Zhuang Fangyi is the headline operator arriving in Arknights: Endfield's Update 1.2, "At the Wake of Spring," launching on April 17th, 2026. She's an Electric damage dealer built around a blade-summoning mechanic that scales with Electrification stacks, and her kit rewards teams that can constantly cycle between applying and consuming that status effect. Her signature weapon exists in the game's crafting pipeline, though full weapon details — including stats and passive effects — have not yet been officially confirmed.
Quick answer: Zhuang Fangyi's signature weapon requires essence materials that can be farmed in two specific overworld locations. Full weapon stats and recommended alternatives are not yet finalized, but her kit is entirely centered on Electric Damage and Electrification manipulation.
Zhuang Fangyi's Full Skill Kit
Fangyi's moveset revolves around summoning blades onto the battlefield and then amplifying their damage through Electrification. Every part of her kit feeds into this loop.
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack | A 5-hit combo sequence that deals Electric Damage. |
| Battle Skill | Summons blades on the field. Damage scales with the number of active blades. If the target has Electrification, consumes it to deal bonus damage and summon additional blades based on the Electrification level. Maximum of 9 blades at once. |
| Combo Skill | Consumes Electric Infliction stacks on the enemy to forcibly apply Electrification. The resulting Electrification level increases with the number of Electric Inflictions consumed. Triggers when the controlled operator lands a Final Strike or Finisher on an enemy carrying Electric Infliction. |
| Ultimate | Enhances all of Fangyi's skills. Battle Skill now also applies Electric Infliction. Combo Skill becomes AoE with a shorter cooldown. The first Battle Skill cast after activation costs no SP, does not consume Electrification, and guarantees 3 blade summons. |
The core gameplay loop works like this: you build Electric Infliction stacks on enemies through normal attacks and enhanced Battle Skills, convert those stacks into Electrification via the Combo Skill, and then spend that Electrification with Battle Skill for massive blade-fueled burst damage. Her Ultimate supercharges this cycle by making the Battle Skill self-sufficient for the first cast and turning the Combo Skill into a faster, area-wide ability.
Signature Weapon and Essence Farming
Zhuang Fangyi has a dedicated signature weapon, and the essence materials needed to craft or upgrade it can be farmed in two specific overworld locations. The exact names of these farming spots and drop rates are still being mapped by the community ahead of the April 17th launch, but players looking to prepare should scout for essence nodes tied to her weapon line.
For players who want a head start, pre-farming her weapon essence before the banner drops is a smart move. The two farming locations are available in the current game world, so you don't need to wait for the patch to begin collecting materials.
Best Team Compositions for Zhuang Fangyi
Fangyi's Combo Skill has a notably long cooldown, which means her teams need external sources of Electrification to keep the damage loop running smoothly. The following teammates address that weakness while amplifying her strengths.
| Teammate | Role in Fangyi Teams |
|---|---|
| Perlica | Highly recommended. Provides additional Electrification application, letting Fangyi use her Battle Skill more frequently and hit harder. |
| Arclight | Generates SP for the team. Since Fangyi constantly applies and consumes Electrification, Arclight's Combo Skill triggers consistently. Notably, Arclight's Combo Skill does not consume Electrification — only her Battle Skill does — creating a smooth rhythm of weaving skills between application and consumption phases. |
| Gilberta | Premium Arts support. Her Nature Infliction also contributes to building more Electrification on enemies, and she provides sustain. |
| Antal | Offers Electric buffs and extra Electric Inflictions, making her a strong fourth slot for maximizing damage output. |
The combination of Zhuang Fangyi, Perlica, Arclight, and Antal creates a rapid skill-chaining team where Electrification is constantly being applied, consumed, and reapplied. The trade-off is that this lineup has no dedicated healer. Swapping Antal or Gilberta in for sustain is viable, but it reduces overall damage.
Alternative Flex Picks
If Gilberta isn't in your roster, several operators can fill the fourth slot effectively. Options include operators who provide SP generation paired with Heat Inflictions, those who offer Electric buffs and additional Electric Inflictions, or strong sub-DPS characters. One notable option is pairing a sub-DPS operator with the Brigand's Calling weapon, which lets that character double as a support for Fangyi specifically.
Arclight herself offers build flexibility depending on your weapon choice. Equipping 12 Questions turns her into a pure damage dealer, while Thermite Cutter shifts her into more of a damage-support hybrid. This lets you tune the team's overall output depending on the content you're tackling.
Gear and Equipment
Update 1.2 introduces new gear sets alongside Zhuang Fangyi's release. Given that new gear typically aligns with the featured operator's mechanics, the 1.2 gear is expected to be her best-in-slot option. Specific set bonuses and individual piece stats will become clear once the update is live.
Banner Timeline
| Detail | Date / Duration |
|---|---|
| Banner start | April 17, 2026 |
| Banner end | May 25, 2026 |
| Banner duration | 35 days |
| Off-banner availability | Removed after 2 additional banners (approximately late June 2026) |
Zhuang Fangyi launches alongside Gilberta and Laevatain, who will also be available during the "At the Wake of Spring" update window. After her featured banner ends and two subsequent banners pass, she will be removed from the off-banner pool entirely, making this a limited window to obtain her.
Zhuang Fangyi looks poised to become a cornerstone of Electric team compositions in Arknights: Endfield. Her blade-summoning mechanic scales in a way that rewards deep investment in Electrification cycling rather than raw basic-attack spam, which distinguishes her from operators like Laevatain and Yvonne. With her banner opening on April 17th, players still have a few days to pre-farm signature weapon essence and lock in their team plans before Update 1.2 drops.