Guide
How the kit works
Start by gaining Afflatus with hits from Dimming Brush or by entering with Radiant Ruin. Zhezhi can hold up to 90. With at least 60, cast Manifestation to spend 60 and create the Left and Right Phantasmic Imprints. Press it on the ground for ground Imprints, or hold it on the ground or press it in the air for airborne ones.
Use Heavy Attack - Conjuration (forte) with at least 30 Afflatus to create the Middle Imprint. One way to do this is to press Basic Attack shortly after Manifestation. With an Imprint nearby, the skill becomes Stroke of Genius (forte): use it twice to remove two Imprints and gain two stacks of Painter's Delight. Then use Creation's Zenith (forte) on the remaining Imprint. Its hit counts as Basic Attack DMG and grants 18% Basic Attack DMG Bonus for 27 seconds.
Cast Living Canvas before switching out. When the active Resonator deals damage, Inklit Spirits perform Coordinated Attacks, up to one per second and 21 in total. The effect lasts 30 seconds or until the limit is reached. Finish with Carve and Draw: the incoming Resonator gains 20% Glacio DMG Amplification and 25% Resonance Skill DMG Amplification for 14 seconds, ending early if they switch out.
Build and why
Use five pieces of Empyrean Anthem. The listed two-piece effect gives 10% Energy Regen, which helps Zhezhi recover energy for her Liberation. For stats, ATK and Crit. Rate are worth considering for her damage, while Energy Regen helps with her Liberation. Basic Attack DMG Bonus also fits because her Ivory Herald and Inklit Spirit hits count as Basic Attack DMG.
Rime-Draped Sprouts is the first weapon choice. It gives ATK and builds Basic Attack DMG Bonus through Resonance Skill casts. At three stacks, an Outro consumes them to give the wielder 52% Basic Attack DMG Bonus for 27 seconds while off the field. Stringmaster comes next: it gives Attribute DMG Bonus and extra ATK while its wielder is off the field. Its other ATK effect requires Resonance Skill DMG, so do not assume the Ivory Herald hits trigger it.
Whispers of Sirens is another option. It gives ATK, and one stack of its effect gives 40% Basic Attack DMG Bonus. Its stacks involve casting Echo Skill after Intro Skill or Basic Attacks, and switching out ends the effect early.
Leveling priority
A suggested order is Living Canvas, Ink and Wash, Manifestation, Dimming Brush, then Radiant Ruin. Living Canvas attacks repeatedly after Zhezhi leaves the field, while Ink and Wash covers her Imprint attacks. The basic and Intro attacks are still used, but they are a smaller part of the suggested sequence.
For maximum ascension, prepare 170,000 Shell Credit, 4 LF Howler Core, 12 MF Howler Core, 12 HF Howler Core, 4 FF Howler Core, 46 Sound-Keeping Tacet Core and 60 Lanternberry.
For all skills to maximum, prepare another 2,030,000 Shell Credit, 25 LF Howler Core, 28 MF Howler Core, 40 HF Howler Core, 57 FF Howler Core, 26 Monument Bell, 25 Lento Helix, 28 Adagio Helix, 55 Andante Helix and 67 Presto Helix.
Resonance Chain nodes worth it
Brushwork's Finish (sequence 1) is a good early upgrade to consider: casting Creation's Zenith (forte) restores 15 Resonance Energy and gives Zhezhi 10% Crit. Rate for 27 seconds. It rewards a step you already want to complete in her rotation.
For later upgrades, consider Hue's Spectrum (sequence 4), which gives the team 20% ATK for 30 seconds after Living Canvas, and Composition's Clue (sequence 5), which adds an extra Coordinated Attack for every three Inklit Spirits summoned. Each extra Spirit deals 140% of an Inklit Spirit's damage as Basic Attack DMG and does not trigger further Spirits.
Those later nodes are optional. You can stay at the base kit if you only need the existing off-field attacks and Outro buffs; no numbered upgrade is required to use that part of her kit.
Teams
Put Zhezhi before a damage dealer who can use her Outro. Carve and Draw gives both Glacio DMG Amplification and Resonance Skill DMG Amplification, so a Glacio recipient has access to the elemental bonus. Flourish (passive) also restores 15 Resonance Energy to the incoming Resonator.
Consider Carlotta with Shorekeeper, or Jinhsi with Verina. Carlotta is Glacio, so she matches the elemental part of the Outro. Jinhsi is Spectro and does not receive the Glacio damage benefit, though the Resonance Skill amplification is separate. Let the recipient stay on the field to use the buffs: switching them out ends the Outro effect.
Zhezhi also brings Coordinated Attacks while another Resonator is active. Deal damage with that character to trigger her Inklit Spirits, then continue the rotation without keeping Zhezhi on the field.
Common mistakes
Do not spend Afflatus without a plan and then expect three Imprints. Manifestation (skill) needs 60 to create the Left and Right ones, while Heavy Attack - Conjuration (forte) needs 30 for the Middle one. Watch the meter before starting the sequence.
Do not stop after two uses of Stroke of Genius (forte) if an Imprint remains. Use Creation's Zenith (forte) to get its stronger hit and Basic Attack DMG Bonus. Imprints last 15 seconds, and Painter's Delight stacks last 8 seconds, so leaving the sequence unfinished can cost you the setup.
Do not switch the Outro recipient out immediately, and do not assume every attack named Resonance Skill deals Resonance Skill DMG. The Ivory Herald and Inklit Spirit hits count as Basic Attack DMG, which matters when choosing bonuses and checking weapon conditions.
