Guide
How the kit works
When Zhao enters combat with full Frostbite Points, switch to her to use Entry Skill: Burst of Frost. It consumes the points, activates Ether Veil: Wellspring and triggers a Quick Assist. Switch to a squadmate with that assist and Zhao automatically follows with Basic Attack: Final Verdict, starting its charge in the background.
Final Verdict stores up to 5 seconds of charge. Its finishing move, Chain Attack: Temporary Alliance, and Assist Follow-Up: Frostlight Reflection consume stored time when they hit, dealing extra DMG based on Zhao's Max HP for each second. While Zhao is in any Ether Veil, charging can continue after she switches out.
Active-character attacks give Zhao 6 Frostbite Points on hit, at most once every 3 seconds. EX Special Attack: Frostflow Tundra (Special) and Ultimate: Bunny Barrage each grant 20 points; Temporary Alliance grants 5. At the maximum, these skills consume the points to activate Wellspring. If used in any Ether Veil, they also trigger a Quick Assist that can start another automatic Final Verdict.
Special Attack: Shatterfrost Surge and Frostflow Tundra consume 5% of current HP to give the whole squad HP regeneration for 5 seconds. Their HP-consuming effects share a 30-second limit. Use Defensive Assist: Frostveil Suppression to parry an incoming attack and deal Daze, then follow with Frostlight Reflection.
Build and why
Use four pieces of Bunny in Wonderland and two of Yunkui Tales. Each two-piece bonus gives 10% HP. As a Defense character, Zhao can use the four-piece Bunny effect: her EX Special Attack or any squadmate's Defensive Assist or Evasive Assist grants the squad 6% DMG per stack, up to three stacks. Stacks last 25 seconds and decay one at a time.
Astral Voice is another four-piece option to consider. A squadmate entering through Quick Assist builds stacks that increase the DMG of the character entering that way. Zhao's own Quick Assist opportunities help set it up, though its two-piece ATK bonus does not provide HP.
Choose Percent HP on discs 4 and 5, and Percent HP or Energy Regen on disc 6. Look for Percent HP, then HP, in substats. Initial Max HP above 15,000 raises the DMG bonus from Additional Ability: Crystallization, reaching its maximum at 27,000. The ability also requires an Attack, Anomaly or Support teammate.
Half-Sugar Bunny is the first weapon choice. It gives Energy Regen, team ATK and Max HP, then team CRIT DMG when Zhao activates or extends an Ether Veil. Tusks of Fury is an alternative for its team DMG and Daze bonuses after an Interrupt or Perfect Dodge. Original Transmorpher gives Max HP and grants Zhao Impact when she is attacked.
Leveling priority
Follow the game's order: Core Passive: Ideal Colleague first, then Special Attack: Shatterfrost Surge, Basic Attack: Glacial Judgment, Chain Attack: Temporary Alliance, Entry Skill: Burst of Frost, and Dodge: Bunny Hop. These entries represent the skill categories in the leveling menu.
The Core is the foundation for Frostbite Points and Wellspring. Special covers Zhao's regeneration, while Basic includes her charged Final Verdict. Chain and Assist are useful for her follow-ups, with Dodge last in this order.
For maximum ascension, you need 800,000 Denny, 4 Basic Defense Certification Seal, 32 Advanced Defense Certification Seal and 30 Defender Certification Seal. All skills to maximum need 2,905,000 Denny, 25 Basic Freeze Chip, 75 Advanced Freeze Chip, 250 Specialized Freeze Chip, 5 Hamster Cage Pass, 9 Clouded Crystalline Substance and 60 Higher Dimensional Data: Spiked Corruption Core.
Mindscapes worth it
Righteous Verdict is a good support upgrade to consider: when Zhao switches out, the squad's DMG ignores 15% of the target's All-Attribute RES for 50 seconds. Her usual Quick Assist rotation gives her opportunities to switch out.
Krampus Senior is another support option. When Zhao recovers HP, it gives her 20% ATK and the other squad members 15% ATK for 50 seconds. Her regeneration can help meet that condition when it triggers.
No Value Has Its Own Value is worth considering for Zhao's own damage: it strengthens her Core Passive CRIT Rate buff and the extra charge DMG, and stored charge time is no longer consumed by attacks. Frostveil Edge and Fuzzy Listener add skill levels, but you can skip them if you only want the support effects already in her base kit. Featherlight Footsteps offers Decibels and CRIT DMG for specific attacks rather than another direct team buff.
Teams
Bring an Attack, Anomaly or Support character to activate Additional Ability: Crystallization. While Zhao is in any Ether Veil, it increases the whole squad's DMG. Wellspring also gives the squad 5% Max HP for 40 seconds and 1,000 ATK for 50 seconds when Zhao activates it.
The bonuses from Zhao's kit are not restricted to Ice teammates. Give the Quick Assist to the character you want on the field, while Zhao charges Final Verdict in the background.
Common mistakes
Do not leave Zhao on the field waiting for a full charge when a Quick Assist is available. Switch to a squadmate through the assist so she starts charging automatically. Her charge can continue off-field while she is in any Ether Veil.
Do not expect every use of Special Attack: Shatterfrost Surge or EX Special Attack: Frostflow Tundra (Special) to restore HP. Their HP-consuming regeneration effects can trigger at most once every 30 seconds. Watch the timing if the squad needs healing.
Do not ignore initial Max HP when building for support, or forget the teammate requirement for Additional Ability: Crystallization. Also remember that reactivating Wellspring ends the existing instance before creating a new one; the two instances do not remain active together.
