Team building basics in Version 3.2
Specialties that matter for starters
ZZZ lists more specialties than launch: Attack, Stun, Support, Anomaly, Defense, Rupture, and Armorer. You do not field all seven. A starter clear uses three Agents:
Specialty | Job in the fight | Starter examples |
|---|
Attack / Rupture | Dump damage in Stun windows | Billy, Soldier 11, Pyrois |
Stun | Fill the orange Daze meter | Anby, Lycaon, Ben (hybrid) |
Support | Buffs, DEF shred, grouping | Nicole, Soukaku, Lucy, Rina |
Anomaly | Attribute buildup for Disorder | Grace, Piper |
Defense | Shields / absorb while helping Daze | Ben |
Fill Daze → apply Support buffs → unload Attack during Stun. Stunned enemies take about 150% damage and open Chain Attacks: one chain on normals, two on elites, three on bosses.
Faction and Attribute synergy
Additional Abilities turn on when a teammate shares Faction or Attribute. Anby activates with Nicole through Cunning Hares even though their Attributes differ. Grace activates with Anby through Electric. Lycaon activates with Corin (Victoria Housekeeping) or Soukaku (Ice), and his Additional Ability also accepts an Anomaly teammate after later kit updates.
Attribute Anomalies:
Attribute | Anomaly |
|---|
Physical | Assault / Flinch |
Fire | Burn |
Ice | Freeze / Shatter / Frostbite |
Electric | Shock |
Ether | Corruption |
Disorder fires when a new Anomaly overwrites a different one. Dual-Attribute squads farm that burst on elites and bosses.
Official Agent pages and Attribute tags live on the Zenless Zone Zero character roster.
1. Cunning Hares core (Billy / Anby / Nicole)
Pure F2P from the Prologue. Full faction synergy. Still the correct first investment in 2026.
Slot | Agent | Why |
|---|
Attack | Billy Kid | Free ranged Physical DPS |
Stun | Anby Demara | Strong A-Rank Impact and Electric Daze |
Support | Nicole Demara | Grouping + DEF shred that stays useful in mid-game |
Bangboo: Amillion. With 2+ Cunning Hares, Street Code raises Bangboo Chain Attack DMG as enemy count drops (up to 45% at ability Lv.1 on a single target; higher core ranks scale further). Older guides that quote “+56% Agent CRIT DMG” describe outdated data.
Rotation: Anby builds Daze → Nicole EX for DEF shred and pull → Billy EX / Ultimate in the Stun window → Chain Attack order Support then Attack.
Anby’s Impact is high for an A-Rank. It does not match fully built S-Rank Lycaon. Treat her as the reliable free Stun until your selector lands.
2. Free Ether carry (Pyrois / Anby / Nicole)
Version 3.0 gave every Proxy Pyrois, an S-Rank Ether Attack Agent, through Season 3 Chapter 1 (A Sleepwalker's Confession). Signature W-Engine Sol Exuvia unlocks through Roscaelifer Interboo progression. That is the largest free DPS upgrade on a 2026 account.
Slot | Agent | Synergy |
|---|
Attack | Pyrois | Free Ether hypercarry |
Stun | Anby | Daze + keeps Nicole’s Cunning Hares Additional Ability |
Support | Nicole | Ether RES / DEF tools and grouping for AoE |
Bangboo: Avocaboo early for healing. Swap to a stronger combat Bangboo once clears feel safe.
Rotation: Nicole groups and shreds → Anby stuns → Pyrois Chain / Ultimate in the window. Keep at least one Stun or Support on the squad so Pyrois’s Additional Ability stays active.
Replace Zhu Yuan-centric “launch Ether” advice from 2024 guides with this path. Zhu Yuan remains a strong limited Attack Agent if you already own her; she is not on the Stable 300-pull selector.
3. Ice synergy (Lycaon / Corin / Soukaku)
Strongest non-limited Attack/Stun/Support core once Lycaon and Soukaku exist on the account.
Slot | Agent | Notes |
|---|
Stun | Von Lycaon | Stable S-Rank. Core Passive: 25% Ice RES shred and +30% DMG taken from other Attributes for 30s on key hits. Additional Ability: +35% Stun DMG Multiplier when he hits a Stunned enemy |
Attack | Corin Wickes | Victoria Housekeeping faction with Lycaon. Pre-registration mail on older accounts; otherwise pull from Stable / events |
Support | Soukaku | Free after Shiyu Defense Stable Node: Third Frontier. Up to +1,000 ATK and +20% Ice DMG at 2,500 ATK |
Overlapping conditions: Lycaon + Corin (faction), Lycaon + Soukaku (Ice).
Rotation: Lycaon stuns and applies RES shred → Soukaku Fly the Flag ATK buff → Corin on-field damage during Stun. Chain order: Soukaku → Lycaon → Corin when you need buffs before the big hits.
4. Fire foundation (Soldier 11 / Ben / Lucy)
Slot | Agent | Notes |
|---|
Attack | Soldier 11 | Stable S-Rank Fire Attack |
Hybrid Stun | Ben Bigger | Story Defense Agent who also builds Daze |
Support | Lucy | Permanent A-Rank. Residual Signal shop sells a selectable A-Rank each month (140 Residual Signal). Older “July 2024 shop-only” wording is outdated |
If Lucy is missing, run Nicole instead. You lose mono-Fire cohesion and Lucy’s Additional Ability, but DEF shred still carries story content.
Rotation: Lucy Guard Boars → Quick Assist into Soldier 11 burst → Ben for Daze when the meter lags → Soldier 11 again in Stun.
5. Electric Anomaly focus (Grace / Anby / Nicole)
Slot | Agent | Notes |
|---|
Anomaly | Grace Howard | Stable S-Rank Electric Anomaly. Shock specialist |
Stun | Anby | Electric Attribute match for Grace |
Support | Nicole | Universal DEF shred while you learn Disorder timing |
Anton Ivanov is A-Rank Electric Attack, not a Stable S-Rank. Older copy that called Anton an S-Rank DPS is wrong. Keep Anton as a budget on-fielder only if Grace is busy or you specifically want Attack specialty damage.
F2P-leaning Disorder swap: add Piper (Physical Anomaly) later and weave Assault into Shock for Disorder. Until then, Grace + Nicole still clears with Anby’s Stun windows.
Character picks: Stable and free Agents
High-priority Stable S-Ranks (300-pull selector)
Selector pool: Lycaon, Rina, Soldier 11, Koleda, Grace, Nekomata.
Agent | Role | Pick when |
|---|
Lycaon | Stun | You want one Stun who buffs Ice comps and general Stun DMG |
Rina | Support | You want PEN Ratio Support that slots into many DPS teams |
Soldier 11 | Attack | You already have Stun/Support and need Fire damage |
Grace | Anomaly | You want Shock / Disorder as a second team core |
Koleda | Stun | Belobog / Fire Stun preference with Ben |
Nekomata | Attack | Physical Cunning Hares DPS preference |
A-Rank staples
Agent | Value |
|---|
Nicole | Grouping + DEF shred. Still appears in budget endgame slots |
Soukaku | Large flat ATK buff. Ice teams and flex Support |
Anby | Free Stun until Lycaon / limited Stun arrives |
Ben | Free Defense who contributes Daze |
Lucy | Team ATK Support for Fire and general comps |
Piper | Physical Anomaly for Disorder pairs |
Corin | Simple Attack option for Lycaon teams |
Combat rotations that raise clear speed
Chain Attack order
Plan the swap order before the Stun lands. Support Chain first for buffs, then the damage dealer. On Lycaon / Corin / Soukaku, Soukaku’s ATK buff early in the chain beats dumping Corin first.
Perfect Assist and Ultimates
Golden flash before an enemy hit: spend an Assist Point (cap 6). Melee Agents Defensive Assist (parry + Daze). Ranged Agents Evasive Assist (dodge + slow). Follow with Assist Follow-Up damage. Fire Support Ultimates early; fire Attack Ultimates inside buffed Stun windows.
Dodge Counter
Successful dodges grant i-frames and a Counter window. Each Agent’s dodge distance differs. Watch stage hazards so the Counter does not walk you into another telegraphed hit.
Gear and upgrade order
W-Engines
Give each Agent one primary W-Engine and finish it before starting a second. Craftable options still cover early S-Ranks. Stun Agents want Impact (Anby’s Demara Battery Mark II is the free-friendly example). Attack Agents want ATK% / CRIT. Support Agents want Energy Regen or kit-aligned utility.
Drive Discs
Hold heavy disc farming until Inter-Knot ~30 and one locked team. Main stats first: Attack discs ATK% / CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG; Stun discs Impact / Energy Regen; Support discs Energy Regen / ATK% for scaling buffs. Crit Rate near 70–80% before stacking Crit DMG. Most Agents feel smoother around 120–140% Energy Regen.
Resource priority
One full team (levels, promotions, W-Engine, Core Skill)
Attack Agent skills → Stun skills → Support skills
Battery Charge on ascension materials before perfect discs
Daily Battery, Dennies, and Polychrome sit on the top HUD. Spend Battery before the 240 cap. Details sit in the ZZZ Battery Charge guide and the ZZZ beginner roadmap.
Long-term roster plan
Shiyu Defense: two full teams (six Agents)
Deadly Assault: three teams
Share Nicole or Soukaku across budget sides when materials are tight
Save Encrypted Master Tapes for limited banners; spend Master Tapes on Stable toward the 300 selector
Mistakes that stall accounts
Mistake | Fix |
|---|
Three Attack Agents, no Stun | Keep a dedicated Daze Agent |
Ignoring Additional Ability conditions | Match Faction or Attribute on purpose |
Spreading materials across six Agents | Finish one trio first |
Farming discs at low Inter-Knot | Levels and W-Engine first |
Calling Anton an S-Rank or Zhu Yuan a Stable pick | Anton A-Rank Attack; Zhu Yuan limited; selector is the six Stable Agents above |
Buying every Residual Signal cinema early | Prefer pulls or signature W-Engines unless you need that A-Rank |
Mid-game swaps
Keep Billy until Pyrois or a limited Attack Agent clearly outdamages him on your discs. Replace Anby when Lycaon, Qingyi-class limited Stun, or a free event Stun fits the Attribute plan. Keep Nicole until Rina / Astra-class Support arrives and her Additional Ability still matches the team.
Element coverage across teams beats three identical Physical squads when Shiyu recommends Attributes.
FAQ
What makes a beginner team work in ZZZ?
Attack + Stun + Support with at least one Faction or Attribute match for Additional Abilities. Stun builds Daze, Support buffs the window, Attack spends it. Cunning Hares (Billy / Anby / Nicole) is the default day-one example.
Which free Agents give the most value?
Nicole, Anby, Soukaku, Ben, and (from Season 3) Pyrois. Lucy and Piper join from the standard A-Rank pool or shops. Corin depends on whether your account still holds the pre-registration mail.
Do faction bonuses beat raw rarity?
Often. A matched A-Rank trio with active Additional Abilities clears cleaner than three uncoordinated S-Ranks. Lycaon’s +35% Stun DMG Multiplier and Rina’s PEN Ratio buffs are the Stable examples.
What is the upgrade priority?
One team. Inside it: Attack > Stun > Support for levels. On skills: Core Passive and the abilities that feed Daze or main damage first.
When should you replace starters?
When a new Agent raises clear speed enough to justify lost materials. Lycaon or Rina from the 300-pull selector is the main F2P leap. Pyrois replaces Billy on Ether teams without a limited banner.
Can starter teams clear Shiyu Defense?
Early floors yes. Full rewards need two built teams with Attribute matching. Lycaon / Corin / Soukaku and Pyrois / Anby / Nicole are the usual F2P-leaning pair once materials catch up.
Wrap-up
Lock Billy / Anby / Nicole on day one, graduate the Attack slot to Pyrois after Season 3, and spend the 300-pull selector on Lycaon or Rina. Keep one completed trio before disc perfection or banner chasing. When a limited banner lines up with your second team’s Attribute, top up Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome on BitTopup and finish that core the same way you finished the first.
