Build the units that stay useful across campaign, towers, and bossing first: the top priorities are Star Anis (burst 1), Crown (burst 2), and Rapunzel Hood (burst 3). The ranking deals with overall investment value for campaign, towers, and bossing, and intentionally ignores PvP, limited and collab units, and some tower specifics.
How this priority list is built
prerequisites
- Ranking basis: Future-proofing, versatility, and scaling with overload gear, dupes, skill levels, and Commander Doll investment.
- Content considered: Campaign, manufacturer-specific towers, and bossing.
- Ignored content: PvP is not included; limited and collab units are excluded.
- Tower exclusions: Pilgrim and Over Zone tower specifics are not factored.
Burst one priority
The highest-priority burst 1 unit is Star Anis, as she is the best choice for all content and offers both strong team buffs and high personal damage. Siren remains a long-term, high-value burst 1 despite being pushed down by Star Anis. Liter is a reliable early option, especially before premium picks are accessible. Moran is the defensive burst 1 for campaign, tower, and raiding, while units like D: Killer Waifu, Emma & Eunhwa, Tia, and Tove are lower-priority, specialized choices.
A TierMaker tier list slide shows character portraits arranged under HIGH, MEDIUM, and LOW labels. — INVO
steps
- Star Anis: Top priority; excellent for all content, both support and damage.
- Siren: Remains high value for burst generation, unique focus fire, and longevity.
- Liter: Ideal for new accounts, general purpose, available early.
- Moran: Defensive specialist, strong in campaign, tower, and raid.
- D: Killer Waifu: Low priority; situational, mainly for Elysion Tower and bossing.
- Emma & Eunhwa: Medium priority; good combo for Elysion Tower and hard campaign.
- Tia: Only matters if paired with Naga; otherwise lower investment priority.
- Tove: Low priority; for shotgun comps that excel in raid/bossing.
Burst two priority
Crown is a high-priority burst 2 for all content. Maid Mast is also high priority but requires a second burst 2 due to cooldown constraints. Ade offers healing and damage, making her a high-value damage dealer. Mint is the best fallback if top-tier burst 2s are unavailable. Naga is versatile, especially when paired with Tia or Crown. Bunny Ade, Anchor Maid, and Velvet are lower priority or more situational options.
A Burst 2 tier list is displayed with character portraits sorted into high, medium, and low priority rows. — INVO
steps
- Crown: High priority for all modes; flexible in and out of burst.
- Maid Mast: High priority; strong buffs, needs duo due to cooldown.
- Ade: High priority; top burst 2 for healing and offense.
- Mint: Medium priority; flexible solo burst 2, best fallback.
- Naga: Medium priority; excels with Tia or Crown, strong healing/buff.
- Bunny Ade: Medium priority; niche for piercing units, use in bossing and Tetra Tower.
- Anchor Maid: Low priority unless paired with Maid Mast for full utility.
- Velvet: Low investment; mainly off-burst for wind weak/bossing and Tetra Tower.
Burst three priority
Rapunzel Hood is the single biggest burst 3 investment target and overall top priority. Scarlet Black Shadow is a heavy-investment favorite, especially for hard campaign and Kraken boss. Snow White Heavy Arms is the top water-weak and neutral damage dealer. Ein is a high-priority option for hard campaign and Elysion Tower. Other medium-priority units like Alice, Modernia, Red Hood, Neon, Privaty, and Helm offer value for specific roles. Characters such as Cinderella, Drake, and Mihara are worth building only for specialized content.
A Burst 3 tier list slide displays HIGH, MEDIUM, and LOW priority rows with character portraits underneath. — INVO
steps
- Rapunzel Hood: Top overall priority; dual element, exceptional in all content.
- Scarlet Black Shadow: Heavy investment; excels in hard campaign, Kraken, synergy with Star Anis and Libby.
- Snow White Heavy Arms: Outstanding damage for water-weak/neutral, makes boss fights trivial.
- Ein: High priority non-favorite item burst 3, excels in campaign and Elysion Tower.
- Privaty: Long-term value due to non-selfish kit; great team buffs.
- Helm: High healing, burst generation, utility for all content.
- Alice: Medium priority; good campaign, Tetra Tower, fire weak bosses.
- Modernia: Medium priority; solid campaign pusher, off-burst in fire weak bossing.
- Red Hood: Medium priority; fallen off but still versatile.
- Neon: Medium priority; best for electric weak bossing and Missilis Tower, weaker in campaign late stages.
- Cinderella, Drake, Mihara: Low priority, primarily for niche bossing or specific towers.
- Milk: Good campaign and tower investment if top-tier carries are unavailable.
Overload gear lines, skills, and Commander Doll
A guide slide lists skills, overload lines, Commander Doll, and future-proofing notes on a chalkboard background. — INVO
Campaign and bossing
A Priority Ranking slide lists considerations including campaign, tower, and bossing usage. — INVO
Also worth knowing
- Cooldown skill maxing: If you invest in a Nikke with a cooldown-reduction support role, max their cooldown skill to maintain smooth burst rotations.
- Raven as a boss pick: Raven was omitted because limited/collab units are excluded, but she remains a strong raid and co-op pick when available.
- Placement discussions: Some players report units like Vesti, Modernia, or Red Hood perform better than their ranking suggests, depending on account investment.
FAQ
Which Nikkes should I build first in NIKKE?
Start with Star Anis, Crown, and Rapunzel Hood; then move to Scarlet Black Shadow and the strongest tower or team-specific supports you own.
How does the creator rank characters by investment priority?
By future-proofing, versatility across campaign/tower/bossing, and scaling with overload gear, dupes, skill levels, and Commander Doll investment.
What content does this tier list consider and what does it ignore?
It considers campaign, manufacturer towers, and bossing; it ignores PvP and excludes limited/collab units and some tower specifics.
Which units are high priority for burst 1, burst 2, and burst 3?
Burst 1: Star Anis; burst 2: Crown, Maid Mast, Ade; burst 3: Rapunzel Hood, Scarlet Black Shadow, Snow White Heavy Arms, Ein.
How many overload lines per gear piece does the creator recommend?
The guide uses a zero-to-three-line scale depending on each unit's scaling and role.
Which characters does the video say are worth building but only at low priority?
Examples include D: Killer Waifu, Tove, Anchor Maid, Velvet, Cinderella, Drake, and Mihara, depending on roster and mode needs.
Sources
Screenshots on this page are frames from the videos below, used to illustrate the steps they describe. All rights remain with their creators.
- Which UNITS are worth BUILDING? | NIKKE — INVO, May 25, 2026