Ellen Build Guide: W-Engine, Drive Discs & Teams | Zenless Zone Zero

Ellen Joe is an S-Rank Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. As a standout Ice DPS, Ellen is known for her sharp scissor blades, fast dodging combat style, and powerful Ice damage potential. In this Ellen build guide, we’ll walk you through how to make the most of her unique mechanics — including W-Engines, Drive Disc choices, and team synergy — so you can maximize her damage output on the battlefield. Read on if you want to bring out Ellen’s full icy fury!

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Ellen Agent Overview

• Ellen Information

Agent Information
	Rarity	S-Rank
	Attribute	Ice
	Specialty	Attack
	Faction	Victoria Housekeeping Co.
	Combat Role	Main DPS

• Ellen Overview

Ellen is a S-Rank Ice Attack Agent of the DPS role whose gameplay revolves around managing Flash Freeze Charges to deal high burst Ice DMG. She possesses a special Dodge variant, activated by double-tapping or holding the Dodge button, called Dash: Roaming Hunt, during which her Basic Attacks are replaced by Swift Scissors, an attack that can be charged and automatically parries enemy attacks when striking. Upon landing Swift Scissors, Ellen can recover 1 or 3 Flash Freeze Charges depending on whether it’s fully charged or not (indicated by the appearance of a flash after a short period of time): an uncharged Swift Scissors recovers 1 Flash Freeze Charge, whereas a charged Swift Scissors recovers 3 Flash Freeze Charges. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to this attack if you wish to maximize her potential. When Ellen has Flash Freeze Charges, the Flash Freeze effect is activated. Once Flash Freeze activates, Basic Attacks and Dash Attacks expend Flash Freeze Charges, dealing massive Ice DMG.

With enough Energy, pressing Special Attack makes her perform EX Special Attack: Tail Swipe, a powerful strike using her tail. After executing the aforementioned move, with enough Energy, pressing Special Attack again will perform EX Special Attack: Sharknami, a series of slashes ahead which deal massive Ice DMG in a relatively large area. Both attacks recover 1 Flash Freeze Charge for Ellen. Once enough Decibels are built, Ellen can unleash her Ultimate, crashing down from above and unleashing an ice storm, dealing massive Ice DMG.

Ellen Skill Priority

Skill	Priority
Core Skill	★★★★★ (Top)
Chain Attack	★★★★ (Top)
Special Attack	★★★ (High)
Basic Attack	★★★ (High)
Dodge	★★ (Low)
Assist	★ (Low)

Ellen’s Core Skill increases the Crit DMG of Dash Attack: Arctic Ambush and Basic Attack: Flash Freeze Trimming (when consuming Flash Freeze Charge) by a massive 100% once maxed, making it her top priority. Second to that is Chain Attack/Ultimate Attack - her main source of damage, as she is a burst DPS. Another thing to consider is that Ellen's Basic Attack burst is interspersed with EX Specials, so prioritizing levelling up Basic Attack and Special Attack will significantly improve her overall damage. As for Dodge and Assist, their contribution is minimal even at higher levels, so you should only level them up once you’ve taken care of her other skills.

Ellen Best W-Engines

Like other Attack Agents, Ellen scales with ATK, which gives her several viable W-Engine options. Any W-Engine that boosts her CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, or ATK can complement her kit. Unsurprisingly, her signature W-Engine stands out as the best option, outperforming all alternatives by a great margin. It is highly recommended to secure her signature W-Engine if you wish to maximize her potential.

Best Choice
Signature W-Engine	Deep Sea Visitor  (S-Rank)	Base ATK: 713 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 24% W-Engine Effect (R1): Increases Ice DMG by 25%. Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, the equipper's CRIT Rate increases by 10% for 8s. When dealing Ice DMG with a Dash Attack, the equipper's CRIT Rate increases by an additional 10% for 15s. The duration of each effect is calculated separately.
S-Rank Alternatives
1st	Myriad Eclipse(S-Rank)	Base ATK: 713 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 24% W-Engine Effect (R1): Increases CRIT DMG by 45%. When using an EX Special Attack, Chain Attack, or Ultimate to deal Ice DMG, the equipper gains the Absolute Zero Death Sentence effect for 3s. While Absolute Zero Death Sentence is active, the character ignores 25% of the enemy's DEF when landing a hit.
2nd	Heartstring Nocturne(S-Rank)	Base ATK: 713 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 24% W-Engine Effect (R1): CRIT DMG increases by 50%. When the equipper enters combat, or activates a Chain Attack or Ultimate, they gain 1 stack of Heartstring. Each stack of Heartstring allows the equipper's Chain Attack and Ultimate to ignore 12.5% of the target's Fire RES, stacking up to 2 times and lasting 30s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
3rd	Cordis Germina(S-Rank)	Base ATK: 713 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 24% W-Engine Effect (R1): Increases CRIT Rate by 15%. When the equipper deals DMG with a Basic Attack or EX Special Attack, they gain 1 stack of a buff. Each stack increases the equipper's Electric DMG by 12.5%, up to 2 stacks. Each stack lasts 40s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately. Can trigger once per use of a skill. At 2 stacks, the wearer's Basic Attack and Ultimate DMG ignore 20% of enemy DEF.
A-Rank Alternatives
Option 1	Cannon Rotor(A-Rank)	Base ATK: 594 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 20% W-Engine Effect (R5): Increases ATK by 12%. Landing a critical hit on an enemy will inflict an additional 200% of ATK as DMG. This effect can trigger once every 6s.
Option 2	Marcato Desire(A-Rank)	Base ATK: 594 Bonus Stat: CRIT Rate 20% W-Engine Effect (R5): When an EX Special Attack or Chain Attack hits an enemy, the equipper's ATK increases by 9.6% for 8s. While the target is under an Attribute Anomaly, this effect is increased by an additional 9.6%.
Option 3	Starlight Engine(A-Rank)	Base ATK: 594 Bonus Stat: ATK 25% W-Engine Effect (R5): Launching a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist increases the equipper's ATK by 19.2% for 12s.

Ellen Best Drive Disc Sets

As Ellen's Basic Attack burst is interspersed with EX Specials, she’s well-suited for the Woodpecker Electro Drive Disk Set. Another great option would be Puffer Electro, but only when she’s paired with the Agent Dialyn. For her 2-piece set, you can choose from Woodpecker Electro, Branch & Blade Song, Polar Metal, or Hormone Punk/Astral Voice, depending on the stats Ellen needs.

Ellen Best Drive Disc Stats

Here are the best Drive Disc main stats and sub-stats for Ellen:

1.  Drive Disc Main Stats

2.  Drive Disc Sub Stats

Ellen Best Teams

As an on-field damage dealer in Attack teams, Ellen follows the same team-building principles as most other damage dealers and is best played in a hypercarry setup, which consists of a Stun Agent and a Support Agent. Dialyn, Lighter and Astra are the perfect match for her. For her free-to-play options, Lycaon, Nicole and Soukaku will work as great teammate alternatives.

1. Ellen Premium Team

Dialyn’s exceptional stunning and buffing abilities, combined with her Chain Attack to Ultimate conversion makes her the best option for Ellen. Lighter’s Ice-related buffs and stunning speed are also comparable to Dialyn, which makes him a close contender. Astra provides a massive ATK, as well as Crit DMG and DMG buff through her Core Skill and Special Attack, making her an ideal choice.

2. Ellen Hypercarry Teams

If you do not have Dialyn or Lighter, other S-Rank Stunners like Trigger, and Ju Fufu still work wonders. With Trigger being able to increase enemy Stun Damage Multiplier, and Ju Fufu greatly buffing Ellen’s combat stats.

3. Ellen F2P Teams

For Ellen’s free-to-play options, Lycaon is her perfect teammate. He provides element buffs and enemy debuffs, while stunning enemies relatively quickly. Alongside Lycaon, you can pair Ellen with Nicole, Soukaku, or the newly added Zhao for additional buffs.

Ellen Mindscape Cinema

Conclusion

Overall, Ellen Joe is a powerful and reliable Ice DPS who excels at delivering consistent damage through fast-paced combat and precise dodging. With the right build and team setup, she can perform exceptionally well across a wide range of content, making her a strong addition to any player’s roster. We hope this Ellen build guide helps you fully unlock her damage potential.

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