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Best Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Build

Here are the best W-Engines, Disk Drives, and teammates to kit Ellen out with in ZZZ.

Ellen, the shark girl of Zenless Zone Zero's first premium banner, is shown in a trailer for the game
Image credit: HoYoverse

Cat girls, wolf boys, and even grizzly bears; Zenless Zone Zero has a very vibrant array of agents for you to unlock via its gacha system and play around with in battles against unruly Ethereals. The star of ZZZ’s first premium banner, though, is shark girl Ellen.

This S Rank shark girl is a part of Victoria Housekeeping Co. And alongside her shark tail (which is basically an entire shark pinned to her backside), and her maid outfit, she wields a shark-themed scissor-scythe that allows her to swiftly dish out damage in combat. Without further ado, here’s the best Zenless Zone Zero Ellen build so that you can get the most out of her kit.


Best Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Build

When it comes to any Ellen build, you want to make sure you have her combos down first and foremost. Some of the challenges presented to you in ZZZ will be ranked depending on how long it took you to complete them, so having a handle of your team’s combos and using them to their full potential will see you smash through fights much quicker.

Ellen mainly requires that you use her dash attacks to charge her Flash Freeze ability. When this is ready, you can unleash more powerful basic attacks on a foe before then using your EX Special attack, if it is needed. Two dash attacks should charge the ability, and then you can basic attack three times before launching a special attack and repeating the process until an enemy is stunned.

When enemies are stunned, that’s ideally when we want to use our EX Special attack if we have it charged, and our Ultimate immediately after if we can. This is the moment where we want to damage enemies as much as we can in a short period of time, so we want to use as much of our arsenal as quickly as possible. After stunning an enemy, it’s worth using your Special attack, then your basic attack, and switching back and forth repeatedly; you can still use a Special attack when it isn’t charged.

Here's the rest of what you need to know when it comes to building Ellen in ZZZ:

Best Ellen Team Compositions and Bangboos

There are a few different team compositions you can try Ellen with in Zenless Zone Zero, depending on which other characters you have.

For a premium mono-ice team, you’ll want Ellen, Lycaon, and Soukaku. As for your Bangboo, S Rank Sharkboo is the best for this team. Its abilities allow it to place shark traps during fights that cause Ice DMG and Anomaly Buildup, and when there are more than two Ice agents present (which there are), Sharkboo’s Chain Attack will inflict even more Anomaly Buildup.

An alternative F2P team — and the one that I am personally running while I patiently wait to try and acquire Lycaon — consists of Ellen, Anby, and Soukaku. Anby brings Electric damage to the team, which is relatively good during ZZZ’s initial content, as plenty of enemies have weaknesses to Electric and Ice.

You can still run Sharkboo with this team if you have it, but if not, an alternative A Rank Bangboo is Penguinboo. While not as powerful as Sharkboo, they function similarly, dishing out Ice DMG and Anomaly Buildup, and inflicting even more Anomaly Buildup provided there are 2 or more Ice agents present.

A team composition for Ellen, consisting of Soukaku, Anby, and Sharkboo is shown in Zenless Zone Zero
Image credit: HoYoverse

Best Ellen W-Engines

Ellen’s best W-Engines in Zenless Zone Zero are as follows:

  • S Rank Deep Sea Visitor - This is the star of ZZZ’s first premium W-Engine banner, and as a result, it’s Ellen’s signature weapon and the best pick for her if you can get your hands on it. Increases Ice DMG, and increases Crit. Rate following basic attacks and dash attacks that inflict Ice DMG.
  • S Rank The Brimstone - Up next is another S Rank, but The Brimstone is arguably easier to get a hold of for Ellen. Increases ATK when successfully damaging enemies with basic attacks, dash attacks, and dodge counters.
  • A Rank Starlight Engine - Our best A Rank pick for Ellen is the Starlight Engine, which increases ATK following dodge counters and quick assists.
  • A Rank Street Superstar - While not the best for Ellen, A Rank Street Superstar will bolster her attack. Following chain attacks, Ellen will collect charges that boost her Ultimate damage. These are consumed upon using her Ultimate.
The Brimstone W Engine and various Disk Drives for an Ellen build are shown in the player's agent menu in Zenless Zone Zero
You're looking for a solid W-Engine (I'm using The Brimstone), Woodpecker Electro and Puffer Electro Disk Drives for Ellen ideally. | Image credit: HoYoverse

Best Ellen Disk Drives and stats

When it comes to Ellen’s Disk Drives, and the stats you want for them, you have two options to choose from.

Woodpecker Electro, paired with Puffer Electro
  • 2 pieces Woodpecker Electro - increases Crit. Rate by 8%.
  • 4 pieces Woodpecker Electro - Triggering Critical Hits with Basic Attack, Special Attack, or Dodge Counter increases attack by 9%.
  • 2 pieces Puffer Electro - increases PEN Ratio by 8%.
Polar Metal, paired with Woodpecker Electro
  • 2 pieces Polar Metal - increases Ice DMG by 10%.
  • 4 pieces Polar Metal - Increases basic attack and dash attack damage by 20%, increasing by another 20% when any ally inflicts Freeze or Shatter on an enemy.
  • 2 pieces Woodpecker Electro - increases Crit. Rate by 8%.

You’ll also find that your key Disk Drives - 4, 5, and 6 - are where you want to aim for specific stats.

  • Disk 4 - Crit. Rate or DMG
  • Disk 5 and 6 - Ice DMG or ATK

As for your other Disks, always look to boost your Crit. Rate, Crit. DMG, and Ice DMG where possible.

Ellen Promotion Materials

To promote Ellen in Zenless Zone Zero, here are the resources you’ll need to farm.

  • Level 10 to 20: 24,000 Denny, 4x Basic Offense Certification Seal
  • Level 20 to 30: 56,000 Denny, 12x Advanced Offense Certification Seal
  • Level 30 to 40: 120,000 Denny, 20x Advanced Offense Certification Seal
  • Level 40 to 50: 200,000 Denny, 10x Pioneer’s Certification Seal

For more on Zenless Zone Zero, take a look at how to claim the free characters, the best Anby build, and all the characters you can look forward to (hopefully) unlocking.

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