Multi Layer

Combined approaches that stack multiple encryption steps. For example, replacing letters first, then scrambling their order. Includes null extraction, cascaded layers, and joint optimization.

What we tested: Combining letter-rearrangement with substitution is the leading hypothesis for K4. We've tested thousands of combinations (over 1.2 billion configs) covering all structured rearrangement methods paired with keyed substitution. What remains open: the possibility that the rearrangement follows a pattern not yet identified, or that the substitution key comes from an unknown source text.

47 eliminations recorded.

Title	Configs	Best	Verdict	Tier
Running key from known reference texts + columnar transposition 15+ known reference texts + columnar transposition sweeps — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. Every possib…	52,000,000	7/24 (0.0)	NOISE	Tier 2
Columnar transposition × periodic substitution on 73-char column mask extract Meet-in-the-Middle attack on 73-char column mask extract: columnar transposition (w7-9 exhaustive, 408,240 permutations) × periodic sub (p1-13) × Vig/…	31,800,000	18/24 (0.0)	NOISE: best 18/24 at w9/p11 ≈ expected by chance (Monte Carlo: ~3.6 hits expected)	Tier 2
Transposition-guided running key fragment scoring (28M Monte Carlo, 28 cores) Transposition-guided running key fragment scoring — optimal assignment via Monte Carlo (28M samples, 28 cores) — using a combined approach: scramble t…	28,000,000	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	Tier 3
Mitm Mono Transposition Mitm Mono Transposition — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. 4.2 million key/parameter combinations were te…	4,209,541	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Mitm Periodic Transposition Mitm Periodic Transposition — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. 4.2 million key/parameter combinations wer…	4,209,541	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Mitm Autokey Transposition Mitm Autokey Transposition — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. 4.2 million key/parameter combinations were…	4,207,963	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Blitz Strip Cipher V2 Blitz Strip Cipher V2 — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. 3.6 million key/parameter combinations were test…	3,608,555	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Targeted search for transpositions resolving homophonic contradictions Targeted search for transpositions resolving homophonic contradictions — using a method where each letter can be represented by multiple different sym…	1,282,433	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Blitz Strip Cipher Blitz Strip Cipher — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter. 118 thousand key/parameter combinations were tested…	118,317	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Monoalphabetic + transposition + running key degrees of freedom analysis Monoalphabetic + transposition + running key degrees of freedom analysis — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each lette…	100,000	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	Tier 3
Partitioned encryption — two systems on two message parts. All 24/24 hits are at period ≥13 (underdetermination false positives) and ALL fail Bean constraints. Partitioned encryption — two systems on two message parts — using multiple encryption steps applied one after another. 75 thousand key/parameter combi…	75,168	24/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Four 6x4 grids stacked with independent shifts. Palette overlap = null. DEFECTOR/ABSCISSA AZ_beau + col6/col7. Four 6x4 grids stacked with independent shifts — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to …	27,848	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Inclinare Stacked Null Mask Inclinare Stacked Null Mask — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real m…	4,313	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Null cipher / skip cipher / steganographic extraction patterns Null cipher / skip cipher / steganographic extraction patterns on K4 CT — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless fi…	2,500	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	Tier 2
Novel multi-stage decryption pipelines Novel multi-stage decryption pipelines — using multiple encryption steps applied one after another. 2 thousand key/parameter combinations were tested.	2,462	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Native 28×31 grid reading orders + periodic substitution on 73-char extract Tested 10+ native grid reading orders (column-by-column L→R/R→L, serpentine columns/rows, diagonal TLBR/TRBL, spiral CW, paired mirror columns, row-re…	2,262	22/24 (0.0)	NOISE: all high scores at high periods (underdetermined). Discriminating periods (≤7): max ~12/24	Tier 2
Palette Exhaustive Null Mask Palette Exhaustive Null Mask — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real …	8	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Blitz CSP Structural Blitz CSP Structural — using backward reasoning from known constraints to narrow possibilities.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
S 20 Constraint Propagation S 20 Constraint Propagation — using backward reasoning from known constraints to narrow possibilities.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Widths 5-11, 3 variants, 9 corpora Egypt corpus x columnar transposition sweep (widths 5-11, 3 variants, 9 corpora) — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace ea…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	Tier 2
Stego Oracle Stego Oracle — using a combined approach: scramble the letter order AND replace each letter.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Brute-force 7 remaining null positions (consensus 17 fixed) Brute-force 7 remaining null positions (consensus 17 fixed) — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls)…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Bruteforce 7remaining Task3 Bruteforce 7remaining Task3 — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real m…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Bruteforce 7remaining Tasks12 Bruteforce 7remaining Tasks12 — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Col8 Null Mask Test Col8 Null Mask Test — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real message.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Extended brute force pos 34-41 with AP + restricted alphabet filters Extended brute force pos 34-41 with AP + restricted alphabet filters — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless fille…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
K4 in 4x24 grid (matching K3 chart rows), wheel rotation separates stego K4 in 4x24 grid (matching K3 chart rows), wheel rotation separates stego — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless f…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Morse Binary Null Mask Morse Binary Null Mask — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real messag…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
S S — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real message.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Exhaustive Palette Mask Exhaustive Palette Mask — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real messa…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Model Invariance Sweep Model Invariance Sweep — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real messag…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
NDYAHR Corrected Neighbor Deletion + LAYER TWO Investigation NDYAHR Corrected Neighbor Deletion + LAYER TWO Investigation — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
NDYAHR Neighbor Deletion Layer Two NDYAHR Neighbor Deletion Layer Two — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
NDYAHR letters in 28x31 grid are directional pointers to neighbors for deletion NDYAHR letters in 28x31 grid are directional pointers to neighbors for deletion — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meanin…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Phase 1: Local constant-difference constraint census at all 17 null positions Phase 1: Local constant-difference constraint census at all 17 null positions — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningl…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Null Mask Diversity Null Mask Diversity — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real message.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Null Mask Provenance Null Mask Provenance — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real message.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Palette Controls Palette Controls — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real message.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Running Key Palette Filter Running Key Palette Filter — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless filler (nulls) inserted to disguise the real me…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Null mask crib preservation analysis (not a decryption test) Measures whether crib positions are preserved under varying null masks — using the hypothesis that some letters in the carved text are meaningless fil…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Compose Compose — using multiple encryption steps applied one after another.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Team Layered Verify Team Layered Verify — using multiple encryption steps applied one after another.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Team Mono Trans SA Team Mono Trans SA — using multiple encryption steps applied one after another.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
K4 frequency distribution analysis and homophonic solver K4 frequency distribution analysis and homophonic solver — using a method where each letter can be represented by multiple different symbols.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Systematic search for transpositions resolving all 9 homophonic contradictions Systematic search for transpositions resolving all 9 homophonic contradictions — using a method where each letter can be represented by multiple diffe…	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Homophonic + transposition contradiction resolution Homophonic + transposition contradiction resolution — using a method where each letter can be represented by multiple different symbols.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A
Nomenclator + superencipherment model analysis Nomenclator + superencipherment model analysis — using a method where each letter can be represented by multiple different symbols.	N/A	0/24 (0.0)	NOISE	N/A