Contagion build (Patch 1.63) - Cyberpunk 2077
This post will cover Contagion build in Cyberpunk 2077. It is a quickhack that poisons enemies and spreads around. This build is especially deadly to groups of enemies.
This is a variation of netrunner build, so you can expect many things to overlap.
Contagion Build
This build concentrates on using quickhacks that spread around groups of enemies. As you can expect you will be weak against direct enemy encounters.
To counter this weakness we will invest heavily into quickhacks and stealth
Not only that but Contagion Build will also be able to craft the Legendary tier quickhacks for the maximum amount of damage.
Attributes
This section will go through recommended attributes and how you should progress with them. Picking the correct ones will ensure that you have sufficient stats to kill enemies.
Starting the game
For Contagion build, you want to start with a maximum allocation of Intelligence. This way your quickhacks will be the most effective early in the game
- Intelligence+3
- Cool +3
- Body +1
Progression
Here is how you should have allocated the attributes to reach the core of the build
| Level | Reflex | Body | Tech | Cool | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 30 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 20 |
- Intelligence 20. Ensures that Contagion build deals the largest possible damage
- Cool 20. You will get some great perks from this attribute that increases the effectiveness of quickhacks and stealth
Of course, this leaves plenty of points to be spent elsewhere. I recommend three options, that you can put the rest of the 20 attributes:
- Technical Ability - for crafting quickhack components and legendary armors
- Reflexes - will maximize the critical chance and improves monowire, blades, rifles, and handguns (I personally prefer this one)
- Body - can use it to maximize survivability, and increase effectiveness with shotguns and blunt weapons.
Perks
In this section, I will go through recommended perks for the Contagion build in Cyberpunk 2077
Breach Protocol
This perk tree will improve your daemons and provide bonuses to access points. They will be important for collecting quichack components
| Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Sleep x2 | More of quality of life perk. You can even leave it at level 1, but this can become risky in long stealth missions. |
| 1 | Mass Vulnerability x2 | Decreases physical resistance of all enemies in the network by 30% |
| 5 | Almost In! | Greatly boosts the breach time for Breach Protocol. You can now spend more time finding an efficient number selection. |
| 5 | Advanced Datamine x2 | Upgrades the Datamine daemon, increasing the amount of eurodollars acquired from Access Points by 100%. |
| 7 | Mass Vulnerability: Resistances | Reduces all resistance of enemies in the network. This includes Burning, Shock, etc. |
| 7 | Extended Network Interface | Automatically highlights nearby Access Points. |
| 9 | Datamine Mastermind x2 | Upgrades the Datamine daemon, increasing the amount of components acquired from Access Points by 100%. |
| 11 | Total Recall | The ICEpick daemon reduces all quickhack costs by an additional 1 RAM unit(s). |
| 12 | Turret Tamer | Unlocks the Turret Tamer daemon, which sets the status of every turret in the network to friendly for 3 min. |
| 12 | Datamine Virtuoso x2 | Upgrades the Datamine daemon, increasing the chance to acquire a quickhack from Access Points by 100%. |
| 14 | Cloud Cache | Reduces the cost of the next quickhack. This is affected by the number of Daemons you upload to the network. |
| 16 | Totaler Recall | The ICEpick daemon reduces all quickhack costs by an additional 1 RAM unit(s). |
| 16 | Mass Vulnerability: Quickhacks | Enemies take 30% more damage from quickhacks, making this a mandatory perk for the Contagion build. |
| 18 | Head Start | First Daemon in the list is automatically uploaded. A good quality-of-life perk that saves time and makes the mini-game much easier. |
| 18 | Hackathon | If you upload 3 daemons in the same Breach Protocol reduces quickhack cooldown by 33%. This makes you much more effective in combat for 5 minutes. |
| 20 | Buffer Optimization | Daemon effect duration is doubled. |
| 20 | Compression | Daemon sequences are reduced by 1 |
Quickhacking
This main perk tree will greatly support all of the quickhacks you use. Moreover, you can use this tree to craft very powerful quickhacks later in the game
| Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biosynergy x3 | Increases the recovery of RAM during combat. 12 RAM every 60 seconds. |
| 1 | Bloodware x3 | Increases the damage of quickhacks by 30%, greatly boosting Contagion build damage. |
| 5 | Forget-me-not | Restores RAMs if the enemy is eliminated when affected by quickhack. |
| 5 | Hacker's Manual | Unlocks crafting specs for Uncommon quickhacks |
| 5 | I Spy | Reveals enemy netrunner if they try to hack you. A great perk that can save a life when in combat with multiple enemies. |
| 7 | Daisy Chain x3 | If the eliminated target was under the effect of quickhack reduces current cooldowns by 30% |
| 9 | Signal Support x2 | Increases quickhack duration for Contagion build by 50% |
| 11 | Subliminal Message x2 | Doubles quickhack damage to unaware targets. |
| 12 | Diffusion | Doubles the distance of quickhack spread. |
| 12 | Mnemonic | Reduces cost of quickhacks by 2 RAM if the enemy is already affected by quickhack |
| 12 | School of Hard Hacks | Unlocks rare quikchack crafting specs. |
| 14 | Plague x3 | Quickhacks that spread can jump to additional targets. Makes the Contagion build even more powerful |
| 16 | Hacker Overlord | Unlocks crafting specs for Epic quickhacks. |
| 16 | Critical Error | Quickhacks can now deal critical hits based on Crit Rate the character has. |
| 18 | Anamnesis x3 | Cyberdeck cannot fall below a certain RAM threshold |
| 20 | Bartmoss' Legacy | Unlocks Legendary crafting specs for quickhacks |
| 20 | Optimization | Reduces overall cost of Contagion build quickhacks by 1 RAM |
Cold Blood
| Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cold Blood x3 | Gain a stack of Cold Blood after defeating an enemy. |
| 7 | Frost Synapses x2 | Quickhack cooldowns are decreased by 3% for each stack of Cold Blood. The mandatory ability for Contagion build effectiveness |
| 11 | Collagulant | Cold Blood stacks are removed one by one. |
| 12 | Quick Transfer x2 | Reduces the time it takes for quickhacks to be uploaded. Becomes very effective once you have multiple Cold Blood stacks |
| 16 | Critical Condition x2 | Increases the duration of Cold Blood |
| 16 | Coldest Blood x2 | Increases the maximum amount of stacks for Cold Blood by 2 |
| 18 | Immunity | Makes you immune to almost any status effect. |
| 20 | Bloodswell | If you receive lethal damage and have a stack of Cold Blood this prevents you from dying. Uses the consumed stacks to replenish health. |
Ninjutsu
| Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crouching Tiger | Movements speed is increased while in stealth by 20% |
| 2 | Strike from the Shadows | Increases Crit Chance while sneaking by 7%. Due to this, you should always be sneaking when playing Contagion build |
| 7 | Assassin | Boosts damage to humans by 15%. As most of the enemies are humans this per is mandatory |
| 12 | Ghost x2 | Increases the time that enemies need to detect you by 40% |
| 16 | Hasty Retreat | Boosts movement speed by 50% when detected by enemies. |
| 18 | Critical Antidote | Seems like this is the only perk related to poison that works together with Contagion |
Build tactics
The build relies on having appropriate quickhacks. I recommend having these:
- Contagion - spreads around a group of enemies dealing chemical damage
- Short Circuit - very effective against drones and other non-human enemies
- Ping - reveals all enemies connected to a network
- Overheat - effective against human enemies
Another important aspect is to have Operating System - Cyberdeck. You want to have ones that spread the quickhack effect onto multiple enemies.
Some gameplay tactics
- When initiating combat I suggest first using Breach Protocol to get passive benefits and weaken enemies in the network. Once that is done the encounter will be much easier and quickhacks will cost less ram.
- Use Ping to reveal all the enemies in the Network to grasp the situation of how much you are outnumbered
- Now you are ready to start combat. If there are any drones, robots, etc. Use Short Circuit to shred them instantly
- Use Contagion on human enemies and see how the poison starts to spread around enemies. Slowly they will start looking for you.
- Hide somewhere so that enemies would find it difficult to see you or would take a long time to reach.
- It should take a few seconds and you can use the second Contagion or Overheat against a stronger enemy
Basic tips
- Another good tip is to always carry some grenades. They can help you in difficult situations when enemies may reach you in close-quarter combat
- Because the Contagion build has low HP always have some Bounce Backs.
Equipment recommendations
This section will cover how to best optimize Contagion build gear. I will go through the main gear that you should use to maximize the build's effectiveness
Weapons
The Contagion build does not rely on ranged weapons. However, you should still have them ready in case enemies get close to you or you are on cooldown. I only recommend Tech weapons as they can charge up and shoot through walls.
| Priority | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Widow Maker |
This is the option that I recommend the most. It deals decent damage and has a good range and fire rate. |
| 2 |  Nekomata |
A Tech sniper rifle can be found very early in the game. |
| 3 |  Lizzie |
An iconic pistol that releases extra rounds per shot. This makes it very deadly even as a pistol. |
| 4 |  DB-2 Satara |
A Tech shotgun may not be the best option but it is very fun to use. It also provides good sound feedback making it very satisfying to use. |
Armor Mods
| Mod name | Description |
|---|---|
 Hackslinger |
Greatly reduces quickhack cooldowns |
 Zero Drag |
Allows to move faster |
 Armadillo |
Provides bonus armor that is useful for a bit higher survivability. |
 Fortuna |
As your quickhacks can deal critical damage, this perk is a good addition. |
Cyberware - Frontal Cortex
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Memory Boost |
After defeating an enemy you will restore part of the RAM instantly. Makes encounters with multiple enemies easier |
| 2 |  Ex-Disk |
Increases the maximum amount of RAM units. |
| 3 |  Limbic System Enhancement |
Increases Crit Chance |
Cyberware - Ocular System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kiroshi Optics Mk.3 |
Enables to have additional upgrades for the ocular system. Try to get the highest rarity which is Epic. It provides 3 upgrade slots. |
Mods
| Mod name | Description |
|---|---|
 Weakspot Detection |
Increases Crit Chance by 2%. |
 Explosive Analysis |
If you plan on using Grenades, this is a great quality of life improvement |
Cyberware - Circulatory System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Microgenerator |
Deals electroshock damage when health reaches 15%. |
| 2 |  Tyrosine Injector |
Breaching time for Breach protocol is doubled. Mandatory for Contagion build |
| 3 |  Syn-Lungs |
Boosts stamina regeneration. Not mandatory, but allows you to sprint longer |
Cyberware - Immune System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Pain Editor |
One of the best Cyberware. Reduces overall damage received by 10%. Perfect for fragile the fragile Contagio build |
| 2 |  Shock-n-Awe |
Provides a chance to release Electrical nova to nearby enemies. |
Cyberware - Nervous System
You can wear 2 pieces of cyberwar for the Nervous System. Unfortunately, as Contagion build does not have high Reflexes you will be left with Common or Uncommon rarity cyberware
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Synaptic Accelerator |
Slows time when detected by enemies. |
| 2 |  Reflex Tuner |
Slows time when health drops to 25% |
Cyberware - Integumentary System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Subdermal Armor |
Provides flat armor increase. Try to obtain the highest rarity for the highest value. |
| 2 |  Optical Camo |
This is a bad boy. You will become invisible for a few seconds which you can use to take out enemies |
| 3 |  Heat Converter |
Increases damage if you are burning |
Cyberware - Operating System
| Priority | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  NetWatch Netdriver Mk.5 |
Allows quickhacks to jump to other enemies. I think this is the most powerful cyberdeck for Contagion build. |
| 2 |  Stephenson Tech Mk.4 |
Decreases cooldowns of quickhacks by 45%. Moreover, combat quickhacks have a longer duration of 50%. Very good for Contagion and Inferno hacks |
| 3 |  Fuyutsuki Tinkerer Mk.3 |
This is a good option for Contagion build as it increases spread distance and combat quickhack duration. |
| 3 |  Biotech Σ Mk.3 |
Boosts damage dealt by quickhacks 20% |
| 4 |  Stephenson Tech Mk.3 |
Increases the duration of quickhacks by 40% and decreases their cooldown by 45%. |
These are the main quickhacks that I recommend having. They will ensure that you can effectively deal with most enemies in the game.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
 Contagion |
Powerful combat quickhack that deals chemical damage over time. Moreover, it spreads to nearby targets making it very deadly against a group of enemies. |
 Ping |
It is a mandatory quickhack that reveals all enemies that are connected to the network. This will allow you to see all enemies through the walls and plan your encounter. |
 Short Circuit |
A very powerful quickhack that deals electrical damage. It is very effective against robots, drones, mechs, etc. |
 Overheat |
Deals burning damage, very effective against human targets. |
Cyberware - Skeleton
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Synaptic Signal Optimizer |
You can obtain common quality cyberware for a minimal amount of health boost. |
| 2 |  Bionic Lungs |
Boosts Stamina. Not mandatory cyberware but provides benefits when sprinting long distances |
A good option is Microrotos cyberware. Unfortunately, after testing I did not see that it would improve the attack speed.
Cyberware - Legs
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Reinforced Tendons |
My personal favorite makes traversing much easier. |
| 1 |  Lynx Paws |
A perfect option for stealth approaches |
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this build guide. It should cover all that you need to know to make the best Contagion build in Cyberpunk 2077. As mentioned, this is a variation to a netrunner build, meaning the gameplay style is very similar.
Feel free to leave a comment or like below!
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