Event Schedule and Banner Mechanics
Fatal Maid starts January 29, 2026 15:00 UTC+9, ends February 11, 2026 23:59 UTC+9. Velvet's Special Recruit banner runs through the same period.
Special Recruit features 4% SSR rate (2% featured unit, 50% chance per SSR). Gold Mileage guarantees featured SSR at 200 Tickets—each pull earns 1 Ticket that carries over indefinitely. Full pity: 200 pulls = 36,000 gems.
For securing Velvet or reaching pity, NIKKE gems top up through BitTopup offers competitive pricing with instant delivery.
Event bonuses: Velvet +60%, Cocoa/Ade/Soda +40%, Privaty: Unkind Maid +30%, Trony/Mica/Belorta/Mihara +20%. Each bonus unit grants +50 event currency.
Mission Pass Season 40 refreshes February 1, 2026 UTC+9 with premium Sensual Rabbit costume for Velvet. Coordinated Operation Ziz runs January 30-February 1, 2026.
Velvet Skills Breakdown
SSR Wind Burst II supporter from Tetra Line. Sniper rifle user specializing in ammo management and charge damage amplification.
Normal Attack: 69.04% ATK damage, 1.2s charge time. Full charge: 250% damage (500% on cores). Reload: 2s.
Sticky Fingers (Passive): Activates at battle start and Burst Stage 2. Removes 5% enemy bullets, fills ammo pouch to 6,000 rounds max. Expends 100 rounds for ATK +30.5% and Attack Damage +30.5% for 3s (Level 10). Max 60 buff triggers per pouch.
Bullets of Love (Passive): Expends 300 rounds for caster ATK +25.2% and allies Charge Damage +100.8% for 3s (Level 10). Activates after 50 normal attacks or during Full Burst, additionally expending 300 rounds for Attack Damage +15.03% (5s) plus 400.92% final ATK additional damage.
Perfect Execution (Active): 20s cooldown. Deals 7% final ATK damage over 10s, grants Attack Damage +34.52% for 10s (Level 10).
Team Fit: 8 Critical Questions
Q1: Do you use charge-based DPS? Velvet's +100.8% Charge Damage only benefits snipers/rocket launchers. Zero value for assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns.
Q2: What Burst II units do you field? Velvet competes for Burst II slot. Redundancy risk if you have optimal coverage.
Q3: How developed is your sniper/rocket roster? Immediate value if you've invested in charge-based weapons. Otherwise, you're building from scratch.
Q4: Can you support another specialist? Velvet requires specific teams. New players may find her too restrictive.
Q5: What's your campaign progression? Campaign favors versatile units. Velvet's specialist nature limits general progression value.
Q6: Do you compete in boss content? Union Raid and bosses are Velvet's primary use cases. Casual players see limited ROI.
Q7: What's your cube/gear inventory? Velvet needs ATK cubes and hit rate optimization. Shallow resources = prioritize lower-investment units.
Q8: Are you saving for future banners? Weigh Velvet's immediate value against power-creep and limited collabs.
Optimal Team Compositions
Premium Boss Team
- Velvet (Burst II): +100.8% Charge Damage, ammo-based ATK buffs
- Modernia (Burst III): Charge DPS benefiting from buffs
- Liter (Burst I): CDR and ATK buffs
- Blanc (Burst I): Defense and damage amplification
- Alice (Burst III): Secondary DPS or flex slot
F2P Alternative
- Velvet (Burst II): Core buffer
- Privaty: Unkind Maid (Burst I): Event bonus +30%
- Ade (Burst III): Event bonus +40% DPS
- Cocoa (Burst I): Event bonus +40% support
- Soda (Burst I): Event bonus +40% healer
Sniper Synergy
- Velvet (Burst II): Charge damage amp
- Blanc (Burst I): Defense and buffs
- Liter (Burst I): CDR and ATK
- Alice (Burst III): Sniper DPS
- Flex slot: Content-specific
Rocket Launcher Boss
- Velvet (Burst II): +100.8% Charge Damage
- Liter (Burst I): CDR and ATK
- Blanc (Burst I): Defense
- Rocket DPS (Burst III): Primary damage
- Flex support: Content-specific
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Synergy Partners Analysis
Modernia (Burst III): Charge-based DPS directly benefits from +100.8% Charge Damage. Excellent Union Raid pairing.
Alice (Burst III): Sniper mechanics align perfectly. Requires investment but provides burst and sustained damage.
Liter (Burst I): CDR accelerates Velvet's Burst rotation. ATK scaling compounds with Velvet's buffs.
Blanc (Burst I): Defensive utility extends Velvet's survival. Damage amp stacks with Velvet's buffs.
Rocket Launcher Users: Any rocket DPS gains substantial value from charge damage amp. Weapon type's charge mechanics create efficient pairings.
200 Gold Mileage: Decision Framework
5 Green Light Scenarios
- 200+ mileage, no charge DPS: Velvet opens previously unavailable team options
- Active Union Raid competitor: Specialist units directly improve boss scores
- Core meta secured (Liter, Blanc, primary DPS): Horizontal expansion justified
- Invested sniper/rocket teams awaiting support: Immediate returns on existing investments
- Approaching 400 mileage: Surplus resources allow conversion while maintaining reserves
4 Red Flags
- Missing core supports (Liter, Blanc): Universal supports provide broader value
- Saving for confirmed Pilgrim banners: Pilgrims often yield superior long-term value
- No charge-based DPS: Creates chicken-and-egg problem requiring additional pulls
- New player under 3 months: Versatile units accelerate campaign progression better
Velvet vs Meta Alternatives
vs Crown: Crown offers broader application as Pilgrim Burst III DPS. Prioritize Crown if lacking reliable Burst III, Velvet if needing amplification.
vs Modernia: Modernia's versatility across campaign, boss, PvP outweighs Velvet's specialist support. Velvet supports Modernia rather than competing.
vs Alice: Alice provides sniper DPS, making her synergy partner not alternative. Evaluate which role your roster lacks—DPS or support.
vs Liter/Blanc: Universal supports provide value across all teams. Lower priority than foundational units.
Pull Strategy and Gem Budget
Guaranteed Pull Calculator
200 pulls = 36,000 gems. 4% SSR rate with 2% featured = 50% chance per SSR. Budget for full pity, not average rates.
Budget Tier Strategies
F2P: 15,000-20,000 gems monthly. 200 mileage requires 3-4 months saving. Prioritize universal supports over specialists unless Velvet addresses critical gap.
Low Spenders: ~40% faster accumulation than F2P. Can afford specialists after securing core units.
Whales: Minor investment. Still evaluate opportunity cost against upcoming banners.
Investment Priority
Skill Upgrade Order
Burst skill first for charge damage scaling. 4/7/7 baseline provides functional performance. 10/10/10 for competitive optimization.
Cube Allocation
- ATK cubes: Direct scaling for buffs and damage
- Hit Rate cubes: Consistent normal attack chains
- Ammo efficiency: Extended buff uptime
Avoid defensive cubes unless lacking frontline protection.
Overload Gear Priority
- ATK main stats: Amplifies buffs and damage
- Hit rate substats: Maintains attack chains
- Survivability substats: Extends combat duration
Prioritize core DPS gear before heavy Velvet investment.
Investment Timeline
- Week 1: Immediate buffs at base skills, lower magnitude
- Month 1: 4/7/7 skills + basic cubes = 70-80% max potential
- Month 3+: 10/10/10 + optimized gear = max investment for competitive play
Long-Term Account Impact
Campaign: Limited utility vs versatile units. Specialist nature restricts general progression value.
Union Raid: Primary value proposition. 10-20% score increases on charge-friendly bosses. Larger gains for underdeveloped rosters.
Tribe Tower: Valuable for Wind-specific stages if Wind roster includes charge DPS.
PvP: Minimal value. Ammo mechanics and charge focus don't suit burst damage/CC meta.
Future-Proofing: Longevity depends on charge DPS relevance. Power creep risk exists but charge mechanics unlikely to disappear.
Special Scenarios
New Players: Avoid unless rerolling for charge teams. Specialist nature provides minimal early campaign value.
Veterans: Lower priority than horizontal expansion. Evaluate if charge teams represent underdeveloped area.
Own Standard Velvet: Fatal Maid is separate unit with different skills. Independent evaluation, not upgrade.
Common Misconceptions
Always save mileage for Pilgrims only: Account-specific needs may justify non-Pilgrim conversions.
Convert immediately at 200: Premature conversion prevents flexibility for unexpected banners.
Gold Mileage expires: Tickets carry over indefinitely. No time pressure.
Rate-up makes mileage unnecessary: 2% featured with 50% SSR chance creates variance. Mileage is only guarantee.
Duplicates always outvalue new units: Evaluate vertical (duplicates) vs horizontal (new units) based on current needs.
FAQ
Is Fatal Maid Velvet worth pulling? Worth it for players with charge DPS (Modernia, Alice) needing Union Raid/boss support. Skip if lacking charge teams or missing core supports (Liter, Blanc). Specialist addition, not universal must-pull.
When should I convert 200 gold mileage? Convert when: 200+ tickets, core supports secured, featured unit addresses specific need. Avoid if: saving for Pilgrims, lack synergy partners, new player building foundations.
Best teams for Velvet? Pair with charge DPS (Modernia, Alice) + Liter + Blanc. Budget: event bonus units (Cocoa, Ade, Soda). Excels in sniper/rocket compositions maximizing +100.8% Charge Damage.
Velvet vs Crown/Modernia? Crown and Modernia are versatile DPS for multiple content types. Velvet is specialist supporter requiring specific teams. Prioritize Crown/Modernia if lacking Burst III DPS.
Save mileage for Pilgrims only? Pilgrims offer excellent value, but account-specific gaps may justify non-Pilgrim conversions. Players with critical needs, specialized goals, or 400+ mileage can convert without major impact.
Gems needed to guarantee Velvet? 36,000 gems for 200 pulls. 4% SSR rate provides earlier probability, but budget full pity to guarantee before February 11, 2026 expiration.
