Zenless Zone Zero W-Engines Guide: Complete Tier List and Optimization Strategies

Introduction

With 74 different W-Engines across three rarities and six specialties, building your agents in Zenless Zone Zero can feel overwhelming. The gap between a top-tier S-rank and a basic B-rank is massive, and mismatching a weapon to an agent's role cripples your team's potential. This guide cuts through the complexity, providing clear tier lists, acquisition methods, and optimization strategies to ensure every pull and craft counts.

Understanding W-Engines: The Complete Weapon System

W-Engine Rarities: S-Rank vs A-Rank vs B-Rank

You're staring down 74 different W-Engines split across three rarities, and the differences aren't just stickers on the side. S-Rank weapons hit 580-625 ATK at level 60 with 18-24% advanced sub-stats and actually useful passive effects, while A-Rank caps out at 430-480 ATK and 12-18% sub-stats - already a huge gap before you even get to the watered-down passives. B-Rank weapons are basically fodder, topping at 290-330 ATK with measly 6-10% flat stats and no unique passive to speak of.

Here's the kicker: stat scaling isn't linear. After level 40, the gap accelerates fast - S-Ranks gain roughly 12 ATK per level while B-Ranks get about 7, so by endgame you're not just behind, you're practically using a different weapon category entirely.

Weapon Types and Agent Specialties

This is where builds live or die. W-Engines are locked to six Agent Specialties - Attack, Stun, Support, Anomaly, Defense, and Rupture - and mismatching them guts your weapon's passive completely. You can equip a Stun W-Engine on an Attack Agent, but you'll only get the base stats, which means you're throwing away the best part of your gear.

Attack W-Engines crank raw damage and crit metrics for your main DPS, while Stun W-Engines boost Daze build-up and Impact to stagger enemies faster. Support W-Engines hand out Energy Regen, team buff duration, or shield potency, and Anomaly W-Engines juice up elemental build-up speed. Defense W-Engines reinforce damage reduction and survivability, and Rupture W-Engines (new in Version 2.0) explode staggered targets - but only Rupture Agents can trigger their passive.

How to Obtain W-Engines: All Acquisition Methods

Signal Search is your main faucet - the gacha system where S-Ranks sit at a spicy 0.6% drop rate with an 80-pull hard pity. A-Ranks are way more reasonable at 5.1% with a guaranteed drop every 10 pulls, so you're rarely walking away empty-handed. But if you're not trying to burn your whole wallet, you've got solid free-to-play routes.

The Proxy Primer is a one-time Compendium reward that hands you a free 4★ W-Engine selector (B-rank, but hey, it's guaranteed). Events also toss out 4★ W-Engine boxes and sometimes even 5★ Replica selectors at 90% power of the banner version. Once you hit Inter-Knot Level 12, crafting opens up - just bring W-Engine Fragments from dismantling, Dennies, and W-Cores from weekly tasks.

Don't sleep on the Commercial Pass either. The free track gives a random 4★ W-Engine at level 30, and the paid track lets you pick exactly what you need at level 40. It's not the fastest pipeline, but it's consistent.

W-Engine Tier List: Best Weapons by Type (Patch 2.4)

If you're trying to figure out where to dump your hard-earned Polychromes, weapon priority is just as important as pulling the Agents themselves. Here's what's actually worth your time in Patch 2.4, broken down by role so you can min-max without the headache.

Attack W-Engines: Top DPS Weapons

When you're building for pure damage, Attack W-Engines are where most of your resources will go. At the absolute peak sits Heartstring Nocturne, an S-rank monster that stacks DMG% the more you attack and even refunds Energy on Basic and Special attacks, which means you can keep your combo game going indefinitely. Its high Crit Rate sub-stat makes it a dream for fast-spam characters like Ellen, who can abuse that refund mechanic to just never stop attacking.

But let's say you want something more flexible. Severed Innocence trades some of that raw crit potential for Anomaly Proficiency, boosting both Anomaly build-up and CRIT DMG after you Dash-Attack or Chain. This makes it the premier hybrid pick for Piper or any Agent trying to juggle Attack and Anomaly roles simultaneously.

Looking toward the future, Cordis Germina is the upcoming S-rank that's got everyone talking. It runs an Energy Regen sub-stat and hands out ATK% and CRIT Rate after consuming Energy, which slots perfectly onto Energy-hungry monsters like Anton. Unfortunately, it's not out yet, so you're stuck with current options.

In the meantime, Myriad Eclipse serves as a shockingly good A-rank side-grade to Heartstring Nocturne. The reliable CRIT DMG might not have the same bells and whistles, but it'll get the job done while you chase the S-ranks.

One word of warning though - Bellicose Blaze is technically an S-rank with Energy Regen, but it's generally out-valued by Cordis Germina in almost every Energy-heavy rotation, so you're better off skipping this one.

Stun W-Engines: Best Impact Weapons

Stun weapons live and die by their Impact stat, and the competition at the top is brutally tight. Hellfire Gears is the community favorite S-rank, packing 46 base ATK with a 7.2% Impact bonus and unconditional Daze-rate scaling that works on literally any Stun Agent. It's the universal safe pick.

But if you want the absolute strongest raw Daze output, Ice-Jade Teapot technically edges it out with 48 base ATK and the same 7.2% Impact bonus. The difference is marginal, but min-maxers will appreciate that extra bit of statistical superiority.

Now, The Restrained is an interesting case - it's S-rank but falls into A-tier territory because while it gives your entire team 18% PEN ratio after spending 60 energy, it just can't keep up with Hellfire Gears or Ice-Jade Teapot in pure Daze generation. It's a trade-off between team utility and personal Impact output.

For those on a budget, Kraken's Grasp is a reliable A-rank with an Impact sub-stat. It won't match the S-rank scaling, but it'll hold you over while you pull for the big guns.

Support & Anomaly W-Engines: Team Buff Specialists

Support and Anomaly weapons are the unsung heroes that make your DPS pop off. Leading the pack is Elegant Vanity, an S-rank Support weapon that grants your entire team CRIT Rate and DMG after you Quick Assist or Dodge. With 713 ATK and that massive team buff, it's the upcoming signature for Astra Yao and already a Tier 0 pick for any crit-centric team composition.

On the Anomaly side, you've got two incredible options. Practiced Perfection stacks DMG and Anomaly build-up rate on Basic hits, making it best-in-slot for Rina, Piper, and Lycaon when they're running Anomaly roles. It runs 96 Anomaly Proficiency, so the build-up is genuinely noticeable.

Then there's Sharpened Stinger, which gives you a flat 25% unconditional Anomaly build-up speed and 20% DMG against Stunned targets. This thing shines in hybrid Stun/Anomaly teams and only gets better with refinements, which means it's a solid long-term investment.

If Elegant Vanity is out of reach, Weeping Gemini remains a competitive A-rank Support option that grants your team +20% ATK after Chain Stun. It's a budget beast that'll serve you well until the premium options arrive.

For the F2P crowd, Dr. Inferno's Burn-in is a craftable Anomaly weapon that gives 18% Anomaly DMG. The catch is it's locked to Fire, so it's really only viable as an early-game option for Piper or other Fire Anomaly users.

Defense & Rupture W-Engines: Survivability and Shear Force

Defense weapons might not be flashy, but Tusks of Fury proves they can carry games. This S-rank Defense W-Engine creates DEF-based shields and damage reduction while giving your whole team ATK buffs. It's best-in-slot for Ben, Seth, and Caesar King, offering 30% DEF-based shields that can soak serious damage.

Now let's talk Rupture, the new kid on the block. Wrathful Vajra is the S-rank signature for Yixuan, packing 594 ATK, 18% PEN, 24% CRIT Rate, and a 36% Sheer Force amplification at R1. It even grants Universal DMG after you use an EX Special, which means it's optimized for Yixuan's entire kit.

If you're building Yixuan but can't pull the S-rank, Qingming Birdcage is a craftable A-rank Rupture weapon that stacks up to 20% ATK and 15% Sheer Force after ramp-up. It's a budget alternative that still synergizes with her kit.

Be careful with Cauldron of Clarity - while it's an S-rank Defense weapon with a CRIT Rate sub-stat that sounds good for counter-based tanks, it's generally outclassed by Tusks of Fury in every scenario that matters.

For early-game Defense builds, Big Cylinder is your A-rank friend. It gives a DEF% buff at S5 and serves as a solid F2P option while you're building your roster.

Agent-Specific W-Engine Recommendations

S-Rank DPS Agents: Signature vs Alternatives

If you're maining Ellen, her signature Deep Sea Visitor is basically mandatory - it gives 25% Ice DMG and 10% CRIT Rate on hit, which means your crit consistency skyrockets. Unfortunately, if you missed that banner, you're not completely out of luck. Starlight Engine at S5 is the top F2P pick, offering 24% ATK on Dodge or Assist, and it performs within 10% of the signature in most rotations. That's honestly close enough for anything except maybe the absolute hardest endgame content.

Soldier 11 lives and dies by her rapid combo cadence, so The Brimstone is her perfect match. It stacks up to 28% ATK through Basic, Dash, and Dodge buffs, which syncs perfectly with how you're already playing her. But if you're saving your Polykrom for something else, Hellfire Gears at S5 is the forgeable alternative that gives 18% ATK plus 20% Fire DMG after a Dodge. It doesn't quite match the raw numbers, but it closes most of the gap without touching the gacha at all.

For Zhu Yuan, her signature Heartstring Nocturne offers unconditional CRIT Rate and DMG, plus it ignores enemy Fire RES on Chain and Ultimate. That's a small but noticeable edge that adds up over longer fights. The go-to F2P 4-star is Precious Fossilized Core at S5, which grants ATK% main stat and 15% DMG against stunned enemies. It's only about 10% behind the signature in real runs, so it's a totally respectable placeholder.

Stun/Control Specialists: Impact Optimization

Stun agents live and die by their Impact stat because Daze build-up is the whole game plan. Koleda wants to stun enemies while melting them, so her signature Steam Oven is ideal - it boosts Impact and Fire DMG while stacking 'Heat' buffs via EX and Chain attacks, which means faster stun build-up across the board. But the craftable Hellfire Gears at S5 is the F2P staple that provides an Impact buff after EX Special, and since Koleda spams EX moves anyway, it fits her rotation perfectly without feeling clunky.

Ben is this weird hybrid of Defense and Stun, so Tusks of Fury is his BiS. It boosts Impact and shields the team on EX Specials, which harmonizes perfectly with his kit. If you're not spending on his weapon, the A-rank craftable Display Stand is your best bet. It's basically an Impact stat-stick with a mini-stun proc on Chain Attacks, and you can farm it from NEP without much hassle at all.

Anby is a special case - her signature Impact Six-Shooter has the highest Impact sub-stat in the game at 48%, but here's the catch: its passive is super inconsistent in actual combat. Most players actually prefer the farmable Marcato Desire at S5 instead, which gives 18% Daze after Dodge, Assist, or Chain. It's only about 3% slower than the signature in practice, making it way more reliable. If you pulled it from the standard pool, The Restrained is another strong 5-star alternative. It ramps up to 30% Basic-Attack Daze, making it a universal stun engine for any agent you want to run.

Support & Anomaly Agents: Team Utility Focus

Support and Anomaly agents play differently - they're not just about personal damage, but about enabling the team or stacking that Anomaly meter faster. Rina's puppets do a ton of off-field damage, so her signature Weeping Gemini is nuts: it gives up to 50% ATK and 15% party DMG after EX Special, which means your whole team hits harder. If you don't have it, the A-rank Street Superstar at S5 is the best F2P alternative. It gives 30% personal ATK after three EX specials and 12% Chain DMG for the team, so you're only 3-5% behind the signature in Chain-heavy comps, which is honestly negligible.

Soukaku's support niche is usually Ice DMG and CRIT buffs, so Bashful Demon works if you already have it. But the craftable Cannon Rotor at S5 is actually the top F2P pick for her because its 200% ATK bonus procs off any crit, buffing your on-field carry directly. It's more consistent and way easier to get, which means you'll actually refine it faster.

Grace is the queen of Electric Anomaly, and her signature Thunderbolt Edge is built for it. It provides PEN Ratio and stacking Anomaly Proficiency, which means faster disorder procs and bigger damage numbers overall. If you're missing it, Fusion Compiler is the closest 5-star alternative, offering PEN Ratio and Dodge-triggered Anomaly Proficiency. For a true F2P option, craft Drill Rig: Red Axis at S5 - it gives raw Electric DMG and ATK, which is solid while you save for something better.

F2P-Friendly Alternatives for Every Role

Look, not everyone wants to whale on every weapon banner, and that's totally fine. Here's your F2P bible so you know what to focus on:

• For Attack DPS: Starlight Engine (S5) is farmable and gives 24% ATK on Dodge or Assist. It's within 10% of most signatures, which means it's honestly good enough for anything outside of the top 1% of content.
• For Stun: Hellfire Gears (S5) is the craftable Impact engine and the best budget pick for Koleda, Ben, and pretty much any stun specialist you build.
• For Support: Slice of Time (S5) is a free 3-star craftable that gives CRIT Rate and Energy Regen. It's a placeholder, but it works shockingly well until you pull something stronger.
• For Anomaly: Cannon Rotor (S5) is the craftable 4-star that boosts CRIT Rate and procs extra damage. It helps Anomaly agents trigger their effects more frequently, which is the whole point.
• Selector Advice: The Version 2.0 Festival Channel provides a one-time free Standard S-Rank W-Engine ticket. Prioritize Fusion Compiler if you plan to build future Anomaly units, or Brimstone for universal DPS coverage. Don't waste it on something you'll never actually slot in.

How to Get Selector Tickets: All Methods

Alright, let's talk about snagging these coveted selector tickets. The easiest freebie lands in your mailbox every June during the Festival Channel anniversary event - no hoops to jump through, just log in and claim it, since that's your yearly gift from the devs and missing it would be a crime.

If you're willing to spend, the Filmgoer Thank-You Gift package offers the fastest cash route. You'll need to hit 7,000 Commemorative Ticket Stubs, which comes out to roughly $155, and that same purchase also gets you an Agent selector, so it's a two-for-one deal that whales love.

For the rest of us grinding for free, the dismantle system is the main path. You can farm W-Engine Microcontroller Units from events, the Proxy Primer permanent track, and even the free battle-pass track, then stack four of those bad boys and trade them in at the Collectible Exchange for a Standard S-Rank selector. It takes time, but proxy primers will drop random S-Rank W-Engines, and any duplicates you get can be dismantled into more Microcontroller Units, which speeds things up considerably.

One last thing: starting in Version 2.5 (and likely future x.5 updates), every account that reaches Inter-Knot Level 30 before the patch ends gets a one-time S-Rank Selector Shop voucher, so you've got multiple shots at this - just don't sleep on the deadlines.

Best Selector Picks: Priority Tier List

The right engine choice feels like a huge commitment, and honestly, it is, so let's cut through the noise.

Marcato Desire sits at the top of the meta for a reason. Its passive hands you 30% Anomaly Build-Up and a juicy 18% damage boost for the entire squad, which makes Grace, Rina, and Piper teams absolutely sing, so if you run any anomaly comps, this is your first click.

Starlight Engine is the most versatile stick in the game. It packs 594 ATK and a clean 24% CRIT Rate baseline, but the real magic happens after you dash or land chain attacks - it stacks up another 24% ATK and 16% CRIT DMG. This is Soldier 11's best free-to-play weapon by a mile, but it also slots perfectly onto Billy or any Attack Agent you need to gear up in a pinch.

If you're brand new and feel paralyzed by choice, Cannon Rotor is your safety net. It gives you that same 24% CRIT Rate upfront and a straightforward 200% ATK bonus proc whenever you crit (with an 8-second cooldown), which means no complex rotations, no team restrictions - just raw, reliable damage that works on any Attack Agent while you learn the ropes.

Account-Specific Selection Strategy

Your account situation completely changes the math here, so let's map this out.

If you're a new player, pump the brakes until you hit Inter-Knot Level 30, because your free S-Rank Agent determines your pick: landed Zhao? Grab Bunny Band to max out his kit. Pulled Ellen or another main DPS? Starlight Engine will carry you through most early and mid-game content without breaking a sweat.

For veterans, resist the urge to grab refinements - they only net about a 5% DPS increase, which is barely noticeable. Instead, look at your roster gaps: if you're building for future anomaly support characters, Steam-Oven is a smart speculative pick, and if you're missing a universal buffer piece, Reverb Mark MD fills that slot perfectly.

Strict F2P players need to think long-term, so Reverb Mark MD should be your first target because that party-wide crit aura pays dividends across every team you'll ever build. After that, decide between Steam-Oven (for anomaly mastery) or Big Shell (percentage HP scaling for Zhao) based on who you actually use, but whatever you do, skip Demara and Cannon Rotor - the craftable 4★ options overlap too much and you'll regret wasting a selector on them.

This is critical: the selector is a one-time, account-bound ticket with absolutely no refunds, so if you already own any of these engines at Refinement 2 or higher, do not pick it again. Grab the universal Reverb Mark MD instead and lock in long-term value.

F2P Optimization: Building Without Gacha

You don't need to whale on the weapon banner to build a solid team. Zenless Zone Zero hands you a respectable arsenal through craftable gear, battle pass crumbs, and a surprisingly fair dismantle system. Here's how to make it work without cracking open your wallet.

Craftable A-Rank Weapons: Hidden Gems

The best kept secret is the four craftable A-rank W-Engines that can compete with gacha pulls. You'll find their blueprints in the permanent Star-Studded Cast gacha pool as transferable shards, which means you can collect them gradually without separate grinding.

Each weapon serves a distinct role:

• Reverb Mark I: HP-focused support stick, grants +18% outgoing healing at max refinement and energy regen on chain attacks
• Demara Battery Mark II: Impact-based stun baton, boosts stun damage by 30% and delivers a 200% Impact burst every 12 seconds
• Slice of Time: Crit rate stat-stick for DPS, dodge-counter passive grants 15% crit damage (stacks twice)
• [Reverb] Mark II: Pure anomaly fuel, with Anomaly Mastery sub-stat, increases anomaly build-up by 20% and damage to enemies in anomaly state

The crafting cost hits hard - each engine needs 12 Basic, 8 Advanced, and 4 Specialized components plus 200,000 Dennies. You farm components from daily VR trials, but the good stuff only unlocks at level 40+, so you can't rush this. Expect about nine days of natural energy to max a single weapon's component path, which means you'll be choosing your crafts carefully.

Battle Pass & Event Weapons

Now for the disappointing truth: Cannon Rotor is strictly pay-walled behind the Premium Plan of the New Eridu City Fund battle pass. The free track still showers you with materials, Bangboo algorithms, Dennies, Polychrome, and mod chips, but there's no W-Engine selector anywhere in sight.

If you do buy Premium, level 30 hands you a Great Builder's Certificate that lets you pick any A-rank W-Engine, Cannon Rotor included. Its 'Oversized Barrel' passive increases ATK and deals bonus damage after landing a crit hit, though you've got a six-second cooldown to manage. Just know the pass resets each season, so you'd have to purchase it again every patch to chase that selector. Luckily, the free track remains worth grinding for the enhancement materials and Polychrome alone.

Dismantle System: F2P Selector Grind

This is where your patience literally pays dividends. Dismantling unwanted W-Engines yields W-Engine Chips at different rates: B-ranks give 1 chip, A-ranks give 8, and S-ranks give 40. You spend these in the Gadget Store, which refreshes every 30 days with two A-rank selectors and one random S-rank engine for 200 chips.

A zero-spend account can realistically afford one S-rank selector every six to seven weeks by stacking daily drops, event giveaways, and the occasional lucky spook. You're farming chips primarily through Hard Commissions (reset these twice daily) and Hollow Zero Risk 6 runs.

The grind became way less painful in patch 2.5 thanks to Quick Sweep and auto-dismantle, which means you can auto-clear three-starred stages and instantly convert B-ranks to chips. But don't get reckless - never scrap limited or seasonal engines because they might get excluded from selector pools and could become meta later. You should also keep one copy of every A-rank since future agents like Yi Xuan need specific ones (Rioter, Steam Oven, Box Cutter) for optimal Rupture builds.

You're not stuck with just chips, either. A-rank Selector Tickets also appear in version milestone events, the New Eridu Pass free tier, Chain Hunt leaderboards, and even those maintenance apology mails that Mihoyo loves to send.

Advanced Optimization & Meta Considerations

Refinement Value: S1 vs S5 Analysis

Here is the part that trips up a lot of players: refinement in ZZZ only boosts the unique W-Engine Effect. Your base ATK, PEN, and Impact stay exactly the same, which means you are paying exclusively for that passive improvement.

The numbers look decent at first - going from S1 to S3 typically bumps the effect by 40-50%, and that is where most of the value sits. The problem is that S3 to S5 provides the remaining 50% but costs you two extra copies, and those copies are never cheap. S5 refinements are not farmable, so once the banner ends, your only options are whaling on a rerun or getting extremely lucky in the Standard pool.

The actual damage gains are way more modest than they feel on paper. A fully refined signature gives main DPS agents a 5-14% personal damage increase, while supports contribute roughly 7% more team DPS. That is a nice bump, but it will not double your damage or fundamentally change how a character plays. Meanwhile, a single S-rank dupe runs you about 120 pulls on average - that is 19,200 Polychrome, which is roughly the cost of a brand-new limited agent. You have to ask yourself if a 10% damage boost on one character is worth more than an entirely new kit for your roster.

Signature Weapons: When to Pull

Signature W-Engines are laser-tuned for specific agents, locking in stats and passives that only reach full power on the matching unit. That sounds great, but the gacha math is brutal. You are looking at ~110 pulls if you lose the first 50/50, and it jumps to ~180 pulls if you get unlucky twice. That is a massive investment for one gear slot.

The actual power spikes vary wildly by character. Harumasa sees an 18% DPS jump, Orphie gets 24%, Evelyn hits 31%, and Lucia sits at 15% when you switch from their best-in-slot A-rank to a signature. The rule of thumb we use in the meta is simple: pull for the signature only if the increase is 25% or higher, or if it unlocks a unique defensive synergy (like Evelyn or Zhao). For characters like Yi Xuan and Koleda, the real-world difference is under 10%, which means free 4-star options replicate most of their kit without any gacha risk.

Future-Proofing Your Weapon Investments

If you want weapons that stay relevant across multiple patches, you should prioritize universal ATK% or CRIT% passives, squad-wide buffs, and high base ATK with useful sub-stats. Those effects stay competitive for 18 months or more, even as new agents power creep older kits.

For the version 2.0 standard S-rank selector, the three 'forever picks' are Starlight Engine (ATK%), Weeping Gemini (CRIT Rate%), and Reverb Mark I (Impact%). Starlight Engine offers the highest ATK% passive in the standard pool and works on every Attack and Anomaly agent, making it the top generalist choice if you want maximum flexibility.

Battle-Pass engines are a different story - they cost real money and sit about 15% below a non-refined standard S-rank in total stat contribution. Use them only as stop-gaps while you wait for better drops. Historical data backs this up: only 30-40% of limited signatures remain best-in-slot six months later, while the rest get matched or surpassed by future standard gear or event 4-stars. Your Polychrome is almost always better spent on new characters, not chasing weapon refinements that might be outdated by the next patch.

Agent-to-Weapon Quick Match Table

Look, you can't just slap any W-Engine on an agent and call it a day - each kit is picky about its passive synergy. This table cuts through the guesswork and maps every agent to their best-in-slot, a solid alternative, and the F2P option you'll actually craft while saving for banners.

Agent	Best-in-Slot	Best Alternative	Best F2P Option
Ellen	Deep Sea Visitor	Heartstring Nocturne	Starlight Engine Replica
Zhu Yuan	Riot Suppressor Mark VI	The Brimstone	The Brimstone
Nekomata	Steel Cushion	Heartstring Nocturne	Starlight Engine Replica
Soldier 11	Heartstring Nocturne	The Brimstone	The Brimstone
Miyabi	Hailstorm Shrine	Fusion Compiler	Electro-Lip Gloss
Yixuan	Edge of the Void (Limited)	-	-
Anby	Hellfire Gears	The Restrained	Steam Oven
Grace	Fusion Compiler	Electro-Lip Gloss (S5)	Electro-Lip Gloss
Lycaon	The Restrained	Hellfire Gears	Steam Oven
Koleda	Hellfire Gears	Steam Oven (S5)	Steam Oven
Rina	Weeping Cradle	Kaboom the Cannon (S5)	Kaboom the Cannon
Nicole	The Vault (S5)	Weeping Cradle	Kaboom the Cannon
Ben	Big Cylinder (S5)	Spring Embrace (S5)	Big Cylinder
Seth	Peacekeeper - Specialized (S5)	Spring Embrace (S5)	Spring Embrace
Billy	Starlight Engine Replica (S5)	Heartstring Nocturne	Starlight Engine Replica
Corin	Steel Cushion	Housekeeper (S5)	Housekeeper
Soukaku	Bashful Demon (S5)	Weeping Cradle	Kaboom the Cannon
Piper	Roaring Ride (S5)	Fusion Compiler	Fusion Compiler
Lucy	Kaboom the Cannon (S5)	Weeping Cradle	Kaboom the Cannon
Anton	Zashin Herb Case	Heartstring Nocturne	The Brimstone
Harumasa	Zanshin Herb Case	Heartstring Nocturne	The Brimstone
Qingyi	Ice-Jade Teapot	The Restrained	Steam Oven
Jane Doe	Sharpened Stinger	Electro-Lip Gloss (S5)	Electro-Lip Gloss
Burnice	Flamemaker Shaker	Electro-Lip Gloss (S5)	Electro-Lip Gloss
Caeser	Tusks of Fury	Spring Embrace (S5)	Spring Embrace
Lighter	Blazing Laurel	Ice-Jade Teapot	Steam Oven
Yanagi	Timeweaver	Fusion Compiler	Fusion Compiler
Vivian	Flight of Fancy	Weeping Gemini (S5)	Weeping Cradle
Trigger	Spectral Gaze	Blazing Laurel	The Brimstone
Evelyn	Heartstring Nocturne	Zashin Herb Case	The Brimstone
Astra Yao	Elegant Vanity	Bashful Demon (S5)	Bashful Demon
Pulchra	Box Cutter (S5)	Blazing Laurel	The Brimstone
Anby: Soldier 0	Severed Innocence	Heartstring Nocturne	The Brimstone

A few quick notes: Anything marked (S5) is a craftable A-rank you refine to five stars - that's your long-term F2P goal. The generic A-rank pool (Starlight Engine for Rupture, The Brimstone for Attack, etc.) fills gaps while you hunt signatures.

Selector Decision Flowchart

The S-Rank Selector Shop (permanent since v2.5) looks tempting, but those tickets are rarer than a 5★ drop - you need seven dupes of an agent for just two tickets, or 60 puzzle pieces for a single weapon pull. Here is the exact flow you should follow:

Start here: Do you already own the agent this weapon belongs to?

• No? → Skip the weapon entirely and save tickets for agents like Jane Doe, Burnice, or Soldier 11. Weapon selectors are trap options if you don't have the owner.
• Yes? → Move to the next question.

Next: Is this their signature (best-in-slot) or a generic stat-stick?

• Generic (The Restrained, Ice-Jade Teapot, Weeping Cradle) → Low value, avoid. These barely beat refined A-ranks.
• Signature (Hellfire Gears, Fusion Compiler, Steel Cushion) → Move to the next question.

Final check: Are you committed to this agent for end-game content?

• Yes, they're my main → Pull the signature. It is an 18–30% damage boost - basically an extra talent node.
• Not sure yet → Wait. Tickets don't expire, and v3.0 anniversary drops two weapons at once. Saving now means you can sweep both.

One last caveat: If you pulled a limited agent like Yixuan, their signature Edge of the Void is not in the standard pool - it only appears on the rotating weapon banner. The selector cannot save you here.

F2P Progression Roadmap

Here is the harsh truth: you can grab four signature W-Engines per year minimum as F2P, but only if you treat Overclock Cores like they're made of Master Tapes. Version 2.5 hands you 1,200 Cores right out the gate - enough for one engine - so your first pick defines the next three months.

Version 2.5 (31 Dec 2025 – 5 Feb 2026)

• Priority: Claim the 1,200 Core free engine from Technician Mack. Riot Suppressor Mk.VI (for Zhu Yuan) or Hellfire Gears (for future Burn comps) are the smart picks.
• Weekly: Clear NewEraser bounties (20 Cores each) and hit Floor 12 in VR Calibration Tower for 100 Cores/month.
• Event: Finish Sword Seeker Chronicles Suibian Temple map for another 500 Cores. That is 1,820 Cores this patch alone.

Version 2.6–2.8 (Steady State)

• Weekly routine: Dailies + bounties + VR Tower = 180 Cores/week.
• Crafting: Farm weapon parts from routine activities - you will craft 1–2 A-rank engines per week if you burn all battery. Level them to 40 first; refinement comes after.
• Cost warning: One engine from Lv.1→60 needs 275k Dennies and 280 green batteries (about five days of income). Don't spread resources thin.

Version 2.7 (19 Mar – 30 Apr)

• Shop update: Lunar Opus (Harumasa's signature) hits the exchange. Skip unless Harumasa is your hypercarry - you need 1,200 Cores, which delays your next pick.

Version 3.0 Anniversary (25 Jul – 5 Sep)

• The jackpot: Two engines for the first time. Start hoarding now - 450 pulls and 2,400 Cores by July is the F2P target.
• Reprioritize: Skip v2.6–2.8 weapon banners and save Master/Encrypted Tapes. This window is the best value you will see all year.

Bottom line: Target one signature per patch minimum, refine your main carry's engine to max stars before building alts, and never spend cores on A-rank dupes - the weekly grind covers those.

Conclusion

Mastering W-Engines is about smart resource allocation, not endless grinding. Focus on universal stat-sticks and craftable A-ranks for your core team, use selectors strategically to fill roster gaps, and prioritize new agents over costly refinements. By following the F2P roadmap and agent-specific recommendations, you can build a powerful arsenal that competes at the highest levels without relying on the gacha.