Cipher and new deadfire items

[Raven Darkholme]

After only having relatively short time to test with my high level cipher in the past, since I am actually raising a new cipher (level 10 and in Act 3 atm), today I had time for a more indepth look at comparing dual bittercuts with Firebrand.

Before I get started on the firebrand belt in High level, I want to talk about avery unique cipher specific interaction I noticed on my new char with the Captain's hat, namely the confuse, which can sometimes apply to self (bug, intended?) which for most chars doesn't matter since the next soulbound upgrade after the confuse upgrade makes you immune to confuse (and dazed), but for the cipher there is a very weird and unlucky interaction with psychic backlash, namely it applying to self (like before the bugfix ), because the cipher targets themselves with a will attack and even tho immune, this triggers backlash on self. (This isn't too big a deal since the confuse only has a 10% chance and doesn't always apply to self).

 

Also I can note that for solo play the cipher is too squishy without a shield before you get max level, but this obviously concerns dual sabres as much as firebrand.

 

At max level you can get 130 deflection without too much trouble, while using firebrand/dual bittercut only having Superior Deflection talent, since Cautious Attack does not stack with Borrowed Instinct, but you can use Moonwell scrolls in every harder fight and with 9 base resolve you will have at least 12 res in a fight.

Your fortitude will be massive with 10 base con and max might on an Aumaua it is 180 with only regular food and reflex is around 130 will around 120.

 

The damage difference between bittercuts and firebrand is insane, while the recovery with firebrand is really low (10 frames with 10 base dex, 18 with buffs (regular +2 food) but the attack animation is really slow with 24 frames, since you can't durganize firebrand.

With bittercuts and the same stats you have 0 recovery (but even with a shield you do), but bittercuts literally do half the damage at best for graces I have seen 60s on firebrand at maximum and 25 for bittercut, on crits it is more "balanced" 100s for firebrand and 50s for Bittercut.

 

Since enemies have DR most of the times and focus build is not completely unimportant on a cipher the actual gameplay difference is massive, if you thought dual bittercuts did a lot of damage firebrand will amaze you.

With bittercuts you might have had too much focus to spend on trash fights, with firebrand you don't even bother to spend focus for anything but Borrowed Instinct, Time parasite, Phantom Foes (ofc I picked Apprentices Sneak) and maybe if you fight the Adra Dragon (or Flame Blights ) Disintegrate.

(I killed the Adra Dragon with one single crit of Disintegrate while tanking all xaurips and some Adragans and maybe accidentally hitting it with Silent Scream Aoe cuz I got bored of autoattacking.

 

If you're trying never to pause the game and want to do speed records on mobs it isn't even worth casting Silent scream, you're probably faster by just attacking unless maybe you just cast Scream without pausing.

 

I will do a video pretty soon where I attack a tanky enemy and do a speed comparison between both weapons.