Cipher/X=? for a complete play-through

[catandsnake]

Hi everyone, could you guys please recommend me a decent Cipher/X melee mc for a complete playthrough? I would like to see as much dialogue as possible, so Might 20/Resolve 18/everything 10 dumb melee mountain is just boring. I thought of a Hierophant spirit lancer, but apparently, the lance got nerfed (?) and doesn't work well outside of a Sage (?). 

 

Any build ideas would be highly appreciated. 

[Boeroer]

The Lance didn't get nerfed. It works well for a Wizard/Soulblade. But Spirit Lance comes rather late for multiclass chars.

 

However, the best dps build with a melee cipher is probably Streetfighter/Soulblade with the Whispers of the Endless Paths. That comes pretty early and works very well with Soul Annihilation. Stats don't matter that much (high INT is beneficial for cone size though) so you can allocate them as you like.

[catandsnake]

The Lance didn't get nerfed. It works well for a Wizard/Soulblade. But Spirit Lance comes rather late for multiclass chars.

 

However, the best dps build with a melee cipher is probably Streetfighter/Soulblade with the Whispers of the Endless Paths. That comes pretty early and works very well with Soul Annihilation. Stats don't matter that much (high INT is beneficial for cone size though) so you can allocate them as you like.

 

Thanks Boeroer! Would you play Streetfighter/Soulblade heavily armoured? Or try and defend yourself through some other means?

[Haplok]

Or Trickster/Soulblade for more durability.

 

If you're not set on melee, Ascendant is stronger IMO.

Personally I really like Ascendant/Helwalker monk, as that will boost your Ascension duration, duration of spells (both buffs and CC/debuffs), provide more speed, boost the damage of spells and weapons with Helwalker bonus Might and lashes and provides extra Penetration. Early on it will feel squishy, but it works very well ranged. Nowadays I actually play it in melee range (love Grave Calling saber Chillfogs, which generate Focus, Ectopsychic Echo, Mental Binding, Secret Horrors).

 

Other excellent multiclasses are Ascendant/Ranger (for unrivaled single target accuracy(+crits) and a meatshield/ecto echo anchor), Ascendant/Streetfighter with blunderbusses (for machine-gun-like cast recovery and rapid Focus generation) or Ascendant/Berserker - for speed, crits, penetration and passives.

 

Hell, with the new DLC rapier, it could be even interesting to try a Psyblade. Its DoT in Clear Out aoe would be pretty cool and Intuitive Strikes would help land crits. Or a Witch, the Berserker bonus would also help with crits. But that rapier is late-game.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Haplok

[1TTFFSSE]

Spirit lance works but I still hiero is a bit clunky with cipher, nothing major but you are sacrificing lots of passive talents that are great from some other classses for spirit lance with is level 5 spell too. for a good tank/offtank I recommend Inquisitor Paladin/Cipher. For overwhelming dps I would recommend Witch Cipher/Berserker. Even on a Witch, you don't have dump resolve. You get a lot of speed and might bonuses and can have high resolve without affecting dps too much. 

[1TTFFSSE]

Or Trickster/Soulblade for more durability.

 

If you're not set on melee, Ascendant is stronger IMO.

Personally I really like Ascendant/Helwalker monk, as that will boost your Ascension duration, duration of spells (both buffs and CC/debuffs), provide more speed, boost the damage of spells and weapons with Helwalker bonus Might and lashes and provides extra Penetration. Early on it will feel squishy, but it works very well ranged. Nowadays I actually play it in melee range (love Grave Calling saber Chillfogs, which generate Focus, Ectopsychic Echo, Mental Binding, Secret Horrors).

 

Other excellent multiclasses are Ascendant/Ranger (for unrivaled single target accuracy(+crits) and a meatshield/ecto echo anchor), Ascendant/Streetfighter with blunderbusses (for machine-gun-like cast recovery and rapid Focus generation) or Ascendant/Berserker - for speed, crits, penetration and passives.

 

Hell, with the new DLC rapier, it could be even interesting to try a Psyblade. Its DoT in Clear Out aoe would be pretty cool and Intuitive Strikes would help land crits. Or a Witch, the Berserker bonus would also help with crits. But that rapier is late-game.

Helwalker is a bad idea generally if you are going melee and are not combining with a tanky class (Paladin/Fighter) and cipher is not a tanky class. General monk is better for this then. 

[Haplok]

Yeah, I also thought this. But it kinda works in a party and at later levels. Well, it's not kamikaze melee. More like a mix. Often he runs around smacking skellies summoned by Pallegina, who take enemy attention. I have Eder and Pallegina in my party, plus Aloth battlemage. My char usually isn't surrounded. When the going gets hot, he casts Mental Binding or some such, so he's rarely in serious danger. He opens with Thunderous Report and Dazed enemies can't hurt him much.

And he will pull dual mortar blunderbusses to stunning blow the enemies at range sometimes as well.

Also often heavy armor can help.

 

Plus I mentioned "if you're not set on melee".

Edited September 27, 2018 by Haplok

[Boeroer]

 

The Lance didn't get nerfed. It works well for a Wizard/Soulblade. But Spirit Lance comes rather late for multiclass chars.

 

However, the best dps build with a melee cipher is probably Streetfighter/Soulblade with the Whispers of the Endless Paths. That comes pretty early and works very well with Soul Annihilation. Stats don't matter that much (high INT is beneficial for cone size though) so you can allocate them as you like.

 

Thanks Boeroer! Would you play Streetfighter/Soulblade heavily armoured? Or try and defend yourself through some other means?

 

Since Streetfighter can get lots of recovery bonus a bit of armor recovery penalty is not so bad. I like Caroc's Breastplate because it not only gives you more resources but also has an attack speed bonus. Together with the Helm of the Falcon (which also has Attack speed bonus) you'll look great. Add Abraham or Cutthroat Cosmo  pet pet for reduced recovery penalty from armor and enchant Breastplate asap. You will still need healing. If you have a priest you should consider wearing Harbinger Robes or Miscreant's Leather (+pet) and use Barring Death's Door + Salvation of Time on the Streetfighter/Soublade. It increases the performance enormously once you drop under Bloodied.

[Flucas]

Ranged witch (cipher/barb) works well. Ranged hierophant ascendant is also a lot of fun (use wiz class for buffs and versatility - aware+hit>crit+speed+phantom+debuffs).

[Metaturtle]

Is the resolve amount set in stone? Resolve in poe2 won't give you as much dialogue options as it did in poe1 since most of what poe1 resolve did has now been delegated to the conversation skills bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate. Other than might, int and perception will give more options/reactions in dialogue.

Edited September 28, 2018 by Metaturtle