The limited banner "Snow Into Flame" opens on November 1 at 12:00, featuring 6-star Talulah [Limited] alongside 6-star Frozen River, and the spark threshold is still the usual 300 pulls. Do the math and you've got about five days left — no need to panic-convert your Originite just yet. The most important thing right now is getting your Orundum math straight. How to work the banner and what to do with these five days: just keep reading.which dates are locked in, which still await the version notes, and whether your stockpile is enough to reach the spark — this Arknights guide walks you through all of it, one item at a time.
Get the Dates Straight: What Actually Opens on November 1
Start with the dates. In the official event preview from October 24, Arknights' Thanks Celebration Part 1 splits into two halves: the side story "Onward, Time!" opening its event stages, and the limited banner "Snow Into Flame" going live. Both land on the same day, November 1 — the moment the update notes drop, everything piles on at once, so get your calendar right first.
Three dates are confirmed so far. October 24 at 21:30 brings a flash maintenance — only 10 minutes, no new operators, business as usual. The November 1 version update is the big one: Public Recruitment gains new operators and gets a forced tag refresh that day (more on that trap later). And then the banner everyone cares about most: November 1 at 12:00 through November 15 at 03:59 — a full 14 days, no short window, plenty of time to plan.
Some things are still unconfirmed. The official preview says nothing about Sanity efficiency on the event stages, the shop exchange list, or operator skill numbers — all of that waits for the November 1 patch notes. The "stage farming yield charts" circulating in group chats these past two days aren't from official sources; treat them as entertainment, not as a basis for planning around details the developers themselves haven't locked in.
The "Snow Into Flame" Banner in Focus: How to Pull for Talulah and Frozen River
Dates sorted — now the real business: pulling. The banner's structure fits in one sentence: one limited operator plus one permanent-pool 6-star. Talulah carries the [Limited] tag, Frozen River doesn't, and that single difference changes how you should approach the pool.
How much weight the word "limited" carries, every veteran already knows. Once the banner closes, Talulah can't enter the standard pool or Public Recruitment — your only shots are a rerun or saving up for a spark. Frozen River has no such tag, so in theory she'll join the standard pool and Recruitment eventually; it's just a matter of when. Do that math and Talulah's "cost of missing out" is clearly higher: miss a limited, and the next rerun could be anyone's guess; miss a permanent, and she's still sitting in the pool whenever you want her. Who to prioritize should go without saying.
So is it just eyes-closed, all-in on Talulah? Not necessarily. If you don't have a developed Caster or Guard core and could use another high-rarity operator to hold the line, this banner is worth pulling to the pity. But if your stages already 3-star consistently and what you're missing is team synergy rather than raw damage, dumping 300 pulls into a limited banner has seriously diminishing returns — better to save for a banner that fits your roster. When it comes to pulling, suitability always beats rarity.
One more thing to flag up front: with two 6-stars on rate-up, there's no way to target just one — whoever shows up is up to the odds. The developers have only confirmed both are on the UP list; the exact split hasn't been published. So "pulling only for Talulah" isn't a thing — landing Frozen River still counts as a win. Get this straight before you dive in, and your nerves will thank you.
The Real Math: Is the 300-Pull Spark Still Within Reach?
Pulling talk is over — now the most practical part: the spark. The spark is the hardest line in any limited banner: at 300 total pulls you earn one exchange for a limited operator, current or past. Run the conversion: 300 pulls equals 180,000 Orundum, and at 180 Orundum per Originite that works out to roughly 1,000 Originite. Five days, 1,000 Originite — realistic? Face that number honestly before you plan a single pull.
To see how far off you are, open the game and check three numbers: Orundum, Originite, and Headhunting Permits. At 600 Orundum per pull, the gap is exactly what you need to make up before November 15. Daily and weekly missions, Annihilation, and first-time event clears are the big Orundum sources — check in-game for the exact caps.
So how big a gap still has hope? Within 100 pulls, the login and event rewards during the celebration can close most of it. Past 150 pulls, the cost of forcing the spark outweighs the benefit — better to lower the bar and walk away with any 6-star you get. And don't shatter Originite over that "just 20 pulls short" feeling; those 20 pulls usually mean paying for two full refills. Impulse is the devil, and no genre proves it like a gacha game.
One more reminder: Eternal Crossing ends at 03:59 on October 30. Leave the shop unfinished and convert Originite into Orundum instead, and you're throwing away exchange value for nothing. Clear the shop first, finish your Annihilation runs, and only then think about conversions — don't do it backwards.
What to Do on Update Day: "Onward, Time!" and Recruitment's Quercus
Spark math done — now what to do on November 1 itself. "Onward, Time!" is this celebration's side story, launching with the version update on November 1. Event stages usually come in two flavors, Normal and Challenge: first clears hand out Originite, while repeat runs pay out in event currency. So far the developers have only published the name and the release rhythm — stage count, the currency's name, and the shop's stocklist are all still under wraps, so wait for the update notes.
Here's a sensible order for update day: once the update is live, hit the side story's Normal stages first and bank the first-clear Originite, then circle back to your dailies. The logic is simple — first-clear Originite is a fixed payout that turns into pulls the sooner you claim it; dailies reset every day, so doing them later costs nothing. Knock out what won't wait, then handle what comes back tomorrow.
Annihilation has a weekly Orundum cap, so don't let it lapse during the event. A reliable rhythm: clear the first-time rewards on day one, then from day two onward do Annihilation before the event stages each day, and save the Challenge stages for the last two days. Challenge mode burns Sanity fast, so tackle it when your resources are fullest.
Keep an eye on Recruitment the same day, too. The November 1 update adds 6-star Quercus to Public Recruitment, and the developers will force-refresh existing tags — a trap that claims victims every single anniversary. In practice, the 4- and 5-star tag combos you've been saving may no longer come together after the update. Once the patch notes are out, re-check your combos against the new table, and hold off on Expedited Plans until after the refresh. Someone falls for this every year; make sure it isn't you.
The Last 5 Days: How to Line Up Your Resources
Event and Recruitment are scheduled — last step, tally up these five days. Honestly, there are only three things worth doing: clear the event shop, cap this week's Annihilation, and finish your dailies. Whatever time is left goes into watching for the November 1 patch notes. And whatever you do, don't convert Originite early.
Priorities shake out like this: event shop > this week's Annihilation cap > daily missions > hoarding Sanity items. Save your Sanity-restoring items for after the event opens on November 1 — burning them on material farming now is the worse deal.
Match your pulling budget to the table below — everything is converted at 600 Orundum per pull:
| Target pulls | Orundum needed | Originite (approx.) | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 pulls | 30,000 | 167 | Doable during the event |
| 100 pulls | 60,000 | 334 | Needs full event + Annihilation clears |
| 200 pulls | 120,000 | 667 | Likely needs Originite converted |
| 300 pulls (spark) | 180,000 | 1000 | Nearly impossible in 5 days |
Five days from now, at 12:00 on November 1, the banner opens right on schedule. Whether your Orundum is enough and which tier you're aiming for — you should have a clear answer by now. Limited banners wait for no one, and a 14-day window is neither long nor short: do the math now, and you won't panic when you dive in. That's the whole guide — follow it and you'll be fine.
Arknights FAQ
When does the "Snow Into Flame" banner end?
A: It closes on November 15, 2026 at 03:59. The banner opens November 1 at 12:00 and runs for 14 days in total.
Can the 300-pull spark be used on past limited operators?
A: Yes. At 300 cumulative pulls you earn one exchange, usable for the current limited operator or past ones. The exact list of choices is whatever the in-game exchange screen shows.
Which is more worth pulling for: Talulah or Frozen River?
A: Talulah carries the [Limited] tag, so once the banner closes she can't be obtained from the standard pool or Public Recruitment — missing her costs more. Frozen River isn't tagged limited and has more future sources. If you're short on limited operators, prioritize Talulah.
Is it too late to convert Originite and save for the spark?
A: The spark needs 180,000 Orundum, roughly 1,000 Originite. Within five days, dailies and events can cover about 100 pulls at most — if you're 150 pulls short, forcing it isn't worth it.
When do Public Recruitment tags refresh?
A: They refresh during the November 1 maintenance, together with new operator Quercus. Re-check your tag combinations after the update — old combos may no longer work.
Action Checklist
- Clear out the Eternal Crossing event shop before October 30, prioritizing Originite and Headhunting Permits.
- Cap this week's Annihilation rewards and hold all Orundum until November 1.
- Right after the November 1 update, first-clear the Normal stages of "Onward, Time!" for the fixed Originite.
- Re-check your Public Recruitment tag combinations on November 1 before using any Expedited Plans.
- By November 14, check your remaining pulls against the spark gap — only consider converting Originite if you're within 100 pulls. More banner schedules and event breakdowns live in the GameHub Arknights section.