A2: A Comprehensive Guide to Building the Nier Collab Unit

A2, from the Nier collaboration event in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, might not have garnered as much attention as other top-tier units, but her utility in combat is undeniably potent.

This guide dives into A2's abilities, offering insights on how to leverage her unique skill set effectively.

With a focus on maximizing her potential, we'll explore skill prioritization, gear recommendations, and ideal team compositions.

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Comprehensive A2 Guide: Best Builds and Team Compositions

Discovering A2's Kit

Normal Attack: A Hybrid Approach

Uses a charge mechanic, similar to traditional rocket launchers, but visualized through sword-based shockwaves.

Delivers 67.65% ATK as damage on a normal hit, with a substantial 250% damage boost on a full charge.

This is further amplified against core targets, dealing 200% damage, making A2 particularly effective against bosses and enemies with vulnerable cores.

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Skill 1: Output Increased

Triggered by using A2's Burst Skill, enhancing her next actions significantly.

Increases her charge damage by a staggering 110.44% and doubles the explosion radius for 15 seconds.

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Skill 2: Slow Charge Attack

Offers additional damage upon hitting a target with a full charge and boosts damage to parts for a short duration.

With a 40.88% increase in damage to parts, A2 excels in dismantling bosses with multiple destructible components, making her a specialist in boss encounters.

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Burst: Mode B

Engages Mode B, enhancing A2's ATK and Charge Speed at the cost of her health, which decreases by 3.99% every second.

Mode B remains active until A2's HP falls below 40%, needing health monitoring and timely healing support to sustain its benefits.

Balancing attack phases with health management is crucial.

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Skill Leveling Priority

Burst Skill (Mode B)

Mode B is the cornerstone of A2's kit, offering significant ATK and Charge Speed boosts at the expense of HP.

The enhancements from this skill directly influence A2's damage output. Increasing the level of Mode B not only enhances the ATK and Charge Speed bonuses but also reduces the HP drain per second.

This makes it easier to keep Mode B active longer, especially with adequate healing support.

Given its substantial impact on A2's performance, prioritizing Mode B for upgrades will ensure A2 reaches her maximum combat potential sooner.

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Skill 1 (Output Increased)

Once Mode B is activated, Skill 1 further amplifies A2's charge damage and expands the explosion radius.

This synergy is crucial for clearing groups of enemies and maximizing damage during burst periods.

While important for boosting A2's burst phases, the overall utility of Skill 1 falls slightly behind the direct enhancements provided by Mode B, placing it at a medium priority for leveling.

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Skill 2 (Slow Charge Attack)

This skill boosts A2's damage against enemy parts, which is vital for boss fights with multiple destructible components.

Increasing the level of Skill 2 enhances the additional damage and the damage to parts bonus, solidifying A2's role as a boss demolisher.

While crucial for specific scenarios, the situational nature of Skill 2's benefits places it on par with Skill 1 in terms of leveling priority.

The choice between prioritizing Skill 1 or Skill 2 for upgrades may depend on your specific needs or the challenges you face most often in the game.

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Optimal Harmony Cubes

Resilience Cube

Enhances reload speed, which is critical for A2 to maintain a steady output of charged attacks.

Faster reloading directly complements her playstyle, ensuring she can continuously fire and take advantage of her skill set.

The quicker A2 can reload, the less downtime she has between attacks, allowing for more frequent activation of her skills and maintaining pressure on enemies.

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Bastion Cube

Provides extra rounds every 10 shots, effectively extending the duration A2 can stay in combat before needing to reload.

This is particularly beneficial when Mode B is active, as it allows her to maximize her damage output during its duration.

With Mode B active, A2’s HP decreases over time. Maximizing her offensive output during this period is crucial, and having additional ammo aligns perfectly with this goal.

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Adjutant Cube

Increases charge speed, which is a key factor for A2 given her reliance on charged attacks for maximum effectiveness.

This cube makes her charged attacks ready faster, enhancing her burst damage potential.

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Gearing A2 for Battle

Overload Gear Focus

Attack Boost

A2's damage output significantly benefits from increased attack power, especially during Mode B, where her attack and charge speed are amplified.

Boosting her attack enhances her effectiveness in dealing damage to enemies and bosses alike.

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Max Ammo Capacity

Given A2's reliance on charged attacks, increasing her max ammo capacity allows for longer engagements without the need to reload frequently.

This is particularly useful in sustaining her attack rhythm and taking full advantage of Mode B's utility.

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Charge Speed

A faster charge speed complements A2's combat style by enabling quicker preparation of charged attacks.

This ensures that she can consistently apply pressure on her targets and effectively use her Skill 2 for increased damage to parts.

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Elemental Damage Bonus

While not universally applicable, enhancing A2's elemental damage can be a strategic choice when facing enemies weak to her element.

This can significantly boost her damage output in specific scenarios or raid content.

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Avoidance in Gear Selection

Charge Damage‍

While it might seem beneficial, A2's kit already includes significant charge damage enhancements, making additional boosts less impactful compared to direct attack increases or ammo capacity enhancements.

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Defense and Hit Rate‍

Given A2's offensive role, prioritizing defense or hit rate in gear choices offers minimal benefit.

Her primary focus should be on maximizing damage and maintaining combat efficacy through other gear stats.

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Crafting the Ideal Team

Healing Support is Crucial

Blanc and Noir‍

The bunny comp is highly recommended for A2 as it provides continuous healing, making it easier to maintain Mode B.

Blanc, as a prime healer, alongside Noir for additional support, creates a robust healing environment for A2.

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Alternative Healers‍

For players without Blanc, other healers like Rapunzel, Noise, and Summer Mary offer viable alternatives.

These units can provide enough healing for A2.

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Cooldown Reduction and Support

Liter‍

Including Liter in the team offers cooldown reduction, enabling A2 to use her burst skill more frequently.

This not only enhances her damage output but also ensures the continuous application of her buffs.

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Flex Units‍

Integrating a flex unit that complements A2's playstyle can significantly boost her effectiveness.

‍Alice or Maxwell can be paired with A2 to increase her charge damage or speed.

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Manual Play Strategy

For those lacking specific meta units or preferring a hands-on approach, a team setup involving Pepper/Dolla with Privaty can work well.

This requires manual control to maximize Pepper's healing potential, directly supporting A2's HP management.

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Addressing A2's Vulnerabilities

Taunt Units: Incorporating a tank like Noise can protect A2 from being the primary target of boss attacks, crucial for maintaining her above the 40% HP threshold for Mode B.

Building A2 for Charge Speed: Instead of maximizing attack, focusing on charge speed through gear and support can prevent A2 from being the highest attack target, reducing the risk of her being focused by bosses.

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Maximizing A2's Combat Efficiency

Sustain Mode B with Strategic Healing

Pair A2 with a strong healer such as Blanc, Rapunzel, or Noise to counteract the HP drain from Mode B.

Continuous healing ensures A2 can stay in Mode B longer, amplifying her damage output.

In teams without automatic healing (e.g., using Pepper/Dolla and Privaty), manual control over the healer can optimize healing timing, ensuring A2 remains above the 40% HP threshold to maintain Mode B.

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Use Cooldown Reduction Units

Having characters like Liter in your team can reduce A2's burst skill cooldown, allowing more frequent use of Mode B and Skill 1 benefits.

This significantly enhances A2's damage potential and sustainability in long fights.

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Build Around A2's Strengths

Besides healers and cooldown reducers, include units that complement A2’s playstyle.

Characters that can boost attack, like Alice or Maxwell, synergize well with A2, enhancing her charge speed and damage further.

Including a tank such as Noise can divert attention away from A2, allowing her to safely deal damage without the risk of being targeted due to high attack power.

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Final Thoughts

While she excels in her specific niche, particularly against bosses with multiple parts, her dependence on meta units for optimal performance is notable.

Despite these constraints, A2's unique combat style and the strategic depth she brings to the team earn her a solid rating.

If you're looking for a versatile and potent DPS unit from the Nier collaboration, A2 is undoubtedly a worthy addition to any roster.