Punishing: Gray Raven Complete Beginner’s Guide (Tips + Do’s and Don’ts)

Punishing: Gray Raven is a high-octane 3D-action gacha game developed and published by Kuro Game.

The game combines excellent graphics with often noir-esque, yet brilliant storytelling – topped with an intense, real-time combat system rarely seen in other games from the same genre.

In this guide, I’m going to show you all the important information a beginner should know before playing, as well as several helpful tips to help you achieve the best start possible!

Starting Out (Rerolling)

Rerolling in a gacha game involves resetting a player’s account repeatedly until a satisfactory start has been achieved – often through obtaining high-tier characters or items in the gacha.

Here are a few things you should consider when rerolling in Punishing: Gray Raven.

Is Rerolling Necessary?

While you do get some advantage in the early game if you manage to pick up certain S-Rank Constructs, rerolling in PGR is not necessary.

The two main reasons for this are the S-Rank Construct Selector Ticket and the 40-Pull Guaranteed S-Rank Construct banner – both of which are available for all starting players.

You may not be able to get the characters you want if you don’t reroll, but the upside is that you’ll be able to get into the game quicker instead of spending hours rerolling!

Tip: Before you use the S-Rank Construct Selector Ticket, I highly recommend that you do the 40-Pull Guaranteed S-Rank Construct banner first.

This is to avoid getting a duplicate of a Construct, which is counterproductive – especially since you’re a beginner with very few S-Rank Constructs.

How To Reroll (Step-by-Step)

If you have a specific unit you want to start your account with, the first thing you need to do to begin the reroll process is clear Normal Story 1-12.

The only way to unlock the gacha (R&D feature) is by defeating the boss in the image below:

Upon defeating the boss in Normal Story 1-12, you will automatically be led by the tutorial to the R&D feature, which will allow you to pull Constructs:

After clearing the R&D tutorial, you can finally claim any free Research Tickets or Black Cards from your Mail or Missions so you can pull on whatever banner your preferred Construct is in.

But in case you aren’t satisfied with the Constructs you got, simply head over to your Settings by clicking the icon located in the upper-right corner of your Home Screen:

Home Screen > Settings

You will be redirected first to your Sound Settings.

To proceed, click the “Account” option on the left side of the page:

Sound > Account

In your Account Settings, click the “Return to the Title” button to go back to the game’s Title Screen:

Account > Back to Title

After this, you will then be redirected to the game’s Title Screen, where you’ll have two rerolling options to go with:

Method #1: Switch Accounts

The first option is to switch your account login method, which takes a bit longer but is the more reliable option out of the two.

To proceed with this option, click the “Switch Account” button located on the upper-right corner of your Title Screen:

Title Screen > Switch Account

There, you will be presented with three login options:

Personally, I recommend creating several Google accounts beforehand to make the reroll process smoother – especially since you can use those Google accounts for rerolling in other gacha games.

Method #2: Switch Servers

Simply switching servers to reroll is a bit quicker and more convenient than the first method, but it does have a possible drawback.

To create a completely new Commandant in another server, click the Server Selection button located in the bottom-right corner of your Title Screen:

Title Screen > Switch Server

From there, simply pick a different server where you haven’t created a Commandant or pulled in the Tutorial R&D yet:

The possible drawback of using this method is the lag that you may encounter when playing co-op on an incompatible server. But other than that, the game runs pretty much the same on all servers.

Who To Reroll For

If you’re considering rerolling, the best Constructs I recommend you pull for are:

Team Building Guide

To build the best team in PGR as a beginner, I recommend a part of:

• 1 Main DPS (Attacker)
• 1 Sub-DPS (Any Class)
• 1 Tank (Tank)

You could experiment with whoever Construct you want to use, but the most important thing is that you decide on who will be your Main DPS as early as possible.

All Classes & Unit Roles

There are four Construct classes in Punishing: Gray Raven.

Here’s a list of all classes and some details on what they offer in battle:

What Are Energy Types?

Energy Types can also be used as a reference for team building. The idea is to pair up Constructs who can deal damage of the same Energy Type.

There are five different Energy Types in PGR (plus ‘mixed’):

Energy Types	Effects
Fire	Deals Burn damage to enemies
Ice	Deals Ice damage to enemies
Lightning	Deals Lightning damage to enemies
Dark	Deals Piercing damage to enemies
Mixed	Best-suited against enemies with multiple resistances
Physical	Deals direct Physical damage to enemies

You can get a rough idea of which Energy Types a unit can inflict on enemies by checking out their Energy Coefficient – as highlighted in the image above.

As you can see, Kamui: Tenebrion has a 50% on Physical and 50% on Dark, which makes him a good addition for both Physical and Dark-element teams.

Combat Guide (How Battles Work)

Here’s everything you need to know about Punishing: Gray Raven’s combat system – along with a few tips that’ll help you master it quickly.

Normal Attacks

Normal Attacks allow your unit to deal normal attack damage continuously, as long as you’re clicking on it repeatedly.

Using Normal Attacks also generates Skill Orbs, which can be used to execute a Skill or a Skill Chain.

Tip: Do not spam the Normal Attack button haphazardly, as this habit can cost you a unit even during moderately hard battles.

Instead, try to watch the enemy’s attack patterns and do your Normal Attacks once your unit is in a safe position.

Dodging & EX Dodging

Dodging allows you to avoid an attack by sprinting in any direction quickly.

• An EX Dodge is a Dodge executed within a split second before an attack hits. Performing an EX Dodge activates Matrix, which is a feature that slows down time. It has a cooldown of 15 seconds.
• A Matrix Ping is also generated after an EX Dodge, which is a feature that automatically activates a 3-Ping if you click any Skill Orb you currently have.

Tip: You are only given a limited amount of stamina for Dodging, so make sure not to spam the Dodge button if you don’t want to get caught by an attack you can’t evade.

PGR is a bit like Elden Ring in that regard, but at least your main character isn’t completely maidenless at the start of the game!

Skills, Skill Orbs, & Skill Chaining (How These Work)

To execute a Skill, simply click a Skill Orb with no adjacent Skill Orbs of the same color.

To do a Skill Chain, click three adjacent Skill Orbs of the same color. This is also known as a 3-Ping, which can also activate QTEs and Passive Skills.

Tip: All Constructs have unique QTEs, Skills, and Passive Skills, so make sure to check out their Skills page to know exactly what they can do.

Signature Moves

Signature Move is a Construct’s most powerful skill, and they only appear in the bottom-right corner of the screen after you’ve collected enough Energy.

You can collect Energy mainly by executing Skills or Skill Chains.

Tip: Signature Moves do not expire once they appear, so feel free to hold off on using them until the best moment possible.

Picking the right time to execute your Signature Moves can turn the tides of battle instantly, not to mention it may also help in clearing enemy mobs quickly.

All Stats Explained

All Constructs have four main stats that dictate how well they perform in certain aspects of combat: HP, ATK, DEF, and CRIT.

The table below explains all of these stats and which roles need each stat the most.

Powering Up Units (How To Get Stronger)

Here’s a table listing the 6 most effective ways that you can power up your Constructs as a beginner in PGR.

Best Ways To Level Up Fast

Out of the table above, I’d say the two best ways to increase the level of your Commandant as quickly as possible are to:

• Clear Combat Stages
• Complete Daily, Weekly, Story, & Guide Missions

Raising your Commandant Level is very important, as the level of your Constructs are directly related to it.

You cannot level up your Constructs to a level above your Commandant’s!

The best way to increase the levels of your Constructs is to simply feed them EXP Pods.

EXP Pods can be farmed from a lot of different sources, but the best source by far is Stage RS-4 in the Special Training game mode.

Important Items to Farm

Listed below are the most notable items to farm in the early game, and where to farm them as a beginner.

Important Items	Best Sources
Black Cards & Research Tickets	Story Stages Missions Events
Cogs	Cogs Galore Stages Missions
EXP Pods	Special Training Stages Missions
Weapon Enhancers & Memory Enhancers	Logistics Maintenance Stages Missions
Weapon Overclock Cores & Memory Overclock Circuits	Military Hardware Stages Missions
Inver-Shards	R&D Research (Duplicates) Phantom Pain Shop Interlude

How The Dorm Mechanic Works

The Dorms allow you to house your Constructs so that you can interact with them whenever you’d like.

This is where you can relax after a long day of battles and resource grinding, since its main purpose is to just show off your interior design skills and Constructs to other players.

You can interact with Constructs and increase their Mood by talking to them, placing them on furniture they want to use, or giving them a gentle pat.

As long as you keep the Mood of your Constructs high, you can also receive Gifts whenever you interact with them:

• Dorm Coins
• Decor Coins
• Gift Boxes

Tip: Decorating your Rooms with furniture increases the rate at which the Mood of your Constructs recovers, which means they’ll give you Gifts more often!

All Constructs have their own preferences when it comes to the designs and furniture they want in their Dorm:

• Comfort
• Beauty
• Utility

To keep the Mood of your Constructs high, make sure to keep Constructs with the same preferences in the same Dormitory.

With the Dorm Coins you receive from your Constructs, you can buy several useful items from the Dorm Coin Shop:

Dorm Coin Shop Items	Cost
Coating Sketch (x5, Limited Stock)	3 Dorm Coins
Coating Sketch (x5)	5 Dorm Coins
Residence Permit (x1)	10 Dorm Coins
Precious Gift Box (x1)	2 Dorm Coins
Fine Gift Box (x2)	2 Dorm Coins
Normal Gift Box (x2)	1 Dorm Coin

I highly advise that you purchase Coating Sketches more often out of all the items listed above. They’re by far the most valuable item available in the Dorm Coin Shop.

Primary Tasks for Beginners

As a beginner, here are the four most important tasks that you should try to prioritize as soon as you start playing Punishing: Gray Raven.

Task #1: Get a Military Instructor

The Guide System unlocks immediately after clearing Normal Story 1-6, and I highly advise that you choose a Mentor as soon as you clear it.

You can earn a lot of Commandant EXP from the Missions you get from the Guide System, not to mention valuable resources such as:

• Black Cards
• Research Tickets
• Cogs
• Weapon & Memory Enhance Materials
• Weapon & Memory Overclock Materials

Just make sure you do your missions and stay active within your first week of playing the game so you won’t get kicked out by your Military Instructor!

Task #2: Join a Guild

You can unlock the Guild system after clearing Normal Story 4-5, and I highly recommend you join one as soon as you can.

Not only do Guilds allow you to socialize with other players, but they also give you access to Guild Bosses that drop Guild Points.

You can then use Guild Points at the Guild Point Shop to buy items.

The only item I recommend you purchase there are Transcendent Shards, which cost 48 GP each.

Task #3: Unlock Warzone & Phantom Pain Cage

You unlock Warzone after clearing Normal Story 4-8 and Phantom Pain after clearing Normal Story 5-7.

You should unlock and play these game modes ASAP, as they’re among the very few game modes that give you Black Cards.

Having access to these two early on means you’ll be able to farm Black Cards a bit faster, making you already one step ahead of your beginner peers!

Task #4: Reach Level 40 ASAP to Unlock Events

I would consider reaching Level 40 as an achievement in itself, as this means you’re well on your way to shedding your beginner status.

Coincidentally, reaching Level 40 also unlocks Events, which is arguably the best source of all kinds of valuable items in the game.

Story-driven quests are where Punishing: Gray Raven truly shines, and you’ll also be able to experience this firsthand once you unlock Events!

Punishing: Gray Raven General Tips

If you want to be the very best like no one ever was as a Commandant, then here’s a list of tips I recommend following (great for all skill levels).

Tip #1: Invest Heavily in Your Main DPS

Rank Up (Task Force > ACE)

Your Main DPS should always take priority when it comes to the allocation of your power-up materials and resources.

The higher the level of your Main DPS is and the stronger their Memories and Weapons are compared to your other units, the further you’ll get in the initial Story Stages.

I also recommend that you level up the Memories in the following slots for your DPS units first:

• 4th Memory Slot
• 5th Memory Slot
• 6th Memory Slot

This is because slots 4, 5, and 6 improve a Construct’s DPS more than slots 1, 2, and 3. Make sure to prioritize them when upgrading your Main DPS’s Memories.

Tip #2: Save Your Serum Bundles for Event Stages

Serum Bundles are quite easy to come by during your first few days in the game. But they’ll start to become more scarce as soon as you get past your beginner phase.

You may use them when farming important resources from other game modes (especially when they’re about to expire), but I still recommend saving most of your Serum Bundles on Event stages.

This way, you’ll have plenty of Serum to farm lots of rare items from Events whenever they come around.

Tip #3: Always Check the Top Up Shop For Deals and Free Stuff

You get two free items from the Daily Supply Pack Shop, which is located in the Top Up Shop:

You can also find a lot of limited deals in the Top Up shop, especially during Events or banner runs. I highly recommend you visit it often – regardless of whether you’re F2P or not.

Tip #4: Farm Inver-Shards from Interlude Stages Every Day

Inver-Shards of B-Rank and A-Rank Constructs can be farmed from Battle Stages after you’ve cleared a Construct’s Story Stages in the Interlude.

After you’ve cleared a Battle Stage once, you can Auto-clear the stage as many times as you like – provided that you have enough Serum.

I recommend prioritizing 2-3 Constructs and farming their Inver-Shards from the Interlude every day. This will help you evolve them quickly.

Tip #5: When in Doubt, Refer to the Story Missions for Guidance

In case you’re at a loss and don’t know exactly what to do next, feel free to use the Story Missions as a rough guideline.

You also get tons of free resources by completing Story Missions:

• Memory Cards
• Black Cards
• Research Tickets
• Cogs
• Overclock Materials
• Enhance Materials
• Serum & Serum Bundles
• EXP Pods

Tip #6: Don’t Spend Your Black Cards in Base Research

You can use Basic Construct Research Tickets, which are easier to farm than Event Construct Research Tickets, to summon Constructs and Weapons in the Base Research banner.

It makes little sense to spend your Black Cards on the Base Research banner, since Event banners have the potential to give you way better and more Constructs and Weapons.

Instead, spend your Black Cards on Event Construct Research Tickets.

You won’t regret it!

Tip #7: Always Pull in Normal-Themed Event Banners

There are two types of Event Banners in Punishing: Gray Raven: Normal-themed and Fate-themed.

Here’s a table briefly explaining what they each offer.

Unless you’re a whale or you’re just really confident in your luck, I suggest you leave the Fate-themed Event Banners alone and pull on Normal-themed Event Banners exclusively.

PGR Do’s & Don’ts

Listed below are several things you absolutely should and shouldn’t do as a beginner in Punishing: Gray Raven.

Do’s

• Do unlock and play Warzone and Phantom Cage ASAP
• Do join a Guild ASAP
• Do reach level 40 ASAP
• Do clear your daily and weekly missions
• Do get a Military Instructor in the Guide System ASAP
• Do invest in your Main DPS first
• Do check out the Top Up Shop often
• Do farm Inver-Shards from Interlude stages every day
• Do save your Serum Bundles for Event stages
• Do use the Story Missions as a rough guideline if you don’t know what to do
• Do visit and decorate your Dorm often
• Do try to make a team with the same Energy Type

Don’ts

• Don’t spam Normal Attacks during battle
• Don’t spam Dodge during battle
• Don’t use your S-Rank Selector Ticket too early
• Don’t spend your Black Cards on Base Research
• Don’t pull on Fate-themed Event Banners if you’re F2P
• Don’t pull on every banner that is released
• Don’t forget to back up your account after rerolling
• Don’t spend too many Memory Enhancers on the Memories in slots 1, 2, and 3 early on
• Don’t forget to recycle fodder Memories or Weapons
• Don’t spend Black Cards on weapon banners unless it’s for your favorite or most-used unit
• Don’t leave the game with your Serum at full capacity
• Don’t forget to buy Construct Inver-Shards in the Supply Shop and Transcendent Shards in the Guild Point Shop