Granblue Fantasy, a popular mobile and browser-based role-playing game developed by Cygames, has historically celebrated its anniversaries with extensive promotional giveaways designed to attract new players and reward existing ones. During its 6th Anniversary Celebration in 2020, the game offered a substantial volume of free content intended to help new players bypass some of the game's notoriously heavy grind and build a solid foundation for progression. The event featured daily free ten-part summons, special draw sets, cosmetic items, and various in-game resources. These promotional periods are often considered optimal entry points for prospective players, as the influx of free items can significantly accelerate early-game development and provide access to high-tier characters and equipment that would otherwise require extensive playtime or monetary investment.
Anniversary Promotions and Free Summons
The 6th Anniversary Celebration, which ran until March 31, 2020, was highlighted by a campaign that granted players a free ten-part summon once per day. This promotion allowed players to perform multiple ten-roll pulls on the gacha without spending in-game currency or real money. The source material notes that Cygames was giving away "a ton of free rolls," specifically referencing a 10-roll per day available from the start of the event through March 8th. This volume of free summons provides players with a high probability of obtaining multiple SSR (Super Super Rare) characters and summons, which are the highest rarity items in the game. For new players starting outside of a "Legfest" (a periodic promotion with increased SSR rates), the ability to perform these free rolls can immediately bolster their roster, making early content significantly more manageable.
In addition to the daily summons, the anniversary introduced a "Birthday Draw Set" available for direct purchase. This set awarded a ticket that could be exchanged for almost any character in the game, including seasonal and "gala" limited characters. While this is a paid offer, it represents a significant value for players looking to acquire specific units that are otherwise difficult to obtain. Gala characters, in particular, are only available during specific promotional windows and are considered essential for high-level play in certain elements.
Rerolling Strategies for New Players
For players seeking the best possible start, the concept of "rerolling"—creating new accounts until a desirable initial set of summons or characters is obtained—is a common strategy. The source material outlines a tiered approach to rerolling based on the value of the initial pulls.
Super Top Tier Reroll: The ideal start involves obtaining an "unticketable" summon or a Legfest/event-limited character. Unticketable summons, such as Bahamut or Lucifer, are the most difficult items to acquire due to their extremely low drop rates and inability to be acquired through standard tickets. Legfest/event-limited characters are slightly more accessible if a player purchases a "Beginner Ticket" (Start Dash), but they cannot be obtained through "Surprise Tickets" or regular gacha pulls outside of their specific rate-up periods.
Top Tier Reroll: For players who lack the patience for extensive rerolling, the next best option is to aim for a character rated 9.0 or higher on the community-maintained tier list. A specific character highlighted for beginners is SSR Yodarha (Water). Described as a "mustachioed potato," Yodarha is noted as the strongest character for beginners, capable of carrying players through the midgame and remaining useful in the endgame.
Mid Tier Reroll: If a player obtains any SSR character (other than the guaranteed freebie from the first pull) during a period without Legfest, this is generally considered sufficient to carry them for a significant amount of time. If Cygames is running a promotion with a high volume of free rolls (like the anniversary event), players are advised to simply use their free rolls and hope for good results rather than spending excessive time rerolling.
Player Progression and Game Systems
Granblue Fantasy features complex party setup mechanics involving the Main Character (Gran or Djeeta), character classes, weapons, and summons. Classes determine weapon proficiency and available skills, which can be unlocked and slotted into a sub-skill slot regardless of the class being used.
While the provided source material focuses heavily on the mobile game, it also touches upon the broader Granblue Fantasy franchise, including Granblue Fantasy: Relink (an action RPG) and Granblue Fantasy Versus (a fighting game). For players interested in the lore but intimidated by the gacha game's scope, the anime adaptation is recommended as a way to experience the main story beats and character backgrounds in a concise manner. Granblue Fantasy Versus features a unique story mode that builds upon the main game's characters and setting, while Versus Rising adds an additional story chapter.
Community Feedback on Game Events
Community discussions reflect the mixed feelings players have regarding major game events like "Guild Wars" (Unite and Fight). While these events offer significant rewards, they require a heavy time investment. Discussions from the 6th Anniversary era indicate that some players found the grind of high-level raids (NM200) to be excessive, with runs taking up to 14 minutes. Some players reported giving up on competitive rankings to avoid the burnout, noting that the "true hell" of the grind made them question their continued participation. Despite the difficulty, these events remain a primary source of materials and valor badges for progression.
Conclusion
The 6th Anniversary of Granblue Fantasy provided a robust framework for new players to enter the game with a significant advantage. Through daily free ten-part summons and targeted rerolling strategies, players could assemble a strong roster of characters and summons. While the game remains complex with deep progression systems, the promotional freebies served to mitigate the initial grind, allowing players to experience the game's content more freely. For those interested in the franchise's broader lore, alternative media such as the anime and fighting games offer accessible entry points.