Banner Overview: Dates, Phases & Pity Carry-Over
| Phase | Duration | Featured S-Rank | Rerun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Mar 24 – Apr 15, 2026 | Nangong Yu (debut) | Yidhari |
| Phase 2 | Apr 15 – May 6, 2026 | Cissia (debut) | Seed (community) / Orphie & Magus (other sources) |
Phase 2's rerun is contested — community sources say Seed, others say Orphie & Magus. Don't commit to plans around the rerun until official patch notes confirm it.
The mechanic most players get wrong: your Exclusive Channel pity counter carries over between every limited character banner. Pull 40 times on Nangong Yu's banner, get nothing, and those 40 pulls count toward your next S-Rank on Cissia's. What resets pity: actually pulling an S-Rank. What doesn't reset: your guaranteed status if you lost a previous 50/50.
Phase 1 is front-loaded — Chapter 8 story rewards, new exploration zones, and patch compensation all drop in the first week. If you're targeting Cissia, collect those rewards during Phase 1 without spending, then enter Phase 2 with a larger reserve.
Pity System: The Math Behind Every Pull
Hard pity guarantees an S-Rank at pull 90. Soft pity starts at pull 75, where the base rate jumps from ~0.6% to ~6.6% and escalates from there. Average S-Rank lands between pulls 62–65 — well before hard pity, but with real variance.
Soft Pity Probability Curve
| Pull Number | Approximate S-Rank Rate |
|---|---|
| 1–74 | ~0.6% per pull |
| 75 | ~6.6% |
| 76 | ~8–10% |
| 77–80 | ~12–18% (escalating) |
| 81–85 | ~25–40% (escalating) |
| 86–89 | ~50–80% (escalating) |
| 90 | 100% (hard pity) |
At pull 74 with no S-Rank, your next pull has roughly 11x the base rate. Stopping at 73 and waiting is a legitimate strategy — pity carries over, so you're not wasting anything.
50/50 Mechanic
Your first S-Rank on a limited banner has a 50% chance of being the featured unit. Lose it, you get a standard S-Rank — but your next S-Rank is guaranteed to be featured. That guarantee also carries between banners.
- Worst case (one featured S-Rank): 180 pulls / 28,800 Polychrome
- Average case (fresh 50/50): 62–65 pulls / ~9,920–10,400 Polychrome
Weapon Banner: Separate System
The W-Engine banner hard pities at 80 pulls (12,800 Polychrome) on a completely separate counter — it shares nothing with the character banner. Cissia's signature W-Engine: 713 base ATK, 60% Energy Regen, 32% CRIT Rate. Strong stats, but worst-case for character + signature weapon combined hits 41,600 Polychrome. That's a serious commitment covered in detail below.
Polychrome Pull Calculator: Every Cost Scenario
160 Polychrome = 1 pull. 1,600 Polychrome = 10-pull. No bulk discount on pulls themselves.
Full Cost Table
| Scenario | Pulls Needed | Polychrome Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky early pull, won 50/50 | ~30–50 | 4,800–8,000 |
| Average, won 50/50 (soft pity range) | 62–65 | 9,920–10,400 |
| Lost 50/50, average on guarantee | ~120–130 | 19,200–20,800 |
| Worst case (two hard pities) | 180 | 28,800 |
| Entering with guarantee saved | ~45–65 | 7,200–10,400 |
Won the 50/50: Budget 10,000–11,000 Polychrome with a small buffer. Most players land here.
Lost the 50/50: Budget 20,000–24,000 to cover the average double-banner scenario safely.
Entering with a guarantee saved: Best position to be in. You only need one S-Rank pull averaging 62–65 pulls from zero pity — and if you have existing pity banked, your effective cost drops further.
Is Cissia's Signature Weapon Worth It?
For most F2P and low-spender players: no, not in the same patch. The 60% Energy Regen is meaningful for her kit, but Cissia functions in her intended role without it. Worst-case combined cost (character + weapon) is 41,600 Polychrome — more than most F2P players earn in a full patch. Secure the character first, revisit the weapon banner only with surplus resources.
If you're dolphin-tier and considering both, the Monthly Pass (Gongfu subscription) guarantees one hard pity worth of pulls over 30 days — a reliable floor that makes the character pull much safer before committing to the weapon banner.
For players who want to top up strategically rather than pull blind, Zenless Zone Zero cheap Polychrome top up 2026 through BitTopup can stretch your budget — particularly useful when you're 10–15 pulls short of a guarantee and the banner window is closing.
Nangong Yu: Kit Analysis & Pull Priority
Nangong Yu is an S-Rank Ether Stun agent and Angels of Delusion faction leader. Pull priority is straightforward: essential for Aria/Sunna teams, situational otherwise.
Stun agents create Daze windows that amplify team damage significantly. Nangong Yu fills the Ether Stun slot specifically — community testing confirms she's the designated Stun unit for Angels of Delusion compositions. If you're running Aria or Sunna, there's a clear gap in your roster without her.
Outside that faction context, her value depends on whether you already have a functional Stun agent. If you do, she's a luxury.
Best teams:
- Angels of Delusion core: Nangong Yu + Aria + Sunna (primary use case, rated essential)
- Ether Stun flex: any team needing an Ether-element Stun agent
Pull her if: you're building Angels of Delusion with Aria and/or Sunna, you lack a functional Ether Stun agent, or you enjoy the faction's playstyle.
Skip her if: your Stun slot is covered, you're targeting Cissia's Electric DPS role, or you're strictly F2P with a single-character budget.
Cissia: Kit Analysis & Pull Priority
Cissia is an S-Rank Electric Attack agent from the Metropolitan Order Division — community analysis describes her as a meta-defining Electric DPS for NEPS-aligned teams. Best partners: Seed and Trigger.
Her pull priority sits at B-rank baseline, rising to A-rank when paired with Seed. That conditional rating matters. Cissia's value scales significantly with team composition — she's not a plug-and-play unit for every roster.
She's an Attack agent, not a sustain unit, so she doesn't replace healers or shields. She competes for the DPS slot in Electric teams. If you're running a weaker Electric DPS and have Seed available, she's a clear upgrade.
Best teams:
- NEPS Electric core: Cissia + Seed + Trigger (optimal setup)
- Electric flex: any Electric-focused team replacing a lower-damage Attack agent
Pull her if: you're building an Electric team with Seed and Trigger, you want a meta-relevant Electric DPS for Shiyu Defense, or you're planning long-term around the NEPS archetype.
Skip her if: you don't have Seed (her value drops meaningfully without that synergy) or you urgently need the Ether Stun role Nangong Yu fills.
Nangong Yu vs Cissia: Pull Priority Decision
Neither character is universally better. The right answer depends on your roster, pity state, and what content you're pushing.
Pull Priority Matrix
| Player Situation | Recommended Pull |
|---|---|
| Running Aria + Sunna, no Ether Stun | Nangong Yu (essential) |
| Have Seed + Trigger, need Electric DPS | Cissia (high value) |
| Neither faction built, general roster | Save for 2.8 or pull Cissia (broader meta) |
| Strict F2P, one-character budget | Nangong Yu if Angels team; Cissia if Electric team |
| Have guarantee saved, both teams viable | Pull Phase 1 (Nangong Yu), use guarantee |
5-Question Decision Tree
- Do you have Aria or Sunna? Yes → Nangong Yu is a priority pull. No → continue.
- Do you have Seed? Yes → Cissia becomes significantly more valuable. No → Cissia drops to situational.
- What's your current pity count? At 60+ pulls, clearing pity on Phase 1 and entering Phase 2 fresh is valid regardless of character preference.
- Do you have a guarantee saved? Yes → you can safely pull either banner knowing you'll get the featured unit. Deploy it on whichever character you need more.
- What's your Polychrome reserve? 15,000+ means you can attempt one banner comfortably. Below 10,000, consider whether saving for 2.8 is smarter.
Can F2P Players Get Both?
Realistically, no — not safely. Average cost for two characters (both 50/50 wins) is 124–130 pulls (19,840–20,800 Polychrome), which is within the 26,000–30,000 F2P ceiling. But losing even one 50/50 pushes the total to 180+ pulls, likely exceeding your budget. Plan for one character, treat the second as a bonus if the 50/50 cooperates.
F2P Polychrome Income: Full Source Breakdown
Community estimates put total F2P Polychrome at 26,000–30,000 for the full patch.
| Source | Polychrome per Phase | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Commissions | 1,260 (60/day × 21 days) | Per phase; consistent |
| Shiyu Defense | 1,200–1,800 | Per phase; depends on clear rating |
| Maintenance + Livestream | 900 | One-time at patch launch |
| Chapter 8 Story + Exploration | ~4,500 | One-time; front-loaded in Phase 1 |
| Events | Varies | Not fully confirmed; budget conservatively |
Conservative floor for strict F2P players: 15,080 Polychrome (94 pulls). That's enough to hit the 50/50 safely with a 20-pull cushion — but not enough to guarantee the character if you lose the coin flip.
The source most players undercount: Shiyu Defense. At 1,200–1,800 Polychrome per phase, it's one of the highest-value recurring sources in the game. Skip it across both phases and you're leaving 2,400–3,600 Polychrome (15–22 pulls) on the table. For F2P players, that gap can be the difference between a safe 50/50 attempt and a risky one.
Should You Save for ZZZ 2.8?
Spending everything in 2.7 is only correct if both characters are genuine upgrades for your roster. If neither slots cleanly into your teams, saving is the right call.
No confirmed 2.8 banner information is available at time of writing. The conservative approach: secure one character in 2.7 (whichever fits your roster better) and enter 2.8 with at least 10,000–15,000 Polychrome in reserve.
A practical framework: keep 14,400 Polychrome (one hard pity worth) in reserve at all times unless the current banner is a confirmed must-pull. This ensures you're never completely dry when the next banner opens.
If you're considering topping up to hit a specific pull target, Zenless Zone Zero genesis crystals recharge discount deal options through BitTopup offer competitive rates — worth checking if you're a few thousand Polychrome short of a guarantee and the window is closing.
FAQ: ZZZ 2.7 Banner Gacha Math
How much Polychrome guarantees an S-Rank in ZZZ 2.7? Hard pity at 90 pulls = 14,400 Polychrome. To guarantee the featured S-Rank worst-case: 180 pulls / 28,800 Polychrome (accounting for a lost 50/50). Average with a fresh 50/50: 62–65 pulls / ~9,920–10,400 Polychrome.
Does pity carry over between Nangong Yu and Cissia banners? Yes. Exclusive Channel pity carries over between all limited character banners. Your guaranteed status from a lost 50/50 also carries over. Only pulling an S-Rank resets pity.
When does soft pity start in ZZZ? Pull 75. The S-Rank rate jumps from ~0.6% to ~6.6% and escalates each pull after. By pull 80–85, most players have already hit. Hard pity at 90 is the absolute ceiling.
Should F2P players pull Nangong Yu or Cissia first? Nangong Yu if you're running Angels of Delusion with Aria or Sunna — she's the essential Stun unit for that composition. Cissia if your priority is Electric DPS with Seed and Trigger. If neither team is built, saving for 2.8 is the most defensible choice.
Can F2P players realistically get both characters? Only if you win both 50/50s. Average cost for two characters (both wins) is ~124–130 pulls, within the F2P ceiling — but losing even one 50/50 likely blows the budget. Plan for one, treat the second as a lucky bonus.
Are the signature weapons worth pulling? For most players: no, not in the same patch as the character. Worst-case combined cost (character + weapon) hits 41,600 Polychrome. Secure the character first, revisit the weapon banner only with surplus Polychrome.
What if I lose the 50/50 on Nangong Yu's banner? You get a standard S-Rank, and your next S-Rank on any Exclusive Channel limited banner is guaranteed to be the featured unit. That guarantee carries into Cissia's banner — you can strategically deploy it on whichever Phase 2 character you need more.
Before pulling anything: check your current pity count. Go to Signal Search → Exclusive Channel → Details → History, then count pulls since your last S-Rank. Two minutes of work that can completely change your pull strategy. Know your number before you spend.
