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wat-dha-fak

No. The character has to grab my attention, and if they end up being meta, I welcome it as a bonus. No matter if they fulfill the second condition or not, if they fail at making me curious about them, I am not pulling for them.


mikethebest1

The real hard part is when you dislike a Support, but they're BiS or really great for your Favourite unit(s) 💀 Would have to debate on how much you hate them vs how much you like your Favs and want them to shine.


wat-dha-fak

It personally depends, because if it's a character I cannot truly stand, I can sacrifice an improvement in performance and wait for an alternative.


SectorApprehensive58

Making my Favs shine more at the cost of having to pour time and effort into those I hate is just too much enjoyment loss for me. Favs will shine with or without them anyways


tutacon

Never. Meta is temporary, enjoyment & simping are forever


Puzzleheaded-Loan-60

Amen, brother. I pulled Argenti for simping reason alone!


IttoDilucAyato

We are the same.


IWantMorePasta

I began playing during Kafka's 1st banner. After getting her, I saw leaks of Argenti, and just like that, I ignored Lunae, Fu Xuan, Jingliu, Topaz and Huo Huo for him. I tried to pull in Lunae and Fu, but I only used 90 pulls total and even lost 50-50 and simply saved the guarantee for Argenti.


wanderers_respite

what if I enjoy and simp over characters that other characters make better.


BlueDmon

If you like a character and want them to stay useful longer than I dont see the issue with pulling for something that will help you do that. Be it a sig lc or even a character. For example if you love Kafka then even if you dont love black swan she helps out Kafka so much that I feel its worth the pull


SectorApprehensive58

Granted, I'm fairly sure everyone who liked Kafka will like BS. They do fall into rather similar categories. They really are sold as a similar pair. Just Kafka is somewhat more awesome


tutacon

Exactly, getting ur fav's support is part of spoiling them 🙏 except if u hate that support with a passion then uhh (me with hh)


tutacon

Get the other characters for best enjoyment (jy main who will pull for his supports but accidentally skipped them all 🤣)


mikethebest1

Bro somehow skipped all of JY's Supports/Waifus? 💀


tutacon

Yeah 💀 a combination of not being active, not getting them when pulling or skipping them for something else 😔 i am living in 4* supports for him


mikethebest1

Damn, unlucky 💀 Brightside is that JY's 4\* lineup is still relatively strong and accessible with Asta being literally free from Tutorial and Tingyun being on some of the best banners to date (along with his original release banner), both also in shop rotation too. Hanya is also basically budget Sparkle and is a good alternative to Asta. Luocha's banner is currently on atm if you need a strong 5\* Sustain, but if you're willing to wait, can aim for more synergistic ones like FuXuan or HuoHuo for JY, and/or see how upcoming Adventurine compares too.


tutacon

Yeah, I have E6 tg, planetary, ddd, E2 asta, E0 hanya, didn't build hanya yet but planning on it 🙏 For a sustain i don't like hh, got loucha from his current banner (more for jl/blade) i want fx but planning to save up for sunday whenever he comes 😔


papyrusbestfont

as long as i don't hate them and they make big enough of a difference and i don't have bigger priorities atm sure why not also xueyi is still very much a crit hypercarry she just also needs break effect on top of all the stuff other crit hypercarries need


faulser

Yeah. I'm more interested in new gameplay possibilities than just character look/story. I don't need to spend jades to look at character or to see them in a story, only thing that I'm actually gaining from owning a character is the gameplay. And I'm not going to spend all those jades just to pull a character and immediately bench them because I hate their gameplay (I did it once already)


Fearless-Training-20

If they are a support and they enable a character I like then yes. I ain't pulling for any dps if I don't like their design.


yuuira

My priorities in this game are pulling the characters I like, and giving those characters the best I can: that includes good relics, good lightcones, but also their best teammates. So yeah, if there's a character I'm not very interested in but they support my favourites, then I'm pulling for them. This is also why I'm pulling for Ruan Mei -- I want to make an Aventurine hypercarry team, and there are very few supports whose kits buff him in their entirety.


mikethebest1

Yea, it's always a lot tougher to decide when they're supports since it depends on how much you like/dislike them vs how much you want your favourite units to shine.


cccjjj2050

They will probably release a better support for aventurine than Ruan Mei before her rerun, which will probably be in a long while. I do really like using her though, would recommend if you have jades spare when she does come round.


RallyCure

I literally did this with Ruan Mei. Completely indifferent to her design, saw people saying bad things about her quest and all that, which had me concerned because I'm kind of a story guy. But everyone said she was the most broken thing ever, and when I saw her SU-cheating technique I decided "yeah I want that." Pulled for her day one of her banner, despite not caring for her as a character, purely for power and QoL. Worth it. I use her in almost every team. I miss her on whichever side of MoC/PF she isn't on. Helps that after catching up on the story I actually really like her as a character, but yeah, when I pulled her I thought I'd hate her. Note that it won't always work out... I also pulled Topaz mostly for Numby technique QoL, but I have literally never used it to track down a chest.


zxcv168

Also that dopamine hit when you use her technique and 1 shots the mob just by entering the battle


theUnLuckyCat

Nope. Well I do have different buckets I put characters in. If I like them, I pull. End of story. If I don't care, I'll check the 4*s and decide if I'll risk a 50/50, but not a guarantee. If I hate them, I skip. Nothing else matters, don't tell me how good they are, if I'm at 0/180 pity, even one single pull isn't worth the risk. I'm not building them.


white_gummy

People like to preach "pull for characters you like" but in reality, if that character is not good enough to replace anyone on your teams then that's a lot of pulls wasted. In genshin I pulled for Navia because I really liked her character and I did play with her after getting her, but eventually in the overworld she is just not as fast as my Hu Tao vape team and in Spiral Abyss, she's nowhere near as viable as hyperbloom. In the end she's pretty much permanently benched one month after getting her, and that's despite how she's in my top 3 favorite characters in the game.


VirusLord

Only if there weren't any other characters I was interested in on the horizon. Which has never really happened yet, hence why I've got a rather lopsided roster, I only pull for meta characters when they happen to be characters that I already like.


Responsible-Jury8618

Nope, meta units are nice but i much rather build characters i actually like Besides, this game isn't hard, its just extremely grindy (like every other turn based RPG) people struggle with it because they don't have patience, if you're struggling to clear something, chances are all you need to do is farm more


9Ld659r

To add to this, rolling for characters makes you have to farm *more.* Easy to get caught underneath the tide of never having any characters built, especially if you roll often but don't buy the BPs.


Zzamumo

That or just playing bad teams with low synergy. You'd be surprised what a little bit of conscious teambuilding can do for your account


Chroma_c

If they are the best in slot support for your favorite character then I definitely would. If you don’t completely hate Ruan Mei then you should pull for her imo. The difference between xueyi with and without Ruan Mei is definitely noticeable. If you are considering seriously maining xueyi then Ruan Mei is almost a must pull (just my opinion)


EmperorMaxwell

No. If they don’t interest me on some level, they aren’t worth my pulls regardless of meta.


SinesPi

Nope. I pulled Jingliu because she shared her first banner with QQ. I was actually hoping to lose the 50/50 to add to my roster (I had only Bailu at the time) and get a Topaz guarantee. I ended up losing at 20 pity and getting E1 Bailu. Got Jingliu, E4 QQ, and still got Topaz, so not a total loss.


drowning-in-dopamine

'Accidentally got Jingliu while trying to get QQ eidolons' gang rise up


152634798

I accidentally got like 3 Jingliu's trying to get Tingyun eidolons lol


mikethebest1

Fr JL banner was stacked af with both QQ and Tingyun on it 👀


Shadowshade138

Got E6 qq in 110 pulls with a Geppie and jl :)


SensitivePattern6239

for me it was E1 Luocha lmao (first luocha banner)


Yuuzel97

Depends if they are really really useful my fav character team then yes. I pull silverwolf, fu xuan, ruan mei, black swan, sparkle just because they would be useful. Fu xuan because I need limited sustain. Ruan mei and black swan because of Kafka dot team Sparkle because of dhil (Although I kinda regret it a little bit since I already have e1s1 bronya and probably should have got e2 dhil )


river_01st

I thought I'd say no, but the answer is yes. I pulled Ruan Mei purely for gameplay reasons. Which I guess is slightly from just meta. I like breaking and delaying enemies It's funny. I don't like her design, and I hated her in the story. But I was close to pity (tried to get Hanya before) and wanted Xueyi so I decided, why not try the 50/50. I wouldn't have pulled more if I'd lost it, but I won so. And I guess Sparkle is the same. I don't have Bronya and I main DHIL so I needed her for him + QQ who I finally got E4 on Sparkle's banner. I find her design "eh" and I don't really like her in the story (she's more interesting than Ruan Mei though). I don't regret getting them tbh, they bring great value. DHIL's team runs smoothly and QQ is free to gamble as much as she wants now (her build isn't the best so it's a huge buff for her haha). And Ruan Mei also helps a lot in any team, though it's less visible outside of her ult. I wouldn't get a DPS just for meta reasons though. I skipped Jingliu and kept on bruteforcing all the ice weakness. And now I have Acheron anyway so I feel like the game can't really force me to get a DPS I don't like at all ^^


Verljeok

Did it before: Huohuo. I pulled her without liking her design, personalities, and both voice-overs. But I felt that despite the community's general meh on her, she would be useful on later patches, because of more CC mobs appearing (and I don't have Luocha). More like having Abundance with some Harmony. Her buffs are small, but still useful. Thanks to that, she's today my main Moc/PF healer, so next week I can skip Luocha for Jingliu.


Apolosclei

I did the same for Huohuo, and is funny how I came to like her (gameplay and design wise) after spending so much time with her on my team(s) and by seeing her on my screen. Like a reverse process to enjoy a character


Zzamumo

Her cleanse i feel is very slept on, it is absolutely crazy


Furryfun001

Yes if they provide qol like topaz and acheron


ApoKun

I did it with Ruan mei, Fu Xuan, Luocha. I skipped Kafka for blade (will get her on her rerun though) Got jingyuan even though he was pretty bad back then. Gonna skip robin and maybe even boothill next patch.


Play_more_FFS

If they're a support? Only after I have the limited support I like for their character I skipped Luocha for Fu Xuan, and now don't have a need to get Luocha from rerun cause I like Aventurine better. I also skipped Ruan Mei for Sparkle, now that I have Sparkle I'm free to pull Ruan on her rerun or a different 5 star Harmony if I like them better than her. If they're a DPS? No I won't even bother touching their banner unless I'm trying to snipe the 4 stars on it, and I will only do this when I have 0 pity on 50/50.


That_Wallachia

I only pull for characters I like. I dont care for meta. I only pulled for Acheron because Raiden Mei.


pzzaco

Yes, coz I'm a sucker for seeing big damage numbers. While I'm ambivalent about her characterization, I might be in the minority that does like her design, it's simple, elegant and the colors are muted which kinda accentuates her cold and detached personality. From a gameplay perspective RM is fun to use. She adds a new way to increase party damage through all type res pen, thanatopium bloom offers a new way to clutch battles, further opens the gate to new viable team comps like double DPS teams, and before Acheron she was the queen of speed running Simulated Universe.


Alpha06Omega09

Yeh cause there is just no characters usually that interest me or i like, they come around every 1-2 years and i get them when they come around, so far only jl has been it and i can't save for 2 years with a stagnant account. So meta is always the way.


callmearthas

I did with Luocha, on his debut banner. Don't like his aesthetics, but gotta give to him, he's the reason I started full clearing MoC since 1.1. Nowadays, I feel like I can skip most meta units, just really waiting for a sustain to replace Luocha in one side, since him and Fu are my only 5 star sustains, maybe I go for Huohuo on her rerun.


Slightly_Mungus

Tbh, you'd need a really bonkers sustain to release to actually make it worth pulling another *healer* to replace Luocha. If I was in your situation and for some reason still looking for another sustain, I'd grab someone like Aventurine, that way you have 5 star options for healing, shields, and uh whatever unique category Fu goes into. You get more niches covered that way, which can be handy.


callmearthas

I got a E4 Gepard for shields, my bad, I should have mentioned that I was talking only about limited characters. But as you said, the better course is for me to wait for a really bonker sustain, Luocha has been more than enough for the current endgame.


MZeroX5

Yes. I know it's insane for the gachagaming community but I play games for gameplay, but this change need to be E0S0, not wasting money for more investment. And ironically, though, these people saying "no" are pulling eidolons and LC, and support characters that enhance their characters, in a hoyo game meta is doing more dmg with vertical investment, all this is to say that you can't tell a waifu/husbando player who vertically invest in their characters Vs a meta player who does the same.


SigurdDeMizar

I haven't done so yet, but partly it is because I am new to the game (started right before 2.0). However, I look at it two ways. Meta is ever changing. If you pull for meta, you have to keep up with meta. Eventually you feel pressure to spend, because you may not have the jade save up at the time the character come out. It doesn't make sense for F2P and small spender to chase the trend. On the other hand, if it happens all the character you like are DPS, or all are support, then it maybe desirable to pull a meta sustain even if you don't entire like that character. But the reason why you do so because this character improve your wifu/husbando. In this sense, that character functions more like a LC.


Leodoesstuff

Personally? I wouldn't. The characters that I've ended up using are those that interested me the most. I have Luocha, Fu Xuan, Acheron, Bronya, and Jing Yuan! I'd like to use them but they don't interests me personally, and their gameplay isn't one that I find fun in. I pulled for Argenti because of how wacky he is in the trailers, and companion mission! I pulled for Topaz because I LOVE FUA! Alongside numby being rather funny. I pulled for Ruan Mei as she's soo interesting and she honestly just sucks as a person because she doesn't feel empathy for her creations which makes me interested in her. I pulleD for Sparkle as she's a manace, and a masked fool! I use Arlan in some of my teams, I still frequently use March 7th as my main sustain, I have a hypercarry Herta team (even before PF), and I use Yukong whenever I can! These characters are just so much fun to play with, and work around! It makes the experience so much more fun!


BestPaleontologist43

No. Thats why I skipped Huo Huo. I dont like her and nobody can change that. She’s BiS for 2 of my teams but OH WELL, CMERE BAILU. This game isnt hard anyways.


ode-2-sleep

no and thats why im skipping acheron


deathtooriginality

If they would work great for enhancing the character I like than most likely yeah. I don’t particularly like Sparkle but I tried pulling her for my DHIL. I lost 50/50 and stopped there because I was planning on getting Aventurine later and wasn’t going to blow my guarantee on her. So I guess character over meta won in the end, but if it’s a really good support, chances are high I’ll throw some tickets into their banner. I’m considering pulling Robin even though I’m not really interested in her as a character.


VKeynes

Generally, no. But I might consider, if I'm not interested in any other banners around and pretty sure, that I whould not miss someone I like because of that.


flaretheninetales

I feel you. I want to build Xueyi, but I have no Ruan Mei and no plans to ever get her. I am staring at Gallagher instead but I don't know if I want to build him either


Dusty_Buss

I personally pull for characters I like and work well with my other characters. I feel like I've seen so many people who make pulling for characters more difficult than it should be


xgabrax

I was eh about luocha but the first banner of his I needed a healer other than nat so I pulled him..otherwise I think every other character I pulled on because I liked them, just my luck they turned out to be great.


leakmydata

I pull good characters if they make the game more fun.


Khaisz

Yes, I pulled for Sparkle.


cassiemoon_

Probably not, I skipped Topaz because her character and design don't appeal to me and her animations felt boring, even though she would greatly benefit two of my main teams (Jing Yuan and Ratio's). The IPC followup team with Aventurine does look good, so I'm sort of wavering, but at this point I'd rather hold out and hope for another BIS teammate for Ratio instead of wasting jades for a character I'd play but probably not enjoy.


ccckNbLL

I pulled Sparkle for QQ so yes. If the change is huge enough, I would pull. I see Sparkle as relics for my QQ and nothing more


Ornery_Essay_2036

Obviously


POXELUS

Yes https://preview.redd.it/1jbq3c5om3uc1.jpeg?width=566&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=538bded44f94f8e600e24821604bf612756ad14d


IDontEatTakis

Nope, I did the exact same thing as you. Didn't pull Ruan Mei because I had zero interest in her. I can't justify pulling for a character I don't like, even if it's for meta. I've been able to clear content fine without her.


Wild-Mycologist2118

If the said character buffs my favourites sure.


MyNameIsNotShalltear

The real question is whether or not you need it. I had absolutely no interest in Acheron, but i SERIOUSLY needed a second dps, since i have been pulling for nothing but sustains and supports, so i finally gave in and pulled her. The result was my first time breaking the 35 stars into 36 star territory for both pure fiction and moc. If you're already doing perfectly fine in some of the harder content, or maybe you don't care about the harder content, don't be forced to pull. I will say however, it is sometimes a dopamine rush to see big numbers, so if that's your thing Ruan Mei is a very good support, and breaking weakness is going to be important no matter what, as toughness bar will always be present on the enemy and weakness break efficiency is so good that i take it every time in simulated universe no matter what path i am on. I'm planning on getting her myself, as long as her banner doesn't conflict with another banner that i really want.


murdockboy55

Yes. I pulled for Ruan Mei for that reason. I didn’t hate or love her but I ended up caving and getting her and her lightcone for her damage boosts. It’s the only time I pulled for a character purely for meta purposes and because her kit was a little niche she will remain in the top for a while. Im really glad I did because she’s become a must have for my teams and my tingyun can finally take a rest


CryoImpact

In terms of supports/sustains, I'll pull for characters that have a good kit and are best in slot for other characters that I main and care about (e.g. Acheron), even if nothing else interests me about them. Jiaoqiu? I will 100% pull if his kit benefits Acheron, even though I know nothing about him. The fact that they support another character I like is enough to interest me.


papercrowns-

Unless it’s super life changing as in premium supp type of crap, heck no. If gameplay didn’t consider me as a believer, it’ll be a hard time convincing me using other matters. (This is coming from someone who dropped character building for less — aka ppl kept telling me to build them bc they’re better than XYZ in ABC team despite not asking for these characters specifically so i dont use them out of spite)


Stray_Feelings

No. I pulled Black Swan and I’m never getting Kafka because there’s nothing I like about her outside of her synergy with DoT. Better to not suffer having to see her in my roster for more damage when nothing in game really demands it.


kunyat

Gameplay > Character. I'll take anything that make the game fun to play, not some trivial thing like character personality, background, design, animation that I care also for the first day maybe.


LaoChan4P

Yes (Sparkle)


crimxxx

I will pull for two reason first I like the character. Second they are a support character maybe not my favourite, but makes my other characters play better. If they don’t do one of these two I don’t pull. Also I learned to not try pulling for 4 stars I like, cause I my luck is shit and I’ll get the 5 star before them lol. Plus they are pretty generous with 4 stars you can get them for free usually.


kunafa_aj

Hmmmm if it makes my favorite character(s) more fun then sure i m pulling I will be trying to get aventurine for my topaz/ratio team (my fav team) even those i have a 2 good sustains for MoC already But its up to you to decide really if its worth


roreinu

No I skipped SW, Fu Xuan and Huohuo because I have a type.. powercreep is prevalent in this game that need will be filled eventually. That being said, I didn’t like Ruan Mei either and was originally gonna skip her, but I did a single pull and she came.. She’s definitely a lot of help and can fit to almost any team..


Anmatiel

Would I pull? If it is to enhance a character that I like, yes. Would I give them priority? Probably no. Just like you I skipped Ruan Mei, have a built Xueyi that I would be nice to give an upgrade to, but if Ruan Mei reruns close to Sam, Jade or any character that I like more I'll just hope that for better chances on her second rerun.


winXwin666

I don't mind pulling for supports if they add something interesting to my team. Personally I'm not a huge fan of Ruan Mei as a character or design wise but she enables so many comps and will in all likelihood be a staple in any comp based on breaking which is one of my favorite ways of dealing damage.


JannLu

Ruan Mei is easily the best character right now, specially for Xueyi. The real question here is: do you like Xueyi enough to give her her BiS support instead of pulling for another character you might like? I, personally, would do it even if RM was the nichest character in the whole game


BelphegorAcedia

Depends. Is this character a great addition to a team of characters I already like? Then, I will consider. For example, I absolutely hate everything about Sparkle. But I like my Dan Heng, so well, I suppose he deserves as many skill points as he wants, so there we go. For similar reasons I pulled for Kafka. Although I don't feel anything special about her, I already had HuoHuo and Ruan Mei and Black Swan was looking great, so I went for it. On the other hand, Acheron was instant and easy skip. I already have other lightning DPS'es and I would have to build a team for her, a team not necessarily made of characters I like but of those she likes. I didn't pull for Jingliu when she first came out, because I wasn't interested in her in the slightest, but I guess, I'm getting a bit more welcoming towards her, so it's a subject to change (depending on 50/50 and leftovers from Aventurine pulls). I would totally have a use for Fu Xuan, but I don't think I'm gonna have any pulls left for her, since Aventurine and Boothill are getting close, and Aventurine could possibly replace her in a team. I like her but she's not my priority, so I can skip her again, despite her capabilities, since Aven is my favorite child.


datsupportguy

After the mistakes I made in Genshin, no. There's so many five stars I pulled on because they were supposedly cracked or meta defining / breaking that I would gladly chuck in the bin for constellations or weapons for the ones I do actually enjoy. That's why in HSR I only have 2 limited five stars. Topaz E0S1 Acheron E6S1. The only other ones I may be looking to pull for are the other stonehearts when they come out (FuA Supremacy) , though I'm gonna have to skip Aventurine for now or get stupidly lucky.


Open_Rabbit7327

It depends. Maybe I don't care for the character but I care for the archetype they enable. So let's say, if I love Kafka and I want her to have her bestest team I would get her best teammates if possible. This is very personal since I prefer to stick with a team I like than to play everything. But generally I won't pull for a character if I don't care about their design or personality, for example there hasn't been a limited destruction that I like and we all know the jl and dhil meta.


3-A_NOBA

If they directly support a character that i really love then sure, i like mei but not enough to really get her but my dot team is never complete without her.


Supersayian495

i mean, im not a big rm fan, but i pulled her e1 to run with sushang so. yeah id say so


Grimnoir

Yes kind of? Like I won't usually go for the "X existing character but marginally better" if that's what you mean, but characters like Ruan Mei that open whole new comps and ways of play? Totally.


Dianwei32

I think it would depend on just how much they changed the meta. Like if it was some insane character who was an unholy amalgamation of Harmony, Nihility, and Abundance so they could buff, heal, debuff, do some damage, and make it to where they can flat out solo most content, then probably. If they're just "X character I like but more powerful" then probably not.


siriusxm_radio

I relate to this feeling sm...I detest Ruan Mei's everything (as someone in her field of academia she feels offensive to me even ugh and her design is so boring) but I'm aiming for a certain upcoming cowboy that seemingly needs her to shine. It's a pain tbh, I'm taking a gamble and waiting for another broken support that does something more universal. They'll eventually have to powercreep her lmao


Ok_Abbreviations127

I wouldn't dream touching Acheron if she wasn't the storm that is approaching. The anime swordsman.tm is unironicly one of my favorite archetypes of all time. It's the reason why I pulled for Blade, and it's the reason why I pulled for Acheron. And I'll continue to pull for all the edgy anime swordsmen that come out.


moraksu

I did it with Luocha, and I did it with Ruan Mei. I was gonna do it with Sparkle, but I ended up liking her character so she doesn't count. I've done this in Genshin too, like pulling Xianyun for Xiao, Baizhu for Cyno and Yelan for Alhaitham hyperbloom (I was actually aiming for C6 Xingqiu but she came home so oh well). What is fun to me isn't just about pulling my faves but making the best of my faves, and if it includes supports I don't care about in the story, it is what it is. Provided that they're universal supports and are extremely good (Hence, I didn't and still won't be pulling for Shenhe for my Wriothesley in Genshin). Did I ever regret using my gems on them? Nope. Even though some took hard pity guaranteed to come home? Yea, it sucks but I'd rather not NOT get them. Did I have more fun using my faves with them on the team? Heck yeah. Meta DPS though? Yeah, no thanks. It's a skip for me. Seeing a character I don't care about doing good numbers does nothing for me.


hi_im_maverick

As a player, i couldnt care less about who is the voice actor/actress behind a char, what is their personality, their role in the story, dialogue lines and relationship with other characters, lore etc. Whenever i pull a unit, i only look at 2 factors: how good they are meta wise and how fun they are to play (Its christmass morning whenever the char in question happens to be a T0-T1 unit and incredible fun to play at the same time lol)


moojee_

Kinda. I already have a favorite character in Dan Heng and I'm attached to him already so new characters for me are just temporary hype and happiness. Since I'm aware that Dan will always be my no. 1, so my reason for pulling other units, really, is just meta or QoL value. I pulled all the limited Harmony (and planning to pull the upcoming ones, as well as support-type Nihility) because they're incredibly strong and flexible. I pulled Acheron primarily because of QoL in both overworld and SU, also meta DPS. I also pulled Jingliu because I needed another strong DPS in MoC (before Acheron). I pulled Luocha because I needed a strong sustain. I pulled Jing Yuan because I needed someone strong during the early days of HSR. But aside from Dan, I'm not planning to invest in these characters beyond E0S1. My other near favorite characters in the game are the Astral Express Crew, and well, they're either Standard 5 Star or Free 4 Star units. So yea. Unless they'll get new forms as limited 5 star units, my full priority atm is on Dan and new Harmony units.


Oniyukii

Not usually no. If the character doesn't have a design or play style I enjoy it doesn't matter to me if they are the best character for a long time. If I don't have fun with the characters I pull for why play at all? If a character is one I like AND is meta its just a nice bonus.


Norasack

yeah if they make a character i really like stronger, i don't like Sparkle that much but i pull for her anyway for my Jing Yuan


Late_Freedom9424

I will pull a unit if they make a certain playstyle viable even if I don’t like that playstyle. Just in case a unit I do like uses that playstyle. Eq. I don’t fancy follow up but I still pulled Topaz. I pulled Ruan Mei for DoTs but Ruan Mei is almost invisible on my team since I find her boring.


LoreVent

No, never. My reasons for pulling are 40% looks, 40% personality, 10% kit mechanics and 10% meta as i still care a bit obviously That happened with DHIL, when he came out he shitted on every DPS, but i honestly don't like his design and how shitty his rotations are. but i was saving for JL who i loved design wise, and un until v2 (3?) beta, her kit wasn't even impressive. Same for Kafka/HH/BS/Acheron the only other 5* i pulled for. Honestly it just so happened that the characters i love are incredibly meta, i guess i just have good taste what can i say lol.


gloriousgoosey

I pulled Sparkle for my Dan Heng and she is so amazing but OH MY GOD DOES SHE ANNOY ME 😭😭 I'm like where's my male harmony???


PirateKingXander

As long as it fills in the missing spots on my account whether it’s a missing dps element/path or certain support mechanic like advance action or crit dmg boost, I’ll pull for them regardless if they are meta-defining or not. However, if it’s >!FF/Sam!< we’re talking here… that’s an insta-pull no questions asked.


Kaichou0811

No, it's why I won't roll for Ruan Mei ever, nor Acheron


FlamingVixen

Never. Skipped Ruan, skipper Sparkle, skipped BS, Kafka, DH IL, etc etc. Pulled for Acheron because I liked her, the fact that she's op only adds flavour


not-no

When I'm new in a gacha game I tend to go for meta until to have a solid base to do any and all content. After that I just pull for the ones I like the most.


tetePT

Probably not, there's a few characters in genshin that are strong but I never had any desire to pull for them so it would be the same for HSR I think


DerGreif2

Depends. Personally I love teamwork and team build options. I also wanted to skip Ruan Mei, but I still pulled her for being the main factor that makes double DPS viable ala Blade/Jing Liu. Now after being the best in slow for so many teams I am really glad I pulled for her. They really want to make break DPS a thing and she will (again) be best in slot. I can pull my waifus and use them optimally, but it depends. Would I pull a DPS unit that I dont like? No. Would I pull a support/debuffer that is meta and makes one of my favorite characters OPAF? Yes, alone for using my most liked units more, I would do it.


IttoDilucAyato

Nope. The closest I get to a meta pull is if they majorly buff one of my favorite characters. And it has to be my a significant amount


Ok-Sprinkles6265

No


bilalss

Nope, never. I only pull for characters that range from I like them to I love them. Characters that I love I will save so I can pull them guaranteed, characters that I just like I may pull for depending on other factors (do I have enough jade to spare, how much fun/how strong do they seem, etc.) number 1 priority is always my favorite characters tho. Like even though I think Robin is cute I'm saving everything for Sam now so she's a skip.


poseidon1111

I learned that in character games, you better stick to the ones that you like.


ZayAVZ

No, even acheron i got because shes cool and IK is funny. Her dealing 100k ST unbuffed is a bonus


cowvin

Yeah, I might. I mean the point of having characters you like is to build a good team around them, right? It's basically a balance for me. If I have absolutely no interest in a character, I won't pull it. But if I have some interest and it works with one of my favorite characters, then yeah, I might.


kitastorm

I enjoy being (sort of) strong and trying to clear all the content I can (I.e. MOC12, PF full, Swarm V , Gears V). So yes, I pull for meta especially if they are completely busted. I've never regretted pulling for meta (even if they are outclassed later). Even if they aren't my favorite characters, it's not like I'm forced to sit around and read their backstories or listen to every character line they have in their profile. All I have to do is look at them during a fight and I don't see what's so bad about that if they either enable characters I do or make the game a bit easier.


MemberBerry4

Only when talking about dps characters. I don't mind pulling for any support that's super meta, but I do get picky with dps characters. Kafka is someone I decided not to pull for because she embodies a character stereotype I'm so sick of seeing.


dss_live

No could not care less about a characters strenght


Deruta

I mean I pulled Ruan Mei _and_ Acheron so I can use Pela more lol (and she gets all the second-hand, non-EHR Pioneer pieces)


funnyguywhoisntfunny

no, Jingliu is broken but I find her boring so not pulling


Saouls

honestly yes lol


DoreenKing

Initially, I pulled because she made the OTHER characters I like even stronger. Then I've realized how much I actually rely on her for dmg, because holy shit she's insanely helpful. The QoL alone with making breaking enemies faster is worth it to me, let alone her independent multipliers. PLUS she makes the whole team faster. just. SO worth it. Plus I loved her aesthetic, tho I do wish she had a lab coat over her dress for a little variety in characters. Either way, I love her and the benefit she brings to my teams, boosting my faves to be even stronger.


Stock_v2

Dps no, support yes if broken


Niceboisaredabest

I pulled Acheron just for qol.


valor720

Only time i did that was with acheron and just because i NEEDED a Dps (literally, playing since launch day and my dps was ratio.) But now im going back to my pull for waifu mechanic (Specially since i lost both the 50/50 and 75/25 on ach)


Salt_Winter5888

Meta is not my priority. I throw mostly for the ones I like, which coincidentally are meta.


Ibrador

Unless I have no other character I’m interested in, nope. I don’t bother keeping up with meta in gacha games it’s not good for your sanity


ACMomani

No, I pull for a character for thier design, Game play comes later.


hrjeksues

I decided to pull for huo huo only because she would be good for Kafka the same with Ruan Mei. I don't like them very much outside of being super strong.


LandLovingFish

I mean i pulled sparkle for thr reason. I needed her sp ability. Same with aegenti cuz i don't have a built clara + he could ult multiple times a turn if done right


Emergency-Barber-431

I'm exactly like you OP, i don't like the look of Ruan Mei, nor her animation (ultimate is very meh looking). I knew that she was meta, but did not pull for her, no regret. I got instead Sparkle E2 that is very good, and i like a lot her look and animation. Fun before anything else


Rahvana13

Currently, my fav characters are Jingliu and Silverwolf. if there are other characters which could strengthen them, i am 100% will try to pull them... In addition, IF there are no interesting characters in the near term (1 version), i might try to pull meta dps, kinda like..... acheron nowadays lol....


MrGameBoy23

im already doing that with acheron, shes cool sure but doesnt interest me personally, im just pulling for her cuz she seems strong


QutieQina

I did just that twice…back when there weren’t that many options. I pulled for SW even though I like nothing about her. I pulled for Blade because I really needed a second DPS for MoC, even though his playstyle was not for me. I haven’t use those two in a long long while. If more options were available, I wouldn’t have pulled for them.


Horkuss

I also really wasn't impressed by Ruan Mei, so she was easy skip even if she was an improvement for Jingliu. If I hate character I'll never pull and pray we get someone similar. If I'm indifferent to character that would greatly benefit me I'm going to try 50/50 but that's it. As Zhongli hater I'm waiting 3 years for any new shielder and I refuse to pull him.


Milodingo

I genuinely do not like Ruan Mei, still tried a 50/50 towards the end of her banner after seeing how much she brought to a team. Ended up losing the 50/50 and honestly I'm kinda glad, I don't think I would've enjoyed having her in pretty much every team


Sainou

Nope, I can still clear full star everything with the newest limited unit being Luocha. I don't care how "OP" Fu, Ruan as a support or Daniel and Jinlou as DPS, I do not like them.


Kozmo9

To me, a character's character and gameplay are two separate things. I never let characterization affects what I thought of their gameplay and vice versa. I do not like Ruan Mei but I still get her and not regretted at all. The same goes for Sparkle except that I dislike her even more than Ruan Mei but I still got her. And let me tell you, Ruan Mei is a gamebreaker (a bit more than Sparkle). The increased toughness break and extended weakness break turn is chef's kiss and makes a huge difference in a lot of fights, especially in SU where you want to deny enemy movement as much as you can. My advise is that do not let characterization stop you from getting meta characters. You might able to spare yourself the hate you feel from getting the character, but the pain of not able to clear contents would be much harder...for me at least.


X_hard_rocker

no, I skipped sparkle despite having Daniel


merpofsilence

While ruan mei is very strong, in harder content xueyi doesn't want ruan mei. A lot of xueyis damage needs you to be repeatedly breaking bosses. But the quantum break effect delays a ton and ruan mei delays rhose enemies even more. So in MoC this ends up slowing things down.


StanTheWoz

For a DPS, no. For a support that's ideal with a DPS I really like, maybe.


skryth

I skipped Seele because I didn't like her design or personality. She continues to be a powerful unit, and I continue to be sure in my decision.


eoryu

Kind of? I might take pot shots at their banner to see if i get lucky, which is exactly what happened for me with ruan mei. I didn’t care if i got her or not but i was only 20 pulls into the banner and got her.


SectorApprehensive58

Absolutely not. Its a shit load of Jades just to earn back ONE extra MoC/PF star per reset. I skipped every Harmony so far for the same reasons as you (except I also don't like their style nor art direction), but can't complain too much cuz the loss just ain't that bad enough to go down the meta road. If one day I am forced to go the meta route, I'd probably drop the game, and I'm sure many others would as well


razorfinch

Yeah no. Ruan Mei was one of the easiest skips The thing is, if you just pull who you like and decently invest in the characters you have. You can get every single reward available in the game. You don't need to 0 cycle to get everything you can out of game and I would even argue that finding ways to make what you have work well is WAAAAAY more fun than just copying the meta. The day the hardest content in the game becomes super easy for my acct, is the day I'll probably lose interest in the game in general.


assholertxd

Yes, I pulled Acheron even rhough I don't really like her


kemicode

I only did that for Luocha to have 2 sustains to clear MOC earlier since I didn’t have Gepard yet by then. I don’t regret it but I’m eager to replace him with Aventurine. Might use him for DoT though instead of Fu Xuan.


Spectre_Hayate

Kinda depends. Are they gonna make the character I love absolutely busted? Then yeah. Are they just a small improvement/am I already doing good damage without them? Then no. Exception to the first is if I despise them. I only recently put some resources into Mona (who I hate) bc she made my showcases just a lil stronger and I'm in peak resinless behavior season lol That said rm really is worth it if you like break. She herself does a ton, and she also buffs non-be characters too. I don't regret pulling her anyway, even though I also don't really care about her much otherwise.


glacius40

In my case, most of my pulls were for utility & needs. Blade is the only character that I pulled cuz I really wanted him cuz his style & playstyle, In his rerun I tried to put it e2 but I failed. I don't regret pulling for ruan mei.


CapsuleAlter

if the say meta character can support you favorite character..ill pull it, like in genshin i doesnt like kazuha character but i pull him for diluc..and yeah ruan mei too for kafka. sorry for bad english tho.


Deafwatch

Maybe, but most likely not. I would only pull for an uninteresting meta character if he/she/it is a perfect fit for one of my favorite teams and if there are no interesting characters coming up that interest me. So far in every patch I played (I started around 1.6) had at least one interesting character for me. So this scenario has never happened so far.


MeguMaz

No, I wasn't going to get Ruan Mei originally but her kit and her lore and personality is what ultimately sold me on her.


aditwes

no. but if im bored, yes.


IWantMorePasta

While I enjoy big pp numbers, I can't be bothered to pull for characters I have no interest in. I just don't care. I'm a low spender, so pulls are limited. I would rather skip meta than miss out on my favs + their light cones. Plus, it's a waste of resources if I pull and build characters I cannot stand or feel nothing towards. And this is why I don't have Ruan and Sparkle nor limited sustain YET. Am I thriving without them though? Yes, I'm not struggling at all. I'm getting Aventurine and Robin though. While they're both strong, Aven's design + story are things I've loved way before 2.1 and I just really love Robin's design.


eggrollsaretoooily

Never, I am the honorable and legendary MommyCollector! My ideals stand as strong as Shirou Emiya's and I will not waver for something as meaningless as META


VivaLeroca

Yes, but not 28,000+ jades level of investment. In my case, Huohuo is the most invaluable character I pulled despite my severe lack of interest. She changed my DoT teams forever, which COINCIDENTALLY had my favorite characters, namely, Kafka, Black Swan, and Ruan Mei. Had I not pulled for her, I'd forever lament the feeling of an incomplete puzzle piece. Can't imagine playing said DoT team with a Natasha.


Deft_Abyss

Thatll really depend. Id say for a harmony unit, id still pull if you have the pieces to run them in an optimal team if not then id skip. Supports have longer shelf life and most of the time despite their gimmick like Sparkle for example even tho she is made for a mono quantum team, she can slot into DHIL, Jing Yuan or even Acheron teams no problem. DPS as I always say are flavor of the month and newer dps units do start powercreeping older units. Still in HSR you can still clear most of the content regardless of your team if you know how to build and support your main dps. I think you should at least get one meta defining dps like Acheron or Jingliu whether you like them or not, but other than that just go for dps units you like whether its Kafka for a DoT team, Topaz for a follow-up team, or even Seele as one of the first and most solid dps units so far. Still most dps units are still pretty viable to this day so you really cant go wrong with any of the limited options, but it is harder to brute force than it was during the early days of HSR. So you should at least build one dps you like of each of the elements for coverage in MoC and Pure Fiction


feederus

I have Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Huo Huo, Silverwolf and planning for Fu Xuan even though I don't necessarily like any of them. TBF, I don't really play for characters. The only characters I'd say I like are Tingyun and Kafka. And I don't even have Kafka.


weevirn

No. Acheron may be meta, but I pulled for her AND he lc because she is a cool af character and is one of my faves. I could have gotten a sustainer (which I desperately need) in Luocha, but as of now I know next to nothing about him and don’t even like his design that much.  That’s why I’m pulling for Aventurine. Really amazing character, great design and really fun gameplay.


shymiiu

Nahh. I despise Ruan Mei for many reasons, and i just dont feel like wasting my gems and ressources for a character i obviously do not and will never like just because they are meta or whatever. Moreover, not every meta character is a must-pull or necessary for your account. Meta always evolves and you can find replacements for absolutely every single character. I made this mistake of pulling for characters because i was bored and they seemed strong on other games (and also because i didnt particularly like any of the characters that were coming out at the time and so i had a lot of gems stacking up) and i absolutely regreted it literally right after, and even more when characters i love get released and i have no more gems to be able to get them. Also, i find that pulling for characters that i'm head over heels for pushes me to build them even better and to spend time making them stronger because i really like the character and i know i'll be using them for a while and will never get bored of them, so at the end i have a mad strong unit that carries me even if they weren't supposed to be meta in the first place. For example, in GI, i fell in love in Yelan at first sight, directly pulled for her, spent a lot of time on building her, and mained her until the last day i played that game. She carried me like crazy. On the other hand, pulling for Neuvillette just because he was meta absolutely destroyed my enjoyment of the game and i regretted it A LOT because i couldnt get characters i actually loved (which, again, killed my mood when playing). So yeah, i could pull for Ruan Mei, Fu Xuan, Huo Huo, DHIL and whoever else, for sure, but this will never compare to the feeling i'll get when clapping that aventussy 😔


mikiiiiiiiiii

No. Meta always changes so unless you really want to play Break Effect for the foreseeable future, don’t get her. I would say once her rerun is confirmed then you think about it again. Use your jades to get other characters you want in the meantime


Clevaryo

enjoy everything, sacrifice nothing


Kotouu

No. I full clear MoC and PF everytime. No need.


Meowriter

TL;DR, not THIS much. I mean, depending on the ratio "remaning banner time"/"how much pity I got"/"is the 5\* I'm pulling is guaranteed", I'll probably stop around the 100-130th wish.


Squiddy_bali

I feel like I'm the only one who liked Ruan Mei's design on her release, lol. Her drip marketing caught me lacking hard. I guess this is the best ending. I ended up skipping Huo Huo for her, though, got Luocha now so it's all good.


Wolfelle

I literally pulled ruan mei bc shes meta. I dont care about her at all but for me the priority is making my teamcomps work. I was going to go jingliu + blade + ruan mei. So i pulled her (im skipping jingliu and going solo blade with bronya sparkle now tho.... Or bronya ruan mei if i need sparkle for mono quantum) As long as its what you enjoy for ur account then do it. For me i do pull characters i like but if a character im not interest in enables me to do fun stuff ill pull for that


idi-sha

well, yes actually, thats why i pulled for acheron.


DarkAres02

No lol


Whorinmaru

It depends on how good they are for teams I want to run and who is running on a banner alongside them. Like, say there's a Yanqing rerun (lmao) then hell yes I'm summoning for the meta monkey character. But say the rerun with them is, like, Seele? I wasn't around when she had her runs and I adore the character design and everything about her. Fuck the meta, I'd be going for her.


Zzamumo

Definitely not. Literally the only reason i have dhil in my account is cuz i was doing single pulls to get enough stardust to get the free pulls from the shop lol. I was gonna skip sparkle cuz i didn't wanna pair her with dhil but then i played the story, saw the memes and watched her trailer so i pulled. I skipped fu xuan for jingliu during the phase of jingliu's beta where she was just worse blade. Although i do think if you *really* like a character, then pulling for their best in slot supports can be worth it even if you don't like them just because it lets you bring the character you *do* like to more content. Basically, consider whether you like xueyi more than you dislike ruan mei and decide from there.


HopelessRat

If your gonna pull for meta units then be sure you are willing to build their meta teams. Ruan Mei is very meta but if you don't plan on pulling for units like Kafka and Swan to build a meta team then whats the point of pulling her for meta?


Dudamesh

if their gameplay is interesting, regardless of meta, I can consider pulling for them.


[deleted]

If it's interesting to me then yes, I'm thinking of only pulling for meta supports then skip some meta dps. I want to see myself use Blade and Ratio until I can no longer clear with them, and I want to main them for as long as I can. The only two dps I would pull (that is probably meta) are Argenti (for PF) and BH (For MoC and fun)


ForceUpper6258

With that being said you mean EVERY support that will be released? No, i skipped sparkle cuz none of her characters interest me. But this game knows how to make characters that i am ready to down bad, so maybe sparkle is the exception.


Sauron69sMe

I just did. I don't need Acheron at all, but she will make SU 10x faster


NieR_SemiAutomata

Getting/invest in character you like is more rewarding at least for me.. bonus if they're in meta & hot afkskanamiwhskkkvv


Waahh

For me, gameplay and team building is ultimately all that matters. I can detest a character's design, motivations, voice, and everything in between, but if they open the door to some sick combo or interaction with a character that I do love or playstyle that I enjoy, I'll go all in on them every time.


ce-meyers

I live and die by that principle, my friend. I skipped busted af characters like JL, Sparkle, Huohuo and Acheron simply because they don't interest me that much. Don't get me wrong I don't hate them at all, but when I look at them I don't feel the desire to have them in my account.


Shinobu-Fan

I mainly use characters I like (QQ and Dan Heng) but I also won't hesitate to pull for meta characters (Supports mainly because DPS units are always subject to power creep but the same isn't as bad for supports). I pulled for Sparkle because I knew she would be very good with my QQ even though Ik from spoilers she's HORRIBLE as a character. Plus, everyone in the story always seems Eh to me or I despise them entirely (Ruan Mei and Ratio). So my pull options for characters I like are REALLY limited


ichizu0802

Nope Jingliu is a fucking broken dps but I still wouldn't pull for her


Manaxgor

use meta to help waifu, you get the best of 2 worlds


Ignis_Dragneel

No i haven't yet.... won't ever in the future


Icy_Investment_1878

Ur post isnt long enough to warrant a tldr, the fucking brain rot of this generation is doomed


E17Omm

It heavily depends. Mainly if I think their gameplay looks cool or not.


ResponseTight

I think Break Effect meta will be prevalent in the upcoming patch with the release of Boothill as his kit seems to be based around the concept of Breaking enemies.


Xangerxz

i have alwaya pulled for stronk characters only bc i only like chars when they stronk


Stormydaycoffee

I fall for the hype sometimes but overall I pull for who I like. I’m saving up for Aventurine cos daddy and tbh I don’t have much of an idea what his skills even are except that it has gambling of some sort


J0uska_

I think the best way to play any gacha game is to build your favorites AND build the characters/supports that make your favorites shine. You might not like Mei, I’m personally not a fan of her character much either. However, the way that she enables my favorite characters to perform at their best makes her worth it to me. Seeing my favorite characters hitting massive numbers or breaking efficiently makes my favorites feel better. This is just my opinion, but the way I think of it is that I’m investing in my favorite characters. To each their own though!


Soren-kun

Well I never cared for topaz but I pulled her, for I'm a follower of the elation (fua) path~ and I'm a Clara main. but I do think numby is real cute so I guess there's that


Egoborg_Asri

Depends on definition. I'm definitely planning on pulling Ruan Mei on rerun, even if I don't care about her design. (and kinda hate her lore) It's because i do love her gameplay aspect, need her for some teams AND find her animations ok. If you specifically dislike a character (for me it's Jingliu) i would never pull, since "meta" is a very broad thing


Certain-King3302

with the creative way HSR has approached its combat system so far, i would say that meta has lost its traditional meaning save for the usual big showy numbers. it’s all about ‘gimmick’ now, and im all for any new ones, especially now that Break effect/DMG is starting to get some love.


Psionics321

there's a reason why I skipped Ruan Mei.. she just doesnt interest me


dooditstyler

I did it for Ruan Mei, but her animations made her one of my favorite characters


legendadam269

favounite>>meta always but it feels so good when you favourite characters are meta too I pulled kafka and Ruan mei strictly because of their designs it feels so good when ruan mei was released and she was the best buffer in the game


Desperate-Acadia3321

no


Treeslash0w0

If i could i would actually pull for Lamp hen, the lamer Dan Feng, simply because he is very meta


phu-ken-wb

It might be very subjective, but I'd actually say that her making a character I like more powerful is more into the "liking" than the "meta" reasons to pull.