White Clad

Lore & Background

The White Clad are a group of androids who operate outside the direct command structure of Project YoRHa. Their name derives from their characteristic white uniforms, which set them apart from the black-clad YoRHa units. While their precise objectives are unclear, they are known to engage Machine Lifeforms and are sometimes encountered by YoRHa operatives. Their presence hints at a larger network of android resistance beyond the YoRHa project, suggesting that the war against the machines involves many factions with their own agendas.

In Their Own Story

The Legionis and Akira are dispatched to respond to an aberration attack, but are quickly outmatched by chimeras. The twins are saved by Neuron officers Max, Alicia, and Jin, who wield Legions capable of fighting them. Yoseph assigns Legions to the Legionis and Akira, enabling them to repel the chimeras. Afterwards, the twins are formally inducted into Neuron. Their first investigation mission goes awry when the Legionis ends up being pulled into the Astral Plane, causing the rest of the squad to pursue them through the gate to save them. As prolonged time in the Astral Plane redshifts humans, the Neuron officers grow weak and lose control over their Legions, causing them to break free and go berserk. In the end, only the Legionis is successful in subduing their Legion, gaining a new level of control over it. Max battles the remaining frenzied Legions and sacrifices himself to allow the rest of the squad to escape. Meanwhile, the Legion production facility at the Aegis Research Institute (ARI), a facility responsible for treating redshift and researching the Astral Plane, is attacked and put out of commission. This leaves the Legionis as the only officer with access to a Legion. The Legionis is sent on further missions to respond to chimera attacks, eventually recapturing the lost Legions in the process.

Reader's Guide

The player begins the game with the Sword Legion, capturing the other four over the course of the game. Legions come in various forms: a sword-based Legion with swift blade attacks that can sever circuitry and interrupt enemy attacks; an archer Legion that can target weak points and distant switches; a Legion with powerful punches that can move large objects; an axe-based Legion which generates a shield and can destroy breakable objects and enemy shields; and a K9 Legion that can track scents, unearth hidden objects, and be ridden for added mobility. Legions can be swapped at any time during battle and upgraded via experience points and unlockable skills. Each Legion has its own health meter that depletes while summoned and is susceptible to enemy attacks; health regenerates automatically when not active. Combat takes place in real-time using melee and ranged weapons against chimeras. The player can summon the Legion to automatically fight and create combo attacks, or manually direct it with the right analog stick. Each Legion has a unique action, such as manually aiming projectiles with the Arrow Legion or using the Arm Legion as protective armor. Additional skills include performing powerful health-restorative finishing moves, unchaining a Legion to summon multiple at once, and using the chain to bind enemies, zip line out of danger, or cross gaps. Completing combos, interrupting enemy attacks, restraining enemies, dodging, and deploying a Legion at the correct moment offers a chance to perform a sync attack, which can extend combos, trigger special attacks, bind enemies, and help the player recover from a fall. After performing many sync attacks, the player may fuse with their Legion to recover health and deal large amounts of damage. The game features four difficulty settings, with the highest unlocked only after beating a chapter once. On the two highest difficulties, the player is ranked based on individual case performance. Early in the game, players unlock the IRIS tool, a heads up display for inspecting the environment, searching for clues, saving progress, managing inventory, customizing menus, viewing the map, and managing orders. Previously completed chapters can be replayed via the player's desk at Neuron Headquarters, where they can also maintain and customize Legions, customize their character, and interact with other officers.

Did You Know?

• The White Clad are not part of Project YoRHa, but are a separate faction of androids in NieR: Automata.
• Their white uniforms contrast sharply with the standard black attire of YoRHa units.
• The exact origins and leadership of the White Clad remain unknown, adding to their enigmatic nature.
• They are sometimes mistaken for YoRHa units due to their android nature, but their distinct appearance and independent actions set them apart.