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Pulchra Guide and Best Builds for Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ)

Last updated on Mar 23, 2025 at 08:59 by Piyo
Stun
??? EN Voice Actor
Fujiwara Natsumi JP Voice Actor
1.

Introduction - Pulchra

Pulchra is an A-Rank Physical Stun Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. Originally introduced as an enemy to Phaethon and the Sons Of Calydon during the Tour de Inferno, Pulchra is a hired mercenary who holds no loyalty to anyone except herself. After the Tour de Inferno and an interesting encounter with Burnice White, Pulchra decides to join the Sons Of Calydon faction.

"Sure, we've had our beef before, but that's all water under the bridge now. An Overlord should... beat swords into plush hares!" — Caesar King
"Fine, you can come with us, furball. But if you even think about touching my shampoo... oh, wait. I almost forgot, you cat Thirens aren't exactly fans of bathing, tsk." — Luciana Auxesis Theodoro de Montefio
"Watch out for Pulchra! She's ungrateful, conniving, and just plain shady! Unless I absolutely have to, I'm staying far, far away from her." — Bellum
"Minor Burns. Doctor's advice: No more BBQ for the big tail." — A crumpled medical record from a dingy Outer Ring Clinic

1.1.

How to Pull Pulchra

Pulchra is obtainable in the Exclusive Channel Banners "Electric Reflection" and "Born to Burn". These banners will be available until April 2nd, 2025 at 11:59:59 (Server Time). After these limited banners end, players can obtain Pulchra on any Channel at a normal A-Rank Signal search rate.

Players can also obtain a free copy of Pulchra through the "March On, Tiny Titan!" Event in Version 1.6, which will run until April 21st, 2025 at 03:59:59 (Server Time).

2.

Pulchra Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Accessible Support for Aftershock DMG.
  • +Off-Field Stunner who does not take significant uptime away from DPS Agents.
  • +High Mindscape Cinema investment allows her to buff all damage types.
X Weaknesses
  • -May require a complete Mindscape Cinema without an Aftershock DMG squad.
  • -Incompatible with squads that require her to be On-Field or switch in often.
  • -Not many Gearing Options tailored for Off-Field Stun Agents.
  • -Struggles with Squad Compositions that favour Non-Physical Attributes or Anomaly-focused.
3.

Skills, Mindscape, and Promotions

4.

Skills, Mindscapes, and Promotions

Skills Mindscapes Promotions

Basic Dodge Assist Special Chain Core
Skill Description
Basic Attack: Swift Strike

Press to activate:

Unleashes up to 3 strikes forward, dealing Physical DMG.

Basic Attack: Leaping Strike

Press to activate:

Leap forward and unleash a series of slashes, dealing Physical DMG.

Skill Description
Dodge: Reversal Shot

Press to activate:

A quick dash dodge. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Dash Attack: First Strike Advantage

Press during a dodge to activate:

Dash forward and slash, dealing Physical DMG.

Dodge Counter: Relentless Retribution

Press during a Perfect Dodge to activate:

Thrust at enemies in front, then follow up with a swift slash, dealing Physical DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Skill Description
Quick Assist: Contract - Bodyguard

When the active character is launched, press to activate:

Thrust at enemies in front, followed by rapid slashes, dealing Physical DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Evasive Assist: Contract - Outsourced Combat

When the on-field character is about to be attacked, press to activate:

Dodges the enemy's attack and activates Vital View. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Assist Follow-Up: Independent Pricing

Press after an Evasive Assist to activate:

Leap forward into the air and fire, dealing Physical DMG. Upon activating this skill, consume 1 Assist Point to enter the Hunter's Gait state. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Skill Description
Special Attack: Rending Claw

Press to activate:

Perform a rapid back-and-forth piercing attack, dealing Physical DMG. Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow

While Pulchra is in the Hunter's Gait state, and when another active character in the squad hits an enemy with a heavy attack from a Special Attack or EX Special Attack:

Dash back-and-forth piercing enemies surrounding the target, dealing Physical DMG.

After using this skill, if another active character in the squad hits an enemy, Pulchra will repeat the attack up to 5 additional times, with the final attack being a more powerful Finishing Move.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow is an Aftershock attack.

EX Special Attack: Rending Claw - Flashstep

With enough Energy, press to activate:

Pierce back and forth several times, dealing massive Physical DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Skill Description
Chain Attack: Hey, Didn't Expect That, Right?

When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to activate:

Unleashes a charged shot forward, dealing massive Physical DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Ultimate: Oh, Time to Play?

When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press to activate:

Unleashes a powerful shot at enemies in a large area ahead, dealing massive Physical DMG.

Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Skill Description
Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct

When Pulchra activates an EX Special Attack, Assist Follow-Up, Chain Attack, or Ultimate, she enters the Hunter's Gait state, increasing the Daze she deals by 15%(Lv.1) for 6s. After switching to another character, if Pulchra is still in the Hunter's Gait state, the state will last until Pulchra switches back in. While in the Hunter's Gait state and as the active character, when Pulchra lands a heavy attack on enemies, she can trigger a Quick Assist from the previous character in the squad.

Additional Ability: Business Partner

When another character in your squad is an Attack character or shares the same Faction:

When Pulchra hits enemies with Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow, an EX Special Attack, Assist Follow-Up, Chain Attack, or Ultimate, it applies the Binding Trap effect for 15s. After applying Binding Trap, all units' Aftershock DMG against the target is increased by 30%.

4.1.

Pulchra's Best Mindscapes

Pulchra's Mindscape Cinema may appear simple, but provide some great quality of life additions to her gameplay. Her best Mindscape is M6: Behind the Mask, as it not only increases her repeated attack trigger count, but also allows her Binding Trap to work with any damage type. This allows Pulchra to be more functional outside of only Aftershock DMG, and increases her off-field damage potential. The earlier Mindscapes, such as M1: Self-Interest and M2: Opportunistic, are nice to have, but should not be required to build Pulchra effectively.

For example, if Pulchra has her M4: Joy of the Hunt, she will be able to activate EX Attacks faster than most Stun Agents at M0, except Von Lycaon and Lighter. However, players may find it difficult to consistently obtain Pulchra's Mindscapes outside of an increased Signal Search rate. In addition, the M4 only reduces her Energy Cost from 60 to 55, which is not a significant upgrade compared to her other Mindscapes.

As a result, if players want to use Pulchra in different squads, they should aim to have her M6: Behind the Mask. Otherwise, with an incomplete Mindscape Cinema, she may feel restricted to Aftershock DMG squads.

# Mindscape Description
M1 Self-Interest When dealing DMG to enemies affected by Binding Trap, increase own CRIT Rate by 10%.
M2 Opportunistic While in the Hunter's Gait state from Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct, Pulchra's ATK is increased by an additional 10%.
M3 Territorial Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
M4 Joy of the Hunt Reduces Energy Cost of activating EX Special Attack: Rending Claw - Flashstep by 5.
M5 Tail Game Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
M6 Behind the Mask Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow's DMG is increased by 15%, and the number of times the repeated attack can trigger is increased by 2. Additional Ability: Business Partner's Binding Trap effect now also applies to all damage types, not just Aftershock DMG.
4.2.

Pulchra's Promotion Passives

Skill Description
Core Skill Enhancement A
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 17.5%.
Core Skill Enhancement B
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 20%.
Core Skill Enhancement C
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 22.5%.
Core Skill Enhancement D
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 25%.
Core Skill Enhancement E
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 27.5%.
Core Skill Enhancement F
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Hunter's Instinct Skill Lv.+1
  • The Daze multiplier in the Hunter's Gait state increases to 30%.
5.

How to Play Pulchra

Pulchra's gameplay goal, in summary, is to activate and sustain both Hunter's Gait and Binding Trap as much as possible. The most effective way to do this is to keep Pulchra off-field until she runs out of Hunter's Gait damage stacks. As Pulchra can still attack while off-field, she can benefit from increased damage on any enemies affected by her Binding Trap. When her Hunter's Gait runs out, players should switch Pulchra back on-field to re-enter the state.

5.1.

What is the Hunter's Gait and How do I use it?

As the on-field Agent, Pulchra can only stay in the Hunter's Gait state for 6 seconds at a time. However, thanks to her Core Passive, if Pulchra switches to off-field while the state is active, Hunter's Gait remains active indefinitely until Pulchra switches back on-field.

While on-field, Pulchra can activate or refresh Hunter's Gait by using any of the following:

  • EX Special Attack
  • Assist Follow-Up
  • Chain Attack
  • Ultimate

This state gives Pulchra an increased Daze amount per attack, depending on her Core Skill enhancements. So when in Hunter's Gait, every attack she does will make her a more effective Stunner temporarily. In addition, if Pulchra does a heavy attack, she can trigger a Quick Assist from the previous Agent in the squad. For all Agents, a heavy attack counts as either of the following:

  • Special Attack
  • EX Special Attack

So if Pulchra is the active on-field Agent, she can activate a Quick Assist for other Agents. If another on-field Agent uses their heavy attack instead, and Hunter's Gait is still active, Pulchra will do a Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow, up to 5 additional times (or 7 if you have M6: Behind the Mask).

Players can keep track of Pulchra's Hunter's Gait status and the remaining additional attacks through the on-screen gauge.

In Pulchra's kit, the only instance of Aftershock DMG is her Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow. Because this skill can only be activated when other Agents are active, and how Hunter's Gait is only active for a short on-field period, Pulchra should be played primarily as an Off-Field Stunner.

This ensures Pulchra's Hunter's Gait state remains active indefinitely, and it can be refreshed whenever she has enough Energy for an EX Special, or is switched in through an Assist Follow-Up.

5.2.

What is the Binding Trap?

Pulchra's Binding Trap is a temporary effect that increases the Aftershock DMG all Agents deal to enemies. At M6: Behind the Mask, Binding Trap will increase all damage types, not just Aftershock DMG. Pulchra can apply the effect through the following methods:

  • Special Attack
  • EX Special Attack
  • Assist Follow-Up
  • Chain Attack
  • Ultimate

Except for Pulchra's Special Attack, other skills listed above will also activate the Hunter's Gait state.

If players have Pulchra's M1: Self-Interest, this effect will also increase Pulchra's CRIT Rate when attacking enemies affected by Binding Trap. Therefore, players should aim to have Binding Trap applied to all enemies whenever possible, so that Pulchra will have increased off-field damage whenever she attacks through Special Attack: Rending Claw - Nightmare Shadow.

6.

Pulchra Build

BiS W-Engine
  1. Box Cutter
Alternative W-Engines
  1. Blazing Laurel
  2. Precious Fossilized Core
  3. Hellfire Gears
  4. Steam Oven
Best Drive Discs

4 Piece:

  1. Shadow Harmony
  2. Proto Punk
  3. Astral Voice*
  4. Shockstar Disco

2 Piece:

  1. Shadow Harmony
  2. Fanged Metal
  3. Shockstar Disco
Main Stats
  • Disc 4: CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG / ATK %
  • Disc 5: Physical DMG
  • Disc 6: Impact
Substat Priority
  1. CRIT Rate
  2. CRIT DMG
  3. ATK %
  4. PEN
  5. ATK
Skill Priority
  1. Core Skill
  2. EX Special Attack
  3. Ultimate
  4. Assist
  5. Basic Attack
  6. Dodge
7.

Pulchra's Best in Slot Guide

W-Engines Drive Discs
7.1.

Signature W-Engine: Box Cutter

Pulchra's Signature W-Engine, Box Cutter, is notably one of the best W-Engines that she can use in the game at the moment. While it may be an A-Rank, and thus, cannot reach the same maximum Impact (or Daze) potential as an S-Rank, the Box Cutter has one of the most compatible W-Engine effects with Pulchra's intended gameplay.

Following an Aftershock attack, this W-Engine's effect "Watch Your Fingers" temporarily increases both the Agent's Physical DMG as well as the amount of Daze they apply. For Pulchra, both damage increases benefit her, as her Hunter's Gait state allows Pulchra to continue attacking while off-field. In addition, Binding Trap also ensures any Aftershock attack will have increased DMG during its effect. So in general, Box Cutter would help increase Pulchra's damage output, as she only applies Physical and Aftershock DMG.

If players are looking for more Impact on Pulchra, Box Cutter would also be recommended, as it has an Impact Advanced Stat. However, as suggested above, Box Cutter would require Refinements (up to W5) in order for its Impact (or Daze) value to be comparable to an S-Rank W-Engine at W0 refinement.

For example, Hellfire Gears has a base Advanced Stat of 18% Impact, and at W0, can obtain an additional 10-20% Impact in combat. This totals to a possible maximum of 28-38% Impact from the W-Engine alone, which Box Cutter would need at least a refinement level of W3 or higher to be on par or better.

Therefore, if players are able to refine the Box Cutter, it will likely perform just as well, if not better, than another alternative listed here.

7.2.

S-Rank W-Engine Suggestion: Blazing Laurel

If players do not have access to Box Cutter, or would like to see an S-Rank W-Engine recommendation, Pulchra would greatly prefer a W-Engine that can provide Impact as the Advanced Stat. This is because, as a Stunner, her greatest advantage is the ability to accumulate Daze faster.

Based exclusively on the Impact Advanced Stat numbers, the Blazing Laurel is recommended, as it has the highest Impact potential of any W-Engines currently available. The W-Engine's effect and stat provides a potential total of 43% Impact whenever an Assist is performed. As Pulchra will primarily be an Off-Field Stunner, her main source of damage will be from Assist Follow-Ups.

However, keep in mind that Pulchra does not have access to Ice or Fire DMG in her kit. So this W-Engine would be more beneficial if she plays in a non-mono Physical DMG squad. However, for the Impact alone, this W-Engine is better than most alternatives Pulchra can use.

7.3.

Other Alternatives

Currently, while most Stun W-Engines perform just about the same, there are a few notable alternatives that players can consider if they do not have the ones recommended above. For example, of the W-Engines below:

  1. Precious Fossilized Core has a maximum potential Impact of 25%, but it decreases to 15% the closer enemies are to dying. This could make it difficult for Pulchra to daze enemies as frequently when nearing the end of combat.
  2. Hellfire Gears is a good alternative to Blazing Laurel, as its effect works off-field, which works well for Pulchra. However, at W0, it has a lower Impact potential of 38% compared to Blazing Laurel's 43%. In addition, players are unlikely to use Pulchra's EX Special Attack twice within 10s of each stack, so this W-Engine's average Impact potential is most likely to be 28% instead.
  3. Steam Oven's Effect can remain for approximately the same amount of time, if not longer, than Pulchra's Hunter's Gait. So even though it does not have an Impact Advanced Stat, the benefits from the Energy Regen and the effect's potential 16% Impact bonus is notable enough to mention. As Pulchra is primarily played off-field, she can benefit from the Energy Regen this W-Engine provides.

Pulchra's best-in-slot Drive Discs, for both 4-Piece and 2-Piece sets, is the Shadow Harmony set. This Drive Disc set provides a damage increase for both Aftershocks and Dash Attacks, but also an increase to the Agent's ATK and CRIT Rate. The stat increases only happen when the attacks are Physical DMG, which Pulchra herself can activate.

Other recommended alternatives, such as Proto Punk or Astral Voice, are primarily if players want Pulchra to use a supportive Drive Disc set. However, keep in mind the following:

  • Pulchra will not benefit from the Proto Punk's 2-Piece effect, as she does not care much about the Shield bonus. Pulchra plays primarily off-field, so she is not expected to take direct damage, and she also cannot provide Shields either.
  • Pulchra can use Astral Voice, as she will primarily switch to on-field via a Quick Assist. However, this Drive Disc set will not stack with each other if a squad has multiple Agents using Astral Voice. In addition, if players pair Pulchra with Astra Yao or another Support Agent, they may find the Support Agent benefits from using Astral Voice more than Pulchra.

If players want Pulchra to perform well independent of her squad, they may consider either 2-Piece Shockstar Disco or Fanged Metal Drive Disc sets instead. Pulchra will always benefit from the Impact or Physical DMG bonuses, but both sets at 4-Piece will not perform better than what Shadow Harmony can offer. It is highly recommended to only use these sets as 2-Piece options with a 4-Piece Shadow Harmony, or as a temporary solution until they can use Shadow Harmony.

7.4.

Bangboo Information

Pulchra's best Bangboo options are Red MoccusRed Moccus and SumobooSumoboo. Pulchra has decent Sons Of Calydon Agents she can pair with in squads, and Red Moccus can do decent damage thanks to the Active Skill's cooldown reduction. If players are not using Bangboo based on other Agents in Pulchra's squad, SumobooSumoboo will be a suitable alternative, as it is not reliant on other Agents to activate its Additional Ability.

Keep in mind there are better alternatives in general, such as Faction-based Bangboo or Bangboo for Support Agents. However, Pulchra herself cannot activate the Additional Abilities for these Bangboo types, and the suggestion will largely depend on what her squad composition looks like. It is recommended to review the guides for other Agents to see suggestions beyond Red MoccusRed Moccus and SumobooSumoboo.

As a special note, BangvolverBangvolver is also a Physical DMG Bangboo that Pulchra can possibly use. However, this Bangboo's most significant issue is that its Active Skill has a 33.3% chance to fail, and it only activates every 18s with no cooldown reduction. As a result, this Bangboo is not recommend over the other alternatives mentioned above.

8.

Pulchra Team Comps and Synergy

Depending on a player's investment in Pulchra's Mindscape Cinema, they may find her easy to use in many team compositions. Otherwise, any Pulchra who does not have her M6: Behind the Mask should primarily be in squads that can benefit from Aftershock DMG increases.

8.1.

Aftershock DMG Squad

DPS Stun Support Bangboo
Soldier 0 - Anby Pulchra Astra Yao Knightboo
Soldier 0 - Anby Pulchra Lucy Sumoboo
Soldier 0 - Anby Pulchra Caesar King Red Moccus

Pulchra's best squad composition will revolve around Aftershock attacks. At the moment, the only other Agents who can deal Aftershock damage are Soldier 0 - Anby and Trigger. As Pulchra and Trigger are both Stun Agents not in the same Faction, they are inherently incompatible and should not be placed in the same squad.

On the other hand, Soldier 0 - Anby can activate Pulchra's Additional Ability thanks to being an Attack Agent, and Anby can also deal Aftershock DMG through her Special Attack. As an Attack Agent, Soldier 0 - Anby will greatly prefer having as much on-field time as possible, which Pulchra can enable as an Off-Field Stunner.

As Pulchra does not have significant squad buffing beyond Aftershock DMG, her squad should also include a Support Agent who can provide additional damage increases. For example, Astra Yao is a compatible Support Agent who enables regular Quick Assists, which Pulchra likes. In addition, both Lucy and Caesar King also work, as they enable the squad to use Red MoccusRed Moccus and benefit from what each Agent can offer.

8.2.

Squad Alternatives

DPS Stun Support Bangboo
Jane Doe Pulchra Red Moccus
Pulchra Astra Yao Knightboo

If players do not plan to use Pulchra in an Aftershock DMG squad, for example if they have Pulchra's M6: Behind the Mask or want a Mono Physical DMG squad, they have a couple of alternatives they can consider:

For a primary DPS, while Pulchra will greatly prefer an Attack Agent for her Additional Ability, she can equally run with a Sons Of Calydon Agent instead. This allows for squad compositions with Jane Doe, whose Core Skills will enjoy having another Anomaly (like Burnice White) or another Physical DMG Agent (such as Pulchra).

However, if players want to use an Attack Agent and do not have access to other Sons Of Calydon Agents, they can consider either Nekomata or Corin Wickes as possible main DPS Agents. Both Attack Agents will benefit from what Pulchra has to offer as a Physical DMG Off-Field Stunner.

Keep in mind that Pulchra's Aftershock DMG and Daze benefits are not exclusive to Physical DMG alone. She works perfectly fine in squads featuring multiple attributes, such as those with Soldier 11, Hoshimi Miyabi, and Evelyn Chevalier.

However, keep in mind that for Pulchra's Hunter's Gait to be effective, she has to stay off-field until the state ends. If Pulchra switches on-field too soon, such as in a squad with Evelyn Chevalier (whose gameplay focuses on Quick Assists and Chain Attacks), Pulchra will lose her remaining Hunter's Gait stacks and will need to refresh before returning off-field.

Therefore, if players want to consider DPS alternatives, it should be an Agent who greatly prefers to stay On-Field as long as possible, to offset Pulchra's preference for the Off-Field.

8.3.

Changelog

  • 11 Mar. 2025: Updated the How to Pull Section for Version 1.6.
  • 10 Mar. 2025: Added the sections for Skills, Mindscapes, Promotions, How to Play, Best-in-Slot, Bangboo, and Team Compositions.
  • 28 Feb. 2025: Updated How to Pull Section.
  • 24 Jan. 2025: Page added.
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