Cipher vs Sampo
Cipher vs Sampo — two Nihility characters competing for the same roster slot.
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Cipher if…
- You need a Quantum Nihility unit and Cipher's kit matches your account gap.
- You prefer Debuffer gameplay over Sampo's DoT DPS identity.
- Yes—Cipher is a strong Quantum Nihility debuffer.
Pick Sampo if…
- You need a Wind Nihility unit and Sampo's kit matches your account gap.
- You prefer DoT DPS gameplay over Cipher's Debuffer identity.
- Situational—Sampo is a Wind Shear DoT piece.
Cipher and Sampo are both Nihility investments that answer different account needs. Cipher (Quantum, Debuffer) shines when Yes—Cipher is a strong Quantum Nihility debuffer.. Sampo (Wind, DoT DPS) is the better commit when Situational—Sampo is a Wind Shear DoT piece.. Compare signature builds, team requirements, and your existing supports before pulling either.
At a Glance
Strengths & Weaknesses
Cipher
- “Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief!” dumps a huge single-target Quantum multiplier into one elite—boss and Apocalyptic Shadow checks are where this Ultimate earns its trace levels.
- “Hey, Jackpot for the Taking” Blast-hits the main target plus adjacent enemies, so adjacent elites still take meaningful chip without waiting for Ultimate.
- Talent “The Hospitable Dolosian” fires Follow-Up ATKs off ally Basics—damage keeps flowing even when Cipher is not the active turn.
- Several Cipher effects roll “base chance”—without enough Effect Hit Rate, Exposed/Shock/DEF shred simply misses on tanky bosses and the rotation feels empty.
- Follow-Ups from “The Hospitable Dolosian” need allies who actually Basic ATK on schedule—freeze/CC on the team stalls Cipher’s off-turn damage.
- Spamming “Hey, Jackpot for the Taking” every turn without watching Skill Points strands the rest of the team—Cipher is often the SP sink.
Sampo
- Ultimate “Surprise Present” hits the full field and forces DoT application/detonation in one cast—Pure Fiction waves melt once the status is seeded.
- Skill “Ricochet Love” dumps a large single-target multiplier into one elite—that is how Sampo applies pressure between Ultimates.
- Talent “Windtorn Dagger” rolls a base-chance debuff that wants Effect Hit Rate—miss the stack conditions and the burst window feels empty.
- Several Sampo effects roll “base chance”—without enough Effect Hit Rate, Exposed/Shock/DEF shred simply misses on tanky bosses and the rotation feels empty.
- DoT damage needs other appliers or long-lived statuses on the field—Sampo alone cannot keep every wave fully stacked without a second DoT partner.
- As a 4★ Nihility unit, Sampo is easy to gear for early/mid game but usually loses the niche race to a modern limited option once that banner is built.
Shared Team Members
With Cipher
Tingyun is the Advance / DMG amp — time their Skill/Ult for the carry’s damage window.
With Sampo
Tingyun is the Advance / DMG amp — time their Skill/Ult for the carry’s damage window.
With Cipher
Gallagher covers healing (and often Energy / cleanse) so the carry can stay on-curve.
With Sampo
Gallagher covers healing (and often Energy / cleanse) so the carry can stay on-curve.
Best Builds (Signature)
Light Cone
Lies Dance on the Breeze
Relics
Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters (4pc) + Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise (2pc)
Body
Effect Hit Rate
Feet
SPD
Sphere
Quantum DMG%
Rope
ATK%
Substats
EHR (to threshold) > SPD > ATK% / CRIT
Light Cone
Incessant Rain
Relics
Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters (4pc) + Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise (2pc)
Body
Effect Hit Rate
Feet
SPD
Sphere
Wind DMG%
Rope
ATK%
Substats
EHR (to threshold) > SPD > ATK% / CRIT
Who Should You Pull?
- You need a Quantum Nihility unit and Cipher's kit matches your account gap.
- You prefer Debuffer gameplay over Sampo's DoT DPS identity.
- Yes—Cipher is a strong Quantum Nihility debuffer.
- Ultimate “Yours Truly, Kitty Phantom Thief!” Blast-hits the main target plus adjacent enemies.
- Cipher is a stronger general pull priority for your roster.
- You need a Wind Nihility unit and Sampo's kit matches your account gap.
- You prefer DoT DPS gameplay over Cipher's Debuffer identity.
- Situational—Sampo is a Wind Shear DoT piece.
- Ultimate “Surprise Present” hits every enemy on the field in one cast.
- Ultimate “Surprise Present” hits the full field and forces DoT application/detonation in one cast—Pure Fiction waves melt once the status is seeded.