'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' veteran Nikke 'Pepper' has made a surprising comeback in the Champion Arena. She previously shone in the early days of Special Arena and Champion Arena seasons. As new Nikkes flooded the scene, her usage dwindled among top players. However, a remarkable four ranked players brought her back into the fray this time, with one even reaching the semi-finals. Let's dive deeper into this story.

Champion Arena Top 64 Nikke Pick Rate Squads

※ Data is based on a total of 320 squad compositions from ranked players who advanced to the Top 64 in the Champion Arena, running from May 21st to June 3rd.
※ Please note that the data collection groups vary each season.

Here's a look at the Nikke pick rates for the Champion Arena Season 30 Top 64. Pepper makes a long-awaited return to the Champion Arena. Despite being a Support Nikke, she packs a surprisingly potent offensive punch, which saw her dominate in the early days of Special Arena and the nascent Champion Arena. However, her reliance on active skills rather than passives, coupled with the sheer power of newer Nikkes, relegated her to the sidelines. Yet, a ranked player has brought Pepper back, even managing to reach the semi-finals this season.

Pepper occupies a rare niche: a shotgun Nikke with a 'Clip Shotgun + Burst 1' setup. Among shotguns, she boasts a high burst gauge charge rate. Her Burst, which targets the enemy with the highest ATK, also offers a respectable damage coefficient. When fully kitted out with Overload gear and maxed out, Pepper can single-handedly eliminate a DPS unit with just a Burst activation. However, as a Support Nikke, her base ATK is lower, necessitating a highly invested setup. This is precisely why only the most dedicated commanders, those who've been with 'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' since its early days, opt for Pepper. For those contemplating bringing Pepper into their lineup, keep these points firmly in mind.

The mass-produced Nikke 'Product 23' has appeared for two consecutive seasons. This time, two ranked players fielded her, though unfortunately, neither made it to the Top 8. Her future usage alongside 'Gore' remains a point of keen interest. 'Neon: Vision Eyes' has seen its share rise to 40.6%, a 1.5 percentage point increase from the previous season. While her growth isn't as explosive as 'Anis: Spark' (henceforth 'Dolli anis'), more ranked players are gradually incorporating her.

Conversely, 'Cinderella' has seen a significant drop in usage. Her share has fallen from 53.1% to 34.4%, a steep decrease of 18.7 percentage points. She's undeniably a capable Nikke, offering both firepower and a decoy. The sudden decline in her pick rate is quite puzzling. With the pick rate of the counter Nikke 'Rapi' remaining stable, we'll need to observe future season trends more closely.

Let's examine the squad composition of Mr. Myeom, one of the semi-finalists in this Champion Arena data group. He's one of the four ranked players who utilized Pepper, as mentioned earlier. His record through the semi-finals reads 'Loss-Win-Win-Win-Win - Loss-Win-Win-Win-Win - Win-Loss-Win-Loss-Win - Loss-Win-Win-Win-Win'. Squads 2 through 5 showed the highest win rates, while Squad 1 had the lowest.

Squad 1 consists of 'Poli - Soda: Twinkling Bunny - Pepper - Noir - Drake'. This is one of the (former) shotgun compositions, with the key being the use of the beloved 'Poli' and Pepper. Poli's Burst cooldown is 40 seconds, making it ideal for short, decisive battles. Despite an overall low win rate, with all matches except the Round of 16 ending in defeat, the strength of his other squads saw him through to the semi-finals.

The undefeated squads were 'Gore - Trina - Rosanna - Centi - Jackal' and 'Dolli anis - Blanc - Privaty - Biscuit - Maiden: Ice Rose'. The latter composition emerged after Dolli anis's introduction, with Dolli anis serving as the main DPS. 'Privaty' must be equipped with her beloved item, and Maiden: Ice Rose is used to amplify Dolli anis's firepower. Consequently, Dolli anis, a Burst 1 Nikke, delivers the squad's highest damage output and carries the team. We wish Mr. Myeom the best of luck in securing the championship.

Arena Meta Analysis

Now, check for 'Clip' functionality in your Nikke's firing stance!

In 'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' Arena battles, 'Launchers' and 'Shotguns' are the most popular weapon types. Specifically, the category commanders refer to as 'Clip' weapons tend to have a higher burst gauge charging rate. 'Clip' refers to weapons that don't reload a full clip at once but rather in segments of three or four shots. Drake is a prime example of a shotgun Nikke with a clip weapon, while Centi fills that role for launchers.

Initially, when new Nikkes are introduced, details about their weapon's clip functionality aren't explicitly revealed. Commanders have to discover this through direct gameplay. In the past, the go-to method was to enter the Union Shooting Range and test them out. Fortunately, a recent update has revamped the 'Nikke Firing Stance' feature, allowing players to properly observe weapon firing patterns. This means you can quickly ascertain clip functionality without the lengthy loading times. Since you can now check this outside of the shooting range, make sure to utilize this handy new feature.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

The effectiveness of Mint and Freya needs to be verified in actual combat.

Following the update on May 28th, the Solo Raid 'Ultra' will commence. This boss targets Nikkes with Water Code weaknesses, utilizing 'Toxic Wave' and 'Toxic Barrage'. Recommended weapons include 'Sniper Rifles' and Launchers. Among the Water Code Nikkes expected to perform well are 'Helm - Mast: Romantic Maid - Anchor: Innocent Maid - Delta: Ninja Shift - Solin: Frost Ticket - Thob - Quency: Escape Queen - Illeg: Boom and Shock - Ludmilla: Winter Owner - Brady - Dorothy: Serendipity' (henceforth 'Suroshi') - 'Snow White: Heavy Arms' (henceforth 'Snow White: HA'). The growth potential of Suroshi and Snow White: HA, in particular, will be crucial.

Another key point is the new Nikke 'Freya' arriving on May 28th. She's designed to be used alongside the previously released 'Mint' to unleash her full potential, functioning as a set Nikke. Freya's ability is expected to permanently sustain Mint's 'Vocal' buff, allowing two buffs to be maintained simultaneously. The 'Penetration Damage + Projectile Explosive Damage' buff is central, suggesting strong synergy with characters like 'Rapi: Red Hood' or Snow White: HA. However, her true performance will only be confirmed after real-world usage. We eagerly anticipate strong results in this upcoming Solo Raid.

NIKKE Issues

Band Live tickets for July are now on sale!

Ticket sales for the 'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' Band Live concert began on May 27th at 8 PM. The performances are scheduled for July 18th at 7 PM and July 19th at 5 PM. While there are standing and reserved seating options, the prices are identical. The venue is YES24 LIVE HALL. Information regarding stage guests and merchandise will be revealed at a later date, so keep a close eye on announcements from the Official Lounge and the official X (Twitter) account for the Band Live Concert. Related details can be found in the Official Lounge's notice board.