Why You Should Play Silver and Blood

It’s Like Nikke, But Better in Many Ways

If you’ve played Nikke, you’ll notice similarities, but Silver and Blood steps things up. Even if you’re not into games that borrow from others, give this one a fair shot—it’s got its own strengths. Here’s how it compares:

• Super Fast Loading: Logging in takes about 20 seconds, compared to Nikke’s 2-3 minutes. Switching between menus feels instant, unlike Nikke’s 10-second delays. After four betas, this game runs smoothly.
• Battle Pass Rewards: They’re similar to Nikke’s, but no final skin yet. Instead, you get enough shards for a guaranteed SSR character, which is a solid trade-off.
• Shard System is Generous: Trade 50 Gold SSR shards for a guaranteed SSR (excluding pilgrims/ancestrals). Silver SR shards, like Nikke’s purple shards, can also net you non-pilgrim SSRs. I’ve grabbed 5 or 6 in just six days.
• Level 160 Wall: Like Nikke, you need five max-limit-broken SSRs to break through to level 200. You can slot in Vassals to match your fifth-highest unit’s level, a common idle game feature.
• Event Rewards: Events run for about 20 days, offering 10 premium and 10 standard pulls each. You also get upgrade materials for specific classes (Attackers, Defenders, Supports) and factions (Elysion, Tetra, Missilis, etc.).
• Towers and Loot: Five faction-specific towers, just like Nikke. You earn faction shards, 50 pull currency per floor, and 100 every five floors.
• Idle Rewards: You get 1h, 2h, 8h, and 24h reward boxes, which is standard for idle games.
• Boss Fights: Event and interception bosses drop rewards like 88k exp or 16 divine blood/cores per box. The game’s new, so I’m not sure about over-level gear yet, but it’s likely coming.
• Pulls and Pity System: Pulls cost 300 crystals (3000 for a 10x). Friend summons are 10 points each with a 2% SSR rate, while banner summons are 4%. Hit 59 pulls without an SSR, and the 60th is guaranteed. No premium mileage, but if your first SSR isn’t a banner/ancestral unit, the next one within 60 pulls will be. You can wishlist 15 units and get selectors after 150, 300, or 450 standard pulls.
• Combat Power Penalties: There’s a stat penalty for low combat power, but it’s much less harsh than Nikke’s early penalties. At high deficit, it’s about 15%.
• Arena and Skill Mats: Arena is auto-battle like Nikke, giving faction-specific skill materials. The Timeworn Mausoleum mode for general skill mats is unique and fun, though it lacks a skip option for now.
• Dailies and Weeklies: Rewards match Nikke’s, and dailies take about 10 minutes to complete, which is great.

Gameplay That Keeps You Hooked

The gameplay feels a bit like Blue Archive, but you can stun enemies and move units around. Your team shares a “soul” meter to cast skills, and you can preset your skill deck. Each team has five units, and there are no elemental advantages or stage-specific buffs like in Nikke. Most modes follow this setup.

Unlike games that lean on elemental advantages for endgame, Silver and Blood focuses on stage and mode-specific strategies. For example, some units shine in story progression but are average against bosses, like how Cinderella in Nikke is great for bossing but not story. Damage-over-time units are better for bosses, while stunners excel in story. Some bosses require killing their spawned mobs to deal damage, so area-of-effect units outshine single-target or DoT dealers.

High-deficit story stages get intense. Regular mobs can wipe your team with one or two ultimates, so timing stuns, taunts, and unit movement (via specific ultimates) is critical. Some stun or taunt windows are just a few seconds, and your ultimates have delays, so you’ve got to plan ahead.

The Timeworn Mausoleum mode is a cool base-defense setup where you fend off waves of enemies from one or two sides for five waves. Killing mobs earns equipment, which you can fuse into character-specific gear to boost ultimates. It’s a fun roguelite mode.

There’s more to the gameplay, but you’ve got to try it yourself to get the full experience.

A Story That Pulls You In

The voice acting is excellent, with most of the main story voiced. The plot builds suspense to keep you invested, and each arc ends with a special cutscene. Chapter 5 hit me right in the feels. The game has a dark, gothic tone with Lovecraftian elements. At first, it seems like a vampires-versus-church story, but it evolves into something deeper with complex factions and relationships. The main character, Noah Nevernight, has a real personality and plenty of dialogue. Bond stories focus on respect and camaraderie, not romance, and both male and female characters are well-written. No over-the-top fan service here, unlike Nikke.

Art and Music

The art is gorgeous—way less in-your-face than Nikke’s, with smooth skill animations. The music isn’t on par with a composer like Cosmograph, but the start screen and lobby themes are solid.

Final Thoughts

Silver and Blood is a fantastic game with fast gameplay, a gripping story, and generous rewards. Dailies take just 10 minutes, which is a huge plus. If you want more info, hit me up or check out the Silver and Blood official Discord in the guides discussion channel. Give it a try—you won’t be disappointed!