The Superb Elite Soulstones (new purples) of AFK Arena have an advantage over Elite Soulstones (old purples), in that they guarantee no fodder, celepogeans have a 4% chance, and awakened heroes have a 2% chance. So 6% chance of celepogean or awakened, 94% chance of 4f (LB, Mauler, Wilder, GB), 0% chance of fodder.
There is also a very likely chance you won’t receive duplicates of 5* celepogean or awakened heroes, as shown by Composites.
New Purples replaced Old Purples in the 60 point weekly quest chest, chapter 27 Misty Valley reward, and pops up in the daily store (5 new purps for 135 diamonds). The only other way at the time of writing is Regal Rewards.
Like with Champions of Esperia and Twisted Bounties, this will be a selectable reward choice you can make – Elite Soulstones (Old Purples) or Superb Elite Soulstones (New Purples).
There is no buff to the old purples pass. f2p, you still get 2280 blues stones, and 180 old purples (3 elite heroes). paid pass still gets you 1470 old purples (24.5 elites) and 8600 diamonds.
f2p on the New Purples Pass, you get the same 2280 blue stones, but 120 new purples (2 elite heroes). paid pass gets you 980 new purples (16.33 elites).
As per usual, the Noble Society Premium Passes are $25USD.
As per usual like with Champions of Esperia and Twisted Bounties, you can pay $20USD for a deluxe pass, which gives the same amount of resources as you’d normally get from the $25 paid pass but for a different resource type (engraving cores and red chests, poe coins and engraving shards, etc., but this time for new purples and old purples). This is shown in the last picture – this way you can get 980 new purples, and 1470 old purples, and the diamonds for $45USD total.
You should always take the Superb Elite Soulstones free pass for the lucky chance, but the paid bundle is really only worth it for newer players who are still missing some 4f heroes. While no fodder is nice, if you have every 4f hero ascended, or only need very bottom tier/skippable 4f heroes to ascend, this is a hard skip.
Not to mention, any duplicate copies you get of 5* 4f heroes are effectively fodder and just go to the Barracks store.
Now that we have another reward choice in Regal Rewards, we’re still holding out for something like regal rewards but with stargazers and time emblems which would give us the option to get resources for specific celepog/awakened, not the chance of a random one.
You’re spending $25 to pray on a 6% chance, which you don’t get to choose which celepog/awakened you even get if you roll that 6% chance. If you want celepog/awakened heroes, your best payment option is the new VIP one-off bundles, or Yuexi ship, plus you get to summon for a specific hero you want to build that way.
Always pick the new purple stones regal rewards pass f2p. paid pass is not worth unless you’re relatively new and need more 4f heroes. the chance of a celepog/awakened is always worth f2p (Misty Valley choice, daily store for diamonds, regal rewards pass), but not really worth for paying players, but it will depend on your account, so make an informed decision based on what your account needs.