ZZZ 2.5 Ellen Joe Guide: Best Drive Discs, W-Engines, and Team Investment Strategy

1. Drive Disc Rankings & Stats

The debate over Ellen's best Drive Discs has been settled through extensive testing in long-duration battles (like the "Perilous Hollow" modes).

Overall Ranking: Woodpecker Electro > Hormone Punk > Shadow Harmony > Astral Voice (Team dependent) > Puffer Electro > Dawn's Bloom > 2+2+2 Mixed > Polar Metal = Branch & Blade Song

Detailed Breakdown:

1. Top Pick (T0): Woodpecker Electro (4-piece)

   • Why: It provides an almost permanent 18% ATK buff during combat. Whether at Mindscape 0 or higher, its consistency and ease of use make it the superior choice over sets with downtime.

   • Advice: Even though the secondary set in its farming domain (Soul Rock ) is lackluster, it is worth synthesizing via the Bardic Needle if you plan to main Ellen long-term.

2. Runner-Up (T1): Hormone Punk (4-piece)

   • Why: Offers the highest burst potential. If you can perfectly time the buff for the Stun window, the damage is massive.

   • Drawback: Low uptime. In long battles, its average performance merely equals the much simpler Woodpecker Electro.

3. T2 Option: Shadow Harmony (4-piece)

   • Why: A viable option for Ellen, but due to the slightly lackluster 2-piece effect, it ranks below the top two. It performs slightly better at Mindscape 0.

4. About "Polar Metal" & "Branch & Blade Song"

   • Verdict: Not Recommended.

   • Polar Metal: This is widely considered a "habitual choice" carried over from the Version 1.0 launch era. While it fits the element, it is mathematically outperformed by ATK-focused sets in the current meta.

   • Branch & Blade Song: This set is not recommended because, in the new environment, the value weight of CRIT DMG for Ellen has decreased. Trading the raw ATK provided by other sets for this set's effect is simply not worth the trade-off. Both sets currently sit at the bottom of the tier list.

Stats & Substats:

• Slot 4: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG (Balance your stats).

  • Target: 3200-3500 ATK, 130-160% CRIT DMG.

  • CRIT Rate Threshold: Aim for 74%+ if using Deep Sea Visitor , or 94%+ if using Myriad Eclipse . Dropping below these makes damage output inconsistent.

• Slot 5:

  • Option A: Penetration Ratio (paired with 2-piece Puffer Electro ). Good for general use.

  • Option B: Ice DMG Bonus or ATK%. Preferred if running with Def-Shred supports like Nicole .

• Slot 6: ATK%.

2. W-Engine Comparison

In Version 2.5, we compare Myriad Eclipse (Hugo's signature), Deep Sea Visitor (Ellen's signature), and The Brimstone .

1. Myriad Eclipse

   • Performance: In an "Ellen + Lycaon + Astra Yao " team, it outperforms Ellen's signature weapon by ~5%. If paired with Nicole (stacking Def Shred), the gap widens to ~15%.

   • Advantage: Unlike Ellen's signature weapon, which requires specific Dash Attacks during stun windows, Myriad Eclipse offers stable buffs outside of stun phases.

   • Verdict: Highly recommended if you don't have Deep Sea Visitor or if you play with Nicole.

2. Deep Sea Visitor

   • Performance: Excellent for CRIT Rate ease-of-building. However, forgetting to charge your Dash Attack during a stun window significantly lowers damage expectations.

3. The Brimstone

   • Performance: Theoretically matches Deep Sea Visitor at Rank 2/3.

   • Drawback: Since its main stat is ATK, balancing your CRIT Rate to 100% is extremely difficult, leading to lower practical DPS.

3. Team Composition & Investment Strategy (Meta v2.5)

1. Best Team Composition

• Stun Slot: Dialyn . She is the undisputed best Stunner. A Mindscape 0 (M0) Dialyn outperforms an M0 Lycaon , Lighter , or Trigger (even with their signature weapons).

• Support Slot: Astra Yao or Nicole .

  • Nicole synergizes perfectly with Myriad Eclipse for massive Defense Shred.

  • Soukaku remains a decent budget option but has a lower ceiling.

2. Investment Advice (S-Rank Pull Strategy)

• Support > DPS Mindscapes: Currently, Ellen's Mindscapes (Constellations) offer a lower return on investment compared to upgrading her supports.

• Example: The cost of pulling Ellen's M1 and M2 yields less team damage improvement than the cost of pulling Dialyn's M1.

• Conclusion: An M0 Ellen with her signature W-Engine (or Hugo's) is strong enough for all content when paired with Dialyn. Save your Polychromes for Dialyn or Astra Yao upgrades instead of Ellen's duplicates.