Chaos Manifestation Guide — Chaos Zero Nightmare
Quick LinksChaos Manifestation Guide — Chaos Zero NightmareWhat is Chaos Manifestation?Every run starts from zero.Two zones, branching paths.Epiphanies drive progression.Extra cards add flexibility.You can cut unwanted cards.Your choices shape the run.How to Play the Chaos StageChoose a Fate Card before starting.Six types of areas make up the map.The Dangers WithinCombatants can suffer Mental Breakdown.Breakdown changes how their cards work.Recovery requires using Breakdown Cards.Recovering a combatant restores benefits.Zero HP ends the Chaos run.What are the Rewards?Chaos runs give two main types of rewards.Chaos Loot provides resources and units.Save Data preserves your build for future use.Tiertactix RecommendationsLevel and promote your combatants first.Improve your combatants’ potentials.Bring a shielder to reduce stress.Gather Memory Fragment set bonuses.Level and promote your partners.Upgrade desirable Memory Fragments.Use food buffs from the Ark’s Starshine Diner.Be safe, stay safe.
What is Chaos Manifestation?
Every run starts from zero.
Chaos Manifestation is a free-to-play roguelike stage mode in Chaos Zero Nightmare where you enter with a team of three combatants and only their starting cards. No decks, upgrades, or progression carry over between runs — your power comes entirely from the choices you make, the rewards you claim, and how you adapt to each encounter as you push deeper into the stage.
Two zones, branching paths.
The Chaos map is divided into the Exterior Zone followed by the Interior Zone, both built around branching paths that resemble a tree. Each path contains combat nodes, events, and reward rooms. At the end of each zone stands a Zone Boss, representing a significant difficulty spike and progression checkpoint. Defeating these bosses yields massive rewards, often producing the largest power gains of any run and defining how strong your build will be for the remainder.
Epiphanies drive progression.
Throughout the run, you acquire Epiphanies from battles, events, or equipment interactions. These either add new cards or enhance existing cards’ effects, turning basic skills into combo starters, defensive tools, or damage engines. Mastering Epiphany selection and synergy is critical to creating a reliable and powerful deck.
Extra cards add flexibility.
In addition to character-specific cards, you can collect Monster Cards and Neutral Cards. Monster Cards generally provide burst damage or unique combat effects, while Neutral Cards offer utility such as card draw, defense, tempo smoothing, or combo extension. Together, these cards give your deck power, fluidity, and versatility, allowing you to adapt your strategy dynamically.
You can cut unwanted cards.
Chaos Manifestation allows you to remove cards from your deck, preventing weak or situational cards from clogging your draws. Maintaining a lean, focused deck improves reliability and combo consistency, which is vital in the Interior Zone and against late-game bosses.
Your choices shape the run.
Every decision — from path selection to Epiphany picks, card additions, and removals — directly impacts your build’s power curve. Players who focus on clear deck goals, synergy, and disciplined refinement will achieve smoother runs and more consistent success at higher difficulty levels.
How to Play the Chaos Stage
Choose a Fate Card before starting.
At the start of the stage, you select one of three Fate Cards, which act like perks that last for the entire run. The right choice can complement your team’s strengths, enhance survivability, or improve deck synergy, giving your strategy a clear direction from the first battle.
Six types of areas make up the map.
The Chaos map contains six distinct area types, each with unique risks and rewards. Proper route selection is as important as combat performance, and planning which areas to tackle first can make or break your run.
Battle Areas are your standard fights.
These nodes feature regular monsters. Clearing them earns credits and occasionally Rare equipment, making them the most reliable source of steady upgrades during early runs.
Elite Areas are tougher challenges with better rewards.
Elite Areas present stronger monsters and harder encounters. Victories here reward higher credits, chances for Legendary equipment, and Monster Cards, but only attempt them once your build is stable enough to survive the increased difficulty.
Special Specimens are optional high-risk challenges.
Special Specimens are harder enemies with bigger rewards. Engage them only if your team is strong, as failure can severely impact your progress.
Unidentified Areas are unpredictable.
These wild-card nodes can yield credits, equipment, junk cards, or surprise battles. The higher the risk, the better the potential reward, but entering these areas can also derail fragile builds if you aren’t prepared.
Safe Areas let you recover and shop.
No enemies appear here, but they provide key utilities:
- Rest — Fully heals your team and reduces stress.
- Dallang Shop — Spend credits to remove cards, purchase equipment, or acquire Neutral Cards. Visiting before Rest or Train is typically optimal. (Beware: Not all Safe Areas contains Dallang Shop)
- Train — Spend 50 credits to choose one of three Neutral Cards, adding utility or combo potential to your deck.
Waypoint Areas provide free rewards and saves.
These nodes grant free equipment and allow you to save progress for another session, making them valuable pauses in longer runs.
Boss Areas mark the end of each zone.
All branches ultimately lead to a Zone Boss. These fights are mechanically demanding but provide some of the largest rewards in the run, serving as major progression milestones.
The Dangers Within
Combatants can suffer Mental Breakdown.
As your combatants take damage, they accumulate stress. Reaching maximum stress triggers Mental Breakdown, drastically changing how a character functions in combat.
Breakdown changes how their cards work.
While in Mental Breakdown, all cards become Breakdown Cards, which are generally weaker or randomized. This forces players to adapt strategy and prioritize recovery, as the affected combatant can no longer reliably contribute to combos or damage output.
Recovery requires using Breakdown Cards.
To restore a combatant, you must use 5 Breakdown Cards, with each consecutive breakdown increasing the requirement by 1 card. Repeated breakdowns are progressively harder to manage, making prevention and planning critical.
Recovering a combatant restores benefits.
Once recovered, the combatant’s Max HP is restored, stress resets, and next Ego Skill cost is greatly reduced. Timely recovery can turn a previously struggling combatant into a significant asset.
Zero HP ends the Chaos run.
If any combatant’s HP reaches zero, the run immediately ends. Combatants in breakdown remain unusable until treated with Psychotherapy at your Ark’s Epione Center, using Communication Pass (or Crystal) or Units, highlighting the importance of stress management and survival planning.
Beware: Using Memory Erasure option for psychotherapy (units) will erase the save data obtained during the run the breakdown (Deep Trauma) is inflicted.
What are the Rewards?
Chaos runs give two main types of rewards.
Completing Chaos runs yields Chaos Loot and Save Data, each with distinct benefits for progression and character growth.
Chaos Loot provides resources and units.
This includes account experience (Coordinates of Record), Memory Fragments and their upgrade materials (Core & Particles of Memory), as well as units. These resources fuel long-term progression by strengthening your account, upgrading characters, and preparing you for more successful future Chaos runs. Claiming Chaos Loot requires a Loot Certification Card — four are provided for free each week, with additional cards purchasable for 60 Aether each, functioning similarly to Memory Fragment Simulations.
Save Data preserves your build for future use.
Save Data captures everything you built during the run: card removals, Neutral Cards, Monster Cards, Epiphanies, and Equipment. This allows you to export your character builds outside Chaos runs. However, a Faint Memory Points cap limits how much can be saved. For full mechanics, refer to the Save Data Guide.
Tiertactix Recommendations
Level and promote your combatants first.
Before entering Chaos, prioritize leveling and promoting your combatants. Stronger base stats and unlocked skills give your team a solid foundation for survival.
Improve your combatants’ potentials.
Invest in permanent potential upgrades. These carry over between runs, providing a lasting edge that makes challenging nodes like Elite Areas and Special Specimens more manageable.
Bring a shielder to reduce stress.
Including a shielder minimizes stress and prevents HP loss for your combatants, reducing the chance of Mental Breakdown and smoothing your run overall.
Gather Memory Fragment set bonuses.
Equip Memory Fragments that complete sets to gain additional stat bonuses. Properly stacked fragments can significantly enhance your combatants’ performance.
Level and promote your partners.
Don’t neglect your partners — leveling and promoting them ensures they contribute effectively, whether through damage, utility, or support, complementing your main team.
Upgrade desirable Memory Fragments.
Focus on fragments with strong main stats to maximize returns. Avoid upgrading pieces that don’t enhance your preferred build, conserving resources for the most impactful boosts.
Use food buffs from the Ark’s Starshine Diner.
Consume food at the Starshine Diner to receive temporary buffs lasting two Chaos runs. These can boost survivability, damage, or other stats, giving you a tactical advantage during difficult stages.
Be safe, stay safe.
It is perfectly fine — and often correct — to avoid Special Specimens and Elite Areas entirely. While these nodes offer increased chances at legendary equipment, the risk is frequently not worth ending a promising run early. Monster Cards are especially risky for low-tier Save Data; they are costly, prone to corruption, and can randomly overwrite or undermine your build’s progress. When in doubt, choose Unidentified Areas instead — they offer a safer balance of upside and survivability without exposing your run to high-end failure spikes.