Chaos Zero Nightmare (CZN)VeronicaBuild and Guide

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Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 150% Extra Attack to a random enemy.​

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Piercing Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 150% Piercing Damage to a random enemy.
If the target has Shield, +50% Damage.​

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Enhanced Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 150% Extra Attack to a random enemy, +30% Critical Chance.​

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Giant Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 120% Extra Attack to all enemies.​

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Shelling Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 60% × 2 Extra Attack to random enemies.​

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Micro Ballista

Attack

[Unusable][Ephemeral]

At the end of the turn, 40% Extra Attack to a random enemy.​

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• Ballista: Veronica’s main mechanic is Ballista cards. Ballistas are costless cards generated via her kit, which cannot be played and have the Ephemeral tag, meaning they’re exhausted automatically at the end of the turn. Before Exhausting, though, Ballista's deal a 150% ATK as Additional Attack damage to a random target. With Epiphanies, different variants of Ballistas can be generated that have different bonuses. Here is what they all do:
• Ballista: Deals damage 150% ATK to a single target randomly.
• Piercing Ballista: Deals the same 150% but has piercing, which ignores enemy shields. Also deals +50% damage against shielded enemies.
• Enhanced Ballista: The same 150%, but has +30% Crit Rate.
• Giant Ballista: Deals 120% ATK but hits all enemies instead of one.
• Shelling Ballista: Deals 60% but hits twice instead, making it better at scaling with Flat +% damage scaling (like with Morale).
• Micro Ballista: Deals 40% to a single random enemy (far weaker) but can be generated in higher amounts.
• Reload: Reload is Veronica’s other core mechanic and is a stackable buff that can be checked either in the buff window or below the team HP gauge. Reload can stack up to 3 times baseline, with each stack offering a 50% multiplicative +%DMG increase to Ballista cards for the turn. Reload is gained via many of Veronica’s cards, and all stacks of it will be removed fully at the end of the turn.
• Here is how the math works out for Reload at base. 150% x ( 1 + 50% x Reload Stacks). At 3 stacks, that’s 375% DMG.

5

Hunting Time

Ego Skill

250% Piercing Damage to all enemies.
Gain Maximum Reload.

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Hunting Time

Costs 5EP, deals a solid amount of piercing AoE damage, and generates maximum reload on use. A reasonable burst damage cooldown when factoring in the additional Ballista damage from Reload stacks. Use when Reload is inaccessible for the turn or when big AoE damage is required.

1

Rapid Fire

Attack

100% Damage.​

Rapid Fire

Veronica’s basic attacks can be upgraded with Potentials to gain a 20% chance to create a random Ballista on use, raising their value considerably to a point where genuinely using them is a fine option even in high-end decks. Note: Random includes the baseline Ballista, as well as all the “enhanced” versions.

1

Illusion of Golden Daffodils

Skill

100% Shield.​

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Illusion of Golden Daffodils

Veronica's basic shield is completely standard and doesn't have any extra synergy with her kit.

1

Firing Preperation

Upgrade

[Unique][Initiation]

Create 1 Ballista card(s).
At the start of the turn, create 1 Ballista card(s).

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Firing Preperation

A 1 AP Cost upgrade, which is the main way Veronica generates Ballistas. On use generates a standard Ballista, then generates another one at the start of each turn thereafter. This upgrade is the backbone of Veronica’s AP efficiency and damage before adding in her strongest Epiphanies. Also has the Initiation tag, ensuring you always start with it and the Unique tag, so you don’t gain too many Ballistas.

1

Repose

Skill

100% Shield.
Draw 2 card(s) from other combatant.

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Repose

Veronica’s strongest support card and an incredibly potent draw engine for any deck. Costs 1 AP, shields, and draws two cards from your other two combatant card pools on use. The fact that this card doesn’t draw Veronica’s cards gives it an element of pseudo-searching, allowing you to more easily assemble combos involving other characters’ cards

1

Pendant of Resolution

Upgrade

When another combatant uses Skill Card, 1 Reload.​

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Pendant of Resolution

An upgrade card that costs 1 AP to use and is the primary way Veronica generates Reload. After use, it causes all other characters' skill cards to generate a reload stack for Veronica. This card is the only real place Veronica has to consistently gain Reload, making it a valuable addition if you intend her to deal meaningful damage.

1

Sir Kowalski

Skill

Choose 1 Ballista card in hand, +100% Damage Amount until activated. Draw 1.

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Sir Kowalski

Another draw card for Veronica, this time only drawing 1 at a baseline, but also allowing you to choose one Ballista in hand to grant a Flat +100% DMG boost to. A solid hybrid of cycling and damage, but a card that only really shines after Epiphanies are included. Note: Sir Kowalski’s multiplier is additive with Ballista’s damage and not multiplicative like Reload’s - so it is just whatever it was +100% added on top.

1

Bombardment Prep

Upgrade

[Unique]

Increase max stack of Reload by 1.
1 Reload.​

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Bombardment Prep

Yet another upgrade, this time increasing the reload max stack size from 3 to 4 while also granting 1 stack on use. Raises Veronica’s max damage potential, but it isn’t a must-have card like some of her others unless you know you’ll have the AP to spare in activating it. Additionally, it has the unique tag restricting excessive Reload cap raising. Note: A baseline Ballista goes from 375% -> 450% with 3 stacks vs 4.

Veronica’s Signature Potentials add new mechanics to her cards and all improve her damage, enhancing her Sub DPS capabilities.

• 3-1: Grants Rapid Fire a 20% chance to create a Random Ballista card on use. A must-have potential if you plan to use Veronica’s basics at all.
• 5-1: Increases Rapid Fire’s DMG by +5% and an additional 5% if ATK exceeds 500.
• 7: Improves Ballista’s DMG by +5% while Veronica’s ATK is 700 or higher. Also adds an additional +1% for every 40 ATK over 700 Veronica, up to +10%.

Standard Playstyle

Veronica’s playstyle completely centers around Ballista generation, buffing via Reload, and the support of her teammates through her powerful draw engine. The nuance to playing Veronica is knowing when it’s safe or not to establish each of her upgrade cards. You don’t want to compromise your ability to counter enemies or spend your entire turn doing nothing but setting up, only to fall incredibly behind in the encounter. Card removal and selection are also key to playing Veronica well, since not every team will want all her cards. Finally, maximizing Reload wherever possible is ideal to maintain her damage potential.

Note

For every Epiphany, we're colored their name based on how useful we think it is compared to the other variants. Here's the key to the colors:

• Epiphany Name - the best variant,
• Epiphany Name - a good variant,
• Epiphany Name - a niche variant.

Recommended Loadout

1

Executioner's Tool [2-PC]

[2-PC]: +25% Critical Damage.

Black Wing [2-PC]

[2-PC]: +12% Attack.

Flex

Due to how much card damage Veronica gets from kit 2/2/2 often works out better for her in most decks, as Executioner’s and Black Wing both have stats she can’t easily get elsewhere. There is no perfect last 2P set, though in this set-up, making it a flexible slot.

You can either use

Cursed Corpse [2-PC]

if you’re sure Agony will be on the target for extra damage,

Seth's Scarab [2-PC]

for stronger Chaos starts, or

Tetra's Authority [2-PC]

/

Healer's Journey [2-PC]

for more team survivability.

2

Spark of Passion [4-PC]

[4-PC]: When Upgrade Cards are used, increase Damage Amount of the next 5 Passion Cards used by 20%.

Executioner's Tool [2-PC]

[2-PC]: +25% Critical Damage.

Veronica already gains up to 200% (multiplicative) card damage from Reload (before equipment and partner modifiers), making the 20% from Spark of Passion underwhelming. Despite this, if you don’t have a good 2/2/2 set-up this configuration can be used instead, as Ballistas don’t count down the buff stacks of the 4P set, meaning the 20% is active almost indefinitely in most endgame Veronica decks.

Weapon

• 

  W-52 Dopamine Injector
• 

  Chimeranite
• 

  Mutant Predator Spike
• 

  Second Method
• 

  Obsidian Sword

Armor

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  Wings of Freedom
• 

  Fragment of the Empty Void
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  Rocket-Adorned Cape

Trinket

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  Emblem of an Exceptional Entity
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  Amorphous Cube
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  Superconductive Protein
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  Source of the Forbidden

Comments - Weapons

1. 

   W-52 Dopamine Injector
   - Offers a stackable +20% (multiplicative) damage boost whenever the wearer draws a card by an ability (a card that draws 2 is 2 stacks), capping out at 2 stacks (40%) and lasting one turn. Between Repose and Mr Kow, Veronica has more than enough card draw to fully activate this weapon every turn in most decks, making it her best option.
2. 

   Chimeranite
   - Grants the wearer a +35% (multiplicative) damage on all their damage for one turn after they use a draw card themself. If you don’t get a hold of Dopamine Injector and want to invest in Chimeranite instead, it’s her next best option, but it is UNIQUE, restricting other choices.
3. 

   Mutant Predator Spike
   - Grants +30% (multiplicative) damage to all damage while holding 4 or more cards in hand. Veronica adds an unplayable ballista every turn and has some of the best card draw in the game, making having 4 cards in hand more likely than not, making spike a very consistent choice for her as well.
4. 

   Second Method
   - Grants +35% (additive) Extra Attack damage, not as strong numerically as the options above for most Veronica builds, but still a solid choice if none of them are available.
5. 

   Obsidian Sword
   - Grants +12% (multiplicate) damage to all abilities, better than nothing, but can’t compete with any other option; however, you should still use it if you don’t get offered anything else.

Comments - Armor

1. 

   Wings of Freedom
   - Every time the team is hit, it grants a stacking +10% (multiplicative) damage boost for the rest of the fight, up to 3 stacks (30%). Best damage option for Veronica.
2. 

   Fragment of the Empty Void
   - If you don’t want more damage, Fragment of the Empty Void is an alternative choice, allowing up to 3 cards in your opening hand to be redrawn.
3. 

   Rocket-Adorned Cape
   - If neither of the options above is available, Rocket-Adorned Cape is also a solid choice, giving you an extra draw at the start of combat and also 1 damage reduction stack. Depending on your needs, the extra draw can sometimes outperform the re-draw from Fragment.

Comments - Trinkets

1. 

   Emblem of an Exceptional Entity
   - A +30% (additive) bonus to all abilities, making it the best personal pure damage option for Veronica.
2. 

   Amorphous Cube
   - Slightly worse than Emblem, but far easier to get boosting damage by +25% (additive) instead of 30%.
3. 

   Superconductive Protein
   - If damage options don’t appeal to you or you, for some reason, aren’t offered one that works for you, Superconductive Protein can be used to gain additional momentum for the wearer and their team on turn 1 by discounting one card in your opening hand to 0.
4. 

   Source of the Forbidden
   - When hit, inflicts either Vulnerable, Weaken, or Impair randomly to the attacker up to 3 times per turn. Having two of this equipment doesn’t let you inflict 2 debuffs per enemy attack, though. Having one of this equipment on your team is good, but due to the limits of stacking multiple, it’s not a must on a semi-dps character like Veronica.

Important!

CZN is a game of randomness; sometimes you’ll be offered generic or Divine epiphanies that are stronger than a character's standard five options. In these cases, breaking the listed build can result in an even more powerful save. Adjust as you see fit!

Card Removal Priority

• Illusion of Golden Daffodils: Should be removed first from endgame Veronica decks.
• Rapid Fire: Does reasonable damage and can generate more Ballistas, but isn’t needed in most endgame Veronica decks. Remove as a second priority unless playing Veronica as a Main DPS.
• Bombardment Prep: A very strong boost to Veronica’s personal damage, but it is one more upgrade you need to establish in the endgame, slowing your ramp time. Unlike other upgrades, it isn’t essential, so it can be cut if you want a leaner deck, but it will lower damage.

Card Dupe Priority

Dupe Priority

Repose I >>> Sir Kowalski III/I

Repose I is the best card to Duplicate on Veronica, thanks to its 0-cost card draw. With that said, if you don’t get offered Repose, Sir Kowalski III/I is also a reasonable dupe choice, especially if he gets a strong Divine Epiphany.

Epiphany Alternatives

• Firing Preparation: Firing Preparation IV generates AoE ballistas, which, in the endgame, are the most universal. However, if you want more single-target, you can use I, III, or V, depending on your needs.
• Sir Kowalski: The most important part of this card's Epiphany is adding draw 2, which both I and III have. III is better damage as it adds an extra ballista in most cases, but I is also acceptable.
• Pendant of Resolution: Pendant II offers the most damage, assuming you play enough skills to max out reload each turn, but Pendant I and IV can also be used instead if they have good Divine Epiphanies or if you’re struggling to hit max reload stacks.

Veronica is a universal support that can fit into most teams as a support damage dealer and potent card draw and deck thinning engine. The reason she’s so good and universal after optimal deckbuilding is:

• Offers a draw 2 costing 0, which won't draw her cards, only other combatants,
• Another draw 2, which costs 1AP but generates a Ballista if you happen to draw a skill card.
• Outside of the cards above and her basics, which you can remove, the rest of her cards are all upgrades, making her deck (if built correctly) a pure draw engine.
• Very high no-cost required damage potential every turn after setup.

Important!

If you’re losing runs when playing a damage-focused composition either to sanity or dying, consider using a team with more defensive characters - so including both a shielder and healer. This is especially important in the Zero System mode.

Balanced Team

Damage

Any DPS

Support Damage

Flex

Any Shielder

Any Support