Acecraft’s gacha looks simple until you notice there are several banners, two kinds of tickets and a guarantee counter quietly ticking in the corner. Understanding how they fit together is the difference between landing the pilot you wanted and a pile of near misses.
This guide covers how recruiting works as of the October 2026 update that brought SP pilot Drakuku: costs, guarantees, featured banners and what to pull first. There’s no wrong way to approach this, but there is a cheaper one.
When Recruiting Unlocks
Pilot recruiting opens after you clear 15 stages. Until then you fly with your starter, which is a good thing: the early stages teach you the pink projectile mechanic before you start worrying about rosters.
The Recruit Banners
Your Diamonds and tickets can go to a few different places. Here’s your checklist:
- Pilot Recruit: the standard banner for pilots and Wingmen. It accepts Recruit Tickets or Diamonds.
- Skyward Recruit: the featured banner for each new pilot, from Sylas and Pris to crossover pilots like Bugs and Daffy. It runs on Skyward Recruit Tickets or Diamonds.
- Honk’s Depot: where featured pilots’ Signature Wingmen appear during their banner, such as Whimsical Nook for Sylas and Deadly Lily for Pris.
- Other draws: Pappos come from Pappo Recruit, and Emblems can be drawn in the Emblem Workshop.
Costs and Guarantees
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single Recruit | 300 Diamonds | In game |
| Ten Recruit | 3,000 Diamonds | In game |
| Excellent or higher guarantee | Every 10 draws | Official patch notes |
| Epic guarantee | Within 70 draws | In game counter, widely reported |
| Featured pilot on Skyward Recruit | Within 70 draws on that banner | In game counter, widely reported |
The banner shows live counters for both guarantees, so you always know how far away the next one is. Completionists, you’ll want to know: the 10 draw guarantee gives you an Excellent or higher pilot, so an Epic can still drop early if you’re lucky.
Missable! Tap the rates or info button on each banner before you pull. Drop rates and the exact guarantee rules live there, and they can differ between banners.
Pilot Rarities
Today the pilot rarities are A (Excellent), S (Epic), and the top SS and SP tiers. There is no B rarity anymore. The first SS tier pilot, Vincent, arrived in June 2026, and the newest additions are SP tier Blazewing Ekko, SS tier Silvanna and SP tier Drakuku.
A tier pilots like Ekko and Amelia are not wasted pulls. They carry you through Adventure while you save for the pilots you really want. Our A grade pilots guide shows which ones stay useful.
Skyward Recruit: Featured Pilots
Every new pilot launches with an exclusive Skyward Recruit, and that banner comes with extras worth knowing about.
- Path of Growth: once the featured pilot reaches set Amplification Levels, you claim free rewards. Since Pris’s banner, that track includes claimable Gold too.
- Signature Wingman: sold in Honk’s Depot during the banner. On its own pilot it unlocks an extra effect, like Deadly Lily’s overload mode for Pris.
- Packs: optional packs with Skyward Recruit Tickets and Power Cubes. Nice, not necessary.
This is one of those moments worth slowing down for. New pilots arrived roughly every month in 2026, so chasing every banner drains you fast. Pick the pilots that fit your team, using our tier list and new pilots guide.
What to Pull First
- Redeem codes. Check our codes page before every pull session. Free tickets always go first.
- Claim the daily freebies. The Recruit screens and the Store’s Special Pack section both have small free daily claims.
- Spend Skyward tickets on one target. Commit to the featured pilot you want so your counter builds toward them.
- Use standard Recruit Tickets as they come. They build roster depth and feed the 10 draw guarantee.
- Spend Diamonds in tens. 3,000 Diamonds for ten keeps the math clean and guarantees an Excellent or higher.
Take Your Time: there is no rush to pull the moment tickets arrive. Saving for a pilot you planned for beats ten random pulls on a banner you forgot about by next week.
Where Free Pulls Come From
You’d be surprised what’s hiding in the side content. Fest Sign-ins hand out Skyward Recruit Tickets, Recruit Tickets and Diamonds. The Navigator Pass gives Skyward Recruit Tickets. Co-Pilot events pay Recruit Tickets, and Realm Trial Lucky Chests can drop Pilots and Wingmen directly. Our F2P guide lists every source.
Acecraft Gacha FAQ
How much does a pull cost in Acecraft?
300 Diamonds for one Recruit and 3,000 Diamonds for ten. Recruit Tickets and Skyward Recruit Tickets work as free pulls.
What is the pity in Acecraft?
Every 10 draws guarantees an Excellent or higher pilot. The Epic guarantee and the featured pilot guarantee on Skyward Recruit sit within 70 draws, shown by an in game counter.
What is Skyward Recruit?
The featured banner for each new pilot. It uses Skyward Recruit Tickets or Diamonds and comes with a Path of Growth reward track.
When can I start recruiting?
After clearing 15 stages.
Are A tier pilots worth keeping?
Yes. A (Excellent) pilots carry early Adventure and fill gaps in your roster while you save for SS and SP pilots.
Checklist: redeem codes, claim the daily freebies, pick one featured pilot per banner and pull in tens. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the patient pullers end up with the best rosters.
