On December 4th, 'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' rolled out its winter update, bringing two limited-time recruits into the fray: Diesel: Winter Sweetie (let's call her 'Winter Diesel') and Brid: Silent Track. Winter Diesel, who has already hit the recruitment pool, is boasting some serious damage-over-time (DoT) numbers. She turns up the heat even more whenever a part is destroyed. Following in the footsteps of Mihara: Bonding Chain (or 'O-Hara'), we have another DoT specialist on our hands. Naturally, we at KookminTree decided to put her performance under the microscope.

Q. What kind of Nikke is Diesel: Winter Sweetie?
A. She is a damage dealer who buffs her own DoT when destroying enemy parts.

Winter Diesel is a Burst 3, Firepower-type Launcher wielder with the Burn code. Much like O-Hara, she is built for sustained DoT. Her kit is conditional—shifting based on part destruction, whether or not you trigger her Burst during the first Full Burst, and her full-charge attacks.

Her Skill 1, 'Microphone Check!', changes its potency depending on if you use her Burst during the initial Full Burst. Depending on that choice, she applies either 'Intro' or 'Climax'—buffs that persist even if she is revived. Both offer the same Crit Damage increase, but the real kicker comes at the start of the Full Burst phase. At level 10, the DoT bonus jumps to 60.19% for 'Intro' and a massive 235.03% for 'Climax'. Given that fourfold difference, it is generally better to hold off on that initial Burst.

Skill 2, 'I'll Sing!', kicks in whenever you or your allies destroy an enemy part. It grants her 3 stacks of 'Noise Pollution Immunity' (from her Burst) and a 15-second DoT boost. There is an extra effect: full-charge attacks grant a 3-second DoT buff, stackable up to twice. At level 10, each stack is a staggering 318.14%, meaning 636.28% at max stacks. The duration is tight, but since her normal attack full-charge speed is 1 second, you need to be careful—using 'tap-firing' techniques will prevent this from triggering entirely. Also, at the start of Full Burst, she deals DoT every second for 9 seconds to targets—keep in mind, 'target' here refers to bosses.

Finally, her Burst 'La La La♬' applies a 10-second 'Damage Taken' debuff to all enemies and deals DoT every second for 9 seconds. If the target is a boss, the DoT is even nastier. The 'Noise Pollution' debuff mentioned earlier activates here. Additionally, if she is in the 'Climax' state, she reduces the hit rate of all allies—except herself—by 100% for 1 second.

Q. Where and how should I use Diesel: Winter Sweetie?
A. She is expected to shine in Burn-weakness Solo Raids.

With the skills out of the way, let's look at the data. We tested her in the Union Shooting Range against a 3-minute Wind code boss with no parts, keeping stats fixed for fairness. We split the test by the timing of her Burst usage, using O-Hara as our benchmark.

The results? Using the Burst during the first Full Burst clearly resulted in lower damage. The former scored 778,879,447, while the latter hit 807,827,957—a difference of 28,948,510. While O-Hara pushed 900 million and Winter Diesel hit roughly 800 million, she held her own even without part-destruction buffs. If you are in a stage where parts can be broken, she is likely to stand toe-to-toe with O-Hara.

We also tried her against Indivilia, but hit a wall. Indivilia enters a 'debuff immunity' state that wipes all active debuffs. O-Hara received a patch that added 'unremovable' to her DoT, allowing her to stay relevant. Winter Diesel lacks this, resulting in dismal damage that fell below even Crown or Little Mermaid. Better to wait for the next Solo Raid to see her true potential.

Q. How much should I invest in Diesel: Winter Sweetie?
A. Aim for a single copy and save for the Brid pickup.

Winter Diesel has clear strengths and weaknesses. Expect her to dominate in Wind code Solo Raids that lack debuff immunity. As luck would have it, the current Solo Raid features Alteisen, which is loaded with parts and regeneration—the perfect playground for her. If you are chasing high scores, grab a copy. Even beyond this event, she will remain a staple for Burn-weakness bosses, much like O-Hara.

The catch is the remaining limited-time Nikke: Brid: Silent Track, arriving on December 11. We will have to wait and see her actual performance, but early sentiment suggests she is quite strong. Winter Diesel’s banner ends December 25, and Brid’s on December 31. I suggest securing a single copy of Winter Diesel first, then keeping your jewels dry for Brid. Best of luck.