Leo had just pulled his first 5-star from the Utterance of Marvels - Novice Convene on a lazy 2026 weekend when the Beginner's Choice Convene finally unlocked. It was a classic crossroads moment. The game offered him one of five standard-banner characters, and the choice felt weighty: Encore (Wooly-Counting Game), Lingyang (Frosty Gusto), Calcharo (Phantom Hunter), Verina (Nature Calling), and Jianxin (Cleansing Reflections).
Before he rushed in, Leo read the fine print. The Beginner's Choice Convene has separate guarantee counts from other event banners, and any 5-star pulled from it does not count toward pity on other banners. For a new player, that is a useful piece of the puzzle: the beginner banners already give a solid shot at a standard 5-star, so rerolling folks often turn their attention to the other Standard banners, such as Tidal Chorus for characters or Drawn Edges for weapons, instead.
For Leo, the endgame math mattered. Tower of Adversity eventually demands three teams, so picking a main DPS is not a bad idea at all. From the early days of Wuthering Waves, Encore and Calcharo have been viewed as roughly equal in raw damage, with the real difference being playstyle. Encore can hit like a truck if a player masters her animation cancels, especially the N5 cancel. But she has historically lacked dedicated Fusion support, and her ceiling depends on consistent execution. Even without perfect cancels, her damage remains decent. Calcharo, on the other hand, rewards clean rotations and well-timed skill weaving. If someone plays his rotation correctly, he can edge out Encore, but a botched rotation takes a huge bite out of his damage. Calcharo also benefits from strong Electro support synergy, with Yinlin being a notable partner, which gives him long-term appeal for patient players.
The real no-brainer, though, was Verina. If a new player does not have her, she should usually be the go-to pick. The only other early healer/support alternative, Baizhi, is simply outclassed. Verina's kit buffs ATK% and DMG%, which lets her synergize with virtually every main damage dealer. Since endgame content requires multiple teams, having another buffer and healer is always a smart move. In short, Verina is the most flexible SSR of the five.
Jianxin and Lingyang are more niche. Jianxin offers shields and enemy grouping, making her a utility-focused choice, while Lingyang brings a unique ground-to-air combat style that can sometimes whiff against certain enemies. Both are perfectly usable if a player enjoys their kits, but they are not the first names on every team sheet.
Once Leo selected his target, the banner rules kicked in. Here is the breakdown:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pull currency | Lustrous Tide |
| Target Resonator | Select one of the five featured 5-stars; the 5-star is guaranteed to be the target |
| Maximum pulls | 80 Convenes |
| Banner duration | Available until a 5-star Resonator is obtained, then closes |
| 5-star base rate | 0.8% |
| 5-star average rate | 1.8% including guarantee |
| 5-star pity | Guaranteed at least one every 80 Convenes |
| 4-star base rate | 6.0% |
| 4-star average rate | 12.0% including guarantee |
| 4-star pity | At least one 4-star or higher every 10 Convenes |
| 3-star weapon rate | 93.2% |
He also kept an eye on the coral economy. A first-time 5-star gives 15 Afterglow Corals. From the second to seventh copies, a player receives one Waveband of that Resonator plus 15 Afterglow Corals, and from the eighth copy onward, 40 Afterglow Corals. First-time 4-stars give 3 Afterglow Corals, duplicates from the second to seventh copies give one Waveband plus 3 Afterglow Corals, and 4-star weapons always give 3 Afterglow Corals. Every 3-star weapon grants 15 Oscillate Corals. Afterglow Corals can be redeemed for up to two limited-stock Wavebands per 5-star Resonator, while Oscillate Corals can be traded for various items in the in-game Store, with redemption limits resetting each version update.
At the end of the day, Leo went with Verina because he had no other healer worth writing home about. It was not the flashiest pick, but it was the one that would keep his teams alive through the Tower of Adversity. For any new player in 2026 staring at the same screen, the same logic applies: grab Verina if you lack a true support, choose Encore or Calcharo if you want a damage carry and do not mind the skill floor, and only grab Jianxin or Lingyang if their playstyle really speaks to you. Sometimes the smartest move is the one that lets everyone else shine.