  We revisit the Emergence Proposal in 4d ${\cal N}=2$ vector multiplet sectors
that arise from type II string Calabi--Yau compactifications, with emphasis on
the role of axionic fundamental strings, or EFT strings. We focus on
large-volume type IIA compactifications, where EFT strings arise from
NS5-branes wrapping internal four-cycles, and consider a set of
infinite-distance moduli-space limits that can be classified in terms of a
scaling weight $w=1,2,3$. It has been shown before how one-loop threshold
effects of an infinite tower of BPS particles made up of D2/D0-branes generate
the asymptotic behaviour of the gauge kinetic functions along limits with
$w=3$. We extend this result to $w=2$ limits, by taking into account D2-brane
multi-wrapping numbers. In $w=1$ limits the leading tower involves EFT string
oscillations, and one can reproduce the behaviour of both weakly and
strongly-coupled $U(1)$'s independently on whether the EFT string is critical
or not, by assuming that charged modes dominate the light spectrum.
