Is someone finally tired of seeing 'Laplace: Ultimate Hero' dominate the Champion Arena? One savvy ranker has deployed 'Sakura', a tactical counter to wind-code Nikkes, and—in a cheeky twist—is actually fielding her alongside the very unit she is meant to oppose. We are also seeing a significant uptick in the use of 'Flora' following her recent Treasure upgrade.

Champion Arena Top 64 Squad Nikke Pick Rates

※ Based on data from 320 squads belonging to rankers who qualified for the 'Champion Arena Season 36' Top 64.
※ Please note that the grouping for data collection varies each season.

Looking at the stats for Season 36, the shift is undeniable. Flora went from a mere two users in Season 35 to 12 this season. With her Treasure equipped, she provides a massive 130.98% buff at Skill Level 10 (45.12% from Skill 2 and 85.86% from the Burst). Most rankers are focusing on the 45.12% boost from her second skill, pairing her with 'Vesty: Tactical Up' to push their firepower to ridiculous heights. It seems the community is quite pleased with the results.

Then there is the surprise guest: Sakura. With a Burst skill that cuts damage from wind-code enemies by 90.72% for 30 seconds, she is a direct response to the current meta, which is heavily saturated with wind-code units like 'Laplace: Ultimate Hero', 'Liberalio', and 'Nayuta'. Only one player is running her, but they have already blazed a trail into the quarterfinals. Notably, the Persona collaboration characters are absent from the Arena; their skill sets are, quite frankly, far better suited for PvE.

The mastermind behind the Sakura pick is 赫爾薇特, a veteran with 10 Champion Arena titles under their belt. After a lackluster showing last season, they have surged back into the quarterfinals, dominating the group stage with a perfect record using the aforementioned Treasure-boosted Flora combo.

The composition is 'Trina - Anis - Sakura - Laplace: Ultimate Hero - Treasure Centi'. While the inclusion of Sakura is clearly meant to negate wind-code threats, the player has paradoxically included Laplace: Ultimate Hero to mop up the opposition. They have cruised from the Top 64 to the Top 16 with nothing but clean sweeps and perfect K.O.s.

The sustain provided by Treasure Centi’s shields and healing is doing the heavy lifting, while Laplace: Ultimate Hero wipes the board during the Burst phase. We have yet to see this Sakura setup truly tested against another wind-code Burst, so it will be fascinating to see if they hold up once the stakes get higher in the quarterfinal rounds.

Another undefeated squad, 'Nayuta - Treasure Privaty - Anis: Sparkling - Emilia - Treasure Laplace', is making waves by utilizing Privaty's screen-wide stun. In the world of Goddess of Victory: Nikke, 'invincibility' doesn't mean immunity to crowd control, making this stun a lethal tool for disrupting an opponent's Full Burst or cutting their momentum short.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

Persona Collab and Burning Code Nikkes Ready for Action

The Solo Raid kicks off on August 20 at 12:00 PM. For those prepping for the burning-code weakness, look out for 'Rapi: Red Hood', 'Diesel: Winter Sweets', 'Treasure Drake', 'Mihara: Bonding Chain', 'Alice', 'Queen (Makoto)', and 'Yukiko'. Expect 'Modernia' and 'Rei' to fill in as support damage dealers.

For 2-Burst options, keep an eye on 'Grave', 'Arcana: Fortune Mate', and 'Breed: Silent Track', while 'Treasure Miranda' and 'D: Killer Wife' handle the 1-Burst slot. The remaining spots will likely be filled by the usual top-tier staples. The Persona collab character 'Yukiko' debuts on August 20, and given the synergy with Queen (Makoto), we expect them to be run together. Keep your resources ready if you are chasing those high-score raid rankings.

Nikke News

Don't miss the Co-op Operations through the end of August!

The first phase of the Persona collaboration Co-op Operation wrapped up on August 16. The second and third rounds are set for August 21–23 and August 28–30. Make sure to jump in with fellow commanders and aim for that top 10% bracket.

Additionally, the Scrap Shop has updated its inventory. You can now exchange your 'Scrap Bones' and 'Broken Cores' for 'Management Kit Box II', 'Company Select Arms' (get your desired corporate gear after 200 units), and 'Good Teamwork Boxes' for gear upgrade materials and credits. It is essentially double the rewards, so do not sleep on these. Check the official community boards if you need a party—plenty of helpful commanders are waiting. Just remember, the boss attributes rotate, so adjust your squads accordingly. Best of luck!