5-Star
Quantum
The Nihility
S+ Tier
Quantum
The NihilityThe stealthy Quantum debuffer of the Chrysos Heirs. Cipher marks one enemy as her Patron and compels her entire team to funnel damage through it: every hit tallied, every Follow-up Attack free, and every Ultimate detonating that tally as devastating True DMG no Resistance can reduce.
Cipher
Kitty Phantom Thief / Chrysos HeirsBest Light Cone
Lies Dance on the Breeze
Best Relic Set
Pioneer Diver 4pc
Planar Set
Firmament Glamoth
Team Rule
Hit 160+ SPD
Best Partner
Skills
Basic
Oops, a Missed Catch
Deals Quantum DMG equal to 50% of Cipher's ATK to one designated enemy. Use sparingly. Cipher's Skill is almost always a better action. The Basic ATK still generates Skill Points, which can be valuable in SP-hungry team compositions.
50%
of ATK
Skill
Hey, Jackpot for the Taking
Has a 120% base chance to Weaken one designated enemy and its adjacent targets, decreasing their DMG dealt by 10%, and increases Cipher's ATK by 30%, both lasting for 2 turns. Deals Quantum DMG equal to 100% of Cipher's ATK to the primary target and 50% to adjacent targets. The Weaken debuff is central to her value: it reliably triggers Follow-up ATK through her Talent each turn it is active.
100%
main target
Ultimate
Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief!
Deals Quantum DMG equal to 60% of Cipher's ATK to one designated enemy, then deals True DMG equal to 25% of the current tally to that enemy. Additionally deals Quantum DMG equal to 20% of ATK plus True DMG equal to 75% of the tally distributed evenly to the primary target and all adjacent enemies. After using the Ultimate, the entire tally is cleared. This True DMG bypasses all Resistance and DEF, making it exceptionally powerful against tanky bosses.
True
DMG detonation
Talent
The Hospitable Dolosian
When no enemy is in the Patron state, Cipher marks the enemy with the highest Max HP as the Patron. Using Skill or Ultimate changes the Patron to the primary target. After the Patron is attacked by any ally, Cipher immediately launches a Follow-up ATK dealing Quantum DMG equal to 75% of her ATK (once per turn, resets at her turn start). Cipher also tallies 12% of all non-True DMG dealt by allies to the Patron. After using the Ultimate, the tally is cleared and converted into True DMG.
12%
tally rate
Technique
Puss in Boots
Gains "Zagreus's Blessing" lasting 15 seconds, making Cipher undetectable by enemies and increasing movement speed by 50%. While active, approaching enemies in the overworld, Simulated Universe, or Divergent Universe can yield a random Consumable (up to 50 times per Earth day). On entering battle, deals Quantum DMG equal to 100% of Cipher's ATK to all enemies, and the tally gained from this instance of DMG increases by 200%, a powerful opening-wave burst to the tally counter.
200%
tally bonus
Build Targets
Relic Main Stats
Head
HP (fixed)
Hands
ATK (fixed)
Body
CRIT Rate
or CRIT DMG
Feet
Speed
Planar Sphere
Quantum DMG
Link Rope
ATK%
or Effect Hit Rate
Stat Targets
Substat Priority
01
Speed
hit 160 / 170
02
Effect Hit Rate
Weaken lands
03
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG
balance 1:2
04
ATK%
scales all hits
Skill Upgrade Order
Ult
1st
Talent
2nd
Skill
3rd
Basic
Last
Ultimate first since True DMG scales with the tally and is her highest damage output. Talent second to boost Follow-up ATK scaling. Skill third for the Weaken debuff multiplier. Basic ATK is rarely used in combat.
Best Light Cones
#1
Lies Dance on the Breeze
Her signature light cone. Provides SPD stats that directly fuel her Empyrean Strides CRIT Rate bonus and DEF shred that can be repeatedly inflicted on enemies. Unmatched in both Sub-DPS and debuffer roles.
#2
Incessant Rain
Strong 5-star alternative providing CRIT Rate and an 8% DMG taken debuff on enemies. Great if you already own it and want to avoid pulling the signature.
#3
Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat
Best 4-star option for both Sub-DPS and Debuffer builds. While it does not contribute much to Cipher's personal damage, it greatly benefits the Main DPS by inflicting Imprisonment debuffs that reduce enemy DEF.
#4
Good Night and Sleep Well
Solid budget option. Scales well with Cipher's debuff-heavy playstyle, stacking bonus DMG for each debuff on the target.
#5
Boundless Choreo
Provides CRIT Rate and deals more CRIT DMG to Slowed or DEF-reduced enemies. Works well if your team already provides these debuffs reliably.
Best Relics
Cavern Sets
1
Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters
Best-in-slot cavern set for Cipher's Sub-DPS role. As a CRIT DPS who reliably implants debuffs, the 4-piece bonus amplifies her damage against debuffed enemies and boosts CRIT stats simultaneously. Since Cipher Weakens every enemy she hits, this bonus is essentially permanent.
2
Genius of Brilliant Stars
Strong alternative when fighting enemies with Quantum Weakness. The 4-piece DEF ignore can exceed Pioneer's bonus against Quantum-weak targets, making this a situationally superior choice in Apocalyptic Shadow or Memory of Chaos with the right enemy lineup.
3
Eagle of Twilight Line
Best relic if Cipher is built as a pure debuffer. The 4-piece Action Advance effect means she takes more turns, applies more Weaken debuffs, and triggers more Follow-up ATKs per cycle. Pair with an Energy Regen rope for faster Ultimate access.
Planar Ornament Sets
1
Firmament Frontline: Glamoth
Best planar set for Cipher's Sub-DPS build. At 160 SPD the 2-piece provides a significant DMG bonus, and at 170 SPD the bonus increases further. Since Cipher is built around hitting SPD breakpoints with Empyrean Strides, Glamoth's condition is reliably met in most builds.
2
Lushaka, the Sunken Seas
Best planar set for the pure debuffer role. Provides Energy Regen to reach her Ultimate sooner and buffs the ATK of your Main DPS, making it ideal when Cipher is deployed specifically to support a carry like Acheron or Feixiao.
3
Izumo Gensei and Takama Divine Realm
Considered specifically for Acheron team compositions. Provides CRIT Rate and an additional 12% CRIT Rate when an ally shares the same path, which Acheron, as a fellow Nihility character, fulfills permanently.
Best Teams for Cipher
Cipher's Patron mechanic rewards teams that hit one target repeatedly. Every ally attack on the Patron triggers her Follow-up ATK once per turn and adds to the tally. Teams with high hit counts or follow-up attackers maximize her output.
01 · Acheron Premium
Best-in-slot Acheron composition
Cipher fills the Nihility slot alongside Jiaoqiu to unlock Acheron's full Abyss trace bonus, while simultaneously acting as a speedy debuffer that builds Slashed Dream stacks every turn through her Weaken. With E0 Acheron, you need both Cipher and Jiaoqiu as Nihility units for the full 160% DMG multiplier.
02 · Follow-Up ATK
Feixiao as main carry
03 · Quantum Team
Archer as main carry
Cipher uses Basic Attacks to generate Skill Points for Archer while her Patron Follow-up ATKs provide consistent off-turn damage. Sparkle provides Skill Point generation so Archer can use his Skill frequently. Aventurine shields and increases Follow-up ATK DMG.
04 · F2P Budget
Accessible characters only
ZERO ADS · ZERO MARKUP
You did the research.
Now make the pull happen.
Now make the pull happen.
This site doesn't run banner ads, pop-up ads, or paid placements that compromise the rankings. The only way we earn anything is if you top up through our LDshop link: same price as the in-game shop, instant delivery, and it directly supports every tier list update going forward.
Top Up Oneiric Shards on LDshop
Instant delivery · Trusted platform · Every purchase supports HSRTIERLIST.COM
Eidolons
E
1
Read the Room, Seek the Glee
Cipher's tally of DMG becomes 150% of its original value. When using the Talent's Follow-up ATK, increases Cipher's ATK by 80%, lasting for 2 turns. The tally multiplier has compounding value since it directly scales the True DMG detonated by her Ultimate.
High Pull Value
E
2
In the Fray, Nab On a Spree
When Cipher hits an enemy target, there is a 120% base chance to increase the DMG it receives by 30%, lasting for 2 turns. A wide-team DMG amplification debuff that benefits every ally every time Cipher attacks, effectively a permanent team buff given her high hit frequency.
Best Stopping Point
E
3
From Thin Air, Hard to Foresee
Ultimate Lv. +2 (max 15) and Basic ATK Lv. +1 (max 10). The Ultimate level increase is meaningful since True DMG scales with the tally, and higher Ultimate level increases the Quantum DMG multipliers that accompany it.
Solid Upgrade
E
4
The Jig Is Up, Quick to Flee
After the Patron gets attacked by an ally target, Cipher deals Quantum Additional DMG equal to 50% of her ATK to it. This Additional DMG itself feeds into the tally, creating a loop where E4 accelerates tally accumulation with every ally action on the Patron.
Great Upgrade
E
5
Safe in Numbers, Light as a Bee
Skill Lv. +2 (max 15) and Talent Lv. +2 (max 15). The Talent level increase boosts the Follow-up ATK multiplier, which rises from 75% to 131% at max level. Incremental but cumulative with other eidolons.
Incremental
E
6
The Thief's Game, Unsung and Free
The DMG dealt by the Talent's Follow-up ATK increases by 350%. During the tally, an additional 16% of non-Overflow DMG from this attack is tallied. After the tally is cleared by using the Ultimate, 20% of the cleared tally is returned, meaning she immediately starts the next tally cycle with a strong foundation rather than from zero.
Massive Upgrade
Major Traces
Empyrean Strides
Ascension 2
When Cipher's SPD is at or above 140, CRIT Rate increases by 25% and the gained tally increases by 50%. At or above 170 SPD, CRIT Rate increases by 50% and the tally increases by 100%. This trace completely defines Cipher's build direction: stack SPD to hit 170 for a free 50% CRIT Rate and doubled tally gain.
300 Rogues
Ascension 4
Cipher can tally 8% of the non-True DMG dealt by ally targets to enemies other than the Patron. Overflow DMG is not tallied. This trace means even damage spilling onto non-Patron targets contributes to the tally, rewarding AoE-heavy teams and multi-target encounters.
Sleight of Sky
Ascension 6
Increases the CRIT DMG dealt by the Talent's Follow-up ATK by 100%. When Cipher is on the battlefield, DMG received by all enemy targets increases by 40%. The passive 40% universal DMG taken increase is a massive team-wide amplifier that benefits every ally every turn Cipher is active.
+14.4%
Quantum DMG
+14%
SPD
+10%
Effect Hit Rate
Upgrade Materials
Ethereal Omen
Character Ascension
Darkveil Moonlight
Character Ascension
Fiery Spirit
Trace Material
Heavens Incinerator
Trace Material
Frequently Asked Questions
Cipher marks one enemy as the "Patron", defaulting to the enemy with the highest Max HP when none is designated. Using Skill or Ultimate changes the Patron to the primary target. Every time any ally attacks the Patron, Cipher triggers a Follow-up ATK on it (once per turn, resetting at her turn start). She also records 12% of all non-True DMG allies deal to the Patron into a tally. When she uses her Ultimate, the tally is detonated as True DMG that bypasses all Resistance and DEF.
No. Cipher performs well with Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat or Good Night and Sleep Well at lower investment levels. Her signature (Lies Dance on the Breeze) provides valuable SPD that directly enables her Empyrean Strides CRIT Rate bonuses, but it is not required to clear all endgame content at E0. If you are using her as a debuffer in an Acheron team, Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat is an excellent substitute that benefits the entire team.
Cipher has two SPD thresholds from her Empyrean Strides bonus ability: 140 SPD for +25% CRIT Rate and 50% tally gain, and 170 SPD for +50% CRIT Rate and 100% tally gain. Since her base CRIT Rate from relics only needs to reach around 40-45% due to this trace, hitting 170 SPD effectively solves her CRIT Rate requirements entirely. Prioritize SPD substats and Speed feet to reach 170 as your primary build goal.
Yes, Cipher is excellent in Acheron teams. She fills a Nihility slot (helping qualify for Acheron's Abyss trace bonuses) while simultaneously acting as a speedy debuffer whose Weaken contributes Slashed Dream stacks to Acheron every turn. At E0 Acheron you still need a second Nihility unit alongside Cipher (such as Jiaoqiu) for the full 160% DMG multiplier. At E2 Acheron, one Nihility unit is sufficient, freeing you to replace Cipher's Nihility slot with a non-Nihility buffer if desired.
E1 and E2 are the most impactful stopping points. E1 increases the tally to 150% of its original value and provides an 80% ATK buff on Follow-up ATKs, both compounding with her core kit. E2 adds a 30% DMG taken debuff to all enemies Cipher hits, functioning as a permanent team-wide amplifier. E4 and E6 are strong for players maximizing Cipher as the central damage dealer, with E6 increasing Follow-up ATK DMG by 350% and retaining 20% of the cleared tally after each Ultimate.
Both roles are viable depending on your roster. As a Sub-DPS, Cipher deals significant True DMG via the Ultimate tally, making her personally impactful. Use Pioneer Diver and Firmament Glamoth for this. As a pure debuffer, her Weaken and potential DEF shred (via Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat) maximize team damage at the cost of her personal output. Use Eagle of Twilight Line and Lushaka, the Sunken Seas for this. In most endgame content, the Sub-DPS build with 170 SPD is the stronger option since it provides both team utility and personal damage.
