Zenless Zone Zero Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - How To Optimize Zhu Yuan's Damage

With Zenless Zone Zero entering its first official launch content patch’s second half with exciting new events, brand new contents and the release of the 2nd of the game’s brand new Limited Time Available Agents - The 5* Ether Elemental Agent Zhu Yuan. With the release of the Limited time available Agent Zhu Yuan, many players may want to know the best way they can build Zhu Yuan in terms of stats to focus on, which drive disc sets should they use, what are the best W-Engines to use with Zhu Yuan, what teams and teammates should they use together in the same team with Zhu Yuan, what Bangboo to use with Zhu Yuan in a team or even what are some important tips and tricks they should know when playing Zhu Yuan in order to best optimize her damage output against enemies in the different challenges.

In this guide we will go over all of the important things players need to know when playing Zhu Yuan, all of the things they should pay attention in regards to her playstyle and advises players on the best builds players can run on Zhu Yuan in order to best boost her damage output and how to optimize her damage against enemies as much as possible when she is on the field.

• Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - Ascension And Skill Upgrade Materials
• Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - W-Engine & Drive Disc Build Recommendations
• Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - Playstyle Analysis, Team Building & Bangboo Recommendations

Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - Ascension And Skill Upgrade Materials

Ascension Materials

As Zhu Yuan is an S Rank Attack Agent, she requires a large amount of Offense Certification Seals of different rarity, with a total amount of Offense Certification Seals needed to upgrade Zhu Yuan to the maximum lv60 at 4 Basic Offense Certification Seals, 32 Advanced Offense Certification Seals and 30 Pioneer's Certification Seals. Players can obtain these seals by farming them in the VR Simulation Training Game Mode in the Agent Promotion section in the HIA Gameclub by spending Battery Charge to challenge the different waves of enemies and obtain the materials.

Skill Upgrading Materials

For Skill upgrading materials, with Zhu Yuan being an Ether Elemental Agent, she will need a large amount of Ether Skill Upgrading Chips of different rarities depending on her skill level, with Zhu Yuan needing a total of 25 Basic Ether Chips, 75 Advanced Ether Chip and 250 Specialized Ether Chip in order to fully upgrade all 5 of her Skills and Abilities. Players can obtain these chips by farming them in the VR Simulation Training Game Mode in the Agent Skill section in the HIA Gameclub by spending Battery Charge.

In addition, certain skill levels will require an exclusive special material - Hamster Cage Pass, which can only be obtained from special events and special missions for a limited time. These materials can be used to max an Agent’s skill when they are at the maximum ascended stage and maximum level.

Core Skill Upgrading Materials

In order to upgrade Zhu Yuan’s Core Skill, players will need to obtain special boss materials from 2 different game modes - Notorious Hunt and Expert Challenge.

For Expert Challenge, players will need to challenge the boss Notorious Armored Hati and obtain the Higher Dimensional Data: Ethereal Pursuit. In order to max all of Zhu Yuan’s Core Skill, players will need a total of 60 of these materials in order to unlock all of Zhu Yuan’s core skills.

For Notorious Hunt, players will need to challenge the Unknown Corruption Complex Stage in order to obtain Living Drive in order to upgrade Zhu Yuan’s core skill. Players will need a total of 9 of these materials to max Zhu Yuan’s core skills.

Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - W-Engine & Drive Disc Build Recommendations

W-Engine Recommendations

As an Attack Specialty Agent, Zhu Yuan’s W-Engine options are dependent on the different Attack W-Engines in the game. 

Zhu Yuan’s best W-Engine option is her Signature W-Engine: 

- Riot Suppressor Mark VI (Limited S Rank W-Engine) (Critical Damage%): Increases Ether DMG by 25%. Launching an EX Special Attack grants the equipper 8 Charge stacks, stacking up to 8 times. Whenever the equipper's Basic Attack or Dash Attack deals Ether DMG, consumes a Charge stack and increases the skill's DMG by 45%.

Zhu Yuan’s alternative W-Engine options includes:

- The Brimstone (Permanent S Rank W-Engine) (Attack%): Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.

- Cannon Rotor (Battle Pass A Rank W-Engine) (Critical Rate%): Increases ATK by 7.5%. Attacks that land a CRIT on an enemy will inflict an additional 200% of ATK as DMG. This effect can only be triggered once every 8s.

- Starlight Engine (F2P A Rank W-Engine) (Attack%): Launching a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist increases the equipper's ATK by 12% for 12s.

Drive Disc Set Recommendations:

As Zhu Yuan is an Ether Elementa Main DPS Agent, her drive disc sets recommendations are dependant on her builds with her 2 highly recommended Drive Disc builds as followed:

- Main DPS Critical Zhu Yuan Build: 4 Pieces Chaotic Metal, 2 Pieces Woodpecker Electro. With Critical Damage/Critical Rate% for Disc #4, Ether Damage% for Disc #5 and Attack% for Disc #6.

- Main DPS Anomaly Damage Zhu Yuan Build: 4 Pieces Chaotic Metal, 2 Pieces Freedom Blue. With Anomaly Proficiency for Disc #4, Ether Damage% for Disc #5 and Anomaly Mastery for Disc #6.

Zhu Yuan Agent Guide - Playstyle Analysis, Team Building & Bangboo Recommendations

Zhu Yuan Playstyle Analysis

Zhu Yuan main gameplay revolves around her ability to quickly approach the enemy to overwhelm them with a flurry of martial arts, bullets and Ether Elemental Damage. Her main damage gimmick relies on her obtaining special Enhanced Shotshell from various sources to massively boost the damage she does from her gun attacks.

Zhu Yuan’s normal attacks allow her to quickly approach the enemy and deal up to 5 instances of damage in succession, dealing both Physical and Ether damage to enemies. When her 5th attack hits, she will gain 1 Enhanced Shotshell. Holding the Normal Attack button will make her enter Suppressive Mode, allowing her to spend up to 3 Shotshells to deal damage to enemies, if an Enhanced Shotshell is consumed, she will deal massive amounts of Ether Damage with each shot.

Zhu Yuan’s Special Attack allows her to quickly release a buckshot towards the enemy, dealing Ether damage to them. This attack can be repeated 3 times in a row by spamming the Special Attack button. When Zhu Yuan has enough energy, this skill will turn into her EX Special Attack, allowing her to deal more explosive buckshots that explode on contact and dealing more Ether Elemental Damage. Afterwards, she gains 3 Enhanced Shotshells.

Zhu Yuan’s Chain Attack allows her to quickly take the field and fire lasers and seek missiles, dealing Ether damage to enemies and grants her 3 Enhanced Shotshells. When the team’s decibel meter is filled, she can unleash her ultimate, fire lasers and seek missiles towards the enemy and deal massive amounts Ether Damage to them, granting her 3 Enhanced Shotshells.

Finally, Zhu Yuan’s Core Skill massively increases the damage of her Shotshells when she is in suppression mode and enhances her damage against Stunned enemies.

Zhu Yuan Team Recommendations

As Zhu Yuan is an Ether damage Main DPS, the best team with Zhu Yuan is as followed:

The main team with Zhu Yuan is the Ether Elemental damage team, with Zhu Yuan being the main DPS and Nicole being the main support Agent in the team to boost Zhu Yuan’d Ether damage output. The sub DPS slot can be flexible with Agents such as Grace Howard (for more Anomaly Damage), Anby (Stun Agent for Chain Attacks) or another Supporting Agent.

The best Bangboo to go with Zhu Yuan is Resonaboo (S Rank), but players can supplement Resonaboo with Devilboo (A Rank) as a budget option.