Chaos Zero Nightmare Nine Build Guide – Best Cards And Epiphanies

Luna
02/11/2026

The famous mercenary queen who can take on every tasks with immense precision and efficiency, Nine makes her grand debut in Chaos Zero Nightmare! In this guide, we will go over the best cards and epiphanies players should have Nine on to maximize her amazing DPS potential in Chaos Zero Nightmare.

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Nine is a 5-star Character of the Order element and Vanguard class. She specializes in constantly using her special Hew Card to exhaust it and generate higher level Hew cards to deal massive amounts of Defense based damage to enemies and gain immense benefits while doing so. Nine serves as essentially a very powerful defense-based nuke character capable of taking down high level enemies with a lot of HP while also granting the team powerful shielding effects.

Chaos Zero Nightmare Nine

Nine’s main gameplay revolves around 2 essential effects in the game: Exhaust and Ignition on her most important card: Hew.

At the start of the battle, Nine will have her special Hew card on hand for the entire duration of the fight. The Hew card is a 3 Cost card that can deal massive amounts of Defense-based damage to the enemy and is exhausted once it is used. However, unlike other Exhaust card, when Hew’s Exhaust effect is triggered, it will generates a higher level Hew Card with better effects and deal better damage to enemies, so players want to trigger Nine’s Hew card Exhaust effect as much as possible to generate higher level Hew cards to deal even more damage to enemies.

To help Nine to get higher level Hew cards quickly, Nine’s Hew cards also have the Ephemeral effect, which automatically exhausts the card when its in your hand at the end of the turn. Nine also has access to the special Ignition effect on certain Epiphanies for her Hew card, which allow her to reduce the cost of her Hew card whenever an Exhaust card is used. Aside from her Hew Card, Nine’s other cards serve mainly as set up attack cards and skill cards that help boost the damage of her Hew card and allow her to have additional triggers for her Hew cards during a turn.

Depending on her Hew Card’s Epiphany effects, Nine can be fitted in many different types of teams as a main DPS character, with her being able to be a hyper-carry solo character, counterattack main DPS character and shield providing defense-based DPS character for different types of teams.

Here are an analysis of all of Nine’s cards and their most important Epiphanies:

Deal Defense-based Damage to 1 enemy.
Increase the damage amount of Exhaust Cards by 15% for 1 turn. (max 2 stacks)
SlashNine’s basic attack card that can deal a decent amount of single target damage to an enemy and increase the damage amount of her own Exhaust card for 1 turn. Can be kept if players want to have an additional source of damage, however, players should remove these cards to help Nine cycle her cards much quicker.
Importance: Medium
Grants Shield to the party.
Back-Edge ParryNine’s basic defensive basic card that grants the party a shield. Should be removed in all Nine builds since it doesn’t offer much benefits to Nine.
Importance: Low
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Exhaust/ Ephemeral ]

Deal Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Incinerate: Create Hew Lv.1
HewNine’s main important damage card that gets stronger the more it is exhausted, up to Hew lv.3, dealing more defense-based damage to enemies.
Importance: Highest
Epiphanies
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Exhaust/ Ephemeral ]

Deal enhanced defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants Shield to the party. 

Incinerate: Create Hew (Ironclad) Lv.1
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Exhaust/ Ephemeral ]

Deal less defense-based damage to an enemy.

Incinerate: Create Hew (Extreme) Lv.1.

Can create up to Hew (Extreme) Lv.5, deal even more defense-based damage with higher Hew Lv.
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Ignition/  Exhaust/ Retain ]

Deal enhanced defense-based damage to an enemy.

Incinerate: Create Hew (Flash) Lv.1.
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Exhaust/ Ephemeral ]

Deal enhanced defense-based damage to all enemies.

Decrease Damage Amount by 10% for each target. 

Incinerate: Create Hew (Massacure) Lv.1.
[ Unique/ Initiation/ Exhaust/ Retain ]

Deal enhanced defense-based damage to an enemy.

On Ally Counterattacking, activate this card.

Incinerate: Create Hew (Ambush) Lv.1.
Best EpiphanyMedium Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyHigh Value Epiphany
Deal Defense-based damage to an enemy.
Grants shield to the party.

Increase Damage Amount of Exhaust cards by 20% for 1 turn.
Experienced StrikeA decent damage card of Nine that boosts the damage output of Nine’s Exhaust cards. Players can keep this card to boost Hew’s damage output or remove this card to thin Nine’s deck.
Importance: Medium
Epiphanies
Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants shield to the party.

Increase Damage Amount of Exhaust cards by 30% for 1 turn.
Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants shield to the party.

If a card was Exhausted this turn, increase the damage amount of this card by 30% for 1 turn until used.
Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants shield to the party.

Increase shield gain amount of skill cards by 30% for 1 turn.
Deal Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants shield to the party.

+60% Damage amount for each Exhaust Card in hand.
Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Grants shield to the party.

For 1 turn, when an Exhaust is activated, 1 Counterattack.
Medium Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyLow Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyBest Epiphany
Deal Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Increase Damage Amount by 20% for each Cost of the highest-cost Exhaust card in hand, then exhaust that card.
Fatal StrikeA decent damage card of Nine that can boost its own damage output by exhausting Nine’s Hew card, helping to accelerate Hew’s level by exhausting it. Players can keep this card to have an additional damage card or remove it to thin Nine’s card deck.
Importance: Medium
Epiphanies
Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Increase Damage Amount by 30% for each Cost of the highest-cost Exhaust card in hand, then exhaust that card.
Change Cost to 2.

Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Increase Damage amount by 20% for each cost of the highest-cost card in hand.
Change Card to Skill Card and Cost to 5.

[ Unique/ Ignition/ Retain ]

Change Hew in hand to its final level.
Change Card to Skill Card.

Exhaust 2 random Exhaust Cards of other Combatants in hand.

For each card Exhausted through this ability, increase the damage amount of the next used Attack card of this unit by 30% until used.
[ Retain ]

Deal Enhanced Defense-based damage to an enemy.

Increase Damage Amount by 80% for each ally owning Counterattack.
Medium Value EpiphanyLow Value EpiphanyMedium Value EpiphanyBest EpiphanyHigh Value Epiphany
[ Unique ]
When shield is gained through an ability, 1 Honed Edge.

Honed Edge: Increase Defense-based damage on attack cards based on stacks for 1 turn (max 3 stacks)
CounterbladeAn amazing upgrade card that boosts the damage output of Nine’s attack cards.
Importance: High
Epiphanies
[ Unique ]

When a card is Exhausted, 1 Honed Edge.
[ Unique ]

Increase Shield Gain Amount by 15%, When shield is gained through an ability, 1 Honed Edge.
[ Initiation/ Unique ]

When shield is gained through an ability, 1 Honed Edge.
[ Unique ]

When Counterattack is gained, 1 Hone Edge+ 
Change Card Cost to 1.

[ Unique ]

At the start of the turn, activate Hew in hand 1 time.
High Value EpiphanyLow Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyHigh Value EpiphanyBest Epiphany
Activate 1 highest-cost Attack Card of this unit in hand, then Exhaust those cards.
Fighting SpiritNine’s special card that can activate her Hew at the cost of 1 AP. Should be duplicated as many copies as possible for Nine to be able to spam activate her Hew as many times as possible within the same turn.
Importance: Highest

Nine’s best partner is her signature 5-star partner: 

Alcea
Passive Effect: Increase the assigned Combatant’s Defense by 8%

When an Exhaust card of the assigned Combatant is Exhausted or activated, increase Defense-Based Damage Amount of the next Attack Card used by 20% (max 1 stack)

When a 2-Cost or higher card of the assigned Combatant is Exhausted gain 100% Fixed Shield (1 time per turn)
Active Skill: 250% Defense-Based5 Caustic Remarks
Reason: Nine’s signature partner that massively boost her overall damage output while also providing her with an additional shielding effect to help protect the team. Alcea’s active effect also help boost the overall defense-based damage output of the team against the enemy.

For F2P options, players should use these as Nine’s Partners:

Wilhelmina
Passive Effect: The assigned combatant’s Defense is increased by 12%.
When the assigned combatant targets a Vulnerable enemy, +10% Defense-based Damage of Attack cards.
Active Skill: For 1 turn, 2 Morale
For 1 turn, 1 Fortitude
Reason: The budget Partner option for Nine that help boost her overall defense and help her deal more damage by granting her Morale buffs.
Raidel
Passive Effect: The combatant’s max Health increases by 8%.
If the combatant is in Counterattack state, their Defense-Based Damage increases by 8%.
Active Skill: 100% Shield
1 Counterattack
Reason: Nine’s F2P 3-star partner that should be replaced as soon as players get better options.

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For Equipment build when running Chaos, players should aim for these equipments for Nine to maximize her power:

Brilliant Eternal Flame?
Increase Damage Amount of 2-cost or higher Exhaust Cards by 40%.
Reason: Nine’s best equipment that massively boosted her Hew card damage overall.
Phytotype Synthetic
When Shield is gained, increase damage amount of the next 1 Attack Card activated by 20% for 1 turn (2 times per turn).
Reason: Offer Nine a hefty damage boost when shield are gained by the team.
Leaf of the World Tree
When 3 cards of 2-cost or higher are used, Stockpile.
Reason: A good equipment that allows Nine to stockpile an additional AP whenever she has used 3 Hew cards, allowing her and teammates to have additional AP stocked up.

In terms of weapon refinement, the best refinements players can get for Nine on her gears are:

Increase Damage Amount of 2-cost or higher Attack Cards by 25%.
Increase Damage Amount of Exhaust Cards by 25%.
When a 3-cost of higher card is activated, 1 AP (1 time per turn)

For Nine, players should use the 4pcs Beast Yearning Set, which boost the damage output of Order and Justice Exhaust Cards damage up to 5 times per turn. For the 2 pcs set, players should use the Tetra’s Authority set to boost Nine’s defense and help get her to the defense threshold she needs.

Beast Yearning
4-pc: Increase Damage Amount of Justice and Order Exhaust Attack Cards by 30% (5 times per turn)
Explanation: Provide Nine with a massive boost in damage whenever she uses her important Hew card.
Tetra’s Authority
2-pc: +12% Defense
Explanation: Boost Nine’s defense stat to help her reach her needed Defense stat threshold, boosting both her damage and defensive abilities.

As a defense-based main DPS character, Nine wants to be able to deal critical defense-based attacks, so she would want as high Defense and Critical Rate stats as possible. 

PieceMain Stats
IdealCrit Rate% 
DesireOrder Damage%
ImaginationDefense%
PrioritySub Stats
1stDefense%
2ndDefense
3rdCritical Chance%
4thCritical Damage%

Important Stat Threshold:

– Nine wants to have at least 350+ Defense to fulfill her final Potential condition, so players should invest in her defense stat as high as possible.

– Players should invest in Nine’s Critical Chance to at least 60% so that she can reliably deal critical hits.

As a defense-based hypercarry main DPS character with the ability to go alongside many different teams, Nine can be slotted into different defense based teams.

Some of Nine best teams are:

NineOrleaNarja
Main DPSSub DPS/ SupportSupport/ Sustain

This team takes advantage of Orlea’s ability to boost the damage output of attack cards and apply Vulnerability on enemies alongside Narja’s ability to massively boost the team’s Defense-based damage output with her buff cards to optimize Nine’s Hew damage output to the maximum, allowing Nine to deal massive amount of defense-based damage to enemies in 1 single instance.

Nine can also be run with other characters that do Counterattacks if she is built with Counterattacks in mind:

NineMagnaNarja
Main DPSSub DPS/ SupportSupport/ Sustain

This team functions somewhat similarly to the above team with a slight difference in emphasizing counterattacking. Magna can generate shield and counterattack for the team and apply Vulnerability to enemies whenever she counterattacks, helping to deal damage as a sub DPS while also triggering Nine’s Hew when on counterattack epiphany. Narja serves the same role as a defense-based damage buffer for the team. Finally, Nine serves as the team’s main DPS on counterattack builds that deal massive amounts of damage to the enemy whenever a counterattack is activated by the team.

Conclusion

The amazing brand new self-sustaining main DPS character that can nuke her way to victory all by herself, don’t miss out on this amazing character by getting Nine right away with the help of Enjoygm – the best top up site on the web!

Writer
Luna
Content Writer & Salty Gacha Enthusiast
A gacha games enthusiast that dabbles way too much in the gacha gaming field and plays too many gacha games all at once. Excel at challenging, clearing contents and having fun in multiple gacha games at the same time like Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, Wuthering Waves, Fate/Grand Order, Reverse: 1999 and more. Currently playing over 10 gacha games at once and is considering playing more at the cost of his own sanity. Aims to provide as many informational game guides and articles as possible to help players have a better understanding of the characters and games they play to the best of his abilities.
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