Commandant without too much confusion. ## Choosing a Server When you first launch the game on the Global version, you'll need to pick a server. You have three options: North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. This choice is pretty important because it determines who you can add as friends and play co-op missions with. Just a heads-up, co-op will have about a 2-second delay no matter which server you pick. The biggest thing to remember here is that your game data won't transfer between servers. So, take a moment and choose the one that makes the most sense for you. ## Banner Currencies in PGR Understanding the different currencies is key to managing your resources effectively. Let's break down the main ones you'll encounter: ### Black Cards These are your most precious currency, Commandants! Black Cards can be converted into almost any other currency in the game. Because of this, you'll want to be very careful with how you spend them. For Free-to-Play (F2P) players and those who don't spend much, it's highly recommended to save all your Black Cards for the limited-time banners featuring new S-rank Constructs (often called "Theme Limited" banners). * How to Acquire: You'll earn them from completing stages, finishing missions, participating in events, topping up with real money ($), and other activities. ### Basic Construct R&D Tickets These tickets are used exclusively for the "Base" tab of the Member Recruit banner. If you're F2P, you should definitely avoid converting your hard-earned Black Cards into these. * How to Acquire: You get these from leveling up, completing Bounty Missions, as login rewards, topping up ($), and more. ### Basic Weapon R&D Tickets Similar to the Construct tickets, these are used only for the "Base" tab of the Weapon Research banner. Again, F2P players should steer clear of using Black Cards to buy these. * How to Acquire: These come from login rewards, topping up ($), and other sources. ### Target Weapon R&D Tickets These tickets are specifically for the Target Weapon Research banner. If you're aiming to get a specific 6★ weapon for a character, you'll likely want to convert Black Cards into these tickets. * How to Acquire: Primarily through topping up ($), and other means. ### Event Construct R&D Tickets These tickets are versatile and can be used in the "Event - Guaranteed" or "Special Event - Floating Guarantee" tabs of the R&D section. If you're trying to pull for new S-rank Constructs, you'll probably be converting Black Cards into these. * How to Acquire: You get these from leveling up, topping up ($), and other activities. ## Which Banner Should You Choose? For F2P players and low spenders, the general advice is to stay away from Tab 3 banners as they tend to have a lot of variability. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're looking at the banners: * Characters and weapons are pulled from separate banners. * Every banner has a "pity" system, which guarantees you a character or weapon after a certain number of pulls. * The pity counters for A-rank Constructs and 5★ Weapons are separate from the pity counters for S-rank Constructs and 6★ Weapons. * If you happen to pull a Construct or weapon of the featured rarity before reaching the pity count, the counter will reset to zero. For example, if you pull a featured S-rank Construct on your 20th pull in a Theme Limited banner, your next pity will require another 60 pulls. ## Tab 1: "Base - Guaranteed" This section contains what most players call the beginner banner (Member Recruit), along with two permanent weapon banners: Target Weapon Research and Weapon Research. ### Member Recruit * This is a permanent banner available from the start. * The first S-rank Construct you pull here will be guaranteed within 40 pulls. After that, subsequent S-rank Constructs will have a pity of 60 pulls, even if you hit the first pity early. * The A-rank Construct pity is set at 10 pulls. * This is often called the "beginner banner" by the community. ### Target Weapon Research * This is also a permanent banner. * You can select a specific weapon to have a boosted rate (rate-up) in the bottom left corner of the banner. * The pity for a 5★ weapon is 10 pulls. * The pity for a 6★ weapon is 30 pulls. * There's an 80% chance you'll get the rate-up 6★ weapon when you hit its pity. * Most weapons are permanently available in this banner once added, with the exception of special collaboration weapons like those from NieR.