Cipher Powers

[kristof]

Plain and simple - which powers are awesome and absolutely required and which are really crappy?

 

There's not a lot of space to go wrong here, so would like to know your opinion.

[termokanden]

So far I'd say Eyestrike, Mental Binding and Puppet Master are must-haves.

 

Haven't tested level 4+ powers yet.

[Larsenex]

For the Starter ones I have yet to have 'Whispers of Treason' land on any of mobs. I am still in the 'tutorial' and now I am underground. I currently picked as my starter the Blindstrike and Whispers of Treason, however I think now the direct dmg would have been better. I also am going ranged. I stripped off my Brigandine armor and Im running around naked for the faster use of the War Bow I bought in the encampment.

[blindhamster]

I find mental binding to be absolutely essential, its probably the best defensive spell in the game as the amount of damage you can negate with well timed and well placed mental bindings is incredible, certainly out of the spells/powers i've got access to currently (level 6 party atm)

 

I personally prefer mindwave to Eyestrike, its damage to target is pretty sub par, but the knockdown effect on all other enemies in the AoE is again very very handy.

 

Mind Shards can be a fairly good way to finish an encounter when lots of enemies are down to low health.

 

 

Generally though I think all the powers have their place, its just a case of using them at the right time. I personally found it to be more useful to pickup more of the low level powers than the high level ones, this allows you to get more powers off over the course of a fight...

 

at level 6 my Cipher looks like this:

 

might: 15

con: 10

Dex: 15

Pers: 12

Int: 14

resolve: 12

 

Aedyr Wood Elf Mercenary.

 

skills are mostly in lore and mechanics, with a little in stealth and athletics.

 

talents: Greater Focus, Biting Whip, Weapon Focus: Soldier

 

he uses a greatsword and arquebus and wears a breastplate.

 

powers: mind wave, Antipathetic Field, Eyestrike, Soul Shock, Mind Blades, Mental Binding, Psychovampiric Shield, Soul Ignition and two others i picked before going to bed but cant remember!

 

I've found that I use Mental Binding at least twice every fight. Usually I use it once enemies are already running toward me as they tend to clump up meaning im more likely to hit 2-5 enemies with it. I use mind wave if enemies clump up around the cipher and soul shock if they clump around an ally that i need to keep safe (or if i can get to said ally, i use mind wave from the cipher and have Eder use trip - allowing the individual to flee without being attacked).

[ErlKing]

First, Cipher is not wizard, so can throw powers as much as he want if capable of regaining Focus, so I suggest you to stick to fast powers if possible.

 

As been said Mental Binding and Puppet Master are best.

 

Mind Wave good because it cheap and fast.

 

Also there is one that often counted as bugged. Recall Agony - description wrong, it deal extra damage after each hit for spell duration, but does not appear in log (30% damage buff versus target - tested, it works). Not as good as Mental Binding, but it also have fast cast and nice duration (12sec base, 17sec high int).

[Qbert]

I am using: 1st lv -Eyestrike, Tenuous Grasp, Whisper of treason, 2nd lv - Mind Blades, Phantom Foes and Mental Binding.

 

So far i really like tenuous grasp, it confuses opponents quite regularly and causes them to fight for me for a short time. it seems to cast quickly also.  I would avoid Whisper of treason if i could do it again but i really don't see a whole lot at first level i would replace it with.  Perhaps one of the damaging powers? mind wave maybe? i would be worried about that hitting my own allies though. Is Antipathetic field any good?

 

Mind blades is awesome, Phantom foes is a really big area of effect, but flanked doesn't seem to be that great of an affliction.  As others have said, Mental binding is awesome.

[RunningWolf]

Keep in mind that eyestrike is working differently than it states in the description. Blind on target is still good, but aoe blind is very short.

[Elvarein]

You forget that flanked allows greater accuracy of weapons and more important, enables crit for rogues.

[Qbert]

You forget that flanked allows greater accuracy of weapons and more important, enables crit for rogues.

Ah, i have no rogue in the party yet. That does seem it would make it better.

 

Keep in mind that eyestrike is working differently than it states in the description. Blind on target is still good, but aoe blind is very short.

So you are saying that the blind duration is shorter than is listed in the description?

Edited March 30, 2015 by Qbert

[Ink Blot]

So you are saying that the blind duration is shorter than is listed in the description?

Yeah, they changed some of the Cipher stuff in the day 1 patch.

[Arctic]

get Mental Binding and Mind Blades, those are the ones i found more ussefull.

 

Puppet Master is good if you can take a boss or something really powerfull , but usually mental binding is better (faster cast)

 

at hight level get Amplified Wave for damage.

 

I found that Soul Ignition is quite bad, couse it targets fortitude, and the biggest monsters (who usually are the only ones that deserve a 1 target damage spell ) have really hight fortitude saves.

 

About builds my cypher is a wood elf with 19 3 19 9 18 10

Edited March 30, 2015 by Arctic

[Z09]

I personally prefer mindwave to Eyestrike, its damage to target is pretty sub par, but the knockdown effect on all other enemies in the AoE is again very very handy.

What was your experience with mindwave ?

 

I think Mindwave and Soulshock are both terrible abilities to start the game with.

 

Soulshock isn't good until you have a reliable tank.

 

Mindwave sounds good in principle but you need to time it so that the cone hits a significant number of moving targets, a lot less efficient than eyestrike (which can always be casted on the whole group pre-battle). The range is terrible and you need to stand close to the enemies to cast it and pray that someone doesnt interrupt you. For a lot of people who play Cipher as a min max glass canon with abysmal defense, the uncertainty definitely doesnt look good. Hell I think even Antipathetic Field is more reliable. At least you can cast it from afar and the movement of your party to avoid the beam is under your control.

[Arctic]

 

I personally prefer mindwave to Eyestrike, its damage to target is pretty sub par, but the knockdown effect on all other enemies in the AoE is again very very handy.

What was your experience with mindwave ?

 

I think Mindwave and Soulshock are both terrible abilities to start the game with.

 

Soulshock isn't good until you have a reliable tank.

 

Mindwave sounds good in principle but you need to time it so that the cone hits a significant number of moving targets, a lot less efficient than eyestrike (which can always be casted on the whole group pre-battle). The range is terrible and you need to stand close to the enemies to cast it and pray that someone doesnt interrupt you. For a lot of people who play Cipher as a min max glass canon with abysmal defense, the uncertainty definitely doesnt look good. Hell I think even Antipathetic Field is more reliable. At least you can cast it from afar and the movement of your party to avoid the beam is under your control.

 

 

both situational, soulshock is the first good damage spell you get ... so its not so bad. and .. when you are agains a lot of low hp monsters around your tank ... well .. then i usually forget damage and spam mental bindings so ...

 

mindwave is for that o **** moments when you get a lot of monsters comming to you and you can drop down them all (and do some damage)

[blindhamster]

I guess that's the difference... I neither min maxed nor made a glass Canon, mine stands in melee at the front (well... slightly behind eder lol)

 

As a result I find I can regularly knockdown 3+ enemies.

 

I started with mind wave and antipathetic field, I picked up eyestrike on level 2.

 

I barely use eyestrike (or antipathetic field) but find I use mind wave every fight - but again, I built him to be good in melee, his wood elf bonuses are mostly to help him survive enemy ranged attacks, or for when I want to make ranged power attacks.

[Arctic]

I guess that's the difference... I neither min maxed nor made a glass Canon, mine stands in melee at the front (well... slightly behind eder lol)

 

As a result I find I can regularly knockdown 3+ enemies.

 

I started with mind wave and antipathetic field, I picked up eyestrike on level 2.

 

I barely use eyestrike (or antipathetic field) but find I use mind wave every fight - but again, I built him to be good in melee, his wood elf bonuses are mostly to help him survive enemy ranged attacks, or for when I want to make ranged power attacks.

 

 

you dont need to be at melee for using mindwave,  the area is marked around you, but it goes from the target, not from you, you can be wayy back , cast it at long range and drop the mobs behind that target.

 

So .. not so "risky"

 

Eyestrike is not bad, but the area is .. bad .. once you get lvl 3 you will never use it again ..

 

 

Edited March 30, 2015 by Arctic

[blindhamster]

Huh, hadn't realised that about mind strike, I still like going into melee though! worked fine for me so far anyway, even if not optimal

[Epsilon Rose]

Does mind wave actually knock down the target, or just the things behind them?

[Arctic]

Does mind wave actually knock down the target, or just the things behind them?

 

the ones behind the target

Edited March 30, 2015 by Arctic

[h3st]

The one that stops people from moving is awesome (mental binding? red icon, lvl2 I think)

 

The one that jumps from target to target is great (lvl2). Started out as a Cipher, have done about twice as much damage as Edér, probably mostly from that one. (obsidian pls don't nerf this is glorious)

[ceribaen]

I've had issues with Mind Blades in that it seems to bounce from enemy onto my own companions?  Been scared to use it as a result unless I can alpha strike with it and know there's a larger number of enemies around.

[Arctic]

I've had issues with Mind Blades in that it seems to bounce from enemy onto my own companions?  Been scared to use it as a result unless I can alpha strike with it and know there's a larger number of enemies around.

 

if your companions are mind controlled, confused ect, yes, it bounces into them.  And if the tarjet dies before the blade hits, the spell is lost and the focus wasted.  (just take care when you lost control of a party member)

[Z09]

you dont need to be at melee for using mindwave,  the area is marked around you, but it goes from the target, not from you, you can be wayy back , cast it at long range and drop the mobs behind that target.

 

So .. not so "risky"

 

Eyestrike is not bad, but the area is .. bad .. once you get lvl 3 you will never use it again ..

Thanks, I didn't know this

[ErlKing]

Ectopsychic Echo not so bad situational power either, for a change it target Reflex and its 10 tics for 25-40 Crush each on foes between target and Cipher. Just target your tank (or animal companion if you have ranger) and make him flank enemy.

 

Any feedback on Pain Link? 25% not much, but I suppose it bypass armor, so... does it worth using on suicidal damage sponge?

Edited March 31, 2015 by ErlKing

[gkathellar]

My recommended picks for power levels 1-4

 

1st: Mind Wave, Eyestrike, Soul Shock

2nd: Mental Binding, Mind Blades, Recall Agony/Amplified Thrust

3rd: Puppetmaster, Soul Ignition, Secret Horrors/Ectopsychic Echo

4th: Mind Lance, Silent Scream, Pain Block

 

After that point, it gets more straightforward.

[mrmonocle]

wait 'till u get amplified wave.