'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' squad built around 'Scarlet' and the mass-produced 'Product 23' reached the grand finals. I was already impressed when the SR-grade 'Anis' made the cut, but witnessing an R-grade unit dominate in the Champion Arena truly shows the sheer creativity of our Commanders. KookminTree has compiled the data from the Champion Arena Season 34 quarterfinals and the winning squad layouts.

Champion Arena Quarterfinalists NIKKE Pick Rates

※ Based on data from 40 squads used by players who reached the Champion Arena Season 34 quarterfinals.
※ Please note that the grouping for statistics changes every season.

Here is the current state of NIKKE pick rates in the Champion Arena Season 34 quarterfinals. A total of 22 NIKKE were utilized by every single quarterfinalist, including Burst 1 units like 'Jackal', 'Noise', 'Ludmilla: Winter Owner', and 'Anis: Sparkling Desert' (referred to as 'Dolnis'), Burst 2 units like 'Noah', 'Biscuit', 'Trony', 'Blanc', 'Centi', and 'Nayuta', and Burst 3 heavy hitters such as 'Scarlet', 'Helm: Aquamarine', 'Snow White: Innocent Days', and 'Maiden: Toy World'.

Comparing this to the previous season, the pick rate for 'Alice: Wonderland Bunny' has seen a slight uptick, and 'Product 23' has managed to stay relevant, replacing 'Anne: Miracle Fairy'. Noise saw an increase in usage, while Rumani's pick rate dipped. 'Vesti: Tactical Upgrade' (Tactical Vesti) has fallen from its 100% pick rate status and now sits in the 80–99% range alongside 'Neon: Blue Ocean'.

Only one player reached the quarterfinals using 'Product 23', but they fought a fierce battle all the way to the finals. Although the final match ended in a narrow defeat, the combination of 'Product 23' and 'Scarlet' proved its viability on the big stage. It is honestly remarkable that players are finding uses for mass-produced units simply due to their clip-shotgun mechanics. You can check these arena combinations in-game during the season, so I highly recommend keeping an eye on them.

Let's dive into the winning squad layout used by the Champion Arena winner, Beomgu. Their record from the quarterfinals through the finals was 'Loss-Loss-Win-Win-Win', 'Win-Win-Win-Loss-Loss', and 'Loss-Loss-Win-Win-Win'. Excluding the semifinals, every victory was clinched in the fifth match. Perhaps because of this high level of competition, only one squad went undefeated.

Beomgu's undefeated squad featured 'Neon: Blue Ocean', 'Noise', 'Laplace', 'Noah', and 'Jackal'—a pure firepower team consisting of five launchers. Even when facing 'Leona', who counters Electric-code NIKKE, the team breezed through the bracket. While 'Neon: Blue Ocean' was the only Electric-code unit, the sheer power of the main damage dealers carried the squad to the finals.

The final victory was secured by a nail-biter of a match featuring 'Scarlet', 'Dolnis', 'Tactical Vesti', 'Blanc', and 'Trony'. They faced the aforementioned 'Product 23' and 'Scarlet' composition, with Beomgu's 'Tactical Vesti' clutching the win as the sole survivor. Congratulations on the victory, and I look forward to seeing what happens next season.

Arena Meta Analysis

Is 'Laplace: Ultimate Hero' Arena Bound?

The new NIKKE 'Laplace: Ultimate Hero', released on July 23, might just make a splash in the arena. Initially, players were skeptical due to the low burst generation of the launcher, but experiments have shown that the high burst skill damage can wipe out certain teams in one go. We might see more of 'Laplace: Ultimate Hero' in the Champion Arena Season 35. Whether it truly matches the legacy of the original 'Laplace' in the arena remains to be seen in the next season.

NIKKE News

Union Raid & Coordinated Operation Held Simultaneously

Mark your calendars: the Union Raid and Coordinated Operation are opening simultaneously on July 31. This is a welcome update for Commanders aiming for the top. The Union Raid is scheduled to end on August 6, while the Coordinated Operation concludes on August 2. You can find boss details on the Official Lounge. Since the Coordinated Operation is the only way to obtain 'Scrap Metal', aim for at least the top 10%. With various parties recruiting on the community boards, I hope you all achieve stellar results.