Nuke mutations are stat modifiers that land on individual warheads in Merge a Nuke. Each one trades a buff in Cash, Damage, Health, or launch Cooldown for a debuff somewhere else. They are not straight upgrades, so a roll you love for raids might quietly hurt your idle Cash farm.
When mutations unlock and how to farm them
Mutations turn on after Rebirth 3. From there, nukes can spawn with a random mutation, and merges can pass or change traits.
| Rebirth | What unlocks |
|---|---|
| 3 | Mutations system, Common through Epic pools |
| 5 | Legendary mutation pool |
| 10 | Admiral pool and a second mutation slot on one nuke |
At Rebirth 10 and above, one nuke can hold two mutations. Merge nukes that carry different traits to try combining both on a single warhead.
The game does not list exact odds for mutations on spawn or merge. Treat every new nuke as a random roll once the system is live.
Pick up a nuke to see its mutation name and full buff or debuff list. Mutated nukes also show a visible effect on the model.
Discovered mutations register in the Mutations Index, sorted by rarity: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Admiral. Filling the Index is part of the current endgame chase, even though max rebirth stays at 10.
Two tools help you farm without accidents:
- Destroy Nuke removes a warhead you do not want, freeing spawn space for fresh rolls.
- Lock on a nuke blocks both merge and destroy so a keeper cannot get wiped by mistake.
Lock good rolls the moment you like them. If a mutation is already in your Index but you are chasing a second slot at Rebirth 10, keep that nuke instead of feeding it to Destroy. The Index remembers the discovery; your nuke still holds the trait.
Stabilized Legendary is a special roll: about 10% of Legendary mutations come out with buffs only and no debuffs. Still worth locking when you see one.
All known mutation types and effects
These are all known mutation names and effects right now.
| Rarity | Mutation | Buffs | Debuffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Accelerated Fuel | 35% shorter launch cooldown | 25% less damage |
| Common | Dense Core | 25% more Cash; 25% more Health | 40% longer cooldown |
| Common | Enriched Core | 40% more Cash | 25% less Health |
| Common | Reinforced Plating | 50% more Health | 25% less Cash |
| Rare | Critical Mass | 50% more damage below half Health | 25% less Cash |
| Rare | Leeching Warhead | Restores 25% Health after a successful hit | 25% longer cooldown |
| Rare | Regenerative Alloy | Slowly heals after avoiding damage | 20% less Cash |
| Epic | Siege Core | 75% more damage | 50% longer cooldown |
| Legendary | Fissioned | Creates a bonus lower-tier nuke when merged | 30% less Cash; 20% less Health |
| Legendary | Overclocked Reactor | 2x Cash; 75% more damage | 40% less Health; 35% longer cooldown |
Check the nuke tooltip in-game if a patch changes these numbers.
Five Index slots are still blank and have no confirmed name or effect: 1 Common, 3 Epic, and 1 Admiral. They show as empty or TBA until you or the community discover them in-game. Do not trust fan lists that invent names for these rows.
Magma (event-only mutation)
Magma does not appear in the Mutations Index. It comes from the Volcano Event during Admin Abuse weekends.
Documented effects:
- +50% Cash
- Extra damage (no exact percentage is listed in-game)
- Impact area catches fire; the fire does not add separate damage
How to get it:
- Hit the volcano weak points during the event.
- After 15 hits, lava targets the top hitter.
- Lava splashes can apply Magma to nearby nukes.
- The Lava Merge event may also grant Magma directly.
Because Magma is event-only, plan around the schedule if you want it on a keeper nuke. Lock it once you have it.
A few build starting points with named mutations:
- Cash farming: Enriched Core or Overclocked Reactor if you can handle lower Health. Dense Core trades cooldown for safer idle income.
- Raid damage: Siege Core hits hard but slows launches. Critical Mass rewards low-Health play. Pair with Reinforced Plating or Regenerative Alloy if you need survivability.
- Merge chains: Fissioned spawns a bonus lower-tier nuke on merge, which can speed collection goals if you accept the Cash and Health penalties.
For broader merge, raid, and rebirth pacing outside mutations, see the Merge a Nuke wiki hub. You can also check live visit and player trends on the Merge a Nuke stats page.
