Hi, players! Chaos Zero Nightmare can be tricky to navigate—especially when it comes to maximizing runs, managing resources, and avoiding progression roadblocks. Below are 5 essential tips to help you optimize chaos runs, use Ark City’s timegated resources wisely, and skip common beginner mistakes—all focused on making your experience smoother and more rewarding.
Table of Contents
Tip 1：Focus One Character per Run
When you enter a chaos run, your core goal is farming data to equip save data for stronger builds—and avoid spreading resources across all characters. Instead, pour as many resources as possible into perfecting one character’s deck; this minmax approach yields a far better overall deck than half-hearted builds for everyone. Here’s how to execute this:
- Before starting the run, pick the specific unit you want to upgrade .
- Build a supporting team around them—ideally units with already functional decks, so most in-run decisions prioritize your target character.
- Seize every opportunity to boost your target: Take permanent downsides to get targeted epiphanies on their cards. Use card copy options to duplicate their best cards.
- You still need a functional team to win the run, but never lose sight of prioritizing your chosen character. If RNG favors another unit unexpectedly, you can adjust later—but stay focused initially.
Tip 2: Balance Team Comp, Not Just Damage
This is a gacha game, but unlike many that emphasize “blowing up enemies with offense,” chaos runs require balance—not just damage.
Low difficulties 1–2 might let you get away with all damage dealers, but difficulty 3 is a major spike — enemies hit harder and more frequently. By difficulty 3–4, you need damage mitigation and support characters. All-offense teams fail for two key reasons: first, chip damage adds up. Chaos runs are marathons, and winning fights in two turns won’t matter if your team takes small, repeated damage — by the end, they’ll be low on HP and unreliable. Second, energy conflict. Each turn only gives around 3 energy unless boosted, so two damage dealers often “step on each other’s toes” competing for energy instead of complementing each other. Stick to a solid comp like one or two damage dealers plus support or mitigation to survive and clear higher difficulties.
Don't miss out on this time-limited offer!
Tip 3: Use the Map Strategically
The chaos run map is more useful than it seems—use it to optimize your run and get the most from rewards.
Map Navigation
Open the full map at the start of a run or floor to plan ahead, keeping an eye out for high-priority nodes like elites you want to fight for better rewards and risky paths to avoid such as back-to-back elites with no heals in between. Paths are often connected in specific ways — you might miss an elite if you don’t check the full map first — so don’t rush; a 10-second map check ensures you hit your targets.
Chaos Loot Tickets
After defeating a chaos boss, you’ll get a loot popup that costs 60 energy or weekly-resetting shards tickets. Save tickets for high difficulties — difficulty 1–2 loot gives minimal value, so wait until difficulty 3–4 the highest available currently to use them. You’ll get better resources like equipment and the same XP for your account. If you’re only clearing difficulty 1–2, use energy elsewhere such as farming characters. Only use tickets if you’re sure you can’t clear a higher difficulty before the weekly reset.
Tip 4: Manage Ark City Policy Points
Ark City’s blue policy points are 100% timegated. Don’t waste them—prioritize long-term value over impulse buys.
Top Priorities for Policy Points
Prioritize two key purchases with Ark City’s policy points: first, the Security Code Special Key — buy one weekly as that’s the only limit, as it unlocks a new game mode and story with massive XP, rewards, and progression, making it the best “bang for your buck.” Second, use research notes in the Research Facility to max out Policy Management Efficiency, which is unlocked after maxing two basic research paths first. This cuts policy cooldowns from 6 hours to 5 hours at max level; it seems small, but it increases daily policy gains from 4 to 5, yielding far more policy points overall over weeks and months. Avoid impulse buys like affection items or random units — timegated resources demand long-term planning, so focus on the key and efficiency first.
Tip 5: Focus Affinity on One Character
Affinity progression can hardlock your game—don’t spread gifts or time across multiple characters.
Core Affinity Strategy
Pick your favorite character and give them all gifts and daily “spend time together” slots. Spreading resources here leads to stagnation—you’ll get stuck on affinity checks otherwise.
Affinity “Hack”: Double-Dip Daily
You can maximize daily affinity gains with one character by taking them on a “date” the daily spend time slot, using them in combat to trigger trauma, and doing counseling for them the same day. Counseling shares tickets with dating but gives extra affection, and you can do both for one character daily. You can’t counsel a character more than once per day, but this double-dip speeds up affinity far more than splitting time across multiple characters.
Counseling vs Dating
Prioritize dating over counseling in the early game. Counseling decks are suboptimal—you can clear runs without them. Affinity, however, is timegated and unskippable—don’t let it block your progress. Only use counseling tickets for irreplaceable deck upgrades.
These tips focus on avoiding common beginner mistakes and maximizing efficiency—chaos runs and Ark City progression are about patience and focus. If you learned something, or have extra tips to share, leave them in the comments! Thanks for reading, and see you in the game.
Conclusion
Focus and efficiency are key to dominating Chaos Zero Nightmare. Stick to these tips: prioritize one character per run, balance your team, plan map paths, manage timegated resources, and save tickets for high difficulties.
Ready to level up faster? Head to LDShop to top up Chaos Zero Nightmare—grab the resources you need to conquer tough runs and become a pro today!
TOP UP WITH DISCOUNT NOW 
Tsuki Yolo Experienced Game Editor
Hey, gamers! I'm Tuski Yolo. In the gaming universes of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Wuthering Waves, I'm deeply familiar with every character's unique abilities and the ins-and-outs of gameplay. Whether it's optimizing team set-ups, mastering the art of farming for the best gear, or crafting the perfect character builds, I've got it all covered. With my guidance, you'll stride through the gaming world with unwavering confidence, transforming every in-game obstacle into a stepping stone to victory!
