TOP 5: Piper (Physical Anomaly)
Although Piper is only an A-rank main DPS, her mechanics and base stats are quite strong. After launch, continuous buffs to the Disorder system have made Piper's team archetype well-rounded despite her rarity. As a sub-DPS, she can pair with Vivian or Bernice, and for support, top-tier options include Rina (Yuye) or Kaiser for super armor. In low physical resistance scenarios, her damage can rival even 0+1 Ellen, sometimes even exceeding it in burst output.
However, Piper is highly dependent on Drive Disc upgrades.
Disc 1 is essential, boosting her Core Skill's charge efficiency from 80% to 120%, significantly improving her uptime.
Disc 2 increases her mobility and improves her plunge attack damage.
Disc 6 further extends her spin duration and buff time, greatly enhancing her role as a main DPS and enabling smoother swaps with sub-DPS characters.
TOP 4: Pokami (Physical Break)
Pokami is the designated Breaker for Chase teams. As an A-rank, she’s essentially a budget replacement for Trigger. Using her Special Skill to initiate, she’s a decent pick for players running Chase teams without Trigger. However, without Drive Disc 6, she has very limited versatility and is not valuable outside of specific comps.
Unlocking Disc 6 changes that: her 30% damage bonus effect, previously limited to Chase-only damage, becomes universally applicable to all damage types. This significantly boosts her flexibility. Combined with her advanced off-field mechanics, she becomes a viable option in any team lacking a Breaker.
TOP 3: Lucy (Fire Support)
Lucy is a popular A-rank support. While her buffs are modest (a flat +600 ATK to all teammates), her nearly instant cast animations make her feel amazing in combat. Though two limited S-rank supports have since been released, squeezing her out of top teams, she remains a strong and practical choice.
At Disc 0, her main issue is that her buff only activates via Enhanced Special Skill and lasts just 15 seconds.
Disc 2 is a must-have, allowing her buff to activate with Combo Skills as well—no longer needing to switch her in pre-break just to refresh buffs.
Disc 6 extends her buff duration from 15 to 30 seconds and adds background damage and Fire Anomaly charge—transforming her from decent to exceptional.
TOP 2: Nicole (Ether Support)
As one of the starting trio, Nicole’s design is excellent. Her wide-area Ether Field pulls enemies together, allowing the main DPS to deal consistent and efficient damage, especially in the first wave of mobs. Stat-wise, her 40% DEF reduction isn’t particularly high if no other DEF debuff is present, but her utility remains top-tier, making her the strongest A-rank support—comparable to S-ranks.
Her Disc upgrades bring noticeable gains:
Disc 1 enhances Anomaly buildup and buff duration.
Disc 4 increases Ether Field’s range, improving control and survivability.
Disc 6 grants the entire team +15% CRIT Rate, significantly boosting her raw value. Combined with her powerful A-rank signature weapon, she becomes a massive asset to the team and a very worthwhile Disc to invest in.
TOP 1: Panhook (Physical Defense Support)
With the introduction of the "PenBreak" role in version 2.0, Panhook joins the ranks of meta-relevant A-rank supports. Since Lucy, Kaiser, and even Yao Jiayin offer low Penetration conversion from ATK, their synergy with Yinlin is quite limited.
As a PenBreak-specific support, Panhook stands out. She directly grants Penetration bonuses and damage boosts to PenBreak characters—making her an excellent enabler.
Disc 1 grants an additional 10% damage bonus.
Disc 2 extends the default 30-second buff to 36 seconds and smooths her rotation.
Disc 6 is the game-changer: it raises her Penetration buff cap from 540 to 720 points, massively increasing her support power.
Her synergy with Yinlin is second only to Yao Jiayin, making her a nearly essential support for PenBreak teams. She currently holds the highest value among all A-rank Disc investment targets.
Conclusion
While S-rank characters will always be the core of Zenless Zone Zero, several A-rank characters—when fully built—can absolutely compete at the top level. If you’re missing key units in certain roles, consider investing in the A-rank picks recommended above. At Drive Disc 6, their strength is more than guaranteed.
