NTE Gear System Complete Guide: All 12 Cartridge Sets + Module Mechanics + 17-Character BiS Endgame Builds

Key takeaway: Gear (Cartridge) is NTE’s set-equipment system, made up of the Cartridge + Module. Version 1.0 has 12 sets total (6 elemental + 6 universal), and substats are “what you see is what you get” and permanently fixed (this is NTE’s biggest selling point for artifact players). Farming location: the Rabbit Hole domain (Cape Square, unlocked at Hunter Lv 10), whose 6 nodes map to the 12 sets. F2P new-player must-grab: the free Lost Radiance from Exploration Guide Lv 8; the 3 universal staples: Lost Radiance, Shadow Creed, and Fireflies and the Forest.

Arcs are weapons, Gear is set equipment — together they form the two great equipment systems of NTE character progression. What makes the Gear system most special is its “what you see is what you get” design — substats are permanently fixed, completely retiring the pain of re-rolling artifacts. This article organizes all of Gear’s mechanics, sets, domains, builds, and new-player routes in one place.

1. What Is Gear (Cartridge + Module)

A Two-Part System

NTE’s “Gear” is not a simple five-piece set; it’s composed of two parts:

• Cartridge: defines the “script / set type,” with a 4×5 = 20-cell grid
• Module: a puzzle piece (in 2-, 3-, and 4-cell shapes) that fills the grid like Tetris

Filling in enough Modules activates the set bonus:

Condition	Activated Effect
Fill in 2 Modules of the matching shape	2-piece (Epic) bonus
Fill in 4 Modules of the matching shape	4-piece (Legendary / endgame) bonus

Module Shape Categories

Type	Cells	Shape	Traits
Type Ⅱ	2 cells	Horizontal/vertical bar	Smallest, used to fill gaps, lower stat values
Type Ⅲ	3 cells	L-shape / straight (vertical/horizontal)	Medium, preferred by most characters
Type Ⅳ	4 cells	Square / long bar	Largest, highest stats but hardest to place

Character shape preference: each character has a “preferred Module type,” and placing the preferred type grants an extra stat bonus. For example: Sakiri prefers Type Ⅲ, gaining 9% psychokinetic damage per Type Ⅲ piece. Type Ⅱ-specialized characters: Nanally, Jiuyuan, Fadia.

2. The Core Difference vs. Artifacts / Drive Discs

This section is the Gear system’s most important selling point:

	NTE Gear	Genshin artifacts / ZZZ Drive Discs
Substats	All visible from the start, permanently fixed ✅	Random + random reinforcement on upgrade ❌
Upgrade pain	None (what you see is what you get)	Enormous (re-roll loop)
Can you re-roll substats?	❌ No	❌ No (but with random reinforcement)
Pity system	✅ Weekly shop pity of 3 orange Modules	Less generous
F2P endgame speed	Far faster	Slow
Leveling the wrong character	Most materials refunded on dismantle	Large loss

For players tired of the random substat re-rolling of artifacts, this is NTE’s biggest draw.

3. The Complete 12-Set List

A. The Six Elemental Sets (One Per Element)

Set (EN)	2-Piece	4-Piece	Best Characters
Lost Radiance	Cosmos DMG +10%	For 20s after the Ultimate, damage ignores 25% DEF (does not stack)	Esper Zero, Hotori, Chiz, Cosmos Main DPS / Sub-DPS
Crimson: Twin Butterflies	Incantation DMG +10%	When the team deals Incantation damage to enemies, self ATK +6% (up to 6 stacks = +36%), each lasting 10s	Baicang, Edgar (damage builds)
Fireflies and the Forest	HP DMG +10%	When the team deals HP damage to enemies, self crit DMG +8% (up to 7 stacks = +56%), works from the backline too	Nanally, Mint, Jiuyuan, Haniel (damage build)
Diabolos	Chaos DMG +10%	Ignores 12% Chaos RES; for 20s after triggering a Fission / Burn reaction, ignores 24% Chaos RES	Lacrimosa (1.1), Chaos DPS
Devil’s Blood: Curse	Psyche DMG +10%	DMG +18%; raised to +36% when attacking targets in a Fission / Corrosion state	Fadia (damage build), Aurelia
Street Boxer	Karma DMG +10%	Crit rate +14%; an extra +14% (for +28% total) when the team triggers Soul Drain or Corrosion, for 20s	Hathor, Skia, Karma Main DPS

B. The Six Universal Sets (No Element Restriction)

Set (EN)	2-Piece	4-Piece	Best Characters
Kingdom’s Guard	DEF +15%	Shield value +20%	Kuili, all shield supports
Quiet Manor	Mental DMG +10%	Each basic attack gives Mental DMG +12% (up to 3 stacks, +46% total), each lasting 6s	Mental DMG characters (harder to maintain)
Shadow Creed	ATK +10%	For 20s after casting a Skill, ATK +25%	Universal Sub-DPS / damage supports (all-purpose)
Tiny Big Adventure	HP +10%	Each time you take damage, max HP +4% (up to 10 stacks = +40%); the Ultimate grants all 10 stacks instantly	Fadia (HP-sharing mechanic)
Thea’s Night Tavern	HP +10%	Healing +20%	Edgar, future healers
Speedy Hedgehog	Energy recharge +12%	After casting the Ultimate, whole-team ATK +15% (20s)	Sakiri, Haniel, all energy supports

4. Rarity, Main Stat, Substats

Rarity

• S-tier (orange): Legendary, full 4-piece bonus → the main farming target
• A-tier (purple): Epic, usable as a transitional piece
• B-tier and below (blue/green): early-game transitional; all can be dismantled after Level 30

Main Stat (1 per Cartridge)

Candidates: Crit rate / Crit DMG / Elemental DMG% / ATK% / HP% / DEF% / Healing bonus / Energy recharge

Priority by role:

Role	Main Stat Priority
Pure burst DPS	Crit DMG / Elemental DMG%
ATK-type DPS	ATK% / Elemental DMG%
Support	Energy recharge
Healer	Healing bonus / HP%
Shielder	DEF%

Substats (4 per Cartridge, permanently fixed)

Candidates: Crit rate, Crit DMG, ATK%, flat ATK, DEF%, HP%, generic DMG%, elemental RES, etc.

Reinforcement rules:

• Reinforcing every +5 levels “activates” one substat (+5, +10, +15, +20 each activate one)
• The substat candidates and their values are locked in the moment you obtain the piece and never change

Substat Priority for DPS Characters

Main stat → Elemental DMG% > Crit DMG > ATK% Substats → Double crit (crit rate + crit DMG) > Elemental DMG% > ATK% > generic DMG%

Push crit rate to 60–70%, then stack crit DMG.

5. Farming Location: The Rabbit Hole Domain

Domain Basics

Item	Details
Location	Right side of Cape Square, south of the Midas Arc Workshop
Unlock	Hunter Level 10
Stamina cost per run	40 stamina (Character Pixels)
Simultaneous drops	Cartridges, manhole reinforcement materials, copper/silver/gold Radish coins, Hunter EXP

⭐ The 6 Nodes and Their Sets (Key Mapping Table)

Node	Corresponding 2 Sets
Clock Tricks	Lost Radiance + Diabolos
Sculpture Gallery	Street Boxer + Devil’s Blood: Curse
Latitude Loom	Fireflies and the Forest + Crimson: Twin Butterflies
Defend the Radish	Kingdom’s Guard + (data TBD)
Mental Map	Speedy Hedgehog + Quiet Manor
Night of the Rails	Shadow Creed + Tiny Big Adventure

Each node always drops 2 sets (1 elemental + 1 universal), so picking the right node is the first step to farming the right set.

Domain Difficulty and Drop Rates

• Normal: blue/purple Modules (transitional)
• Hard: purple/orange Modules
• Rift (high difficulty, unlocks at Level 30): high chance of orange Modules, the top farming target

⚠ Don’t farm heavily before Hunter Level 25; efficiency is highest after entering Rift at Level 30.

6. Reinforcement Mechanics + Acquiring Modules

Reinforcement Rules

• Cartridge level cap is +20 (synced with Modules)
• Every +5 levels unlocks the effective value of one substat
• Reinforcement materials: Manhole (three tiers) + Funds + beetle coins

The Rewind System (Acquiring Modules)

Access via: Character → Console → Gear → “Rewind” in the bottom-left corner

Rewind Type	Cost	Output
Normal Rewind	80 Radish coins / pull	Blue/purple Modules
Advanced Rewind	200 Radish coins / pull	Purple/orange, purple guaranteed
Choose-Shape	Higher cost	+50% cumulative when pulling the same shape repeatedly

⭐ Guaranteed Shop Pity (Key to F2P Endgame)

• Harmony Workshop Shop: can buy 1 orange Module per week
• Funds Shop: limited to 2 orange Modules per week
• → 3 guaranteed orange Modules per week total

This is the key reason NTE is far faster than artifacts — F2P players have a clear, defined endgame timeline.

7. Recommended Builds Per Character

S-Tier Characters (Mainstream Meta Lineups)

Character	Main Set (4)	Secondary Set (2+2)	Main Stat Priority
Esper Zero (protagonist)	Lost Radiance 4	Shadow Creed 2 + Lost Radiance 2	Crit rate → Cosmos DMG%
Hotori / Firebird	Lost Radiance 4	Lost Radiance 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Cosmos DMG%
Chiz	Lost Radiance 4	Lost Radiance 2 + Fireflies and the Forest 2	Crit DMG → Cosmos DMG%
Baicang	Crimson: Twin Butterflies 4	Crimson 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Incantation DMG%
Nanally	Fireflies and the Forest 4	Fireflies 2 + Shadow Creed 2	HP DMG% → Crit DMG
Mint	Fireflies and the Forest 4	Fireflies 2 + Shadow Creed 2	HP DMG% → Crit DMG
Jiuyuan	Fireflies and the Forest 4	Fireflies 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → HP DMG%
Hathor	Street Boxer 4	Street Boxer 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Karma DMG%
Skia	Street Boxer 4	Street Boxer 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Karma DMG%
Fadia (damage)	Devil’s Blood: Curse 4	Devil’s Blood 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Psyche DMG%
Fadia (HP-sharing)	Tiny Big Adventure 4	Tiny Big Adventure 2 + Kingdom’s Guard 2	HP%
Aurelia	Devil’s Blood: Curse 4	Devil’s Blood 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Psyche DMG%
Lacrimosa (1.1)	Diabolos 4	Diabolos 2 + Shadow Creed 2	Crit DMG → Chaos DMG%
Sakiri	Speedy Hedgehog 4 (4× Type Ⅲ)	Speedy Hedgehog 2 + Kingdom’s Guard 2	Energy recharge
Haniel	Speedy Hedgehog 4	Speedy Hedgehog 2 + Fireflies 2	Energy recharge
Edgar	Thea’s Night Tavern 4	Thea’s 2 + Kingdom’s Guard 2	Healing bonus / HP%
Kuili	Kingdom’s Guard 4 (4× Type Ⅲ, +12% DEF each)	Kingdom’s Guard 2 + Crimson 2 (Crimson 4 for DoT builds)	DEF% / Energy recharge

A-Tier Characters (Daffodill, Chiz, etc.)

These usually serve as transitional picks or specific Anima-ring triggers; the recommendation is to follow the same-element Main DPS set. The detailed build data has not yet been fully established by the community — defer to in-game data.

8. New-Player / F2P Fast-Track Route

Week 1 Priorities

1. ❌ Don’t grind Cartridges hard before Hunter Level 25 (drop rates are too poor — pure stamina waste)
2. Stamina priority order: Main DPS EXP → Main DPS ascension → City Tycoon unlock → Sub-DPS → supports → skill materials → Funds
3. Gear only needs to be “good enough for your Main DPS”; in the early game, run exploration quests first to scrape together some A-tier pieces to make do
4. ⭐ Exploration Guide Level 8: gives you a free Lost Radiance legendary Cartridge + a 4-piece activation Module set — be sure to grab it
5. Once you reach Level 30 and unlock the Rabbit Hole “Rift” difficulty, start long-term farming

The 3 All-Purpose Sets (Farm First)

1. Shadow Creed — usable as a 2-piece by almost every Sub-DPS / damage build, extremely versatile
2. Lost Radiance — used by Esper Zero, Hotori, Chiz, and all Cosmos Main DPS, and one is given free at launch
3. Fireflies and the Forest — Nanally, Mint, and Jiuyuan all benefit at once, so a full farm can be shared across three characters

Can Wait Until Later

• Quiet Manor: stacks are hard to maintain (only 6s)
• Kingdom’s Guard: only needed by shield characters like Kuili
• Thea’s Night Tavern: only needed by Edgar / healers
• Tiny Big Adventure: exclusive to Fadia’s HP-sharing build

The “Auto-Equip” Trap

⚠ There is an official “Auto-Equip” button, but the community broadly recommends not using it — it won’t prioritize placing the right shapes to trigger the 4-piece bonus. You must place pieces manually until “all 4 correct Modules are filled in” to activate the legendary effect.

9. The “NTE Flavor” of the Gear System (Summary)

Compared with Genshin artifacts / ZZZ Drive Discs, the Gear system’s exclusive selling points:

1. ✅ “What you see is what you get” substats — a core draw for players tired of re-rolling
2. ✅ Puzzle-grid design — more strategic than the usual “five-piece set,” and visually expressed
3. ✅ Guaranteed shop pity — 3 guaranteed orange Modules per week, making F2P endgame far faster than artifacts
4. ✅ First-week Exploration Lv 8 guaranteed Lost Radiance — a launch bonus the community calls “a loss if you don’t grab it”
5. ❌ No substat re-rolling — but because substats are decided from the start, this is actually an advantage

Related Guides

• Arc System Complete Guide — the weapon system (Gear’s sister article)
• Signature Arcs Complete Guide — each character’s BiS weapon
• Equipment System Breakdown: Arcs and Gear — overview
• NTE Boss Bestiary — which Bosses correspond to the set materials you want to farm
• Affinities and Anima Reactions — elemental sets need their matching elemental reactions

FAQ

Gear data compiled from public sources including Game8, GameWith, Kaiden.gg, Mobalytics, Prydwen Institute, NTE Guide, ZeroLuck, AllThings.How, Bahamut, Mobile01, 4Gamers, LDPlayer, Entertainment Taxi, HN News, Gamersky, 17173, and others. Some set names (e.g., Lost Radiance vs. Lost Glow, Baicang vs. Baizang) vary slightly between sources; defer to in-game text. New sets from 1.1 “Dream-Wandering Corridor” will be added once they go live.