Caesar King introduces the new "Shield meta" which is said to be powerful in the most difficult situations. Here's how you maximise her.
Zenless Zone Zero has recently introduced a new powerhouse agent in version 1.2: Caesar King, who combines defence with some serious team buffs.
And if you’re like many other players, you may be struggling a bit with your Fire team, or need a bit more defense to break through some of the tougher content. If so, Caesar might just be the perfect new addition for your team. If you’re still deciding whether to pull or skip Caesar however, you can check out this helpful guide.
However, whether you're looking to shield your squad or increase their attack power, Caesar is a strong addition to any team. In this guide, we’ll dive into Caesar’s strengths, weaknesses, best builds, and how to maximise her abilities in battle.
Caesar’s strengths and weaknesses
Caesar shield isn’t just for protecting herself and her allies - it also gives her a significant attack boost. Her basic attack, Dead End, is perfect for handling groups of smaller enemies.
The leader of the Sons of Calydon also has some capacity to stun enemies with her special attack by charging forward. This move can disrupt and stun foes, which proves useful for controlling enemies during fights.
Caesar’s abilities make it easy for her to fit into a wide variety of team setups, ensuring that she’ll always find a place on your squad. She synergises well with characters who have a defensive assist, which the majority of available agents have, except for agents like Zhu Yuan and Billy.
While Caesar is great in many areas, she doesn’t truly excel at any specific role, which can make her less effective in specialised team compositions.
Caesar’s skills overview
Caesar’s kit is easy to use, centred on her Special ATK combos, shielding abilities, and stunning enemies, making her accessible for players of all skill levels.
Caesar’s skills revolve around creating shields for her team while also increasing their damage output and stunning enemies. Here’s a quick breakdown of her core abilities:
Shield and Attack Boost: Caesar’s shield also gives a 1,000 ATK buff to the entire team, boosting overall DPS.
Debuffs Enemies: When properly set up, Caesar can apply a 25% damage debuff to enemies for 30 seconds, significantly increasing your squad’s damage output.
Combat: How to play Caesar King
Caesar is more than just a standard defence unit. To use her effectively:
Counter attacks with Perfect Block:
Caesar’s EX Special Attack, Parry Counter allows her to perfectly block enemy attacks. This not only negates damage but also opens the way for powerful follow-up attacks. Timing your Perfect Blocks is key to unlocking Caesar’s full potential.
Provide shields to all party members:
Caesar’s Core Skill, Barrier of Resilience allows her to generate shields for the team while increasing their anti-interruption level and attack power. Whether using her EX Special Attack or Chain Attack, keeping the team shielded is crucial.
Inflict debuffs with additional ability:
When her Squad Requirements are met, Caesar’s Additional Ability activates, allowing her to apply damage-increasing debuffs to enemies. This dramatically increases the team’s overall DPS, making Caesar an essential part of high-damage setups.
With Caesar King in your lineup, you’ll not only be able to shield and protect your team but also stun enemies, debuff foes and boost your squad’s damage. Caesar’s versatility makes her a strong choice for any team.
Best Build for Caesar King
Best W-Engine:
Tusks of Fury – This boosts Caesar’s shield value by 30% and increases team damage whenever an ally dodges or interrupts an enemy.
Alternative W-Engines:
- Original Transmorpher – Increases max HP and boosts Impact after being hit.
- Specialized Peacekeeper – Increases energy regeneration while shielded and enhances her stun power.
- Spring Embrace - Reduces damage taken and boosts energy generation, transferring the effect when switching characters.
Best Drive Disc set:
Proto Punk (4-piece) with Shockstar Disco (2-piece) – This combination increases Caesar’s shield durability and Impact, making her more effective at stunning enemies and protecting the team.
Caesar may also use a 2-piece Swing Jazz to maximise the speed and effectiveness of her EX Special Attack, allowing her to parry more often.
Drive Disc stat focus:
- Impact for shield strength.
- Crit Rate, Crit Damage, ATK%, and Penetration for boosting overall damage.
Best Teams for Caesar King
Caesar can slot into a variety of team compositions, thanks to her versatile kit. Here are some of the best team setups for her:
Fire-Stun Team:
- Soldier 11 (Attack)
- Caesar King (Defence)
- Lucy (Support)
- Bangboo: Rocketboo
- Alternative Bangboos: Cryboo, Sumoboo, Avocaboo
This Fire-based team sees Caesar King and Lucy working together to buff Soldier 11's DPS, with Caesar shielding and boosting the team's attack. This is also Soldier 11's best team now!
Sons of Calydon Anomaly Team:
- Caesar (Defence)
- Lucy (Support)
- Piper (Anomaly)
- Bangboo: Bangvolver
- Alternative Bangboos: Paperboo, Red Moccus, Luckyboo
This team setup allows Caesar to buff Piper’s damage, while Lucy and Caesar boost overall squad performance.
Generalist Team:
- Caesar (Defence)
- Soukaku (Support)
- Ellen (Attack)
- Bangboo - Sharkboo
- Alternative Bangboos: Booressure, Boollseye, Penguinboo
Caesar works well in almost any team, as long as one squadmate can use a Defensive Assist to activate her additional abilities. So if you need extra defence and a DPS buff for Ellen, Caesar may be a good choice.
Jane Doe - Caesar Team:
- Jane Doe
- Seth
- Caesar King
- Bangboo: Bangvolver
- Alternative Bangboos: Luckyboo, Officer Cui, Magnetiboo
Caesar's introduction adds the perfect third member to Jane Doe's team, providing Daze, shields, and an attack boost. If you’ve been using Anby, Caesar makes a solid replacement.
Free-to-Play (F2P) Team:
- Caesar (Defence)
- Nicole (Support)
- Billy (Attack)
- Bangboo: Paperboo
- Alternative Bangboos: Bagboo, Booressure, Avocaboo
Use Caesar to shield and stun enemies while Billy takes advantage of the attack boost from her shields. Nicole’s defensive skills can also trigger Caesar’s Additional Ability.
Skill Priorities for Caesar King
To optimise Caesar’s impact on the battlefield, focus on upgrading the following skills in this order:
Core Skill:
Max this first as it increases Caesar’s shield HP and strengthens her defensive role.
Special Attack:
Prioritise this next, as it boosts her stunning abilities and damage potential.
Basic Attack:
Upgrade this to enhance her crowd-control, particularly against smaller enemies.
Caesar King’s blend of defence, crowd control, and team buffs makes her a valuable asset in a variety of team compositions. As long as you’re able to build her well and maximise her combat kit, she may one of the most effective agents to carry your team through the most difficult levels in Zenless Zone Zero.
