ULTIMATE Alice Thymefield Guide! [Builds, W-Engines, Teams, Showcase, MORE] Zenless Zone Zero 2.1

This is a comprehensive build guide to Alice Thymefield, who arrives in Zenless Zone Zero 2.1. Alice Thymefield is an S-Rank Physical Anomaly DPS from the Spook Shack faction. She excels at triggering Anomaly effects (Assaults/Disorders) frequently and benefits greatly from high CRIT stats, as 125% of her Crit Rate converts into Anomaly Mark buildup (capped at 100%). This allows her to rapidly inflict Assault (minor anomaly damage) and even apply a Defense shred (up to 25% DEF reduction) and self-buffs (up to 60% damage boost at max Sword Energy) through her kit. Building Alice focuses on maximizing her CRIT Rate/DMG, boosting Physical DMG, and enhancing her Anomaly triggers for maximum damage.

1. Best W-Engines—BiS and F2P Options:

Signature W-Engine (S-Rank)—Alice’s signature is her best-in-slot. It has high base stats (713 ATK, +24% Crit Rate at Lv.60) and a passive tailored for Alice: +48% CRIT DMG, and whenever Alice inflicts an Assault (i.e., triggers an Anomaly), it increases her ATK by 9% for 12s, stacking 2 times. This effect synergizes perfectly with her kit—since Alice triggers Assaults frequently via her Mark mechanic, she can maintain up to +18% ATK uptime in combat, on top of the huge Crit DMG boost. This signature weapon maximizes her damage output and should be prioritized if available.

Fusion Compiler (S-Rank, Standard)—This is a strong F2P-friendly alternative (it was one of the free selectors in 2.0) for Anomaly DPS characters. Fusion Compiler boosts ATK (12–24% scaling by refinement) and grants stacking Anomaly damage buffs: using a Special or EX attack increases the user’s Anomaly Proficiency by 25–50 points for 8s, up to 3 stacks. In Alice’s case, this means each time she uses her Special/Chain attacks, her Anomaly damage (Assault/Disorder damage) climbs significantly. While it lacks the raw Crit stats of her signature, it still provides a strong mix of ATK% and Anomaly damage, making it the best non-signature option for Alice if you have it.

Electro-Lip Gloss (A-Rank)—A viable 4-star anomaly-type W-Engine for Alice if you don’t have an S-rank weapon. Its effect: When any enemy is afflicted with an Attribute Anomaly, Alice’s ATK increases by up to 16%, and she deals 15–25% more damage to that target. In practice, as soon as Alice applies her Physical Anomaly to an enemy, this weapon boosts all her damage against that enemy. It’s an easy-to-use damage increase that pairs well with her constant anomaly application. While its stats are lower, it’s relatively accessible and complements her playstyle (and the ATK% buff benefits both her physical hits and anomaly damage). Use this as a budget option until you obtain a better W-Engine.

2. Best Drive Disc Sets:

Fanged Metal (4-piece) + Freedom Blues (2-piece)—This combination yields the highest damage for Alice. The Fanged Metal set is tailor-made for Physical Anomaly DPS units: its 2-pc bonus gives +10% Physical DMG, and the 4-pc bonus dramatically increases damage whenever an Assault (anomaly) is triggered—“Whenever a squad member inflicts an Assault on an enemy, the equipper deals +35% increased damage to that target for 12s.” In Alice’s case, she will be inflicting assaults constantly (via her marks reaching 100%), effectively giving herself a hefty 35% damage boost almost on cooldown. This affects all her damage (basic, special, and ult), making it extremely potent. The remaining 2-piece Freedom Blues adds +30 Anomaly Proficiency, which increases the damage of her anomaly effects (Assault/Disorder)—a nice boost to the extra Physical Anomaly damage she triggers.

3. Best Main Stats for Drive Discs:

Each Drive Disc has a fixed slot and possible main stats. For maximum DPS on Alice, use the following main stats on your slot 4/5/6 discs:

Slot 4—CRIT Rate% or CRIT DMG%. This slot can roll any Crit stat, so choose based on your current ratios. Aim for 70–80% Crit Rate total on Alice to fully benefit from her Mark conversion passive (80% Crit ⇒ 100% Mark buildup). If you can reach 80% CR with sub-stats, then a Crit DMG% main will yield more damage. Otherwise, go with Crit Rate% main to hit the target. (Typically, Crit Rate is preferred until the 80% threshold, then switch to Crit DMG). Both options are available in slot 4 main stats. Avoid flat stats on this slot.

Slot 5—Physical DMG%. This is the goblet analog and can roll an Elemental Damage bonus. You want the physical DMG bonus specifically (since Alice’s damage is physical)—this gives a direct % boost to all her attacks. A maxed S-rank disc gives +30% Physical DMG main stat, which is huge for DPS. If you are unlucky obtaining a physical-damage piece, a fallback is ATK% on slot 5, which boosts all damage (though 30% physical DMG is generally stronger than 30% ATK). PEN Ratio % is another possible main stat here, but it’s less of a priority—Alice already reduces enemy DEF by 25% via her kit, so flat Attack/Physical bonuses tend to yield more. Go for physical% if at all possible.

Slot 6—ATK%. This slot offers utility stats like Energy Regen or Anomaly Mastery, but for maximizing damage, Attack % is the best choice. It raises all of Alice’s damage (both physical hits and anomaly procs). Anomaly Mastery % (which speeds up anomaly buildup) is not as crucial for Alice because her Crit-to-Mark passive already ensures frequent anomaly triggers—if you maintain a high Crit Rate, she will hit the 100% mark threshold consistently without needing extra mastery. Thus, the raw damage from the ATK% main stat is preferable. Only consider Anomaly Mastery% main on slot 6 if you find you’re struggling to trigger anomalies (e.g., very low Crit rate or fighting high Anomaly RES enemies), but in an optimal build this shouldn’t be an issue. Energy Regen% or Impact% are generally wasted on Alice (she deals enough stagger from Assault spam, and her Ultimate has low impact on DPS), so stick with ATK%.

4. Best Sub-Stats for Drive Discs:

For sub-stats, Alice wants to stack offensive stats. Every Drive Disc can have up to 4 random sub-stats drawn from this pool: Crit Rate%, Crit DMG%, ATK%, Flat ATK, Anomaly Proficiency, Flat PEN, HP%, DEF%, and Flat HP/DEF. Prioritize them as follows:

1. CRIT Rate%—until you reach 80% total (including main stats). This is the top priority to ensure Alice’s passive Mark mechanic is fully utilized (and of course for general DPS consistency). Early on, any Crit Rate roll is valuable. Once you’re near the cap, additional CR is slightly less valuable than CDMG but still never a bad roll (it can let you switch your slot 4 to Crit DMG main later).

2. CRIT DMG%—as the counterpart to Crit Rate, this greatly boosts her damage per crit. After achieving a comfortable Crit Rate (50%+ mid-game, 70–80% endgame), focus on Crit DMG. Alice’s signature weapon heavily boosts Crit DMG as well, so with that and sub-stats it’s not hard to push her Crit DMG to 150–200%+.

3. ATK%—increases both her physical hit damage and anomaly damage (since anomaly scales off attack as well). This has a lower ceiling on sub-stats (max 5% per roll for S-rank discs) but is still very valuable. Flat ATK is decent early game, but in endgame its relative impact is much smaller—%ATK is preferred whenever possible (and remember, you cannot get the same stat as both main and sub on one disc, so if you have ATK% main, you won’t see ATK% sub on that piece).

4. Anomaly Proficiency—increases the damage of anomaly effects (Assault and Disorder). This is a nice bonus stat once crit and ATK are handled. Since Alice’s individual anomaly procs are only 35% of a full assault, this isn’t as impactful as raw stats that affect all her damage. However, in multi-Anomaly team comps (see Teams below) or longer fights, extra anomaly damage adds up. Treat this as a “good-to-have” fourth stat on pieces—not as high impact as crit/ATK, but better than defensive rolls.

5. Flat ATK/PEN (flat)—These are of relatively minor impact at endgame, but if they appear, flat ATK is at least directly offensive. Flat PEN reduces a fixed amount of enemy DEF—it’s generally the least useful offensive stat unless fighting low-level mobs (since Alice already ignores a chunk of DEF via shred). You don’t need to actively seek these, but a bit of flat ATK on the side is fine.

Avoid any HP%/DEF% sub-stats—they do nothing for Alice’s damage output or survivability (her playstyle relies on dodging and, if needed, team shields/heals, not building HP/DEF herself). In summary, stack Crit, ATK%, and some Anomaly Proficiency, in that order. A good rule is to get her Crit Rate to 80%, then maximize Crit DMG and ATK. If a piece rolls multiple Crit sub-stats, that’s a keeper for Alice. Don’t be afraid to discard heavy defensive sub-stat pieces—offensive focus is key for her.

5. Recommended Endgame Stat Thresholds:

For a fully built Alice at endgame, try to hit the following stat benchmarks:

CRIT Rate: 75–80%—This level of Crit Rate ensures her Mark gauge gains 100% anomaly buildup (capped) for every hit, meaning every bit of damage she does contributes maximum towards triggering Assaults. It also, of course, yields consistent critical hits. Going beyond 80% has diminishing returns for her passive (since it caps at 100% rate), though extra crit still improves normal DPS. Most players aim for 75%+ so that with buffs (or slight overcap), she’s effectively at a 100% rate for Mark.

CRIT DMG: 150%+ (ideally 180–200%). With her signature W-Engine alone giving +48% Crit DMG and an artifact circlet or sub-stats providing the rest, you should be able to break 150% easily. Pushing towards 200% Crit DMG will significantly increase her burst, especially on her big special attack. The classic 1:2 (CR:CD) ratio is a good guideline—e.g., 80% CR and 160% CDMG is a strong baseline—then exceed it if possible.

Anomaly Mastery: 20–30% (or 30 points)—This stat governs anomaly buildup speed (each point = +1% Anomaly Buildup Rate). Alice gains some Anomaly Mastery from leveling (likely 10–15% from ascension), and she can also get 10–30% from a main stat or subs if you choose. While not as vital as crit for her, having around +20% Mastery will help in content where enemies have high Anomaly RES or if you’re running less than 80% crit. With 20–30% Mastery, her natural mark buildup (which is already fast thanks to crit) gets even snappier, virtually guaranteeing constant anomaly procs. Note: If you’re prioritizing pure damage, you might not specifically farm Mastery, and that’s okay—her kit functions even with base values. Mastery is more of a “comfort” stat once crit/ATK are in place.

ATK: 2000+ (unbuffed) – While total Attack will vary by level and weapon, aim for at least 2000 Attack on Alice at max level (higher with her signature weapon). With Yuzuha’s buff (see Teams), her ATK can spike by another 1200 in team, so effectively she can exceed 3000–3500 ATK in combat. The exact number is less important than ensuring you’ve invested in Attack through stats and weapon upgrades. High Attack underpins both her physical and anomaly damage.

Anomaly Proficiency: 100+—This stat increases anomaly effect damage (different from Mastery). If you are meeting the above thresholds, you’ll likely end up with a decent chunk of Anomaly Proficiency from sub-stats and possibly the Freedom Blues 2-pc (+30). For reference, characters like Vivian have 118 base proficiency at level 60. Alice doesn’t inherently get bonus proficiency from ascension (hers is likely in crit or physical stats instead), so she relies on gear for this. Having on the order of 100–150 total Anomaly Proficiency (including base 50–60 plus gear) will boost the damage of each Assault/Disorder. This is a “nice to have”—prioritize it after crit and ATK.

Energy Recharge/Impact: (No strict goal)—These stats are lower priority. Alice’s Ultimate is not a huge damage contributor (only a 2300% multiplier, which is considered low for an S-rank ult), so you don’t need to build Energy Regen% beyond what comes incidentally. Impact (stagger), likewise, is not crucial—her frequent Assaults and Sword Energy attacks will handle stagger in most cases. It’s more effective to rely on a dedicated shield-breaker in the team if needed than to build Impact on Alice.

6. Skill Leveling Priority for Alice

Alice’s kit has multiple parts (basic attack chain, special/EX skill, ultimate, and a core passive). To maximize her damage output efficiently, prioritize leveling her skills in this order:

1. Core Skill—Top priority. Alice’s core passive governs her Mark system and self-buffs (e.g., how much bonus damage she gets at full Sword energy, anomaly damage from Mark triggers, etc.). Leveling her core will increase these bonus effects (for example, higher levels may increase the 60% max DMG bonus or the 35% assault damage ratio). Similar to other anomaly characters (e.g., Vivian), boosting the core passive directly raises her anomaly damage and overall DPS the most. In short, a higher-level core means stronger anomaly procs and buffs, which Alice relies on heavily. Max this first.

2. EX Special Attack—Second priority. Alice’s EX Special Attack (her Sword Energy hold attack and related chain moves) carries her highest multipliers—e.g., a fully charged hold yields 2000% damage, and her Enhanced 5th hit in the combo is 500%. This is where a large chunk of her damage comes from. Leveling this skill increases those multipliers, directly boosting her burst damage. Since you’ll be using her hold attack and enhanced chain frequently (especially with her Swordke/Sword Energy mechanic fueling multiple charges), you want this skill as high as possible after the core.

3. Basic Attack—Third priority. Alice’s normal attack string (5-hit combo) is her bread-and-butter between specials. Leveling it increases the damage of each hit, including the enhanced 5th hit she can do after an Assault (which is a significant 500% hit). While important, her basic string damage scales slightly lower than her big special attack; hence, it comes after the special in priority. Nonetheless, you’ll want this maxed eventually for sustained DPS—it helps clear mobs and build Sword energy. In practice, you might alternate leveling this and the Special if you want a balance, but if resources are tight, max out Special first, then Basic.

4. Ultimate—Last priority. Alice’s Ultimate has a relatively low damage contribution compared to her other abilities (roughly 2300% multiplier total, which is considered weak for an S-rank ult). It’s mainly used for utility or burst finish but does not define her DPS rotation. Leveling it will increase its damage, but the returns are smaller than other skills. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave the Ultimate for last. By the time you’ve maxed the above three, you can dump remaining materials here. (If you find yourself using her ult for i-frames or quick Assault triggers, you can put a few levels in, but generally it’s least efficient to max early.)

5. Team Compositions:

Alice shines in teams that can buff her damage and/or benefit from her frequent Anomaly triggers. She is a main DPS who stays on-field to deal damage and trigger anomalies, so ideal teammates either support her damage output or create additional anomaly reactions (disorders) for bonus damage. Below are two effective team setups: a high-end “double anomaly” team with Yuzuha and a more accessible team for current characters without multiple 5-star supports.

Premium Anomaly Team (Double Anomaly combo): This comp leverages two different anomaly types to trigger Disorder (when two different Attribute Anomalies combine, causing an extra damage burst) and provides massive buffs to Alice.

Alice—Main DPS, on-field. She applies Physical Anomaly constantly via her attacks and Mark passive. She will be the primary damage dealer. Yuzuha—Sub-DPS/Buffer. Yuzuha (S-Rank, Spook Shack) is a physical support whose kit greatly buffs Alice. When on the team, Yuzuha provides 1200 flat ATK, +15% All Damage, and +25% Anomaly DMG to the squad (at max stacks). These buffs directly amplify Alice’s damage (the ATK and DMG% apply to all her hits, and the Anomaly DMG% makes her Assault/Disorder hits stronger). Yuzuha also deals physical damage herself, but importantly, her presence activates Miss Esmi Bangboo’s faction bonus (see Bangboo section) for additional buffs. In short, Yuzuha turns Alice into an absolute crit monster by boosting her stats significantly. Vivian—Anomaly Support DPS. Vivian (S-Rank Ether Anomaly) brings a different element anomaly (Ether) and the Abloom mechanic. Every time Alice triggers an Assault (Physical Anomaly), Vivian’s “Abloom” passive will proc, dealing additional Ether damage based on the anomaly’s damage. Vivian basically doubles up the anomaly damage—and since Alice triggers them so often, Vivian’s off-field Ablooms add huge extra DPS. Vivian also inflicts Ether Anomaly herself, so together Alice and Vivian will cause Disorder reactions (Physical + Ether) for bonus damage and crowd control (Daze). This “double umbrella” duo has great synergy (both wield umbrellas in lore): “Vivian seems like a naturally good partner for Alice since Ablooms will proc on each Assault. You can run Vivian + Yuzuha for a double umbrella team, lol.” Vivian’s presence ensures that every anomaly Alice triggers hits even harder and contributes to team DPS.

F2P/Accessible Team: For a more obtainable setup, you can pair Alice with a free or A-rank support and an anomaly partner that’s easier to get. One example:

Alice—Main on-field DPS (Physical Anomaly). Grace (or Yanagi)—Anomaly sub-DPS. Grace Howard (A-rank, Electric Anomaly) or Yanagi (likely A-rank, Anomaly) can serve as the second anomaly unit. The idea is to provide a different attribute anomaly to trigger disorder with Alice’s physical anomaly. For instance, Grace (if built for anomaly) can apply Electric Anomaly status—when combined with Alice’s Physical Anomaly, it produces a Disorder explosion for extra damage and Daze. These A-rank anomaly units won’t rival Vivian’s damage, but they still contribute some damage and ensure Alice’s anomaly hits trigger bonus effects. (Note: Avoid using Piper in this slot—Piper is a physical anomaly like Alice, which won’t create disorder since it’s the same element. Pick a different anomaly type. Lucy—Support/Healer. Luciana “Lucy” Montefio (A-rank, Fire Support) is a fantastic, accessible support in ZZZ. She provides team utility such as healing, shielding and energy regeneration (her 4-piece Swing Jazz build gives the team more energy). Lucy doesn’t directly buff damage as much as Yuzuha, but she keeps Alice healthy and enables more frequent Ultimates/EX uses via energy support. Her DEF shred and pyro damage can also help a bit—notably, Nicole (A-rank Attack) is another option here, as she has a DEF shred that can stack with Alice’s and benefit the team. Nicole is free from story and her turret skill plus DEF reduction will increase Alice’s damage output (this was recommended in some Vivian F2P teams). Either Lucy or Nicole (or even both, replacing the anomaly partner) can work—the goal is to bring some support utility (survivability or debuffs) to help Alice shine. If you find Alice dying or not getting her special often, use Lucy for sustain; if you need more damage amp, use Nicole for extra shred and off-field damage.

This budget team doesn’t deliver the raw brute buffs of Yuzuha/Vivian, but it’s perfectly capable. Alice will still be doing the heavy lifting, with Grace/Yanagi adding occasional anomaly combos and Lucy/Nicole providing support. Play around her strong point—on-field DPS—and use the teammates to either enable Disorder reactions or boost her damage indirectly (through DEF down or energy for more skill uses).

8. Best Bangboo Recommendations:

Bangboos are companion gadgets that provide additional skills and passive bonuses. For Alice, a Bangboo that boosts damage (especially anomaly or faction-specific buffs) is ideal. Here are the top choices:

Miss Esmi (S-Rank Bangboo)—This is the new Bangboo in 2.1, and it’s designed for Spook Shack members (Alice and Yuzuha). Miss Esmi is expected to be best-in-slot for an Alice+Yuzuha team. In the beta, each S-rank Bangboo has a unique B-skill that gets stronger when you have two specific characters (usually from the same faction/element) in the squad. Miss Esmi’s bonuses activate fully when paired with Spook Shack agents—meaning if your team has Alice and Yuzuha, Miss Esmi will likely enter an enhanced mode or grant extra effects. While exact stats are TBD, you can anticipate Miss Esmi to increase Alice’s damage output significantly (either through direct damage skill or buffing Alice’s stats when deployed). In short, if you have access to Miss Esmi, use it—it will synergize with Alice’s team the best. (For example, if Miss Esmi’s skill grants bonus physical damage or crit when Spook Shack members are on the field, that directly benefits Alice).

Belion (S-Rank Bangboo)—Prior to Miss Esmi, Belion (added in v2.0) has been a top-performing Bangboo for DPS. Belion is a damage-focused Bangboo with very high multipliers on its attack skill (outpacing even older Bangboos like Emilian). It doesn’t have faction restrictions like Miss Esmi, so it’s a great general pick for any DPS. If you obtained Belion from Season 2.0, it can serve Alice well by adding extra burst damage during fights. For example, Belion’s skill can be used to finish off enemies or deal AoE while Alice is dishing out her combo. Belion doesn’t specifically buff anomaly damage or Alice’s stats, but raw damage from a Bangboo is still valuable. Consider using Belion if you aren’t running a full Spook Shack comp or until you get Miss Esmi.