Chaos Zero Nightmare Character Roles Explained: DPS, Healer, Controller, Support

Chaos Zero Nightmare uses card-driven roles, so DPS, Healer, Controller, and Support are about how a character spends AP and manipulates hands/decks rather than just raw stats. You usually want one main DPS plus a mix of the other three roles to keep turns efficient and enemies under control.

DPS – Main Damage Dealers

DPS units focus on converting AP into damage as efficiently as possible, often with self-buffs or scaling mechanics.

• Core traits:
  • High damage per AP, burst turns, or strong scaling over long fights (mark stacks, banish stacks, Retain stacks, etc.).
  • Kits that are happiest when most of the team’s AP is spent on their cards.
• Examples of DPS-style characters:
  • Chizuru – single-target burst DPS built around marking an enemy and spending a special resource on a huge finisher.​
  • Kayron – Void specialist whose attacks scale off banished cards; the more Futility/exhaust cards you cycle, the harder he hits.​
  • Tressa – “free DPS/support” that fires multiple 0-cost cards to trigger lots of extra attacks and combo effects.
• How to use them:
  • Build your deck and support pieces so that most turns end with your main DPS spending the last AP, using buffs and card draw from others to fuel their big turns.​

Healer – Sustain and Survivability

Healers keep your team alive but often do more than just restore HP; many double as AP batteries or enablers.

• Core traits:
  • Reliable healing, shielding, or stress reduction on low-cost cards.
  • Sometimes attached AP gain or card draw to “pay back” the cost of healing.
• Key examples:
  • Mika – game’s premier healer + AP support; massive sustain plus AP generation makes early and high-difficulty content much safer.
  • Nia (Instinct Controller/Support) – buffs allies for extra attacks while also providing healing, effectively mixing sustain with offensive tempo.​
• How to use them:
  • Slot at least one dedicated sustain source (Mika, Nia, or similar) in most teams; in damage-focused comps, a hybrid like Mika lets you heal without sacrificing too much damage/AP efficiency.

Controller – Deck, AP, and Turn Flow Manipulators

Controllers manipulate deck order, card cycling, and enemy pacing, enabling combos and AP efficiency rather than topping the damage chart.

• Core traits:
  • Card draw, discard, Retain, shuffling, and “extra attack” triggers.
  • Sometimes niche mechanics like banish, Futility, or shuffle loops that power specific archetypes.
• Examples:
  • Beryl – sub-DPS controller who provides card draws and Retain, acting as a draw engine for AP-hungry DPS teams.​
  • Cassius – damage-dealing cycler who uses low-cost cards to generate buffs, heals, and card search to assemble combos faster.​
  • Nia – Instinct Controller whose kit enables discard/shuffle synergy and extra attacks while sprinkling heals.
  • Narja, according to creator breakdowns, leans into DPS/Controller hybrid territory, mixing damage with control/utility effects.​
• How to use them:
  • Controllers are at their best when you build around their mechanics: e.g., pairing Kayron with Tressa/Beryl for banish/exhaust synergy, or Cassius with DPS who love extra card access.

Support – Buffers, AP Batteries, and Sub-DPS

Support units provide buffs, AP, shields, and chip damage that make your DPS’ turns more explosive and consistent.

• Core traits:
  • Teamwide buffs (damage, defense, extra attacks), AP generation, and card cost manipulation.
  • Often function as sub-DPS, adding chip damage while enabling others.
• Examples:
  • Mika again – classified in tier lists as Healer / AP Support, with best-in-slot sustain plus AP recovery in a single unit.
  • Tressa (Ranger/Passion) – support/sub-DPS that provides Ballista chip damage and reliable draw, keeping AP flow and combos smooth.​
  • Khalipe (Vanguard) – damage + shielding hybrid who covers frontline safety and buffs over long fights, effectively a support/DPS hybrid.
• How to use them:
  • The best supports keep DPS alive and fueled: they generate AP, cards, and buffs so your main carry can spend more time dealing damage and less time protecting themselves.

Put together, a typical Chaos Zero Nightmare team looks like: 1 main DPS, 1 healer (often Mika), 1 controller/support hybrid, and sometimes a frontline or extra support in multi-slot modes—each role defined not just by damage vs healing, but by how they manipulate cards, AP, and turn order to keep your deck flowing smoothly through every nightmare.