To celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, three new Pilgrims have joined the fray. Among them, the first banner unit, Nayuta, has become the talk of the town. She is making waves in both the main story and the 3rd-anniversary event, proving her worth with stats that truly befit a Pilgrim. Most notably, she is a Burst 2 dealer, shattering the tired old stereotype that 'Burst 2 units lack punch.' Naturally, the community is currently debating her efficiency, and we at KookminTree have put her to the test.

Q. What is Nayuta's core mechanism?
A. She is a 'deal-support' unit that buffs herself and her allies while dealing significant damage.

Nayuta is a Supporter, Burst 2, SMG-wielder, and Wind-code NIKKE. While 'Supporter' might tempt you to pigeonhole her as a pure buffer, she is a proper 'deal-support.' She packs a serious punch herself while bolstering the team. Historically, Burst 2 units in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE have been relegated to pure support roles, often trailing far behind Burst 3 damage output. Nayuta, however, bridges that gap with her own buffs and a kit that rivals top-tier damage dealers.

Her Skill 1, 'Hypocrisy,' grants her an Indomitable effect at the start of battle—a one-time deal that lasts for 9 seconds. When her Skill 2's 'Memory Absorption' stacks, she applies 'Core Damage increase + Attack boost based on caster + HP recovery distribution' to all allies for 5 seconds. She also gains a self-heal based on her max HP. The distribution effect is a neat bonus for team sustainability. Furthermore, when she performs a full charge attack while in 'Memory Combustion,' she deals damage to all enemies, with extra damage against targets. You might wonder why an SMG unit has full-charge mechanics; keep reading to find out.

Skill 2, 'Gratuitousness,' builds 'Memory Absorption' stacks every 3 seconds. Each stack boosts Accuracy, capping at 30. Like Skill 1, it provides self-buffs based on these stacks. At skill level 10, it grants a 15.2% Attack increase, 20.27% Attack Damage, and 21.05% Core Damage.

Her Burst, 'Penance,' grants all allies a 15-second Attack Damage buff and strikes all enemies. She then forces a weapon change to a fixed 1.8-second charge time. Her Skill 1's full-charge mechanic is designed to sync with this. During this window, her ammo is infinite, meaning no reloading. The attack is calculated as a screen-wide hit, capable of destroying incoming projectiles. You'll know it's triggered when you see a giant hand slamming down on the battlefield.

Q. How does she actually perform?
A. Stronger than Mana and on par with Wind-Asuka.

Let's get down to the numbers. We tested her against the Kraken in the Solo Raid and the Union Shooting Range (3-minute boss battle). Nayuta's specs: 0-star, skill levels at 10, SR Collection Item level 10, and Relic Bear Cube level 15. Refer to the image above for her Overload gear options.

In the Union Shooting Range, she outperformed a 3-star Mana. Despite having a 35.91% lower elemental code damage bonus, she compensated with 8.84% higher Attack, resulting in a raw damage lead of 493,106,758. For a Burst 2 Supporter, this is frankly absurd.

Compared to Asuka Langley (Wind-Asuka), who had 45.44% higher elemental damage but 7.59% lower Attack, Nayuta trailed by 1,050,504,643 damage. When accounting for the stat discrepancies, it's clear they are in the same weight class. In tests with synchronized settings, Nayuta actually managed to edge out Wind-Asuka.

We then took her to the Kraken in the Solo Raid. The team comp was 'Nayuta - Scarlet: Black Shadow - Mana - Little Mermaid - Crown.' We rotated bursts between Crown and Nayuta. Replacing Maid Mast with Nayuta resulted in a successful Stage 9 clear. If you lack Maid Mast, Nayuta is your ticket to that stage.

For those asking, 'Can she replace Crown?'—the short answer is no; they serve different purposes and are best used together. Crown provides overwhelming buffs but lacks personal DPS, while Nayuta brings massive damage but offers no team protection beyond healing. They are complementary, not interchangeable.

Q. How much should I invest in Nayuta?
A. Just pull. Pull twice. Pull three times.

Finally, should you invest? Without a doubt, secure at least one copy. Even if it means dropping 200 Gold Mileage tickets, it is worth it. As mentioned, her performance is top-tier. You’ll want every capable supporter you can get for upcoming Solo Raids, especially considering the scarcity of viable Wind-code units.

That said, don't dump your entire savings just yet. The 3rd-anniversary event is handing out Advanced Recruit Vouchers and daily free pulls. Pace yourself until the banner ends. Keep in mind that the Riberio banner is coming next week, so manage your Jewels and tickets wisely.