You’re standing in your base, staring at that glowing, weirdly retro-futuristic vending machine. It’s humming. It’s tempting. You’ve got a handful of Starchrom, and you’re wondering if you should blow it all on a gamble or just buy the blueprint you actually want.
That’s the Wish Machine Once Human experience in a nutshell.
Honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing mechanics Starry Studio put into the game. Some players call it a predatory gacha system. Others see it as the only fair way to get legendary gear without grinding your soul away in Silos. Both are kinda right. But if you don't understand how the pity system and the specific pools work, you're basically throwing the most valuable currency in the game into a digital trash can.
The Starchrom Problem: Why You Can't Afford to Mess Up
Starchrom isn't like Energy Links. You can't just go out and farm more of it by killing Rosetta grunts for eight hours straight. It is a strictly finite resource tied to seasonal goals, Journey tasks, and the Purge mechanic.
Because of this scarcity, every pull on the Wish Machine Once Human carries an immense weight.
Most new players make the mistake of "playing the game." They see the llama, they hit the button, they hope for the best. Don't do that. The machine offers two distinct ways to interact: the "Wish" (the gacha game) and the "Blueprint Shop."
If you're looking for a specific build—say, the Shrapnel Souvenir build or a Power Surge setup—the Shop is usually the safer bet. You pay a flat, albeit high, fee of Starchrom and get exactly what you need. No RNG. No disappointment. But, and this is a big "but," the Gacha games can actually net you legendary blueprints for a fraction of the cost if you understand the math behind the prize pools.
Breaking Down the Gacha Mechanics
The Wish Machine isn't just one big pile of loot. It’s organized into specific "Games" or banners. Each banner has a set number of items. When you pull an item, it is removed from the pool for that specific game instance.
💡 You might also like: How to Actually Use Split Screen Fortnite PS5 Without Losing Your Mind
This is massive.
Unlike traditional gacha games where you could theoretically pull the same trash item 10,000 times, the Wish Machine Once Human uses a "Depletion" system. If a banner has 20 items and you pull 20 times, you are guaranteed to get every single thing in that banner, including the legendary blueprint.
It makes the "pity" feel a lot more tangible.
Think about the "Echoes from the Rift" banner. It’s often the first one players see. It’s designed to give you a baseline of gear. But if you’re looking for the Jaws Crank pistol or the SOCR Outsider, you need to check which specific banner features them. Each pull costs 500 Starchrom. If the "Grand Prize" is a 10,000 Starchrom blueprint in the shop, but the banner only has 15 total items left... well, the math says you should play the game. You'll save 2,500 Starchrom.
Which Wish Machine Once Human Banners Actually Matter?
Look, not all blueprints are created equal. The meta in Once Human shifts, but certain items have remained king since the betas.
The The Last Valor (Shrapnel SCAR) is a prime example. It’s a monster. If you see a banner featuring it, that should be your priority. Shrapnel builds are incredibly forgiving for solo players because they clear mobs and melt bosses without requiring frame-perfect aim.
Then there's the Burn and Shock builds. These are "status" builds. They require specific armor sets—like the Shelterer set or the Mayfly Goggles—to actually function. If you pull a legendary weapon blueprint but don't have the Starchrom left to buy the supporting armor pieces from the shop, that weapon is going to feel underwhelming.
It's about the synergy.
Many players get lucky, pull a legendary, and then realize they need 8,000 more Starchrom to make it viable. They’re stuck. They’ve got a Ferrari with no tires. Always calculate the "Full Build Cost" before you start pulling on the Wish Machine Once Human.
The "Whack-a-Mole" Mini-game is a Lie (Sorta)
When you choose to "Play," you get a little screen where you hit a llama. You might think your timing matters. It doesn't. The result is determined the second you click "Play." The animation is just flavor.
Don't stress about hitting the "lucky" spot. It’s all backend RNG.
Hidden Costs and Strategy Nuance
One thing people rarely talk about is the blueprint fragments. When you "win" a blueprint from the machine, you aren't just getting the item; you're getting fragments. You use these to fuse the blueprint and then enhance it.
To max out a weapon's stars, you need more fragments.
This is where the Shop vs. Gacha debate gets spicy. The Shop gives you the full blueprint, but once it's gone, it's gone for that cycle. The Gacha games can sometimes be "refreshed" or found in different variations, allowing you to stack fragments for those crucial star upgrades.
Wait, what about the gear crates?
You'll find Gear and Weapon crates in the open world. These give you "Fragments," but usually for lower-tier stuff. The Wish Machine Once Human is the only reliable source for Tier 5, Gold-tier legendary blueprints. Do not waste your Starchrom on purple items unless they are foundational to a specific build, like the Falcon set for snipers.
Common Misconceptions to Avoid
- "I should wait until Level 50 to use the machine." Wrong. Blueprints are permanent. They carry over across seasons. A Tier 1 SCAR blueprint you get at Level 5 is the same blueprint you'll use to craft a Tier 5 SCAR at Level 50. Use your Starchrom as soon as you have enough to guarantee a win on a banner.
- "The machine is the only way to get gear." Technically, you can find gear in the world. But that gear is "broken"—you can't repair it. Only gear crafted from blueprints obtained via the Wish Machine can be repaired and customized at your gear bench.
- "All banners are available all the time." Nope. They rotate or are unlocked by progression/season phases. If you see a banner you want, grab it before the season phase shifts and the pool changes.
Maximizing Your Starchrom Income
Since you need Starchrom for the machine, you need to be efficient.
- Stardust Resonators: Every week, you can run 40 "Purifications" at your base. If you use Level 3 Eclipse Cortices, you get the maximum Starchrom return. Do not skip this. It's the most consistent income stream in the game.
- Seasonal Goals: Check your journey map. Some of them are stupidly easy, like "take a photo of a llama," and they pay out in Starchrom.
- Public Events: Keep an eye on the map for those pinkish-purple icons. Events like "Cargo Scramble" can be chaotic, but the rewards are necessary.
Getting the Most Out of Your Blueprints
Once the Wish Machine Once Human spits out that gold-glowing blueprint, your work isn't done. You have to craft it.
The Tier of the weapon depends on the materials you use (Copper, Bronze, Steel, Aluminum, Tungsten), not the blueprint itself. But the calibration is what makes it deadly. Always check if the blueprint you just gambled for scales better with "Precision" or "Crit" calibrations.
If you won a "Fast Gunner" weapon, stacking fire rate and magazine capacity via your armor mods (which you also get from the machine's shop side) will make it feel twice as powerful as the base version.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session:
- Audit your Starchrom: See how much you have. If it's under 2,000, don't touch the machine yet. Save up until you can "clear" a specific mini-game to guarantee the drop.
- Check the Blueprint Shop first: Look at the legendary weapons. Find one that fits your playstyle (Sniper, SMG, Shotgun). Look at the armor sets. If a weapon and an armor set have the same keyword (like "Burn" or "Frost"), that is your target.
- Run your 40 Purifications: If you haven't done your weekly base defense, you're literally leaving legendary gear on the table. Join a Hive if you need help defending—it's much easier with a group.
- Prioritize the "Last Valor" or "Jaws" banners: Currently, these are the most "future-proof" blueprints in the game. They perform well in both PvP and PvE content.
- Ignore the Purple Banners: Unless you are 100% sure you need a specific purple piece for a niche build, keep your Starchrom for the Gold legendaries. The power gap between Purple and Gold is massive in the late game.