Version 2.1 The Impending Crash of Waves drops two powerhouse Spook Shack agents: Yuzuha (Physical Support) and Alice (Physical Anomaly DPS). Here's everything you need to know about builds, banner timing, team comps, and those gorgeous summer skins launching July 16, 2025.
Meet Your New Favorites: Yuzuha & Alice Breakdown
Character Intros and What You're Getting
ZZZ Version 2.1 hits July 16, 2025, and honestly? This might be the most impactful update we've seen in months.
Yuzuha's the Physical Support we've been desperately waiting for. At Level 60, she's packing 8,829 HP, 758 ATK, 612 DEF, 120 Anomaly Mastery, and 93 Anomaly Proficiency. But here's where it gets interesting—she doesn't just buff your team; she fundamentally changes how Anomaly comps function. Universal ATK buffs, Anomaly Mastery increases, off-field Aftershock damage, and she accelerates Attribute Anomaly buildup like nobody's business.
Alice? She's your new Physical Anomaly DPS queen. 7,673 HP, 880 ATK, 606 DEF, 19.4% CRIT Rate, 50% CRIT DMG, 106 Anomaly Mastery, and 118 Anomaly Proficiency at Level 60. Her kit revolves around building Sword Energy and Blade Etiquette to trigger Polarity Assault—a unique Disorder DoT mechanism with no internal cooldown. Yeah, you read that right. No cooldown.
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Banner Schedule (Mark Your Calendars)
Phase 1 (July 16 - August 6, 2025): Yuzuha debuts alongside Miyabi's rerun.
A-Rank rate-ups are Piper and Billy—solid choices if you're missing them. S-Rank W-Engines include Metanukimorphosis (Yuzuha's signature) and Hailstorm Shrine.
Phase 2 (August 6 - September 3, 2025): Alice takes center stage with Yanagi's rerun. Soukaku and Seth get the A-Rank spotlight. S-Rank W-Engines feature Practiced Perfection (Alice's signature) and Timeweaver.
My take? Phase 1's the safer bet for most players, but we'll get into that strategy later.
Yuzuha Build Guide: The Support Revolution
Drive Disc Setup That Actually Works
Let's cut through the theorycrafting noise. Your optimal setup is 4-piece Swing Jazz + 2-piece Phaethon's Melody. Period.
This combo gives you Energy Regeneration bonuses plus +8% Anomaly Mastery with +45 Proficiency for 8 seconds after squad EX Special attacks. Main stats are non-negotiable: Slot 4 ATK%, Slot 5 Anomaly Mastery, Slot 6 Energy Regeneration. Substat priority? Energy Regeneration first, then Anomaly Mastery.
Here's what most guides won't tell you—there are critical thresholds you absolutely must hit. 3,000 ATK activates her 40% initial ATK buff. 200 Anomaly Mastery gives you 0.2% Anomaly Buildup Rate per point over 100. Miss these breakpoints and you're leaving massive team performance on the table.
W-Engine Reality Check
Metanukimorphosis (her signature) is genuinely worth it if you can afford it. 713 Base ATK, 60% Energy Regeneration, team buffs, and +55 Anomaly Mastery on EX Special Physical damage for 30 seconds. It's not just stat padding—it fundamentally improves her rotation flow.
Budget alternative? Kaboom the Cannon wins by a landslide. In our survey of 177 players, 74% preferred it over other options. 50% Energy Regeneration and 16% team ATK buff for a fraction of the cost.
Skills and Combat Flow
Upgrade priority is straightforward: Core Skill and Special Attack get maxed first (★★★★★), then Basic Attack and Chain Attack (★★★★), finally Assist and Dodge (★★). Her Ultimate restores 8.5 Energy and activates Additional Ability with Anomaly or Spook Shack allies—which is basically every team you'll run her in.
Pro tip: M2 enables forced Chain Attacks on unstunned enemies with a 20-second cooldown. Game-changing for sustained fights.
Combat rotation flows like this: Enter with 3 Charge Points, use Open Umbrella hold for defensive stance (up to 1.5 seconds), then let Candy Shot trigger off-field via Aftershock every 4 seconds. Candy Fright inflicts 50% increased Anomaly Buildup on same-attribute attacks—absolutely massive for team DPS.
Alice Build Strategy: Physical Anomaly Perfected
Drive Disc Combinations That Matter
4-piece Fanged Metal + 2-piece Phaethon's Melody. No contest.
Fanged Metal gives +10% Physical DMG and +35% damage to Assault targets for 12 seconds. Main stats: Slot 4 Anomaly Proficiency, Slot 5 Physical DMG/ATK%/Penetration Ratio (depends on your substats), Slot 6 Anomaly Mastery. Substat priority: Anomaly Proficiency > ATK% > Penetration.
Level 60 targets you should aim for: 75-80% CRIT Rate, 150-200% CRIT DMG, 20-30% Anomaly Mastery, 2000+ unbuffed ATK (3000-3500 with supports), 100-150 Anomaly Proficiency. These aren't suggestions—they're requirements for optimal performance.
W-Engine Tier List (Based on Actual Testing)
Practiced Perfection dominates for good reason. 713 Base ATK, 24% CRIT Rate, +48% CRIT DMG, and stacks +18% ATK for 12 seconds on Assault triggers. Testing shows a 16-18% performance advantage over alternatives—significant enough to justify the investment if you're serious about Alice.
F2P players shouldn't despair though. Weeping Gemini at Rank 5 offers +192 Anomaly Proficiency and achieves 70-80% of signature performance when properly optimized. That's genuinely competitive.
Critical breakpoint alert: 140+ Anomaly Mastery converts to 1.6 Anomaly Proficiency each. This isn't optional—it's essential for Disorder scaling and core passive activation.
Combat Mechanics (The Fun Part)
Skill priorities: Core Skill (★★★★★), EX Special Attack (★★★★), Basic Attack (★★★★), Chain Attack (★★★★). Her Core Passive features a damage multiplier for Disorder-affected enemies up to 180%, Sword Instrument System caps at 300 points, and Starlight Waltz Finish auto-triggers Polarity Strong Strike.
Combat rotation feels incredibly smooth once you get it down: Begin at 300 Blade Etiquette, perform 3-bar Starshine Waltz, swap cancel to supports for buffs (this triggers off-field Polarized Assault), then rebuild with EX Specials and enhanced basics.
Blade Etiquette sources: enemy hits +10, Assault +10, squad Disorders +30, Ultimate +200, Assist Follow-Ups +80. The math matters here—plan your rotations around these numbers.
Banner Analysis: Where to Spend Your Pulls
Pity System Breakdown
Standard 90-pull hard pity for S-Rank agents with 50/50 mechanics. W-Engine banners run 80-pull pity. Resource costs hit hard: 800,000 Denny each for Level 60 promotion, 500,000 Denny per skill upgrade. Core Skills need 400,000 Denny, 9 Sycophant's Refinement, and 60 Higher Dimensional Data - Toxic Edge per character.
Version 2.1 rewards help offset costs: 300 Polychromes via in-game mail for Inter-Knot Level 4+, 10 Encrypted Master Tapes from All-New Program, and 1,600 Polychromes from Thank-You Gift.
Strategic Recommendations (My Honest Take)
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Yuzuha represents exceptional value as only the second limited S-Rank Support. She provides universal buffs for Yanagi, Vivian, and Jane teams—basically every meta comp you're already running or want to run.
Alice's Phase 2 debut synergizes with new Spook Shack Bangboo Miss Esme for faction buffs. Interesting timing, but Yuzuha's broader impact makes her the safer first pull.
Head-to-Head: Yuzuha vs Alice
Performance Metrics and Meta Impact
Yuzuha achieves Tier 0 universal Anomaly support status. Her 40% ATK buff (at 3,000 ATK threshold) and 0.2% Anomaly Buildup/damage per Anomaly Mastery over 100 are game-changing. Those 40-second buffs cover entire fight durations, enabling T0 performance in two-team setups.
Alice ranks T0.5-T1 as specialized Physical Anomaly DPS. She excels in 150-second bursts and 3-minute sustains via DoT mechanics, surpassing Jane and Piper in sustained single-target scenarios. But she requires full Blade Etiquette charge for optimal output—there's a skill ceiling here.
Investment Priority (Real Talk)
Yuzuha offers broader team compatibility. She fits any composition with Anomaly or Spook Shack allies while providing immediate improvements to existing rosters. Alice provides specialized Physical Anomaly coverage with self-sufficient Disorder capabilities but requires dedicated team building.
Resource allocation? Yuzuha M2 is the optimal stopping point, while Alice M0R1 enhances Mastery and Physical damage scaling significantly. Both function effectively at M0R0 with proper Drive Disc optimization though.
Team Composition Deep Dive
Premium Setups
Alice optimal team: Alice (DPS) + Yuzuha (Support) + Vivian (Anomaly). Maximum synergy here—Yuzuha provides ATK/Anomaly/Disorder buffs while Vivian adds off-field Ether Anomaly for Disorder triggers. Alternative setup uses Alice + Yuzuha + Yanagi for Polarity Disorder synergy.
Yuzuha teams benefit from universal compatibility. Effective combinations include Yuzuha + Yanagi + Caesar for Electric focus, or Yuzuha + Jane + Seth for Physical emphasis. She just works everywhere.
F2P Alternatives That Don't Suck
Budget option: Alice + Nicole + Seth achieves 70-80% premium output. Nicole provides grouping, DEF reduction, shields, and Anomaly Proficiency while Seth adds defensive utility. Another solid F2P option combines Alice + Piper + Lucy for Physical Anomaly focus with ATK buffs.
Bangboo Optimization
Miss Esme (S-Rank, Spook Shack) brings serious stats: HP 5,095, ATK 7,896, DEF 666, CRIT Rate 50%, CRIT DMG 100%, Anomaly Mastery 110. Active Skill provides healing and Energy regeneration, while Chain Attack delivers Physical damage and high Physical Anomaly Buildup with ≥2 Spook Shack characters.
Perfect timing for Alice teams.
Summer Skins: Eye Candy Analysis
What You're Getting
Version 2.1 introduces four summer-themed cosmetics, and they're genuinely gorgeous.
Yuzuha's Tanuki in Broad Daylight features a playful swimsuit design with bright yellow tones and duck-themed accessories.
It's cute without being over-the-top—solid design work.
Alice's Sea of Thyme showcases a pastel-toned beach outfit with calm colors and a practical waist pouch. More subdued than Yuzuha's but equally well-executed.
Both paid skins offer limited-time discount pricing at 1,350 Monochromes from July 15 to September 3, 2025, jumping to 1,680 Monochromes afterward. Free alternatives include Wise's Peaceful Waves and Belle's Summer Skies obtainable via Tales of Midsummer Dreams event quests.
Value Assessment
Summer skins provide purely cosmetic benefits—no stat modifications. The discount period offers 19.6% savings compared to standard pricing, which is decent. Event-based free skins deliver equivalent visual quality while requiring quest completion rather than monetary investment.
My recommendation? Grab them if you love the designs and have spare resources after character investments. They're well-made, but characters come first.
Endgame Performance Guide
Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault Applications
Alice achieves T0.5-T1 performance through 150-second burst capabilities and sustained DoT mechanics. Her escalating multipliers excel in 3-minute encounters while Polarity Assault bypasses enemy Anomaly gauges—huge advantage in certain matchups. Optimal performance requires 140+ Anomaly Mastery for conversion mechanics.
Yuzuha provides T0 universal enhancement for two-team setups. Those 40-second buffs cover complete fight durations. Core buffs include +1,200 ATK (37% of base), +15% team damage, and +25% Anomaly/Disorder damage. Numbers that actually matter.
DPS Benchmarks and Common Mistakes
Alice's Polarized Assault triggers Disorder with any Anomaly effect, while Core Passive deals 2.5% original Anomaly damage every 0.95 seconds during Physical Anomaly, ramping 18% per second to 180% cap.
Common optimization mistakes? Insufficient Blade Etiquette charge management and sub-140 Anomaly Mastery thresholds. Don't be that player.
Yuzuha optimization requires hitting 3,000 ATK and 200 Anomaly Mastery thresholds for maximum buff activation. Sub-optimal builds missing these breakpoints significantly reduce team performance—we're talking 20-30% damage loss.
Resource Management for F2P Players
Priority Investment Guidelines
F2P players should prioritize Yuzuha acquisition first. Universal support capabilities benefit multiple team compositions immediately. Alice represents secondary priority for players lacking Physical Anomaly coverage.
Resource costs hit hard: 800,000 Denny for Level 60 promotion per character, 500,000 Denny per skill upgrade. Plan accordingly.
Budget Build Optimization
F2P Alice builds utilize Weeping Gemini achieving 70-80% signature performance when optimized properly. Drive Disc focus on 4-piece Fanged Metal with Anomaly Proficiency main stats. Yuzuha budget builds employ Kaboom the Cannon for Energy Regeneration and team ATK buffs.
Farm resources via double drop events in Combat Simulation and Routine Cleanup during Version 2.1. Tales of Midsummer Dreams event provides additional materials including Film, Polychromes, and Chips.
FAQ
Should I pull for Yuzuha or Alice first in Version 2.1? Yuzuha, no question. She provides universal Anomaly support that benefits multiple team compositions immediately. Alice offers specialized Physical DPS but actually needs Yuzuha for optimal performance anyway.
What are the minimum stat requirements for Alice to be effective? 140+ Anomaly Mastery for conversion mechanics (non-negotiable), 100-150 Anomaly Proficiency, 75-80% CRIT Rate, and 2000+ unbuffed ATK. Miss these and she underperforms significantly.
Are the summer skins worth purchasing during the discount period? They're gorgeous and the 19.6% savings is decent, but they're purely cosmetic. Purchase if you enjoy the designs and have spare resources after character investments. Characters first, always.
Can Alice work effectively without her signature weapon? Absolutely. Alice achieves 70-80% signature performance with F2P alternatives like Weeping Gemini. Focus on hitting that 140+ Anomaly Mastery threshold and proper Drive Disc optimization.
What team composition works best for F2P players with Alice? Alice + Nicole + Seth provides solid performance reaching 70-80% premium output. Nicole offers DEF reduction and Anomaly Proficiency while Seth provides defensive utility. Very achievable setup.
How do I optimize Yuzuha's energy regeneration for consistent buffs? 4-piece Swing Jazz + 2-piece Phaethon's Melody with Energy Regeneration main stat on Slot 6. Prioritize Energy Regeneration > Anomaly Mastery in substats while hitting that crucial 3,000 ATK threshold. Energy management is everything for her.