Zenless Zone Zero Piper Build Guide
Jul. 29, 2024Zenless Zone Zero Piper Build Guide
In thisZenless Zone Zero Piper Build Guide, we’ll cover aPhysical DPSPiper build. This build primarily focuses onsub-DPS, asPhysical Anomalydeals less damage compared to some other elements.Piperhas strong synergy with several characters, but she particularly excels in anAnomalyteam withGrace. Her team can tackle most challenges and completeHard Modeas soon as it becomes available. ForEndgamemodes, she is capable of challenging bothShiyu DefenseandHollow Zero.
Piperis afour-starcharacter who can be obtained from any banner. She is anAOEmeleePhysicaldamage dealer with anAnomalyfighting style and belongs to theSons of Calydonfaction.
Pipercan stay on the field to complete her spinning attacks, applyAssaultanomaly, and then switch out. This allows room for another damage dealer to enter the field or to play a quick swap style. Her spinning attacks come with high resistance to interruption and a significant 40% damage reduction, enabling her to complete her spins even while being attacked and to absorb a few hits without being forced to switch or parry. However, this can be risky against very aggressive bosses with high damage. It’s advisable to pairPiperwith aStuncharacter when facing such bosses.
SinceGraceis a top-tierDPScharacter,Piperranks highly as an enabler forGrace’sDisorderteams. Not only doesPipertriggerDisorderforGracewith her high damage, but she also activates her ownAssaultfor additionalDPS. Additionally, while spinning,Piperlocks smaller enemies in a semi-staggered state, providing effective crowd control.
TriggeringPiper’sAdditional Team Ability provides a significant 18% all-damage multiplier to the entire team. This makesPipernot only a sub-DPS but also a valuable buffer. Her spinning attacks offer a signatureARPGstyle of “spin-to-win,” making her a fun character to play.
As an accessiblefour-starcharacter, most players can obtain her without much effort. When she appears in future banners with a rate-up, players can collect additional copies to enhance herMindscapes(up to M6). EachMindscapeboost increases her damage or extends her damage uptime, further solidifying her role as a damage dealer.
InZenless Zone Zero, combat unfolds similarly to fighting games, andPiperis no exception. You can dodge, perform a perfect dodge, parry through character switches, execute special attacks, and unleash extra special attacks. These actions are combined with normal attacks and the Ultimate ability, all of which you weave together across three characters to defeat enemies.
Most of the skill leveling for aPiperbuild affects only the numerical values of damage and daze multipliers. Since all active skills are available from level 1 onward and their functions do not change with levels, the priority for skill leveling depends on optimizing DPS output.
Piperhas a four-hit normal attack combo that she rarely utilizes. UnlikeGrace, who relies on normal attacks to charge her core skill,Piperoperates with different mechanics. As a result, her normal attacks are not crucial to level up and are only occasionally used in certain rotations.
You can use the first three hits ofPiper‘s normal attack combo once before unleashing her Special attack. This will make the Special attack spin and build charges faster. However, you can also use aDash AttackorDodge Counterto achieve the same effect, so normal attacks are not strictly necessary.
ThePiperbuild focuses heavily on her Special Attack, which is central to her damage and functionality. By holding the Special Attack key, Piper performs a basic spinning AOE attack that doesn’t consume energy. During this spin, she can continue to move and build up to two additional charges on top of the initial spin.
Activating the Special Attack after a Dash Attack, Dodge Counter, or the third Normal Attack enables Piper to enter at a higher charge level, allowing her to spin faster. This results in more frequent hits and increased damage output.
DuringPiper’sspinning attack, she gainsresistance to interruptionand40% Damage Reduction, which helps her stay in the spin without being launched into the air or taking lethal damage.
At the end of the spinning, ifPiperhassufficient energy (+20 Energy), her spinning will evolve into anEX Special Attack. If not, she will complete the spin and perform the “Special Attack: One Trillion Tons,” a downward smash attack whose damage scales with the charge level of her Special Attack.
You canrelease the Special Attack key earlyto trigger“Special Attack: One Trillion Tons”immediately. While this may result in a DPS loss, it providesinvulnerability, allowing Piper to avoid extremely dangerous attacks.
ThePress versionof theEX Special Attackis a quick spin and strike that applies decentPhysical Anomaly buildup. However, it is not the most effective use of the skill.
If Piper has enough energy after reaching the maximum charge level ofSpecial Attack, she consumes 20 energy and entersEX Special Attack. For the next 3 seconds, she consumes 20 energy per second and keeps spinning until her energy depletes, at which point she launches“EX Special Attack: Really Heavy”.
“EX Special Attack: Really Heavy”is a sub-skill that performs a downward smash attack and deals massive damage. You can also unleash it early by releasing the hold on theSpecial Attackkey. Piper is invulnerable during this skill, making it useful for avoiding damage.
The EX Special Attack in itself deals small damage per hit but hits so many times that it’s hard to count. It builds upPhysical Anomalymuch faster, addingAssaultdamage to the mix. When paired with Grace, it will also triggerDisorder. This is tied to Piper’sCore Passive Skill, which grants up to 40% increasedAnomalybuildup speed.
Performing aNormal dodgefollowed by aNormal attacktriggers“Dash Attack: Pedal to the Metal”. This is useful for enteringSpecial Attackwith a higher charge level.
WhileDash Attackdeals minimal damage and has a lowDazemultiplier, its main benefit is to accelerate Piper’s rotation. Remember, using this method is the quickest way to optimize Piper’s attack sequence.
On the other hand, aPerfect dodgeactivates“Dodge Counter: Power Drift”, a higher-damage skill that also briefly slows down the enemy. This allows Piper to perform part of her spinning combo before the enemy can react.
However, executing aPerfect dodgerequires precise timing while the enemy is attacking. Since Piper usually doesn’t stay on the field without performing herSpecial Attack, this technique is less frequently utilized.
One specific application forPerfect dodgeis against aggressive bosses with multi-hit combos. For example, while you have another character on the field, you can switch to Piper to parry the incoming attack withAssist. As the enemy continues their attack, use aPerfect dodgeto trigger“Dodge Counter: Power Drift”. This helps stun the enemy rapidly and gives Piper the opportunity to perform her spinning combo safely.
UnlikePistoland ranged characters who useEvasive Assist, melee characters like Piper useDefensive Assist. By switching to Piper at the right moment while an enemy is attacking, she will parry the hit. This causes the enemy to stagger for a short time, allowing Piper to unleash several attacks before they recover. Keep in mind that the parry fromDefensive Assistalso contributes to building up the enemy’s stun meter.
When usingDefensive Assistwith Piper, follow up withAssist Follow-Up: Overtaking Maneuver. After switching to Piper, press normal attack to charge and slash at enemies in front of her. This follow-up skill deals significant damage and has a decent Daze multiplier, aiding in stunning the enemy.
At max level, combiningDefensive AssistandAssist Follow-Upresults in a Daze multiplier exceeding 1000% against bosses. If you’ve previously dealt some hits to the enemy with a Stun character, this combo will quickly fill their stun meter. Against stunned enemies, you can trigger a full Chain attack and then return to Piper for her Special Attack. Alternatively, you can wait for the Chain meter to expire, perform Piper’s Special and EX Special while the enemy is down, and then initiate Chain attacks.
Using the latter approach may allow you to catch the enemy with a second or third Chain after they recover. This way, you begin the next rotation with the enemy’s stun meter partially filled, reducing their uptime and increasing their downtime, which allows Piper to spin safely.
Chain Attacksare a unique type of attack in which the game zooms in and pauses, allowing you to perform a special switch. To trigger a Chain, you need to hit a stunned enemy with a heavy attack. Boss enemies trigger up to 3 Chains, Elite enemies trigger up to 2 Chains, and normal enemies trigger 1 Chain. Additionally, your Bangboo can participate in the Chain without consuming the chain count, giving you the opportunity to switch to your Bangboo for an extra free turn. Upon exiting, the Chain may trigger aQuick Assist, which brings back your previous on-field character.
Among the characters inZenless Zone Zero,Piperhas a significant multiplier for Chain Attacks, making her an excellent choice for both triggering and executing Chains. Instead of relying solely on stun characters to fill the stun meter, switch to Piper with an Assist when the stun meter is nearly full. Piper’s Assist and Follow-Up will complete the stun.
Against bosses, perform your regularChain Attacks, as this will utilize all characters’Chains. However, against Elite enemies, you only get twoChains. In this case, use Piper to initiate aChain, switch to another character, and then return to Piper to perform aDash Attackfollowed by herSpecial Attack. While this optimization is not strictly necessary, it maximizes energy gain, damage output, and Assault buildup.
When theDecibel Ratingis at its maximum, press the Ultimate key to activate Piper’s Ultimate. Note that Ultimates are mutually exclusive among characters—using Piper’s Ultimate means you forgo using any other character’s Ultimate. Therefore, it’s essential to evaluate how Piper’s Ultimate compares to others in her team.
Piper’s Ultimateis a multi-hit combo that takes a long time to complete. If the enemy is performing a dangerous combo, using Piper’s Ultimate can make her invulnerable during this time. However, if the enemy is down and you want to minimize downtime, it’s better to useGrace’s Ultimate, which has a shorter animation.
Advanced combosfor balancing Shock and Assault buildup are available, but these depend on individual preferences and playstyle. Zenless Zone Zero is similar to a fighting game, where rotations aren’t as rigid as in other games. Instead, it’s important to learn how the character works and adapt their use to fit your personal style.
During herEX Special AttackorUltimate, Piper builds up Power charges, gaining 1 stack for each hit in her spins, with a maximum of 20 stacks. This cap increases to 30 stacks with M1, and she also has a 50% chance to gain an extra stack per hit.
At M1,Pipercan accumulate 30 stacks almost as quickly as she would 20 stacks at M0. The duration of these stacks is 12 seconds, and they refresh with each new stack. Each stack increasesAnomalybuildup speed by 2%, resulting in a total of 40% at M0 and 60% at M1. Maintaining an infinite stack uptime can be very effective, though it is challenging. Piper has 12 seconds after the last hit of herEX Special Attackbefore the stacks expire, requiring her to return to the field, regenerate energy, and perform anotherEX Special Attackto keep the stacks active.
At M4, Piper gains 20 energy whenever any character inflicts an Anomaly, with a cooldown of 30 seconds. At M6, herPower stacksreceive a duration increase of 4 seconds, extending the total duration to 16 seconds instead of 12 (a 30% increase). This enhancement significantly improves the uptime of her power stacks, making Piper a powerful generator ofAssaultandDisorder.
At M2, the damage bonus for“EX Special Attack: Really Heavy”increases by 10% plus an additional 1% perPower stack. This means that with maximum stacks, the damage bonus can reach up to 40%. Given that“EX Special Attack: Really Heavy”is typically used at the end of a rotation, it usually benefits from having full stacks.
Theteam passive bonusfor Piper depends on the team composition. IfPiper’steam includes a second character with the same element (Physical) or faction (Sons of Calydon), she receives a bonus. As of version 1.0, the only other character in theSons of Calydonfaction is Lucy. However, new characters are expected to be announced and released in upcoming patches, which will expand Piper’s team options.
Piper’s team passiveprovides an18% damage buffto all team members when she reaches20 stacks of Poweror more. This buff affectsPiper’sown damage as well as any other damage dealers in the team. Maintaining this buff is easier with moreMindscapes(especially M1, M4, and M6). However, withoutLucy, it can be challenging to find a suitable teammate to trigger this buff, particularly inDisorderteams.
In thisZenless Zone Zero Piper Build, gear plays a crucial role, withW-Enginesbeing a key component. Piper’s DPS scales with various factors.Anomaly Proficiencyis the primary stat that enhances her Assault (and Disorder) damage, making it the top priority. Following that,Anomaly Masteryis important for accelerating Piper’s Assault buildup.
Note thatAnomaly Masterycan become a higher priority if the team is built exclusively around Disorder damage, particularly as more Anomaly characters from other elements are released.
On the other hand, Piper’s standardPhysical Damagescales withATK,Crit, andPhysical Damagestats. Thus, she benefits from a weapon that maximizes both ATK and Anomaly stats.
The only weapon withAnomaly Masterystat inZenless Zone Zero, making it preferable for Piper over any other B Rank weapon. It might even be favored over some A Rank weapons ifDisorderdamage becomes more potent than Piper’s own damage, asAnomaly Masteryspeeds up Disorder buildup.
As a B Rank weapon, players can achieve max refinement easily. It provides 40Anomaly Masteryfor 10 seconds when Piper starts building Anomaly, with a 20-second cooldown.
While the base attack is comparable to other B Rank weapons, its sub stat is % ATK, which is less ideal. This trade-off results in slower Anomaly buildup, but if maximizing Disorder damage is the goal, this weapon is a strong choice.
A Rank weapons inZenless Zone Zerocome from either crafting or randomly dropping from wishing. Over time, it’s almost guaranteed to obtain all A Rank weapons. Typically, such a weapon is better used onGrace, unlessGracealready has something superior, in which case it can be assigned toPiper.
Weeping Geminifeatures a moderate base ATK, an ATK sub stat, and a passive that providesAnomaly Proficiency. This passive activates when any character on the team inflicts Anomaly on an enemy, stacking up to four times. However, the stacks reset if the target recovers from stun or is defeated, causing the passive uptime to fluctuate based on the battle’s progress. Overall, it’s a solid upgrade over B Rank options if focusing on Piper’s own DPS.
This option is not free and is available only through the paid Battle Pass. However, considering that many players purchase the Battle Pass for the materials it provides, acquiring this weapon is a reasonable choice. Keep in mind that if you’re playing Piper in a team with multiple Anomaly characters, there will be competition for weapons.
It’s advisable to reserve the weapon with higherAnomaly Proficiencyfor the main Anomaly DPS (like Grace) and assign Piper a more supportive weapon.Roaring Ridehas the lowest Anomaly Proficiency stat among A Rank weapons but boasts the highest base ATK and several stacking buffs. Additionally, it is the only A Rank weapon with an Anomaly buildup bonus, making it a better fit for Piper, while Grace or any other Anomaly DPS can use a different weapon.
The only S Rank weapon for Anomaly characters available at launch isFusion Compiler. You can obtain it through various means, such as losing the 50:50 chance on any five-star character banner or purchasing it from the Signal Shop after accumulating enough currency. This currency is earned through wishing and obtaining duplicate characters, so free-to-play players might need a couple of months to save up 600 Residual Signals.
Piper is particularly well-suited to utilizeFusion Compilerdue to her frequent use of Special Attacks. She can quickly charge all of the weapon’s passive stacks, resulting in high Anomaly Proficiency. Additionally, the weapon boasts a very high base attack and DEF penetration sub-stat.
However, if you manage to acquire an S Rank weapon, it’s usually better to reserve it for a pure Attack character, which is often needed for your second team.
Similar toRelicsfromHonkai Star Rail,ArtifactsfromGenshin Impact, andEchoesfromWuthering Waves,Drive DisksinZenless Zone Zerowork as gear. You have six slots to equip Drive Disks, and each slot is restricted to specific types of Disks.
Drive Diskscome in sets, providing bonuses for 2-piece and 4-piece configurations. Ideally, you would use a full 4-piece set and a half set with 2 pieces. However, while leveling up and before acquiring a full set of high-quality Disks, a hybrid 2–2–2 setup can be used as a temporary solution.
In this Zenless Zone Zero Piper Build, the first three slots I, II, and III have all fixed main stats. These are Flat HP, Flat ATK, and Flat DEF respectively. On other slots, we aim to get these main stats:
Piper might benefit fromEnergystats to enhance her ability to build and spamEX Specialmore frequently and for longer durations. This, in turn, boostsAnomalybuildup speed and increases the chance of triggeringDisorder. However,Anomaly Masterydirectly contributes to these aspects and typically appears as the main stat on the same slot asEnergy Regen. Therefore, prioritizeAnomaly Masteryunless you lack good pieces while leveling or have superior sub-stats on Energy pieces.
For sub-stats, aim for increasedAnomaly Proficiency, %ATK, andPENratio. Including one or twoCrit Ratestats can help you approach a 25% Crit Rate, which balances the ratio between Crit Rate and Crit DMG. Note that while default Crit DMG is 50% and Crit Rate is only 5%, Crit affects only direct damage and not Assault damage, so adjust your build accordingly.
Piper highly benefits from thePhysical Set (Fanged Metal)in this build due to its significant45% damage modifier. The set provides a10%bonus with two pieces and a35%bonus with four pieces. The four-piece bonus lasts for12 secondsafter proccingAssault. If Piper doesn’t trigger Assault quickly enough, she may experience some damage loss. To maximize this, it’s advantageous to use support or stun characters that don’t spend much time on the field, allowing Piper more opportunity to remain on-field and capitalize on the set’s benefits.
ThePhysical Set (Fanged Metal)drops from the same Cleanup as theAttack Set, so farming them may not be very convenient, especially since the Attack Set is rarely the best option for any character. If you lack Physical Sets early in the game, you can use theCrit Setas a temporary solution and upgrade to the Physical Set later.
InZenless Zone Zero, teams consist of three characters, and to buildPipereffectively, you need to pair her with two suitable companions. Piper can function as either sub-dps or main dps, but she primarily serves as sub-dps, relying onAssaultto deal damage.
She excels at triggeringDisorder, which allows higher-damagingAnomalyelements likeFire(Burn) andElectric(Shock) to do more damage over time. Applying eitherFireorElectricfirst, then triggeringPhysical Anomaly(Assault), results in higherDisorderdamage.
When selecting a team for Piper, consider theAdditional Ability Passivethat triggers with either a Physical companion or a character from theSons of Calydonfaction. Additionally, the choice ofBangboomight require a specific team composition, such as having two Physical characters.
The standard team setup forPiperrevolves around a cycle of applyingAnomaly, switching characters, and reapplyingAnomaly. In this configuration,Gracestarts by applyingShock, which lasts for 10 seconds.Rinathen extends this shock to 13 seconds, while also buffing all Electric damage and increasingDef Penetration. Following this,PiperappliesAssaultand triggersDisorder, which consumes the Shock and deals all remaining damage immediately. After this,Gracecan reapply Shock to continue the cycle.
TheLucyversion of the team is designed to activatePiper’spassive, which provides an 18% team-wide damage buff. AlthoughLucyis a Fire element character, she doesn’t interfere withAnomalyorDisordermechanics and also serves as an excellent buffer, increasing flatATK.
Alternatively, you can replace the support slot with astuncharacter. For example,Anby, who has theElectricelement, will activateGrace’steam passive. Additionally, if future characters with astunbuild andPhysicalelement are released, they will complementPiper’steam well.
This team setup benefits from using theElectric Bangboo,Plugboo, which helps in applying Shock. It also gains an additional bonus from having twoElectriccharacters in the team.
This team configuration is more focused onCorin, withPiperserving as hybrid support and sub-DPS.Corinrelies on charged attacks and has lengthy animations, so she benefits greatly from having a highstuncharacter.Lycaonis ideal for this role due to his strongstunapplication and solid damage. Additionally,Lycaonactivates his own passive, as both he andCorinbelong to theVictoria Housekeeping Co.faction.
In this setup,PiperandCorinalso activate each other’s passives due to both beingPhysicalcharacters.
In this team setup,Corinwaits for her burst DPS opportunity on astunnedenemy, whilePipercan face tank and continue dealing damage after the enemy recovers. Once the enemy is back on their feet,Lycaoncan stun them again to restart the cycle.
For this composition,Bangvolveris the preferredBangboo. It helps applyPhysical Anomaly, benefits from having twoPhysicalcharacters, and deals substantial damage.
In this team,Pipertakes on the role of a fullmain DPS.Lucyserves as her buffer and passive enabler, whileKoledafunctions as both astuncharacter and a secondFirecharacter to activate Piper’s passive. The dualFireelement also allows the inclusion of a powerfulBangboo—Rocketboo.
With twoFirecharacters and aFireBangboo, you achieve decentFire Anomalybuildup. This setup allows you to applyBurnmultiple times, which enablesPiperto triggerDisorder.Koleda, as astuncharacter, helps disable enemies to triggerChainattacks, and her own passive increases teamChainattacks, making this a highly effective composition.
In this team,Pipercan safely perform her spinning attacks against dangerous bosses if they are stunned, with little risk of interruption or taking damage.
Piperis a reliable and dependable four-star character who performs well even atM0and can improve further withMindscapes. While there might be future power creep, it’s likely to take a long time, given the scarcity ofAnomalycharacters and the fact thatAnomalyteams typically require two characters, and potentially three in the future. This ensures thatPiperwill remain a valuable asset in strong teams for the foreseeable future.
Her combos are straightforward, and most of her rotation involves simply holding down one button, making her easy to play even on mobile devices.
Stay tuned for more Zenless Zone Zero Character Guides. Take a look at ourZenless Zone Zero Grace Build Guide. And Check ourYouTube channelfor news & guides on other games.
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