78% of all v2.0 T5 Shiyu Defense clears come from zero-spend F2P accounts, not from whales with limited S-Rank banners. When Polychrome income is tight and every Encrypted Master Tape counts, watching Anby carry another budget squad past triple-boss waves proves that raw investment efficiency beats gacha luck. The pain point isn’t lacking premium Agents—it’s dumping Dennies and Drive Discs into low-impact units without a clear resource blueprint.

Core F2P Unlockable Character Roster

Players unlock six permanent free Agents through story progression, pre‑registration mail, and the permanent Shiyu Defense event.

Leveling priority avoids the common F2P Denny pit. Build Anby first—she is the sole free dedicated Stunner and fuels every team’s burst window. Next, raise Soukaku; her Fly the Flag state transfers a 1000+ flat ATK buff to the swapped ally, turning any Attack unit into a delete button. Nicole follows, offering a 40% DEF shred on black hole’s succ, then your chosen main DPS—either Billy for AoE chain scaling or Corin for concentrated burst. Leave Ben at level 50/60 if you need a safety net, but never invest premium Drive Discs in him before your core trio.

Meta F2P Team Builds (v2.0)

All three compositions hold community-verified 90%+ clear rates on T5 Shiyu Defense with zero Mindscape upgrades and no signature W‑Engines.

Pure Stun Enable — Anby, Billy, Nicole

Exploiting full Cunning Hares additional abilities, this squad chains stun windows into overwhelming burst. Rotate Anby’s Basic 3 → EX Special to stack Daze, then instantly switch to Nicole for EX black hole grouping and DEF cut. Finish with Billy’s ultimate and chain attack—his AoE Cleave hits every succed target, often deleting an elite mob before it recovers. Bangboo choice: Amillion (A‑Rank) auto‑triggers chains on stunned enemies.

Rupture Spam — Corin, Anby, Nicole

Physical Assault anomaly stacks Rupture procs that deal extra damage on every hit. Anby stuns the target, Nicole shreds defense, and Corin holds her extended EX saw on the staggered boss—Rupture ticks multiply each saw‑blade strike, melting tanky mechanical enemies faster than many premium comps. Swapping Nicole for Soukaku pushes Corin’s ATK above 2500 even with craftable W‑Engines like Street Superstar.

Disorder / Freeze‑Burst — Corin/Billy, Soukaku, Anby

Soukaku’s ATK injection sets up the highest F2P burst ceiling. Build Soukaku’s Fly the Flag stacks, pass the buff to Corin or Billy, then force a stun with Anby. The Ice‑Physical disorder trigger—Freeze shattered by Assault—adds a massive burst of additional damage during Corin’s fully‑charged EX chainsaw. Penguinboo (A‑Rank) helps maintain Ice anomaly buildup even with Soukaku as solo Ice unit.

Optional Micro‑Spend Recommendations for F2P Players

The only cost‑effective micro‑spend is the Inter‑Knot Membership, delivering roughly 3× more value per dollar than one‑time Monochrome packs thanks to daily Polychrome drip. If you ever consider purchasing Monochromes, veterans often use LootBar top up because it requires only your UID and server selection—no account login sharing. LootBar Zenless offers all top‑up products at around 10–15% off official in‑game store rates. Before using any service, always check third-party facts: look for official API integration, UID‑only top‑up requirements, and 24/7 customer support. Avoid any site asking for your HoYoverse password—that is a hard red flag. The membership and occasional monthly top‑up remain the sole bridges between pure F2P and a slightly faster guarantee on the next pity.