Primogems are the lifeblood of Genshin Impact’s progression and collection system. As the most valuable in-game currency, every Traveler must face the critical question: how should I spend them? Making the right choices is crucial, especially for Free-to-Play (F2P) players and light spenders, as it directly impacts your ability to acquire new characters and weapons.
The answer, in short, is almost always to trade them for Intertwined Fates and use those on the Limited-Time Character Event Wish banners.
Primogems to Fates: The Conversion Rate
Before diving into the “why,” let’s quickly cover the mechanics. Primogems can be converted into two types of Wishes, or “Fates,” at a rate of 160 Primogems per Fate:
- Intertwined Fate (Pink/Rainbow Sphere): Used exclusively for the Limited-Time Character Event Wish and Limited-Time Weapon Event Wish banners. This is your ticket to acquiring new, exclusive 5-star characters and weapons.
- Acquaint Fate (Blue Sphere): Used only for the Standard Wish banner. This banner features a fixed pool of standard 5-star characters (like Diluc, Jean, and Keqing) and 5-star weapons.
Why Intertwined Fates Win (Almost) Every Time
This is where your strategic focus should be. Here are the undeniable reasons why Intertwined Fates are the best trade for your hard-earned Primogems:
1. The Limited-Time Factor
Limited-Time Character Event Banners feature characters that are not available anywhere else in the game. Once their banner is gone, you have to wait for a potential rerun, which can take many months. Acquaint Fates, on the other hand, are for the Standard Banner, and all its characters and weapons are permanently available. If you lose the 50/50 on a Character Event Wish, the “off-banner” 5-star you get is one of the Standard Banner characters anyway, meaning you still have a chance to acquire them without spending your limited Primogems on Acquaint Fates.
2. Pity Guarantees Carry Over
The pity (your wish count toward a guaranteed 5-star) for the Character Event Wish banner carries over from one limited banner to the next. If you wish 70 times on a banner and don’t get the 5-star, your next limited banner pull starts at 70 pity. This allows you to save and guarantee a character you truly want. The Standard Banner pity is independent, but since you will accumulate Acquaint Fates for free through in-game activities (like Battle Pass, character ascension, and the Stardust Exchange), you don’t need to spend Primogems to work on its pity.
3. Acquaint Fates are Freely Acquired
The game provides a steady stream of Acquaint Fates for free. You get them from:
- Leveling up your Adventure Rank.
- Ascending characters at certain levels (Level 20, 50, and 70).
- The monthly reset of the Paimon’s Bargains Stardust Exchange.
Since you get Acquaint Fates for free, using Primogems to buy them is a significant opportunity cost—it means you’re sacrificing a chance at a limited-time character for something you’ll eventually get anyway.
What to Avoid Trading Primogems For
To maximize your account’s potential, there are a few things you should almost never use your Primogems on:
Acquaint Fates::
As detailed above, this is the number one mistake a new player can make. Reserve all your blue fates for the Standard Banner and never use Primogems to purchase them.
Original Resin Refills:
Original Resin is your “stamina” used for Domains, Ley Line Blossoms, and Bosses. You can spend Primogems to instantly replenish 60 Resin. While tempting when you need just one more run for an artifact or Ascension Material, the cost escalates quickly (50, 100, 100, 150, 200, 200 Primogems). For F2P players, this is an incredibly poor value compared to a limited-banner wish.
Battle Pass Tiers:
You can buy a Battle Pass Tier for 150 Primogems. This is never worth it. The Battle Pass is easily completed just by playing the game regularly and completing your daily and weekly missions.
The Optimal Strategy: Save and Guarantee
The best use of Primogems is to save them for the Intertwined Fates required to guarantee a limited-time 5-star character that you genuinely want.
Given the “pity” and “50/50” system, to guarantee a specific limited-time character, you need enough Primogems for up to 180 Wishes (160 Primogems × 180 Fates = 28,800 Primogems). While you’ll often get the character sooner, having this amount saved ensures you are ready when your favorite character arrives.
In the vast world of Teyvat, Primogems represent your freedom of choice. Choose wisely, save diligently, and you’ll find yourself with a powerful and exciting roster of characters to explore with. Good luck, Traveler!
