Introduction
Gear Overload is a feature in Nikke that allows you to take your Tier 9 gear further to the next level through Custom Modules. An overloaded Tier 9 Manufacturer will convert into this Tier 10 gear, which provides higher stats, unlocks higher upgrade levels, and offers up to three lines of additional built-in buffs. This is called Overloaded Gear (OL), and is the endgame equipment that will finally allow your Nikkes to reach their maximum potential by fixing their shortcomings.
Reason for Overloading Gear
Not all Nikke(s) require OL. In fact, you probably shouldn't OL everyone because it can get expensive. There are four main reasons why we overload our gear:
- OL increases the maximum enhancement level (and therefore stats) and unlocks additional built-in buffs, which both contribute to increased CP. This helps you gain an advantage in Campaign & Arena, where there might be CP discrepancy and stat penalty.
- The Nikke benefits a lot from the extra built-in buffs from OL. For instance, Modernia's DPS will skyrocket if given Max Ammo.
- The Nikke benefits from the increased stats from OL, such as those who provide caster's ATK buffs.
- The Nikke is your waifu, and you want her to perform better.
Unless one of the four reasons above is true, we suggest not OL-ing to save materials. They can get scarce very quickly. In fact, even for veterans, we often run out of them and have to make sacrifices.
Unlocking Overload
![Guide](/static/030bd3ec65f7dceaf47b7f9fb33f488e/219df/ol_1.webp)
As a prerequisite, you need to first clear Chapter 16-28 in Normal Campaign, which will unlock the current hardest difficulty Interception mode, Interception EX (also known as Special Interception, or SI, shown in the image above). This will drop T9 Manufacturer Equipment (T9M) and Custom Modules, two materials you will need to start your OL journey. In general, you should endeavor to deal as much damage as possible to the boss to obtain the highest possible reward. However, to actually procure the relevant materials, you will have to slay the boss (reach Reward Stage 9). You can ask for tips & tricks in our Discord server, and we'll be delighted to assist you.
![Guide](/static/411a502ea52cb69a41f8cb47d48d7410/1942a/ol_2.webp)
- For each successful kill, you have a 85% chance of obtaining a Bonus Reward, which can be a Custom Module, ordinary T9 equipment, or a T9M.
- Already taking the 85% into calculation, the drop rate of a Custom Module is 26.67%, while the drop rate of T9M as a whole is 26.75%.
- Additionally, with any runs, you also get Manufacturer Arms parts that can be opened once 200 to obtain a random T9M.
- Since the T9M is random, you need to be lucky to get one suitable for your Nikke, so yeah, it is a gacha.
![Guide](/static/069ff234158cd0b70e88c456e8bb5b90/15b96/ol_3.webp)
Manufacturer Arms (Yellow Circle), Custom Module (Green Circle), T9M (Blue Circle)
Overloading Your Gear
To overload your gear, you need two ingredients: a Custom Module & a compatible T9M equipment (matching company). Level this equipment to level 5, and then the option to overload will finally appear. This will convert it into a T10 gear, which you can then level up again to +5.
![Guide](/static/a5e83165c98199867e37c9eb774d45c6/8ee65/ol_4.webp)
Here is a short demonstration.
- Green Underline: The equipment should be T9.
- Red Circle: The company logo should match the company of the Nikke being overloaded. In this case, it is Missilis.
- Blue Circle: The class signifies that only Attacker Units can equip this gear.
- Yellow Circle: The gear needs to be Level 5 before you can overload it using a Custom Module.
Once all the requirements are met, you can now continue with the procedure of overloading your gear.
- Open the gear you want to overload.
- Select Equipment Modification.
- Whilst spending 1 Custom Module, press Equipment Modification to complete the process of overloading your gear.
- Up to 3 random effects will appear. These initial effects are always Tier 11, but further rerolls are not entitled to this privilege.
Don't like what you rolled? You can consult with our detailed OL rerolling guide. Do note that, while you may overload anyone you want, beware of several consequences:
- An overloaded gear cannot be removed from the Nikke by any means and for any reason. So, you can't just slap it on Modernia for campaign, and then transfer it to Scarlet for PvP.
- You lose the T9M gear. While beforehand you can still move the gear around depending on what unit is playing, now that's no longer possible.
What To Get With Overload
![Guide](/static/6d46c483beaa1e840e2e3eadb2efeef2/2fb1c/ol_5.webp)
This is where stuff gets complicated. If our reason to overload is solely for CP or stats, it is pretty straightforward. Upgrade them, get higher tier lines, and you are done. However, most Nikke(s) will perform significantly better if you obtain the correct built-in buffs (lines) for them. For example, a Charge Speed line would be useless for Scarlet, but a Max Ammo line can improve her damage by beyond 40%! Surely just yoloing with a set of random enhancements isn't exactly profitable, right?
To learn more about the interaction between Overload Lines and CP, check the How Overload Impacts CP section below.
In this guide, we will walk you step-by-step through all the buffs provided by Overload and present the strengths & weaknesses of each. If you are looking for our carefully compiled list of OL recommendations (with order of priority!) that you can use as reference for building your units to perfection, skip to:
Overload Targets & Priorities
Attack
The most basic stat that never goes wrong, ATK will undoubtedly benefit any Nikke, although it may be transparent and less preferred on some. In general, we will almost always recommend ATK as one of your targets when building DPS, but its rank in the scale of priorities may vary across units. Here is our thought process:
- If a unit's kit already possesses a high amount of ATK buff that has high uptime (like Scarlet's), a phenomenon called Dilution will dampen the efficacy of our ATK lines.
- For these units, Elemental DMG should be prioritized over ATK as they have a higher cost-return efficiency, even if they only work against a specific element. The same concept also applies in the other direction, but on average, Elemental DMG is rarely diluted.
- We like to consider both ATK & Elemental DMG as direct damage amplifications, but they do not enhance a unit's functional capabilities. Some units desire functional upgrades more than direct damage boosts.
- Hence, unless there are other lines to prioritize specifically for the Nikke in question (Charge Speed on Alice; Max Ammo for MGs; others), ATK will be placed on top of the hierarchy alongside Elemental DMG.
Elemental Damage
Another direct damage amplifier that multiplies the damage of your Nikke against the countered element by a certain percentage. It is generally superior to ATK because it establishes a higher cap and is less prone to dilution, but it is also less versatile. Here is our thought process:
- Elemental DMG is always good, 99% of the time, because nowadays ATK buffs are easily diluted.
- Elemental DMG allows your characters to "carry" you against their preferred bosses in Solo Raid and even against certain Nikke(s) in PvP.
- The damage increase is very noticeable, especially at higher levels. I mean, who can't see a 20%+ uptick in damage output?
- Higher if not the same priority as ATK when there is no drastic dilution. The only argument for prioritizing ATK is if the unit is present in a lot of content (like Alice) and is your only DPS, or if the element is seldom profitable (like in PvP because it is dominated by certain elements), but this advice is not rigid.
Max Ammunition
An indirect damage amplification and functional upgrade that boosts the uptime of a unit, which may or may not be significant. Less reloading = less downtime = less doing nothing. If they shoot more, they do more damage, right? Well, yeah, but the effect is less pronounced on some units.
- Perfect for units with long downtime(s), such as Scarlet, Modernia, Alice, etc. On the right units, they are way superior to ATK & Elemental DMG.
- Less effective on units who are not reliant on Normal Attacks for damage, such as Snow White or Maxwell, whose damage is contained within their Burst Skill. Still, some Max Ammo will still help with overall damage and Burst Generation (e.g. spamming Maxwell's Normal Attack to charge Burst).
- Thus, more shots mean less reload, which also mean higher Burst Generation potential. Particularly true with SR/RL with Manual Quick Scopes.
- Its value diminishes the more Max Ammo a unit has, but on certain units and weapon types, this point of diminishing return is never reached (as with most MGs).
- Its efficiency is also modulated by Reload Speed buffs in the team. Max Ammo improves DPS by increasing the uptime and in turn the uptime:downtime ratio, but Reload Speed does the same by minimizing the downtime. As a result, in tandem, they may reach the point of diminishing return much faster.
- Great for units who rely on "after X shots" mechanics to trigger their skills and may be necessary for some.
- Conversely, some units have mechanics antagonistic toward Max Ammo, such as "last bullet", in which case you must avoid Max Ammo at all costs and wash them away should they show up. This is especially true if they tamper with a unit too much (more apparent on SAnis, but not so much on Privaty because she is a support).
Hit Rate
An enhancement tailored for weapons with poor accuracy, such as SMGs, SGs, and ARs to some extent. The goal of Hit Rate is pretty simple: helping you land more shots/core shots on the enemy and minimize "misses". Core shots provide a massive damage multiplier, so Hit Rate must be broken, right? No. The point of observable return is unreasonably high, and you need to stack a lot of Hit Rate before it manifests. This is because Hit Rate is a separate multiplier from accuracy. AR doesn't magically transform into a laser with 50% Hit Rate. Furthermore, about half of the weapon types, including AR, work just fine without additional Hit Rate.
- Reinforces units with poor accuracy and makes them more viable against smaller or farther enemies.
- Easier core hits mean greater profit from core hit buffs.
- More pellets/shots landed mean more consistent activation of specific skills.
- Some units may have a special interaction with Hit Rate (i.e. Modernia), which contribute to their compatibility. One is enough to permanently trigger S2, but it is not mandatory.
- Supplemental and corrective in nature but almost never a core aspect. Tends to be very low in priority unless there is a particular need or the composition qualifies for Hit Rate stacking.
Charge Speed
Proportionally cuts down the time needed to charge an SR/RL to a specific percentage by X% seconds, relative to the default Charge Time. In other words, it can be thought of as increasing Fire Rate. A unit with 1.5s Charge Time and 40% Charge Speed will take 0.9s to fully charge. Its effect is more prominent the closer it is to 100%, at which point the resulting Charge Time is nearly zero.
- Only applicable to certain units; useless for others.
- The perceived Fire Rate increase slightly boosts the unit's DPS, which intensifies as the stat approaches 100%. Ideal with skillsets that already have high Charge Speed themselves.
- The increased Fire Rate also helps quicken RL timings in PvP, giving you an an edge.
- Charge Speed may also be used in PvP to regulate the chances of RL whiffing and target skipping in your or enemy's favor (double-edged sword).
- Charge Speed also interacts with most special abilities (i.e. Snow White's Burst Skill), potentially allowing them to benefit from time-limited buffs such as Liter's.
- Some units may have a special interaction with Charge Speed (i.e. Red Hood), which contribute to their compatibility.
- Some units have breakpoints that you can chase to enjoy an elevation in damage.
- Not as important as ATK & Elemental DMG, unless it is direly required for a unit to function (i.e. Alice).
Charge Damage
A direct damage amplification that only works on SR/RL by additively increasing their default Charge Damage by the value shown, without increasing the Charge Time. A unit with 250% Charge Damage getting a 5% Charge Damage OL will have a maximum Charge Damage of 255%. Hence, we can view this as increasing the attack modifier of charged weapons.
- Only applicable to certain units; useless for others.
- As it internally interacts with modifiers, it doesn't get diluted by common buffs, but it still dilutes itself. It is less effective on units with already high enough base Charge Damage, let alone special abilities with over 1000% (e.g. Snow White's Burst Skill).
- Usually never a priority because the damage gain is tiny but otherwise an acceptable bonus line. Often overshadowed by Charge Speed, which is more universal and helps a lot with Arena.
Critical Rate
A controversial buff because CRIT is underplayed in the damage formula, as it is often diluted by other major damage modifiers like Core Hit, Full Burst Bonus, and Damage Distance. However, when these other modifiers are absent, the untapped potential of CRIT awaits discovery. This is especially true with ShiftUp's recent tendency to conceal cores for over half the fight.
- Dependent on Critical Damage stat to bring impact. Not many compositions feature CRIT to a healthy level.
- Even then, it is minimal unless the other major modifiers are absent, which is almost always the case with shotguns (because their poor accuracy doesn't allow for many core hits) or special attacks that are usually aimed somewhere off core (such as Snow White's Burst Skill being used to overkill parts).
- Very low in priority because the current meta is predominantly occupied by accurate weapons. However, if SGs and SMGs are to make their comeback, CRIT will be favorable to them.
- We usually aim for Critical Rate OL when a unit's kit is saturated with Critical Damage and vice versa.
Critical Damage
Again, another sad buff that doesn't deserve our heartless treatment.
- Dependent on Critical Rate stat to bring impact.
- Similar characteristics and consequences.
- Choose this instead of its sibling if a unit already has too much Critical Rate.
Defense
Worthless because DEF is underplayed in the damage formula. Can be used to redirect attacks that target units of the highest/lowest DEF both in PvE and PvP, but there is no real usage that would warrant or justify keeping this.
- A pitfall trap whose only purpose is to annoy you and reduce your chance of obtaining good rolls.
- I guess random appearances of DEF can boost your CP?
How Overload Impacts CP
Toward the end of May 2024, ShiftUp decided to make a surprising leap forward, a decision that would balance the game in a better direction. That is allowing Overload Lines to affect CP. Previously, Overload Gear only boosts CP via base stat increase. Now, it provides extra CP in addition based on its rolls:
- The Number of Lines with Effects - The more number of effects a gear has, the more the CP gain. Two rolls are usually better than a singular roll.
- The Collective Tiers of the Effects - However, more is not always better. The sum of [tiers] (#what-to-get-with-overload) of all effects combined is what matters. Hence, if you have one singular Tier 11 Hit Rate (11.81%), it is better than having Tier 3 DEF (6.18%) + Tier 4 CRIT Rate (3.32%).
- The Number of Elemental Damage Lines - Generally speaking, all effects such as ATK, Crit Rate, Max Ammo, etc. give the same amount of CP per Tier. However, Elemental Damage is the only effect which gives more CP per Tier. Hence, the more elemental damage lines on your unit, the higher their CP! In other words, Tier 11 Elemental Damage will give more CP than a Tier 11 ATK.
If you want to calculate what CP your Nikke would have if they had specific Overload Lines, favorite items, cubes or gear, you can utilize this CP Calculator, made by one of the most trusted theorycrafters in our Discord community server (Lorax2233). To access:
Nikke Combat Power CalculatorMore guides
Check our other guides in the Overload Gear Series!