How to Win Your NIKKE UNION ARENA Release Event
NIKKE UNION ARENA release events are upon us, but how are you going to win?
Below, I’ll be sharing some tips and tricks that helped me win my very first NIKKE Release Event Rapunzel Winner card after a full three rounds!
UNION ARENA NIKKE Release event basic tips
Before getting into more specific details about the cards that really helped me secure the win (and the gorgeous Rapunzel Winner card), there are a few basics that apply to the NIKKE Release Event format the same as they do to just about every other UNION ARENA tournament.
Decks are built from five packs. You must play every card in those packs.
The name of the game is all about building up a stronger front line of BP than your opponent: think of it as a really boiled down version of the regular game where the higher the BP, the better chance you win.
Getting a solid number of 4000 BP characters, Specials, and Finals will go a long way in helping you win. While this is luck based, it’s helpful to count how many of each of these vital cards you have in your deck.
Because of how based around affinities the NIKKE set is generally, it’s helpful to note how many powerful cards of a given affinity you have in your deck. This will help you make decisions about when to use certain card search effects or not.
Is the NIKKE UNION ARENA Release Event fun?
Although the standard rules apply, the NIKKE Release Event was admittedly one of the best formats I’ve been to yet for a release event. Given the many colorful NIKKE decks available in this set, I figured even with a bunch of random cards the kookiness and creative combos that make up NIKKE would be also make for a golden Release Event format. I wasn’t disappointed.
Although the flow of the battle was largely the same as it always is in prereleases (complete with a slow build up to a strong front line and then a slow grind against your opponent until they have no blockers left), along the way there were plenty of twists and turns worthy of the fun of UNION ARENA.
Many cards have surprising synergies in this set, largely thanks to how affinity-based so many of the strategies are. Finding just one or two synergies between cards is certainly possible in the NIKKE Release Event Five Pack Battle, and adds a layer of fun that’s often missing from other release events.
Cards to help you get the NIKKE Release Event Winner card
Now for the fun part: what cards are particularly good in the NIKKE Release Event format?
Below, let’s look at the key cards and synergies that helped me top the event.
Snow White
While there were several helpful cards to my strategy, Snow White was a lucky pull from one of my five packs that helped the most. While for one of the games I played her she did little more than act as a 4000 BP attacker with draw. Although in prerelease format, that’s often all you need.
It was during the final round to decide who would get the Winner Card that Snow White helped me the most. I used her to shut off a very powerful combo that my opponent had leveraged during at least one other round I saw him play in – one that centered around leveraging the three-cost Dorothy and her powerful effect that lets her boost to 4000 BP while adding a vital 500 BP to another character on the field.
Using this insane combo, he was able to get two 4000 BP characters out very easily.
However, Snow White has the handy ability of being able to shut off base effects on opposing characters. While I flubbed a bit and didn’t use it the first turn that I could while Dorothy was on the energy line still (something which cost me a blocker and two hits on life), my opponent never got the combo off again thanks to Snow White, as each and every turn I discarded two cards to shut the Dorothy down.
Because Snow White’s “When Attacking” also lets you draw a card when at two cards or less, it’s relatively easy to keep your hand full meaning you can use her Activate:Main turn after turn.
Having less cards in hand also means being able to leverage another solid card, and luckily this was one of only two special trigger cards I got in my five packs: Render Heaven and Earth Asunder.
This special is one of the best cards you can get in a Five Pack Battle format as you’ll often be low on cards in hand anyways. If you also happen to have the Snow White, it becomes even more effective as you’ll be able to drop the cards down in your hand easily via her effect.
If you find yourself in a standoff the way I did where you are forced to rid your hand of cards each turn using Snow White’s effect, if you happen to have the handy Pilgrims event, use this to replenish your hand after using your Snow White’s “When Attacking” draw effect.
Neon and the Counters
Another really broken card in this format is the 4000 BP Neon character. She won’t need a Raid to be at her strongest which is hugely helpful, and she easily boosts to a 4000 BP character with damage 2. I did find myself holding onto events more often when I had her on the field, however, so keep that in mind. If you want to keep using her Damage 2 and “When Attacking” effect, you’ll need to be playing events. This also can help if you happen to have her other, smaller characters who also gain BP and effects when you’ve played events during your turn.
Also, keep in mind that this powerful character is a Counters affinity and that there is a very powerful card search Event in the NIKKE format that lets you search out Counters. This card seemed to be present in many decks at my event, making me think it’s probably a pretty common card that could find its way into your release event, too!
“The Arena” site is broken in the Five Pack Battle
It’s always really fun when certain cards stand out as really strong in release event formats even if they’re not something you’d be likely to run in your optimized build. The Arena is such a card. Coming in active the turn you play it, having it on your field essentially ensures you will draw a card almost every turn as it lets you draw whenever your character attacks and wins a battle.
Trades in battle happen much more frequently in the Five Pack Battle format, making this card worth its weight in gold.
Yuni is a powerful closer
The final combo I want to touch on is the powerful Yuni character. This character won me one of my games and was intrumental in the final round as well. Although of considerably less value in typical UNION ARENA, in the Five Pack Battle Release Event format, this resting effect is insanely strong. Use her to keep your opponent from getting a free block via a low BP chump blocker, or open up the gap in your opponent’s defenses that you need to secure the victory.
Also, don’t forget she can be searched out via two-cost Crow.
After the two-cost Yuni closed out my second round for me, I knew she could be a very effective tool to get through my opponent’s defenses. So I prioritized playing Crow to my field to search and then the following turn to search again using her “Activate:Main.” Again, you really should pay attention to the affinities of your cards in the NIKKE Release Event as you might have more synergies in your random Five Pack Battle deck than you think!
Release Event tournament battles are usually so random that you’re lucky if you’re able to get one cool combo off that helps you win. The Nikke tournament presented interesting combos between seemingly disparate cards each game. And not just one combo but often several!
If you’re looking for a variety-filled and fast-paced UNION ARENA Release Event tournament to attend, you can’t really go wrong with NIKKE. Use the above tips and tricks and you should be well on your way to winning your own Rapunzel Release Event Winner Promo!
