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Nicole build | Zenless Zone Zero

Our Zenless Zone Zero Nicole build guide teaches you all about this member of the Cunning Hares, along with information on her skills.

Zenless Zone Zero's Nicole with her hand on her hip next to text that reads "ZZZ NICOLE"

Our Zenless Zone Zero Nicole build helps you harness the power of this A-rank character with a strike attack style that uses the ether element. She’s a support character who can buff the team with ease and is also a member of the Cunning Hares faction along with Anby, Billy, and Nekomataa.

If you’re new to the game, we recommend you check out our Zenless Zone Zero tier list to find out which Zenless Zone Zero character we think is best, and our Zenless Zone Zero codes for some in-game freebies.

Here’s everything in our ZZZ Nicole build:

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What is the best Nicole build?

Nicole is an A-rank agent who dishes out strike damage and her element is ether. Dealing ether damage accumulates the ether attribute anomaly, causing the corruption effect. Corruption causes additional ether damage when you attack the enemy and corrupted enemies also attack both friends and foes.

We recommend you equip her The Vault W-Engine to help boost squad members’ damage when she uses an EX special, chain attack, or ultimate, along with four pieces of Chaotic Metal and a two-piece set of Woodepecker Electro for her drive discs.

Rank A
Attribute Ether
Specialty Support
Attack type Strike
Best W-Engine The Vault
Drive discs Four-piece: Chaotic Metal
Two-piece: Woodpecker Electro
Main stats Energy regen > ether damage > anomaly proficiency
Sub-stats Anomaly proficiency > crit (rate or damage) > pen (only if you have some pen ratio) > attack ratio > attack

Nicole’s special attack deals ranged ether damage to foes and her EX special can draw enemies together in a damaging energy field. you can also get amongst the action with her basic attack as she strikes enemies with her briefcase to deal physical damage.

What is Nicole’s best W-Engine?

Nicole’s best W-Engine is The Vault. It’s her signature A-rank that increases squad members’ damage when she uses an EX special, chain attack, or ultimate. If you’re looking for a suitable substitute, you can also use Unfettered Game Ball or Reverb – Mark II.

The Vault Dealing ether damage using an EX Special attack, chain attack, or ultimate increases all squad members’ damage against the target and increases Nicole’s energy regen for two seconds. Passive effects of the same name do not stack
Unfettered Game Ball Whenever Nicole’s attack triggers an attribute counter effect, all squad members’ crit rate against the struck enemy increases by 12% for 12 seconds. Effects of the same name do not stack
Reverb – Mark II Launching an EX Special attack or chain attack increases all squad members’ anomaly mastery and proficiency by ten for ten seconds. This effect can trigger once every 20 seconds. Effects of the same name do not stack

What are the best drive discs for Nicole?

We recommend equipping Nicole with a four-piece set of Swing Jazz for a boost to her energy regen and a two-piece set of Chaotic Metal to increase her ether damage. You can also switch the sets around and have two pieces of Swing Jazz and four pieces of Chaotic Metal if you need to.

Chaotic Metal Two pieces: Increases ether damage by 10%
Four pieces: Increases crit damage by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers corruption’s additional damage, this effect increases by 5.5% for eight seconds, stacking up to six times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Swing Jazz Two pieces: Increases energy regen by 20%
Four pieces: Increases all squad members’ damage by 15% for 12 seconds after Nicole launches a chain attack or ultimate. Effects of the same name do not stack

Nicole’s stat recommendations:

Here are the stats you should prioritize when building Nicole.

Mains stats:

  • Energy regen
  • Ether damage
  • Anomaly proficiency

Sub-stats:

  • Anomaly proficiency
  • Crit (rate or damage)
  • Pen (only if you have some pen ratio)
  • Attack ratio
  • Attack

What are Nicole’s skills?

Nicole’s attacks:

Basic attack Cunning Combo
Press the basic attack button to perform up to three strikes, dealing physical damage
Sub-basic attack Do As I Please
Nicole can reload after using her special attack, EX Special attack, chain attack, or ultimate, enhancing her basic and dash attacks, increasing the power of her bullets
Special attack Sugarcoated Bullet
Press the special attack button to unleash a ranged attack against enemies in front, dealing ether damage. Increases Nicole’s anti-interrupt level while in use. Nicole automatically reloads after this move to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times
EX special attack Stuffed Sugarcoated Bullet
When Nicole has enough energy, press the special attack to launch a powerful ranged attack that generates an energy field that pulls enemies toward its center to deal ether damage.
Hold special attack down to charge up, during which period a small energy field is generated at the muzzle of her weapon, dealing bonus damage to nearby enemies.
Nicole is invulnerable while using this skill. Triggers a quick assist when this skill hits an enemy. Nicole automatically reloads after this move to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times

Nicole’s dodges:

Dodge Speed Demon
Press the dodge button to rapidly avoid an enemy’s attack. Nicole is invulnerable while using this skill. Drag the joystick and hold the dodge button to reload, enhancing her basic and dash attacks up to eight times
Dash attack Jack in the Box
When moving during a dodge press basic attack to dash at the target location and strike nearby enemies, dealing physical damage. When not moving during a dodge, press basic attack to vault backward and launch a ranged attack against enemies in front, dealing physical damage. Nicole reloads her weapon after the attack to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times
Dodge counter Diverted Bombard
Press dodge during a perfect dodge to vault backward and launch a ranged attack against enemies in front, dealing ether damage. Nicole reloads her weapon after the attack to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times. She’s invulnerable while using this skill

Zenless Zone Zero's Nicole talking on the phone next to a bangboo

Nicole’s combo attacks:

Quick assist Emergency Bombard
When the character in combat is knocked back, press the swap character button to launch this attack. Nicole dodges backward and unleashes a ranged strike, dealing ether damage. Nicole reloads her weapon after the attack to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times and is invulnerable while using this skill
Defensive assist The Hare Strikes Back
When an enemy is about to attack the character in combat, press the swap character button to launch this attack. Nicole parries the enemy’s attack and deals massive daze. She’s invulnerable while using this skill
Assist follow-up Window of Opportunity
Press the special attack button after a defensive assist to activate this attack. Nicole charges forward and deals ether damage. She’s invulnerable while using this skill
Chain attack Ether Shackling
When you trigger a combo attack, change to Nicole to unleash a powerful ranged attack that damages enemies in a small AoE and creates a field that draws foes in and deals ether damage. Nicole is invulnerable while using this skill. A quick assist is triggered when this skill hits an enemy. Nicole reloads her weapon after the attack to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times
Chain attack ultimate Ether Grenade
When Nicole’s decibel rating is at maximum, press the ultimate button to unleash a powerful ranged attack that damages enemies in a small AoE and creates a field that draws foes in and deals ether damage. When using this skill, other squad members recover ten energy, and the next character to switch in gains an additional 20 energy. Nicole is invulnerable while using this skill. A quick assist is triggered when this skill hits an enemy. Nicole reloads her weapon after the attack to enhance her basic and dash attacks up to eight times

Nicole’s passives:

Core passive Mechanical Case
After Nicole hits an enemy with her special attack, EX special attack, chain attack, or ultimate, she reloads her weapon to enhance her basic and dash attacks. When her enhanced bullets or energy field hits an enemy, the target’s defense is reduced for 3.5 seconds
Additional ability Hare of Many Burrows
When another character in your squad shares the same attribute or faction: all squad members deal 25% more ether damage for 3.5 seconds when Mechanical Case applies a debuff to an enemy

What are Nicole’s promotion materials?

To get Nicole to max level you need to save up your denny and support certification seals from combat simulation – agent promotion or craft them from old seals and components you don’t need.

Here are all of Nicole’s promotion materials:

10➔20
  • 24k denny
  • Four basic support certification seals
20➔30
  • 56k denny
  • 12 advanced support certification seals
30➔40
  • 120k denny
  • 20 advanced support certification seals
40➔50
  • 200k denny
  • ten ruler certification seals
50➔60
  • 400k denny
  • 20 ruler certification seals

Zenless Zone Zero's Nicole holding a phone behind her and pulling the peace sign

What are Nicole’s mindscape cinemas?

To increase Nicole’s mindscape cinema level you need to receive a duplicate of her during a gacha pull. The mindscape cinema is similar to Genshin Impact’s constellations and Honkai Star Rail’s eidolons.

Here are all of Nicole’s mindscape cinemas:

01 Increases the damage and anomaly buildup inflicted by Nicole’s EX special attack by 16%. Increases the duration of the energy field created by her EX special attack by 0.15 seconds for each additional 0.1 seconds of charging
02 Nicole recovers five energy when Mechanical Case’s debuff is triggered. This effect can trigger once every 15 seconds
03 Increases the level of basic attack, dodge, assist, special attack, and chain attack by two
04 When Nicoles uses her EX special attack, chain attack, or ultimate, the diameter of the energy field generated increases by three meters
05 Increases the level of basic attack, dodge, assist, special attack, and chain attack by two
06 Increases all squad members’ crit rate by 1.5% against a target that receives damage from Nicole’s energy field, stacking up to ten times, and lasting 12 seconds. The duration of each stack is calculated separately

What are Nicole’s core skill enhancement materials?

To increase the levels of Nicole’s core skills you need lots of denny, some higher dimensional data: murderous obituary from expert challenges, and a few ferocious grips from notorious hunts.

Here are all of Nicoles’s core skill enhancement materials:

A
  • 5k denny
B
  • 12k denny
  • Two higher dimensional data: murderous obituary
C
  • 28k denny
  • Four higher dimensional data: murderous obituary
D
  • 60k denny
  • Nine higher dimensional data: murderous obituary
  • Two ferocious grips
E
  • 100k denny
  • 15 higher dimensional data: murderous obituary
  • Three ferocious grips
F
  • 200k denny
  • 30 higher dimensional data: murderous obituary
  • Four ferocious grips

What are Nicole’s skill enhancement materials?

You need different levels of ether chips to enhance Nicole’s skills. You can get them by completing combat simulation – agent skills and by dismantling other chips. Additionally, if you want to max out one of Nicole’s skills (level 12), you also need a hamster cage pass (similar to Genshin’s crowns), which you can earn through events or the New Eridu City Fund.

Here are all of Nicole’s skill enhancement materials:

02
  • 2k denny
  • Two basic ether chips
03
  • 3k denny
  • Three basic ether chips
04
  • 6k denny
  • Two advanced ether chips
05
  • 9k denny
  • Three advanced ether chips
06
  • 12k denny
  • Four advanced ether chips
07
  • 18k denny
  • Six advanced ether chips
08
  • 45k denny
  • Five specialized ether chips
09
  • 67.5k denny
  • Eight specialized ether chips
10
  • 90k denny
  • Ten specialized ether chips
11
  • 112.5k denny
  • 12 specialized ether chips
12
  • 135k denny
  • 15 specialized ether chips
  • One hamster cage pass

That’s all we have for you on Zenless Zone Zero’s Nicole. If you need some more Hoyoverse action, head over to our Honkai Star Rail codes and Genshin Impact codes lists to pick up some freebies.