As the top fighter of Victoria Housekeeping Co. and the first limited character in Zenless Zone Zero, Ellen Joe is a formidable S-Rank Slash-type Agent who can wreak havoc as your Main DPS with the right build.
This shark-themed maid excels at dealing massive AoE and single-target ice damage. Her true strength lies in chaining Basic and Dash Attacks during her enhanced "Roaming State," activated by dodging. This unique state lets her rapidly unleash a flurry of icy attacks within a large area, punishing enemies caught in her onslaught. Mastering the intricacies of her kit might take some practice, but her sheer damage output makes Ellen a very attractive S-Rank Agent!
Ellen Best W-Engine
Ellen Joe thrives as an on-field main DPS character, so maximizing her damage output while she’s in her Roaming State is crucial. Here are the W-Engines that best complement her basic attack-heavy playstyle:
Rarity | Name | Adv. Stat | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
S-Rank | Deep Sea Visitor | Crit Rate | Increases Ice DMG by 25%. Dealing Ice DMG using Dash Attacks or Dodge Counters increases the equipper's CRIT Rate by 20% for 8s. |
S-Rank | Cannon Rotor | Crit Rate | Attacks that deal a CRIT on an enemy will deal an additional 275% ATK as damage. This effect can only trigger once every 5 seconds. |
A-Rank | Electro Lip Gloss | Anomaly Mastery | Deal 40% more Attribute Anomaly Damage
|
A-Rank | Pleniluna | ATK% | Basic Attack, Dash Attack, and Dodge Counter DMG increase by 12%.
|
The S-Rank Deep Sea Visitor is Ellen's signature weapon and her best-in-slot. Not only boasting a hefty Ice DMG increase, Deep Sea Visitor also streamlines your build by offering built-in Crit Rate, which frees up space for you to focus on other substats on your Drive Disks. Ellen's consistent Ice DMG application in Roaming State triggers frequent Freeze effects, making the extra 20% Crit Rate practically permanent too!
If you don’t have Deep Sea Visitor, the S-Rank Battle Pass weapon, Cannon Rotor, is a fantastic alternative. Its high Crit Rate substat and a passive that deals bonus Crit DMG make it a great choice for a Crit-focused Ellen build.
In terms of F2P options, Electro Lip Gloss excels if you can consistently freeze enemies with Ellen's Flash Freeze stacks. The 40% bonus Anomaly Damage significantly amplifies her shatter potential. On the other hand, Pleniluna focuses on raw attack power, Pleniluna increases Basic Attack, Dash Attack, and Dodge Counter DMG. This directly synergizes with Ellen's playstyle, boosting her overall damage output.
In the early game, prioritize W-Engines with Crit Rate as their advanced stat. This helps Ellen benefit more from her core passive's Crit DMG boost.
Ellen Best Drive Disk
To capitalize on Ellen’s ice-shattering fury, here's a breakdown of the best Drive Disk sets and stat priorities:
Drive Disk | Effects |
|---|---|
Polar Metal
| 2-Piece: Increases Ice DMG by 10%.
4-Piece: Basic Attack and Dash Attack DMG increases by 28%. Whenever a squad member Freezes or Shatters an enemy, the buff further increases by 28% for 12s.
|
Woodpecker Electro | 2-Piece: Increases CRIT Rate by 8%. |
Puffer Electro
| 2-Piece: Increases ATK by 10%. |
Ellen’s power lies in unleashing devastating Ice-based DMG attacks. The 4-piece Polar Metal set shines when your team triggers Freeze or Shatter effects, granting an additional 28% buff for a staggering damage increase. This set is the undisputed in-slot for Ellen, aiming to equip a full 4-piece set is highly recommended! While Polar Metal forms the core, consider pairing it with a 2-piece set that prioritizes Crit Rate. Sets like Woodpecker Electro or Puffer Electro are great choices.
Drive Disk Stat Priority
Main stats
- Slot 4: CRIT Rate% or CRIT DMG
- Slot 5: PEN% or ATK%
- Slot 6: Anomaly Rate%
Sub stats in order of priority:
- CRIT Rate% or CRIT DMG
- Penetration
- ATK%
- Attribute Mastery
Ellen Best Bangboo
The final touch to your Ellen build comes with the adorable Bangboos, your team's helpful companions, enhancing her team’s synergy and damage output. Here are the top choices:
Rank | Bangboo | Skills |
|---|---|---|
S-Rank | Sharkboo | When there are at least 2 Ice Attribute characters in your squad: Active Skill inflicts 80% more Anomaly Buildup. |
S-Rank | Butler | Increases CRIT Rate of all Agents by 14%, and the CRIT Rate of Victoria Housekeeping Co. Agents by an extra 14% |
A-Rank | Luckyboo | When there are at least 2 Physical Attribute characters in your squad: Active Skill inflicts 40% more Anomaly Buildup. |
The S-Rank Sharkboo, a shark-themed Bangboo, perfectly complements Ellen. Its key trait offers a a whopping 25% damage boost to all Ice Agents, which greatly amplifies your team's overall offensive power. This translates to more frequent enemy freezes, opening doors for more shatters and frostbite effects.
Since Ellen belongs to Victoria Housekeeping Co., the S-Rank Butler offers an extra layer of synergy. Its key trait grants a massive 28% Crit Rate boost specifically to Ellen, stacking beautifully with bonuses from your W-Engine and Drive Disks. This combination can potentially push your Ellen close to or even achieve a perfect 100% Crit Rate, allowing you to focus solely on maximizing Crit DMG. Butler also provides a team-wide energy boost!
If you haven't gotten lucky with the S-Rank Bangboo pulls, consider the A-Rank Paperboo or Luckyboo.
Ellen Best Teams
Ellen Joe thrives in a team composition that empowers her devastating Ice DMG and provides Crowd Control to keep enemies still while she unleashes her flurry of attacks.
- Main DPS
- Ellen
- Sub-DPS
- Lycaon specializes in stunning enemies, further amplifying Ellen's damage with her Core Skill's buff when facing stunned opponents.
- Support
- A free-to-play unit obtainable by clearing Stage 3 of Shiyu Defense. Soukaku is able to buff her entire team’s damage with her Core Passive and ice damage with her Additional Ability, making her a perfect partner. Soukaku's easily triggered Reactive Assist also provides valuable support.
This Mono-Ice team of Ellen, Lycon, and Soukaku, activates all synergy bonuses between the characters. Ellen gains a 7.5% Ice DMG boost with two Ice Agents on her team and an additional 12.5% when enemies are stunned, totaling a 20% damage increase. On top of that, when there are at least two Slash Agents in the team, when Ellen's EX Special Attacks hits an enemy, she gains 1 point of Flash Freeze, which saves time in building up energy for her enhanced basic attacks.
If you don’t have Lycaon yet, consider using a stun Agent like Anby. As Ellen's Daze effect doesn't cause Stagger effectively, a dedicated stun Agent can provide crucial crowd control.
Ellen Skill Priority
As a main DPS agent, Ellen will be on the field for the bulk of combat, therefore you want to prioritize raising her basic attack. Here are which skills you should prioritize:
- Basic Attack
- Dodge
- Special Attack
- Ultimate ATK
That concludes our build guide for Zenless Zone Zero's coolest Agent, Ellen! Rest assured, we'll keep this guide updated with any balance changes or new discoveries.
Interested in learning more about Zenless Zone Zero? Get ahead of the curve and start planning your Polychrome savings for your future party members with our Zenless Zone Zero 1.0 banner lineup here.