In the vast, beautiful world of Teyvat, resources are everything. From Mora to Primogems, every currency helps you grow stronger, but few are as reliable and as consistently useful as Masterless Stardust. This twinkling reward from the wishing system is often overlooked, but it’s arguably one of the most vital currencies for every player, especially those who are Free-to-Play or Low-Spending.
If you find yourself wondering what to spend your hard-earned Stardust on, look no further! We’re breaking down what Stardust is, how you get it, and most importantly, what you absolutely must trade it for in Paimon’s Bargains every single month.
What is Masterless Stardust?
Masterless Stardust is a currency you obtain solely through making Wishes. Every time you pull a 3-star weapon (which happens most of the time you don’t get a 4-star or 5-star item), you’ll receive 15 Masterless Stardust.
Since 3-star items are a constant presence in the Wishing banners, Stardust is a steady, predictable source of currency that replenishes with your wishing habits. Unlike its rarer counterpart, Masterless Starglitter, you’ll accumulate Stardust frequently, making it the perfect resource for monthly necessities.
The Golden Rule: Prioritize Fates!
When you visit the Stardust Exchange tab in Paimon’s Bargains, you’ll see several items available, from EXP Books and Mora to character materials. However, there is one category that takes absolute, undisputed priority: Wishes.
The shop allows you to buy:
- 5 Intertwined Fates (the pink ones for the limited banners)
- 5 Acquaint Fates (the blue ones for the Standard Banner)
Each Fate costs 75 Masterless Stardust, and the stock for both refreshes at the start of every month.
This is the single best trade you can make in the entire shop.
- Intertwined Fates: These are your tickets to the limited-time Character and Weapon Event banners, which feature the most powerful and desirable 5-star characters and weapons. Every F2P and low-spending player should prioritize these five Fates to boost their Primogem savings and work towards their pity count.
- Acquaint Fates: While the Standard Banner is less of a priority than the Limited Banners, these Fates are essentially ‘free’ wishes towards a 5-star character or weapon from the permanent pool. Given that the Stardust exchange rate for a Fate is essentially a 40% discount on the typical Primogem cost (75 Stardust vs. 160 Primogems), buying the monthly five Acquaint Fates is a worthwhile investment.
The grand total for all 10 Fates is 750 Masterless Stardust. Make it your goal to save this amount by the start of the next month’s shop reset.
What About the Other Items?
Once you have purchased all 10 monthly Fates, you can look at the remaining items, but proceed with caution. The Stardust Exchange also offers:
- EXP Materials (Adventurer’s Experience): These can be farmed relatively easily from Ley Lines. Do not buy these unless you are a new player in desperate need, as your Resin is generally better spent on artifacts or other domain materials.
- Mora: The initial batch of 10,000 Mora for 10 Stardust is a decent top-up, but the unlimited purchase that costs 20 Stardust is a poor value.
- Weapon Enhancement Materials (Mystic Enhancement Ore): Crafting this from excess magical and crystal cores is simple. Avoid buying these.
- Character and Weapon Ascension Materials: These are common enemy drops. While convenient, the Stardust is almost always better served on Fates.
The rule of thumb here is simple: If you can farm it with Resin or by defeating enemies, don’t spend your Stardust on it.
Final Verdict
Masterless Stardust is your most reliable engine for obtaining more wishes without spending Primogems. For every player in Genshin Impact, the Intertwined Fates and Acquaint Fates must be your top—and likely only—priority in the Stardust Exchange.
Secure those ten wishes first. Only when you’ve done this and have a significant surplus should you even glance at the other materials. Happy Wishing, Traveler!
