Achieving S-Rank in Hollow Zero's Withering Garden requires strategic Resonium selection across all floors. This guide covers proven build frameworks, floor-by-floor strategies, and team-agnostic approaches for consistent S-Rank performance.
Understanding Withering Garden Core Mechanics
What Makes Withering Garden Unique
Withering Garden unlocks at Inter-Knot Level 45 after completing the Enchanting and Stunning, Withering Commission. This endgame core features three-floor progression: Floor 1 requires two boss defeats, Floor 3 culminates with Nineveh plus minions.
Wave structures follow predictable patterns: Wave 1 progresses Normal Mob → Elite → Gatekeeper+Elite. Wave 2 escalates through dual Elites → Gatekeeper → Nineveh.
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S-Rank Requirements and Scoring
S-Rank demands specific damage thresholds and time requirements. Top Freeze builds achieve 134,765,000 points with 50s remaining and 5 Nineveh defeats. Optimized Critical builds reach 26,170,175 damage benchmarks.
Scoring rewards three factors:
Clear Speed: Remaining time impacts final multipliers
Damage Output: Total damage across all floors
Boss Defeats: Multiple Nineveh eliminations boost rankings
Corruption and Pressure Mechanics
Corruption pressure accelerates based on floor progression and combat duration. Managing it requires balancing offensive momentum with defensive sustainability.
Key Resonium for corruption:
Faulty Jammer: Reduces Corrupted enemy ATK by 15%
Net Launcher: +30% DMG to Corrupted enemies
Rusty W-Engine: +40% Corruption DMG
Floor Structure and Enemy Scaling
Withering Garden follows deliberate escalation. Early floors establish Resonium foundation, mid-floors test power spikes, late floors prepare for Nineveh.
Ether Activity 11 enhances all enemies in all aspects, demanding optimized Resonium synergies over raw character strength.
Resonium System Fundamentals
How Resonium Effects Stack
Resonium operates on threshold-based activation: 4 same-type triggers Reaction effects, 8 same-type unlocks Advanced cards with enhanced bonuses.
Ice build example: Freezing Gloves (+40% Ice DMG) + Ice Thermos (+50% Ice DMG +50% CRIT DMG) + Cutie Cold Pack (+15% Ice DMG) = 2.415× Ice DMG multiplier.
CRIT DMG stacking multiplies similarly. Freeze build with 50% base CRIT DMG gains ×1.4 from Ice Maker (40% CRIT DMG for 15s), then ×1.8 from Icicle Shooter (80% CRIT DMG in mist), reaching 176% total.
Resonium Rarity Tiers
Advanced Resonium cards appear after meeting 8 same-type threshold. These provide build-defining effects transforming good runs into S-Rank.
Priority hierarchy:
Advanced Cards: Always select when aligned with build
Synergy Cards: Activate/enhance existing combinations
Utility Cards: Defensive/sustain when offense doesn't align
Generic Buffs: Basic stats only when no alternatives exist
Critical Synergy Caps
Understanding caps prevents wasted selections:
Acuity stacks: 10% Stun DMG Multiplier per stack, max 5 stacks (50% cap)
Sniper Scope: 4% CRIT DMG per crit, max 10 stacks (40% cap)
Lightning Rod: 5% Decibel Generation + 5% Ultimate DMG per stack, max 20 stacks (100% each cap)
Common Misconceptions
Identical Resonium cards refresh duration rather than stack effects. Ice Thermos doesn't double bonuses—it extends uptime.
Defensive Resonium shouldn't appear early. S-Rank scoring weights damage output and clear speed. Defensive selections occur only after establishing offensive foundation.
The 4-type and 8-type thresholds are minimums. Collecting 9-10 same-type maintains Advanced card pool access while offering additional synergy.
Core S-Rank Resonium Build Framework
Primary Offensive Resonium Priority
Freeze Build (Highest Scoring):
Ice Maker: Freezing grants squad +40% CRIT DMG for 15s
Ice Thermos: Ice Mark trigger grants +50% Ice DMG +50% CRIT DMG for 10s
Freezing Gloves: +40% Ice DMG on Ice Mark
Icicle Shooter: Shatter leaves mist with +80% CRIT DMG for 10s
Ether/Shock Build (Consistent):
Unstable Tranquilizer: 50% Ether DMG + 50% Attribute Anomaly DMG; stacks add 15% Ether DMG +10 Anomaly Proficiency (max 4 stacks = 110% total Ether DMG)
Lightning Rod: Electric DMG triggers Jolt dealing 1200% ATK; stacks add 5% Decibel Generation +5% Ultimate DMG (max 20 stacks)
Trashed Harpoon Gun: Reduces Corrupted enemy Ether RES by 20%
Critical Build (F2P Accessible):
High-Explosive Grenade: +36% CRIT DMG; executes enemies below 75% HP every 6s
Sniper Scope: 4% CRIT DMG per crit for 10s (max 10 stacks = 40%)
Dynamic Sensors: 48% CRIT DMG for 30s on Perfect Assist with 1 Acuity stack
Essential Defensive Resonium
Select defensive options after securing 6-7 offensive same-type Resonium:
Faulty Jammer: Reduces Corrupted enemy ATK by 15%
Suppressive Bracelet: Grants Activity stacks from EX Specials
Ice Shaver: +50% Shatter DMG; Shatter adds 20% Ice Anomaly Buildup for 5s
Freezing Gun: Shatter inflicts 140% Impact Daze if target not Stunned
Utility Resonium
Fill gaps when preferred offensive options don't appear:
Ice Bucket: 8 Ice Mark stacks per EX Special
Lightning Trident: 6 Zap stacks per EX Special hit
Freezing Spray: +30% Ice Anomaly Buildup Rate on Ice Mark
Conductive Coil: Electric DMG grants 1 Zap stack every 3s
Frozen Timer: +15% Ether DMG
Proven S-Rank Combinations
Freeze (134,765,000 score):
Core: Ice Maker + Ice Thermos + Freezing Gloves + Icicle Shooter
Support: Ice Bucket + Freezing Spray + Cutie Cold Pack + Ice Shaver
Team: Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku (requires 4 Ice Resonium on Lycaon minimum)
Ether/Shock:
Core: Unstable Tranquilizer + Lightning Rod + Trashed Harpoon Gun
Support: Lightning Trident + Conductive Coil + Frozen Timer + Suppressive Bracelet
Team: Zhu Yuan/Qingyi/Nicole
Critical (26,170,175 score):
Core: High-Explosive Grenade + Sniper Scope + Dynamic Sensors
Support: Net Launcher + Faulty Jammer
Team: Billy/Anby/Nicole (F2P accessible)
Floor-by-Floor Resonium Selection
Early Floors (1-3): Foundation Building
Secure 3-4 same-type Resonium aligned with chosen framework before Floor 4.
Floor 1: Select archetype cornerstone. Freeze builds prioritize Cutie Cold Pack (+15% Ice DMG).
Floor 2: Double down on chosen type. Freeze builds pursue Ice Bucket or Freezing Spray. Ether builds secure Frozen Timer or Conductive Coil.
Floor 3: Reach 4 same-type to trigger Reaction effects. Accept slightly suboptimal same-type over off-type selections.
Mid Floors (4-6): Power Spike
Floor 4: Pursue fourth same-type Resonium. Prioritize Ice Thermos or Unstable Tranquilizer when available.
Floor 5: Expand toward 8 same-type threshold. Freeze builds benefit from Ice Shaver. Ether builds gain value from Lightning Trident.
Floor 6: Reach 6-7 same-type, positioning for Advanced card access by Floor 7. Consider Faulty Jammer if elite encounters proved challenging.
Late Floors (7-9): Boss Preparation
Floor 7-9: Achieve 8 same-type for full Advanced card pool. Freeze builds prioritize Ice Thermos if not obtained. Ether builds secure maximum Unstable Tranquilizer stacks.
Select at least one defensive Resonium during these floors for Nineveh survival.
Final Floor: Address remaining gaps. If you've achieved 8 same-type and secured core offensive Resonium, prioritize survivability.
Team Composition and Bangboo Synergy
Character-Agnostic Principles
Properly constructed Resonium builds achieve S-Rank with diverse teams.
Core principles:
Elemental Alignment: Match Resonium to team's primary damage type
Role Coverage: Include damage, stun, and support
Energy Generation: Prioritize efficient EX Special and Ultimate generation
Survivability: Include defensive or healing capabilities
Best Bangboo Choices
Freeze Builds: Bangboo enhancing Ice DMG or providing crowd control. Options triggering on Freeze/Shatter amplify Resonium-enhanced windows.
Ether/Shock Builds: Bangboo offering Anomaly Buildup Rate or Decibel Generation. Options triggering on Shock create additional damage instances.
Critical Builds: Bangboo providing CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG stack multiplicatively. Options triggering on crits create feedback loops with Sniper Scope.
Adapting to Your Roster
Single S-Rank Scenarios: Focus Resonium around your S-Rank character's element. If you have Ellen but lack Lycaon, pursue Freeze Resonium with A-Rank stunners. Resonium bonuses compensate for rarity gaps.
Off-Meta Teams: Mixed-element teams should focus on universal damage Resonium like High-Explosive Grenade or Net Launcher.
Support-Heavy Teams: Pursue Resonium enhancing support capabilities. Suppressive Bracelet and Dynamic Sensors transform support actions into damage amplification.
F2P vs Premium Teams
F2P teams achieve S-Rank through superior Resonium optimization. The Billy/Anby/Nicole clear scoring 26,170,175 proves Resonium selection matters more than character rarity.
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Advanced Combat Strategies
Elite Enemy Prioritization
Wave 1 Elite: Focus Elite first. Use strongest burst rotation on Elite elimination, then clean up Gatekeeper with standard rotations.
Wave 2 Dual Elite: Apply crowd control to both. Freeze builds apply Ice Marks to both simultaneously, triggering Freezing Gloves and Ice Thermos on both targets. Focus damage on one while maintaining control on second.
Gatekeepers: Possess higher Daze resistance requiring sustained stun application. Prioritize Resonium enhancing Stun DMG Multiplier like Acuity stacks.
Boss Phase Breakdown
Phase 1 (100%-70% HP): Build Resonium stacks safely. Ice builds accumulate maximum Ice Mark stacks using Ice Bucket. Ether builds reach 4-stack Unstable Tranquilizer before major damage rotations.
Phase 2 (70%-40% HP): Increased mobility and minion spawns. Freeze builds excel through crowd control. Icicle Shooter's mist creates safe zones for sustained damage.
Phase 3 (40%-0% HP): Most aggressive phase. Ice Maker's squad-wide +40% CRIT DMG should maintain continuously. Critical builds ensure High-Explosive Grenade executes minions.
Corruption Management
Aggressive Tempo: Faster enemy elimination reduces total corruption accumulation. Net Launcher and Rusty W-Engine turn corruption into offensive advantage.
Defensive Mitigation: Faulty Jammer's 15% enemy ATK reduction becomes critical during high-corruption phases.
Time Optimization
Efficient Routing: Minimize backtracking. Shop and checkpoint visits should occur during natural progression.
Burst Window Maximization: Align strongest damage rotations with Resonium effect windows. Ice Thermos grants +50% Ice DMG +50% CRIT DMG for 10s—ensure highest damage abilities activate during this window.
Calculated Aggression: Aggressive offense during Resonium-enhanced windows, defensive play during cooldowns.
Shop Management and Resources
Gear Coin Usage
Immediate Purchase:
One Resonium away from 4 or 8 same-type threshold
Build-defining Resonium appears
Floor 7+ and critical Resonium for Nineveh appears
Save for Later:
On track to reach thresholds naturally
Available Resonium don't align with build
Early floors (1-3) where natural progression suffices
Checkpoint Strategy
Mandatory Usage:
Health below 40% before elite encounters
Energy depleted before critical fights
Resonium effect durations expired before major encounters
Skip Scenarios:
Health above 70% with no immediate threats
Energy sufficient for upcoming encounters
Time pressure threatening S-Rank threshold
Resonium Reroll Framework
Reroll When:
All three options conflict with build archetype
At critical threshold (3 or 7 same-type) and no same-type options appear
Defensive Resonium appear during early floors
Accept Suboptimal When:
One of three provides marginal benefit
Reroll resources depleted
Late floors where any Resonium provides value
Troubleshooting and Recovery
When RNG Doesn't Favor Your Build
Pivot to Secondary: If primary archetype doesn't receive sufficient same-type by Floor 4, pivot to secondary based on available options.
Hybrid Build: When no single archetype receives sufficient Resonium, construct hybrid using universal damage options: High-Explosive Grenade, Net Launcher, Sniper Scope.
Defensive Compensation: Runs lacking offensive synergy require defensive compensation to extend fight duration.
Recovering from Setbacks
Death Recovery: Deaths consume time but don't prevent S-Rank if you maintain aggressive tempo afterward. Analyze cause and address through subsequent Resonium selections.
Suboptimal Selection Recovery: Single off-type selection on Floor 2 doesn't prevent reaching 8 same-type by Floor 9 if you maintain focus.
Pivot Strategies
Freeze Without Ice Thermos: Stack multiple lesser Ice Resonium: Freezing Gloves, Cutie Cold Pack, Ice Shaver, Freezing Spray. Cumulative effect approaches Ice Thermos's power.
Ether Without Unstable Tranquilizer: Focus on Lightning Rod and Trashed Harpoon Gun. Shift from Ether-focused to Shock-focused damage.
Critical Without High-Explosive Grenade: Stack Sniper Scope and Dynamic Sensors for comparable CRIT DMG totals.
Mid-Run Mistake Identification
Insufficient Same-Type by Floor 5: Immediately prioritize same-type selections exclusively. Use Gear Coins to purchase same-type from shops regardless of individual power.
Over-Investment in Defense: If you've selected multiple defensive Resonium before Floor 6, shift to pure offensive for remaining floors.
Time Pressure: Approaching time limits by Floor 7 requires immediate tempo increase. Skip remaining checkpoints, avoid unnecessary combat, commit to riskier aggressive play.
Real Gameplay Examples
Example #1: Offensive Burst Build
Team: Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku
Score: 134,765,000
Time: 50s remaining
Nineveh Defeats: 5
Resonium Path:
Floors 1-3: Cutie Cold Pack, Ice Bucket, Freezing Spray
Floor 4: Fourth Ice Resonium
Floors 5-6: Ice Shaver, Freezing Gloves
Floors 7-9: Ice Thermos, Ice Maker, Icicle Shooter
Success Factors: Perfect Resonium synergy. Multiplicative CRIT DMG stacking (176% total) combined with Ice DMG multiplier (2.415×) created devastating burst windows.
Example #2: Balanced Sustain
Team: Zhu Yuan/Qingyi/Nicole
Build: Ether/Shock
Strategy: Maintain 4-stack Unstable Tranquilizer for 110% Ether DMG
Resonium Path:
Floors 1-3: Frozen Timer, Conductive Coil, Trashed Harpoon Gun
Floor 4: Unstable Tranquilizer
Floors 5-6: Lightning Trident, Lightning Rod, Faulty Jammer
Floors 7-9: Additional Unstable Tranquilizer stacks, Suppressive Bracelet, Net Launcher
Success Factors: Balanced approach incorporated defensive Resonium earlier, trading maximum damage for consistency.
Example #3: F2P S-Rank
Team: Billy/Anby/Nicole
Score: 26,170,175
Build: Critical
Resonium Path:
Floors 1-3: High-Explosive Grenade, Sniper Scope, Net Launcher
Floor 4: Dynamic Sensors
Floors 5-6: Additional CRIT Resonium, Faulty Jammer, Suppressive Bracelet
Floors 7-9: Defensive and utility Resonium
Success Factors: High-Explosive Grenade's execute mechanic proved crucial for minion management. Instantly removing minions allowed full focus on boss.
Maximizing Long-Term Progression
Weekly Reset Optimization
Reset Timing: Plan weekly clears when you have uninterrupted time.
Multiple Attempts: First clear grants premium rewards (Polychrome x80, Investigation Point x2000). Subsequent clears provide Investigation Point x4000, making multiple weekly clears valuable.
Practice Runs: Use early-week attempts to test new strategies. Save optimized attempts for later in week.
Reward Prioritization
Immediate Value:
Polychrome x80: Premium currency for pulls
Tuning Calibrator x1: W-Engine enhancement
Ether Plating Agent x2: Character ascension
Long-Term Value:
Investigation Point x4000: Hollow Zero permanent upgrades
Withered Crystal x200: Resonium system upgrades
Bangboo System Widget x15-18: Bangboo enhancement
Allocation: Prioritize Investigation Points toward upgrades improving Resonium selection quality or Gear Coin generation.
Building Multiple Strategies
Primary Mastery: Achieve consistent S-Rank with one framework before expanding.
Secondary Development: Once mastered primary, develop secondary using different characters.
Experimental Builds: Use weekly practice runs to test unconventional combinations.
FAQ
What's the minimum Inter-Knot Level for Withering Garden?
Inter-Knot Level 45 after completing Enchanting and Stunning, Withering Commission.
How many same-type Resonium for Advanced cards?
Exactly 8 same-type unlocks Advanced Resonium cards. 4 same-type triggers Reaction effects.
Can F2P teams achieve S-Rank?
Yes. Billy/Anby/Nicole clear scoring 26,170,175 proves proper Resonium framework matters more than character rarity. Focus on Critical build for most accessible F2P success.
Which build achieves highest scores?
Freeze builds achieve highest scores. Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku reached 134,765,000 points through multiplicative CRIT DMG stacking (176% total) and Ice DMG multipliers (2.415×).
Should I prioritize offensive or defensive Resonium?
Prioritize offensive for first 6-7 selections, then incorporate 1-2 defensive options. S-Rank scoring weights damage output and clear speed. Defensive Resonium shouldn't exceed 2-3 total selections.
What are first-time completion rewards?
Inter-Knot Credit x600, Polychrome x80, Investigation Point x2000, Withered Crystal x400 (each color), Boopon x1. Ether Activity 11 adds Tuning Calibrator x1 and Ether Plating Agent x2. Regular clears provide Investigation Point x4000, Bangboo System Widget x15-18, Withered Crystal x200, Denny x4500.