Cypher is the eye of the team that keeps tabs on enemy movements. His strong points are all about gathering information by setting up various traps around the map. Players placed him on the top of the tier because of his incredible ability to pinpoint enemies with his ultimate ability. And in games like this, vision or information about the enemy location is the key to winning a game.
Cypher is also known as one of the best site defenders in the game, as he can slow down attacking enemy pushes with his abilities. He’s also good at punishing flanking enemies by placing traps in key areas.
Cypher Abilities
Cypher’s 1st buyable skill is the Tripwire which you can place it between two walls or directly into the ground (can be recalled and reactivated to another location). Enemies who walk into the trap are restrained and revealed for a short time. If the trap hasn’t been destroyed after it got triggered, it activates to daze the trapped victim. The trap itself is invisible until an enemy becomes very close to it. You can counter this ability by shooting the trap or by jumping over it.
Even if you die you can still provide your teammate with Intel thanks to this ability. Also, as a defender. You don’t need to be worried about a flank until someone passes the trap. That means you can hold multiple entrances to the bombsite giving you more offensive capability. And on the attack, once you take a site you can better hold it with him since he can use his tripwires to guard key entrances.
Cyber Cage
Cypher’s 2nd ability is Cyber Cage. Place a remote activation trap on the floor (can be activated through a wall), reactive to create a cage that slows enemies who pass through it. One of the best uses for this ability is placing this in a position where the enemies need to cross to take or retake the bombsite.
Spy Cam
Now for his 3rd and signature ability, the Spy Cam. Place a remote camera, once placed reactive to view the video feed. While the camera is activated you can fire a tracking dart on an enemy to reveal enemy in periodic ticks for a short amount of time. You can also recall the Cam and recast it after a few seconds. This ability can be used to check a pathway before pushing and also great for peeking into an area without the risk of getting killed.
Neural Theft
For his ultimate ability, it’s called Neural Theft. It extracts information from an enemy corpse who recently died, revealing the location of their living allies on the map for a short time.
The Cypher Decode
Cypher seems like one of the best agents so far if you use all the utilities properly. Especially considering flanking attackers while on defense will also be a thing in every match, so a kit like this is needed to keep your back protected and focus on the front. Seems like a kit that can always find its uses whether you’re attacking or defending.
You can set up his traps in many ways to completely shut down a push, there are some key areas that the enemy cannot physically get to without tripping a wire which allows you to completely give up a section of the map and control it from a distance with team abilities.
Some spots are in the open so the enemy will most likely walk into them and be dazed with no cover or whatsoever. You can also position your Spy Cam in spots where the enemy will be forced to sometimes turn back and try to regroup to attack a different site. And even in clutch situations, 1 wire is all you need to cover your flank. Wires can be picked up and reused straight away so putting them behind you to slow and inform of flanks is extremely valuable.