NIKKE Beginner Basics: Elements, Classes & Manufacturers Explained
5 elements, 3 classes, 5 manufacturers — the basics before you build a squad
NIKKE splits characters into 5 elements: Fire, Water, Electric, Wind, and Iron. As with many gacha shooters, matching the right element against an enemy's element boosts your damage, while the wrong one reduces it — which is why many bosses and modes suggest bringing a specific element.
Honesty note: the exact matchup order between each pair of elements (which element beats which) wasn't fully verified through sources during this data collection pass, so this article won't list specifics to avoid stating something inaccurate — in any actual battle, the game always shows the matchup icon directly on the team-select screen, and that in-game indicator is the most reliable source.
Every Nikke belongs to exactly one of 3 classes, which determines both her combat role and which gear she can equip:
- Attacker — highest ATK, lowest HP/DEF. The main damage-dealer role.
- Supporter — balanced stats (HP/ATK/DEF). Usually brings buffs, healing, or debuffs, and often carries Burst Skill I.
- Defender — highest HP/DEF, lowest ATK. The tank/frontline role.
Class also determines gear type: Attacker gear only fits Attacker Nikkes, and the same goes for Supporter and Defender — no cross-class equipping.
Every Nikke belongs to one manufacturer: Elysion, Tetra, Missilis, Pilgrim, or Abnormal. Manufacturer affects two main things:
- Gear bonus: from Tier 4 up, equipping gear that matches a Nikke's manufacturer grants an extra +30% stat bonus.
- Mode restrictions: some content, like Tribe Tower, restricts squads by faction/manufacturer — an easy point of confusion for beginners if it's not flagged early.
Beyond element/class/manufacturer, every Nikke also has a fixed weapon type (Assault Rifle, Submachine Gun, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Machine Gun) and a fixed Burst Stage (I, II, or III). Weapon type determines how fast she fills the Burst Gauge, and Burst Stage determines which phase of Full Burst she can act in — see the Burst System article for details.