Astra Yao is arriving in and, unsurprisingly, the first limited S-rank support of ZZZ can be absolutely overpowered with a proper W-Engine and Drive Disc build.
Gacha games tempt players into using their pulls on power-creeping DPS characters, but it’s the supports that tend to have the longest lifespan. That makes Astra Yao a particularly great character to pull for. She’s going to be a high-tier option on day one but players can be fairly certain that this will also be the case two or three years down the road. That may not be the case with characters like Ellen, or even the likes of Miyabi.
Still, no character is strong right out of the box. Here’s the best way to build Astra Yao in Zenless Zone Zero, including her optimal W-Engines, Drive Discs, and team compositions.
Table of contents
How to use Astra Yao in Zenless Zone Zero
Astra Yao is an S-rank support unit that brings two unique mechanics to the game; healing and new opportunities to use quick assists.
Zenless Zone Zero isn’t the deepest action-RPG out there, but HoYoverse has kept things interesting by giving players many interesting ways to splash around in that shallow pond. Astra Yao doesn’t change the core gameplay, but she continues this idea.
Quick assists and healing are two mechanics that haven’t really been touched by HoYoverse. Quick assists are attached to specific attacks, but players haven’t been able to do them elsewhere. Meanwhile, healing exists through certain Bangboos and on-field items, but no agent has had the ability to heal allies.
Astra Yao’s kit brings the standard roundup of transferable buffs, with the ability to create quick assist opportunities and heal allies. Her well-rounded kit and various perks makes her a viable support option alongside any pair of DPS units.
Astra Yao best Drive Disc build in ZZZ
Regardless of team composition, Astra Yao should use a four-piece Astral Voice and two-piece Swing Jazz build.
Like Miyabi and Caesar, Astra Yao has her own signature Drive Disc. Unlike the builds for Caesar and Miyabi, there isn’t any real flexibility for Astra Yao.
Astral Voice provides a +10% attack buff at two pieces. The four-piece then provides a universal damage buff based on quick assists, which synergizes brilliantly with her kit. Finally, the energy regen boost two-piece Swing Jazz lets her use her skills more frequently. There isn’t really any room for creativity beyond that.
In terms of stats for each Drive Disc slot, here’s the best approach for Astra Yao:
- HP
- Attack
- Defense
- Attack
- Attack
- Attack
Though Astra Yao is a support, an all-in attack Drive Disc build is the way to go. To get the full benefit of her buffs, players need to build up to 3,428 attack. This is an extremely high mark that players likely won’t be able to reach, but it’s worth getting as close as possible.
Best Astra Yao W-Engines
Elegant Vanity is Astra Yao’s best W-Engine but there are A-rank alternatives that provide comparable damage output and buffs.
Not all signature W-Engines are made equal. While Hoshimi Miyabi’s build is made or broken on having her signature W-Engine, other characters can get by just fine without theirs. Astra Yao fits into the latter category. Elegant Vanity is comfortably the best W-Engine for her, but players shouldn’t necessarily feel compelled to burn through pulls.
Elegant Vanity
Elegant Vanity provides a base attack boost alongside energy regen. While that’s not an unusual combo, as an S-rank W-Engine, Elegant Vanity provides a greater boost; 713 attack and 60% energy regen at level 60.
Its unique effect amplifies both her damage buffs and the benefits of quick assists. It’s an extremely niche set of combinations, but it works perfectly for Astra Yao.
Kaboom the Cannon
Lucy’s W-Engine is the best A-rank alternative to Elegant Vanity. With the exception of Slice of Time, all of them have something to offer. Soukaku’s Bashful Demon offers a double-whammy of attack stats, Nicole’s The Vault boasts similar stat boosts, and the battle pass’ Unfettered Game Ball gives extra debuffs.
Kaboom the Cannon is still the way to go, however. The stat spread is similar to Elegant Vanity, but it provides what is effectively a permanent 10% to 16% attack buff to the entire team. Naturally, this all helps both Astra Yao and her team.
Best Astra Yao team compositions
Astra Yao fits into any team composition with damage dealers benefitting from quick swapping, assuming she has a proper build. Players can fit into hyper-carry teams, or step alongside any two anomaly agents to form a powerful disorder composition. The combinations are basically endless.
The only issue is that she doesn’t have a particularly good free-to-play composition option. There isn’t a good hypercarry composition built around any of the A-rank DPS options. Still, Astra Yao works well alongside literally every S-rank DPS option in the game so it’s not hard to put together a team. Here are some of the best archetypes.

Astra Yao disorder team composition – Astra Yao, Yanagi, Miyabi (Agent Gulliver)
While Astra Yao and Piper don’t synergize well, putting her next to other anomaly agents is a shortcut to success. Astra’s buffs, especially if she has her signature W-Engine, synergize well with any disorder composition.
Yanagi and Miyabi are the best pair, as they boast extremely high damage and benefit greatly from the quick assist options offered by Astra Yao. Make no mistake, though. Take Astra Yao, and just throw Jane, Yanagi, Miyabi, Grace, and Burnice’s names into a hat. Every outcome is deadly.
Evelyn hypercarry – Astra Yao, Lighter, Evelyn (Rocketboo)
Evelyn’s release will follow Astra Yao and it’s no surprise they work well together. The best third wheel available is Lighter, whose fire attribute boosts Rocketboo and core skill buffs Evelyn’s fire damage.
This general approach of Astra, an S-rank attacker, and a support or stunner from the same faction or attribute is almost foolproof. Putting Astra Yao next to Harumasa and Anby works. So does Qingyi and Zhu Yuan. Lycaon and Ellen. The list goes on.