Ranged cipher firearm choice

[termokanden]

I've been wanting to build a cipher with an arquebus (or three), but I've read some depressing statements about them being kind of bad these days.

 

I have a wood elf (so 2 weapon sets) with Biting Whip and am sitting a level 4 thinking about my options. So...

 

Is Gunner worth it? If I really want to be ranged with firearms or arbalests (always liked those high damage shots, did in New Vegas too). Seems like I need either Quick Switch and Arms Bearer or Gunner. The former means it takes longer before my build is up and running, but the latter may simply be too slow still - I don't have the firearms to try it out, unfortunately.

 

Any advice from someone knowledgeable about ciphers and ranged weapons is greatly appreciated

 

[pewdd]

Cipher should stick to melee because many of their spells are short ranged

[termokanden]

Well so far range hasn't been a problem. The abilities even have enough range that I get the wood elf distance bonus.

 

I did just manage to find a Fine Pistol. So far I haven't exactly been blown away by its performance even with Gunner.

 

Don't get me wrong, by the way, I'm not complaining about firearms taking ages to reload. I get it, just trying to figure out how to make it work

Edited March 28, 2015 by termokanden

[gkathellar]

Blunderbuss. It's sick, and it benefits multiple times from Draining Whip.

 

Cipher should stick to melee because many of their spells are short ranged

 

wut

 

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of a different class, considering I have significantly better range on most of my cipher powers than on a lot of wizard spells.

[ErlKing]

First - best choice for Cipher is blunderbuss (shotgun) with Draining whip talent (6-8 pellets, each give extra 2 Focus).

 

Second - Quick Switch is priceless, though kinda buggy.

 

Thing is when you shoot with slow firearm/arbalest there is two recharge phases - action recharge and gun reload.

 

Bow have small action recharge and no reload.

Crossbow have average action recharge and small reload time.

Pistol, Blunderbuss, Arquebus have long action recharge and long reload time.

Arbalest have long action recharge and longest reload time.

 

 

My guess is that Quick Switch should let you skip reload phase by switching weapon, BUT if you switch weapons right after shot you skip action recharge phase too (instead of 3-4 seconds its 0.5 sec of switch action recharge). Yep, you can triple shot arbalests almost without pause, not sure that was intended though.

 

 

Personally I went with Moon Godlike Cipher just for looks (no armor, glowing Mystic style), start combat with few fast casts, shoot my blunderbuss - switch to pistol (almost no cooldown), cast again and finish with pistol shot if anything still standing.

Edited March 29, 2015 by ErlKing

[termokanden]

I went with WF Ruffian and Gunner since I'm a wood elf and won't get those 4 juicy weapon sets.

 

I do think Quick Switch is a no brainer if you're an Island Aumaua, but this time around I'll spend the talents on something else.