Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Best Builds and Teams

You want Ellen to hit hard in Zenless Zone Zero. Most players agree—she shows up in 99.9% of main teams among 13,599 players in Shiyu Defense. You can see why when you try her with these popular team comps. To pull for her, ManaBuy offers an easy Zenless Zone Zero top up.

DPS	Stun	Support	Notes
Ellen	Lycaon	Soukaku	Frozen burst, launch options

You’ll get the best results by stunning enemies first, then swapping to Ellen for huge burst damage. Ready to boost her even more? Let’s get started.

Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Best Builds

Before you dive into the details, here’s a quick reference for Ellen’s top builds in Zenless Zone Zero:

Build Type	W-Engine	Drive Discs	Stat Focus
Main DPS	Deep Sea Visitor	4x Polar Metal	Crit Rate, Crit DMG, Ice DMG
Sub-DPS/Flex	The Brimstone	4x Woodpecker Electro	Crit Rate, ATK%, PEN
Budget/F2P	Cannon Rotor	2x Hormone Punk + 2x Polar Metal	ATK%, Crit Rate, Ice DMG

You want Ellen to shine as your main Ice DPS. Let’s break down how to get the most out of her in Zenless Zone Zero.

Top W-Engines

W-Engines are like Ellen’s secret weapon. The right one can boost her damage by a lot. Here’s a quick look at the best options:

W-Engine	Rank
Deep Sea Visitor	S-Rank
The Brimstone	S-Rank
Cannon Rotor	A-Rank
Street Superstar	A-Rank
Starlight Engine	A-Rank
[Lunar] Pleniluna	B-Rank

Deep Sea Visitor stands out as the best choice for most players. It gives Ellen a huge boost to her Ice damage and fits her playstyle perfectly. You can learn more about new equipment on the Zenless Zone Zero official website.
The Brimstone is another top pick, especially if you want to try different team setups.
If you don’t have those, Cannon Rotor and Street Superstar work well as budget options for new players.

Tip: Always equip the highest-rank W-Engine you have. Even A-Rank engines can help Ellen deal big damage in Zenless Zone Zero.

Best Drive Discs

Drive Discs are like Ellen’s gear sets. The right combo can turn her into a true Ice queen. Here’s what you should look for:

4-piece Polar Metal set: This is the best set for Ellen. It boosts her Ice Damage by 10% and increases her Basic and Dash Attacks by 20%. If your team can freeze or shatter enemies, you get an extra 20% damage buff that stacks up to 40% for 12 seconds.
4-piece Woodpecker Electro set: This set is great if you want more crit rate and attack power. It helps Ellen hit harder and more often.
2-piece Hormone Punk + 2-piece Polar Metal: This combo works if you’re missing full sets. It still gives a nice attack and Ice damage boost. You can get the resources you need for upgrades from ManaBuy.

For Drive Disc slots, focus on these stats:

Drive 4: Crit Rate or Crit Damage
Drive 5: Ice Damage
Drive 6: Attack%

Note: The Polar Metal set works best when you pair Ellen with teammates who can freeze or shatter enemies. This makes her damage skyrocket in Zenless Zone Zero.

Stat Priorities

You want Ellen to hit as hard as possible. Here’s how to pick the right stats for her:

Stat Priority	Why It Matters
Crit Rate / Crit DMG	These stats make Ellen’s big hits even bigger. Try to balance them for the best results.
Ice DMG / PEN Ratio	Boosts all her Ice attacks. PEN helps her cut through enemy defenses.
ATK%	Increases her overall damage.
Energy Regen	Lets Ellen use her skills more often.

When you level up her skills, focus on these in order:

Core: This gives up to 100% Crit Damage to her Arctic Ambush and Flash Freeze attacks. It’s the biggest damage boost.
Basic: Level this next. It has a high damage multiplier and makes her regular attacks stronger.
Special: Upgrade this after Core and Basic for extra power.
Assist: Not as important, but still helps.
Dodge: Upgrade last.

Always look for Crit Rate, Crit Damage, Attack%, and PEN on your Drive Discs.
Ice Damage is a must for slot 5.

Ellen stands out as an S-tier Attack DPS in Zenless Zone Zero. Her Flash Freeze stacks and Ice bursts let her take down any enemy, big or small. When you build her right, she becomes the star of your team.

Team Compositions and Synergy

Making a good team for Ellen really helps her do more damage. It also makes your battles feel easier. You should pick teammates who help Ellen and fix her weak spots. Let’s look at the best choices for all kinds of players.

Best Team Members

Ellen does best with characters who freeze, stun, or boost her Ice damage. These teammates keep enemies stuck so Ellen can use her full power. The best partners for her are Soukaku and Lycaon. Soukaku gives your team a big Ice damage boost and adds more hits. Lycaon stuns enemies and lowers their Ice resistance. This makes Ellen’s attacks even stronger. If you use all three, you get a mono-ice team that beats bosses and groups of enemies. You can learn more about team building on the Zenless Zone Zero Wiki.

🧊 Tip: Try not to use two Stun units unless their buffs work together. Too many of the same type can waste your team’s power.

Here are some of the best team setups for Ellen:

Team Composition	Main DPS	Support Roles
Ellen + Lighter + Lycaon	Ellen	Lighter (Stun, buffer, debuffer), Lycaon (Stun, buffer, debuffer)
Ellen + Lighter + Soukaku	Ellen	Lighter (Stun, buffer, debuffer), Soukaku (Support, buffer, debuffer)
Ellen + Lycaon + Soukaku	Ellen	Lycaon (Stun, buffer, debuffer), Soukaku (Support, buffer, debuffer)

You can use Astra or Lighter if you want more stun or help. But Ellen, Lycaon, and Soukaku are the best team for most people.

F2P Team Options

If you don’t have rare characters, you can still make a strong team for Ellen. Free or easy-to-get agents work well too. These F2P teams give you good damage and helpful skills, even without special pulls.

Team Composition	Damage Output	Utility Features
Lycaon / Corin / Soukaku	High	Stun Damage Multiplier increase, Ice RES reduction
Zhu Yuan / Anby / Nicole	Moderate	Enemy grouping, DEF reduction

Lycaon and Soukaku help Ellen by boosting her Ice damage and keeping enemies stunned. Corin can help if you are missing someone. Zhu Yuan, Anby, and Nicole help control crowds and lower defense. This helps Ellen beat groups faster.

💡 Note: F2P teams can finish hard stages in Zenless Zone Zero if you focus on teamwork and keep buffs going.

Premium Team Options

If you have rare or S-Rank characters, you can make Ellen even stronger. These teams are great for tough fights and help you win hard battles.

Soukaku: Gives a 20% Ice damage bonus. This makes Ellen’s attacks much stronger.
Lycaon: Lowers enemy Ice resistance. Ellen’s skills do more damage.

Here are some top premium teams that strong players use:

Team Composition	Characters	Best Bangboo
Premium Mono-Ice Team	Ellen, Lycaon, Soukaku	S Rank Sharkboo

Other good teams are:

Ellen, Rina, Lycaon
Anby, Nicole, Corrin

Try to keep your buffs up as much as you can. Switch between support and stun units so Ellen always has a chance to do big damage.

Bangboo Recommendations

Bangboo units can really help your team do better. The right Bangboo gives you more energy, more Ice buildup, or better buffs. Here are the best Bangboo for Ellen teams:

Bangboo Unit	Benefits for Ellen
Butler	Gives Ellen energy faster, especially with Victoria Housekeeping Co. agents
Sharkboo	Works well with Ellen, Lycaon, and Soukaku. Boosts Ice Anomaly Buildup and team synergy
Penguinboo	Adds more Ice Anomaly Buildup. This helps trigger Polar Metal set effects

You want to keep buffs active as much as possible. Teams with Sharkboo or Penguinboo often have over 80% buff time and clear stages fast. Butler is good if you need more energy for Ellen’s big moves.

🚨 Common Mistake: Don’t just pick the Bangboo with the highest stats. Pick one that helps your team work together and keeps buffs going for the best results.

If you build your team with teamwork in mind, Ellen will always be the star in Zenless Zone Zero.

Skill Priority Guide

Leveling Order

If you want Ellen to deal the most damage, you need to level up her skills in the right order. Not all skills give the same boost. Some make a huge difference, while others help only a little. Here’s a simple table to show you which skills to focus on first:

Priority Level	Skill Type
1	Core Passive
2	Ultimate
2	Special
4	Dodge
5	Basic
6	Assist

Start with her Core Passive. This skill gives Ellen her biggest power spike. Next, put your resources into her Ultimate and Special skills. These two work together to boost her burst damage. After that, level up her Dodge skill. It helps you stay safe and keeps your combos going. You can upgrade her Basic and Assist skills last. They add a little extra, but you won’t notice a huge change.

💡 Tip: If you’re short on materials, always pick Core Passive first. You’ll see the biggest jump in Ellen’s performance.

Key Talents

You want Ellen to hit as hard as possible. To do that, focus on her most important talents. Here’s what you should upgrade:

Basic Attack: Makes her regular attacks stronger and smoother.
Special: Boosts her big moves and helps her deal more damage in combos.
Core Skills: Adds small bonuses that stack up and make Ellen even better as your main DPS.

Upgrading these talents will help Ellen shine in every fight. You’ll notice her damage go up fast. Don’t worry about Assist skills unless you have extra resources. Stick to the main three, and you’ll get the most out of Ellen every time you play.

How to Play Ellen

Combos and Rotations

You want Ellen to control the battlefield and keep enemies right where you want them. She shines when you use her combos to push, freeze, and slice through groups. Start with her Dash Attack to close the gap. This move lets you dodge attacks and get in close. Next, use her Basic Attack chain to build up damage. When you see an opening, trigger her Special Attack for a burst of Ice damage.

Ellen’s strength comes from her ability to keep enemies locked down. Her skills let you move enemies into tight spots, making it easier for your team to hit them. You can use her Charged Shear to break up enemy groups and set up big team attacks. If you time it right, you can chain her Glacial Blade Wave after a dash for even more damage. This combo feels smooth and keeps your momentum going.

🧊 Tip: Try to keep enemies frozen or stunned as much as possible. This gives Ellen more time to deal damage and helps your team stay safe.

Advanced Tips

You can take Ellen’s gameplay to the next level with a few smart tricks. In tough events like Troubles of Ellen the Shark (part of the summer events), you get the most out of her by playing through both story and combat challenges. This helps you learn her moves and get better rewards.

Ellen’s new upgrades fix her old problems. She no longer gets interrupted easily, so you can attack without worrying about being stopped. Her Charged Shear now gives you invincibility frames, letting you dodge big hits while dealing damage. Her basic attack chain has also improved. The new Glacial Blade Wave hits faster and feels smoother.

Here’s a quick look at what’s new:

Improvement	Description
Interruptibility	Ellen can now finish her combos without getting stopped.
Invincibility Frames	Charged Shear keeps you safe during enemy attacks.
Basic Attack Upgrade	Glacial Blade Wave deals damage faster and more smoothly.

You also get new attacks like Icy Blade and Glacial Blade Wave. Her core passive now boosts critical damage over a wider range, making every hit count. Try mixing these moves into your combos for even better results.

💡 Pro Tip: Practice chaining Ellen’s dash, special, and new basic attacks together. You’ll notice her damage and control skyrocket in every fight.

Mindscape Cinema Upgrades

Best Upgrades

You want Ellen to be her strongest. Mindscape Cinema upgrades make her much better in fights. These talents help Ellen hit harder and get more critical hits. They also help her get energy back faster. Some upgrades give her more Flash Freeze charges. Others make her attacks stronger or raise her crit rate and crit damage.

Here are the best upgrades you should get:

Glacial Omen: This talent gives Ellen more crit rate when she has Flash Freeze charges. She can land big hits more often.
Arctic Ocean Predator: This upgrade boosts her crit damage when she uses her EX special attack. Her burst attacks do a lot more damage.
Endless Hoarfrost: You get extra Flash Freeze charges and faster energy recovery. Ellen can use her skills more often.
The Feast Begins: This upgrade gives Ellen a huge damage boost when she stacks her abilities.

Focus on upgrades that help crit rate, crit damage, and energy recovery. These talents let Ellen do lots of damage and keep her combos going.

Unlock Order

Unlocking Ellen’s Mindscape Cinema talents in the right order helps a lot. You want the best boosts first. Experts say to start with talents that raise crit rate and crit damage. Next, get upgrades that make her attacks stronger and help her recover energy.

Here is a simple table to help you:

Upgrade Order	Talent Name	Effect Description
1	Glacial Omen	Increases crit rate based on Flash Freeze charges.
2	Arctic Ocean Predator	Enhances crit damage with EX special attack.
3	Overtime-Intolerant	Increases levels of various attacks.
4	Endless Hoarfrost	Grants Flash Freeze charges and energy recovery.
5	Adequate Sleep	Increases levels of various attacks.
6	The Feast Begins	Boosts damage significantly with stacks.

Start with Glacial Omen to get more crits. Then pick Arctic Ocean Predator for bigger burst damage. After that, unlock upgrades for attack levels and energy recovery. Finish with The Feast Begins for the biggest damage boost. If you follow this order, Ellen will get much stronger in every fight.

🧊 Tip: Don’t try to unlock every talent right away. Focus on the best upgrades first and watch Ellen win more battles.

Upgrade Materials

Upgrading Ellen takes some work, but you can do it step by step. You need special items and lots of Dennies to make her stronger. Let’s break down what you need and how to get it.

Ascension Materials

You want Ellen to reach her full potential. For that, you need to collect ascension materials. These items help you raise her level and unlock new abilities. Here’s what you need:

Basic Offense Certification Seal x4
Advanced Offense Certification Seal x32
Pioneer’s Certification Seal x30
Dennies x800,000

You can find these seals in combat missions and special events. Dennies come from daily commissions, missions, and combat simulations. If you want a quick look at the costs for each level, check out this table:

ELLEN LEVEL	ELLEN MATERIALS FOR PROMOTION	DENNIES REQUIRED
10	4 Basic Offense Certification Seal	24,000 Dennies
20	12 Advanced Offense Certification Seal	56,000 Dennies
30	20 Advanced Offense Certification Seal	120,000 Dennies
40	10 Pioneer’s Certification Seal	200,000 Dennies
50	20 Pioneer’s Certification Seal	400,000 Dennies

💡 Tip: Try to save up Dennies early. You’ll need a lot for Ellen’s final upgrades.

Skill Materials

Ellen’s skills need special items to reach max level. You’ll use different materials for each skill. Here’s a simple list to help you keep track:

Dennies: x5,000 to x200,000 per skill
Murderous Obituary: x2 to x30
Ferocious Grip: x2 to x4

You can farm Murderous Obituary by defeating the Notorious - Dullahan boss. Ferocious Grip drops from the Newborn Dead End Butcher boss. If you want to earn more Dennies, focus on daily commissions, missions, and events.

Here’s how you can get these materials fast:

Open the Dailies menu and go to the "Training" tab.
Pick the material you need and start farming.
Fight bosses for rare drops.
Complete missions and events for bonus Dennies.

🧊 Note: Upgrade Ellen’s most important skills first. You’ll see her damage go up right away.

Now you know what to collect and where to find it. With the right materials, Ellen will become your strongest agent in Zenless Zone Zero.

You now know how to make Ellen shine in Zenless Zone Zero. Here’s a quick recap:

Key Takeaways	Description
Team Composition	Use 1 Attacker and 2 Supporters for big damage and control.
Character Synergy	Pair Ellen with Ice agents like Soukaku and Lycaon for extra power.
Stun Strategy	Pick units that stun enemies to boost Ellen’s skills and remove debuffs.

Try mixing in agents like Qingyi, Anby, Caesar, Soukaku, or Rina. Test different combos and see what works best for your roster. Want more tips? Check out other guides. Drop your favorite Ellen teams in the comments! 🚀 And for all your game top-ups, ManaBuy is always here to help.

FAQ

What is Ellen’s best W-Engine in Zenless Zone Zero?

You want to use Deep Sea Visitor for Ellen. This W-Engine boosts her Ice damage the most. If you do not have it, try The Brimstone or Cannon Rotor. Always pick the highest-rank engine you own.

Which Drive Disc set should I farm for Ellen?

Go for the 4-piece Polar Metal set. This set gives Ellen more Ice damage and stronger attacks. If you cannot get all four pieces, mix Polar Metal with Hormone Punk for a solid backup.

Who are the best teammates for Ellen?

Pair Ellen with Lycaon and Soukaku. Lycaon stuns enemies and lowers Ice resistance. Soukaku boosts Ice damage. You can also use Astra or Lighter if you need more support.

How do I increase Ellen’s damage quickly?

Focus on Crit Rate, Crit Damage, and Ice Damage stats. Upgrade her Core Passive skill first. Use teammates who freeze or stun enemies. Equip the best W-Engine and Drive Discs you have.

Can free-to-play players build a strong Ellen team?

Yes! Use Lycaon, Soukaku, or Corin with Ellen. Farm for Polar Metal Drive Discs. Upgrade Ellen’s main skills. You can clear tough stages with good teamwork and smart upgrades.