Cyberpunk 2077: Gunslinger - complete character build

One of the proposed ready-made builds for V in Cyberpunk 2077 is the gunslinger - a character focusing on direct combat mainly with revolvers. We suggest how best to distribute attribute points as well as what equipment, perks and cyberware to choose.

• The most important assumptions of the gunslinger build
• Character creation
• Key attributes
• Key perks
• Main weapon
• Best cyberware
• Modifications
• How to play as a gunslinger? - general tips

The most important assumptions of the gunslinger build

The described build emphasizes an aggressive play style, high mobility on the battlefield and defeating enemies in direct combat with the use of firearms. Revolvers are one of the main types of weapons. What sets them apart from the rest is the highest damage multiplier for headshots. With the right distribution of attribute points, with specific perks and modifications, you'll be able to take out your opponents with just one shot, even from a long distance.

A certain disadvantage of playing as a gunslinger may be the revolvers' small magazine size, and this problem will not be solved even by the best legendary versions. In addition, you need to be aware that the bonuses from some perks work only with a full stamina bar. You may have to wait for it to recharge to 100%.

Character creation

When you create a character in Cyberpunk 2077, you will be given 7 points to distribute among the five main attributes. It's important to note here that you can't assign them all to one attribute, because the limit of each attribute in the character creator has been set to 6. We suggest distributing the attribute points as follows:

1. Body - 6 points
2. Cool - 6 points
3. Reflexes or Technical Ability - 4 points.

Key attributes

Attributes associated with the gunslinger build are:

1. Reflexes: this attribute is primarily responsible for mobility and the chance of critical hits (0.5% per level).
2. Cool: this attribute increases critical damage (1.25% per level), but also unlocks access to perks related to, e.g. revolvers.
3. Body: this attribute grants additional health points (2 per level) and perks related to its regeneration.
4. Technical Ability: this attribute grants additional armor points (2 per level) and a better effectiveness of cyberware used.

Ultimately, you should aim for Body, Cool and Technical Ability to reach the maximum 20 points. In addition, develop Reflexes to 18 points. You can skip the Intelligence attribute altogether and leave it at the starting level of 3 points.

Key perks

On the Body tree, the most important perk to unlock and develop is Adrenaline Rush. At lower levels of this perk you can get a permanent bonus to health and a bonus to its regeneration speed. The highest third level unlocks the titular mode, in which V can accumulate adrenaline and treat it as a temporary extra health bar.

Other useful perks to unlock are Painkiller (passive health regeneration during combat) and Pain To Gain(having Adrenaline Rush active will regenerate healing faster by neutralizing enemies).

On the Cool tree, the two very important perks to acquire are Focus and Deadeye.

With Focus, you can, e.g. enhance head shots and make so that shooting won't use up stamina while the bar is full. Unlocking the smaller Head to Head perk can also reset it on a kill. In addition to making the shots stronger, Deadeye can also, e.g. activate the titular mode when your stamina is high (above 85%). It will allow you to shoot more accurately and inflict more damage with headshots and when shooting at weak points.

After developing Cool to 20 points, we advise you to buy the Nerves of Tungsten-Steel perk. It improves the performance of Deadeye - headshots and weak points are always critical, and the damage will increase as the distance from the target increases (the maximum bonus is 25%).

On the Technical Ability tree, you can acquire two very useful perks at a fairly early stage. The perk called Glutton for War allows you to renew healing items and grenades faster by neutralizing enemies. The perk called Health Freak can also improve the regeneration rate of health items and grenades, and additionally enable you to have three healing items at the ready.

By developing this attribute to 20 points, you will gain access to the Edgerunner perk. It primarily allows you to exceed the cyberware capacity at the expense of reducing the number of health points. In addition, V can enter a state of fury, in which they deal more damage (regular and critical). By default, this state lasts 12 seconds, but can be extended by neutralizing enemies.

On the Reflexes tree, the more useful perks are Slippery (making you harder to hit when you are moving), Dash and Air Dash.

Both Dashes can also help you avoid taking damage. Be aware, however, that these actions consume stamina. You may lose the bonuses for having full stamina or at a very high level because of this. It is best to limit yourself to single dashes instead of doing a few in quick succession.

Main weapon

The main weapon in the suggested build will obviously be a revolver. Make sure your weapon offers the highest possible damage per one shot, not DPS (Damage per second). Additional stats of a crafted or found weapon will be mostly random, but it is worth looking for those that increase the chance of a critical hit, critical damage, and has the highest headshot damage multiplier.

As you advance in the game, you can get a chance to find iconic revolvers. Recommended models are:

1. Crash - you can get it from the Following the River side job associated with River Ward. This unique weapon features, among other things, a bonus to headshots and the auto fire mode (it can also be a series of headshots at the same stationary target).
2. Rosco - it is obtainable in the Gig: Waiting for Dodger in the Phantom Liberty expansion, but only if you kill Dodger during the final confrontation. This unique weapon, in addition to bonuses to headshots, armor penetration and critical hits, allows you to knock down enemies by hitting them in the leg. You can then shoot a lying enemy in the head and they will always receive critical damage.

Best cyberware

Our recommended operating system for the gunslinger build is Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan.

The Apogee system is linked to the Reflex attribute and allows you to slow down the time. During this mode, headshot damage, the chance of critical damage and the amount of critical damage are increased. Killing enemies in this mode can prolong the effect of the cyberware and renew stamina faster.

As for the other categories, we recommend:

1. Kiroshi "The Oracle" Optics in the Face category - The implant can highlight enemies, cameras, turrets and traps when activating the scanner. You can also use optical zoom.
2. Ballistic Coprocessor in the Hands category - It increases the chances of projectiles ricocheting when using Power weapons.
3. Blood Pump in the Circulatory System category - It improves the healing items. They can restore some health immediately and then gradually restore more health points over the next few seconds.
4. Reinforced Tendons in the Legs category - It allows you to perform double jumps and which works perfectly with the Dash perks.
5. Kerenzikov Boost System in the Frontal Cortex category - It upgrades the Kerenzikov cyberware available in a separate category. You can stop stamina consumption while shooting and move faster.
6. Gorilla Arms in the Arms category - These arms can allow you to do physical damage and have a chance to inflict bleed. You can also get a version that poisons enemies.
7. Spring Joints in the Skeleton category - They can reduce the received damage.
8. Kerenzikov in the Nervous System category - This implant allows you to shoot while sliding, dodging and dashing. It can also affect the slo-mo.
9. Defenzikov in the Integumentary System category - It can activate when the Kerenzikov cyberware is deactivated, granting you a chance to reduce the incoming damage.

Modifications

In Cyberpunk 2077, players can additionally modify cyberware, weapons, and clothing to better suit their character to their play style of choice. When choosing the right modifications, you should pay special attention to the mods that increase the critical hit chance, critical damage, and headshot damage.

There are three options worth considering when you choose your weapon mods: Crunch, Pacifier, and Penetrator.

1. Crunch: increases overall weapon damage by 6/7/8/9/10 (depending on mod quality). Can be purchased from any weapon vendor.
2. Pacifier: increases critical damage by 6/8/10/12% (depending on mod quality). Can be purchased from any weapon vendor.
3. Penetrator: increases critical hit chance by 2/3/4/5/6% (depending on mod quality). Can be purchased from any weapon vendor.

There are three options worth considering when you select your armor mods: Bully, Deadeye, and Fortune.

1. Bully: Increases critical damage by 30%. You can find it while doing the main quest I Walk the Line or buy it from a vendor (only at a higher character experience level).
2. Deadeye: Critical hit chance 15%, Critical damage 30%. Can be purchased e.g. from a clothing vendor in Japantown;
3. Fortune: chance of critical hit 15%. Can be bought from vendors in the City Center, at higher character experience levels.

How to play as a gunslinger? - general tips

1. Always aim for the head to do as much damage as possible with one shot. In most cases, one accurately fired shot will instantly eliminate the target.
2. When fighting a large group of enemies, use the available cover to reduce the damage you take and take accurate shots from a safe position.
3. Look for a revolver that does as much damage per shot as possible, and don't use a silencer, which will lower it significantly. Look for weapons with room for modifications to increase their stats with mods.
4. Keep an eye on the stamina bar and avoid situations in which it falls below 85%, making you lose all related bonuses from perks. Try to keep it full as often as possible.
5. Try to keep enemies at a distance. Our build doesn't use any short-range or melee weapons. Use the dash to quickly move away from enemies.

Cyberpunk 2077

December 10, 2020

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