Case File #zankou
S Tier TierZankou Build Guide
Zankou is an Incantation Main DPS who alternates between her Reality and Illusion states to keep constant, spreading damage-over-time pressure on the field. Most of her output comes from Incantation DMG, Heartwrench DoT, and enhanced follow-up attacks after shifting states. Build her around a balance of CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, Incantation DMG%, Universal DMG%, and ATK% so her direct and sustained damage both scale at once.
Strengths
- Incantation Main DPS with relentless sustained damage through Heartwrench DoT, Scorch, and spreading Incantation instances.
- Signature Arc Ravenous Blade gives a huge CRIT ceiling plus stacking CRIT DMG that her kit triggers constantly.
- Reality and Illusion state swapping keeps her on-field and lets her convert every part of her kit into damage.
- Bloodfeast Reverie into a free Inferno Flamenco creates a massive no-cost burst window after every rotation.
Weaknesses
- Heavily rotation-dependent — damage windows rely on precise state swaps and correct Skill timing.
- Most of her value comes from staying on-field, so swapping her out early wastes her kit.
- Wants dedicated DoT/Break supports such as Sakiri and Lacrimosa or Daffodill to reach her ceiling.
- Her Support Skill and several DoT-reliant Awakenings are lower priority and less impactful without the right team.
Best Arcs
Cursed Blade - Soulbound: Increases Crit Rate by 16%. Dealing Incantation DMG grants a 9% Crit DMG bonus for 15s, stacking up to 7 times (max 1 stack every 0.3s), refreshing on trigger.
Thief's Candy: Increases the wearer's damage by 8% for 10s after performing a Critical Dodge, stacking up to 3 times and refreshing on trigger.
"Bopp": Increases the wearer's damage dealt by 18% for 10s after casting a Support Skill. Triggers at most once every 20s.
Best Cartridge
Epic (2): Incantation DMG +10%. Legendary (4): ATK +6% when a nearby enemy takes Incantation DMG from the team, up to 6 stacks lasting 10s each; remains active off-field.
Best Main Stat: Incantation DMG%
- Incantation DMG% is her best main stat since it improves the damage type used throughout her rotation.
- It is more reliable than a stat that only improves part of her kit.
Module Layout
Required Modules
Bonus: Type III (+16% CRIT DMG)
Total Bonus: +64% CRIT DMG
Substat Priority
- This layout activates Crimson: Twin Butterflies' 4-piece effect while packing in as many Type III Modules as possible.
- Incantation DMG% as the main stat is the most consistent damage increase for her whole kit.
- Aim for CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG first, then Universal DMG% and ATK% as supplemental stats for both Reality and Illusion damage.
Best Teams
A premier DoT-focused team built around Zankou, letting her apply Incantation damage and sustained Heartwrench pressure under extreme safety while Sakiri amplifies the team's DoT damage and Lacrimosa maintains the Scorch reaction.
Zankou
Main DPS
Team's main damage source, sustaining Heartwrench and Incantation pressure on-field.
Lacrimosa
Sub-DPS
Adds DoT application and is the best option to keep the Scorch reaction running.
Sakiri
Support
Provides the key buffs and team support that boost the team's DoT-focused damage.
Adler
Support
Comfort option with F2P-friendly shielding for a safer rotation.
Alternatives
Open with Sakiri's Skill, then Adler's or Iroi's Skill, then Lacrimosa's or Daffodill's Skill to set up buffs, shields, and DoT.
Swap to Zankou and perform 4-5 Basic Attacks to trigger Disarray.
Use Sanguine Dash to enter Illusion, then attack to apply and spread Heartwrench DoT.
Use Soulcross just before the Illusion timer expires to trigger Oblivion and return to Reality.
Cast Bloodfeast Reverie as soon as it is available and follow up with a free Inferno Flamenco.
Loop back to supports to refresh buffs and repeat the rotation.
- Both Adler (shielding safety) and Iroi (healing/offensive support) work as the fourth slot.
- If you lack Lacrimosa, Daffodill keeps the Scorch setup intact while adding Break.
A Break-centric setup with Daffodill that trades some of the constant DoT pressure for stronger Break utility, letting Zankou deal damage more safely during enemies' broken phases.
Zankou
Main DPS
Capitalizes on broken phases with her Incantation damage and Ultimate burst window.
Daffodill
Sub-DPS
Key Sub-DPS who pressures the enemy's Break gauge while contributing Chaos damage.
Sakiri
Support
Best support if available; her buffs improve overall damage and work with the secondary Scorch DoT.
Adler
Support
Best F2P-friendly support, providing the safety this rotation needs.
Set up Sakiri's buffs and Adler's shields before swapping to Zankou.
Drive the enemy's Break gauge with Daffodill while Zankou applies Incantation damage.
Run Zankou's standard Illusion into Soulcross combo, then cash in Bloodfeast Reverie and Inferno Flamenco on the broken target.
Equip Sakiri or Adler with The Great Thief Arc to add Break Intensity for quicker clears.
- Sacrifices heavier DoT pressure for more potent Break utility and safer damage windows.
- Ideal against enemies with large Break gauges and phases.
Skill Priority
Sanguine Dash / Soulcross (Skill)
A cornerstone of her kit but upgraded after her Ultimate and Basic Attack. Sanguine Dash enters Illusion and applies Heartwrench, while Soulcross returns her to Reality and can trigger Bloodfeast Reverie when timed properly. Its form-switching utility is always relevant, though its damage scaling is slightly lower priority.
Stoked Flame (Support Skill)
Level last since she is first and foremost a Main DPS. Still valuable as an added Incantation DMG and instance source, but most of her value comes from staying active on-field rather than swapping in and out.
Bloodfeast Reverie / Inferno Flamenco (Ultimate)
Top priority as the end goal of her rotations. After casting Bloodfeast Reverie, Zankou can follow up with an enhanced Inferno Flamenco without spending extra Ultimate Energy, giving a massively empowered burst window after Heartwrench is applied.
Wildfire (Basic Attack)
Another top priority since she spends most of her long field time attacking in both Reality and Illusion. Wildfire deals Incantation DMG while stacking toward her form switch, and it has four distinct forms for any situation.
Awakening Priority
Eyes of Abyss
Activate first to keep both Hunt and Delusion active more consistently. Hunt boosts her personal damage and Delusion raises team DoT CRIT DMG, making this a huge boon for both her own combat and team buffing.
Nightmare Bloom
Streamlines her Ultimate flow by automatically activating her second Ultimate as soon as the main one is available, making it easier to access the full Ultimate chain and cash in on her DoT setup.
Blood Stained Eyes
Improves her finisher by increasing the final hit of Oblivion based on the number of DoT stacks on the target. Since her best teams pile on stacking DoTs, this is a strong boost in her premier composition.
Abyssal Kiss
Passively builds Kindling after taking part in Cycles that trigger Incantation-based reactions, increasing the next Ultimate's final damage by up to 150%. It depends on maintaining Scorch or Hexed, so it sits lower on the priority list.
Bloom in Blood
Adds Break utility to her enhanced Redirect Skill, making her less reliant on Break-focused teammates and increasing team damage against Broken enemies. Most useful in Break teams, as her DoT and Ultimate Awakenings still take precedence.
Kiss in a Nightmare
Adds comfort by improving interruption resistance and giving healing through Delusion. It allows a safer time on-field but contributes no damage, a considerable trade-off versus her higher-priority Awakenings.
How to Play
Zankou wants support buffs, shields, and DoT setup online before she takes the field. Once swapped in, she builds toward Disarray with Basic Attacks, shifts into Illusion to apply and spread Heartwrench DoT, then uses Soulcross to return to Reality and trigger Oblivion before cashing in her Bloodfeast Reverie into Inferno Flamenco Ultimate chain.
Rotations
- 1Sakiri Skill -> Adler Skill or Iroi Skill -> Lacrimosa Skill or Daffodill Skill
- 2Swap to Zankou -> 4-5 Basic Attacks to trigger Disarray
- 3Zankou Skill (Sanguine Dash) to enter Illusion -> Basic Attack combo with Stoked Flame
- 4Apply and spread Heartwrench DoT
- 5Soulcross to return to Reality -> trigger Oblivion
- 6Cast Bloodfeast Reverie as soon as available -> follow up with Inferno Flamenco -> repeat
Tips
- Ensure at least 4 Basic Attacks before using Sanguine Dash to gain Disarray's AoE Break Damage.
- Refrain from using her Skill randomly — her stronger windows depend entirely on her active state, so commit to staying on-field.
- Use Soulcross just before the Illusion timer runs out for the added Oblivion AoE damage and to continue her combo.
- Treat Bloodfeast Reverie as the payoff target of every rotation, and immediately follow it with a free Inferno Flamenco.
- Loop back to supports to refresh buffs, shields, and reaction boosts before repeating the rotation.