About — How to Use NIKKE Arena Planner
What Is NIKKE Arena Planner?
Stop guessing which team to pick. NIKKE Arena Planner shows you the strongest teams your actual roster can field — in seconds. Instead of memorizing tier lists or copying teams you can't build, you tell the planner which NIKKEs you have — and it finds the best teams you can make right now. It covers both 5v5 Rookie Arena and 15v15 SP Arena (3 non-overlapping teams).
Who It's For
Best results with around 30+ characters unlocked and at least a few current meta units pulled. The tool still works with smaller rosters, but recommendations get stronger as your collection grows — new players may see fewer matched archetypes until more key units are unlocked.
How to Use
Speed Tiers Explained
Speed tier measures how quickly your team reaches Full Burst (B1 → B2 → B3). It's named after how many Rocket Launcher (RL) reload cycles it takes. Faster = better — you burst before the enemy and win.
| Tier | What It Means | Approx. Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2RL | Full burst in 2 RL cycles. Extremely fast — only possible with top-tier battery units like Jackal + clip RLs. Bursts before most enemies can react. | ~2.5s |
| 5SG | Equivalent to 2.5 RL cycles. Very fast. Usually achieved with clip Shotgun batteries. | ~3.0s |
| 3RL | Full burst in 3 RL cycles. The meta sweet spot — fast enough to win most matchups without over-restricting your team composition. | ~3.5s |
| 7SG | Equivalent to 3.5 RL cycles. Decent but starting to lose to faster teams. Acceptable for stall/sustain compositions. | ~4.0s |
| 4RL | Full burst in 4 RL cycles. Slow — you'll often lose to 2-3RL teams unless you have strong defensive units to survive until you burst. | ~4.5s |
| 5RL | Full burst in 5 RL cycles. Very slow. Generally only viable with massive CP advantage or undying mechanics. | ~5.5s |
Times are approximate. Actual timing depends on charge speed stats, weapon fire rates, and whether units enter/exit cover during battle.
Key Terms
- Burst Chain (B1 → B2 → B3)
- Every team needs at least one Burst I, one Burst II, and one Burst III character. They fire in order: B1 first, then B2, then B3 (Full Burst). Without all three types, your team can't reach Full Burst.
- Burst Generation
- The amount of burst gauge each character contributes per reload cycle. Higher burst gen = faster team. The total across all 5 characters determines your speed tier.
- Position (P1–P5)
- Each team has 5 positions. P1 and P5 take the most damage (focused by enemy weapons). P3–P4 are the safest spots — put your DPS there. Tanks and defenders belong in P1/P5.
- CP Penalty
- If your team's Combat Power is below 84.6% of the opponent's, you receive a stat penalty (20% to 90%). In SP Arena, distribute your strongest characters across all 3 teams to avoid this.
- Λ (Lambda) Burst
- Red Hood's unique burst type. She can act as Burst I, II, or III — filling whichever slot your team is missing. This makes her extremely flexible in team building.
Data Sources & Credits
This tool is built on data and research from the NIKKE community. Special thanks to:
- nikke.gg — Arena mechanics guides, meta analysis, and team composition strategies
- Prydwen.gg — PVP tier list, character ratings, and meta archetype analysis
- 左猫猫ZuoCatcat — PVP burst generation calculator spreadsheet with frame-accurate charge data
- NIKKE Fandom Wiki — Character release dates and game data reference
Open Source
NIKKE Arena Planner is free and open source. Report bugs, suggest features, or contribute on GitHub.