Few can still deny that Diablo Immortal is P2W, getting quality Legendary Gems and maxing them out is either incredibly expensive (over $100,000 just that), or you have to be prepared to play for a very long time. term. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible to play F2P and enjoy the game, and there are already examples of very successful players who haven't spent a penny. Of course, it remains much easier, faster and more efficient to pay, even moderately, in order to pay for basic services, such as the reinforced Battle Pass, but this is not an obligation.
We are going to list here all the known ways to obtain the maximum possible Legendary Gems, then to improve them in order to gain in Combat Score, in Resonance and in discovery of magic objects. We will include different strategies, as well as approaches suitable for different levels of time investment.
Measure your ambitions
Before we start let's make it clear that unless you're incredibly lucky you're probably never going to get a 5 star gem, you're going to end up getting a 2/5 or even 3/5, but they're not that great though that, and improving them is far too expensive without paying. 2-star gems are already much more accessible, but it's still quite expensive to improve, which does not make it a good plan without paying anything. Your best option is probably to equip your current best legendary gems, and only upgrade 1-star gems . You should be able to advance one or two to Rank 5 fairly quickly, if you focus your efforts on them.
Daily bonuses
Playing every day is the key to success for an F2P player, even if it's just a few minutes. You absolutely need all the login bonuses, since they sometimes contain a legendary gem or an emblem. You also need to interact daily with the Ancestral Rift portal to earn a rare emblem daily.
The merchant of Incuses
This NPC, located north of Westmarch, is your best friend as an F2P player. He sells a legendary emblem and a legendary gem per month for 1600 Incuses each, you absolutely need them . He also sells 2 Rare Emblems per day, and he often offers 1 more Rare Emblem, 2 times per day , in his limited sales tab, at 300 Incuses each, which is 1200 Incuses per day, plus 3200 per month. That's a lot, and it's unlikely you'll be able to get that much in the long run. The early game is generous in this area, but it tends to dry up. Save your incuses from the start of the game, and buy absolutely nothing else from this merchant , no gems, no components, no Touch-Up Stones. Just as many emblems as possible.
Dull embers, runes and crafting
You can get up to 320 Dull Embers from Ancestral Rifts per week , it is important to reach this cap. Use your emblems and above all try to play with other people who use them in order to obtain bonus embers. You will also get runes with your emblems.
The Dull Embers vendor next to the portal allows them to be exchanged for ATI and FA runes , or for other more specific runes . They can then be used at the jeweler to make gems. You have the choice between fixed recipes and random recipes. If you are a player, you can use the random crafting recipe once every 2 weeks or so , the result is similar to using a legendary emblem. You will therefore receive a 1 star gem most of the time , but sometimes it will be a 2 star or more. If you prefer reliability, use the 1 random star gem recipe instead, which allows you to craft 3 for the same price. The random 2-star gem recipe is more expensive and less interesting.
You can craft different 1 and 2 star gems, and exchange missing runes at the merchant. They will then be used to supply your main 1-star gems.
Gems and Market
One possible approach is to sell your normal gems, or even the legendary gems that you don't have a use for (like a 2/3 or a 3/5) in the market, for platinum. Different strategies are possible depending on the prices and items for sale on your server's market, as well as the opportunities you will be able to seize. But basically, your goal is either to buy cheap legendary gems with your platinum in order to upgrade your own. Either save an astronomical amount of platinum, and pay it out when a 5/5 gem comes under the tip of your nose. The maximum price for a legendary gem on the market would be 340,000 platinum, if you can pay that price it is theoretically possible to get any gem.
You can also get 300 Platinum daily from activity chests in the Codex.
Shadows and Immortals
The best solution to level up your legendary gems faster is to participate in the Cycle of Conflict, but this will require more game time, especially as an F2P player. By finding a very active Dark Clan, able to enter and stay in the Top 10 of the server, you will receive several Legendary Emblems during the Shadow Tournament each season. This is obviously a huge bonus for you.
You can also try to enter the Immortals one way or the other, either by choosing a Dark clan that has a good chance of dethroning the immortals, or by applying directly to one of the Immortal clans. In both cases, places are limited, and you should not expect to be invited unless you are incredibly invested and already well equipped, since clans that favor cronyism and low-performing members, by definition have little chance of reaching the top (or staying there). There are only 100 slots per clan, and many paying players are applying in droves. Suffice to say, a quick kick awaits if you're only in it for the profit.
If you manage to become an Immortal, you will have access to further opportunities to earn emblems, among other things. The Merchant of incuses also offers an additional tab with a legendary gem, and emblems.