Arknights: New Operator Spotlight - Ceobe

Ceobe (pronounced “kay-oh-bay”) is the first new ST Caster Operator we’ve gotten in Arknights since Nightmare (who was on the first banner that added new Operators to the game!) Considering she comes armed with enough weaponry to supply the entire Lungmen army, Ceobe looks more like a melee brawler than an Arts Caster. Confused Doctors may be wondering, “Is Ceobe worth it?” We’ll delve into that question in this article so Doctors can decide how much Orundum they might want to spend on this blonde, battle-ready bombshell.

Ceobe is a 6★ ST Caster. She’s not against tying up her enemies with a little crowd-control, but for the most part, Ceobe is all about that single-target DPS. To learn more about her stats, Traits, Skills, and other key parameters, take a look at her Operator page.

One of the more interesting aspects of Ceobe is how her Skills change her targeting priorities while they are active.

1. Her S1 prioritizes unblocked enemies
2. Her S2 prioritizes the enemy with the highest DEF
3. Her S3 prioritizes the enemy with the lowest DEF

This targeting flexibility makes Ceobe particularly useful as a Caster assassin, switching her Skills before battle to make sure she can target the most important enemy types on any given map.

• Casters are usually used against enemies who have high DEF. Ceobe emphasizes this role with her Talent, Thresher, which deals bonus damage based on her target’s DEF.
• As stated above, Ceobe is rather unique because you can change her targeting paradigm based on her Skills. Ceobe is great whenever you need a unit who can focus down one specific enemy type that would otherwise be causing you trouble.
• Perhaps because she’s designed to switch Skills as needed, all three of Ceobe’s Skills have different situations in which they excel. Let’s look at each in turn, beginning with…
• Really Cold Axe (S1)
  • Prioritizes unblocked targets and causes Bind. Holds up to 3 charges, but charges a little slowly. Excellent as part of a stalling strategy.

• Really Hot Knives (S2)
  • Prioritizes highest-DEF target in range. Has no crowd-control component; is all about damage. This is Ceobe’s big-bosskiller Skill.

• Really Heavy Spear (S3)
  • Prioritizes lowest-DEF target in range and changes Ceobe’s damage to Physical instead of Arts. Great for getting around enemies with high RES.
  • This Skill also increases Ceobe’s attack range.
  • Finally, this Skill seals its target’s special abilities. The high SP cost means it cannot be used frequently, but the Skill duration is very long, so players can get a lot of use out of each activation.

Let’s compare Ceobe to the other 6★ ST Caster currently available in the game: Eyjafjalla. Eyjafjalla is widely considered one of the strongest Operators in Arknights; how does Ceobe stand up to such stiff competition?

Ceobe vs Eyjafjalla

• Stats: Ceobe has slightly higher ATK and DEF than Eyjafjalla, but lower HP. Casters are rarely expected to take many hits and survive; ATK is more important for their role. As such, this win goes to Ceobe, if only by a small margin.
• Talents: Both have very powerful but conditional Talents. Ceobe gets less bonus ATK from Lone Journey than Eyjafjalla does from Pyrobreath, and the bonus damage from Ceobe’s Thresher doesn’t make up the difference against enemies with low DEF. However, Thresher becomes incredibly nasty against enemies with high DEF. Of course, Pyrobreath also affects all Caster allies, not just Eyjafjalla. So, the higher the enemy’s DEF, the better Ceobe’s Talents are; the more Casters you’re deploying, the better Eyjafjalla’s Talents are. We’re calling this one a draw.
• Skills: Ceobe has great, very spammable DPS, with a lot of fun tricks and tools on the side. She’s a clutch bosskiller and an outstanding Caster overall. However, Eyjafjalla’s burst damage is not just incredible, it’s also AoE. Her S2’s consistency is unmatched (and it debuffs RES!) and her S3’s burst damage is positively breathtaking. This win has to go to Eyjafjalla.

So is Ceobe the Best Caster?

Probably not. Eyjafjalla is the better general-purpose Caster, for three reasons:

1. She has the attack speed of a ST Caster, but can damage multiple enemies like an AoE Caster.
2. She shreds enemy RES with her S2, making her better at mixed target-types.
3. She buffs the damage of all allied Casters, both with her Talent and her S2 RES debuff.

That being said, when you're just looking at these Operators dealing damage to one target in a vacuum, Ceobe can outperform Eyjafjalla. This is most obvious when using Ceobe’s S2 against beefy targets with sky-high DEF, like bosses and elite enemies (which, importantly, are often the biggest challenges to fight). Thresher's bonus damage combined with the attack speed of S2 makes Ceobe a premier bosskiller, outputting more ST DPS than Eyjafjalla on a much shorter cooldown. Ceobe also boasts debuff- and crowd-control utility, which Eyjafjalla lacks.

Eyjafjalla’s position as the #1 Caster is probably secure. However, Ceobe has carved out a vastly useful niche for herself as the premier "single-target" ST Caster, giving her more than enough value and identity to rise out from Eyjafjalla’s shadow.

Ceobe’s flexible utility and Skill set are probably not enough to uncrown Eyjafjalla as the Queen of Casters. However, Ceobe is so damn good at bosskilling and has so much additional utility that she stands out anyway. She is an excellent investment for any player who intends to crack into the toughest content Arknights has to offer.

If you’re planning to pull for Ceobe, we at GamePress wish you the best—and pointiest—of luck!