NTE Weapon Stats and Scaling Guide: How to Optimize Your Gear

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Optimizing your loadout in Hesperia requires a deep understanding of how gear interacts with your Esper’s unique abilities. This NTE weapon stats and scaling guide breaks down the math and mechanics behind your arsenal to help you maximize your combat efficiency.

# Neverness to Everness (NTE) Weapon Stats and Scaling Guide

## Question Restated

Players navigating the urban landscape of Neverness to Everness frequently ask about the most effective ways to build their characters. The most common inquiries center on the following areas:

*   **What are the primary and secondary stats for weapons in Neverness to Everness?** Every weapon in the game comes with a fixed primary attribute and a variable secondary sub-stat. Understanding which combinations appear on 5-star versus 4-star gear is essential for long-term planning.
*   **How does weapon scaling work for different character classes and Esper abilities?** Unlike traditional RPGs where a single stat might govern all damage, NTE utilizes a system where different Espers scale their power based on specific attributes like Anomalous Power or Esper Resonance.
*   **What are the key attributes to prioritize for maximizing DPS and support utility?** Choosing between a weapon that offers high Base ATK and one that offers high Energy Recharge can change the entire rotation of a team.

### Understanding the NTE Weapon System

The weapon system in Neverness to Everness is categorized by both rarity and type. Weapons are divided into three main tactical categories: Melee, Firearm, and Tactical. Each category influences the attack speed, animation frames, and the way an Esper interacts with the environment during "Anomalous" events. 

A weapon's power is not just a flat number; it is a combination of its Base ATK, its secondary stat (sub-stat), and its passive ability (often referred to as the weapon's "Effect"). As of the current global release, the synergy between these three components determines whether a weapon is considered "Best-in-Slot" (BiS) for a specific character like Mint or Nanami.

### Common Questions Regarding Stat Priority

When deciding which weapon to level up, players often struggle with the trade-off between raw damage and utility. For Main DPS characters, the community consensus generally leans toward Crit Rate and Crit DMG sub-stats. However, for support characters or "Anomality" specialists, stats like Energy Recharge or specialized scaling attributes take precedence. 

The priority often shifts depending on the character's "Scaling Stat." If an Esper's ultimate ability scales off their total HP rather than their ATK, a weapon with a high ATK stat but no HP sub-stat might actually result in lower total damage output.

## Direct Answer

Weapons in NTE feature a primary "Base ATK" stat and a secondary "Sub-stat" (such as Crit Rate, Crit DMG, HP%, or Energy Recharge). These stats increase as the weapon is leveled from 1 to 90. 5-star weapons possess the highest stat ceilings, providing a significant advantage in base numbers which then amplify all percentage-based buffs from your gear and team synergies.

Scaling is determined by a character's specific kit. For example, characters like Mint scale primarily off ATK for their heavy-hitting physical strikes, while other Espers may benefit more from "Anomalous Power" or "Esper Resonance" to trigger environmental reactions and specialized skill effects. 

Weapon effectiveness increases through Leveling and Ascension. Ascension not only raises the level cap but also boosts the base multiplier and the potency of the weapon's passive ability. Furthermore, "Refinement" (using duplicate copies of a weapon) allows players to enhance the unique passive effects, such as percentage damage bonuses or cooldown reductions.

| Weapon Rarity | Max Level | Base ATK Ceiling (Lvl 90) | Sub-stat Ceiling (Lvl 90) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 3-Star | 90 | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] |
| 4-Star | 90 | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] |
| 5-Star | 90 | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] |

### The Core Mechanics of NTE Weapons

The foundation of any build is the Base ATK. This number is added to the character's internal base attack to form the "Total Base ATK." All "ATK%" bonuses from equipment are calculated based on this combined number. This is why 5-star weapons are so valuable; even a small difference in Base ATK at level 1 results in a massive gap at level 90 once all multipliers are applied.

### Quick Reference: Best Stats by Role

*   **Main DPS (Attack-Scaling):** Prioritize Base ATK, Crit Rate, and Crit DMG.
*   **Main DPS (Anomalous-Scaling):** Prioritize Anomalous Power and Elemental DMG%.
*   **Support/Buffer:** Prioritize Energy Recharge and Esper Resonance.
*   **Tank/Survival:** Prioritize HP% and DEF%.

## Detailed Explanation

The complexity of the NTE gear system lies in how different stats interact during combat. To optimize your characters, you must look beyond the surface numbers and understand the growth curves and hidden mechanics of weapon types.

### Primary Stats: Base ATK and Growth Curves

Every weapon follows a specific growth curve. In Neverness to Everness, these curves are non-linear, meaning the stat gains per level often increase as you reach higher tiers of Ascension. A 5-star weapon might start with only a 10-point lead over a 4-star weapon at level 1, but by level 90, that gap can widen to over 150 points. 

This Base ATK acts as the "multiplier floor." If your character has 500 Base ATK and your weapon provides 700, your total base is 1,200. A 50% ATK bonus from your gear will add 600 ATK. If you use a weaker weapon with only 500 Base ATK, that same 50% bonus only adds 500 ATK. This illustrates why the primary stat of a weapon is often more important than the sub-stat in the early to mid-game.

### Sub-stat Deep Dive: Crit vs. Penetration

Once you have established a solid Base ATK, the sub-stat becomes the primary differentiator for high-end builds. 

1.  **Crit Rate and Crit DMG:** These are the gold standard for most damage dealers. Because NTE features fast-paced combat with many hits per second, achieving a high Crit Rate (typically 60% or higher) is necessary for consistent performance.
2.  **Penetration (Pen):** This stat ignores a portion of the enemy's DEF. In late-game content where bosses have high armor values, Penetration can sometimes outperform Crit DMG, especially for characters who do not have built-in armor shredding in their kits.
3.  **Anomalous Power:** This is a unique stat in NTE that governs the damage of environmental interactions and specific "Anomaly" skills. For characters who rely on the city’s supernatural elements rather than physical strikes, this stat is the priority.

### Character-Specific Scaling Examples (Mint, Nanami, Sakiri)

*   **Mint:** As a character who utilizes heavy melee strikes, Mint heavily favors weapons with high Base ATK and Physical DMG bonuses. Her kit scales linearly with ATK, making her one of the more straightforward characters to build.
*   **Nanami:** Nanami often requires a balance of ATK and Energy Recharge. Since her ultimate provides massive utility and area-of-effect damage, ensuring she can cast it on cooldown is often more important than maximizing the damage of her basic attacks.
*   **Sakiri:** Sakiri's firearms often benefit from high Crit Rate. Because her attack speed is high, she triggers critical hits more frequently, allowing her to take advantage of "On-Crit" weapon passives that might grant extra energy or movement speed.

### Weapon Passives and Combat Synergy

The passive ability of a weapon can completely change how a character is played. Some weapons offer a flat damage increase, while others provide conditional buffs. For example, a weapon might state: "After using a Tactical Skill, increase Basic Attack DMG by [X]% for 10 seconds." 

These passives interact with the character's "Talents." If a character like Sakiri has a talent that reduces her Tactical Skill cooldown, she can maintain a 100% uptime on such a weapon passive, making it significantly stronger for her than for a character with long cooldowns.

### Upgrade Mechanics: Leveling, Ascension, and Refinement

Upgrading a weapon involves three distinct processes:

1.  **Leveling:** Using "Enhancement Chips" to increase the weapon's level. This provides incremental increases to Base ATK and the sub-stat.
2.  **Ascension:** Every 10 to 20 levels, you will hit a cap. You must use materials like "Anomalous Shards" and "Core Stabilizers" to ascend the weapon, which unlocks the next level bracket and provides a large stat jump.
3.  **Refinement:** If you obtain a duplicate of a weapon, you can "fuse" it into your main weapon. This does not change the base stats but increases the percentages found in the weapon's passive ability. A Refinement Level 5 (R5) 4-star weapon can often outperform an R1 5-star weapon due to the strength of its passive.

### Optimizing for the End-Game: Stat Caps and Diminishing Returns

In the late game, players must be wary of diminishing returns. If you stack too much of a single stat, such as ATK%, each additional percentage point provides less of a total damage increase compared to diversifying into Crit or Elemental DMG. 

The goal for an optimized NTE build is to maintain a balance. A common target is the 1:2 ratio for Crit Rate to Crit DMG (e.g., 70% Crit Rate and 140% Crit DMG). Additionally, ensuring you have enough Energy Recharge to use your ultimate on every rotation is usually the first priority before focusing entirely on damage stats.

| Level Tier | Required Materials | Stat Increase (Estimated) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1-20 | Low-tier Shards | +15% Base ATK |
| 20-40 | Mid-tier Shards, Basic Stabilizers | +30% Base ATK |
| 40-60 | High-tier Shards, Advanced Stabilizers | +50% Base ATK |
| 60-90 | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] | [Information not yet publicly available as of 2026-05-23] |

## Related

Finding the right gear is only half the battle; knowing where to get it and how it compares to other options is vital for progression.

### Top Tier Weapons for Main DPS

The current meta favors weapons that provide "Universal DMG" or "Crit" stats. For Nanally, the signature weapon found on "The Ichi-daime" banner is currently the gold standard for high-end performance. For other DPS characters, 5-star weapons that offer "Penetration" are becoming increasingly popular for clearing high-level "Anomaly Zones" where enemy defense is a major hurdle.

### Best F2P Weapon Alternatives

Free-to-play players should look for 4-star weapons that can be crafted or obtained through world exploration. Many of the weapons available through the Hesperia Reputation system offer excellent sub-stats like Energy Recharge, which are perfect for support characters. While they lack the raw Base ATK of gacha-exclusive 5-star gear, their ease of refinement makes them highly competitive.

### Farming Routes for Weapon Materials

To keep your arsenal leveled, you will need a steady supply of "Anomalous Shards" and "Core Stabilizers." These are primarily found in:
*   **Anomality Containment Zones:** These act as the primary "dungeons" for weapon ascension materials.
*   **Open World Bosses:** Large-scale encounters in the city streets often drop rare stabilizers.
*   **Daily Commissions:** Completing urban tasks provides a consistent flow of Enhancement Chips.

Efficient farming involves rotating through these activities daily to ensure you have enough resources to ascend your weapons as soon as you hit the level cap. For more specific builds, check our character-specific guides for Mint, Nanami, and Sakiri.

## Sources

- Neverness to Everness Official Website — https://nte.hotta.com/
- Neverness to Everness Official YouTube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/@NTE_Official
- IGN: Neverness to Everness Announcement and Gameplay — https://www.ign.com/games/neverness-to-everness
- Game8: NTE Character and Weapon Database — https://game8.co/games/Neverness-to-Everness
- Reddit: r/NTE_Official Community Theorycrafting — https://www.reddit.com/r/NTE_Official/