On July 24th, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE kicked off the recruitment for its second summer unit: Summer Elegg: Boom & Shock (hereinafter Summer Elegg). Joining Summer Dorothy as a headliner for the summer event, this character serves as a buffer for all Water Code allies. Beyond the rather striking swimsuit design, the limited-time support effects have become the talk of the town. To borrow a phrase from the character, it’s fair to say the situation is quite 'BOOM'. Here, KookminTree breaks down the skills and recommended team compositions currently making waves among players.

A Totem Supporter for Water Code

Let’s dive into the skills. Skill 1, 'Hello Ghost', is the cornerstone of Summer Elegg. At the start of battle, it assigns a 'possession' status to a random enemy and begins trapping ghosts. You can spot the possessed enemy by the little ghosts circling them. These ghosts stack up to 13 times, with each stack requiring 100 hits from the entire team. Since the hit count is cumulative across all allies, squads packed with high-capacity machine gun users will find it much easier to ramp up these stacks quickly.

The number of gathered ghosts dictates the buffs provided to all Water Code allies. With at least one ghost, the caster increases the team's attack power; at four or more, it adds a boost to elemental code damage. At level 10, these bonuses sit at 16.2% for attack and 35% for elemental damage. This is a core skill, so make sure to push it to level 10.

Skill 2, 'Ghost Buster', splits its utility between Burst usage and the current Ghost stack count. When using the Burst skill, it grants a 10-second attack buff. If the ghost count is at its maximum, it deals additional damage to all enemies. The coefficients are quite solid, reaching 40% of max attack and 1,100% of final attack at level 10. However, compared to the primary skill and the Burst, this takes a lower priority; level 7 should suffice.

The Burst skill, '13 Ghosts', changes the number of sequential attacks based on whether you have reached 13 stacks. If you are under 13, it performs 6 sequential attacks and consumes 6 ghosts. At 13 stacks, it ramps up to 13 sequential attacks and consumes 9, ensuring at least one ghost remains. Aim for level 10 to maximize the Burst coefficients, just as with Skill 1.

Summer Elegg is essentially a Water Code-locked specialist. Since the buffs apply exclusively to Water Code allies, using the character in other parties leads to a significant loss in efficiency. However, within a proper Water Code setup, the performance is flawless. Furthermore, the character functions as a 'totem' NIKKE, meaning you don't even strictly need to trigger the Burst; the Skill 1 effect remains active regardless, making the character a viable sub-DPS for basic attacks.

The recommended setup is, naturally, a Water Code party. Core members like Little Mermaid, Crown, and the Keepsake Helm are staples, with the final slot reserved for a Water Code DPS. Top picks include Dorothy: Serendipity (Summer Dorothy), Quincy: Escape Queen (Phantom Thief Quincy), Ludmilla: Winter Owner (Winter Ludmilla), and Phantom.

A Key Component for Water Code Raids & Harvester

Let's look at the field test results. The testing grounds were the Union Shooting Range (3-minute boss battle, Water weakness) and the Harvester from the Interception (Special Individual). Summer Elegg was tested at base level with an R-grade level 1 collection item and 7/7/7 skill levels. For the Shooting Range, Summer Dorothy was the benchmark, featuring 1-star ascension, Overload options (69.27% elemental damage, 27.68% attack), R-grade level 10 collection item, and 8/8/9 skill levels.

To test the skill effectiveness, we ran three scenarios: Auto, 13-stack Burst only, and constant Burst activation. Total damage output ranked as follows: 13-stack Burst (10.2 billion) > Auto (9.5 billion) > Constant Burst (8.8 billion).

However, if you look at Summer Elegg’s individual damage, the order shifts: Constant Burst (1.2 billion) > 13-stack Burst (1 billion) > Auto (0.8 billion). For Solo Raid content where total squad damage is king, sticking to either Auto or the 13-stack Burst strategy is the way to go.

For the Harvester test, all actions were set to Auto, excluding Summer Elegg’s Burst activation and cancel patterns. Summer Elegg’s Burst was exclusively used at 13 stacks. The squad stats: Phantom Thief Quincy (1-core, 40.11% elemental damage, 20.1% attack, SR level 5 collection, 7/7/10 skills), Winter Ludmilla (3-star, 48.52% elemental damage, 13.93% attack, SR level 5 collection, 10/10/10 skills), and the previously mentioned Summer Dorothy.

Total damage peaked when using Winter Ludmilla, likely due to the high base stats of the machine gun unit. Summer Dorothy and Phantom Thief Quincy followed closely. Keep these results in mind if you're planning to tackle the Harvester in the Interception.

Summer Dorothy vs. Summer Elegg: What's the priority?

Just like Summer Dorothy, you should at least aim to secure a base copy of Summer Elegg. Beyond the limited-time availability, the character is essential for the current 'Welcome to Kraken' Solo Raid and shows great promise for future Water-weakness raids. Definitely invest in the recruitment.

If you are asking, 'Should I pull for Summer Dorothy or Summer Elegg first?' the answer is Summer Dorothy. As the first limited-time Pilgrim, the character offers more versatility, including utility in Shotgun decks, whereas Summer Elegg is strictly tied to Water Code squads. Once you've secured Summer Dorothy, feel free to spend your remaining resources on Summer Elegg. Best of luck!