Choosing a unit in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is less about finding one unbeatable character than covering the jobs a five-unit squad must perform. This NIKKE tier list is a PvE investment guide: Liter, Crown, Naga, Red Hood and Modernia are strong broad-use priorities, while Alice, Cinderella and Scarlet: Black Shadow are high-value damage carries with more specific requirements. Rankings can shift when a stage demands healing, wave clear, part damage or a different Burst rotation. Start with reliable Burst I, Burst II and Burst III coverage, then choose damage dealers your supports can keep active. That approach saves resources and produces more consistent teams than copying a list of names.

How to read this NIKKE tier list

The tier labels measure practical account value, not personal damage alone. An S-tier support may improve four other characters more than an S-tier damage dealer improves the team by itself. An A-tier specialist can also outperform an S-tier generalist when the stage matches that character’s strengths.

This list uses four questions to separate strong investments from attractive but narrow picks:

  • Does the character fit a reliable Burst rotation? A team with excellent damage but no dependable Burst I or Burst II option will often underperform.
  • How much does the character add to the whole squad? Buffs, healing, cooldown support, cover utility and crowd control can be more valuable than raw attack power.
  • How demanding is the investment? Some carries need strong skills, specialised gear or manual aiming before they reach their potential.
  • How many situations does the unit solve? Broad campaign value and boss-specialist value are both useful, but they should not be confused.

A standard full-burst team needs at least one character from each Burst stage, with additional damage dealers filling the remaining positions. Some support pairs use two Burst II units or depend on a specific partner, so they can be powerful without being simple to build. Always judge a character alongside the rotation, carry and content you plan to use.

NIKKE tier list for PvE team building

The table below is a practical baseline rather than a permanent verdict. Balance changes, new releases, skill investment, equipment and stage mechanics can change the relative value of a unit. S-tier characters are the safest broad priorities; A-tier characters are excellent with the right conditions; B-tier characters remain useful when they fill a roster gap.

Goddess of Victory NIKKE

Tier Character or group Primary role Best use Main limitation
S Liter Burst I support General campaign, bosses and teams under cover pressure Her value is mostly team utility, so she still needs strong damage dealers.
S Crown Burst II support Broad PvE teams that need offensive and defensive support Her impact depends on having a clean Burst rotation around her.
S Naga Burst II support and healing General PvE, long fights and teams that need sustain She takes a Burst II position and benefits from a compatible team structure.
S Red Hood Flexible Burst unit and damage dealer Campaign, bosses and rosters that need flexibility Her presence does not remove the need for reliable support and Burst order.
S Modernia Burst III wave clear and sustained damage Campaign stages with groups of enemies and extended fights A precise single-target strategy may favour another carry.
S Alice Burst III sniper damage Bosses and single-target damage checks She has a high ceiling but asks for serious investment and controlled play.
S Cinderella and Scarlet: Black Shadow Burst III boss carries High-health targets and demanding damage checks They are more specialised than a universal campaign solution.
A Dorothy Burst I damage and support Boss-focused teams and burst-heavy encounters She is less universally comfortable than Liter and may need more sustain around her.
A D: Killer Wife Burst I cooldown and rotation support Teams built around frequent, repeatable Burst cycles Her value depends heavily on the quality of the Burst II and Burst III units beside her.
A Blanc and Noir Paired Burst II and Burst III support Teams that want a dependable combination of damage and sustain The pair uses two slots and is substantially more valuable together.
A Tia with Naga Paired Burst II support Durable, buff-oriented teams with strong support coverage Two Burst II characters make the rotation less flexible.
A Volume and Dolla Burst support and rotation assistance Accounts missing the strongest general-purpose support options They are useful alternatives but usually offer less complete value than the top supports.
A Marciana and Helm Healing and sustain Attrition stages where survival is the main obstacle Adding safety can reduce the damage available for a strict damage check.
A Scarlet and A2 Burst III damage and utility General damage, waves and encounters with multiple targets or parts Their value changes more noticeably with stage design and target layout.
A Snow White Burst III specialist damage Manual boss strategies and carefully timed burst attacks She requires more execution and investment than a beginner-friendly carry.
B Pepper and Rapunzel Burst I healing and recovery Early progression and survival-focused teams Healing alone does not solve a team with a weak or delayed Burst cycle.
B Centi Burst II shield and utility Early and mid-progression teams that lack a dependable Burst II option She is often replaced as the account gains stronger support units.
B Privaty and Maxwell Burst III utility and support Crowd control, reload-focused teams and charge-based setups They need a clear carry plan and are not always the best source of raw damage.
Specialist Noise, Noah and Jackal Defensive or PvP-focused utility Specific survival checks and player-versus-player teams They should not be judged only by a campaign-focused tier list.

NIKKE characters

B-tier does not mean unusable. Pepper can keep an early squad alive, Centi can make progression smoother, and Privaty can solve a control or reload problem. These units simply tend to be replaced sooner when an account develops a deeper roster.

How to build a winning squad from the rankings

  1. Secure the Burst foundation. Begin with one dependable Burst I and one dependable Burst II option. Liter with Crown or Naga is a straightforward foundation, but strong A-tier alternatives can work if they create a repeatable rotation.
  2. Choose the main damage plan. Modernia is a natural consideration for enemy waves and sustained pressure. Alice, Cinderella and Scarlet: Black Shadow make more sense when the stage is built around a durable boss or a single-target damage check. Red Hood is useful when you want one character who can adapt to several team shapes.
  3. Check conditions before investing. Some characters need a partner, a particular Burst order, manual aiming, a certain target type or high skill levels. A unit that looks weaker on paper may perform better for your account if it works immediately with the characters you already own.
  4. Add survival only when it solves a problem. Naga, Marciana, Helm, Pepper and Rapunzel can all help a team stay active. However, stacking several healers will not help if the real issue is failing a damage check or never reaching the next full burst.
  5. Test the team in the actual stage. Campaign waves, bosses with exposed parts, cover-breaking encounters and PvP all reward different qualities. If the team dies before bursting, add sustain. If the burst lands but the target survives comfortably, replace a defensive slot with another damage or support option.

Practical team templates

  • General campaign: Liter, Crown, Modernia, Red Hood and another suitable Burst III damage dealer. This structure provides broad support, wave clear and flexible damage without relying on a specialised gimmick.
  • Boss-focused: Dorothy or D: Killer Wife, Naga, Red Hood, Alice and Cinderella or Scarlet: Black Shadow. This type of team prioritises burst damage and works best when the boss gives your carries time to build their advantages.
  • Blanc and Noir core: Liter or D: Killer Wife, Blanc, Noir, Modernia and Red Hood. The pair is useful when you want dependable support without giving up several damage slots.
  • Tia and Naga support core: one Burst I unit, Tia, Naga and two strong Burst III characters. This setup gives up some roster flexibility in exchange for a support package designed around the two Burst II units.

These are starting points rather than fixed answers. A spare B1 or B2 unit may be worthwhile if it keeps the rotation active, and a lower-ranked character can be the correct choice when the stage’s element, target count or mechanics favour that unit.

NIKKE characters

Investment priorities and common mistakes

Where resources usually pay off first

  • Build a small core: Concentrate skill materials and gear on one reliable Burst I, one Burst II and your main damage dealers before spreading resources across the entire roster.
  • Prioritise the carry you actually use: A well-developed Modernia, Alice, Red Hood or other suitable damage dealer is more useful than several partially built characters competing for the same materials.
  • Improve support that affects the whole team: Cooldown assistance, damage buffs, healing and defensive utility can raise the output of every character in the squad.
  • Keep one specialist available: Once your core is stable, invest in a boss carry, wave clearer or defensive unit that addresses content your main team handles poorly.

Mistakes that make a strong tier list look unreliable

  • Choosing five S-tier names without checking Burst stages: A group of powerful characters can still fail if the rotation cannot start or repeat.
  • Splitting a partner-dependent pair: Blanc and Noir are the clearest example. If you only have one half of a pair, compare that character with a more independent alternative before spending heavily.
  • Ranking personal damage above team output: A support that improves the entire squad can be the better investment even when its own attack number is modest.
  • Using a boss specialist for every campaign stage: Strong single-target performance does not automatically translate into fast wave clear.
  • Changing the whole team after every failed attempt: Adjust one role at a time so you can identify whether the problem is damage, healing, Burst timing or target control.

Best investment path for different accounts

New accounts

New players should first secure a functional Burst chain and one dependable carry. Do not delay progression while waiting for a perfect S-tier lineup. A well-supported A-tier character can carry early content if the team reaches full burst consistently and has enough healing or defensive utility to survive.

Growing accounts

Once the basic team is stable, build two separate damage plans: one character for enemy waves and one for bosses. Modernia is valuable for broad campaign pressure, while Alice, Cinderella, Scarlet: Black Shadow, Snow White or another focused carry can cover more demanding single-target encounters. This split is usually more useful than raising several characters who all perform the same job.

Established accounts

Experienced players benefit most from specialists. Add support pairs, manual-play carries and defensive options for content where the general team falls short. At this stage, the best NIKKE tier list choice is often the character that answers a specific failed stage rather than the highest-ranked character you have not yet built.

NIKKE character roster

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best character in this NIKKE tier list?

There is no single best character for every mode and stage. Liter, Crown and Red Hood offer broad value, while Modernia is especially useful for waves and characters such as Alice, Cinderella and Scarlet: Black Shadow can be stronger for focused boss damage.

Should I build five S-tier characters?

No. A squad still needs a workable Burst I, Burst II and Burst III structure, plus enough sustain and damage for the stage. One support or specialist from a lower tier can improve the team more than a fifth high-ranked damage dealer.

Are Blanc and Noir worth building if I already have other supports?

They can be, especially when you want a paired team with strong support and sustain. Their value is highest when both are used together, so build the pair when you can spare two roster slots and your other Burst positions remain covered.

Is Alice a good choice for a new player?

Alice can become an excellent damage dealer, but her performance depends more heavily on investment and controlled play than some general-purpose carries. New players should build her when they can support her properly and are comfortable using a team designed around single-target damage.

Does this NIKKE tier list apply to PvP?

Not directly. PvP places greater emphasis on speed, opening Burst order, control, defensive timing and specific arena interactions. Characters such as Noah, Jackal and Noise may gain importance there even when they are not priorities for a general campaign team.

When should I reconsider a character’s tier?

Reconsider the ranking when a balance change, new character, equipment improvement or stage mechanic changes how a team functions. You should also revisit your choices when a character repeatedly solves a problem that your higher-ranked units cannot handle efficiently.

Use this NIKKE tier list as an investment map rather than a strict five-character answer. Secure a dependable Burst foundation, choose a carry that matches the content, and then add support or specialist units to solve the weaknesses your current team actually has.