It took a while, but I finally broke down and put together a stealth pistols build for Cyberpunk 2077 2.0.
This build is designed to let you just plow through enemies quickly and quietly, and thanks to Phantom Liberty it becomes even more powerful.
Let’s break it down, shall we?
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0: Stealth Pistols Attributes & Perks
The great thing about a stealth pistols build is that it only relies on 2 stats: Cool and Tech. Literally everything you need is under those 2 stats, so once you’ve maxed them feel free to take it anywhere else you like!
Starting out, I’d suggest leaving Int at 3 and everything else at 4 – and then put the rest in Cool.
You’ll want to get Cool to 9, and then pump Tech to 9. Once Tech is 9, pump Cool to 15, then Tech to 15, and then max Cool & Tech (Cool first).
Under Cool, you’ll want to grab Killer Instinct ASAP. Feel free to grab the 2 child perks whenever you feel you’ve got a free perk point that isn’t more important elsewhere.
On the left side of the tree grab everything but “Pull!”; you’ll almost never have to deal with grenades here.
Down the middle grab everything but Vanishing Act; that just wastes optical camo.
For Tech, grab everything down the middle except for “Built Different” and “Ambidextrous”.
Finally, I usually recommend grabbing the perks available at the bottom of Body & Reflexes just to boost survivability in general.
Under the Relic tree, unlock the optical camo stuff first: This is how you’ll get back into stealth if you ever break it, and is absolutely 100% useful.
Let’s get into the cyberware & equipment next.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0: Stealth Pistols Cyberware & Gear
For this build you really have a lot of freedom in the cyberware department; early on you’re going to want to focus on low-cost cyberware just to make sure you can get to the point of filling all the slots ASAP, but once your Tech tree is maxed out and you’ve got a few more levels this becomes less of an issue.
The only critical cyberware is going to be Sandevistan, Axolotl (to help sustain Sandevistan) and Optical Camo. I’d also suggest you go with the Kiroshi Clairvoyant optics just to help you plan your approach. Visual Cortex support is good, too, for the rare instances you don’t insta-kill with a headshot (such as with bosses or cyberpsychos).
The Sandevistan is going to be your bread & butter here. Stick with the Zetatech until you can unlock the Militech Falcon variant (level 30); You’ll want that so you can toggle it on & off as-needed, and regen faster too. Once you hit 40 grab the Apogee variant.
I also went with the Lynx Paws in the legs; The extra stealth is going to be very useful if you really want to get up-close-and-personal.
Later on you can make use of So Mi’s implant (no spoilers, but you do need to make certain choices in Phantom Liberty to get it) to help with cooldowns further, but it’s not critical for this build.
As far as pistols go, use whatever you like and toss the best suppressor and optics you can find on it. You’re going to want to focus on raw single-shot damage at first rather than firing rate or magazine size: As long as you prioritize higher damage pistols most foes will go down in one shot from stealth, with only the tougher ones requiring a second.
Once you get into Phantom Liberty, though, you’ll be working towards what will become your sole weapon: Her Majesty.
Her Majesty is just made for a stealth pistols build: High damage, built in suppressor, optics-ready, and also pairs well with optical camo. In the late game you’ll find yourself using Active Camo more in an active role than just helping you get back into stealth, and this will end up wrecking everybody in 1 shot except for bosses.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0: Stealth Pistols End-Game Progression
Since this built reaches it’s critical perks early, you’ve got a lot of room to grow in the late-game.
I’d personally suggest going the Reflexes route; the added criticals and mobility is nice here. You can also pump body just so you can occasionally ditch stealth and just stand out in the open taking hits while you John Wick everybody around you.
And honestly.. That’s it. This build is super simple, and is great middle ground if you’re not a fan of stealth hackers.