ZZZ’s first anniversary will let players choose a free S-rank agent and a free S-rank W-Engine, but which ones should you pick?
Zenless Zone Zero’s first anniversary is coming and HoYoverse is throwing loads of rewards at players who have stuck around since the game’s initial release date. That was expected given similar events in Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, but few predicted that players would such a large gift in ZZZ.
Not only are players set to get a free S-rank agent from the static banner, but they’ll also have the chance to get a W-Engine. The cherry on top is double-helping of Encrypted Master Tape giveaways, free Boopons, and new skins for Belle and Wise. But ZZZ players do face a very difficult choice when it comes picking the best S-rank agent and W-Engine. So which should you choose, given the current state of the game?
The best S-rank agent to choose in ZZZ’s first anniversary event
Lycaon and Rina are the best S-rank agents to select for the Zenless Zone Zero anniversary giveaway.
Since the game’s introduction, players have had a free S-rank agent available to them after 300 pulls from the game’s standard banner. Getting that many pulls in Zenless Zone Zero is difficult, but doable with time. While this is a special event, players should stick to the same logic when picking a character here. Here’s the ranking of the best characters to pick:
- Lycaon
- Rina
- Koleda
- Soldier 11
- Grace
- Nekomata
Lycaon is the best S-rank agent from ZZZ’s standard banner, regardless of whether players have his W-Engine. Part of that is the agents that are currently available in the game, as he complements multiple powerful ice agents including the recently released attacker Hugo and the game’s best character, Miyabi. He provides value both on and off the field, something that’s proven critical for avoiding power creep in the game.
Rina doesn’t have similarly excellent pieces around her, but she works well in any mono-electric team. Pairing Rina with Soldier 0 Anby, Harumasa, or Yanagi is a strong core for various team compositions.
Koleda was previously the definitive third-best option, but she could creep up to Rina and Lycaon’s level. Alongside Lucy, Astra Yao, and Pulchra, Koleda is going to be tweaked to work better alongside rupture agents like the upcoming Yixuan.
All that said, Grace, Soldier 11, and Nekomata ought to be avoided.
Grace is decidedly the worst anomaly agent in ZZZ and is going to stay in that spot unless there’s a surprise addition to the Belobog Heavy Industries faction.
Soldier 11 has been eclipsed within her faction by Soldier 0 Anby and within her element by Evelyn. Unlike Grace, players know for a fact that there are OBOL Squad agents coming in ZZZ version 2.0, which could give her a boost. That prospective value may not eclipse where Lycaon and Rina currently sit, though.
And finally, Nekomata’s the second-worst attacker in the game. Even if ZZZ players don’t have her, they’re better off getting mindscapes than Nekomata.
Which S-rank W-Engine to choose in Zenless Zone Zero’s anniversary event selector
ZZZ players should choose The Brimstone, The Restrained, or Hellfire Gears from the S-rank W-Engine selector. The exact best choice will vary based on the player’s available agents and which other W-Engines they have.
The Brimstone is a generally strong W-Engine that is usable on any attacker agent that can handle lengthy field time. When ZZZ version 2.0 arrives, the only attackers that it won’t be particularly good with are Hugo and Corin. Evelyn, Harumasa, Soldier 0 Anby, Zhu Yuan, and Ellen can all use this W-Engine effectively, which isn’t even to mention how it’s Soldier 11’s signature W-Engine.
Here are the different S-rank W-Engines available to choose from, and which ZZZ agents they can potentially work well with beyond their signature agent:
| The Brimstone | Evelyn | Soldier 0 Anby | Zhu Yuan |
| The Restrained | Qingyi | Lighter | Pulchra |
| Hellfire Gears | Lighter | Trigger | Qingyi |
| Weeping Cradle | Nicole | Soukaku | Lucy |
| Steel Cushion | Soldier 0 Anby | Hugo | Zhu Yuan |
| Fusion Compiler | Yanagi | Burnice | Piper |
The Restrained and Hellfire Gears are the signature W-Engines of Lycaon and Koleda respectively, and they both provide value for almost any stun agent. Hellfire Gears is better for stunners that use their EX special skill and get out, while The Restrained is better for basic attacks.
Weeping Cradle and Fusion Compiler may be worth considering for some players.
Weeping Cradle is a good support W-Engine, but ZZZ players would be choosing it in the anniversary update based on its prospective value rather than its current value. While it can arguably help Nicole and Soukaku to some degree, it’s worse than some craftable W-Engines on Lucy and Astra Yao. Rina benefits from it, but has a very good alternative in Slice of Time.
The Fusion Compiler is somewhat workable with Yanagi and Burnice, but is clumsy to use on Miyabi and Vivian. Once again, future anomaly S-rank agents will likely be able to take advantage of the engine, but it’s tough to choose it on this prospect.
All this said, all Zenless Zone Zero players should avoid choosing the Steel Cushion as their free S-rank W-Engine. Few agents can make it work and it’s unwieldy against many endgame enemies.
