Version 2.0's Rupture mechanics and S-rank agents Yixuan/Ju Fufu have completely flipped the meta from pure DPS to defense-ignoring strategies. This tier list ranks compositions for Shiyu Defense sub-150 second clears and endgame content.
The 2025 Meta Revolution
Here's the thing about Version 2.0 'Where Clouds Embrace The Dawn' (June 6, 2025) – it didn't just add new characters. It fundamentally broke the game's damage calculations with Rupture mechanics that bypass enemy defenses entirely.
Current endgame bosses? They're packing freeze immunity and anomaly resistance like it's going out of style, which means those dominant Frost teams from last year are suddenly looking a lot less impressive. Meanwhile, Rupture and Electric compositions are having their moment in the sun.
The math here is pretty straightforward: optimal formations follow that tried-and-true 1 Attacker + 2 Support structure, with faction bonuses throwing in 20-35% damage boosts that you'd be crazy to ignore.
Stun teams create those beautiful 150% multiplicative damage windows through Daze mechanics – and trust me, when you see those numbers pop, you'll understand why timing matters so much. Disorder teams trigger dual anomaly stacks for sustained spikes, but here's where it gets interesting: Yixuan's Sheer Force bypasses defenses completely.
That makes Rupture teams exceptionally effective against those high-DEF bosses in patches 2.3-2.4 where traditional scaling hits diminishing returns. (And boy, do they hit hard.)
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T0: God Tier Compositions
Rupture Revolution: Yixuan, Ju Fufu, Pan Yinhu
This is the meta king right here. No contest.
Yixuan's defense-ignoring Sheer Force paired with Ju Fufu's Fire/Physical versatility and Pan Yinhu's defensive anchoring creates something beautiful – and terrifying for your enemies. Yixuan scales through Attack/HP stats while completely ignoring Defense values. Think about that for a second. All those tanky bosses with their ridiculous DEF stats? Irrelevant.
The dual Ultimate modes adapt to single-target and group scenarios, with the Adrenaline system providing sustained output that just keeps going. Qingming Birdcage W-Engine is doing the heavy lifting here, enhancing Anomaly, Rupture, Sheer Force, and Adrenaline all at once – it's like having your cake and eating it too.
Ju Fufu's Tiger's Roar boosts team CRIT DMG and Chain Attack damage, while Pan Yinhu's HP/Defense focus with Roaring Fur-nace W-Engine keeps everyone breathing.
The rotation's elegant in its simplicity: Pan Yinhu buffs → Ju Fufu Stun → Yixuan Adrenaline burst during those precious Daze windows. We're talking consistent sub-120 second Shiyu Defense clears here.
Frost Anomaly Dominance: Miyabi, Yanagi, Yuzuha
Miyabi's +100% CRIT rate on charged attacks combined with Yanagi's Electric Anomaly? That's not just good – that's devastating Disorder reactions that'll make you question why you ever played anything else.
Yuzuha's Tanuki Wish provides +600 team ATK for 40 seconds with energy restoration, because apparently the developers decided this team needed even more firepower. Those dual Frost/Electric anomalies trigger massive Disorder spikes, with Miyabi clearing bosses under 90 seconds when properly supported.
Yuzuha's +15% off-field damage ensures consistent output during swaps – no dead time, just constant pressure. Build priorities are straightforward: Miyabi's Fanged Metal W-Engine for Ice DPS, while Yuzuha needs >3000 ATK with Hormone Punk Drive Discs.
The catch? This team struggles against freeze-immune enemies. But in multi-target scenarios? Superior AoE control makes up for it.
Ice Freeze Lock: Ellen, Lycaon, Soukaku
The Victoria Housekeeping trio maintains T0 status through what I can only describe as unmatched crowd control and burst potential that still makes me smile every time I see it in action.
Ellen's Flash Freeze Charges provide +100% CRIT rate with AoE freeze – which is exactly as broken as it sounds. Lycaon delivers the highest HP pool and +80% Daze effectiveness with -25% Ice RES debuffs that last a full 30 seconds. That's not a window, that's a highway.
Soukaku's support scaling reaches +1000 ATK and +20% Ice DMG at the 2500 ATK threshold, while Victoria Housekeeping faction synergy provides additional Ice bonuses. Sharkboo enhances crowd control even further.
Strategy's clean: Lycaon Daze setup → Ellen Flash Freeze burst → Soukaku ATK buffs. Sub-100 second clears against freeze-susceptible targets? Standard operating procedure.
T1: Top Tier Contenders
Global Support Mastery: Astra, Yuzuha, Flex DPS
Now this is what I call investment efficiency.
Astra's Idyllic Cadenza provides global ATK buffs, Ultimate healing, and off-field invulnerability – basically everything you could want in a support package. Graceful Andante enhances Quick Assist and CRIT damage with either Elegant Vanity or Kaboom the Cannon W-Engine options.
Pair that with Yuzuha's energy restoration, and this support core elevates any DPS to near-T0 performance. The flex DPS slot accommodates Ellen (Ice), Yixuan (Rupture), or Ju Fufu (Fire/Stun) depending on enemy weaknesses.
Here's why I love this comp: maxed Astra/Yuzuha carry multiple team variations without requiring additional supports. That's resource efficiency at its finest.
Electric Shock Mastery: Anton, Anby, Grace
Grace's 8 Zap stacks provide +130% Buildup and +18% Shock damage for sustained anomaly pressure that just doesn't quit. Anton delivers Physical/Electric hybrid damage while Anby provides reliable Stun with Cunning Hare faction CRIT bonuses.
Grace build priorities: 4-piece Drive Discs for Anomaly Proficiency, 70-80% CRIT Rate, 120-140% Energy Recharge. Timeweaver W-Engine amplifies Electric Anomaly effects beautifully.
Rotation: Grace Zap accumulation → Anton damage during Anby Stun windows. This team absolutely excels in Hollow Zero against those annoying Miasmic Field shields.
Best F2P Teams
Cunning Hares Optimized: Billy, Anby, Piper
Most accessible high-performance composition through faction synergies – and honestly, it punches way above its weight class.
Billy serves as Physical DPS with +18% team damage from Piper's stacks, Anby delivers Stun support, and those Cunning Hare CRIT bonuses enhance overall output. Amillion Bangboo adds +56% CRIT damage specifically for Cunning Hare compositions, which is just chef's kiss perfect.
This handles all story content and remains viable for endgame Shiyu Defense. Investment priorities are simple: Billy weapon/skills → Anby Stun effectiveness → Piper minimal resources for maximum team benefit. You'll achieve competitive clear times with proper rotation execution.
Budget Alternative: Nicole, Anby, Billy
This emphasizes Defense reduction through Nicole's -40% DEF debuffs with Billy's Physical burst. You're trading faction synergy for enhanced damage multiplication against heavily armored targets – sometimes that trade-off is worth it.
Nicole provides energy management and team coordination while maintaining compatibility with various DPS options as progression allows character acquisition.
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Core Mechanics: Disorder vs. Stun vs. Rupture
Let me break this down because understanding these mechanics is crucial for team building success.
Disorder teams focus on dual anomaly stacking – combining different anomaly types triggers damage spikes scaling with buildup rates. It's sustained pressure that rewards patience and timing.
Stun compositions create Daze windows providing 150% multiplicative damage bonuses. The catch? Precise timing between Stun agents and DPS characters is absolutely critical.
Rupture mechanics bypass traditional damage calculations entirely. Yixuan's Sheer Force ignores Defense values completely, making Rupture teams effective against high-DEF bosses that counter Disorder and Stun through resistance mechanics.
Team building priorities: Disorder for sustained damage against varied resistances, Stun for burst against vulnerable targets, Rupture for defense-heavy encounters. Choose your weapon accordingly.
Bangboo Optimization
Elemental Synergies
Sharkboo provides Ice crowd control for Ellen/Lycaon/Soukaku freeze lock strategies – it's like adding another team member. Amillion offers +56% CRIT damage for Yixuan and Cunning Hare teams. Rocketboo specializes in Fire synergy for Ju Fufu compositions, amplifying Fire damage and Stun effectiveness. Belion focuses on Physical damage for Pan Yinhu teams.
Faction vs. Elemental Priority
Faction-specific Bangboos maximize Additional Ability bonuses with full faction alignment. Victoria Housekeeping benefits from Butler's energy enhancement, while Cunning Hare gains maximum value from Amillion's CRIT bonuses.
Mixed faction teams? You'll need elemental Bangboos supporting primary damage dealers rather than faction synergies. It's a trade-off, but sometimes necessary.
Game Mode Strategies
Shiyu Defense Critical Nodes (Level 50-70)
These require sub-150 second clears with specific enemy mechanics that'll test everything you've learned. Miyabi/Yanagi/Yuzuha excels in burst phases (October 10-24), while Yixuan/Ju Fufu/Pan Yinhu dominates sustained phases (October 24-November 7).
Rotation strategy: Support Ultimate activation → Stun setup → DPS burst during vulnerability windows. Managing that shared Ultimate gauge to 3000 decibels ensures maximum output.
Current reset: November 14, 2025. Limited banner deadlines (Miyabi, Yixuan) end November 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM UTC before Version 2.4 'On the Precipice of the Abyss' introduces new mechanics. Don't sleep on these deadlines.
Hollow Zero Survival
Procedural generation and corruption mechanics favor sustained damage over pure burst – it's a marathon, not a sprint. Jane/Seth/Qingyi provides Assault capabilities with shields countering Miasmic Field through crowd control.
Corruption accumulates from 10 per step to 100 maximum, imposing HP loss and stat reduction debuffs that'll wear you down if you're not careful. Yixuan/Pan Yinhu/Astra excels in Critical Nodes through Sheer damage bypassing defensive mechanics.
Short route planning with Safe Zone utilization minimizes corruption exposure while maintaining efficiency. Plan your path, stick to it.
Critical Mistakes to Avoid
Don't deploy multiple DPS without adequate Stun support – you're literally wasting 150% damage boost opportunities. Teams require dedicated Stun agents creating vulnerability windows that multiply output beyond what additional DPS characters could provide.
Ignoring synergy bonuses loses 20-35% damage from faction/elemental alignment. That exceeds individual character improvements, so don't overlook it.
Resource allocation errors are painful to watch: prioritizing character levels over skills, weapons, and Drive Discs that provide superior scaling. Optimal sequence: Ascension → Weapons → Discs, with skills providing 18% better scaling than levels.
Poor Ultimate/Bangboo usage wastes damage amplification like Amillion's +56% CRIT windows or Support Ultimate coordination with DPS bursts. Timing is everything.
Future Meta Predictions
Patches 2.3-2.4 continue reshaping the landscape with Rupture surge and enhanced boss mechanics favoring defense-ignoring strategies. My investment advice? Focus on versatile supports like Astra/Yuzuha that anchor multiple configurations across meta shifts.
Version 2.4 (late November 2025) introduces Lucia (October 15-29, 2025) and Yidhari (Ether DPS), potentially shifting the Ether/Rupture balance in interesting ways.
Rupture mechanics represent safe long-term investments through defense-ignoring scaling that adapts to increasing difficulty. Electric teams may resurge through upcoming releases, while Frost compositions require monitoring for immunity counters in future content.
FAQ
What's the best team currently? Yixuan/Ju Fufu/Pan Yinhu Rupture team dominates through defense-ignoring Sheer Force that counters high-DEF bosses in patches 2.3-2.4. For existing investments, Miyabi/Yanagi/Yuzuha remains T0 through exceptional burst.
Are mono-element teams better than mixed? Generally, yes. Mono-element provides 20-35% damage bonuses through Additional Abilities and faction synergies that're superior to mixed compositions. Rupture teams can sacrifice elemental synergy for defense-ignoring capabilities against specific content.
Best F2P team for Shiyu Defense? Billy/Anby/Piper with Amillion Bangboo provides the strongest F2P performance through Cunning Hare synergies and +56% CRIT damage. Handles all current Shiyu Defense with proper optimization.
How does Disorder work? Disorder triggers when two different anomaly types stack, creating damage spikes scaling with anomaly buildup rates. Miyabi/Yanagi combinations use Frost/Electric anomalies for massive burst through dual stacking.
Do I need Stun characters in every team? Stun characters provide 150% multiplicative damage through Daze windows – that's essential for maximizing DPS in most scenarios. Rupture teams sometimes bypass Stun requirements through defense-ignoring mechanics, but most compositions absolutely require dedicated Stun support.