How Summoning Works in ASTD
The summoning system is how you get units. You spend Gems — the primary currency — on banners to pull random units from a pool. Sounds simple, but there's a surprising amount of strategy hidden in the details. Pulling at the wrong time on the wrong banner is the fastest way to waste weeks of grinding.
As of Update 7/8 (Feb 2026), the system has three banner types, a pity system, and rate-up mechanics. Let's break all of it down.
Banner Types
Standard Banner
Always available. Contains every non-limited unit in the game. The pull rates are:
| Tier | Rate per pull |
|---|---|
| S-tier | 3% |
| A-tier | 12% |
| B-tier | 35% |
| C-tier | 35% |
| D/F-tier | 15% |
A single pull costs 50 Gems. A multi (10 pulls) costs 450 Gems — that's a 10% discount, so never do single pulls. One multi guarantees at least one B-tier or higher unit.
Rate-Up Banner
Rotates every 5-7 days. Features 1-2 specific units with boosted pull rates. The featured unit gets an additional 1.5% rate on top of its tier rate, roughly tripling your odds of pulling it compared to the standard banner.
Rate-up banners share pity with each other but NOT with the standard banner.
Limited Banner
Appears during special events (holiday events, anniversary, crossover events). Limited units are exclusive to these banners and cannot be pulled from standard or rate-up banners. Limited banners have their own separate pity counter.
Warning: Limited banners look tempting, but the units are often flashy rather than functional. Before pulling on a limited banner, check community feedback and the All Star TD Tier List. A cool animation doesn't mean strong performance.
The Pity System — Guaranteed Pulls
ASTD uses a soft pity + hard pity system. Here's how it works:
Soft Pity: Starting at pull 70, your S-tier rate increases by 0.5% per pull. By pull 80, you have an ~8% chance per pull.
Hard Pity: At pull 90 (4,050 Gems on multis), you're guaranteed an S-tier unit. On rate-up banners, the hard pity has a 50% chance of being the featured unit.
Let's put real numbers on this:
| Scenario | Pulls needed | Gem cost (multis) |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky early pull | 10-30 | 450-1,350 |
| Average pull | 50-70 | 2,250-3,150 |
| Soft pity range | 70-89 | 3,150-4,005 |
| Hard pity (guaranteed) | 90 | 4,050 |
The median pull count for an S-tier unit is approximately 62 pulls (2,790 Gems). But variance is real — you can go the full 90 and still only have a 50% chance of getting the specific unit you want on rate-up.
Pro Tip: If you hit hard pity on a rate-up banner and get the wrong S-tier, don't rage-pull trying to get the right one. Your pity counter resets to 0. Walk away, save up, and try again next rotation.
When to Pull — Decision Framework
This is where most players lose Gems. They pull impulsively whenever they have enough for a multi. Instead, use this framework:
Pull NOW if:
- A rate-up banner features a unit you need (check the Best Units Guide for priorities)
- You're within 20 pulls of pity and the banner is about to rotate
- You have 4,500+ Gems saved (enough for full pity with some buffer)
- You're a new player with no A-tier or higher DPS unit
Save Gems if:
- You already own the featured rate-up unit at 4-star or higher
- You're below 2,000 Gems and no pity progress
- Dataminers or leakers have revealed an upcoming banner with a better unit
- The current banner features C or B-tier rate-ups (yes, this happens)
Never pull when:
- You have less than 450 Gems (single pulls are a waste)
- You're pulling "just to see what I get" with no plan
- The banner has 1 day left and you're at 0 pity — you won't reach any meaningful pity threshold
New Player First-Pull Strategy
If you're brand new, here's the exact sequence:
- Complete the tutorial — You get 500 free Gems
- Check the rate-up banner — If it features Killer Serious, Frieren, Madara, or Gear 5 Luffy, pull here
- If the rate-up is bad, pull standard — Your odds of any usable unit are higher on standard for your first multi
- Do exactly ONE multi — Evaluate what you got
- If you pulled an A-tier+, stop pulling and start clearing Story for more Gems
- If you got nothing usable, do one more multi on standard, then save
Your first 900 Gems (two multis) should give you at least one B-tier unit to start with. If you're extremely unlucky and get nothing above C-tier in two multis, that's a statistical outlier — consider saving for a full pity on the next good rate-up.
Pro Tip: Redeem all available All Star TD Codes before your first summon session. Codes regularly give 100-300 free Gems, which could be the difference between two and three multis.
Rate-Up Math — Is It Worth It?
Let's do the math on rate-up vs. standard for a specific S-tier unit:
Standard Banner: 3% S-tier rate, 10 S-tier units in the pool = 0.3% chance per pull for any specific S-tier unit. Expected pulls for a specific unit: ~333 pulls (14,985 Gems).
Rate-Up Banner: 3% base + 1.5% rate-up for the featured unit = 4.5% for the featured unit specifically. Expected pulls: ~22 pulls (990 Gems on multis).
That's a 15x efficiency improvement. Rate-up banners are not optional — they're the only rational way to target specific units unless you enjoy lighting Gems on fire.
Banner Rotation Schedule
Rate-up banners follow a roughly predictable cycle:
- Each S-tier unit appears on rate-up approximately once every 6-8 weeks
- New units get a 2-week rate-up on release, then enter the normal rotation
- Anniversary and holiday events sometimes feature double rate-up (3% additional) — these are the best value in the game
The community maintains a rotation tracker in the official Discord. Bookmark it.
Bounded Cubes — The Whale Currency
Bounded Cubes are a premium item that lets you choose a specific unit from a limited pool. They're obtained from:
- Event milestones
- Limited-time shop purchases
- Very rare drops from Raid Mode
How to use them:
- Check the Bounded Cube shop — It rotates monthly
- Only spend on S-tier units you need for star upgrades — Getting a 5-star to 6-star is worth a Cube. Getting a new 1-star copy is not.
- Never use Cubes on A-tier or below — The opportunity cost is too high
Warning: Some players hoard Bounded Cubes indefinitely, waiting for the "perfect" use. Don't do this either. If the shop has an S-tier unit you actively use at 5-star, pull the trigger. A 6-star carry now is worth more than a hypothetical future unit.
Common Summoning Mistakes
- Single pulling — 10% more expensive per unit. Always multi.
- Banner hopping — Pulling 20 on one banner, 30 on another. You never reach pity on either. Pick one banner and commit.
- Chasing duplicates too early — Getting your first copy of 3 different S-tier units is better than getting one S-tier to 3-star. Diversify first, then specialize.
- Ignoring rate-up banners — The math is clear. Standard banner pulls for specific units are 15x less efficient.
- Panic pulling on expiring banners — If you're at 15 pity and the banner has 2 hours left, your 450 Gems won't change anything. Save them.
Smart summoning is the difference between a stacked roster in 2 months and a mediocre one in 6 months. Plan your pulls.