Should you pull for Zhao’s W-Engine in Zenless Zone Zero?

Zhao is the latest S-Rank Ice Defense agent in Zenless Zone Zero version 2.5, and many players are probably wondering by now if her signature W-Engine is worth pulling for. No, you don't need it even if you're looking for her to perform well in endgame content like Deadly Assault.

This is because she functions mainly as a support and is not worth investing in when compared to investing in DPS characters. Even more, her buffs scale on HP% primarily which can be achieved even with F2P craftable options. Here's a look at her signature W-Engine "Half-Sugar Bunny" and whether it's worth investing your Polychromes in Zenless Zone Zero.

Note: The following information is based on the author's analysis and community discussions. Readers are advised to take it with a grain of salt.

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An overview of Zhao's signature W-Engine in Zenless Zone Zero

Zhao's signature W-Engine Half-Sugar Bunny in Zenless Zone Zero (Image via HoYoverse)

In order to understand why her signature W-Engine isn't worth, we have to take a look at her kit and gameplay. As players, you will mainly use Zhao as a support agent whether she's in an Attack or Rupture DPS teams.

She mainly functions in Quick Assist rotations and applying Ether Veil buff scaling on HP%. Although stats from Drive Discs can help, her real value actually comes from utility and survivability rather than dealing damage herself.

Zhao’s signature S-Rank W-Engine "Half-Sugar Bunny" has 30% HP as additional stat and a high Base ATK of 713. The passive "Fragile Sweetness" on the other hand increases Energy Regen and some extra 10% ATK and Max HP bonus. However, only one instance can take affect in a team, either ATK or HP depending on the team composition.

Additionally, if Ether Veil is active, all squad members gain a whopping 30% Crit DMG buff for 60 seconds. This part in the passive alone is tempting if you're looking to boost your DPS agent's Crit ratios.

On paper, this looks strong and works well for Zhao and her teammates but in practice, you can achieve similar results with other W-Engine options without a higher investment. Moreover, if you are planning to pull for upcoming agents like Alice, Soldier 0-Anby, or Astra Yao on their special Signal Search banner, then it is better to hold onto your Polychromes.

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Best alternative F2P option

Original Transmorpher in Zenless Zone Zero (Image via HoYoverse)

Original Transmorpher is the best accessible F2P-friendly option for Zhao. It's also craftable by using 6x W-Engine Chips at Box Galaxy in Sixth Street, so you can easily Overclock it to W5. Her Ether Veil buff scales with HP up to a fixed cap of 27,000, which you can already reach through good Drive Disc stats paired with this W-Engine.

It also increases Max HP and boosts Impact when Zhao is attacked, making it a reliable choice that fits her support role without requiring premium investment.

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Overall, Zhao does not need her signature W-Engine to perform well in Zenless Zone Zero as a support unit. F2P options like Original Transmorpher already cover her buffs and allow her to support both Attack and Rupture teams effectively. Pull for her signature W-Engine only if you want to fully invest in Zhao's capabilities as a support.

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Edited by Kriti Jamwal