The guide on Cypher — a nice sentinel investigator from Morocco

We continue the series of review materials that are dedicated to current agents from VALORANT. This time, we propose you get to know Cypher — a sentinel whose main objective is the collection of information about opponents.

The agent’s abilities allow you to follow and control the enemy’s movements on the map. With the help of gadgets, a player can set traps and catch distracted opponents, receiving information about their location.

Due to this, we propose to talk about Cypher — tell you in detail about the agent’s abilities and give a few pieces of advice for playing well.

The abilities of Cypher

Spycam

It is a pretty trivial but still useful skill that is given to a player every round. With its help, Cypher can locate the device on any object and follow the enemy’s movements remotely.

Besides, a player can release special darts, which will reveal the target’s further movements after hitting it. However, it is important to remember that an opponent can remove the dart or eliminate the camera that will stop the surveilling.

On the other hand, Cypher can move its camera to any other spot at any moment, having used the ability for the second time. Also, the ability cooldowns some time after being destroyed, which allows the player to count on the repeatable use of Spycam.

How to control: Press LMB to place a gadget at the selected spot. Press the ability button to receive control over the camera and, by pressing LMB, release a spy dart. When hitting an enemy, a dart will highlight him and reveal his location.

The key characteristics:

• Price — free
• Quantity — one
• Cooldown — 6 seconds
• Effect — highlights an opponent every 2 seconds
• Dart removal time — 1,5 seconds

Cyber Cage

This ability is an analogue of a smoke grenade but it has a few features. First of all, there is an open space inside the Cyber Cage that does not limit the enemy’s vision. Secondly, while entering the zone, an opponent will be slowed down, which limits his movements.

In other words, being activated, Cyber Cage opens and creates a gray brier that closes vision to all players and also significantly slows down enemies who decided to pass through it.

The fact that Cypher can activate Cyber Cage at any part of the map that will create confusion in the opposing team is an interesting feature.

It is not worth forgetting that the ability is effective while helping your teammates, it can hide them when they plant or defuse a spike.

How to control: Press the ability button to release a gadget. Active the ability, aiming the gadget to obscure the vision of the opponents passing through it and to slow them down.

The key characteristics:

• Price — 100 credits
• Quantity — two
• Duration — 7 seconds
• Deceleration duration — 1,4 seconds

Trapwire

With the help of this ability, Cypher can build obstacles to opponents because Trapwire blocks a potential exit. When a player of the opposite team touches a trap, it will explode and reveal his location, highlighting him.

This ability is a nice way to help the bombsite and also when moving across the map as the attacking side. Having set the Trapwire in the passage, Cypher will cut off one direction for an opponent or receive information about his location.

At the same time, Cypher can pick up a trap and set it in a different spot, which should be considered while building a strategy for a round.

However, it is worth understanding that an opponent can find out the Trapwire and is unlikely to be willing to activate it by himself. Also, an opponent can shoot the Tripwire, destroy it, and this will open a way for further offensive.

How to control: Press LMB to set a trap in a selected place. An opponent who gets into the trap will be immobilized, stunned, and transmit information about himself.

The key characteristics:

• Price — 200 credits
• Quantity — two
• Effect duration — 3 seconds
• The deal damage — 5 HP
• Health points — 20 HP
• Maximum range — 1,500

Neural Theft

This is the ultimate ability that becomes available to a player after earning 6 points. A player can get data about the location of all enemy players with its help.

However, it is worth considering that Neural Theft is unavailable when the powers are equal on a map. It means that Cypher will be able to use the ability only after killing a player of the enemy team.

However, a player will get access to the location of all enemies alive with the help of his ability and it will provide lots of useful information to analyze and change the round strategy.

How to control: Aim at a dead opponent to instantly get information about the location of his living allies

The key characteristics:

• Price — 6 points
• Range — 1,800
• Deploy time — 2 seconds
• Delay — 4 seconds

How to play as Cypher well?

Since Cypher’s abilities are not designed for dealing damage to opponents, it is not worth rushing in a rapid attack and playing for kills. Instead, the agent suits players who like to collect information and use the advantage.

Cypher’s abilities will help not just to detect enemies but to stop them for some time. However, to use the maximum of all strong sides of the abilities, a player has to know a map nicely and feel the timings.

The main pieces of advice that will help to play as Cypher correctly:

• The best way to set the Tripwire will be to set it in a narrow passage to hide the wire from the enemy’s eyes. Also, the ability is effective in clutch situations, closing one of the few passages.
• The abilities Tripwire and Cyber Cage can be combined, which will create an invisible barrier for opponents. When they decide to enter Cyber Cage, the Tripwire will work and provide Cypher with an advantage
• When Spycam is activated, an opponent can follow it and destroy it. So you should use this ability in the most responsible moment and be ready to collect information in seconds.
• After you hit an enemy with a spy dart, he will try to get rid of it immediately. Use this moment to win some time for shooting.
• Tell your team about the location of your traps and gadgets. It will help the team to understand what zones are protected and what can be vulnerable.

Summing up, Cypher is a sophisticated agent whose abilities will not help you in an open shooting. However, if his abilities are used wisely and the playstyle is accurate, a player will be able to control the enemies’ movements and be one step ahead.

In such a way, Cypher is an extremely useful agent in a slow match that is focused on the collection of information. Use his abilities and multiply your map knowledge to win a match.