Ultimate Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Cheat Sheet: Complete Character Build Guide

Introduction

Character builds in Cyberpunk 2077 define your playstyle through attribute distribution, perk selection, and equipment choices. With the game’s complex RPG systems, choosing the right build can mean the difference between dominating Night City or struggling through encounters. This cheatsheet covers essential build archetypes, optimization strategies, and practical tips for creating powerful characters.

Core Build Mechanics

Primary Attributes

• Body: Health, stamina, melee damage, weapon handling
• Reflexes: Movement speed, critical chance, handgun/rifle damage
• Technical Ability: Crafting, tech weapons, breach protocols
• Intelligence: Quickhacking damage, RAM capacity, cyberdeck efficiency
• Cool: Stealth detection, critical damage, cold blood stacks

Attribute Caps

• Level 50: 71 total attribute points (7 base + 64 from leveling)
• Maximum per attribute: 20 points
• Recommended minimums: 3 points for basic functionality

Perk Categories

• Assault: Rifles and submachine guns
• Handguns: Pistols and revolvers
• Blades: Katanas, knives, mantis blades
• Blunt Weapons: Hammers, bats, gorilla arms
• Athletics: Health, stamina, movement
• Annihilation: Shotguns and light machine guns
• Street Brawler: Fists and blunt weapons
• Cold Blood: Damage bonuses and survivability
• Stealth: Sneaking and takedowns
• Quickhacking: Netrunning and cyber warfare
• Breach Protocol: Access points and daemon effects
• Crafting: Item creation and upgrades
• Engineering: Tech weapons and devices

Meta Build Archetypes

1. Netrunner (Intelligence Focus)

Core Attributes:

• Intelligence: 20
• Cool: 16-18
• Body: 6-8
• Technical Ability: 8-12
• Reflexes: 3-6

Key Perks:

• Quickhacking: Legendary System Reset, Memory Wipe, Contagion
• Breach Protocol: Mass Vulnerability, Turret Tamer
• Cold Blood: Critical damage bonuses
• Stealth: Hidden Dragon, Ghost

Equipment:

• Legendary Cyberdeck (Netwatch Netdriver Mk.5 or Tetratronic Rippler)
• Smart weapons for backup
• Optical camo cyberware

Playstyle: Eliminate enemies remotely through hacking, control cameras and turrets, remain undetected

2. Solo (Reflexes/Body Focus)

Core Attributes:

• Reflexes: 20
• Body: 16-18
• Cool: 8-12
• Technical Ability: 6-8
• Intelligence: 3-6

Key Perks:

• Handguns: Gunslinger, Wild West
• Assault: Bullet Jockey, Recoil Wrangler
• Athletics: Regeneration, Health boost
• Cold Blood: Merciless, Frozen Precision

Equipment:

• Iconic weapons (Comrade’s Hammer, Skippy, Panam’s Overwatch)
• Subdermal armor
• Sandevistan or Kereznikov

Playstyle: Direct combat specialist, high damage output, tank through encounters

3. Techie (Technical Ability Focus)

Core Attributes:

• Technical Ability: 20
• Reflexes: 14-16
• Intelligence: 8-12
• Body: 8-10
• Cool: 6-8

Key Perks:

• Crafting: Legendary crafting specs, material optimization
• Engineering: Tech weapon mastery, grenade efficiency
• Breach Protocol: Extended network interface

Equipment:

• Tech weapons (Satara, Divided We Stand, Tsunami Nekomata)
• Crafted legendary gear
• Tech-enhanced cyberware

Playstyle: Crafting specialist, tech weapon expert, wall-penetrating shots

4. Street Samurai (Blades Focus)

Core Attributes:

• Reflexes: 20
• Body: 14-16
• Cool: 10-14
• Technical Ability: 6-8
• Intelligence: 3-6

Key Perks:

• Blades: Satori, Blessed Blade, Legendary Block
• Athletics: Regeneration, stamina management
• Cold Blood: Critical bonuses
• Stealth: Backstab damage

Equipment:

• Mantis Blades or iconic katanas (Satori, Jinchu-Maru)
• Sandevistan operating system
• Subdermal armor and bone lacing

Playstyle: High-speed melee combat, critical hit focused, time dilation

5. Stealth Assassin (Cool/Reflexes Focus)

Core Attributes:

• Cool: 20
• Reflexes: 16-18
• Intelligence: 8-12
• Body: 6-8
• Technical Ability: 6-8

Key Perks:

• Stealth: Assassin, Ghost, Hidden Dragon
• Cold Blood: All major perks
• Handguns: Stealth damage bonuses
• Quickhacking: Support hacks

Equipment:

• Silenced weapons (Overture, Death and Taxes)
• Optical camo
• Ping quickhack for enemy detection

Playstyle: Non-lethal or lethal stealth, one-shot eliminations, crowd control

Weapon-Specific Builds

Power Weapon Specialist

Best Attributes: Reflexes 20, Body 16 Key Weapons: Comrade’s Hammer, Lizzie’s Gun, Divided We Stand Core Perks: Handguns tree, ricochet damage bonuses Strategy: Use ricochet mechanics and high raw damage

Smart Weapon Expert

Best Attributes: Reflexes 20, Technical Ability 12 Key Weapons: Skippy, Yinglong, Smart SMGs Core Perks: Smart weapon tracking, Technical Ability synergies Strategy: Auto-targeting and guaranteed hits

Tech Weapon Master

Best Attributes: Technical Ability 20, Reflexes 16 Key Weapons: Satara, Tsunami Nekomata, Widow Maker Core Perks: Charge damage, wall penetration Strategy: Charged shots through cover, high single-target damage

Optimization Strategies

Early Game (Levels 1-20)

Priority Order:

1. Choose primary attribute and invest heavily
2. Get essential survival perks (health, armor)
3. Focus on one weapon type initially
4. Invest in crafting for better gear

Mid Game (Levels 21-35)

Key Milestones:

• Reach 18+ in primary attribute
• Unlock legendary perk tiers
• Acquire iconic weapons
• Complete major questlines for rewards

Late Game (Levels 36-50)

Optimization Focus:

• Max primary attribute to 20
• Complete perk trees
• Acquire perfect cyberware combinations
• Farm legendary crafting materials

Cyberware Combinations

Netrunner Setup

• Operating System: Netwatch Netdriver Mk.5
• Frontal Cortex: Ex-Disk, Memory Boost
• Ocular System: Kiroshi optics with threat detection
• Circulatory System: Biomonitor
• Nervous System: Kerenzikov
• Integumentary System: Subdermal armor

Combat Setup

• Operating System: Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan
• Frontal Cortex: Pain Editor, Heal-On-Kill
• Ocular System: Trajectory analysis
• Circulatory System: Biomonitor, Second Heart
• Nervous System: Synaptic Signal Optimizer
• Integumentary System: Subdermal armor, Optical camo

Crafting Setup

• Operating System: Basic deck for utility hacks
• Frontal Cortex: Crafting bonuses
• Ocular System: Scanner upgrades
• Musculoskeletal System: Carrying capacity boosts
• Integumentary System: Subdermal armor

Common Build Mistakes

Essential Tips

Character Creation

• Plan your build before allocating points
• Consider your preferred playstyle
• Research iconic weapon requirements
• Account for cyberware prerequisites

Progression Optimization

• Complete gigs and NCPD missions for XP
• Craft and dismantle items for Technical XP
• Use stealth kills for Cool XP
• Hack everything for Intelligence XP

Equipment Management

• Keep multiple weapon types for different situations
• Upgrade iconic weapons regularly
• Maintain good armor-to-style balance
• Stock consumables for tough encounters

Build Comparison Table

Legendary Perk Priorities

Must-Have Legendary Perks

• Netrunner: Bartmoss’ Legacy, Legendary System Reset
• Solo: Bullet Time, Health Freak
• Techie: Edgerunner Artisan, Tesla
• Street Samurai: Legendary Block, Sandevistan cooldown reduction
• Stealth: Legendary Cold Blood perks, Ghost

Situational Legendary Perks

• Corpo Lifepath: Specific dialogue and quest bonuses
• Nomad Lifepath: Vehicle and technical bonuses
• Street Kid Lifepath: Street knowledge advantages

Resources for Further Learning

In-Game Resources

• Ripperdoc locations for cyberware upgrades
• Weapon vendor locations for iconic purchases
• Crafting material farming routes
• XP farming locations for quick leveling

Community Resources

• Reddit: r/cyberpunkgame for build discussions
• YouTube: Build guides and gameplay demonstrations
• Gaming Forums: Detailed theorycrafting discussions
• Wiki Sites: Complete perk and weapon databases

Advanced Strategies

• Speed Running Builds: Optimized for quick mission completion
• Photo Mode Builds: Style over substance for screenshots
• Challenge Runs: Self-imposed difficulty modifiers
• Role-Playing Builds: Thematic character concepts

Quick Reference: Attribute Breakpoints

Last Updated: May 2025 – Includes all post-launch updates and DLC content