ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard Agent Guide: Drives, W-Engines, Teams
ZZZ 3.2 Overview: Release Date and Banner Contents
What shipped
The 3.2 update added two S-Rank Agents: Claret (Electric – Armorer) and Roxy (Wind – Stun), along with two S-Rank W-Engines — Crimson Thirst for the Armorer specialty and Crimson Moon Casket for Stun. Nangong Yu (Ether – Stun) returned in a first-half rerun alongside her signature W-Engine, Neon Fantasies. The event calendar filled in quickly afterwards, with official notes for the Shadow Chase Showdown event on 14 September, and Agent Files for Severian Lowell and Fiony — both confirmed as Version 3.3 Agents — on 12 September.
What the Fengyu class actually is
锋御 is a new agent class introduced in 3.2, and Claret is its first holder. It is not a cosmetic label: the class ships with its own resource and empowered state, and only in that state do attacks convert into the class-specific damage types. Practically, the agent's damage is gated behind reaching the empowered state reliably, not behind raw multiplier numbers.
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard Mechanics: Resource, Empowered State, Crit Conversion
Rui-neng and the empowered window
Combat revolves around building the class resource, then entering the Crimson Inscription empowered state, where basic attacks and special-attack branches are replaced by empowered versions. That empowered window is where damage lives, so gearing and team building should target faster entry rather than higher one-shot numbers.
Why crit rate beats crit damage here
The class mechanic transforms crit rate into crit damage, effectively giving crit-rate rolls double duty; community testing puts the crit rate panel near 200% at high investment . Two consequences:
- Crit rate is worth more than it is on a standard attack agent, and there is almost no diminishing return until it caps.
- Crit damage is not dead, but its ceiling is suppressed because part of the kit refuses to scale with it, so it sits below crit rate in priority.
Trade-off note: I put crit rate ahead of crit damage on sub stats, which is the opposite of the usual advice for attack agents. For this class that is correct, because overflow crit rate is converted rather than wasted.
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard Drive Disc Setup
Set choice
Prioritise a four-piece that strengthens the empowered window's sustained output or crit scaling. Without a full four-piece, two-piece combinations should go crit rate or crit damage first, then Electric DMG. Damage here is spread across the empowered combo chain, so rotation-dependent sets underperform compared to raw crit stat sets.
Main and sub stat order
| Slot | Main stat | Sub stat priority |
|---|---|---|
| Slot 4 | Crit Rate | Crit Rate > Crit DMG > ATK |
| Slot 5 | Electric DMG Bonus | Crit Rate > Crit DMG > ATK |
| Slot 6 | ATK or Energy | Crit Rate > Crit DMG > ATK |
| All | — | Crit Rate >= Crit DMG > ATK% > flat ATK |
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard W-Engine Options
The signature engine
猩红渴望 is the class-exclusive W-Engine and interacts with the same resource system, extending empowered-state uptime. Without it, pick a high-rarity attack W-Engine whose main stat is crit rate or ATK, and do not sacrifice a correct main stat just to chase a set bonus. The empowered window is short, so any loss in the main stat gets amplified.
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard Team Compositions
| Team | Roster | Plan | Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget standard-pool | Agent + Rina + Koleda | Both best supports are standard-pool, no extra limited pulls | Koleda applies vulnerability, Rina buffs, agent runs the empowered combo |
| Ceiling team | Agent + Rina + limited Stun | Swap the standard Stun for a limited one to raise the cap | Stun break, support buffs, agent burst window |
| No Rina | Agent + Koleda + any attack support | Temporary fix while Rina is unbuilt | Prioritise empowered uptime over damage ceiling |
Choosing the Stun slot
Koleda is the smoothest standard-pool Stun option, and 3.2 added a small mindscape for her . Replacing her with a better-built limited Stun is fine, but watch vulnerability uptime. The damage window is short, so a gap in vulnerability costs more than a lower ceiling.
Support and Bangboo
Take a support that provides ATK or crit-related buffs; Rina is the most reliable standard-pool pick. For Bangboo, choose one that restores energy or boosts ATK to shorten the wait before the empowered state, rather than one that only increases single-hit damage.
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard Rotation and Common Mistakes
The rotation
Once empowered, the priority is special-attack branches, then the empowered basic chain, then rebuilding the resource. Do not fire the ultimate early when the resource bar is nearly full — that wastes empowered uptime on a non-branch action.
Four mistakes
- Stacking crit damage without crit rate. The class converts crit rate into crit damage, so low crit rate means skipping the core mechanic.
- Misaligning buffs with the empowered window. Buffs should land one to two seconds before entering the state.
- Using the agent in long attrition fights. Its value is the short empowered burst, not standing on field.
- Skipping mindscapes to rush the W-Engine. Mindscape one smooths the rotation, and that matters more than a raw stat item.
ZZZ 3.2 Pull Planning and Investment
Pull order
Zero copies, then mindscape one, then the signature W-Engine. The first copy is already a complete kit, and mindscape one addresses rotation and resource flow, which directly raises empowered uptime. The signature engine raises the ceiling, which you cannot use if the rotation is broken. Only after your crit panel is near-finished does the engine out-earn a mindscape.
Skill and material order
Skill priority: the core damage skill tied to the special-attack branch, then basic attack, then ultimate, then dodge/assist. With limited resources, take damage skills to level 10 first. On pull planning, 3.2 through 3.3 has back-to-back headline agents with 菲欧妮 and 赛维里安 already previewed, so non-whales should keep a Polychrome buffer.
ZZZ 3.2 Vanguard FAQ
Q: Is the 3.2 Vanguard agent worth pulling?
A: If you need an Electric damage dealer or want to try the new class, yes. Zero copies run the full kit and both best supports are standard-pool.
Q: Can it work without the signature W-Engine?
A: Yes. Use an attack W-Engine with a crit rate or ATK main stat; do not trade away a correct main stat for a set bonus.
Q: How much crit rate do I need?
A: The class converts crit rate into crit damage, and community testing shows the panel reaching roughly 200%. Push crit rate to its overflow range first, then add crit damage and ATK.
Q: Does 0+1 clear the hardest content?
A: Community testing indicates 0+1 clears the top-difficulty modes with three stars when empowered uptime and vulnerability windows are aligned .
Q: What if I lose the 50/50 on the W-Engine banner?
A: The signature engine is class-exclusive and unusable elsewhere. Treat any off-banner engine as a generic attack engine and do not chase the banner for emotional balance.
Come discuss in the Gghubs comments.
Action Checklist
- Build for reliable empowered-state entry before chasing panel numbers.
- Filter drive disc sub stats by crit rate at or above crit damage, in that order.
- Test the rotation with the standard-pool team (agent, Rina, Koleda) before investing in a limited Stun.
- Follow the pull order: first copy, mindscape one, then the signature W-Engine.