NieR Automata: Characters and Pods development NieR Automata guide, tips

This page of the NieR Automata tutorial contains tips and information about developing and leveling up your character. We also explain how to upgrade your weapons and pods.

Last update: 30 August 2021

On this page of the guide to NieR Automata, you will find key information on developing the characters and their accompanying Pods. We explain, e.g. how to increase the heroes' stats, how to increase the effectiveness of Pods, and how to skillfully manage several Pods.

• General information on character development
• Gaining XP and leveling up characters
• Melee weapons - obtaining and upgrading
• Pods and their programs
• Temporary stats increase

General information on character development

1. There are 3 playable characters in NieR Automata. Switching between them is forced by the plot. You do not have to develop each hero from scratch - they all share the progress. This means that when you switch to another character, you will keep the development progress and equipment. The main differences between the playable characters are in their unique abilities (e.g. 9S's hacking).
2. All character development progress is moved to the next Routes. For example, if you move from Route A to Route B, you won't have to develop your heroes from scratch. They will keep all stats and items. Of course, the game will be "prepared" for this - during the subsequent Routes, you will meet stronger opponents to keep the overall challenge.
3. Chapter Select Option does not reset progress. Even if you go back to an earlier chapter, you will keep a character's level and equipment.
4. In NieR Automata, you don't improve characters by changing armor. Throughout the game, you can find various new outfits or headgear, but all of these items are purely cosmetic.

Gaining XP and leveling up characters

There is a big emphasis on leveling up. By default, each opponent has a level displayed above their head (its absence may mean that one of the HUD options is disabled). You should avoid enemies far exceeding your level (e.g. when the difference between the levels is 10 or above). You may then have huge problems with defeating such an opponent - that enemy can kill you with a few hits.

You can return to the vast majority of battles later, i.e. after you have leveled up sufficiently. Some quests and battles in the arena even allow you to resume them on different Routes, although this is not the rule. Try to complete the battles before you finish the current Route in 100%.

Experience points can be gained primarily through quests and battles. Look for all side missions that can be marked on the map. Each completed side quest will give you not only a lot of XP but also other (often unique) rewards. As for opponents, look for those whose level is close to your current one. We do not recommend skipping fights with less challenging machines. Otherwise, you may slow your progress down.

The game does not have a strict level requirement. However, expect that the final battles (i.e. those in Routes C and D) will be against enemies at levels 50-60. For more information and tips on leveling up, check out the XP - how to collect? page.

Melee weapons - obtaining and upgrading

In NieR Automata, the strength of your attacks is affected by the melee weapons and your experience level. At the start of a new campaign, you will have two weapons. However, you can acquire more as the game progresses, for example, by completing quests, exploring the world, or buying from traders. They are listed on the List of weapons page.

We recommend that you test each newly obtained weapon against regular opponents, so you can determine whether you want to keep using it. Weapons differ not only in damage (minimum - maximum damage range), but also, e.g. in how effective they are in performing (Lt) and heavy (Hv) attacks. This can affect your decision when choosing a weapon.

You should upgrade your weapons. However, due to the limited availability of materials at the beginning of the game, you should limit yourself to upgrading those you are currently using. You can do that by visiting, for example, the Weapons Trader in the Resistance Camp. However, he can only upgrade weapons up to Level 3. To get Level 4, the highest one, you need to find a hidden blacksmith called Masamune - we described this on the Weapons' level four upgrade - how to achieve? page.

Upgrading weapons:

1. increases their damage,
2. increases their speed of performing light and heavy combos,
3. unlocks their additional unique features (e.g. improved attack speed).

Pods and their programs

The Pods help you in fighting opponents - you should not ignore them. Try to unlock all 3 Pods as fast as possible so you will be able to switch between them "on the fly" and use their different skills. Information about the location of the Pods can be found on the All Pods - how to unlock? page.

Each Pod should be equipped with a separate program. This has two main advantages:

1. After activating the program of a given Pod, you do not have to wait for the skills to be usable again, you can just quickly switch to the next Pod and use its program. This will allow you to attack or weaken enemies much faster.
2. You can have access to various programs. Some skills are excellent for attacking strong single opponents, while others can be used, for example, to weaken entire groups of machines. You won't have to set the best programs before every bigger battle.

Pods can and should be improved - the first NPC that can do this is the Maintenance Shop Owner from the Resistance Camp. Upgraded Pods deal more damage - both with their regular attacks and programs.

Unfortunately, this will require you to obtain rare crafting materials. Keep checking if you can upgrade a Pod - do it as soon as you get the necessary materials (e.g. during world exploration or as rewards for completed quests).

Temporary stats increase

In addition to constantly raising the stats of the heroes, their weapons and Pods, you can also increase combat capabilities for a limited time. These are:

1. Chips - They work only if they are installed in the Android's operating system. Some of them can make your character much more powerful. We described them in more detail on the Chips - how to install? page.
2. Consumables - They appear in different varieties and can, for example, temporarily increase the strength of attacks (see the above image). Try to use them during fights against bosses and groups of stronger opponents.