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NieR:Automata™ > Guides > Mashpit's Guides
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Optimal Chip Combinations
By Mashpit
This guide aims to be a one-stop shop for players aiming to maximize the efficiency of their chipsets. It consolidates essential information about chip cost and efficiency, and the combination of chips that provide the greatest effect for the lowest storage cost.
The guide also provides additional information about most efficiently upgrading your chips, and where to farm certain chips.
Note that the "optimal" chip combination means that the chip effect is at its limit - players may choose to use a chip of a lower level if the maximum effect is not required and/or not desired.
   
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Created by
Mashpit
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Category: Crafting, Loot
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
3 Apr, 2017 @ 7:51am
23 Mar, 2021 @ 12:19pm
14,581 Unique Visitors
701 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Author's Note 
Optimal Chip Combination 
Additional Resources for Build Optimization 
Changelog 
Comments
Author's Note
Original guide can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/nier/comments/61va8d/optimal_chip_combinations/
All credit goes to lolisamurai, all that I did was change the format to work with Steam Guides.

Information was updated to use the Plug-in Chip Quick Reference Guide Spreadsheet[docs.google.com] by _Project2501. The spreadsheet also contains info on the effects of each level of the chip, and is worth checking out.

Combination meaning:
123 = +1, +2, +3
333 = +3, +3, +3

An asterisk(*) denotes a chip whose effects do not stack.
Optimal Chip Combination
Attack
Chip
Combination
Total Storage Used
Drop Location
Weapon Attack Up
8
21
Medium Biped - Flooded City; Medium Biped - City Ruins; Situational - Chapter 17-01; Situational - Tower during 9S Hacking Mission
Down-Attack Up
8
21
Goliath Biped - City Ruins
Critical Up
8
21
Small Biped - City Ruins; Small / Medium Biped - Amusement Park Rollercoaster; Situational - Chapter 10-02 City Ruins
Ranged Attack Up
8
21
Small Flyer - City Ruins; Small Flyer - Flooded City
Shock Wave*
8
21
Small Biped - Desert Housing Complex / Adam's Boss Pit
Last Stand
8
21
Small Biped - Abandoned Factory Underground
Counter
8
21
Medium Biped Sword Equipped - Desert Housing Complex / Adam's Boss Pit
Charge Attack
8
21
Goliath Biped - Desert / Adam's Boss Pit

Defense
Chip
Combination
Total Storage Used
Drop Location
Melee Defense
8
21
Medium Biped - Forest Kingdom
Ranged Defense
8
21
Small Flyers - First half of Forest Castle
Anti Chain Damage
333
21
Small Biped Spear Equipped / Medium Quadruped - Forest Zone: Central
Resilience
33
14
Goliath Biped - Courtyard of Forest Castle, Route C
Max HP Up
8
21
Small Biped Spear Equipped / Medium Quadruped - Forest Zone: Central
Offensive Heal
8
21
Small Biped Spear Equipped / Medium Quadruped - Forest Zone: Central
Auto-Heal
8
21
Small Sphere - City Ruins: Cave; Linked Sphere - City Ruins
Damage Absorb
8
21
Medium Biped Gun Equipped - Amusement Park Entrance
Reset
8
21
Medium Biped - Abandoned Factory Underground; YoRHa body near 2B's discarded flight unit in Flooded City, Route C

Support
Chip
Combination
Total Storage Used
Drop Location
Fast Cooldown
8
21
Short Stubby - Abandoned Factory Underground
Evade Range Up
8
21
Small/Medium Biped - Desert / Adam's Boss Pit
Moving Speed Up
33
14
Small/Medium Biped - Desert / Adam's Boss Pit
Drop Rate Up
43
16
Small Flyer - Amusement Park Rollercoaster
EXP Gain Up
8
21
Short Stubby - Amusement Park
Vengeance
8
21
Small Biped - Amusement Park
Overclock
43
16
Small Flyers - Abandoned Factory Underground
Taunt Up*
8(Check Notes)
21
Medium Flyers – Desert, Route C/D
Auto-Use Item
8
21
Multi-tier Type - Desert

Hacking
Chip
Combination
Total Storage Used
Drop Location
Hijack Boost
43
16
Small Biped - City Ruins, Route B
Stun
31
12
Medium Biped - Abandoned Factory Underground
Combust
11
10
All - Adam's Boss Pit
Heal Drops Up
44
18
Small Flyers - Amusement Park, Route B

So, in short, the chips for which +8 is not optimal are:
  • Anti Chain Damage: Optimal at +3 +3 +3
  • Resilience: Optimal at +3 +3
  • Moving Speed Up: Optimal at +3 +3
  • Drop Rate Up: Optimal at +4 +3
  • Overclock: Optimal at +4 +3
  • Hijack Boost: Optimal at +4 +3
  • Stun: Optimal at +3 +1
  • Combust: Optimal at +1 +1
  • Heal Drops Up: Optimal at +4 +4

Notes: Check the wiki page[nierautomata.wiki.fextralife.com] to see the damage multipliers for each level of Shockwave. Notably, higher level Shockwaves always have higher damage per storage size ratio than lower level versions.
For Taunt Up a +8 Taunt Up gives the highest multiplier possible. However, if you are after efficiency, Taunt Up's damage buff to storage size ratio peaks at +3 and drops off afterwards.
Additional Resources for Build Optimization
Optimal Chip Storage Cost
Chip Level
Maximum Storage Cost (Regular)
Storage Cost (Regular)
Storage Cost (Diamond)
Natural Storage Cost Increase
0 (odd)
9
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
4
+1
1 (odd)
9
6 / 7 / 8 / 9
5
+1
2
9
7 / 8 / 9
6
+1
3 (odd)
10
8 / 9 / 10
7
+2
4
11
10 / 11
9
+2
5 (odd)
13
12 / 13
11
+3
6
15
15
14
+3
7 (odd)
18
18
17
+4
8
-
-
21
-

Source: Chip Fusing Chart & Guide - What's Worth Keeping by Magilou. Contains detailed infromation about chip upgrading, you should read it at least once before starting to optimize your chipset.
Changelog
March 23, 2021: Consolidated the chip farming locations chart with the main chart, removed the link to Anacra's spreadsheet as it was taken down, outdated information was updated.
April 4th, 2017: More detailed description, cleaned up the formatting a little bit, and added drop table to additional resources.
April 3rd, 2017: Guide published.
7 Comments
< >
McBaws 15 Oct, 2021 @ 3:34am 
poggers guide. thx
psycohbilly 【ツ】 5 Mar, 2020 @ 12:36pm 
top !
ramonpontes 26 Jul, 2018 @ 7:48am 
Nice guide. When I realized how to manage those chips and fuse them in an efficient way, I had almost finished the game. It helped me a lot in the end, specially against Emil, but I think the devs should have focused a bit more in this mechanic.
Agenta 30 Jan, 2018 @ 3:09pm 
Reversed Jointed Goliaths in Forest Zone (Not castle) can drop Resilience chips.
Agenta 28 Jan, 2018 @ 4:30pm 
Reverse Jointed Goliaths in City Ruins can drop Auto-Use Item chips. Rare drop. Found in Route A.
Mashpit  [author] 26 Apr, 2017 @ 12:27pm 
It's definitely possible. You'd have to fuse together a diamond +7 chip with either another diamond +7 chip or with a cost [18] +7 chip, but it's possible.
The_OldBoy_ 25 Apr, 2017 @ 9:46pm 
Is there any way to get diamond +8 chips? It takes me around 5 hours to fuse a diamond weapon attack +7 chip.