Looking for a Cipher build with firearms in Turn-Based Mode.

[Kartik]

I'm currently playing PoE 1, almost at the end. When I get to Deadfire, I want to transition to Turn-Based mode. But I'm not sure how to make my build as effective in TB as it was in RTWP.

I'm using a Cipher with blunderbuss in the first one. I know TB guts the power of Ciphers. I want to alleviate that a bit. What subclass should I pick? Should I multiclass? 

How can I minimize the number of "dull" turns where I'm just doing basic attack to fill Focus and maximize the "fun" turns where I actually get to use my spells?

What gear should I be on the lookout for? 

[Haplok]

Well, a Beguiler can largely focus on casting rather then fighting and gathering focus, as his Deception powers also generate focus (per target affected).

You won't be spamming strongest, damaging powers as one, though.

 

The single most OP piece of equipment is Kitchen Stove blunderbuss with its Thunderous Report per encounter special - which is almost guaranteed to max your Focus in 1 cone shot vs multiple enemies (and even provides a strong Dazed debuff to enemies in radius).

[Boeroer]

Sounds like Beguiler. You can gain a lot of focus just by casting Phantom Foes or Secret Horrors on several enemies at once. You can alternate between Deception Spells (gain focus) and other spells (spend focus) without using a weapon.

Ascendant can also deliver what you want (somewhat): once you have full focus you can cast spells for 0 focus cost for a certain amount of time. You don't need to care for focus regeneration during that period. Didn't try it in TB mode though.

Psion just gains focus from by time. It stops briefly when getting hit though. So no frontliner. Instead of dealing weapon damage it just comes to him. Instead of dealing weapon damage you just have to wait. If combined with another caster (e.g. Chanter or Wizard or Druid or Priest) you can alternate between spell from that class and cipher spells. For example Troubadour/Cipher: cast invocation (then need to recharge phrases), cast cipher power (then need to recharge focus), cast invocation and so on. Or Wizard/Cipher: cast a wizard spell, another one, then cipher spells, again wizard spell... Lots of casting, no weapon usage. 

If you want to stick to blunderbusses: Kitchen Stove is great and so are the two hand mortars (which are also blunderbusses). All those can fill up your focus with a single shot (if you hit enough enemies). Also Watershaper's Focus + Blast is a nice weapon in TB mode I heard. All those weapons work even better with a Cipher/Ranger because ot Driving Flight. ALso Ranger/Cipher has the highest potential accuracy in the game. That's also good for casting.