Theorylytics

Tail Wind

Used by Zephyr

Ability1
Energy25

Tail Wind

Hold while airborne to hover Zephyr with reduced movement. From the air, tap to dash forward, or aim down to dive bomb enemies below.

Introduced in Update 12.0 (2014-02-05)

Ability stats

Strength
  • See in-game / wiki ability card for rank values
Duration
  • See in-game / wiki ability card for rank values
Range
  • See in-game / wiki ability card for rank values
Misc
  • Hold while airborne to hover Zephyr with reduced movement.

Info

  • Tail Wind is Zephyr’s ability 1.
  • Hold while airborne to hover Zephyr with reduced movement.
  • Use it with the rest of the kit — especially Airburst, Turbulence — instead of casting it in isolation.
  • Ability Strength, Duration, Range, and Efficiency each matter differently; check Mod Scaling below before dumping all four.

Augment

9

Anchored Glide

Disable Zephyr's reduced airborne gravity. Increase Ability Strength by 15%.

Zephyr
Open augment →
Anchored Glide

Disable Zephyr's reduced airborne gravity. Increase Ability Strength by 15%.

Max rank drain ~7; see rank table on the augment page.

Open full augment page →

Cast Changes

  1. Modifies Tail Wind with: Disable Zephyr's reduced airborne gravity.
  2. Rank up the augment to unlock the full effect values.
  3. Costs a mod slot (and capacity) — only equip it when the change matters for your loop.

Worth the Slot?

  1. Worth it when the augment’s change is central to how you play Zephyr.
  2. Skip it if the base Tail Wind already does what you need and you’d rather keep the slot for survivability or strength.

Tips & Tricks

  • Read the battlefield first — cast Tail Wind when it actually solves the room, not on cooldown habit.
  • Pair Tail Wind with movement and energy economy so you’re not stranded after a big spend.
  • On Steel Path, confirm whether Tail Wind still carries without strip, Viral, or a squad buff.
  • If you never press 1, it’s the first Helminth candidate on Zephyr.

Ability dossier · Tail Wind

Verified 2026-07-22

Synergies

  • Tail WindAirburst

    Use Tail Wind to set up Airburst, or follow Airburst with Tail Wind while enemies are vulnerable.

  • Tail WindTurbulence

    Use Tail Wind to set up Turbulence, or follow Turbulence with Tail Wind while enemies are vulnerable.

  • Tail WindTornado

    Use Tail Wind to set up Tornado, or follow Tornado with Tail Wind while enemies are vulnerable.

Mod Scaling

Strength

Strength matters if Tail Wind scales effect power; otherwise dump it for other stats.

Duration

Extends how long Tail Wind’s effect lasts.

Range

Range is usually dumpable on Tail Wind unless you feel the hitbox is too tight.

Efficiency

Tail Wind costs energy each cast — Efficiency (or strong regen) keeps the loop comfortable on long missions.

Priority

Stack the stats that actually move this ability’s needle, then Efficiency for uptime.

Mission Use Cases

MissionHow to Use It
Steel Path Survival / Defense / DisruptionTest whether Tail Wind still clears or enables clear when enemies are dense and overlevelled.
Mobile Defense / ExcavationUse Tail Wind to control or delete the swarm on the objective, then reposition.
Exterminate / Capture Speed RunsCast Tail Wind only when it saves time — skip it on empty tiles.
Spy / Rescue / Quiet RoutesIf Tail Wind is loud or forces combat, save it for after the vault; if it’s stealth-friendly, use it to stay safe.

Comparisons

  • VS

    Vs similar tools on other frames — Tail Wind is tuned for Zephyr’s loop — don’t judge it as a standalone subsume without the rest of the kit.

Other Zephyr abilities