Version 2.1 Banner Timeline
Phase 2 runs Aug 6, 2026 12:00 PM to Sep 3, 2026 2:59 PM (UTC-5). Both Alice debut and Yanagi rerun compete for same Encrypted Master Tape resources.
Standard 0.6% S-Rank rate, guaranteed at 90 pulls. 50/50 system: first S-Rank has 50% chance of featured agent. Losing 50/50 guarantees next S-Rank is featured character—up to 180 pulls for certainty.
For resource top-ups, Zenless Zone Zero top up through BitTopup offers competitive pricing and instant delivery.
Featured A-Ranks: Soukaku and Seth at 7.05% combined rate, guaranteed every 10 pulls. Both offer 50% rate-up for constellation opportunities.
Version 2.5 Schedule: Phase 1 (Dec 30, 2025 - Jan 21, 2026) features Ye Shunguang. Phase 2 brings Alice rescreening—second chance without 4-6 month rerun wait.
Farm 60-80 Encrypted Master Tapes per patch through dailies, events, and Shiyu Defense. Feasible to guarantee one S-Rank per version from zero pity.
Pity Mechanics: Carries over between same-type banners but resets independently for character vs W-Engine. 50/50 status persists across versions. Soft pity starts pull 73; most players get S-Rank between pulls 75-85.
Alice Kit Breakdown
S-Rank Physical Anomaly from Spook Shack. Level 60 stats: 7,673 HP, 880 ATK, 606 DEF, 106 Anomaly Mastery, 118 Anomaly Proficiency, 86 Impact, 19.4% CRIT Rate, 50% CRIT DMG, 1.2 Energy Regen.
Core Passive: Mark accumulation at 125% efficiency, 100% CRIT Rate cap. Assault attacks deal 35% bonus damage. Dual-scaling enables both Anomaly Proficiency and CRIT builds.
Sword Energy Mechanics:
- +20% damage per energy bar consumed (max 60% at 3 bars)
- Bonus persists 12 seconds after consumption
- Each Assault reduces enemy DEF by 12.5% for 15s, stacks twice (25% total)
- Disorder triggers recover one energy bar
When Anomaly Mastery exceeds 140: gain 1.6 Anomaly Proficiency per point beyond threshold, plus 25% Physical Anomaly Buildup for 30s.
Constellations:
- M1: +20% Mark progress, DEF reduction increases to 20% per stack (40% total)
- M4: Assault damage doubles to 100%, +10% energy generation
- M6: +20% Physical Anomaly Buildup, +10 Anomaly Proficiency per stack (max 10 stacks, 20s duration)
Signature W-Engine - Practiced Perfection:
- 713 Base ATK, 24% CRIT Rate, 76.8% CRIT DMG (max refinement)
- Passive: 14.4% ATK, stacks twice during Assault for 12s
- Pushes toward 100% CRIT Rate cap
- 18-22% damage increase over A-Rank alternatives
Disk Drives:
- Disc 6: Anomaly Mastery
- Disc 5: Physical DMG or PEN Ratio
- Disc 4: Anomaly Proficiency
- Substats: Anomaly Proficiency > ATK% > PEN
- Sets: Fanged Metal 4pc + Freedom Blues 2pc
Hit 140 Anomaly Mastery breakpoint before investing in Proficiency substats. Beyond 140, each point converts to 1.6 Proficiency.
Promotion: 4 Basic Anomaly Seals, 32 Advanced Seals, 30 Controllers, 800k Denny. 2-3 weeks farming.
Yanagi Rerun Analysis
S-Rank Electric Anomaly from Section 6. Level 60 stats: 7,788 HP, 797 ATK, 612 DEF, 112 Anomaly Mastery, 114 Anomaly Proficiency, 86 Impact.
Core Passive (Lunar Eclipse): +125% Disorder damage multipliers for 15s, +10% Electric DMG same duration.
Polarity Mechanics:
- Polarity Disorder triggers at 18% Anomaly buildup
- 725% Anomaly Proficiency multiplier
- Ultimate (Raiei Tenge): 4,000% Anomaly Proficiency for Polarity Disorder
- Functions as both Anomaly applicator and primary DPS
Electric element maintains baseline effectiveness regardless of enemy composition—no hard counters like Physical damage faces.
Constellations:
- M1: Clarity stacks (max 3, 15s) grant 80 Anomaly Proficiency
- M2: +20% Electric Anomaly Buildup, +20% Polarity Disorder damage
C1 Yanagi often outperforms C0 Alice in Disorder teams.
Signature W-Engine - Timeweaver:
- 714 Base ATK, 30% ATK, 30% Electric Anomaly Buildup
- Passive: 75 Anomaly Proficiency for 15s, +25% Disorder DMG at 375 Proficiency
- Stacks multiplicatively with Core Passive (2.8x total Disorder damage)
- 25-30% DPS increase over A-Rank options
Disk Drives:
- Disc 6: ATK or Anomaly Mastery
- Disc 5: Electric DMG or PEN Ratio
- Disc 4: Anomaly Proficiency
- Sets: Thunder Metal 4pc + Chaos Jazz 2pc
Promotion costs identical to Alice: 4 Basic Seals, 32 Advanced Seals, 30 Controllers, 800k Denny.
Hollow Zero Core Mechanics
Endgame challenge mode from Version 2.0. Higher enemy stats, Corruption mechanics, weekly rotating objectives. Emphasizes combat efficiency over exploration.
Corruption accumulates during encounters, reducing HP and applying debuffs. Faster clears minimize exposure—high-damage Anomaly teams excel.
Weekly Challenges:
- Rotating enemy compositions, elemental advantages, time-trials
- Rewards: premium Resonium, exclusive Bangboo items, bonus Polychromes
- 800-1,200 Polychromes monthly (5-7 pulls toward pity)
Bosses feature Pressure meters depleting faster through Anomaly applications, creating stun windows. Inherent advantage for Alice and Yanagi over CRIT DPS.
Resonium selection amplifies damage types or Anomaly effects. Strategic pathing contributes 30-40% total damage in optimized runs.
Enemy Weaknesses:
- Electric-weak constructs
- Physical-weak organic enemies
- Neutral-resistance hybrids
Alice excels against organics and high-armor constructs via DEF shred. Yanagi maintains consistent performance across all types with superior Disorder against mixed groups.
Performance Testing: Alice vs Yanagi
Single-Target Bosses (Physical-Weak):
- Alice: 3:45-4:15 clear times (C0 + signature)
- Yanagi: 4:00-4:30 same conditions
- Gap narrows to 15-20s at M1
Multi-Target Swarms:
- Yanagi: 2:50-3:20 (Disorder chains)
- Alice: 3:15-3:45 (sequential elimination)
Neutral Bosses:
- Both: 3:30-4:00 clear times
- Variance depends on Resonium and supports
Corruption Mitigation: Alice's DEF shred enables 30s faster kills = 15% less Corruption damage = one fewer healing cycle.
Yanagi's burst windows eliminate Corruption-applying enemies before debuff triggers. More effective than raw stat advantages.
15-30s time-to-clear gap compounds over weekly resets—saves 2-3 minutes total per cycle.
Best Team Compositions
Alice Premier: Alice-Vivian-Yuzuha Sharkboo
- Physical damage amplification + Anomaly Proficiency buffs
- Sub-4-minute clears vs Physical-weak targets
- 4:15-4:30 vs neutral enemies
Alice Flexible: Alice-Yanagi-Yuzuha Butler
- Dual Anomaly coverage, Disorder regardless of weakness
- Trades specialized damage for consistent performance
Alice F2P: Alice-Soukaku-support
- Soukaku (banner A-Rank) provides ATK buffs
- 85-90% optimal team performance at lower cost
Yanagi Premier: Yanagi-Anby-Ben Gulliver
- Electric resistance shred + defensive utility
- 3:00-4:00 clear range across matchups
Yanagi Burst: Yanagi-Yuzuha-Miyabi Gulliver
- Max Anomaly Proficiency stacking
- Peak Disorder damage for time-trials
Yanagi Stable: Yanagi-Seth-Rina Plugboo
- Seth shields + Rina Electric amplification
- Consistent clears, ideal for learning mechanics
For immediate value without resource grind, buy Zenless Zone Zero top up online at BitTopup to secure both agents and signature W-Engines.
F2P Yanagi: Yanagi-Anby-Ben
- Free starter + standard banner agents
- 90-95% premium team performance
- Gap appears in Ultimate cooldowns, not raw damage
Both function at C0 with A-Rank W-Engines—clear times extend 30-45s vs signature builds. Gap narrows in longer encounters where rotation optimization matters more.
Banner Decision Framework
New Players: Prioritize Yanagi for immediate impact and flexibility. Electric element provides consistent value; Disorder mechanics require less specialized support than Alice's DEF shred synergies.
Mid-Game (Inter-Knot 40-50): Alice fills unique Physical niche if you have established Anomaly roster. Yanagi overlaps functionally with other Electric options despite superior performance.
Roster Gap Analysis:
- Own strong Electric DPS (Miyabi, Rina)? → Pull Alice for elemental diversity
- Lack Electric options? → Pull Yanagi for immediate impact
- DEF shred scales with roster quality—less valuable early, increasingly important late
Check existing W-Engine inventory. Yanagi's Timeweaver provides larger individual gains, but Alice's Practiced Perfection enables unique hybrid scaling.
Polychrome Budget:
- Guaranteed S-Rank: 28,800 Polychromes (180 pulls × 160)
- Version 2.1 provides 8,000-10,000 free Polychromes
- Need 18,800-20,800 from reserves or top-up
- 50% chance within 14,400 Polychromes (90 pulls)
- Average acquisition: 21,600 Polychromes (135 pulls)
Monthly card holders: +3,000 Polychromes monthly = one guaranteed S-Rank every 2-3 months.
Future Schedule:
- Alice rescreening: Version 2.5 Phase 2 (post-Jan 21, 2026)
- Yanagi next rerun: unconfirmed, likely 6-8 months
- Can skip Yanagi knowing Alice returns in 5 months
Anomaly mechanics remain fundamental to Core success—both agents maintain long-term viability despite future releases.
Common Mistakes
Assuming New > Rerun: Yanagi's Disorder mechanics unmatched despite being older. Alice fills niche rather than replacing. Evaluate kits, not release dates.
Ignoring Team Synergy: Alice needs Anomaly supports for Sword Energy generation. Yanagi demands Electric shred or Proficiency buffers. Pulling without compatible supports wastes resources.
Underestimating W-Engine Costs: Signatures provide 18-30% performance increases. Budget for both character and weapon (43,200 Polychromes total) or accept A-Rank compromises.
W-Engine banner: 80 pulls guaranteed, no 50/50—every S-Rank is one of two featured options.
Chasing Meta Without Context: Endgame benefits from min-maxed investments; mid-game gains more from roster breadth. Both Alice and Yanagi at C0 > one agent with constellations for strategic flexibility.
New players: prioritize versatile agents with low support needs. Yanagi's self-sufficient Disorder > Alice's DEF shred requiring specific teams.
Expert Recommendations
F2P Players:
- Prioritize Yanagi for immediate impact
- Electric element maintains value across all content
- Scales with free A-Rank supports
- Save for Version 2.5 Phase 2 to evaluate Alice vs new agents
- Budget 28,800 Polychromes for guaranteed acquisition
- Accumulate via dailies (60/day), Shiyu (800-1,200/week), events (2,000-3,000 each)
- One guaranteed S-Rank every 2-3 months
Low-Spenders (Monthly Card):
- +3,000 Polychromes monthly enables selective double-pulls
- Pull Yanagi if lacking Electric Anomaly, save for Alice January rescreening
- 18,000-20,000 Polychromes between banners covers most pity
- Invest in one signature W-Engine per version
- Yanagi + Timeweaver > Yanagi + Alice both C0 with A-Rank weapons
Endgame Players:
- Evaluate constellation value vs new acquisition
- Yanagi M2: +20% Electric Buildup, +20% Polarity Disorder damage
- Alice M1: +20% DEF shred, Mark progress acceleration
- Constellation cost: 14,400 Polychromes average per copy beyond C0
- If both fill distinct gaps → prioritize breadth
- If one sees consistent use → invest in constellations
New Players:
- Secure one strong Anomaly DPS before diversifying
- Yanagi's lower support needs = safer first investment
- Build functional team with free agents (Anby, Ben)
- Avoid spreading resources across incomplete teams
- One fully built team > three partial teams
- Focus: main DPS → signature W-Engine → Disk Drives → expand roster
FAQ
Is Alice worth pulling in ZZZ version 2.5? Yes if you lack Physical DPS or need DEF shred utility. She provides unique Physical Anomaly coverage with 25% DEF shred at M1. Version 2.5 Phase 2 rescreening allows delayed acquisition. Skip if roster needs Electric coverage or budget limits force single-agent priority.
Should I pull Yanagi rerun or save for Alice? Yanagi for immediate impact—125% Disorder multipliers, lower support needs, proven performance. Alice for specialized Physical damage and DEF shred requiring specific teams. Choose Yanagi if lacking Electric Anomaly or building first endgame team. Choose Alice if roster has Electric coverage and needs Physical options.
Which character clears Hollow Zero Core faster? Alice: 15-30s faster vs Physical-weak single-target (DEF shred). Yanagi: 25-35s faster vs multi-target (Disorder chains). Neutral matchups: similar 3:30-4:00 times. Performance depends on weekly rotation—neither dominates universally.
How many Polychromes needed for guaranteed Alice? 28,800 Polychromes (180 pulls) worst-case losing 50/50. Average: 21,600 Polychromes (135 pulls) accounting for 50% 50/50 win rate. Budget conservatively at 28,800.
What are Alice's best team compositions? Premier: Alice-Vivian-Yuzuha Sharkboo (max Physical amplification). Flexible: Alice-Yanagi-Yuzuha Butler (dual Anomaly coverage). F2P: Alice-Soukaku-support (85-90% optimal output using banner A-Rank).
Does Alice need her signature W-Engine? Practiced Perfection provides 18-22% damage increase through CRIT stats enabling hybrid scaling. Functions with A-Rank weapons but loses CRIT-focused playstyle distinguishing her from pure Anomaly agents. Recommended for optimal performance, not mandatory for basic functionality.
