Duo ciphers?

[Raven Darkholme]

I've been wondering about this for a while.

Who is the perfect target for Reaping knives, a cipher, barbarian or a monk? (Or somebody I overlooked).

If I played a party of 2 chars duo ciphers had the big advantage of being able to cast allied only powers on each other.

Does a monks TS apply to Reaping Knives?

IK for a fact the cross class talent doesn't. (Or at least didn't when I tried it in my trio party)

As to barbarian I see the danger that most fights are over before the cipher has enough focus for the knives, because HOF.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Raven Darkholme

[Boeroer]

Transcendent Suffering doesn't apply to Reaping Knives.

 

A good target for Reaping Knives is actually another cipher. As I described in my "mopher" build, two ciphers with Reaping Knives, cast on each other, do the following:

 

The Reaping Knives do great dps no matter the DR and thus generate good focus for the cipher who has them - but also for the cipher who cast them. So they are basically doubling the focus gain of both ciphers. No surprise really, but the flow of focus is quite nice to behold in combat. So, once you have to attack because you run out of focus you automatically refill your mate's focus as well - and vice versa.

 

Another nice thing to cast on each other is Tactical Meld. As long as you attack the same target you don't only get the benefit of the flanked debuff (on the enemy) but also +20 stackable ACC for each cipher (stacks with Borrowed Instincts for example).

 

You can even do two ciphers with dumped RES and cast Vampiric Shield on both before every battle (= basically no focus and a gain of +23 deflection on both). Or just one has dumped RES and the other is "the tank" and casts it, whatever.

 

And of course you can cast two Ectopsychic Echos at once and run in different directions.

[Raven Darkholme]

Transcendent Suffering doesn't apply to Reaping Knives.

 

A good target for Reaping Knives is actually another cipher. As I described in my "mopher" build, two ciphers with Reaping Knives, cast on each other, do the following:

 

The Reaping Knives do great dps no matter the DR and thus generate good focus for the cipher who has them - but also for the cipher who cast them. So they are basically doubling the focus gain of both ciphers. No surprise really, but the flow of focus is quite nice to behold in combat. So, once you have to attack because you run out of focus you automatically refill your mate's focus as well - and vice versa.

 

Another nice thing to cast on each other is Tactical Meld. As long as you attack the same target you don't only get the benefit of the flanked debuff (on the enemy) but also +20 stackable ACC for each cipher (stacks with Borrowed Instincts for example).

 

You can even do two ciphers with dumped RES and cast Vampiric Shield on both before every battle (= basically no focus and a gain of +23 deflection on both). Or just one has dumped RES and the other is "the tank" and casts it, whatever.

 

And of course you can cast two Ectopsychic Echos at once and run in different directions.

Very nice and confirms what I've been thinking about. :D

The main problem is still to get the focus for Reaping Knives in the first place, but with 2 chars dividing the aggro it should be very doable compared to solo.

 

Another idea I had was to actually go for cipher + barbarian, but combine this idea with another idea which has been plagueing me for ages, not really easy to explain.

But the simple version of my idea is to play the 2 chars "separate" from each other.

Never really found a good application of this, but a cipher who is built like a solo cipher, very tanky and goes in first, while the barb sits in stealth or if impossible at "range".

The cipher goes in draws all aggro, builds enough for reaping knives, then the barb leaps in and gets the knives applied, HoF, gg.