This tier list analyzes Banyue anomaly team compositions for thrall stagger content in Zenless Zone Zero version 2.4. Based on controlled testing with the S-Rank Fire Rupture agent (released December 17-29, 2025), we rank team synergies from Tier 0 to Tier 1+ across stagger contribution, clear times, and build requirements.
Understanding Thrall Stagger Mechanics in ZZZ 2.4
Stagger Gauge System
The stagger gauge represents enemy resistance to interruption. When depleted through Impact damage and anomaly buildup, enemies enter stunned state with +50% CRIT DMG taken. For optimal Banyue builds, top up ZZZ monocoins fast through BitTopup's secure platform.
Ye Shiyuan the Thrall accumulates Contract stacks: +15% Anomaly RES per stack (max +45% at three stacks). Self-Sacrifice mechanic adds +10% Stun DMG Multiplier per stack (max three). Stage 2 requires eliminating Sobek adds first for 2,000 Performance Points toward 5,000 maximum.
Thrall vs Standard Enemies
Thrall has three elemental weaknesses: Physical, Ice, Electric. Banyue's Fire element means teams rely on raw Impact values and anomaly frequency rather than elemental advantage.
Stagger Damage Windows
Banyue's Core Passive converts 0.1 Sheer Force per 1 Max HP:
45,000 HP = 4,500 Sheer Force
50,000 HP = 5,000 Sheer Force
Endgame targets: 70% CRIT Rate, 180%+ CRIT DMG, 4,500+ Sheer Force, 300+ Impact.
Wrathful Vajra provides +30% HP, +20% CRIT Rate baseline, dual stacks add +24% Fire/Sheer DMG. At 45,000 HP: weapon adds 13,500 HP for total 58,500 HP = 5,850 Sheer Force (85%+ uptime).
Anomaly and Stagger Buildup
Anomaly Mastery base 90 at Level 60. Banyue generates Wrathful Fires through:
Perfect Blocks: 6 points
Perfect Dodges: 4 points
Defensive Assists: 4 points
Dodge Counters: 4 points
All require 1-second timing windows. At 120 Wrathful Fires, enters Visage of Wrath gaining 0.5 Adrenaline per point spent.
Yunkui Tales 4-piece: +10% HP (2-piece), +4% CRIT Rate per stack (max 3 stacks, 15s) = +12% CRIT Rate and +10% Sheer DMG at max.
Testing Methodology & Tier List Criteria
Controlled Setup
Banyue builds maintained: 45,000-50,000 HP, 70% CRIT Rate, 180% CRIT DMG, 4,500+ Sheer Force, 300+ Impact. Wrathful Vajra for S-tier, Grill O'Wisp (+15% Fire DMG, +15% CRIT Rate on HP decrease) and Puzzle Sphere (+16% CRIT DMG after EX Special, +20% DMG vs <50% HP) for A-tier.
Drive Disc priorities: Disc 6 HP%, Disc 5 Fire DMG%, Disc 4 CRIT DMG when CRIT Rate >65%. Substats: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > HP% > ATK% > Impact > Anomaly Mastery.
Week 1 Core Skill investment: Basic Rupture Seal x4, Advanced x32, Arbiter x30 (800,000 Denny).
Key Metrics
Stagger Contribution: S-tier teams achieve 40-50% from Banyue alone.
Time-to-Stagger: Top-tier breaks within 25-30 seconds.
Total Clear Time: S-tier <90s, A-tier <120s, B-tier <150s.
Performance Points: 2,000+ from Defensive Assist/Follow-Up mechanics.
Disorder Efficiency: Frequency and timing during stagger windows.
S-Tier Banyue Anomaly Teams
Team #1: Banyue + Dialyn + Lucia
Dialyn (Tier 0 SS Stun): 170+ Impact with Attack/Rupture DMG boosts. Rapid Daze accumulation creates frequent stagger windows.
Lucia (Tier 0 SS Support): Ether buffs amplify Aftershock damage, provides healing and energy regeneration.
Performance: 45-50% stagger from Banyue, 35-40% Dialyn, 10-15% Lucia. Time-to-stagger: 22-26s. Clear time: <85s.
Rotation Sequence
Opening (0-25s):
Dialyn Impact combo builds initial Daze
Quick Assist to Banyue for Defensive Assist points (4 Wrathful Fires)
Banyue Earth Shaker combo (AAAE/AAAAAE) stacks anomaly
Lucia applies Ether buffs
Dialyn completes stagger with Ultimate
Stagger Window (25-35s):
Banyue Mountain Tremor-Wrath (AAAE + EEA)
Lucia triggers Aftershock
Banyue Perfect Dodge (4 Wrathful Fires)
Chain Attack coordination
Second Cycle (35-60s):
Eliminate Sobeks with Dialyn AOE
Banyue builds second stagger with Lion's Roar-Wrath (EEEE + AAE)
Lucia maintains buffs/healing
Coordinated Ultimate chain
Stagger Breakdown
Banyue's 300+ Impact + Wrathful Vajra dual-stack bonus sustains pressure. Perfect Blocks (6 Wrathful Fires) accelerate Visage of Wrath entry.
Dialyn's 170+ Impact creates breaks every 20-25s. Attack/Rupture DMG buffs amplify Banyue's Sheer Force by 15-20%.
Lucia's Ether Aftershocks contribute 10-15% stagger depletion, provide 8-12% team healing per rotation.
Optimal Builds
Banyue: Wrathful Vajra, Yunkui Tales 4pc, 48,000+ HP, 72% CRIT Rate, 185% CRIT DMG, 4,800+ Sheer Force, 310+ Impact
Dialyn: Impact W-Engine, Daze Drive Discs, 350+ Impact, 2,500+ ATK
Lucia: Energy Regen W-Engine, Support Drive Discs, 2,200+ ATK, 120+ Anomaly Proficiency
Bangboo: Birkblick (Fire DMG) or Booressure (Impact)
Achieves 4,500-5,000 Performance Points per clear.
A-Tier Compositions
Team #2: Banyue + Ju Fufu + Lighter
Ju Fufu (Tier 0 SS Stun): Off-field Daze, +1,000 Decibels (300 refund to Attack/Rupture Ultimates). CRIT DMG buffs add 12-15% damage.
Lighter (Tier 1+ S+ Stun): High Daze with Fire/Ice DMG buffs. Fire amplification increases damage 10-12%.
Performance: 42-47% stagger from Banyue, 30-35% Ju Fufu, 20-25% Lighter. Time-to-stagger: 28-32s. Clear time: <95s.
Alternative Synergies
Banyue + Pulchra + Pan Yinhu: Hybrid Stun/Support. Pulchra (Tier 1 S) provides off-field Aftershock Daze/DMG. Pan Yinhu (Tier 1 S) delivers Sheer Force buffs (+10-12% damage) and healing for Rupture agents. Time-to-stagger: 32-36s. Clear time: <105s.
Banyue + Dialyn + Orphie: Dual Tier 0 stunners create breaks every 18-22s. Lacks dedicated Support buffs, reducing damage ceiling 8-10% vs S-tier.
Budget Variations
Grill O'Wisp: 85-90% effectiveness. +15% Fire DMG, conditional +15% CRIT Rate.
Puzzle Sphere: 80-85% effectiveness. +16% CRIT DMG, +20% DMG vs <50% HP targets.
Drive Discs: Mixed 2pc sets (Yunkui Tales 2pc + CRIT 2pc) achieve 90-92% effectiveness.
Performance Comparison
S-Tier: 85s clear, 4,750 Performance Points, 48% Banyue stagger
A-Tier: 98s clear, 4,350 Performance Points, 44% Banyue stagger
Gap: 13s difference = ~15% DPS variance during stagger windows.
B-Tier and Experimental Teams
Hybrid Disorder
Banyue + Magus + Astra Yao: Multi-element anomaly stacking. Disorder triggers every 12-15s vs 18-22s in pure Fire teams, but individual proc damage decreases 20-25%. Clear time: 115-125s. Performance Points: 3,800-4,200.
F2P Options
Banyue + Starter Stunner + Starter Support: Clear time: 140-160s. Performance Points: 3,200-3,600. Proves Banyue's core kit remains functional without premium support.
Build Optimization for Stagger Focus
W-Engines Ranked
1. Wrathful Vajra (100%): Base ATK 713, +30% HP, +20% CRIT Rate, +12% EX Special DMG per stack (max 2, 20s). Dual-stack uptime >85% provides +24% Fire/Sheer DMG. At 45,000 base HP: adds 13,500 HP for total 58,500 HP = 5,850 Sheer Force.
2. Grill O'Wisp (88%): +15% Fire DMG, conditional +15% CRIT Rate (5s on HP decrease). 70-75% uptime. Lacks HP scaling, reduces Sheer Force ceiling by 800-1,000.
3. Puzzle Sphere (82%): +16% CRIT DMG (12s after EX Special), +20% DMG vs <50% HP. Excels second-half but minimal benefit during opening.
Drive Disc Priorities
Yunkui Tales 4pc (Optimal): +10% HP (2pc), +4% CRIT Rate per stack max 3 (15s). Three-stack uptime 65-70% = +12% CRIT Rate, +10% Sheer DMG.
Main Stats:
Disc 6: HP% (mandatory)
Disc 5: Fire DMG% (15-20% multiplicative increase)
Disc 4: CRIT DMG if CRIT Rate >65%, else CRIT Rate
Substats: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > HP% > ATK% > Impact > Anomaly Mastery
Target: +25-30% CRIT Rate, +40-50% CRIT DMG, +15-20% HP%, +10-15% ATK% across six discs.
Stat Balance
Base 90 Anomaly Mastery at Level 60 provides sufficient application. Additional Anomaly Mastery offers diminishing returns vs CRIT stats and HP%.
ATK% substats contribute 60-70% effectiveness vs HP% due to Core Passive. However, ATK% remains valuable for Basic Attack damage and energy generation.
Optimal balance: 45,000-50,000 HP, 2,400-2,600 ATK, 70% CRIT Rate, 180% CRIT DMG, 95-105 Anomaly Mastery.
Skill Priority
Week 1: Core Skill max (Basic Rupture Seal x4, Advanced x32, Arbiter x30, 800,000 Denny)
Weeks 2-3: Basic Attack to 10, EX Special to 8
Weeks 4-5: Ultimate to 8, Dodge Counter to 6
Mindscape 1: -10% Fire RES (30s), +10% Sheer DMG, 2s stun extension = 12-15% total damage increase. Prioritize over W-Engine refinements.
Support Agent Synergy
Best Stunners
Dialyn (Tier 0 SS): 170+ Impact, Attack/Rupture DMG boost. Breaks every 20-25s, amplifies Sheer Force 15-20%.
Ju Fufu (Tier 0 SS): Off-field Daze, +1,000 Decibels (300 refund), CRIT DMG buffs add 12-15% damage.
Lighter (Tier 1+ S+): 140-160 Impact, Fire DMG amplification increases damage 10-12%.
Best Buffers
Lucia (Tier 0 SS): Ether buffs amplify Aftershock 18-22%, healing (8-12% team HP/rotation), energy regeneration ensures 95%+ Ultimate uptime.
Pan Yinhu (Tier 1 S): Sheer Force buffs for Rupture agents increase damage 10-12%, provides healing. Lacks broad team buffs, reduces overall DPS 5-8% vs Lucia.
Quick Assist Optimization
Defensive Assists grant 4 Wrathful Fires, contribute 2,000 Performance Points. Optimal timing during Thrall's telegraphed heavy attacks (1s window). Practice improves execution from 40-50% to 75-85%.
Chain Attack sequence: Stunner Ultimate → Stagger Break → Banyue Ultimate → Support Ultimate → Chain finisher.
Advanced Stagger Strategies
Reading Thrall Patterns
Key Telegraphs:
Overhead slam: 1.4s windup, Perfect Block at 0.3s before impact
Sweep: 1.2s windup, Perfect Block at 0.2s before impact
Charge: 1.5s windup, Perfect Dodge recommended (4 Wrathful Fires, better positioning)
Contract stacks accumulate every 35-40s. Coordinate stagger breaks immediately before stack application.
Disorder Timing
Trigger disorder 0.5-1.0s after stagger break for multiplicative stacking with 50% CRIT DMG bonus. Multi-element teams: apply secondary anomaly during buildup (15-20s before break), trigger disorder with Banyue's Fire anomaly post-stagger.
Decibel Management
Cap: 3,000. Ultimate costs: 1,000-1,200 (DPS), 800-1,000 (Support). Ju Fufu's +1,000 generation with 300 refund enables 2-3 Banyue Ultimates per rotation vs 1-2 without.
Reserve 2,400+ rating before stagger breaks for Stunner → Banyue → Support Ultimate chain.
Common Mistakes
Premature Ultimates: Using Banyue Ultimate before stagger wastes 30-40% damage. Wait for stagger confirmation.
Ignoring Wrathful Fires: Neglecting Perfect Blocks/Dodges reduces Visage of Wrath uptime 40-50%.
Delayed Sobek Clear: Costs 2,000 Performance Points. Allocate 8-12s during opening for add clear.
Low CRIT Rate: Running Disc 4 CRIT DMG with <65% CRIT Rate reduces average DPS 15-20% due to variance.
Pre-2.5 Investment Guide
Should You Pull Banyue?
Banner: December 17-29, 2025. Unique HP-to-Sheer Force scaling creates distinct playstyle. Tier 0 viable in current endgame. Fire element fills roster gaps for Ice-weak enemies.
However, players with strong existing anomaly agents may save for version 2.5 reveals. Leaked info suggests potential Support agents elevating multiple anomaly archetypes.
Resource Priorities
High Priority:
Banyue Core Skill max (800,000 Denny, seals/arbiters)
Wrathful Vajra if available
Yunkui Tales 4pc (HP%/Fire DMG%/CRIT DMG)
Basic Attack and EX Special to 8-10
Medium Priority:
Substats to 70% CRIT Rate, 180% CRIT DMG
Support skills to 8 (Dialyn/Lucia/Ju Fufu)
Mindscape 1 if resources permit
Low Priority:
Mindscape 2+ (diminishing returns)
Wrathful Vajra refinements (5-8% gains)
Perfect substat min-maxing
Future-Proofing
Diversified support rosters (Dialyn, Lucia, Ju Fufu) ensure compatibility with future anomaly DPS. Modular building allows component swapping without complete overhauls.
Resource reserves: 20,000+ Polychrome, 30+ Master Tapes, 2,000,000+ Denny provide buffer for version 2.5 adaptation.
Comparative Analysis
Stagger Contribution
Banyue (Fire Rupture): 40-50% team contribution, 300+ Impact baseline. Excels sustained single-target.
Ether Specialists: 35-45% contribution, superior multi-target spread. Lower Impact needs stronger Stunner support.
Electric Specialists: 38-48% contribution, faster application. Lower per-proc damage, higher proc count.
Clear Times
Deadly Assault Stage 2 (Thrall):
Banyue S-Tier: 82-88s
Ether S-Tier: 85-92s
Electric S-Tier: 80-86s
Shiyu Defense Floor 10 (Fire-Weak):
Banyue S-Tier: 75-82s
Ether S-Tier: 88-95s
Electric S-Tier: 85-92s
Shiyu Defense Floor 10 (Fire-Neutral):
Banyue S-Tier: 88-95s
Ether S-Tier: 82-88s
Electric S-Tier: 80-86s
FAQ
How does thrall stagger differ from normal enemies?
Thrall enemies accumulate Contract stacks (+15% Anomaly RES per stack, max +45%) and Self-Sacrifice stacks (+10% Stun DMG Multiplier per stack). Stunned Thralls take +50% CRIT DMG. Stage 2 requires eliminating Sobek adds first for 2,000 Performance Points.
Minimum build for A-tier performance?
45,000+ HP, 65%+ CRIT Rate, 170%+ CRIT DMG, 4,500+ Sheer Force, 300+ Impact. Wrathful Vajra or Grill O'Wisp with Yunkui Tales 4pc (HP%/Fire DMG%/CRIT DMG). Core Skill max. Pair with Tier 0-1 Stunner and Support (Level 8+ skills).
Can Banyue work in non-anomaly teams?
Suboptimal. Core Passive requires anomaly procs for Sheer Force application. Lacks traditional DPS scaling without HP-to-Sheer Force conversion. Hybrid compositions reduce effectiveness 25-35% vs focused teams.
Best support agents for stagger?
Dialyn (Tier 0 SS): 170+ Impact, Attack/Rupture DMG buffs, breaks every 20-25s. Lucia (Tier 0 SS): Ether buffs amplify Aftershock 18-22%, healing, energy regen. Ju Fufu (Tier 0 SS): Off-field Daze, +1,000 Decibels (300 refund), CRIT DMG buffs add 12-15% damage.
How much does Mindscape 1 improve performance?
-10% Fire RES (30s), +10% Sheer DMG, 2s stun extension = 12-15% total damage increase. Stun extension adds 2s to 8-10s base windows, increasing uptime 20-25%. Prioritize over W-Engine refinements.
Should I invest if I have strong Ether/Electric anomaly agents?
Depends on roster gaps and resources. Banyue fills Fire coverage for Ice-weak content. HP scaling creates distinct build path. If existing anomaly teams clear all content comfortably and resources limited, save for version 2.5. Banyue represents optimization rather than necessity.
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