Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) Shiyu Defense Guide and Overview

Shiyu Defense is a combat-focused, timed, end-game piece of content in Zenless Zone Zero that pits you against waves of enemies and bosses. It is a game mode that is very similar to the Spiral Abyss system from Genshin Impact or Memory of Chaos from Honkai: Star Rail. Meeting certain time-based thresholds will improve the final rewards for each stage, which include the coveted Polychrome currency. While Stable Nodes in Shiyu Defense are permanently available, Critical Nodes reset on a regular schedule, offering a steady income of Polychrome every reset.

You will unlock Shiyu Defense after completing the second Inter-Knot Reputation Rank-Up Mission, which also increases the level cap of all your Agents, W-Engines and Bangboo.

Once unlocked, you can access the Shiyu Defense mode through the Video Store menu, at the bottom right where the SCOTT Outpost menu button is located. You will be able to access both the Shiyu Defense and Hollow Zero game modes from here.

Shiyu Defense is a combat-based game mode in which you have to choose a team of Agents to battle against multiple waves of regular enemies and monsters. These fights are timed, and many of the rewards are locked behind clearing each stage within a certain time-limit.

This content scales to increasingly higher levels and difficulties, while also providing you with a few buff effects that you can build your teams around. Teambuilding, utilizing the buffs of each stage, as well as understanding the weaknesses of the enemies you are fighting, are key to succeeding in this game mode. The last stages will consist of some of the toughest challenges the game has to offer, and are what many players consider the absolute end-game content of the game.

Shiyu Defense offers both Stable and Critical Defense nodes. These are simply terms for different types of the same game-mode, with Stable Nodes being permanently available, while Critical Nodes will be on a rotation that cycles every two weeks. Each stage, whether they are from Stable or Critical Nodes, will provide one-time rewards that can be claimed once you finish a stage.

Critical Nodes will be significantly more difficult than Stable Nodes, while offering a regular source of income of Polychrome, provided you can deal with all the enemies of a stage in a timely manner.

Both Stable Defense Nodes and Critical Defense Nodes follow a similar pattern, with multiple stages that each have their own unique team bonuses, sets of enemies and bosses, and Challenge Targets. Depending on the stage, you will be asked to select either one or two teams of 3 Agents each, as well as a Bangboo, to use in the Shiyu Defense mission. You cannot use the same Agent or Bangboo in both teams.

You can also view all of the enemies that will be waiting for you by clicking on the exclamation mark in the Team Select window, allowing you to tailor your team's elements and attack types to the weaknesses of the enemies you will be fighting.

Each stage has 3 Challenge Targets, which work like grades for how well you've dealt with each stage. Meeting individual Challenge Targets will grant you either a B-Grade, A-Grade or S-Grade once you finish up the stage, with S-Grade granting the maximum rewards for that stage. If you do not manage to claim the highest grade immediately, you can always return at a later point. Finishing a stage at any grade will automatically unlock the next one for you.

Each stage offers a different set of bonuses for all the party members you selected. These can vary wildly, from bonus damage to certain elements, increased Stun or Anomaly damage, to special effects that trigger on your Chain Attack abilities. Using these bonuses to your advantage will be key in defeating all the enemies as quickly, and safely, as possible.

Whenever you clear a new stage at a grade you didn't previously clear it at, you will be able to claim a bunch of rewards:

• 100 Polychrome per stage per grade, for up to 3000 total for all 10 stages of the Shiyu Defense Stable Nodes.
• A large number of Dennies
• Plating Agents to craft and upgrade your Drive Discs