What Changed in 2.6 Phase 1
Update runs February 6 to March 4, 2026 (11 AM UTC+8), centered around the Mesmerized state mechanic. Two Angels of Delusion faction agents redefine Physical and Ether team building.
Sunna's Kit:
- Requires 140% Energy Regen breakpoint (25%+ substats on Drive Discs)
- EX Special: 12.5% Physical DMG buff for 40s (2-stack max)
- Signature Thoughtbop: 713 Base ATK, 60% Energy Regen, +0.4 Energy/s off-field
- Enables sub-20 second Ultimate rotations for Mesmerized uptime
Aria's Kit:
- 4-hit Basic Attack: 1 EX Special energy + 3 Light Sticks per cycle
- Signature Angel in the Shell: 713.8 Base ATK, 30% Anomaly Mastery, +40% Ether Anomaly Buildup, +20% DMG to Ether Anomaly enemies
- Needs 400+ Anomaly Proficiency (30+ per disc)
- Anomaly Mastery scaling replaces traditional CRIT builds
Secure these agents through best site to top up ZZZ for competitive pricing during the Phase 1 banner.
Mesmerized State Mechanic:
- Guarantees critical hits with 210-500% ATK scaling
- Synergizes exclusively with Sunna's kit
- Neglecting Energy Regen reduces uptime by 30-40%
Ether Veil Idol Buffs:
- +50 ATK for 30s
- +30% Stun DMG Multiplier for 40s
- Rewards coordinated Stunner/Anomaly rotations
Shiyu Defense Changes:
- Floors 12-15 counter mono-attribute teams
- F2P: 90-120s clears | Premium: 60-75s clears (25-40% gap)
- Biggest Fan Bangboo optimal for Anomaly teams: 5095 HP, 7896 ATK, 666 DEF, 50% CRIT Rate, 100% CRIT DMG, 110 Anomaly Mastery, 110 Impact
Optimal Rotation: Sunna EX Special → Stunner Stun during Mesmerized → Aria 4-hit Basic → EX Special → Charge Attack (18-22s cycle). Sunna M2 achieves sub-20s cycles.
Complete Tier List by Role
S-Tier DPS
Aria (S-Rank Ether Anomaly)
- M1: Extends Mesmerized 12→15s (+25% uptime)
- M2: Sub-15s Ultimate rotations
- Drive Discs: Slot 4 Anomaly Proficiency/CRIT Rate, Slot 5 Ether DMG%/ATK%, Slot 6 ATK%/Anomaly Proficiency
- Target: 400+ Anomaly Proficiency
Billy (A-Rank Physical)
- F2P foundation for Physical teams
- Mesmerized state guarantees crits
- Zero pull cost, competitive with proper investment
Top Supports
Sunna (S-Rank Physical Support)
- Swing Jazz 4-piece: +15% ally ATK on EX Special
- Investment: 800k Denny ascension, 2,905k skills, 400k W-Engine
- Materials: 25 Basic/75 Advanced/250 Specialized Physical Chips, 5 Hamster Cage Passes, 4 Basic Support seals, 32 Advanced seals, 30 Ruler seals
Nicole (A-Rank Support)
- Ether team utility and resistance shred
- F2P third slot for budget Aria teams
Best Stunners
Anby (A-Rank Electric Stun)
- F2P baseline Stunner
- Timing syncs with Sunna's EX Special cooldowns
Physical/Ether Stunners gain +30% Stun DMG Multiplier from Ether Veil Idol buffs—critical for 60s vs 120s clear times.
Tier Movement
Physical agents rise 20-35% with Sunna. CRIT Rate-focused Physical agents lose value as Mesmerized guarantees crits—respec to CRIT DMG/ATK%/Physical DMG%.
Best Teams for 2.6 Phase 1
Top 5 Meta Teams
1. Sunna + Aria + Physical Stunner (Premium)
- 60-75s Shiyu Defense clears
- Rotation: Sunna EX Special → Stunner Stun → Aria 4-hit Basic → EX Special → Charge Attack
- Requirements: 140% Energy Regen (Sunna), 400+ Anomaly Proficiency (Aria)
2. Aria + Sunna + Nicole (F2P Ether)
- 90-120s clears, zero limited pulls beyond Aria/Sunna
- Nicole's resistance shred amplifies Anomaly damage
3. Sunna + Billy + Anby (Pure F2P Physical)
- 90-120s clears, A-Rank agents only
- Billy scales exponentially under Mesmerized crits
4. Aria + Billy + Sunna (Hybrid Budget)
- Ether Anomaly + Physical bursts
- Careful rotation management required
5. Aria + Anton + Sunna (Electric/Ether)
- Electric coverage vs Physical-resistant bosses
- Less optimal but flexible for multi-floor runs
Faction Synergy
Angels of Delusion bonus between Sunna/Aria amplifies Energy Regen and Anomaly Mastery—mathematically superior when both available.
F2P Strategy
Sunna + Billy + Anby requires only Sunna as limited pull. S-Rank rates: 0.6% base, soft pity 75, hard pity 90, guaranteed featured at 180 pulls.
Maximize pulls with buy ZZZ monochrome through BitTopup.
Hypercarry vs Balanced
Hypercarry funnels all buffs into Aria for single-target burst. Balanced distributes damage between Aria/Physical agents for consistent DPS across varied encounters.
W-Engine Tier List
Best DPS W-Engines
Angel in the Shell (Aria Signature)
- 713.8 Base ATK, 30% Anomaly Mastery, +40% Ether Anomaly Buildup, +20% DMG to Ether Anomaly enemies
- 25-30% performance gain over alternatives
- Reduces Drive Disc substat pressure
Generic Anomaly W-Engines
- 12-15% performance loss but enables broader roster investment
Support/Stun W-Engines
Thoughtbop (Sunna Signature)
- 713 Base ATK, 60% Energy Regen, +0.4 Energy/s off-field, 12.5% Physical DMG buff for 40s (2 stacks)
- Off-field energy enables sub-20s Ultimate cycles
- Largest single performance upgrade for Sunna teams
Weeping Gemini (Generic Energy Regen)
- 55.2% Energy Regen creates ~12% gap vs Thoughtbop
- Budget option, reduces Mesmerized consistency
Signature vs Generic Value
Signatures provide 25-30% gains but require substantial Polychrome. For F2P, prioritize Sunna's Thoughtbop over Aria's Angel in the Shell—Mesmerized uptime affects all Physical dealers while Aria's signature only amplifies her damage.
Budget Alternatives
Weeping Gemini requires additional Energy Regen substats to reach 140% breakpoint. Generic Anomaly W-Engines demand perfect Anomaly Proficiency substats across all six Drive Discs.
Meta Shift: 2.5 vs 2.6
Agents That Rose
Physical dealers gain universal tier increases. Billy transforms from budget placeholder to legitimate meta option (within 20% of premium S-Ranks). Ether Anomaly agents gain specialized niches through Aria, concentrated within Angels of Delusion teams.
Agents That Fell
CRIT Rate-focused Physical agents lose value—Mesmerized guarantees eliminate CRIT Rate needs. Non-Anomaly Ether DPS face opportunity cost vs Aria's superior scaling, gap widening at M1/M2.
Archetype Changes
Meta shifts from balanced CRIT builds to specialized optimization: Energy Regen (Sunna), Anomaly Proficiency (Aria), CRIT DMG (Physical DPS). Faction synergy gains prominence—Angels of Delusion bonuses encourage faction-locked teams.
Advanced Team Building
Synergy Mechanics
Mesmerized requires precise timing between Sunna's EX Special and Stunner engagement. 40s Physical DMG buff allows rotation flexibility, but optimal play maintains continuous uptime through overlapping Ultimates.
Aria's Light Stick generation creates exponential scaling: 4-hit Basic → EX Special → Charge Attack maximizes Anomaly application and burst during Stun Windows.
Attribute Coverage
Shiyu Defense punishes mono-attribute teams. Sunna + Aria's Physical/Ether coverage avoids hard counters. Ether Veil Idol's +30% Stun DMG Multiplier rewards attribute-matched Stunners.
Bangboo Selection
Biggest Fan optimal for Anomaly teams—balanced stats support Aria's Anomaly Proficiency while offering CRIT stats for Physical DPS. Universal applicability makes it default for mixed-attribute teams.
Drive Disc Optimization
Sunna:
- Slot 4: ATK%/CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG
- Slot 5: Physical DMG%/PEN
- Slot 6: Energy Regen (mandatory for 140% breakpoint)
- Substats: 25%+ Energy Regen, ATK% secondary
Aria:
- Slot 4: Anomaly Proficiency/CRIT Rate (Anomaly until 400+)
- Slot 5: Ether DMG%/ATK%
- Slot 6: ATK%/Anomaly Proficiency
- Substats: 30+ Anomaly Proficiency per disc, ATK% secondary
Swing Jazz 4-piece on Sunna: +15% ally ATK on EX Special, stacks multiplicatively with Thoughtbop's Physical DMG buffs.
Shiyu Defense Optimization
Floor 100 Strategies
Burst damage during extended Stun Windows. Premium: 60-75s clears via Sunna EX Special → Stunner Stun → Aria burst. F2P: 90-120s through lower damage. Sub-20s Ultimate cycles critical—failing 140% Energy Regen reduces Mesmerized uptime 30-40%.
Boss Counter-Picks
Physical-resistant bosses need Ether (Aria). Ether-resistant need Physical DPS. Sunna + Aria + Stunner provides attribute flexibility.
Stun Window duration varies—shorter windows prioritize Aria's EX Special → Charge Attack, extended allow full 4-hit Basic → EX Special → Charge Attack.
Time Attack Techniques
Animation canceling saves 10-15s. Sunna's EX Special cancels into Stunner swap. Aria's Charge Attack queues during EX Special final frames. Pre-cast Sunna's Ultimate during boss phase transitions for immediate Mesmerized availability.
Resource Investment Priority
Build Order
Priority 1: Sunna - Enables multiple teams, highest ROI. 800k Denny ascension + 2,905k skills mandatory.
Priority 2: Aria - Specialized Ether Anomaly focus, essential for Ether teams. Same investment costs as Sunna.
Priority 3: Stunners - Anby provides F2P baseline. Premium Stunners offer marginal improvements.
W-Engine Refinement
Thoughtbop/Angel in the Shell: R1 optimal ceiling, R2-R5 diminishing returns don't justify costs. Generic W-Engines stay at base refinement.
Skill Levels
Sunna: Max Ultimate/EX Special for sub-20s cycles. Basic Attack minimal investment.
Aria: 4th Basic Attack impacts energy generation—unusually valuable. EX Special/Ultimate max for competitive damage.
F2P Allocation
Secure Sunna (Feb 6-Mar 4), accumulate Polychrome for future agents over constellations/signatures. Sunna + Billy + Anby sufficient for all content. Prioritize Sunna's 140% Energy Regen before optimizing DPS substats.
Common Mistakes
Team Building Errors
Myth: CRIT Rate essential for Physical DPS in Sunna teams Mesmerized guarantees crits—CRIT Rate wasted. Respec to CRIT DMG/ATK%/Physical DMG%.
Myth: Generic Energy Regen suffices for Sunna 140% breakpoint is hard requirement. Below this reduces Mesmerized uptime 30-40%.
Myth: Aria works with standard DPS builds Needs 400+ Anomaly Proficiency (30+ per disc). Standard builds lose 40-50% damage.
W-Engine Errors
Players undervalue Thoughtbop's off-field energy (+0.4/s enables sub-20s cycles unavailable elsewhere). Overinvestment in refinements beyond R1 wastes resources.
Drive Disc Pitfalls
Neglecting Energy Regen substats on Sunna creates largest bottleneck. Farm Energy Regen main stat Slot 6 + 25%+ substats before optimizing others.
Aria needs 30+ Anomaly Proficiency per disc—substat quality > set bonuses. Prioritize off-set pieces with perfect substats over completing sets.
Future-Proofing: 2.6 Phase 2 Predictions
Long-Term Meta Agents
Sunna's Mesmerized mechanics provide universal Physical value—safest long-term investment, viable through multiple updates. Aria's Anomaly scaling positions her for sustained relevance as future content emphasizes Anomaly mechanics.
Smart Investment
Prioritize versatile supports over specialized DPS—supports enable multiple teams while DPS face power creep. Target constellations with mechanical advantages (Aria M1: 12→15s Mesmerized) over raw stat increases.
Upcoming Content
Expected Shiyu rotations continue emphasizing attribute coverage and faction synergy. Maintain two fully built teams covering different attributes. Future Angels of Delusion agents may amplify Sunna/Aria synergies—current investments gain value as faction expands.
FAQ
What are the best teams in ZZZ 2.6 Phase 1? Sunna + Aria + Physical Stunner (60-75s clears, premium) or Sunna + Billy + Anby (90-120s, F2P). Both exploit Mesmerized guaranteed crits during Stun Windows.
Which W-engines are meta in ZZZ 2.6? Thoughtbop (Sunna) and Angel in the Shell (Aria) provide 25-30% gains. Thoughtbop's off-field energy enables sub-20s Ultimates. Angel in the Shell addresses Aria's 400+ Anomaly Proficiency need.
How has the tier list changed in ZZZ 2.6? Physical agents rise universally (Billy +20-35%). Ether Anomaly gains from Aria. CRIT Rate-focused Physical agents lose value—guaranteed crits eliminate CRIT Rate investment.
Is 2.6 meta F2P friendly? Yes—Sunna + Billy + Anby achieves 90-120s clears (only one limited pull). Performance within 20-40% of premium alternatives.
How do I build teams for Shiyu Defense in 2.6? Prioritize Physical/Ether coverage, maintain 140% Energy Regen (Sunna), execute Sunna EX Special → Stunner Stun → DPS burst rotations.
Should I pull for signature W-engines in 2.6? Thoughtbop highest single-item upgrade (sub-20s Ultimates). Angel in the Shell 25-30% damage but lower priority. F2P: secure Sunna first, evaluate signatures based on remaining Polychrome.
