Pods | Nier Automata Wiki

Pod Special Moves and Interactions in NieR Automata

There are two special moves that can only be used while in the air. Attacking while gliding will make the player spin around, dealing minor damage while extending their flight time. Jumping while simultaneously pressing the Pod fire button will make the player grab onto the Pod, spin around mid air, and launch themselves forward, or towards the nearest enemy dealing minor damage as well as increasing mobility. Using Pod fire after performing a perfect dodge will fire out a small orb that deals minor damage and causes extreme knockback.

You can show your Pod your appreciation by petting it. To do so, simply swipe on the touchpad of the DualShock 4 controller left and right a few times on PS4 (or shake your mouse around for a while if on PC). Your Pod will fly in front of you and you'll give it a pat (as 2B or A2) or a fist bump (as 9S).

Pod Programs in NieR Automata

As you progress through the game, your Pods can receive Pod Programs that enable them to perform special situational abilities, like a unique attack during a Boss fight. You can also upgrade them at Maintenance Shops, increasing their attack damage if you have the required Materials and Gold.

Upgrading & Customizing Pods in NieR Automata

To upgrade your Pod, speak to the merchant at the Bunker or Resistance Camp and select the upgrade option. Every Pod can be upgraded individually for money and resources. Pods gain a bonus to their regular attack on the first upgrade, an ability that charges while firing on their second, and a second stage of charging on their final upgrade. You can change the skin of your Pod by acquiring and equipping new Key Items.

The following are the different Pods you can obtain. Some key notes on the pods:

• Your choice of available Pods also determines the choice of available weapons while you are fighting in a Flight Unit, with the Laser and Gatling ones having double weapons while the Missile one having a couple of extra missiles per salvo
• Each Pod's Program (i.e. special attack) has an independent cooldown, so if you equip one you like such as the Laser on two of them you can fire one, switch to the other Pod and fire it again.
• The Gatling Pod is the initial one you have and is a solid mainstay. When using Lock On it does have a bit of spread and will have great difficulty hitting small targets at more than half of max Lock On range, but if manually aimed it can even hit targets past lock on range. If every bullet can hit the target it is actually debatable if this one or the Missile Pod has more damage output. This has the best raw damage output in a Flight Unit against one target.
• The Missile Pod is the second one you acquire (in the Desert) and is likely the one you will use most often in wider areas as it can accurately hit targets without needing to use Lock On (which it is worth noting is disabled at higher difficulties), making it easier to keep it firing while going into full melee combat. The missiles do arc sideways/upwards before turning towards their target which can have them hit walls or the floor in narrow passageways or the 2D side-scrolling combat sections, and very fast or ultra-close small enemies may be missed.
• The Laser Pod is an instant piercing beam with perfect aim, however it has a limited range and has the lowest raw DPS output of the three Pods. However, because of its Piercing aspect it can be an excellent choice for enemies whose main vulnerable spot is protected behind multiple armored sections such as Medium Flyers and Linked-Sphere types, and the laser can just go right through the protection to hit the vulnerable point. The Laser Pod is also a very good choice against ranged enemies shooting a lot of bullets at once, as the laser will easily shred through the projectiles.