Strategic Overview
The version 1.0 launch of Neverness to Everness establishes a technical landscape where the opportunity cost of initial resource allocation dictates long-term account health. Differentiating between "favorite-based" pulling and "meta-based" pulling is the primary lever for bypassing artificial progression walls.
The NTE hierarchy is divided into tiers T0 through T3:
- T0 — Meta-defining units that trivialize endgame friction. Essential for optimized play.
- T1 — The professional standard. Flexible core units that solve specific account problems.
- T2 — Early-game builders. Functional now but risk becoming resource sinks.
- T3 — Situational picks. Investing here is almost always a "waifu over meta" decision.
1.0 Tier Overview
| Tier | Character | Primary Role | Investment Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0 |  Daffodill |
Break Specialist | High |
| T0 |  Nanally |
Off-Field DPS / Hyper-Carry | High |
| T1 |  Baicang |
High-Ceiling Main DPS | High |
| T1 |  Jiuyuan |
Hybrid DPS / Healer | High |
| T1 |  Adler |
Defensive Support / DoT | High |
| T1 |  Hathor |
Energy Battery / AoE DPS | Medium |
| T1 |  Lacrimosa |
Single Target / Burst DPS | Medium |
| T1 |  Hotori |
Resonance Specialist | Medium |
| T1 |  Chiz |
Rhythm-Based Main DPS | Medium |
| T1 |  Fadia |
Healer / Support | Medium |
| T2 |  Zero |
Early-Game Carry | Medium |
| T2 |  Sagiri |
Mobbing / AoE CC | Medium |
| T2 |  Haniel |
Buffer / Support | Low |
| T2 |  Edgar |
Zone-Based Healer | Low |
| T2 |  Skia |
Mobbing / Stealth | Low |
| T3 |  Mint |
Foundational DPS | Low |
T0: The Meta-Defining Units
T0 status is reserved for units that are not merely "strong" — they are break specialists or hyper-carries that define the 1.0 endgame by eliminating mechanical friction.
Daffodill
The undisputed peak of breaking stagger bars. Daffodill is essential for any bossing roster where the Break window is the only viable time for high-multiplier damage.
Pros
- Unrivaled stagger bar depletion — clears high-difficulty bosses even with under-geared teams
- High utility in general mob clearing due to wide skill range
Cons
- High dependency on a secondary hyper-carry — she opens the door, but needs a finisher to close the fight
Nanally
The gold standard for 1.0 hyper-carries. Nanally combines massive single-target and AoE damage with unprecedented ease of use. Her anti-gravity and wall-walking mechanics provide immense value in open-world traversal, making her a "comfort pick" that scales into high-level content.
Pros
- Off-field follow-up mechanics ensure consistent DPS even during support rotations
- Low mechanical skill floor with a high damage ceiling — reduces player error in high-stress encounters
Cons
- As a primary DPS, she is the most susceptible to future power creep as newer units are released
T1: The Professional Standard
T1 units represent the flexible core of the meta — balancing high damage with vital utility. Each one solves a specific account problem, from energy generation to sustenance floors.
Baicang
A high-ceiling boss killer whose damage can rival T0 banners when piloted by a skilled player. Operates on a complex Power Word system (details in the Technical Deep Dive section below).
Pros
- High potential for boss execution — instantly kills standard targets under 10% HP, bosses under 5%
- Strong passive synergy with ETD-4 members ( Skia , Fadia , Lacrimosa )
Cons
- High mechanical friction — poor HP management (3% per Power Word) can lead to unintended unit loss in long fights
Jiuyuan
A vital hybrid DPS/Healer who consolidates two roles into a single slot. Ranged attacks and team sustain make her a reliable early-game investment.
Pros
- High role compression: Healer + DPS in one slot
- Safest early-game investment for players who need sustain without sacrificing offensive momentum
Cons
- Damage ceiling is lower than pure hyper-carries
Adler
An A-Rank unit that punches significantly above his base rarity. Provides massive shielding and consistent DoT, making him a versatile slot-in for almost any team.
Pros
- High accessibility as an A-Rank unit
- Shielding and DoT provide both a sustenance floor and offensive pressure
Cons
- Lacks the pure damage multipliers of S-Rank main carries
- A mandatory build for F2P players — his value is in enabling survival, not in being optional
Hathor
The premier energy battery and AoE DPS specialist. Her primary value lies in accelerating the team's Ultimate frequency.
Pros
- Exceptional team energy generation
- Reduces Energy Recharge requirements on your Main DPS — freeing stats for Crit Damage
Cons
- Outclassed in raw damage by units like Baicang
Lacrimosa
A single-target burst specialist focused on bossing. Consistent and reliable, with strong synergy inside the ETD-4 passive.
Pros
- Strong bossing performance and low skill floor
Cons
- Reliable secondary DPS, but may be the first to be replaced as your roster matures
Chiz
A high-complexity, rhythm-based Main DPS who uses a unique Grain and Profit/Debt economy. Her performance is entirely skill-dependent (details in the Technical Deep Dive section below).
Pros
- Massive damage potential in a "Protect the President" team
Cons
- Hoarding passive locks out all other team members from gaining Charge while she is on-field
- Forces a rigid rotation that punishes quick-swap playstyles
Hotori
A resonance specialist whose value is tied to specific team synergies. Currently an "unknown variable" but shows high potential in dedicated compositions.
Pros
- Strong synergy with future resonance-heavy units
Cons
- Highly niche — investing now is a speculative play on future meta shifts, not immediate 1.0 gains
Fadia
A dedicated healing and support specialist. Offers consistent team sustain where other supports are unavailable.
Pros
- Reliable healing for high-friction content
Cons
- Provides less offensive utility than Jiuyuan or Adler
- A "safety net" unit: prevents wipes but doesn't speed up clears
T2 & T3: Foundational & Marginal Units
These units serve as early-game momentum builders but suffer from inevitable fall-off as content difficulty scales.
Zero
The protagonist. A reliable early-game carry with good energy generation, but struggles significantly against high-level bosses.
Resource Warning: Every material spent on Zero is a material not spent on a unit that will survive the 1.1 meta shift.
Sagiri
An AoE mobbing specialist with crowd-control abilities. Excellent for farming trash mobs, but limited in boss content.
Haniel
A potential-heavy buffer who suffers from mechanical kit friction. Easily interrupted, making her unreliable in high-difficulty fights.
Edgar
A zone-based healer with restrictive positioning. His healing requires staying within a small Ultimate field — often impossible in mobile boss fights.
Skia
A mobbing specialist with unique stealth mechanics. His niche is already filled by stronger A-Rank units.
Skia Tech: Switching to
Mint — T3
The lovable poster child, but combat performance is firmly bottom-tier. Mint lacks the damage multipliers to keep pace with even T2 carries.
Investing in Mint is a "waifu over meta" choice. From a strategic standpoint, it represents a total loss in resource efficiency.
Technical Deep Dive
— The Power Word System
Baicang generates Power Words via Normal Attacks and Skills:
| Power Word | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Silence | Normal Attacks | Single-target |
| Objurgate | AoE Skill | Area damage |
| Bless | HP Skill | HP restore |
Judgment of Autumn (Ultimate)
- Execution: Instantly kills standard targets under 10% HP and bosses under 5% HP.
- Fatal Hit Block: Baicang becomes immune to one fatal hit. He "records" the damage, ends the domain 3 seconds later, and bleeds that recorded damage over 10 seconds.
HP Friction: Summoning any Power Word consumes 3% of Baicang's current HP (halved when below 50% HP). Poor management in long fights can lead to unintended unit loss.
ETD-4 Synergy
Baicang passively attacks alongside ETD-4 members ( Skia , Fadia , Lacrimosa ). The Skia Tech — switching to Baicang while Skia is stealthed — immediately triggers an attack and generates 1 Power Word Silence.
Priority Investments
- Ascension: Blurred Numeral, Nest Guard Fragment
- Skills: First Expectations, Good Boy Stamp
— The Grain Market
Chiz 's gameplay is a zero-sum game that dictates the entire team's rotation.
The Grain Market: Her Ultimate (Zero-Sum Game) initiates a 7-second Grain Market window. All Grain Loans (Debt) convert to Grain, and she enters a Profit status.
Grain Price Fluctuations: Her Redirect Skill damage is determined by the Grain Price at the moment of activation or phase shift.
The Hoarding Problem: Her passive increases her own Charge Efficiency by 20%, but prevents all other team members from gaining Charge while on-field. When the Market expires or she switches out, all current Grain must be used to repay Grain Loans.
Team Building Requirement: Chiz requires a specialized "Protect the President" team where other units do not need Charge to function, as she will monopolize the team's energy economy.
Strategic Outlook for 1.0
The launch window favors the Break efficiency of Daffodill and the off-field consistency of Nanally . While Baicang and Chiz offer high damage ceilings, they introduce mechanical risks that can lead to kit friction.
Recommended priority for new accounts: