NieR Collab



Debuting in the Untold Naraka patch about one year into the game's lifespan (estimated GL release June 2022), the NieR: Automata characters make up a potent Physical team. Due to their nature as collab characters, 2B, 9S, and A2 — as well as their weapons — are available for a limited time only. They can only be obtained during Untold Naraka or during their single re-run in one of the patches following that.


 * -|NieR Event=

This section features miscellaneous elements of the NieR event specifically.

What differences are there between the initial run and the re-run?
The re-run features every single thing the original run of the event features, with a few exceptions: you cannot farm A2 Shards in the event shop or acquire 9S for free from a login bonus.
 * In Untold Naraka, 2B will be added about halfway through the event, but in the re-run, she will be added to the gacha pool immediately
 * The pity carries over between Untold Naraka and the re-run
 * The story will need to be replayed during the re-run and timegates will still be present
 * In the event shop, A2's Shards and coating will be replaced with Item-BasicConstructRnDTicket.png Basic Construct R&D Tickets
 * In the re-run, all characters must be acquired via gacha and all coatings must be bought with Item-RainbowCard.png

Will Global get the NieR re-run?

 * The CN version got the NieR re-run during Evernight Beat
 * The TW version got the NieR re-run earlier during Inscription of Labyrinth due to controversy

More than likely, Global will get the re-run several months after Untold Naraka. We should have a more concrete idea of when the re-run will occur when the JP version gets theirs. See Patches for a list of estimated patch release dates.

Regardless of when the re-run falls, it will occur right before a major character drops: either Vera: Flare or Liv: Solaeter. Knowing these characters will be on the horizon at that point may effect your pull plans.

How does the free Shard system work? Does it return in the re-run?
Untold Naraka:
 * When you evolve a NieR character to SS-Rank, you receive a bonus of 30 Shards for that character
 * When evolving a NieR character to SSS-Rank, you receive a bonus of 60 Shards for that character

NieR Re-run:
 * Pulling a single NieR character from gacha rewards you with 30 additional bonus Shards
 * This works up to three times for each NieR character

What kind of Tickets are used to pull NieR characters via gacha?
The NieR characters require special NieR Tickets; this means that Event Construct R&D Tickets will NOT work on NieR banners, but BC can still be converted into these special NieR Tickets.

What kind of Tickets are used to pull NieR weapons via gacha?
The NieR weapons require special NieR Tickets; this means that Target Weapon R&D Tickets will NOT work on NieR banners, but BC can still be converted into these special NieR Tickets.


 * Like all other 6★ weapons, the targeted NieR weapon has an 80% chance of being the weapon you pity
 * The other two possible 6★ weapons on each NieR weapon banner belongs to the other two NieR characters, however

Why does it cost less Item-BlackCard.png to pull for NieR characters than other characters?
Although each NieR character still has a pity of 60 pulls and technically costs the usual 15,000 BC when converting them directly, each 10-pull done on a NieR banner will award you with a bonus of 750 special NieR Tickets. If you have to go to pity for a character, this will mean you save 4,500 BC/NieR Tickets and technically only spend 10,500 BC/NieR Tickets.

This also occurs during the re-run, and the pity count carries over from Untold Naraka as well.

Note: This bonus does NOT apply to NieR weapons.

What will happen with leftover NieR Tickets after the event?
Don't worry, they will be converted to regular tickets when the event ends.


 * The NieR tickets used for characters will be converted into Item-EventConstructRnDTicket.png Event Construct R&D Tickets
 * The NieR tickets used for weapons will be converted into Item-TargetWeaponRnDTicket.png Target Weapon R&D Tickets

How do I obtain each character's weapon?

 * 5★ NieR weapons are automatically obtained once you acquire the relevant character
 * 6★ NieR weapons are obtained via gacha, but only during Untold Naraka and the re-run patch

What special packs are available to purchase for Item-RainbowCard.png in the Shop?
It's impossible to give a definitive answer as different versions of the game may have different packs. That said, there will more than likely be options to purchase Shards for each character in the Shop.


 * -|F2P Concerns=

Are 2B, 9S, and A2 free?
Untold Naraka:
 * 9S is free from an event login reward
 * A2 is free, but must be farmed and claimed before the event shop closes
 * 2B can only be acquired through gacha, but isn't available until the second half of the event

Re-run:
 * All characters must be obtained via gacha

Worth noting is that the currency used to get the free A2 copy is also used for materials and her own coating, which returns later on in the re-run, but costs RC.

I'm F2P — Is the NieR Team worth it at S-Rank?
For players who begin PGR close to the start of the NieR event:
 * Assuming you are able to acquire 9S and A2 from the event, then after pulling 2B, you will find yourself with a decent squad for the price of only up to Item-BlackCard.png,500 BC
 * They will all come with their 5★ weapons upon acquisition
 * It may be a fun beginner team, but they will fall off quickly compared to other characters

For veteran players:
 * F2P Nier team (all S-Rank with 5★ weapons) is an underwhelming composition in general
 * They are worse than the other Physical team consisting of Lee: Entropy/Lucia: Crimson Abyss and Rosetta: Rigor if you already have them built
 * It is good to get 2B for collection purposes
 * If you are a day 1 F2P player, you may be comfortable grabbing A2's 6★ weapon
 * If you're both F2P and invested in the meta, you may want to look forward at this point and not over-invest in the NieR team

In PGR, the more teams you have for Babel Tower and other content, the better, so the NieR team has that going for them regardless of rank. That said, there are some events in the far future that the NieR team is not allowed to participate in, so keep that in mind.

Since I'm F2P, should I skip any characters to obtain 2B?
2B costs 45 rolls at maximum (10,500 BC) to obtain, and getting the required BC will be simple in Untold Naraka as it falls around the anniversary of the game. There should be no need to skip any characters.

Can I skip 2B and just use A2 and 9S, since those two are free?
See above; 2B should be easily obtainable.

Without 2B, both A2 and 9S are significantly weaker as their passive buffs will be halved [MENTION SPECIFICS]. The NieR team functions much better as a full set. That said, you may need to split them in some scenarios, such as Babel Tower, to take advantage of A2's capabilities as a solo character; you may even mix her with characters like Rosetta: Rigor. Most of the time, however, they function as a team.

Can you spend Item-PhantomPainScar.png Phantom Pain Scars on Shards for NieR characters?
No. You are free to save your Phantom Pain Cage currency for other characters.


 * -|Spender Tips=

What is the bare minimum requirement to make the NieR team powerful?
The most important character to invest in is A2. Despite being a Tank, A2 is the main damage dealer of the NieR Team.

The priority for strengthening the NieR team therefore is as follows:
 * A2's 6★ weapon > A2 at SS-Rank > A2 at SSS-Rank
 * 9S at SS-Rank is more valuable than 2B at SS-Rank
 * 9S's weapon is not that valuable
 * 2B's valuable evolutions are SSS-Rank and SSS+ Rank; until then, she is just a normal character and not the mighty Signature Move user that people enjoy using
 * None of these are necessary for a better result on NieR scenarios [WHAT'S A NIER SCENARIO EXACTLY? A STAGE OR ANYWHERE THEY'D BE USED?]

This will make A2 herself quite powerful, which is decent on a tight budget:
 * SSS-Rank A2 with her 6★ weapon, Weapon-Type4OLanceKai-Icon.png-4O Lance Kai
 * S-Rank 2B
 * S-Rank 9S

In general, you always want A2 on the field, switching in the other two only to use their Signature Moves.

What is the cheapest way get A2 to SSS-Rank?
FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT PRICES AND/OR BUNDLES MAY CHANGE COMPLETELY FOR THE GLOBAL VERSION.

In Untold Naraka, there are some bundles in the Shop that go a long way to mitigating the cost of getting A2 to SSS-Rank.

Untold Naraka Sources of Shards:
 * Item-RainbowCard.png 328 RC Bundle: 30 A2 Shards
 * Item-RainbowCard.png 30 RC Bundle: 10 A2 Shards
 * Event Shop (Free): 50 A2 Shards
 * As a part of the event, when you evolve a NieR character to SS-Rank, you receive 30 Shards for the evolved character as a bonus

With that in mind, follow these steps to get SSS-Rank A2:


 * Spend up to Item-BlackCard.png,500 BC acquiring a copy of A2 from gacha (for every 10-pull you do on a NieR banner, you receive 750 NieR-specific event Tickets)
 * IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PULL HER FROM GACHA FIRST; OTHERWISE SHE TAKES 50 SHARDS TO UNLOCK AND IT WILL COST YOU EXTRA
 * Spend 358 RC on the two A2 Shard bundles in the cash shop
 * Earn the 50 A2 Shards from the Untold Naraka event shop
 * Evolve A2 to SS-Rank, which will reward you with an additional 30 Shards
 * You should now have the required amount of Shards to evolve A2 to SSS-Rank

As a reminder, here are the RC prices in the Global version:



What is the cheapest way to SSS+ the NieR team?
Although it's still expensive to get the NieR team to SSS+ Rank, it is significantly cheaper than maxing out other characters due to the bundles that appear in the shop and other bonuses. The cheapest way to SSS+ Rank all three characters is to take advantage of both Untold Naraka and the re-run patch.

A2:
 * Use the SSS-Rank A2 method from the above question during Untold Naraka; you should have 60 Shards leftover and will need only 120 more Shards to get A2 to SSS+ Rank
 * During the re-run, acquire two copies of A2 via gacha to get 60 Shards, and receive an additional 60 Shards as a bonus

2B and 9S:
 * During Untold Naraka, get both of them to SSS-Rank via gacha
 * With 60 Shards leftover for both, acquire two copies of 2B and 9S via gacha to get 60 Shards, and receive an additional 60 Shards as a bonus for each

The monetary cost of SSS+: 2B: 328 RC and 52,500 BC (SSS from original run using 328 rc pack, and 31,500 bc, so 2 pity rolls during rerun using 42,000 bc)
 * A2: 358 RC and 31,500 BC (SSS from original run using 358 rc packs and 10,500 bc and the free 50 event shop shards, so 2 pity pulls during rerun using 21,000 bc)
 * 9S: 328 RC and 42,000 BC (SSS from original run by login reward, 328 rc pack, and 21,000 bc, so 2 pity rolls during rerun using 21,000 bc)

Please keep in mind that the SSS+ NieR team is not necessary for most players and is only something you should consider if you love NieR: Automata dearly or are a completionist.


 * -|Meta Analysis=

You may feel tempted by the relative cheapness of maxing out the NieR team, yet simultaneously concerned about how they'll perform in the future. Are they worth it? This is ultimately a question you must answer yourself, based on your feelings about the characters, how long they will remain extremely powerful, and how much you enjoy playing them. That said, this section aims to bring you analyses from the CN perspective so that you can make your own informed decision.

What is the NieR team's main role in the meta?
On release, SSS-Rank NieR team can basically do every single War Zone stage regardless of element as well as a majority of EX Phantom Pain Cage fights. These won't give you peak scores, but it should be good enough to retain Hero in War Zone and 1% ranking in Phantom Pain Cage, which will secure you optimal rewards.

War Zone:
 * The NieR team has a strong performance in Physical War Zone
 * It is even strong in off-element War Zone to begin with, but future changes make it fall off
 * This is why, due to the weakness of the Fire team, it's common to hear about the NieR team being used in the Fire stages of War Zone in particular
 * SSS-Rank A2 with her Signature Weapon is enough for Fire War Zone before the Fire team's revival (the debut of Liv: Solaeter in The Survival Lucem)

Babel Tower:
 * The NieR team is always strong here
 * A2 has extremely good survivability
 * The NieR team is not necessary here, however, as any veteran player can max Babel Tower even without the NieR Team

Phantom Pain Cage: Ultimate Zone
 * Phantom Pain Cage Ultimate bosses are divided into "Gen 1" and "Gen 2" bosses
 * The NieR team does amazingly well against Gen 1 bosses but horrible against Gen 2 (stat-related reasons)

Norman War:
 * An important (future) game mode that is made much easier in Physical stages with the NieR team
 * Comparatively, a Physical team with SS-Rank Lucia: Crimson Abyss and SS-Rank Rosetta: Rigor feels a lot more painful

How much longevity does the NieR team have before they start to become sub-optimal?
The short answer is that the NieR team absolutely dominates content for about six months after release, and after that they remain strong in certain pieces of content. Read on for more details.

The Survival Lucem and the Addition of Liv: Solaeter


 * About six months after Untold Naraka, Liv: Solaeter releases
 * Notably, Liv: Solaeter makes the Fire team good, which removes the need to bring NieR to Fire War Zone

Recitative de Fantasia's Rework of War Zone


 * During the patch Recitative de Fantasia, there is a huge, stat-related War Zone rework; this makes the NieR team absolutely terrible in off-element War Zone stages
 * This rework also hurts the standard Physical team (featuring Lee: Entropy and Rosetta: Rigor)
 * Physical becomes the worst team in War Zone at this point and the easiest zone to go off-element on
 * As of Her Last Bow in CN, equal investment Fire team scores similar (and even higher) compared to equal investment NieR team [IS THIS IN PHYSICAL WZ??]

The above reasons are precisely why the NieR re-run falls at an unfortunate time; it will more than likely be just before The Survival Lucem, the patch where Liv: Solaeter debuts, and immediately after that patch, the War Zone rework patch occurs.

Even after they fall off in use, is the NieR team still useable/good?

 * The NieR team remains a strong pick in Physical War Zone, Babel Tower, and Norman War even after the arrival of future characters and various reworks
 * This team remains great for casual players because A2 is so powerful and difficult to kill

Is the NieR team restricted from use in certain content?
[YES. I KNOW THEY CAN'T BE USED IN S-RANK GUILD, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE??]

How does the NieR team compare with the other Physical team?
[HOW NIER TEAM COMPETES WITH PHYSICAL IN ITS PRIME, VS HOW IT COMPETES WITH PHYSICAL AFTER SOLAETER/CAPRICCIO PATCHES]

At what Rank does the NieR team become better in Fire War Zone than the Fire team?
SSS-Rank A2 with her 6★ Weapon is enough for Fire War Zone before the Fire team's revival (the debut of Liv: Solaeter in The Survival Lucem). 2B and 9S can remain at S-Rank with 5★ weapons.


 * -|Coatings=

How do I get each NieR character's coatings?
Untold Naraka:
 * 2B's Revealing Outfit: Item-RainbowCard.png RC
 * A2's Destroyer Outfit: 3000 currency in the event shop (free)
 * 9S's Young Man Outfit: 14-Day login reward (free)

Re-run:
 * 2B's Revealing Outfit: Item-RainbowCard.png RC
 * A2's Destroyer Outfit: Item-RainbowCard.png RC
 * 9S's Young Man Outfit: Item-RainbowCard.png RC

If you miss the free coatings the first time around, your only option will be to pay for them during the re-run.

2B was censored in the CN version — will she be censored in Global?
While 2B's underwear was changed to be less risqué in CN, it was not censored in the JP version. Global has historically followed suit with the JP version's coatings, so there is no reason to believe that 2B's default outfit will be censored in Global.

However, even in the JP version, 2B's alternate coating, Revealing Outfit, is different when compared with its appearance in NieR: Automata; cutouts around the bust section and underwear are filled in with material, while other parts of the outfit are torn away and damaged. Please expect that to remain altered in Global.

2B's appearance in PGR JP