[5.0 Class Build] "Mandragora" - Psyblade (Fighter/Cipher)

[Adexrekt]

I wanted to post the build I am using in my current playthrough. Tested in Veteran difficulty with upscaling, in Turn Based mode. I'd like some constructive feedback on what I can improve. I want to turn this into a proper build, since there are so few 5.0 Turn Based builds out there.

 

Fighter/Cipher (Psyblade)
Subclasses: Devoted/Soul Blade

Race, background, skills and even attributes I chose mostly for Roleplay and dialogue reasons. Could be more optimized, any suggestions for that I'd appreciate.

Race: Human
Background: The Living Lands, Explorer
Weapon Proficiency: Greatswords
Attributes: 18 Mig - 10 Con - 10 Dex - 18 Per - 14 Int - 8 Res
Skills: Mechanics, Insight

Level ups:

1: Disciplined Barrage, Valorous Echoes
2: Knock Down
3: Iron Will
4: Fighter Stances, Draining Whip
5: Two-Handed Style
6: Confident Aim
7: Disciplined Strikes, Hammering Thoughts
8: Secret Horrors
9: Mule Kick
10: Charge, Ectopsychic Echo
11: Hold the Line*
12: Weapon Specialization
13: Conquerer Stance, Borrowed Instinct
14: Armored Grace
15: Uncanny Luck
16: Unbending, Improved Critical
17: Clear Out
18: Disintegration
19: Unbending Trunk, Echoing Horror
20: Greater Focus

 *I really hate it when I rush an archer and the next round he just walks away from me because I have 0 engagement without Hold the Line.

Gear:
Head: Helm of the Falcon
Neck: Cipher's Shackle
Armor: Devil of Caroc Breastplate
Feet: Boots of the Stone
Cape: Mirrorback
Hands: Gatecrashers
Waist: The Undying Burden
Rings: Voidward, Chameleon's Touch
Weapon: Karabörü or Sanguine Great Sword

(I do not use Whispers of the Endless Paths. I hate it with boundless passion.)

 

I will edit this post as I (hopefully) get feedback and corrections. Thanks in advance!

Edited August 23, 2020 by Adexrekt

[Haplok]

Don't see Unbending or any of its upgrades. It's one of the best Fighter abilities. 

Also no Clear Out for aoe damage and aoe Focus gain? 

 

And no Cipher powers? Wow. Not even Borrowed Instinct? Secret Horrors, Ectopsychic Echo?

Edited August 21, 2020 by Haplok

[Adexrekt]

2 hours ago, Haplok said:

Don't see Unbending or any of its upgrades. It's one of the best Fighter abilities. 

Also no Clear Out for aoe damage and aoe Focus gain? 

 

And no Cipher powers? Wow. Not even Borrowed Instinct? Secret Horrors, Ectopsychic Echo?

Thanks for the feedback! I thought I had some idea what I was doing, seems I was wrong. But I'm glad to learn.

I edited the skills with the ones you mentioned in my post above, also retrained to try it out. Since I now have more skills to use Discipline on, I also ditched Penetrating Strike, since I won't have enough Discipline to always attack with that. I have Mule Kick now instead, which is just more useful, I think.

Is this better? 

Any thoughts on the gear, attributes. etc?

[thelee]

i highly recommend picking up some higher level cipher powers. between conqueror stance and disciplined barrage, your accuracy is going to be so decent that disintegration might be an extremely awesome pick, even on higher difficulties with no morningstar support.

 

weapon mastery is also such an extremely small bump in damage, that i might recommend picking something else, from either fighter or cipher. i've only really ever picked weapon mastery as a single-class fighter when i've exhausted all the better picks.

 

as an extremely late-game weapon pick, might want to take a look at sanguine great sword (i forget its specific name). you have disciplined barrage for extra crit chance and it'll give you lots of sustain as a result. i've never given it a shot before my most recent run (as a weapon it's totally out of the way and unobvious) but even on an utterly unoptimized build it was not bad. (and if memory serves, i think i was suprised by thisty blade or parched blade weapon upgrade helping spells as well, someone might want to double-check)

[Adexrekt]

10 minutes ago, thelee said:

i highly recommend picking up some higher level cipher powers. between conqueror stance and disciplined barrage, your accuracy is going to be so decent that disintegration might be an extremely awesome pick, even on higher difficulties with no morningstar support.

 

weapon mastery is also such an extremely small bump in damage, that i might recommend picking something else, from either fighter or cipher. i've only really ever picked weapon mastery as a single-class fighter when i've exhausted all the better picks.

 

as an extremely late-game weapon pick, might want to take a look at sanguine great sword (i forget its specific name). you have disciplined barrage for extra crit chance and it'll give you lots of sustain as a result. i've never given it a shot before my most recent run (as a weapon it's totally out of the way and unobvious) but even on an utterly unoptimized build it was not bad. (and if memory serves, i think i was suprised by thisty blade or parched blade weapon upgrade helping spells as well, someone might want to double-check)

Thanks! I edited the post.

I removed Weapon Mastery, put Disintegration to lvl 18 and pushed Greater Focus to lvl 20. Also added the sword to the gear options and I'll try to find it in-game.

Since I am now using a few damaging Cipher spells, do I need Penetrating Visions or Lingering Echoes?

Anything else to improve? Probably a lot still, so I appreciate further suggestions.

[thelee]

1 minute ago, Adexrekt said:

Since I am now using a few damaging Cipher spells, do I need Penetrating Visions or Lingering Echoes?

disintegration is raw damage so you don't have to worry about it at all.

i would suggest only getting penetrating visions if you have more than a couple (non-raw) damaging powers. cipher also tends to have higher PEN on their spells so they are a little less negatively impacted by AR.

[Adexrekt]

1 minute ago, thelee said:

disintegration is raw damage so you don't have to worry about it at all.

i would suggest only getting penetrating visions if you have more than a couple (non-raw) damaging powers. cipher also tends to have higher PEN on their spells so they are a little less negatively impacted by AR.

I see. Anything else you would change, then? Skills, attributes, gear, or anything?

For example, is there some accessory that gives engagement and would be worth using, so I can replace the Hold the Line skill? I insist on having at least one engagement. I do not want Reckless Brigandine though, and since the build is a Greatsword Devoted, I can't use shields for that either.