Diving into Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game's F2P Grind
How the Mode Ticks – Waves and Squad Management
You've got three planes leading to the boss, and your job? Keep that squad HP topped up. Four units on-field under your control, six off-field dishing auto-buffs and follow-ups. Gold Coins are your lifeline – recruit with 'em (Greys cost 1, those scaling beasts; Golds run 5). Rack them up through battles, interest (+1 per 10 coins, caps at +5 once you hit 50G), streaks, nodes, and bonds.
Quick playbook: Save for 50G before Lv6 to max interest. Auto-refresh the shop religiously. Snipe those Grey Hertas first.
Ever wonder why this mode feels like a brutal economy sim wrapped in chess? It punishes sloppy spending hard.
Sticking to Standard & 4-Stars: The Smart F2P Move
Merge three 1★ copies into the next star level – boom, power spike. A 3★ Grey straight-up outscales a 1★ Gold every time. Trials hand you Dan Heng, Herta, Asta, Tingyun, Serval, March 7th, Pela – all at E0S0. Bonds kick in with 4+ factions (think Xianzhou summoning Lightning-Lord for AoE pain via Tingyun).
My go-to steps: Cluster 4+ Xianzhou early. Merge those cheap Greys. Slot units per their tooltips – positioning is everything.
Off-Meta Mindset: Economy Over Everything for F2P Wins
Forget early EXP or shop rolls – economy first. Lean on low-cost scalers like Herta and Asta. Max that Skill Point Bond for DMG+ and action forwards. Day Demigod gear starts cheap; Excess Budget doubles your supplies; Gold Investment tosses in three free refreshes.
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F2P Squad Building Essentials
Assuming E0S1 for Everyone
Trials auto-enhance your standard/4-stars to E0S1. Merge Grey 1-costers (Herta/Asta) into 3★ for late-game scaling. Positioning tweaks kits on the fly; same-race bonds amp off-field DMG.
Steps from my runs: Experiment in trials. Skip over-rolling pre-Lv5. Post-Lv8, balance levels and recruits.
Relic Farming – What to Prioritize
Three pieces per character. Synth two Basics into an Advanced (stats and effects carry over). Hit basic nodes and streaks hard, stock 2-3 early. Four 1★ Roller Skates synth to Anti-Grav Boots (SPD stacking into ATK for March).
Hit list: Streak basics first. Synth Fist of Fury (2% Lucky Strike per 1000 HP, caps 40% on Asta). Slap 'em on your DPS carries.
Light Cone Swaps That Punch Above Weight
Chainsaw gives +10% Lucky Strike DMG – ramps Herta fast. Decapitation? +25% DMG and Weak Break efficiency for Pela's swarms.
Squad 1: Dan Heng Hypercarry with Sustain
Dan Heng as your Skill Point Bond hypercarry. Hoard 50G at Lv7+ for that Lv8 refresh.
Steps: Recruit Grey from 1-1 to 1-8. Cluster bonds. Gear Anti-Grav Boots for SPD.
Team: Dan Heng (carry), Asta (boost), Pela (debuff), March 7th (shield) on-field; Tingyun/Herta off-field.
Squad 2: Serval DoT Explosion Fest
Serval DoT with Sufficient Principal > Strength in Numbers > Procurement Specialist. Stack DoT Invitation > Contract > Rainbow Era; swarm those 4★s.
Steps: Save 50G into Lv8. Position for DoT bonds. Synth Chainsaw for the ramp.
Team: Serval (DoT core), Herta (cleanup), Asta (SPD), Pela off-field.
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Squad 3: March 7th Shieldbreaker Rampage
March shields with Anti-Grav Boots stacking SPD/ATK. HP dips below 45%? Triggers rolls – but dodge no-3-Chassis setups.
Steps: Follow tooltips for positioning. Xianzhou bonds for sustain. Grind win streaks for coins.
Team: March 7th (breaker), Dan Heng (sustain), Asta (Harmony), Tingyun (buffs).
Squad 4: Pela Debuffer Swarm City
Pela debuffs shine with Decapitation (+25% DMG/Weak Break). Pairs perfect with low-cost elites vs. bosses.
Steps: Refresh Blues post-Lv7. Pull Skill Point draws. Layer 4★ sustain.
Team: Pela (debuff queen), Serval (DoT), Herta (scholar), March off-field.
Squad 5: Asta Harmony Overdrive
Asta's Fist of Fury scales off HP to max 40% Lucky Strike; snag +3 interest at 30G early.
Steps: Slow-roll Lv5 past 50G. Tune SPD. Harmony bonds all day.
Team: Asta (boost engine), Dan Heng (carry), Pela, Tingyun.
Squads 6-10: Wild Hybrid Off-Meta Mixes
Herta Follow-Up Fury (Squad 6)
Herta's Cake Cat for kill rewards/Follow-up Bond True DMG; 3★ merges scale insane. Steps: Early econ to 50G cap. Node basics. Let off-field auto.
Natasha Pocket Healer (Squad 7)
Bloodflame Bond turns HP into Arena DMG/AoE; cheap sustain king. Steps: 50G interest grind. Position heals smart. Fist of Fury gear.
Trailblazer Superconduct (Squad 8)
Wolf Hunt buffs rolling; Day Demigod gear + Energy Index Funds. Steps: Faction clusters. Gold Investment refreshes. SPD Boots priority.
Gepard Freeze Core (Squad 9)
Stellaron Hunters Ult syncs; E0S0 trial freeze. Steps: Mid-game 4-5 cost refreshes. Bonds first. Synth Decapitation.
Lynx Hybrid Sustain (Squad 10)
Skill Point maxes SP for Dan Heng; Excess Budget doubles supplies. Steps: Lv8+ balance. EXP streaks. Tooltip tweaks.
Tools, Traps, and Fixes
HSR Team Builders – And the Pitfalls
Common flubs? Over-rolling pre-Lv5 tanks your econ; ignoring HP<45% skips rolls; post-Lv8 imbalance.
Fixes: Restart sans 3 Chassis. Econ trumps manual control. Bonds make it zero-sum.
Your Progression Roadmap
Early game: Skip rolls, cap at 50G.
Mid: Faction clusters, Lv8 refreshes.
Late: Lv7 carries dodge high-cost recruits.
Pro Tips to Master Zero-Sum Cycles
Win streaks pump coins. Overclock for weekly clears. Xianzhou bonds shred AoE waves. Hauls? 4000+ Jades/Resin/Tracks/Passes/Herta Bond/Tears from ranks and Deep Immersifiers.
Steps: Standard Gambit loot. Bi-weekly resets. Low-cost beats burst every time.
(Quick editor note: I've clocked dozens of runs – these econ tricks shaved my clear times by 20%. Pure gold for F2P.)
Wrapping Up – And What's Next
These 10 off-meta lineups scale via F2P trials, Grey scalers, bonds, and synth gear. Merge to 3★ on low-costs, cap that 50G econ for reliable clears.
FAQ
What even is Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game?
Permanent auto-chess endgame from v3.7, Nov 5. Three planes, 10-char board, Monday 04:00 resets.
Best F2P squads with standard units?
Dan Heng hypercarry, Asta boost, Herta scholar. Merge Grey 1-costs to 3★ scaling.
Off-meta with 4-stars – how?
4+ bonds (Xianzhou AoE), synth Anti-Grav Boots, early 50G interest.
F2P clear sans 5-stars?
Yep – trials + Herta/Asta scalers dominate via economy and bonds.
Top F2P goofs?
Over-roll pre-Lv5. Ignore tooltips/positioning. Skip 50G interest cap.
Fastest F2P teams?
Serval DoT or Pela debuff. Win streaks + Overclock Gambit = speed.
