Zhao Build Guide (Zenless Zone Zero): W-Engines, Mindscape & Team Setup Recommendations
(Info Updated on 02 January 2026)
Zhao is a support unit in Zenless Zone Zero. Build her with Astral Voice (4pcs) and Yunkui Tales (2pcs), with her BiS W-Engine Half-Sugar Bunny to maximize her buff and heal utilities.
Zhao is an Ice Defense unit in Zenless Zone Zero, associated with the Krampus Compliance Authority faction. As the second free S-rank agent to date, Zhao is a decent support unit that has both buff and heal utilities, making her a suitable teammate for most DPS (aside from Rupture). Ye Shunguang in particular favors having Zhao the most as they are greatly compatible with each other. That said however, she would be outclassed by most support units in certain niches.
1. Build Guide: Role, Mechanics & Team Use
Character Introduction
Zhao is an Ice Defense agent from the Krampus Compliance Authority faction. She is given out for free in V2.5, making her the second free S-rank to date.
Role & Mechanics
Zhao is a support, whose utility stems from buffing and healing her teammates. Consuming Frostbite Points once it maxxes out, Zhao can activate Ether Veil when swapped in. With Ether Veil present, the squad members will have their ATK, HP and DMG boosted.
Meta Relevance
Zhao's utility is generic, making her compatible to most of DPS to date (except for Rupture units). Ye Shunguang in particular favors having her the most, making Zhao's presence in meta lineups more prevalent in coming versions.
Pros & Cons
Zhao is given for free, has utility of both buffing and healing while having very little on-field presence. She however has little damage to boot while having long animations. She is also often overshadowed by other specialized supports and has very few weapon choices.
Build
Zhao should be built with 4pc Astral Voice plus 2pc Yunkui Tales (HP) OR 2pc Moonlight Lullaby (ER), focusing on HP and/or ER main stats until around ~27K HP. Her best W-Engine is Half-Sugar Bunny (5★), with Tusks of Fury (5★), Original Transmorpher (4★), or Reel Projector (4★) as substitutes. After leveling up Core skill, prioritize her Basic Attack and Special Attack, followed by Chain Attack. Her M1 is recommended for teamwide RES ignore.
Pull Priority
Zhao is given out for free, so her banner can usually be ignored if you are content with M0W0. That said, her W-Engine would be a good choice to go after for more buffing capability.
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Team Building
Best paired with Attack unit (Ye Shunguang/Evelyn/etc.) or Anomaly unit (Alice/Miyabi/etc.).
2. Mindscape Breakdown & Estimated Pull Cost
*M0 included in calculations
M1: Teamwide RES ignore
- Lucky**: 10 pulls = 1600 monochromes ≈ 1980+260 Package (x1)
- Unlucky**: 180 pulls = 28800 monochromes ≈ 6480+1600 Package (x4)
M2: Teamwide ATK boost
- Lucky**: 20 pulls = 3200 monochromes ≈ 3280+600 Package (x1)
- Unlucky**: 360 pulls = 57600 monochromes ≈ 6480+1600 Package (x7)
**estimated based on winning 50/50 within either 10 or 180 pulls
3. W-Engine Priority & Gacha Cost
Half-Sugar Bunny (5★): HP & ER boost + teamwide HP & ATK & Crit DMG boost
- BEST case**: 10 pulls = 1600 monochromes ≈ 1980+260 Package (x1)
- WORST case**: 160 pulls = 25600 monochromes ≈ 6480+1600 Package (x3)
Tusks of Fury (5★, Caesar's BiS): Impact & Shield boost + teamwide DMG & Daze boost
- Only available during Caesar's banner
Original Transmorpher (4★): HP & Impact boost
- Ideal case (getting 1 within 10): 10 pulls = 1600 monochromes ≈ 1980+260 Package (x1)
- F2P, Buy from Box Galaxy shop
Reel Projector (4★): Impact boost + teamwide DMG taken reduction & Miasma contamination
- F2P, Available from V2.0 flagship event
**estimated based on winning 75/25 within either 10 or 160 pulls
4. Zhao Pull Planning & Monochromes Saving Guide (V2.5 Estimated)
Based on beta estimates
F2P
- 13480 polychromes + 21 Encrypted Master Tape = 105 pulls
PS (Inter-knot Membership)
- 17560 polychromes + 21 Encrypted Master Tape = 130 pulls
PS + BP (New Eridu City Funds - Premium)
- 18540 polychromes + 25 Encrypted Master Tape = 140 pulls
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5. Conclusion — Is Zhao Worth Pulling?
In V2.5, Zhao is given out for free so the discussion would be "Should you pull for her Mindscapes or W-Engine?"
Her Mindscapes unfortunately doesn't contribute enough to her team to justify going full in. But if you want to do Zhao DPS, then her M4 and M6 would be viable as they contribute to her personal damage numbers. Her BiS W-Engine on the other hand would provide better buffing utility while addressing her potential energy issue.
If you wish to enhance your DPS performance, especially Ye Shunguang's, Zhao's W-Engine would be a great choice to go for.
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