Guide
How the kit works
Before a fight, Puss in Boots makes Cipher undetectable for 15 seconds and increases her movement speed by 50%. Entering battle while it is active deals Quantum DMG to all enemies and increases the tally gained from that damage.
The Hospitable Dolosian automatically marks the enemy with the highest Max HP as Patron if none is marked. Use Hey, Jackpot for the Taking on the enemy you want to mark instead. It has a 120% base chance to reduce that enemy's and adjacent enemies' damage dealt by 10%, and gives Cipher 30% ATK for 2 turns.
When another ally attacks the Patron, Cipher follows up once per turn. The counter resets at the start of her turn. Her Talent tallies 12% of allies' non-True DMG to the Patron; 300 Rogues also tallies 8% against other enemies. Overflow DMG does not count.
Use Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief! when you want to spend the tally. It deals Quantum DMG, then uses 25% of the tally as True DMG against the main target and 75% as True DMG divided evenly among the main target and adjacent enemies. The Ultimate makes its main target the Patron and clears the tally.
Oops, a Missed Catch deals Quantum DMG to one enemy. Empyrean Strides rewards SPD thresholds: at 140/170 SPD, Cipher gains 25%/50% CRIT Rate and increases the tally gained by 50%/100%. Sleight of Sky increases her Talent Follow-Up ATK's CRIT DMG and makes all enemies receive 40% more damage while she is on the field.
Build and why
Start with four pieces of Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters. Cipher's Skill can inflict Weaken, helping her use the set's bonuses against debuffed enemies. Two pieces of Messenger Traversing Hackerspace are an option for the 6% SPD, but its four-piece effect needs an Ultimate used on an ally, which Cipher does not have.
For a planar set, Lushaka, the Sunken Seas gives Energy Regeneration Rate and, if Cipher is not first in the lineup, ATK to the first character. Genius of Brilliant Stars is another relic option: it gives Quantum DMG and ignores DEF, with more DEF ignored against Quantum Weakness.
Use CRIT DMG on the body and SPD on the feet. Choose Quantum DMG Boost or ATK Percentage on the sphere, and ATK Percentage or Energy Regeneration Rate on the rope. For substats, look for SPD first, then ATK Percentage, CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate. Aim for the 140 SPD threshold, with 170 as the next target when your gear allows it.
Lies Dance on the Breeze is the first weapon choice. It gives SPD and can reduce enemies' DEF after an attack; at 170 SPD it can apply a further DEF reduction. Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat is an alternative that can reduce a hit enemy's DEF. Holiday Thermae Escapade increases Cipher's damage and can make attacked targets receive more damage.
Leveling priority
Follow the game's order: level Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief! first, then Hey, Jackpot for the Taking, The Hospitable Dolosian, and finally Oops, a Missed Catch. The Ultimate spends the team's accumulated tally, while the Skill adds damage and can weaken enemies.
For maximum ascension, gather 308,000 Credit, 65 Darkveil Moonlight, and 15 each of Ethereal Omen, Echoing Wail and Eternal Lament.
For all skills, gather 3,000,000 Credit, 8 Tracks of Destiny, 18 Fiery Spirit, 69 Starfire Essence, 139 Heaven Incinerator, 12 Daythunder Anamnesis, 41 Ethereal Omen, 56 Echoing Wail and 58 Eternal Lament.
Eidolons worth it
The Thief's Game, Unsung and Free is a strong upgrade to consider if you are going that far: it increases Talent Follow-Up ATK damage by 350%, adds part of that attack's non-overflow damage to the tally, and returns 20% of the cleared tally after an Ultimate.
Earlier, In the Fray, Nab On a Spree gives Cipher a 120% base chance to make a hit enemy receive 30% more damage for 2 turns. Read the Room, Seek the Glee makes her tally 150% of its original value and gives her 80% ATK for 2 turns after her Talent Follow-Up ATK.
From Thin Air, Hard to Foresee and Safe in Numbers, Light as a Bee only add skill levels. They are reasonable stopping points to skip if you are not continuing toward later Eidolons. Reaching a later Eidolon requires the earlier ones.
Teams
Acheron and Feixiao are damage-dealer options named in the guides. Cipher can increase the damage their enemies receive and build her tally from allied damage. Feixiao's Follow-Up ATK role also fits a team that keeps attacking Cipher's Patron.
Dr. Ratio is another Follow-Up ATK option. For protection, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae has a sustain role and Follow-Up ATK; Sparkle is a buffer option, while Pela is another debuffer. Choose the remaining roles around your damage dealer and make sure the team has a way to stay alive.
Cipher does not require a particular allied combat type for her tally. If you use Lushaka, the Sunken Seas, place the ally you want to receive its ATK bonus first in the lineup and Cipher elsewhere.
Common mistakes
Do not lose track of the Patron. Both Skill and Ultimate move the mark to their main target, so check your target before attacking. If the marked enemy falls, the Talent automatically marks the enemy with the highest Max HP.
Do not expect every allied hit to trigger Cipher's Follow-Up ATK. It triggers at most once per turn and resets at the start of her turn. Overflow DMG and True DMG also do not build the Talent's tally.
Do not build only for CRIT and ignore SPD. Empyrean Strides gives substantial bonuses at 140 and 170 SPD. Equally, do not count on the four-piece Messenger Traversing Hackerspace team SPD effect: Cipher's Ultimate targets enemies, not an ally.
