When discussing the strengths of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, the narrative is an ever-present point of praise. It is often said that the quality of their two-to-three-week story events reaches a new peak with every iteration. The currently running story event, TERMINUS TICKET, has once again left Commanders in tears. The sentiment that the story feels deeply personal has resonated widely, and since the story finale on December 18, community forums have been flooded with emotional reflections.

Co-op Operation: Harvester

The Co-op Operation 'Harvester' launched on December 19 at 12:00 PM. The objective is for five Commanders to team up and deal as much damage as possible to the Harvester. As it is weak to the water code, units like Ludmilla: Winter Owner, the Treasure-equipped Helm, and Mast: Romantic Maid are expected to shine. Join forces with fellow Commanders and gather those exclusive rewards.

TERMINUS TICKET Story Impressions

The epilogue for the story event TERMINUS TICKET was released on December 18, bringing the tale of Grandma Nora to a grand conclusion. After witnessing the ending, players shared their thoughts across the community. Personally, I didn't find the story particularly sad—but then a torrential downpour began out of nowhere. My face ended up a complete mess, drenched in water. I didn't cry. Honestly.

Regardless, the year-end Christmas story has been met with universal acclaim, with many noting that it 'reminded them of their own grandmother.' The sentiment was identical across the multinational Blabla community. If you haven't seen the story yet, or if you skipped through it, do yourself a favour and watch it. Just a heads-up: I highly recommend having a tissue or a handkerchief ready.

What should I buy in the Scrap Shop?

The 'Broken Core' and 'Scrap Bone' obtained as rewards from Co-op Operations are currencies exclusive to the 'Scrap Shop.' Depending on the event scale, Co-op Operations run anywhere from once or twice to three times a month. The competition for Scrap Bones is fierce, as only those in the top 10% can exchange enough for two weeks' worth of materials.

New players in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE often ask, 'What should I actually buy in the Scrap Shop?' For Scrap Bones, I recommend the 'Skill Manual Set II' and 'Company Select Arms,' while for Broken Cores, prioritize Gems and 'Case-type' items. You can buy affection items for your Nikkes, but veterans advise against it. Since you need a significant amount of currency to clear out the shop, it’s a tall order for a newcomer. Stick to this priority list: Gems > Core Dust Case > Credits > Battle Data. Grab the Gems and Core Dust first, then pick up whatever else you can.

AZX departing: 'Brid: Silent Track'

The Nikke we are looking at today is the winter-exclusive Brid: Silent Track. Known among players as 'Christmas Brid' or 'Clid' for short, as she arrived during the Christmas season. She is a variation of the original Brid wearing a gift from Grandma Nora, and her design was met with immediate, widespread approval upon release.

Clid is a Burst II, Support type, Water code, Shotgun-wielding Nikke. She possesses a niche capability to apply a 'damage taken increase' debuff to Wind code enemies. Thanks to this, she recorded a 100% pick rate in the recent solo raid against 'Alt-Eisen'.

Her skills trigger effects at the start of Full Burst mode and after 5 or 10 normal attacks. Skill 1, 'Operation,' hits all enemies when Full Burst begins, which is handy for clearing out destructible projectiles. Skill 2, 'Conduction,' deals additional damage to the enemy with the lowest remaining HP. Her Burst, 'Full Mascon,' boosts the attack power of all allies except herself for 10 seconds, based on her own attack stat. At level 10, that boost is a substantial 66.52%.

Clid performs at 100% efficiency when facing Wind code enemies, applying a 27.24% damage-taken-increase debuff at skill level 10. Note, however, that this effect only applies to Wind code enemies, rendering her niche against other attributes. Since it is highly unlikely a solo raid will lack a Wind code boss, make sure to recruit Clid before her banner ends on December 31.

The Infinity Rail squad, which includes Brid, shares a dark past. In the history of the Ark, there was a train called the AFX that suffered a catastrophic terrorist bombing, leading to massive casualties. Brid, Diesel, and Soline were all victims caught in that tragedy. Brid was the train conductor, while Soline and Diesel were citizens attending an event. The idea that they were turned into Nikkes to continue operating the train is, frankly, chilling.

As a result, the Infinity Rail squad lives with the obsessive trauma that 'something like this must never happen again.' In the TERMINUS TICKET event, when Grandma Nora’s health suddenly deteriorates, Brid insists they must return to the Ark to avoid losing someone on the train again. Nora overhears this, which causes her emotional distress. To make amends, Brid brings her a cup of coffee for a heart-to-heart conversation. You really need to experience the second part of the TERMINUS TICKET story yourself; it hits much harder that way.

Grandma like Nora vs. Grandpa like Hermin

Last time, we held a balance game between the Jackal costume and the Brady costume. It was a close race, but ultimately, the majority of Commanders chose the Jackal costume. While both skins captured the essence of their characters well, Jackal edged out the competition. Remember that both skins are locked behind pass purchases, and there is no telling when, or if, they will be re-run.

Beyond the protagonist and the Nikkes, the Ark is populated by many citizens. Several of these NPCs have their own unique sprites. Elderly characters are quite rare, with the most notable being Grandma Nora from this event and Grandpa Hermin from the Stellar Blade collaboration. Both characters have tugged at the heartstrings of Commanders, telling unforgettable stories about life. If you had to choose, would you prefer a grandma like Nora or a grandpa like Hermin as your own grandparent? I'll reveal the results in next week's Weekly Forum Highlight.