ZZZ Shiyu Defense Critical Node S-Rank: >300s All 7 Stages Guide

Unlock the Shiyu Defense Critical Node by taking down Stable Node 10's Notorious Dullahan (Ice/Ether weakness, Lvl 50). Nail S-Rank on all 7 stages with over 300s left using dual teams (6 Agents + 2 Bangboos each). Rewards haul: 720 Polychromes, 315,000 Denny, 4 W-Engine Chips, 20 Noise Reduction Master Copies. Master those dodge charges. Hit the weaknesses hard—Fire/Physical/Ice/Ether/Electric. Resets drop December 29, 2025—every other Friday, so plan ahead.

Diving into Shiyu Defense Critical Node

What's the Deal with Critical Node in ZZZ?

You snag this after blasting through Stable Node 10 Phase 2's Notorious Dullahan (Lvl 50, Ice/Ether weak spots). It throws 7 frontiers at you, dual-team style—6 Agents plus 2 Bangboos per stage. S-Rank? That's >300s remaining on the clock (A-Rank sits at >180s) for the full loot drop. Stage 1 kicks off with Fire/Ether weaknesses, tossing in +15% Sheer DMG, +20% Fire/Ice DMG, and Crit DMG +5% that stacks up to 50%.

Quick path: Clear Stable Node 10 Phase 2 first. Gear up dual teams to counter resistances. Aim for those >300s clears—easy once you click.

Ever wonder why this mode feels like a boss rush on steroids? It's ZZZ's way of testing your roster depth.

Dual Dullahan Breakdown

These headless riders come in flavors: Energized (Fire weakness, shrugs off Electric), Newborn/Ionized/Notorious (all Ice/Ether vulnerable). Lvl 50 versions crank +25% Attribute Anomaly build-up and +80% damage output. High DEF means you stack PEN Ratio and ATK.

Prep like this: Hit Combat Simulation (20 Battery) or Expert Challenge (40 Battery) for practice reps. Unlock the Dullahan card through commissions or Hollow Zero. Run the Stun → Support → Attacker loop—it's gold.

(Editor's note: I've farmed this boss enough to spot patterns in my sleep. PEN stats? Non-negotiable.)

Hitting S-Rank Every Time

S-Rank demands >300s left across all 7 dual-team stages (B-Rank's just defeat it). Chasing quick Polychromes for pulls like Evelyn Chevalier or Hoshimi Miyabi? Zenless Zone Zero Monochrome top up on Buffget delivers global low-price instant top-ups, secure with Binance Pay, Bitcoin, ETH, USDT, and killer user reviews.

Cracking Dual Dullahan Boss Mechanics

Phase 1: Attacks and Tells

Notorious Dullahan spreads its legs right before charging—side-dodge, no question. Energized laughs at Electric; Ionized Cyrtoidea tanks Physical (flip to Ether). Weak to Ice/Ether on Notorious/Newborn. That +25% Anomaly build-up and +80% damage amp? Brutal.

Handle it: Defensive Assist through charges. Stack PEN/ATK. Cycle those Attribute Anomaly Agents.

Phase 2: Ultimates and Shifts

Phase 2 spawns Notorious Dullahan (Ice/Ether weakness, zero resists) after Phase 1's Ether-weak trash. Sky-high DEF? Disorder it if you've got Physical. Ice squads with Ellen up front dominate post-half HP. Vicious Striker? Fire/Electric shuts it down.

Dodge that leg-spread charge. Pump W-Engines. Swap to Ice/Ether on the flip.

Weaknesses and Resistances by Stage

• Stage 1: Fire (Team 1)/Ether (Team 2); Team 1 resists Ether.
• Stage 2: Fire/Physical (Team 1), Ice/Ether (Team 2).
• Stage 3: Fire (Team 1), Ice/Physical (Team 2); Team 1 resists Electric.
• Stage 4: Fire/Ether (Team 1), Ice/Ether (Team 2); Team 1 resists Electric.
• Stage 5: Fire/Physical (Team 1), Ice/Physical (Team 2); Team 1 resists Electric/Ice.
• Stage 6: Fire/Ether (Team 1), Ice/Ether (Team 2); Team 1 resists Electric.
• Stage 7: Fire/Physical (Team 1), Electric/Physical (Team 2); Team 1 resists Ice, Team 2 resists Ether.

Tailor teams to weaknesses. Steer clear of Electric on Team 1 in Stages 3-6—wipes waiting to happen. Need premium Agents geared yesterday? buy ZZZ Monochrome via Buffget for instant credits, sharp prices, full compliance, 24/7 help, and crypto or local pay options.

Top Team Comps to Secure S-Rank

Premium Setup: Evelyn Leading the Charge

Stage 1 Team 1: Evelyn Chevalier, Yidhari, Soldier 11 (Fire/Physical).
Stage 1 Team 2: Hoshimi Miyabi, Yixuan, Zhu Yuan (Ether).

Fire/Ice Rupture shines here. Pulls consistent >300s S-Ranks. Burst with Evelyn first. Swap Yidhari for support. Bangboo amps the Anomaly.

F2P-Friendly Lineups That Slap

Stage 3 Team 1: Evelyn Chevalier, Yidhari, Soldier 11.
Stage 3 Team 2: Hoshimi Miyabi, Alice Thymefield, Yidhari (Ice/Physical).

Stage 5 Team 1: Evelyn Chevalier, Alice Thymefield, Yidhari.
Stage 7 Team 2: Soldier 0-Anby, Tsukishiro Yanagi, Alice Thymefield (Electric/Physical).

Push Inter-Knot to Lv 50+. Lean Fire/Ice heavy. Test in sims first.

Zhu Yuan Swaps for Flexibility

Stage 2 Team 1: Evelyn Chevalier, Alice Thymefield, Jane Doe.
Stage 2 Team 2: Hoshimi Miyabi, Yixuan, Zhu Yuan.

Stage 4/6 Team 2: Hoshimi Miyabi, Yixuan, Zhu Yuan (Ice/Ether).
Stable Node 10: Ellen (Ice), Lycaon, Soukaku, Sharkboo. Bangboos like Sharkboo (Ice Disorder) or Anomaly boosters chew through Lvl 50 DEF.

(Editor’s take: Zhu Yuan's burst feels unfair in these matchups—data from my clears backs it.)

Your Step-by-Step S-Rank Roadmap

Gear Up Before the Fight

Enhance Agents and W-Engines to Lvl 50. Pick dual teams weakness-matched. Slot PEN/ATK Discs.

Phase 1 Rotation

Stun. Support. Attacker. Dodge charges. Anomalies build 25% faster.

Phase 2: Perfect Dodges and Bursts

Defensive Assist the Notorious charge. Ice/Ether burst—Ellen Disorder seals it.

Nail Those Dodge Timings and Patterns

Spot the Tells: Visuals and Sounds

Legs spread? Charge incoming—side-dodge now. Audio swell warns the ultimate. Notorious goes full Ice/Ether, no resists.

Side-dodge charges. Assist on spreads. Skip early Physical.

Dodge Fails That Ruin Runs

Face-tanking? Instant wipe. Missing leg cues kills momentum. Hit Inter-Knot Lv 50 minimum.

Gear Picks: Relics, W-Engines, Drive Discs

Prioritize PEN Ratio/ATK. Anomaly Discs unlock that 80% damage amp. Stage buffs stack Crit DMG to 50%; supports juice Fire/Ice DMG +20%. Burn those reward W-Engine Chips.

Pitfalls—and How to Sidestep Them

Stagger Breaks That Backfire

Too reliant on one Agent? Disaster. Fix: Diverse teams. Ditch Electric on resisted Team 1 Stages 3-6.

Botched Ultimate Timing

Bursting too early post-transition? Nah. Hold for frontier effects.

Diverse teams. Attribute match. Sim practice.

Tips for Locked-In S-Ranks

Max Your Score

300s through speed clears. S-Rank every frontier.

Farm Smart

Reset hits Dec 29, 2025 (bi-weekly). Grab Polychromes post-S.

Rewards and What's Next

Critical Node Payout

720 Polychromes, 315,000 Denny, 4 W-Engine Chips, 20 Noise Reduction Copies. After? Tougher frontiers. Grind Dullahan for Expert prep.

FAQs and Community Wisdom

How do you S-Rank Dual Dullahan in ZZZ Shiyu Defense?

300s clears with weakness-tuned dual teams. Dodge charges via Defensive Assists.

Best team for Critical Node Dual Dullahan?
Stage 1: Evelyn Chevalier/Yidhari/Soldier 11 (Team 1); Hoshimi Miyabi/Yixuan/Zhu Yuan (Team 2).

Dual Dullahan weaknesses and resists?
Notorious: Ice/Ether weak, no resists; variants tank Electric/Ice per stage.

F2P S-Rank Critical Node viable?
Yep—Evelyn Chevalier, Soldier 11, Yidhari on Fire/Physical.

Top Bangboo for Dual Dullahan?
Sharkboo (Ice Disorder); Anomaly amps shred Lvl 50 DEF.

Shiyu Defense Critical Node scores?
S-Rank: >300s remaining; A: >180s—across all dual-team stages.