How to unlock Shiyu Defense in Zenless Zone Zero
Plus, everything you need to know about Shiyu Defense and getting an S-Rank.
Shiyu Defense in Zenless Zone Zero is another battle mode you can take part in at Scott Outpost. In short, you're sent in to different 'Frontiers' (areas) to clear out the enemies which then minimises Ether Activity. In turn, this reduces the risk of the deadly Hollow expanding.
However, as with many features of Zenless Zone Zero, Shiyu Defense isn't available to you when you first enter New Eridu. In fact, you will need to put in a fair amount of work to reach the point where you can unlock this mode.
On that note, we're here to show you how to unlock Shiyu Defense in Zenless Zone Zero. Plus, we explain Shiyu Defense and how to get an S-Rank too.
On this page:
How to unlock Shiyu Defense
To unlock Shiyu Defense in Zenless Zone Zero you need to have reached at least Inter-Knot Level 20 and have progressed through Chapter 2: A call from the Hollow's Heart.
When you've progressed through enough of the chapter section mentioned above, you'll get a DM from Ray and you'll then need to go see her at Scott Outpost. Once there, speak to Ray and then head inside the base tent to speak to someone called Roland.
After speaking with Roland, head to the Shiyu Defense console by the door of the tent. It's next to the Scott Outpost HDD. Interact with this to open the console up and you'll need to complete one Shiyu Defense to fully unlock this mode for future use.
Shiyu Defense explained
Shiyu Defense is essentially a battle mode where it's your job to take down waves of enemies within the time limit.
There are two area types in Shiyu Defense:
- Stable Nodes - These are open all the time and don't change. Currently, there are 10 stages to this node.
- Critical Nodes - These ones update periodically, the stages as well as the rewards will change upon an update.
Your first venture into Shiyu Defense will be through Stable Nodes. However, the goal is the same in both areas - eliminate all enemies before the time runs out!
Once you've picked an area you'll then have a path to follow, starting from stage one. You'll need to complete a stage to be able to move on to the next one, gradually unlocking each challenge on the area's branch.
Once you've chosen the stage you want to take part on, you'll be told some crucial information.
In the top left corner of the screen is the perks that will wash over your chosen squad while they're doing battle.
Beneath that are the three challenge targets and their ranks.
To the right is a brief overview of the enemies you'll be facing, the recommended Agent Level and recommended Attributes. We strongly advise paying attention to this section as choosing your team to match up with these recommendations can make the battles much easier.
Also, if you want to know more, look at the very bottom row on your screen. Here, you can select 'Details' to get a more focused breakdown of everything you'll be up against in the stage.
Once you're ready, select next to pick your team and Bangboo, then it's into battle!
When you've completed a battle, head back to the stage selection menu and then look in the bottom left corner of the screen. Select this icon and then you'll be able to claim all of the rewards you've earned for completing that stage.
The amount of rewards you can get will be determined by the rank you achieved in the stage. Ideally, you want an S-Rank so you can claim all of the available rewards.
How to get an S-Rank in Shiyu Defense
When you enter a battle in Shiyu Defense you'll have a timer in the top right corner of the screen.
The bar on this timer will also show you the current rank that your team is performing at. The bar itself will gradually decline as more time passes, then once the bar completely depletes you'll be moved down a rank.
To get an S-Rank in Shiyu Defense you need to meet the S-Rank Challenge task shown on the stage selection screen and keep that timer bar in the 'S' limit. In short, you need to complete the stage as fast as possible!
That's it for now! If you're looking for more Zenless Zone Zero content, check out our pages showing you the best Ellen character build and the best Rina character build. We've also got a Bangboo Tier List to help you decide who to take into battle with you.