The Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Solo Raid 'Cold Judge' has concluded. Due to its distinct mechanics, Nikkes with armor-piercing capabilities dominated, and reaching the peak required raw stats. In this process, we saw a Nikke rise from 'trash-tier' to frontline status after nearly three years: Isabelle, the Pilgrim who was previously widely panned. In this raid, she paired with her partner Arcana to dish out serious damage. KookminTree has aggregated the data and rankings.

Solo Raid Top 50 Ranker Nikke Pick Rate Ranking

※ Based on data from the 'Solo Raid (Cold Judge)' Top 50 ranker squads between October 9 and October 16.
※ Statistics are based on squads that dealt over 2.5 billion damage.
※ There may be slight variations compared to current ranker decks.

This Solo Raid was a brutal contest of raw stats and elemental damage. An unlikely hero emerged: Isabelle, the Pilgrim once relegated to the 'trash' pile as recently as last year. Since the arrival of her partner Arcana—similar to the Red Hood/Trony combo—this was her first major test against an Electric-weakness boss. The result? Spectacular. Top-tier rankers using the Isabelle-Arcana shotgun deck shattered the 5 billion damage ceiling. Isabelle is now set to be a mainstay for Electric-weakness raids. She and Arcana boasted a 98% pick rate, appearing in 49 out of 50 ranker squads.

The Red Hood/Trony combination, typically reserved for PvP, also made a respectable showing. While their pick rate trailed Isabelle/Arcana, Trony at 62% and Red Hood at 64% were solid choices. As for the staples used by every ranker, the breakdown includes three Burst 1 units, two Burst 2s, and five Burst 3s. The lineup included Treasure-up Tove, Rouge, and Little Mermaid for Burst 1; Mast: Romantic Maid (Mest) and Crown for Burst 2; and Anis: Sparkling Summer, Treasure-up Drake, Maiden: Ice Rose, Cinderella, and Ein for Burst 3.

Two Resident Evil collaboration characters also saw play, though the gap between them was stark: Jill at 10% and Ada at 98%. Despite being marketed as a main dealer, Jill saw the lowest usage, suggesting there are plenty of existing dealers who do the job better. Ada, however, will likely remain a fixture in future Solo Raids as more armor-piercing Nikkes are released.

Let’s look at the squad used by 'Devil', who took the crown in this Solo Raid. Finishing with a final score of 27,334,862,800, they held the top spot from Monday, October 13, onwards. In a mode where players usually scramble to climb the ranks at the very last minute, maintaining the lead is quite a feat.

Their squad consisted of an Isabelle shotgun deck, an Electric deck, an armor-piercing deck, a Red Hood deck, and an 'MZ deck'. The term 'MZ deck' might sound foreign to some; it refers to a manual-play combo using Little Mermaid, Crown, Treasure-up Helm, and Mest. We’ll dive into the details below.

Ranked by damage output, the order is 'MZ - Electric - Isabelle - Armor Pierce - Red Hood'. The MZ squad set a massive record of 7.8 billion on its own. Considering Isabelle’s reputation in the past, 'triumphant return' is the only way to describe her performance. She has firmly established herself as the go-to for shotgun decks in Electric-weakness raids.

Champion Arena Top 64 Ranker Squad Nikke Pick Rate

※ Based on 320 squads from rankers who reached the Top 64 in the 'Champion Arena', running from October 8 to October 22.
※ Note that the grouping for statistics changes every season.

In the Champion Arena, we saw shifts in Burst 1 and 2. Rosanna, who hit a 100% pick rate last time, saw her numbers dip, while Biscuit returned to 100%. Otherwise, there weren't many dramatic changes. One quirk: a ranker appeared using the full Absolute Tactical Up squad.

Additionally, the number of rankers employing Ada saw a slight uptick, growing from two to five. This slow climb in adoption suggests Ada is making a meaningful impact. It remains to be seen if her high pick rate in Solo Raids will translate to long-term success in the Champion Arena.

Let’s examine the squad of '赫爾薇特', who has claimed victory four times in the history of the Champion Arena. They cruised into the round of 8 this season and advanced to the semi-finals on October 15, boasting a solid win rate.

The most striking part of their configuration is the aforementioned Absolute squad. While Vesti: Tactical Up (Tact-Vesti) has become a major pick in the Champion Arena, Emma and Eunhwa are widely considered difficult to manage. '赫爾薇特' fielded all of them in their 5th slot. Their win rate wasn't exactly stellar, though—outside of the round of 8, the deck rarely saw a win. When it did win, it was due to the firepower of Tact-Vesti and Emilia, not Emma or Eunhwa.

Another unusual setup is the Red Hood deck, which includes Mast in the Burst 2 slot, likely to buff Red Hood. Mast buffs the two allies with the highest attack when her own HP is below 70%, increasing their critical rate and damage. Since Red Hood usually has the highest attack, she benefits immensely from this burst. Can '赫爾薇特', having reached the semi-finals with such a unique approach, secure their fifth career title? We’ll find out in the next report.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

This is quite 'MZ'

We mentioned the MZ deck earlier as the highest performer. Let’s look closer at the mechanics. The squad includes Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Treasure-up Helm, Crown, and Mest. The crucial rule is to trigger Mest’s burst during Cinderella’s burst window.

Mest applies a 'Tipsy' debuff to herself upon entering Burst 1, stacking up to three times. When the Full Burst ends, if she has three stacks, she is stunned for 10 seconds. The core benefit is the burst effect: the entire team's attack increases based on her stacks. At level 10, that’s 20.06% per stack, totaling 60.18% at three stacks. Since it scales with her base stats, high limit breaks are essential for efficiency.

Timing this with Cinderella is the bread and butter of the MZ deck. You start with a 'Crow-Mest-Crow' burst cycle, then switch to 'Crow-Crow-Mest'. Because Mest’s burst cooldown is 40 seconds, this tactic doesn't work on auto-battle. Manual control is mandatory. But, as the ranker records show, the payoff is undeniable. While limited to Cinderella for now, the strategy will evolve based on who the main dealer is in future raids. If you’re aiming for those high scores, you’d better start practicing this mechanism.

User Poll - Ada vs. Jill, which character is a must-have before the pickup ends?

Last time, we polled you on what you’re most looking forward to for the 3rd Anniversary. '3rd Anniversary rewards' took first place. Given the generous free pulls and resources we've seen in the past, it’s no surprise. 'New Pilgrim' and '3rd Anniversary Story Event' tied for second. Coincidentally, a side story leading into the anniversary is set to drop on October 16. Make sure to check it out.

As the 3rd anniversary looms, interest in the Resident Evil collab characters has waned. However, with the pickup still live and performance testing concluded via the Solo Raid, we can now evaluate them objectively. Who do you think is the must-have character before the event ends? Cast your vote, and we’ll reveal the results in next week’s Meca Ranking.