Opening buys
A common defensive opener: two tripwires, two cyber cages, full armor and a Ghost — lay the kit out before you take the duel.
Tripwire + cage combo
- Put the tripwire at the narrowest floor level of the site entrance, where it is hard to see
- Drop the cage just in front and trigger it manually so the electronic wall covers the wire
- Hide behind site cover and fire through at the wire when you hear the cage trigger — a caught enemy is slowed and revealed, with nowhere to go
- Never fire early. Wait for the sound
The camera
- Place it high to watch the flank, or behind common attack lanes
- It can be recalled and redeployed; after it is destroyed there is a cooldown. A tagged enemy stays revealed until they manually remove the dart
- Rotate the spot once or twice per match so they cannot learn it
The one-way cage
Thrown high, a cage can act as a one-way smoke: you see their steps, they cannot see you — a Sentinel's most valuable asymmetry.
Ultimate
Neural Theft on a dead enemy reveals all remaining enemies twice. Enormous value on a retake or in a clutch — do not burn it early.
Setup philosophy
Cypher is a loop of warn, link, punish: utility gives the information, the gun line collects. Played well, one player holds a site alone and the team can stack the other.
Sources: Chinese community Cypher defense guides (2026).