Punishing: Gray Raven Currencies: Rainbow Cards vs Black Cards vs R&D Tickets
This article is a comprehensive guide to the currency systems in Punishing: Gray Raven (PGR). It covers the three core currencies—Rainbow Cards (premium paid currency), Black Cards (convertible banner currency), and R&D Tickets (banner-specific resources)—and how they interact with each other, including the 1 Rainbow Card = 10 Black Cards conversion rate. The guide breaks down the four types of R&D Tickets (Basic Construct, Basic Weapon, Event Construct, Target Weapon) and provides detailed recommendations on which ones are worth spending on and which to avoid, especially for F2P players. It explains the pity system and the Black Card costs required to guarantee S-Rank Constructs (15,000 BC) and 6-star weapons (7,500 BC). A full spending guide covers four player tiers: F2P, Minnow (~$5–15/month), Dolphin (~$30–100 per version), and Whale (unlimited). Practical tips on how to maximize free Black Cards, avoid common currency mistakes, and the safest ways to top up Rainbow Cards are included. Topuplist is featured as a recommended UID-based platform for securing PGR Rainbow Cards with instant delivery and PayPal support.
Punishing: Gray Raven (PGR) has one of the more generous gacha systems among action RPGs—but that generosity can be hard to appreciate if you don‘t understand how the currencies work. New players often find themselves staring at Rainbow Cards, Black Cards, and four different types of R&D Tickets, with no clue which is which.
In this guide, we break down every PGR currency: what they do, which ones to hoard, which ones to ignore, and exactly how much you need to spend to guarantee the characters and weapons you want.
💰 The Three Core Currencies in PGR – What’s the Difference?
PGR has three primary currency types. Each serves a distinct purpose.
📌 The golden rule: Rainbow Cards are how you pay Kuro Games. Black Cards are how you pull. And R&D Tickets are how you convert Black Cards into banner-specific currency. Black Cards can be converted into any other currency, making them the most precious resource in the game.
💎 Rainbow Cards – The Premium Currency
Rainbow Cards are the only currency you cannot earn through gameplay. You must purchase them, either through the in-game store or via third-party UID-based top-up platforms.
Rainbow Cards can be exchanged for Black Cards at a fixed 1:10 ratio—1 Rainbow Card gives you 10 Black Cards. They are also used to purchase certain premium coatings (skins) and event-exclusive bundles that cannot be bought with Black Cards.
Who needs Rainbow Cards? Every paying player. F2P players won‘t interact with them at all.
🃏 Black Cards – The Currency That Does Everything
If you only remember one thing from this guide, remember this: Black Cards are the most important currency in PGR.
Black Cards can be:
Converted into Event Construct R&D Tickets to pull for new S-Rank Constructs
Converted into Target Weapon R&D Tickets to pull for specific 6-star weapons
Converted into Basic Construct Tickets or Basic Weapon Tickets (but you generally shouldn‘t)
Used directly in the shop for certain items
How to earn Black Cards for free: Daily and weekly missions are your primary source. The Beginner‘s Guide from the PGR Fandom Wiki emphasizes getting to level 35 and clearing Chapter 5-7 Normal as soon as possible to unlock all weekly missions. Early one-time rewards include Stage clears (50 BC per new stage), Celica‘s tutorials (50 BC each), and Interludes (30 BC per stage).
A steady free player can expect roughly 4,500–5,000 Black Cards per month from consistent daily/weekly play plus event rewards and login bonuses.
🎫 R&D Tickets – Four Types, Four Different Banners
R&D Tickets are essentially Black Cards that have been locked to a specific banner. You can exchange 250 Black Cards for 1 R&D Ticket of any type.
🚨 Critical warning for F2P players: Never convert your Black Cards into Blue Basic R&D Tickets. You get plenty of these through daily logins and free rewards. Wasting Black Cards on the standard banner is the #1 mistake new players make.
The Target Weapon Research banner allows you to select a specific 6-star weapon with a 80% rate-up, which is the best way to acquire signature weapons for your favorite Constructs.
🎯 How Many Pulls to Guarantee an S-Rank? (Pity System Explained)
If you‘re planning to spend, the most important numbers to know are these:
S-Rank Construct Guarantee: 15,000 Black Cards (60 pulls)
6-Star Weapon Guarantee: 7,500 Black Cards (30 pulls)
Source: AppGamer‘s Pity System Guide and PGR Fandom Wiki.
💡 Important nuance about soft pity: The guaranteed S-Rank pity is 60 pulls, but the actual triggering range is between 80-100 pulls on average. The hard pity guarantee at 60 pulls applies to the 50/50 banner—if you lose the 50/50, the next S-Rank is guaranteed to be the featured Construct.
🚀 New player power start: The Beginner Banner guarantees an S-Rank Construct within your first 40 pulls. The community consensus is to complete all 40 pulls on the beginner banner before using the free S-Rank selector—otherwise you might waste the selector on a character you‘ll pull anyway.
Free Black Card estimation: For a dedicated F2P player completing daily and weekly missions consistently, expect roughly 4,500–5,000 BC per month from missions plus events and login rewards.
💳 Spending Guide: How to Get the Best Bang for Your Buck (By Player Type)
Not everyone spends the same way. Here‘s the breakdown by player tier:
💸 F2P – $0/month
Strategy: Maximize free Black Cards. Avoid spending Black Cards on Basic R&D Tickets (blue) completely—you‘ll get these for free over time.
Key tip: Stay disciplined. Skip banners for characters you don‘t need. Save for Theme Limited debuts. Skip weapon banners unless you‘re sitting on a pile of BC with nothing else to chase. You can comfortably clear all endgame content without spending a dime—spending is for collection, not necessity.
Rough BC estimate per month: ~4,500–5,000 from missions + events + login bonuses.
Goal: One guaranteed S-Rank every 2–3 months (15,000 BC target).
Priority: Theme Limited banners only. No weapons, no standard pulls.
📌 Reminder: The most important free Black Card source is completing your weekly missions after unlocking all content—aim to reach level 35 and clear Chapter 5-7 Normal as early as possible to stabilize your BC income.
💰 Minnow – $5–15/month
Strategy: Monthly Pass + selective use of first-time bonuses.
The community consistently identifies the Monthly Pass as the most efficient purchase for light spenders, offering great value as a way to support the developers. Monthly passes return a consistent daily BC stream.
First purchase bonuses apply across all Rainbow Card tiers. Use them. After your first purchase on each tier, the value drops significantly.
Recommended purchases: Monthly Pass (~$5/month) is the single best value in the game. For new accounts, the low-tier Rainbow Card pack with first-time bonus offers a cheap way to get starter resources.
Rough BC per month including pass: ~6,500–8,000. Enough to cover a new S-Rank every patch with a small surplus.
Priority: Theme Limited S-Ranks only.
💎 Dolphin – $30–100 per patch
Strategy: First-time bonuses across all tiers + discounted Rainbow Cards via third-party platforms + selective weapon pulls.
The big upgrade over minnow spending is being able to pull for signature 6-star weapons when they matter (7,500 BC each).
Stacking strategy: The most efficient way to spend at this tier is to purchase Rainbow Cards through third-party platforms like Topuplist, which typically offer better rates than the official store. UID-based platforms deliver Rainbow Cards instantly with no password sharing.
Priority: Theme Limited S-Rank (15,000 BC) → Signature weapon if character is meta (7,500 BC) → Skip or save otherwise.
🐋 Whale – Budget unlimited
Strategy: Maximize value with bulk Rainbow Card purchases through discounted platforms, plus event-limited bundles that contain materials and additional BC.
The official Rainbow Card price list (approximate USD reference):
Prices vary by region and platform.
The bulk pack (660 RC → 6,600 BC after 1:10 conversion) offers the best cost per Rainbow Card in the official store. But the real optimization for whales is to buy Rainbow Cards through third-party UID-based platforms, which often beat official pricing by significant margins, allowing you to stack banners without paying full retail.
Priority: Everything. All S-Ranks, signature weapons for your main teams, and limited-time coatings when available.
💰 Pro Tip for All Paying Players: UID-based top-up platforms like Topuplist offer Rainbow Cards at discounted prices compared to official stores—often 15–30% off. The process is simple: you provide only your Role ID (no password), select the Rainbow Card amount, complete payment via PayPal or credit card, and Rainbow Cards arrive in minutes. This is the safest and most cost-effective way for paying players to maximize their BC per dollar.
❓ Which Packs Are Actually Worth Buying?
Here‘s the quick verdict on each purchase type:
💡 Pro tip: Compared to official in-game purchases, many reputable third-party platforms offer much better rates, making third-party top-ups a cost-effective option for players looking to maximize their investment in the game. Official direct Rainbow Card purchases have the worst BC-per-dollar ratio among all options—only go direct if you have no other choice.
💡 Beginner Action Plan – 4 Steps to Master PGR Currencies
Step 1 – Build Your Free BC Foundation:
Complete Celica‘s tutorials (6 stages × 50 BC = 250 BC). Push story stages for one-time BC rewards. Prioritize reaching level 35 and clearing Chapter 5-7 Normal to unlock full weekly missions.
Step 2 – Choose Your Spending Tier:
F2P → skip to Step 3.
Minnow → buy Monthly Pass ($5/month) and use first-time bonuses on low tiers.
Dolphin → first-time bonuses across all tiers + discounted third-party Rainbow Cards.
Whale → bulk Rainbow Cards via discounted platforms + event bundles.
Step 3 – Convert and Pull Wisely:
Convert Rainbow Cards → Black Cards (1:10). Convert Black Cards → Event Construct R&D Tickets (yellow) for Theme Limited banners. Never convert Black Cards to Basic R&D Tickets (blue).
Step 4 – Spend, But Do It Right:
Use Event Construct Tickets to pull for new S-Ranks on Theme Limited banners. Skip everything else until your roster is solid. If you have BC leftover after securing the S-Rank, consider Target Weapon Tickets (red) for signature 6-star weapons at 80% rate-up.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What‘s the difference between Rainbow Cards and Black Cards?
A: Rainbow Cards are the premium paid currency that can only be purchased. Black Cards are the main convertible currency earned through gameplay. You exchange Rainbow Cards for Black Cards at a fixed 1:10 ratio.
Q: Can F2P players earn Black Cards without spending money?
A: Yes—daily missions, weekly missions, story stages, level-up rewards, events, and login bonuses all provide free Black Cards.
Q: How many Black Cards to guarantee a new S-Rank?
A: The guaranteed S-Rank pity is 60 pulls, but due to soft pity, actual costs range from 80-100 pulls. The sure number to save is approximately 15,000 BC.
Q: Is the Monthly Pass worth buying?
A: Yes. The community widely agrees that monthly passes are the most efficient purchase for light spenders and a great way to support the developers.
Q: Are third-party top-up platforms safe to use?
A: Yes, when you use a legitimate UID-based platform that only asks for your Role ID—never your password. Reputable platforms like Topuplist offer secure checkout via PayPal, SSL encryption, and instant delivery. They typically provide better rates than official stores, often 15–30% off, making them the most cost-effective option for paying players.
Q: What is Role ID and how do I find it?
A: Your Role ID is the unique identifier for your PGR account. You can find it in your profile screen within the game. Legitimate third-party top-up platforms only need this ID—no password required—to deliver Rainbow Cards to your account.
Q: Should F2P players pull on weapon banners?
A: Generally, no. Prioritize S-Rank Constructs first. Only consider weapon banners if you already have a solid roster and extra Black Cards to spare.
🔒 Final Summary – What Every PGR Player Needs to Know
Black Cards are your most precious resource. Spend them only on Event Construct R&D Tickets (yellow) for Theme Limited banners.
Never convert Black Cards into Blue Basic R&D Tickets. You‘ll get plenty of these for free from daily logins.
Rainbow Cards are exclusively for paying players. Convert them to Black Cards (1:10) to fuel your pulls.
Monthly Pass is the best value for light spenders – period.
Third-party UID-based platforms offer significantly better rates than official stores, making discounted Rainbow Cards the smartest choice for any paying player.
F2P can clear all content without spending a cent – spending is for collection and convenience.
👉 Ready to top up Rainbow Cards at the best price? Get your Punishing: Gray Raven Rainbow Cards at Topuplist – UID-based checkout, instant delivery, and PayPal support!
