'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' Solo Raid, Champion Arena, and Special Arena have all drawn to a close simultaneously. A new Nikke has emerged, leaving a mark across every single category: the limited-time summer swimsuit variant, Dorothy: Serendipity. While we all expected her to shine in Solo Raid, I must admit, I didn't see her dominance in the Arena coming. Let’s dive into the current state of these modes and see how Dorothy is shaking things up.

Solo Raid Top 50 Ranker Nikke Pick Rate Ranking

※ Based on data from the 'Solo Raid (Phantom Kraken)' held from July 24 to July 30, focusing on Top 50 ranker squads.
※ Stats are tallied based on squads that achieved 2.5 billion damage or more.
※ These stats may differ slightly from current ranker decks.

Given the Water weakness of the boss, Water-code Nikkes were the obvious stars of the show, supported by some equally stellar teammates. Key performers included Burst 1 Tia and Burst 2 Mast: Romantic Maid (hereafter Mest), Anchor: Innocent Maid (hereafter Meang), Leona, and Rosanna: Sea Side (hereafter Susanna).

Tia, in particular, proved her worth in her first real outing since receiving her Treasure, acting as a definitive support for Dorothy: Serendipity (hereafter S-Dorothy). The transition from probability-based buffs to conditional ones made all the difference. Leona also made a comeback, providing pellet and range buffs. Though previously overshadowed by the Blanc and Noir duo, the lack of a need for heavy healing this time around pushed her pick rate past 20%.

Susanna acted as the dedicated support for Mihara: Bonding Chain (hereafter O-Mihara) and Brady. Until now, she hadn't found her footing due to a lack of high-performance damage-over-time dealers. With O-Mihara and Brady stepping up, many rankers finally saw the value in her. Even the top-ranked player mentioned below used her to push for a higher score.

Beyond S-Dorothy, Elegg: Boom & Shock (hereafter S-Elegg) served as a staple totem for Tier 1 Water decks. With all Top 50 rankers employing her, she seems destined to remain a fixture in future Water-weak Solo Raids. I also spotted one ranker using Neon: Blue Ocean. Whether it was pure affection or a hidden strategy remains a mystery—though she hasn't exactly been a meta favorite.

Here is the squad belonging to Mikasa, who secured 1st place in this Solo Raid with a staggering 27,492,548,575 points. For context, every squad in the top tier dealt at least 3.4 billion damage, with the peak reaching 7.8 billion.

The top-performing combination was 'Crown - Liter - Helm (Treasure) - Ludmilla: Winter Owner (hereafter W-Ludmilla) - S-Elegg'. This lineup leverages the current 0-1 tier buffers and Water main dealers. The Phantom Kraken exposed its core starting from phase 2; while W-Ludmilla couldn't maximize her potential in phase 1, the collective strength of S-Elegg, Crown, and Liter clearly carried the high score.

The second squad, a shotgun-focused team, featured 'S-Dorothy - Tia (Treasure) - Leona - Drake (Treasure) - D: Killer Wife (hereafter Killer D)'. They pulled in the second-highest score of 6.5 billion, confirming the viability of Tia’s Treasure and the resurgence of Leona, not to mention the sheer power of S-Dorothy.

Other notable squads relied on Snow White, damage-over-time setups, and secondary Water-code parties. The secondary Water team hit 5.7 billion, using the likes of Mest, Meang, Quency: Escape Queen, and Guillotine: Winter Slayer. We are seeing more damage-over-time focus in recent raids, suggesting that we might see new Nikkes specialized in this field soon. They are currently sitting in 4th place, but they are knocking on the door of the top 3.

Champion Arena Top 64 Ranker Squad Nikke Pick Rate

※ Based on 320 squads from rankers who reached the Top 64 in the 'Champion Arena' held from July 17 to July 30.
※ Please note that the grouping changes every season.

In this Champion Arena, Little Mermaid and Bay saw a decline. Despite Bay receiving her Treasure, an initial bug issue likely deterred many rankers. While the issue was hotfixed, the hesitation was fatal for some. The drop in Little Mermaid’s pick rate, which had consistently stayed above 80%, is particularly baffling.

Following the last season, Raven and Rei (placeholder name) made it into the Top 64 again. What I once thought were simple joker picks now feel like genuine passion projects. Interestingly, fewer rankers used the Treasure-equipped Poli and Bay, likely because most invested their resources into Tia's Treasure first.

We also saw the emergence of rankers using S-Dorothy. Out of 64 participants, 9 opted for her. It seems S-Dorothy’s utility isn't limited to PvE; she is defying expectations. It will be interesting to see if her presence in the Arena continues to grow.

Take a look at the squad info for Meoim, the runner-up of this group. They were one of the few to employ the Treasure-equipped Poli, but their bracket luck was abysmal, leading to unfavorable matchups.

The finals ended in a 1-4 loss, with their only win coming from the 2nd squad, the Scarlet deck. The other squads simply lacked the necessary damage or failed to land the first Burst, leading to a snowball effect. In the current Champion Arena, you cannot swap positions mid-round, leaving your success largely to the luck of the draw. Best of luck to Meoim in securing the trophy in Season 9.

Special Arena Ranker Defense Deck Nikke Pick Rate Ranking

※ Based on data from the Special Arena (Servers 230-250) Top 10-40 rankers, July 17 to July 30.
※ Based on the 'Defense Deck' set by each individual at the time of tallying.
※ These stats may differ slightly from current ranker defense decks.

Scarlet, who maintained a 100% pick rate, has finally been dethroned, as one ranker opted not to include her in their lineup. Much like the case with Noah, the individual choices of single players are shifting the meta stats. We’ll see if she returns in the next cycle.

Meanwhile, S-Dorothy has made her mark in the Special Arena as well. Having already conquered Solo Raid and Champion Arena, she has essentially achieved a Grand Slam. It seems user expectations for her were well-founded. For a Pilgrim, expanding her influence this rapidly is simply par for the course.

Let's examine the defense deck of Gwang-kki, who finished 3rd in the season group. Compared to two months ago, their sync level increased by 29, and their squad combat power rose by roughly 100,000. They completely overhauled two of their main combinations.

For the Scarlet squad, Trinity replaced Blanc, likely due to Trinity’s recent growth. Blanc was moved to the 2nd squad as the main healer. They completely refreshed their lineup from 'Crown - Scarlet: Black Shadow - Red Hood - Alice - Cinderella' to 'Blanc - Drake (Treasure) - Little Mermaid - Red Hood - Helm (Treasure)'. Despite the shift from a PvE-focused setup to a PvP one, their combat power actually increased.

While Drake (Treasure) is typically used to buff shotgun Nikkes, Gwang-kki utilized her as an auto-attack dealer. Red Hood was placed in the 4th slot to take over the 3rd Burst should Drake fall, a tactical choice that clearly propelled them to 3rd place.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

A fresh start for the Summer Nikkes

The Phantom Kraken Solo Raid has paved the way for new combinations, specifically the completion of a second shotgun deck—entirely thanks to S-Dorothy’s performance. S-Dorothy is currently proving her worth even in environments without Water weaknesses. I’m eager to see if she keeps this up in the August Solo Raid.

The performance of the new totem S-Elegg, along with Tia (Treasure) and Quency: Escape Queen, was outstanding. The synergy between S-Elegg and W-Ludmilla was far beyond my expectations. Tia has shed her major weaknesses and is now an essential staple for any shotgun squad. There is still time left on the banner, so if you haven't pulled S-Dorothy or S-Elegg yet, I highly recommend securing at least one copy.

User Poll - What was your high score in the BFG mini-game?

Last week, we polled you on your investment plans for the summer recruitment. Among the 44 participants, the most popular choice was 'at least one copy'. As mentioned, both summer Nikkes have proven their value in combat, so missing out would be a significant loss. Second place went to 'aiming for 3-star', and third to 'going for 7-core enhancement'. I wonder how that one user aiming for max enhancement fared.

The 'BFG CLEAN UP' mini-game, a NIKKE take on the Suika Game, is currently a hit. Given the popularity of the original, many of you were already familiar with the mechanics, leading to high scores surfacing from day one. What was your personal high score in the mini-game? Please participate in our poll, and we will reveal the results in next week's Meca Ranking.