Cipher Build for a New Player + recommended party

[riku1109]

Hiya!! Playing through the game for the first time ever, and I would just like to ask for any cipher builds (as detailed as possible if you can like w/ starting attributes/stats, etc.) that would be good for someone new. Would also love advice regarding a good party to run with it, thanks in advance!!

[Boeroer]

Hi, and welcome!

Melee or ranged? I personally would recommend ranged if it's your first run. It does a little less potential damage (=focus generation) but doesn't need to move as much to reach enemies, doesn't need to be very sturdy and is most often inherently better positioned for casting spells.

Ciphers don't have their own attack abilities (like for example Rogues have) so they use auto-attacks almost exclusively (except if they pick up something like Envenomed Strike or Runner's Wounding Shot - which I wouldn't recommend). So you are pretty free in the choice if weapon.

Some weapons do very good dps but achieve this with a raw damage-over-time lash (see the hunting bow Persistence). Those DoT lashes (as all[!] DoT damage) do NOT generate focus for you so you can leave them for party members who don't have to bother with focus.

Non-DoT elemental or physical lashes (burn, freeze, shock, corrode, pierce, crush, slash) can be found in weapons, too. They are multiplicative damage bonuses which makes them very potent. And they also generate focus! Because of this a Cipher should use a weapon with a lash. You can find some who already have one or you can enchant your weapon with an elemental lash.

A Chanter with the phrase "Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr" will add a burning lash to the Cipher's weapon attacks. This means additional focus, too. So I would recommend to bring a Chanter. Since a Chanter can also pair that phrase with the "Sure Handed Ila" phrase (speeds up ranged weapons basically) that's another reason to bring a Chanter (for a ranged Cipher). Official companion Kana Rua is fine. 

A Priest is very helpful for every party, so bring one. Concentrate on accuracy buffs (Blessing, Devotions for the Faithful). Also pick Inspiring Radiance! Its accuracy buff stacks with everything. Official Companion Durance is fine. Also Durance isn't bad with an arquebus (pick the Priest of Magran talent "Inspired Flame" (+10 acc with arquebus) and Weapon Focus Soldier to get to fighter-levels of accuracy. It also profits a lot from Kana's Sure-Handed Ila. I also pick the Gunner talent for Durance often. This all makes him a decent shooter for the times when his spell slots are empty or when you want to spare spells.

Ciphers often target the Will and Fortitude defenses of enemies with their spells. A Wizard has some awesome spells for lowering both (see for example Miasma of Dull-Mindedness, Ryngrim's spells and so so on). So a Wizard can help. The official companion Aloth is fine.

Having a dedicated tank is helpful, too. You want to bind as many enemies as possible to that tank so they don't swarm your backline. The official companion Edér (Fighter) can fill that role well. 

So you already have 1. Cipher (mc), 2. Edér (Fighter), 3. Aloth (Wizard), 4. Durance (Priest) and 5. Kana (Chanter). For the 6. spot you are totally free imo. You could use the official companion Hiravias (Druid) or Pallegina (Paladin) or Sagani (Ranger). The potentially most powerful (in the long run) of those is Hiravias. But all of them work well. Paladins can use a marking weapon (Blade of the Endless Paths, Spectacular Septum, St. Garam's Spark etc.) + Coordinated Attacks (paladin passive ability) to boost a single ally's accuracy by +20 points (fully stackable with everything). That could be your Cipher. Having +20 acc for your Cipher can be a very good thing. Ciphers usually shine in fights against many weaker enemies but struggle in boss fights - because bosses are hard to hit and have thick armor. Both lowers the damage you do considerably. Low damage means low focus. Low focus means your Cipher stinks. To prevent that high accuracy is the key. 

So I would recommend Pallegina as "marking Paladin" - or even better a custom adventurer, a Darcozzi Paladin with Inspiring Liberation. He/she can combine marking weapon, Coordinated Attacks and Inspiring Liberation to a +30 all-stackable accuracy bonus for your Cipher. But Pallegina also works fine and you will have a companion quest and proper banter. 

I personally would make the paladin an offtank and give the Spectacular Septum (pollaxe) first and later pick up the Blade of the Endless Paths (estoc) and keep the pollaxe as backup for pierce-resistant or -immune foes. 

However: Coordinated Attacks + Marking require the Paladin and Cipher to attack the same target AND be nearest to each other. This can be a challenge for a melee paladin + ranged cipher. If the cipher isn't nearest to the paladin but another party member and that party member also attacks the same target he/she will get the accuracy instead. To prevent this the paladin could be a ranged one and use a pistol (see St. Garam's Spark) and just stand side by side to the cipher and shoot at the same enemies (and also profit from the chanter's sure handed Ila speedup). I would then make Kana an offtank. 

Now the Cipher:

the best overall performance would be with the war bow "the Rain of Godagh Field" - but it comes rather late. Fortunately there's another good war bow named Borresaine earlier in the game that you could use in the meantime. But reloading weapons are also not bad. They don't have as high dps on paper, but against bosses they provide more penetrating power which makes them viable in those encounters that are usually hardest for ciphers. You decide which you like best on "vibes". Both paths are viable and good. I wouldn't recommend blunderbusses though because they don't work well against bosses and have trouble to perform well with lashes against mid- to high armored foes in general. They are awesome against weak foes, but that's not an area where the Cipher needs improvement. One Eyed Molina's Spike Flinger (soulbound arbalest) might be a great option after the latest patch because it got fixed and is now very strong once fully leveled. And you can get it super early if you saved some coin.

Attributes:

MIG:+

CON:ø

DEX:++

PER:+

INT:++

RES:-

Important talents are Weapon Focus (which fits your main weapon of choice), Marksman, Gunner (only if reloading weapon such as arbalest,crossbow or firearms), Draining Whip.

Go with light or no armor.

I personally value mind control (confuse, charm, dominate) over all else. It's much more impactful than the damaging cipher spells for example. Exceptions are Disintegrate and Amplified Wave, both are amazing. Disintegrate vs. bosses and Amplified Wave against everything. Besides that Borrowed Instincts is great as well as Defensive Mindweb. If you use the marking Paladin from above then Tactical Meld is also very interesting! It will give you an additional all-stackable accuracy on top of the Paladin's +20 (or +30 if Darcozzi) from Marking. +40 in total (or+50). This makes landing crits against any enemy (even dragons etc.) supereasy.

Watch out: mind controlled enemies (charmed, dominated) usually don't generate focus if you attack them with your weapon. Let them do their thing and pick another target instead if you can. 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Edited November 16 by Boeroer

[riku1109]

4 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Hi, and welcome!

Melee or ranged? I personally would recommend ranged if it's your first run. It does a little less potential damage (=focus generation) but doesn't need to move as much to reach enemies, doesn't need to be very sturdy and is most often inherently better positioned for casting spells.

Ciphers don't have their own attack abilities (like for example Rogues have) so they use auto-attacks almost exclusively (except if they pick up something like Envenomed Strike or Runner's Wounding Shot - which I wouldn't recommend). So you are pretty free in the choice if weapon.

Some weapons do very good dps but achieve this with a raw damage-over-time lash (see the hunting bow Persistence). Those DoT lashes (as all[!] DoT damage) do NOT generate focus for you so you can leave them for party members who don't have to bother with focus.

Non-DoT elemental or physical lashes (burn, freeze, shock, corrode, pierce, crush, slash) can be found in weapons, too. They are multiplicative damage bonuses which makes them very potent. And they also generate focus! Because of this a Cipher should use a weapon with a lash. You can find some who already have one or you can enchant your weapon with an elemental lash.

A Chanter with the phrase "Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr" will add a burning lash to the Cipher's weapon attacks. This means additional focus, too. So I would recommend to bring a Chanter. Since a Chanter can also pair that phrase with the "Sure Handed Ila" phrase (speeds up ranged weapons basically) that's another reason to bring a Chanter (for a ranged Cipher). Official companion Kana Rua is fine. 

A Priest is very helpful for every party, so bring one. Concentrate on accuracy buffs (Blessing, Devotions for the Faithful). Also pick Inspiring Radiance ! It's accuracy buff stacks with everything. Official Companion Durance is fine. Also Durance isn't bad with an arquebus (pick the Priest of Magran talent "Inspired Flame" (+10 acc with arquebus) and Weapon Focus Soldier to get to fighter-levels of accuracy. It also profits a lot from Kana's Sure-Handed Ila. I also pick the Gunner talent for Durance often. This all makes him a decent shooter for the times when his spell slots are empty or when you want to spare spells.

Ciphers often target the Will and Fortitude defenses of enemies with their spells. A Wizard has some awesome spells for lowering both (see for example Miasma of Dull-Mindedness, Ryngrim's spells and so so on). So a Wizard can help. The official companion Aloth is fine.

Having a dedicated tank is helpful, too. You want to bind as many enemies as possible to that tank so they don't swarm your backline. The official companion Edér (Fighter) can fill that role well. 

So you already have 1. Cipher (mc), 2. Edér (Fighter), 3. Aloth (Wizard), 4. Durance (Priest) and 5. Kana (Chanter). For the 6. spot you are totally free imo. You could use the official companion Hiravias (Druid) or Pallegina (Paladin) or Sagani (Ranger). The potentially most powerful (in the long run) of those is Hiravias. But all of them work well. Paladins can use a marking weapon (Blade of the Endless Paths, Spectacular Septum, St. Garam's Spark etc.) + Coordinated Attacks (paladin passive ability) to boost a single ally's accuracy by +20 points (fully stackable with everything). That could be your Cipher. Having +20 acc for your Cipher can be a very good thing. Ciphers usually shine in fights against many weaker enemies but struggle in boss fights - because bosses are hard to hit and have thick armor. Both lowers the damage you do considerably. Low damage means low focus. Low focus means your Cipher stinks. To prevent that high accuracy is the key. 

So I would recommend Pallegina as "marking Paladin" - or even better a custom adventurer, a Darcozzi Paladin with Inspiring Liberation. He/she can combine marking weapon, Coordinated Attacks and Inspiring Liberation to a +30 all-stackable accuracy bonus for your Cipher. But Pallegina also works fine and you will have a companion quest and proper banter. 

I personally would make the paladin an offtank and give the Spectacular Septum (pollaxe) first and later pick up the Blade of the Endless Paths (estoc) and keep the pollaxe as backup for pierce-resistant or -immune foes. 

Coordinated Attacks + Marking require the Paladin and Cipher to attack the same target AND be nearest to each other. This can be a challenge for a melee paladin + ranged cipher. If the cipher isn't nearest to the paladin but another party member and that party member also attacks the same target he/she will get the accuracy instead. To prevent this the paladin could instead use a pistol (St. Garam's Spark) instead, be a ranged build as well and just stand side by side to the cipher and shoot at the same enemies (and also profit from the chanter's sure handed Ila speedup). I would then make Kana an offtank instead. 

Now the Cipher:

the best overall performance would be with the war bow "the Rain of Godagh Field" - but it comes rather late. Fortunately there's another good war bow named Borresaine earlier in the game that you could use in the meantime. But reloading weapons are also not bad. They don't have as high dps on paper, but be against bosses they provide more penetrating power which makes then viable in those encounters that are usually hardest for ciphers. You decide which you like best on "vibes". Both paths are viable and good. I wouldn't recommend blunderbusses though because they don't work well against bosses and have trouble to perform well with lashes against mid- to high armored foes in general. They are awesome against weak foes, but that's not an area where the Cipher needs improvement. One Eyed Molina's Spike Flinger (soulbound arbalest) might be a great option after the latest patch because it got fixed and is now very strong once fully leveled. And you can get it super early if you saved some coin.

Attributes:

MIG:+

CON:ø

DEX:++

PER:+

INT:++

RES:-

Important talents are Weapon Focus (which fits your main weapon of choice), Marksman, Gunner (only if reloading weapon such as arbalest,crossbow or firearms), Draining Whip.

Go with light or no armor.

I personally value mind control (confuse, charm, dominate) over all else. It's much more impactful than the damaging cipher spells for example. Exceptions are Disintegrate and Amplified Wave, both are amazing. Disintegrate vs. bosses and Amplified Wave against everything. Besides that Borrowed Instincts is great as well as Defensive Mindweb. If you use the marking Paladin from above then Tactical Meld is also very interesting! It will give you an additional all-stackable accuracy on too of the Paladin's +20 from Marking. +40 in total (or +50 with a Darcozzi Paladin with Inspiring Liberation). This makes landing crits against any enemy (even dragons etc.) supereasy. 

Watch out: mind controlled enemies (charmed, dominated) usually don't generate focus if you attack them with your weapon. Let them do their thing and pick another target instead if you can. 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Eyo, thanks so much for the really detailed advice!! Gonna stick with a ranged cipher for sure, I started a run just to get a feel between ranged vs melee, and even if I'm using a pike for the range, I'm definitely more comfy with a bow lmao.

[Chaospread]

Hi, party composition is fine, go for Paladin, encrease his defences to the sky, when you will have defensive mindweb every boss will be a  cakewalk.

Initially a blunderbuss is good, as it has more projectiles you can hope at least one hit and generate some focus; if you have an arquebus you could generate more focus, but think if you never hit... mid game you have plenty ranged weapon instead of blunderbuses, late game you have reaping kneaves, shape Aloth as martial wizard, give them to him and massacred anybody. Quartestaff is a good "semi" ranged crush damage alternatives, and there are some nice ones in the game.

Spam whisper of treason, eyestrike and above all mental binding early game. Then Silent Scream and Ring Leader, I think that often Borrowex Instinct is better than Tactical Meld: yiu get +20 all defenses, last longer, debuff enemy and you can hit whatever you want and stay wherever you want. But you have to hit, so first encrease acc in some other way, then Borrowed Instinct

Or if in a boss battle there are some minions, borrowed instinct on them and you are OK.

Time parasite is also a great buff/debuff.

I don't understand difficulty level, in PotD I'd do PER++ and DEX+ (better one more chance to hit than 3% more speed) or even better PER++ AND DEX++, instead dump also CON and high all others attributes but RES. It works in SOLO, so it works also in party. But not too much difference, I know.