Annihilation Simulacrum Guide and Best Agents for Zenless Zone Zero
Annihilation Simulacrum is an Endgame mode in Zenless Zone Zero where you have to face three different bosses with trial characters instead of your own. Fight bosses with unique mechanics, learn the best teams for Annihilation Simulacrum, and claim all the rewards!
What is Annihilation Simulacrum in Zenless Zone Zero?
Annihilation Simulacrum is a high-stakes endgame challenge mode in Zenless Zone Zero, designed around fighting bosses with specific mechanics, and more importantly, using trial characters.
Annihilation Simulacrum does not allow players to use their personally-built characters. Instead, the game mode provides a finite roster of characters for the Extreme mode difficulty.
The Annihilation Simulacrum challenge period resets every patch, providing new bosses, new rewards, and a new roster of trial characters.
Annihilation Simulacrum Available Difficulties
Annihilation Simulacrum features two difficulty levels:
- Standard Mode
- Extreme Mode
Standard mode is similar to standard boss fights in Zenless Zone Zero. Meanwhile, Extreme Mode increases the boss difficulty by inflating the HP pool and provides an overall tougher experience.
Furthermore, Standard mode provides the bulk of rewards available in Annihilation Simulacrum, as all Polychrome rewards are available to claim from completing this mode.
Annihilation Simulacrum Stage Guide and Best Teams
Primordial Nightmare Guide
| Special Challenge |
|---|
| Prevent Integrated - Primordial Nightmare from performing no more than 3 State Switches throughout the entire battle. |
| Stage Overview |
| At the start of combat and upon recovering from Stun, the Boss will have half its Daze gauge filled. When Swift Flying Sword hits the Boss, it prevents them from performing a State Switch for a period of time. Whenever the Boss's accumulated Daze or reduced Miasmic Shield reaches a certain threshold, it will attempt a State Switch. If it succeeds, the Boss's current Daze and Miasmic Shield values undergo a proportional conversion. When Agents perform a Defensive Assist, Perfect Dodge, or Ultimate, or apply an Attribute Anomaly to the enemy, the cooldown of Swift Flying Sword is reduced. While the Miasmic Shield is active, Agents blocking the Boss's attacks will additionally reduce the Miasmic Shield value. |
Best Teams
Extreme Mode
Standard Mode
Fight Advice
A new button is available in this fight, which should be pressed regularly to stop Miasmic Shield from occurring. Use it as soon as possible at the start of the fight, and then whenever it flashes before the boss activates Miasmic Shield.
Defensive Assist, Perfect Dodge, Ultimate, or Attribute Anomaly will reset the cooldown slightly, allowing you to use it often. Continue activating Swift Flying Sword so the boss never activates their shield.
Despite the core mechanic, double stun is the most effective way to prevent the boss from activating Miasmic Shield.
Drowned Ideal - Komano Manato Guide
| Special Challenge |
|---|
| Prevent Integrated - Drowned Ideal - Komano Manato from ever entering Miasmic Shield Frenzy. |
| Stage Overview |
| In combat, the Boss starts with half of its Miasmic Shield value. Agents' attacks will not reduce its Miasmic Shield value. Triggering a Defensive Assist, or landing an Ultimate, EX Special Attack, or Assist Follow-Up on the Boss while it's blocking will break the Boss's blocking state and reduce its Miasmic Shield value. When the Miasmic Shield value is reduced to zero, the boss will immediately become Stunned. The Boss gains Miasmic Shield value when its attacks hit an Agent or blocks an Agent's attack. If the Boss's Miasmic Shield value accumulates to its maximum value, he will enter Miasmic Shield Frenzy. In this state, "Integrated - Drowned Ideal - Komano Manato" cannot be interrupted, and his aggression increases. |
Best Teams
Extreme Mode
Standard Mode
Fight Advice
Do not attack Manato while blocking with normal attacks, as it will increase his shield. However EX Special Attacks, or attacks considered as EX Special, are okay to use.
Manato provides many opportunities to Defensive Assist, allowing you to reduce his miasma shield quickly. That being said, taking damage also increases his shield, so dodging attacks also helps you in the long run.
Yidhari's counters damage the boss' Miasmic shield.
Shining Promise - Billy Guide
| Special Challenge |
|---|
| Don't let Agents accumulate 20 stacks of Etch. |
| Stage Overview |
| During combat, the boss will leave a zone called Starlight Arena on the field every 10s. Agents within this zone will gain 1 stack of Etch every 1.5s. Etch has a maximum of 20 stacks. Each stack of Etch increases all Agents' Anomaly Buildup Rate by 40% and causes the currently active Agent to continuously lose HP. Agents can transfer 2 stacks of Etch to the Boss by triggering a Defensive Assist or a block. Triggering a Dodge Counter will transfer 1 stack of Etch to the Boss. Inflicting an Attribute Anomaly on the Boss transfers 4 stacks of Etch to the Boss. Stunning the Boss transfers all stacks of Etch to the Boss. When the Boss's accumulated Etch reaches the maximum number of stacks, all Etch stacks are detonated, dealing DMG to Integrated - Shining Promise - Billy equal to a percentage of his Max HP, and restoring HP to all Agents equal to 50% of their lost HP. When the Boss successfully deals DMG with certain attacks, 2 stacks of Etch are transferred to the Agent. |
Best Teams
Extreme Mode
Standard Mode
Fight Advice
Etch stacks are generated when standing in the red puddles! You can then transfer to Billy with a range of methods, but the best is through Attribute Anomaly, which transfers 4 stacks at a time.
Positioning yourself above all Starlight Arenas can be difficult with how much Billy moves. Instead, place yourself in the corner of the arena, which allows most puddles to be focused in a single area. This is especially useful, as Velina makes it difficult to locate puddles with her attack covering the floor.
What are the Annihilation Simulacrum Rewards?
Annihilation Simulacrum provides rewards depending if you complete the mode's objectives, clearing on a specific difficulty, and clearing within a specific time frame.
Each fight rewards players with:
| Objective | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Complete fight-specific mechanic | Polychrome x40 Denny x20,000 |
| Clear Standard difficulty | Polychrome x80 Denny x20,000 |
| Clear Standard difficulty within 180s | Polychrome x40 Original Chip x3 |
| Clear Extreme difficulty within 180s | Hi-Fi Master Copy x9 Original Chip x3 |
Additionally, completing all missions for Standard Mode provides an extra 100 Polychromes.
The overall reward total per patch is:
- Polychrome x580
- Denny x120,000
- Original Chip x18
- Hi-Fi Master Copy x27
Annihilation Simulacrum rewards are refreshed each time the phase resets!
Changelog
- 18 Jun. 2026: Adjusted table formatting and wording.
- 17 Jun. 2026: Annihilation Simulacrum Guide added.
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Darrus Myles is a Narrative Designer and games writer specializing in RPGs, live-service games, and gameplay systems. A longtime HoYoverse fan, he spends most of his time in Zenless Zone Zero while keeping up with Honkai: Star Rail, though he'll never pass up an excuse to revisit Elden Ring or Baldur's Gate 3.
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