Character Profile
- Best Attack: Thermal Shockwave
- Best Team Support: Subzero Atmosphere
- Best Personal Support: Focused Apertures
- Required: Null-Point Calibration Unit and Isothermic Transducer
- Primary Damage Type: Cold
- Secondary Damage Type: Fire
- Worst Card: Glacial Structure
Absolute Zero is the trickiest hero in the base set, possibly the game. He draws a lot of flak for being a slow-build hero who uses a bunch of math. Once he gets set up, however, his unconventional methods can deal a terrifying amount of damage at the cost of his hit points. His incidental healing makes him an excellent tank, especially if the villain or environment deal in fire or cold damage, and he rounds out his deck with a few unique utility cards.
Attack
Here’s what you came here for: How Absolute Zero is supposed to work.
First, you need Isothermic Transducer (IT) and Null-Point Calibration Unit (NPCU). At this point, your one-shots and base power are all online. Now, cold damage that would be dealt to you results in pure healing, due to the NPCU. When fire damage is dealt to you, you have a choice. The IT allows you to choose any target for the resulting cold damage. You can hit somebody for the same amount of damage that you take. Alternatively, you can choose Absolute Zero as your target, effectively neutralizing the fire damage by dealing him the same amount of cold damage.
Now, dealing damage to Zero for a 1-1 damage ratio is not very efficient at all. Add Focused Apertures (FA). This allows Zero to start getting ahead on these transactions. When he deals himself cold damage, he gains an extra hit point. When he is dealt fire, he can either deal that damage +1 to something else, or simply gain a hit point. Frost-Bound Drain and Hoarfire, his one-shots, are both very flexible once Zero is set up like this. FA is also just a good boost in general, a handy increase for most of his damage. IT, NPCU, and FA comprise Zero’s basic setup, but FA can be easily replaced by anything that increases hero damage.
Attack Method 1: Thermal Shockwave
Once you are set up as above, use Thermal Shockwave. This deals three targets two cold damage each (remember FA) – one of these targets could even be Zero, who would heal. Then, Zero deals himself fire damage equal to the cold damage he dealt this turn. In this example, we’ll say six. This makes seven damage (remember FA) that he can either throw at something using the IT, or send back at himself to heal for another one. This is the typical method Zero uses for his big attacks, but not the only one.
Both Impale and Cold Snap are strong, all-purpose automatic attacks. They also increase the damage you can deal with Thermal Shockwave, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. If Zero deals enough fire damage to off himself with Thermal Shockwave, he’s gone. He doesn’t get more effects, so be very careful with that.
Attack Method 2: Coolant Blast
Set up as above, and add Coolant Blast to the mix. Then, you play Hoarfire or Frost-Bound Drain. Both can deal three fire damage to Zero. After you resolve that, you can use Coolant Blast for four damage to a non-hero target (remember FA!), and that isn’t a bad turn.
Coolant Blast gets really good when Zero is dealt fire damage from another source. An environment like Insula Primalis or Mars can deal a lot of fire damage to you, as can a good number of the villains. Another option is for a hero to target you with fire. You can neutralize the damage and gain some health if you have your basic setup, while blasting all of the fire damage out of Coolant Blast on your turn. Or, you can go on the offensive.
If you can increase and double (deal it once with IT, then again with Coolant Blast) all of the damage being dealt to you, the villains will surely feel the burn. The drawback to this method of attack is that Zero also feels the burn. He can quickly find himself short of hit points. Which leads to…
Recovery
This is generally what Zero’s base power Thermodynamics grants him: a way to recover the hit points he spends to deal damage. If he has a damage buff out, he can also heal himself for a point every time he is dealt fire damage – in this way, Thermal Shockwave can help him recover hit points twice, while also dealing some damage. Hoarfire can also be used more to recover health than deal damage, if desired, by aiming the cold Zero’s direction.
This is one of two uses of Cryo Chamber. Increasing cold damage done to Zero is very nice as long as he has his NPCU handy. Decreasing fire damage done to Zero means he outputs less damage. That tradeoff may be worthwhile, at least until he has enough hit points to burn. Once you deem him healthy again, you can let the Cryo Chamber go in a solid explosion that’s more controlled than Thermal Shockwave and more reliable than Coolant Blast.
Utility
Onboard Module Installation is always good to see. It gets Zero the cards he needs to work, and lets him get another play and draw as well. If you already have both modules, it gives you a backup. Getting ahead in cards for free is always nice.
Modular Realignment is of course useful when the dastardly villain is destroying your stuff. It's worth more than that, though. If you have an occasion to discard a card while this is around, make it an equipment you don’t already have out. Then you can get it back and deal some damage, and that’s a great deal. If you don’t have your ongoing powers, and sometimes even if you do, Modular Realignment/Cryo Chamber makes a good one-two punch.
Absolute Zero has some control options available to him. The purpose of Subzero Atmosphere is to slow down the villain’s cards. If a villain’s minions trigger at the start of the villain turn instead of the end, you have a round to eliminate them before they get their effects. This can sometimes turn to the villain’s advantage, especially if the villain plays an additional card at the end of the villain turn, like side A Omnitron or side B Advanced Voss. Also, if you lose Subzero Atmosphere during the villain turn, you may have to suffer through end-of-turn effects twice that round. Despite these hazards, it usually does a fantastic job of freezing minions out.
Fueled Freeze destroys the most targeted ongoings of any hero card, and eeks every advantage out of them that it can. As such, it’s great against Citizen Dawn and Plague Rat, where you’ll have the targets. Don’t forget it can also take out inconvenient or extra hero ongoings when necessary. Sacrificing some to increase the global damage effect is right up Zero’s alley.
Glacial Structure
Okay, it’s probably not the worst card in Zero’s deck, but it is the most annoying, and I’ll tell you why. You must spend a whole turn on this card, since you have to play it and then use the power. You get four cards that turn (3, plus normal card draw). This is twice as effective as skipping your play and power to draw two, so that’s some consolation.
The annoying part is that Zero builds up very slowly anyway. Taking turns off to get the cards he needs is usually necessary, since not every hand is perfect. It slows your buildup further, and makes you a drain on the team. I suppose I resent Glacial Structure because it’s the only way Zero has to get really important combo pieces like Coolant Blast, Thermal Shockwave, or Focused Apertures, and it is maddeningly imprecise. (God help you if you don’t have your modules yet.) So yeah, I use it, but I don’t have to like it.
Absolute Zero: Elemental Wrath
The Freedom Six promotional version of Absolute Zero gives the hero the ability to use Elemental Wrath, a power that gives Zero something he had been missing. Confidence. Absolute Zero can now use a power without having particular cards in play, making it so that he doesn't have to set everything up before contributing. All of the attacks and setups in this guide are still valid with Elemental Wrath Zero. They are still what he wants to work towards. The fact that he doesn't have to use these to make contributions makes a big difference in his playstyle. Impale, Cold Snap, Subzero Atmosphere, and Focused Apertures make great turn one plays when you aren't forced to seek a module to be able to start using powers.
Why would you play the regular Zero ever again? The original Absolute Zero is simply more survivable. He has an inherent healing power with Null-Point Calibration Unit, as well as two more hit points. He is a superior tank, and can live for a long time.
I would suggest that everybody unsure about playing this hero play a few games with Elemental Wrath Zero. Proxy him if necessary. Once you see what Zero can do, go back to the original and see if you can employ that confidence to be even more effective with the hero they saw a reason to give us in the first place.
Weaknesses
First, the obvious. Absolute Zero is cripplingly dependant on having, at the very least, two equipment cards out, plus a couple more cards if he wants to make strong contributions. Environments and villains that destroy his stuff really ruin Zero’s day, make no mistake. This also means he takes at least 3-4 turns of setup to make optimal contributions. Some games can be over in 4-5 turns, so he needs to hurry.
Less obvious. Absolute Zero is also painfully dependant on damage types. The damage type changes in Megalopolis and Pike Industrial make Zero useless. Ra’s Imbued Fire, one of his best cards, is a terrible hazard for Zero, though perhaps handy if he’s ready to self-destruct.
Absolute Zero is unable to take down environments, though he can be awfully fond of several of them – Mars and Insula Primalis can actually treat him really well, if he is set up.
He relies on damaging himself to damage the enemy – if he has only a few hit points, he may not be able to mount a heavy offensive. He’s the only hero who gets angry when heroes are immune to damage. Finally, most of Zero’s outgoing damage is cold, which is an occasional annoyance.
How to fix these issues? Patience and teamwork.
Teamups
Absolute Zero is the endpoint for all buffs in the game. That’s not to say he should be the only hero enhanced; but he can surely use anything his allies can give him. Damage buffs are king. They affect his output doubly; once on the way into the IT, and again on the way out.
Extra card draws make sure he finds what he needs. Extra card plays let him get set up quickly. Extra powers let him decimate his foes with Thermal Shockwave followed by Coolant Blast. Healing gives him more flexibility in damaging himself. Cold damage still heals him, fire damage from another hero amplifies the damage he can deal with IT and Coolant Blast.
Heroes that have control over the villain or environment deck, like Nightmist, Visionary, or Wraith, can help protect Zero’s setup by dodging the cards that would destroy his stuff.
Visionary is great to give him extra cards, and Twist the Ether allows Absolute Zero to rule the board. Argent Adept, aside from giving Zero ALL THE BUFFS, has the very interesting Scherzo of Frost and Flame to do targeted fire and cold. Lots of people love the interaction between Ra and AZ. Increasing and doubling Ra’s already formidable damage is a powerful prospect, but just watch out for AZ’s hit points.
I know they are long; I try to keep an eye on that, but I don't plan to cut any useful information. Any input you have, with your longtime expertise, is appreciated.
Yeah, that would suck. Glad you didn't abandon the game after a tramatic experience like that! 