Punishing Gray Raven: Ultimate Reroll and Tier List Guide
Diving into Punishing Gray Raven (PGR) brings excitement and the inevitable question: To reroll or not?
This detailed guide dives into the mechanics of rerolling in PGR, offering insights and strategies to optimize your starting lineup, alongside a tier list on selecting the best characters for a strong beginning.
Our Reroll Guide and Tier List for Punishing Gray Raven
Understanding Rerolling in PGR
What is Rerolling?
Rerolling involves starting a new game repeatedly to take advantage of initial free character pulls, aiming to secure a strong character lineup early on.
This practice can be appealing in gacha games like PGR, where the strength and synergy of your team significantly influence your experience.
The Rerolling Debate in PGR
Unlike many gacha games, PGR's unique structure and generous starter rewards make rerolling less of a necessity.
PGR offers new players significant starting bonuses, including a free S-rank character choice.
This generosity reduces the need to reroll for a strong start.
Achieving the desired reroll outcome, especially aiming for an S-rank character, can be extremely time-consuming, often taking upwards of 20 minutes per attempt.
Rerolling Strategy for PGR
Set Clear Objectives: Decide early on if you're aiming for a specific A-rank character or if you're willing to settle for any strong start. This decision will dictate how many times you're prepared to reroll.
Focus on A-Ranks: Given the low probability of pulling an S-rank character and the time commitment required for each reroll, targeting an A-rank character that complements the free S-rank might be more practical.
Efficient Use of Time: Consider the overall time investment versus the potential rewards. Rerolling for hours for a marginally better start may not be the best use of your time, especially considering the game's PvE focus and balanced character offerings.
Free S-Rank Characters and the Pity System
Free S-Rank Characters
One of PGR's most player-friendly features is the free S-rank character, which significantly impacts your options right from the start.
This opportunity to select a powerful unit early on is a game-changer.
Additionally, within the first 40 pulls in the game's gacha system, you are guaranteed another S-rank character.
The Pity System
The pity system in PGR is designed to balance the randomness of gacha pulls with a mechanism that ensures you are rewarded for your pulling persistence.
The initial guaranteed S-rank character at 40 pulls provides a safety net for new players.
Subsequent pulls have a set pity threshold at 60 pulls, where you are again guaranteed an S-rank character if you haven't received one within those pulls.
Although the base drop rates for S-rank characters may seem low at first (typically around 0.5%), the pity system compensates a bit for this.
Efficient Rerolling Process
Setting Clear Reroll Objectives
Before you begin the reroll process, it’s important to have a clear goal.
Are you aiming for any high-tier character, or do you have a specific A-rank character in mind?
Setting this objective early helps streamline the rerolling process and prevents wasting time.
Rerolling for A-Rank Characters
Aiming for A-rank characters during rerolls is advised due to their higher drop rates compared to S-rank characters.
This approach is more time-efficient, allowing for a quicker reroll process.
Identify which A-rank characters would best complement the S-rank character you plan to choose from the game’s starting rewards.
The Process: Step-by-Step
- Reach Commandant Level 10: Play through the initial stages of the game until you reach Commandant Level 10. This is typically when you get your first significant opportunity for a 10-pull gacha summon.
- Perform the 10-Pull: Use the free summon provided to see if you get the character(s) you’re aiming for.
- Decision Point: If you’re satisfied with the pull, proceed with the game. If not, initiate a reroll.
- Repeat as Necessary: For those using emulators, you can quickly restart the reroll process by using the cloning feature of the emulator to start from a fresh instance of the game without needing to go through the initial setup each time.
Advanced Rerolling Techniques Using Emulators
Setting Up for Success
Choose an emulator that supports multiple instances and ensures smooth gameplay. BlueStacks is the most popular choice for their performance and features.
Ensure that you create a 64-bit instance for PGR.
This is crucial as the game runs more smoothly on 64-bit, providing a better rerolling experience.
Install PGR on a fresh instance but do not start the game.
This instance serves as your baseline or template for rerolling, ensuring a clean start for each attempt.
Efficient Rerolling with Emulators
Instance Cloning: Use the cloning feature of your emulator to duplicate the baseline instance. This eliminates the need to go through the initial setup for each reroll attempt, saving a significant amount of time.
Parallel Rerolling: Some emulators allow for running multiple instances simultaneously. This enables parallel rerolling, where you can manage several reroll attempts at once, optimizing your time.
Quick Deletion and Recreation: After determining the outcome of a reroll, quickly delete the instance if the results are unsatisfactory and clone a new one from the baseline.
Advanced Tips for Emulator Rerolling
Be mindful of your computer’s resources. Running multiple instances requires a significant amount of RAM and CPU power.
Adjust the number of parallel instances based on your system’s capabilities to avoid performance issues.
Use a clear naming convention for your instances (e.g., PGR_Reroll1, PGR_Reroll2, etc.). This helps in keeping track of each attempt and managing instances more efficiently.
Some emulators offer macro functions that can automate repetitive tasks, speeding up the process to reach the reroll point.
PGR Tier List
While the focus here is on rerolling, selecting the right character from your S-rank choice or aiming for specific A-ranks during rerolls can significantly impact your early and mid-game experience.
S-tier Characters: These are the elite units in Punishing Gray Raven, offering top-tier power, versatility, and utility in any team composition. Their unique abilities significantly impact battles, making them essential for challenging content.
A-tier Characters: Highly effective with specific strengths, A-tier characters are great in their roles, whether DPS, support, or tanking. They are versatile enough to fit into various team compositions, providing solid performance across most game content.
B-tier Characters: B-tier units are valuable early to mid-game and can shine in niche situations or when paired with the right team. While they may not have the power of higher-tier characters, their unique abilities can be leveraged effectively with strategy.
S-Tier
Lee - Entropy
Lee - Entropy is known for his high DPS output, making him an essential pick for those focusing on Physical damage.
Kamui - Tenebrion
Kamui - Tenebrion is a top-tier unit for any team, mixing DPS with tankiness.
He is great when paired with DPS units and Liv, forming a solid team comp.
Karenina - Ember
Karenina - Ember deals burst damage over areas, clearing packs of enemies fast.
Her compatibility with characters like Kamui (Bastion and Tenebrion), makes her a really versatile and potent unit in most team comps.
Liv - Luminance
Liv - Luminance is arguably the best healer in the game.
Her universal fit for any team composition, due to her damage mitigation and healing abilities, makes her a top-tier ally.
Liv - Empyrea
Liv - Empyrea brings damage combined with strategic enemy manipulation.
Creates a matrix that inflicts physical damage over a rectangular area, ideal for controlling the battlefield and punishing enemies.
Nanami - Pulse
Nanami - Pulse is a top-tier tank character, specially for her ability to fit particularly well with all variants of Liv, thanks to their exceptional support-tank synergy.
This combination, when paired with a consistent DPS source, creates a balanced team composition.
Rosetta - Rigor
Rosetta - Rigor stands out for her ability to significantly reduce the Physical Defense of enemies, making her a key unit in any team.
Her versatility allows her to support the main DPS and also step in as an amazing sub-DPS.
Lucia - Crimson Abyss
Top-tier burst damage, particularly through her Sword Wave kit.
The common belief that she is only suitable for skilled players stems from her demanding dodge management and debuff timing.
However, with practice, you can effectively master her abilities.
A-Tier
Bianca - Zero
Bianca - Zero, gifted through login rewards, shines in boss fights with her potent single-target attacks and rapid cooldowns.
Karenina - Blast
Karenina - Blast is fun to play, thanks to her high-energy, burst-focused kit and the unique ability to switch attack forms, including a cannon form.
Lee - Palefire
Lee - Palefire balances between single-target and AoE damage, providing versatility in various combat scenarios.
Liv - Lux
Liv - Lux offers a rare combination of healing and DPS, making her an exceptional addition to any team in need of sustain and firepower.
Lucia - Dawn
Lucia - Dawn is an all-rounder, making her a solid choice for any team looking for a mix of agility and power.
No. 21 - Feral Scent
No. 21 - Feral Scent is more than just a damage dealer; she is a versatile unit that enhances any team comp through damage amplification and healing.
Kamui - Bastion
Kamui - Bastion proves that tanks can also deal significant damage, especially with his AoE skills, making him more than just a frontline defender.
Watanabe - Nightblade
Watanabe - Nightblade requires precision and skill to unlock his full potential, rewarded by his exceptional single-target damage output and burst.
B-Tier
Nanami - Storm
Nanami - Storm offers a mix of defense and offense, serving as a reliable tank in the absence of higher-tier options like Kamui.
Her synergies with healers like Liv make her a decent frontline pick.
Liv - Eclipse
Liv - Eclipse has a dual role as a ranged DPS and a healer.
Her ability to deal damage while keeping the team healthy makes her a nice-to-have unit throughout the game.
Lucia - Lotus
Lucia - Lotus is the first character you are introduced to in Punishing Gray Raven.
Despite being a starting character, her kit should not be underestimated, especially in early game content.
Final Thoughts
Rerolling in Punishing Gray Raven offers a chance to customize your initial game experience, but it comes with the dilemma between time investment versus reward.
With generous starting bonuses and a balanced roster, the need to reroll might be less than in other gacha games.
Whether you choose to reroll for that ideal start or dive straight into the rich, post-apocalyptic world of PGR, the adventure awaits.