Raining down lead is a satisfying solution to most problems in Cyberpunk 2077, but with the way assault rifles and other automatic weapons work in the game, players might find trouble finding much success with them. Enemies will feel like absolute bullet sponges if V isn't using an optimized setup, so it's important to know what to use and not to use when gearing up.
This Cyberpunk 2077 build leverages all possible passive skills and effects to crank the damage and reliability of assault rifles to 11. After following this guide, expect to see the three main things every good assault rifle build should have: tons of crits, high-damage headshots, and very little recoil.
Cyberpunk 2077: Assault Rifle Build
Skill Tree | Skill Name |
Assault | Bullet Jock |
Covering Killshot | |
Bullseye | |
Executioner | |
Hunter's Hands | |
Trench Warfare | |
Named Bullets | |
Skull Skipper | |
Savage Stoic | |
Cold Blood | Cold Blood |
Will To Survive | |
Icy Veins | |
Coldest Blood | |
Coagulant | |
Frozen Precision |
These are the skills players need to prioritize in order to get the core of this build online. It requires 20 points in Reflex and at least 16 in Cool—these attributes will also increase the player's crit chance and crit damage, respectively, making them perfectly complementary to rapid-fire weapon builds.
Ideally, all skills in the Assault tree should be unlocked. Players can skip on most of the Cold Blood perks and take only those that increase ranged damage and survivability. The rest of the perk points can be spent on other Attribute Skill Trees like Athletics, Crafting, Quickhacking, or Ninjutsu.
With the perks above, players will be most effective when using assault rifles, SMGs, and precision rifles while firing from behind cover, similar to the usual Sniper build. Recoil-reduction skills like Hunter's Hands and Skull Skipper will make even the most unwieldy of automatic weapons more controllable, allowing easier headshots against most targets.
Recommended Gear
While any assault rifle will work with this build, players will want to get a legendary Ajax or Kyubi if they want to deal the most damage per shot. The former is a slow-firing, automatic assault rifle, while the latter is a semi-auto gun that deals far superior damage per pull of the trigger. Other iconic assault rifles will also work relatively well with this setup.
The Moron Labe is an iconic Ajax with a faster firing rate and a higher chance of dismembering targets it hits. Its crafting spec can be found while clearing Pacifica's West Wind Estate of suspected criminal activity (NCPD Scanner Hustle). Unfortunately, the Kyubi doesn't have an iconic variant, so a legendary version will have to suffice. One with high critical damage and headshot multipliers will be the most ideal for this build.
As for mods, slap on Pacifier and Penetrator mods to increase the crit stats of primary weapons. Make sure to save a mod slot for the Countermass mod, which completely removes horizontal recoil from any gun it's attached to. Additionally, use the Fortuna and either the Bully or Deadeye mods for face wear to further boost V's critical hit stats.
Cyberware
Continuing with the critical hit theme from above, players should find and install the Trajectory Analysis, Limbic Enhancement, Visual Cortex Support, and Weakness Detection implants as soon as they can. Higher-quality versions of these items will yield higher stats.
Players have two options when it comes to OS choice. The first is the Biodyne Berserk Mk. 4, which reduces weapon recoil while increasing damage and survivability. It's a well-rounded option, but it requires 16 Body to use. The other option is the Qiant "Warp Dancer" Sandevistan Mk. 5—this one increases all damage while also boosting crit chance and crit damage. However, it only lasts for eight seconds, and it only slows time by 10% compared to other Sandevistans.
As for the rest of the implant slots, players are free to use whichever they see fit. Look for the best cybernetic implants that further boost survivability and DPS, but also keep an eye out for anything that might negate damage-over-time effects like Burn and Poison.
Using Gorilla Arms is highly recommended since they increase the player's Body stat when interacting with objects around the world. The Projectile Launch System is also very strong, and it'll provide players with the means to deal elemental damage depending on how they mod it.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
