Best approach to a melee cipher?

[janikest]

Hello there!

 

Being a former baldurs gate player who likes spellswords builds I found the cipher highly satisfying. I play a level 7 melee cipher in a 6 slot party on default difficulty.

 

Here are the stats: Mig 21 Con 5 Dex 19 Int 17 Per 10 Red 14 all items included. The basic stats were about pumping Mig and dez and drop con.

 

The idea is deflection for an offtank build. Cipher low base health pool makes constitution less interesting in terms of scaling. The idea is to not get hit and cipher has good base deflection and some nice buffs to pump it (level 2 shield) without gimping himself.

 

I wear hide armor, deflection ring, dual wield hatchets, and have a spec in superior deflection and dual wielding. I uaually let eder tank first and then initiate with psychovampiric shield. I can tank a few mobs easily and dish out damage at alarming speed. The key ia to focus low DR enemies to farm focus and then cast body attunement on sturdy ones. I also have a set of sabers for that.

 

I have also grieving mother in my party with blumderbuss but although she is my second damage dealer nothing comes close to my melee cipher. For me and my play style the class is designed to maximize both magical and physical damage and melee also provides optimal positioning for that. Might and dex should be maxed because they enhance both magical and physical abilities. With your buffs and gear and one guy in the front line you can offtank without sweating. Initiate with shield, hack foes to pieces and reap them with mind Lance since you are melee.

 

I read a lot of people mentioning cipher should be ranged and provide damage mainly via spells but it doesn't necessarily make sense to me. I would like to take advantage from the insane amount of damage soul whip provides and the insane buffs/debuffs that transform the cipher into a killing machine.

 

Blumderbuss is great and I enjoy grieving mother in this role but melee provides unparalleled dps. Just buff yourself since behind gear and enhancements theres a squishy wizard

[VahnXIII]

Hello there!

 

Being a former baldurs gate player who likes spellswords builds I found the cipher highly satisfying. I play a level 7 melee cipher in a 6 slot party on default difficulty.

 

Here are the stats: Mig 21 Con 5 Dex 19 Int 17 Per 10 Red 14 all items included. The basic stats were about pumping Mig and dez and drop con.

 

The idea is deflection for an offtank build. Cipher low base health pool makes constitution less interesting in terms of scaling. The idea is to not get hit and cipher has good base deflection and some nice buffs to pump it (level 2 shield) without gimping himself.

 

I wear hide armor, deflection ring, dual wield hatchets, and have a spec in superior deflection and dual wielding. I uaually let eder tank first and then initiate with psychovampiric shield. I can tank a few mobs easily and dish out damage at alarming speed. The key ia to focus low DR enemies to farm focus and then cast body attunement on sturdy ones. I also have a set of sabers for that.

 

I have also grieving mother in my party with blumderbuss but although she is my second damage dealer nothing comes close to my melee cipher. For me and my play style the class is designed to maximize both magical and physical damage and melee also provides optimal positioning for that. Might and dex should be maxed because they enhance both magical and physical abilities. With your buffs and gear and one guy in the front line you can offtank without sweating. Initiate with shield, hack foes to pieces and reap them with mind Lance since you are melee.

 

I read a lot of people mentioning cipher should be ranged and provide damage mainly via spells but it doesn't necessarily make sense to me. I would like to take advantage from the insane amount of damage soul whip provides and the insane buffs/debuffs that transform the cipher into a killing machine.

 

Blumderbuss is great and I enjoy grieving mother in this role but melee provides unparalleled dps. Just buff yourself since behind gear and enhancements theres a squishy wizard

 

Welcome to the club! I personally use a dual sabre build and focus on dex/int/per. I typically play him like a rogue. Buff - go in and dish damage - cast mental binding - resume slashing - then whatever sounds fun.

 

This is probably one of my favorite classes in an RPG. It allows me to RP as a swashbuckling, spell slinging Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant.  

[janikest]

 

Hello there!

 

Being a former baldurs gate player who likes spellswords builds I found the cipher highly satisfying. I play a level 7 melee cipher in a 6 slot party on default difficulty.

 

Here are the stats: Mig 21 Con 5 Dex 19 Int 17 Per 10 Red 14 all items included. The basic stats were about pumping Mig and dez and drop con.

 

The idea is deflection for an offtank build. Cipher low base health pool makes constitution less interesting in terms of scaling. The idea is to not get hit and cipher has good base deflection and some nice buffs to pump it (level 2 shield) without gimping himself.

 

I wear hide armor, deflection ring, dual wield hatchets, and have a spec in superior deflection and dual wielding. I uaually let eder tank first and then initiate with psychovampiric shield. I can tank a few mobs easily and dish out damage at alarming speed. The key ia to focus low DR enemies to farm focus and then cast body attunement on sturdy ones. I also have a set of sabers for that.

 

I have also grieving mother in my party with blumderbuss but although she is my second damage dealer nothing comes close to my melee cipher. For me and my play style the class is designed to maximize both magical and physical damage and melee also provides optimal positioning for that. Might and dex should be maxed because they enhance both magical and physical abilities. With your buffs and gear and one guy in the front line you can offtank without sweating. Initiate with shield, hack foes to pieces and reap them with mind Lance since you are melee.

 

I read a lot of people mentioning cipher should be ranged and provide damage mainly via spells but it doesn't necessarily make sense to me. I would like to take advantage from the insane amount of damage soul whip provides and the insane buffs/debuffs that transform the cipher into a killing machine.

 

Blumderbuss is great and I enjoy grieving mother in this role but melee provides unparalleled dps. Just buff yourself since behind gear and enhancements theres a squishy wizard

 

Welcome to the club! I personally use a dual sabre build and focus on dex/int/per. I typically play him like a rogue. Buff - go in and dish damage - cast mental binding - resume slashing - then whatever sounds fun.

 

This is probably one of my favorite classes in an RPG. It allows me to RP as a swashbuckling, spell slinging Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant.  

 

I knew some other people would think that this cipher guy is great in melee!

 

I swapped hatched for sabres and it works even better! Surprisingly, i can go with less deflection because sabres allow me to farm even more focus and quickly protect myself with borrowed instinct.

 

I understand your build can have good synergies since there is this unique saber that adds to crit multiplier, it could be nice to build something around perception and heavy crits.

 

Currently, i play as a heavy dps offtank (GM opens with blunderbuss and gives the melee cipher pain block, and once i got borrowed inscinct you can unpause and watch the cipher turn into a physical and mental blender). I spam mindlance and silent scream because of their cheap casting time since i want to autoattack constantly.

 

I am contemplating taking wild leech and go as a pure pysical damage dealer buffing himself with spells but ultimately i think i have found a good balance between hits and spells. Mind lance and silent scream do a lot of damage, especially with high int for the later.

 

Aloth is also now part of the melee squad with haste and that level 5 magic lance!