The Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Champion Arena has officially wrapped up its seventh season. For those uninitiated, the Champion Arena is the big leagues, where you assemble five squads of five units each to climb the ladder. This time around, however, one player caught our eye for all the right reasons: they reached the Round of 16 using a squad with only four members. Not only did this underdog squad hold its own, but it also remained undefeated against top-tier meta teams. While they didn't quite make it to the quarterfinals, it is a hell of a record. Dive into the details and the current state of the Arena below.

Champion Arena Top 64 Ranker Squad NIKKE Pick Rates

▲ Data based on 320 squads from rankers who reached the Top 64 of the Champion Arena between July 3 and July 16.
▲ Please note that the grouping for each season may vary.

Six NIKKEs were used by every single ranker who reached the Top 64 in Season 7: Jackal and Noise for Burst 1; Noah and Biscuit for Burst 2; and Scarlet and Helm for Burst 3. The most notable shift this season is the addition of Noise to the Burst 1 category.

Let's take a look at the rest of the roster. Mica: Snow Buddy (hereafter 'Cl-Mica'), Pascal, and Ludmilla made their debut in the Burst 1 slot. Cl-Mica brings damage reduction, buff stacking, and debuff cleansing to the table. Given the heavy hitters in Burst 1, Cl-Mica rarely saw play before, but a few bold rankers have finally put the character to work. Pascal seems to be there for burst generation, while Ludmilla is likely being utilised for the taunt mechanic.

In Burst 2, Bay saw a slight uptick in usage, and Mast: Romantic Maid (hereafter 'Ma-Mast') has entered the fray. Ma-Mast is a buffer specialised in damage distribution, often paired with Anchor: Innocent Maid (hereafter 'Ma-Anchor'). However, as a machine gun user, Ma-Mast is somewhat hampered in the Arena meta. Ma-Anchor, on the other hand, is a launcher user and was chosen by seven rankers this season.

Speaking of unique strategies, let's talk about Artmis, who managed to reach the Round of 16 with a '4-man' squad. Having previously reached the Top 32, Artmis opted for a Scarlet-led squad missing one unit.

The composition of other squads was equally curious. The first squad featured an Emilia setup with Drake as a sub-DPS. Usually, Drake is a staple of shotgun teams, but here the character is being used as a primary attacker, likely due to the enhanced basic attacks provided by the recent Treasure update. The third squad relied on Helm and Red Hood as main damage dealers, with Nero, Noise, and Rapunzel included to bolster Nero's survivability.

The 4-man Scarlet deck sat in the fourth squad slot and went undefeated all the way to the Round of 16. The team even managed to survive a full engagement against a standard 5-man Scarlet squad, which is a remarkable feat. A smaller squad naturally suffers from slower burst generation, essentially starting with a handicap. Still, Artmis has set a precedent that a 4-man squad can indeed topple the traditional 5-man meta.

Special Arena Ranker Defensive Deck NIKKE Pick Rate Rankings

▲ Based on the defensive decks of Top 10-40 rankers in the Special Arena (Servers 230-250) from July 3 to July 16.
▲ The criteria are based on the 'defensive deck' settings at the time of data collection.
▲ Please note that there may be discrepancies with current ranker defensive decks.

It has been six months since the Treasure update, and Helm’s share has finally climbed to 80%. Noah failed to reclaim the top spot, leaving Scarlet standing high and mighty alone at the summit. It is a narrow gap of just one player, which must be frustrating for Noah.

There have been minor movements in the top-tier Burst 1 category as well. Rapunzel has joined Helm in crossing the 80% threshold. In Burst 2, Crown has returned to 20%, while Cinderella has touched 50% in the Burst 3 category. Considering Cinderella boasts over an 80% usage rate in the Champion Arena, there is a 30% gap to bridge. We will see if the Special Arena follows suit.

Let’s look at the defensive deck of PIUS, who finished 6th in the group this season. PIUS is a high-level ranker who has previously climbed as high as 3rd place and was spotted using an unusual squad featuring Cl-Eden as a dealer.

The first squad is an Emilia setup with Mihara: Bonding Chain (hereafter 'O-Mihara') as a sub-DPS. O-Mihara is a popular choice in the Champion Arena due to the debuff applied to enemies upon death. While Emilia is the core, O-Mihara is positioned to trigger the Burst 3 skill.

The second squad is a Scarlet party, using Red Hood as a Burst 1 buffer and Helm for burst generation and sub-DPS. If you do not have Helm or Red Hood, you can swap them for launcher-type NIKKEs like Centi or Anne: Miracle Fairy.

The third squad is the Cl-Eden main deck. While most rankers would use Summer Anis as a dealer, PIUS opted for Cl-Eden. Since the entire squad consists of launcher types, the burst gauge charges incredibly fast. The goal here is clearly to overwhelm the opposition with rapid-fire bursts.

Arena Meta Analysis

New Treasures to Shake Up the Meta

During the recent summer special broadcast, four NIKKEs receiving Treasures were revealed. We will have to wait until the July 17 update for the full details. The lineup has sparked quite a debate, as it includes not only characters in desperate need of a buff but also some that are already performing well in the current meta.

Poli and Yulha are early-game units often cited by players as needing some TLC. Many are eager to see how they will be revitalised. On the other hand, the inclusion of Bay and Tove came as a surprise. Tove is a staple for shotgun decks, and Bay is already widely used in the Arena. Depending on the strength of these upgrades, their utility could reach new heights. Let’s wait and see what happens after the update.

NIKKE News

Don't Forget the Chzzk Drops Event

Following today's update, a Chzzk Drops event will begin. Simply watch any Goddess of Victory: NIKKE category broadcast on Naver Chzzk for two hours to claim all the rewards. You will receive 600 Gems, 20 Module High Boosts, one Battle Data Set Case (2H), and one Core Dust Case (2H). Further details can be found in the official lounge notice.

User Poll: Which new Treasure will you craft first?

Last week, we held a poll on the most enjoyable mini-game. The winner was MOG from the 1st-anniversary event, a rogue-like title reminiscent of 'Vampire Survivors.' Once it hit the Arcade, the added difficulty modes kept players coming back for more. In 2nd place was 1.5-year anniversary 'For The King,' followed by the 2023 Summer Event 'BBQ Master' in 3rd, and the Stellar Blade collaboration 'NAYTIBA RAID' in 4th.

We mentioned the new Treasures earlier. While full effects are pending the update, some players have already made up their minds. Most seem inclined to prioritize whichever NIKKE provides the best performance boost. Which one will you craft first? Cast your vote, and we will reveal the results in next week's Meca Ranking.