Best Ninja Build - Invisible Menace

Best Ninja Build - Invisible Menace - Cyberpunk 2077

By zanuffas
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This post covers the best Ninja Build for Cyberpunk 2077. Stealth, agility, and precision make you the most lethal weapon. In this build, you'll be mastering the art of assassination, becoming one with the shadows, and eliminating your enemies with swift and deadly attacks before they even know you're there.

Ninja Build

This build covers an elusive assassin that uses blades and throwing knives to dispose of any foes. This is a true Ninja fantasy for me just set for the modern world.

So the main thing that is very appealing is katanas and throwing knives. These two weapons will be used to either remove targets with stealth or take them down with frontal assault. The main draw is that you will be effective with both of them thanks to perks and cyberware.

Another crucial part is stealth. Overall, it is not necessary too much, as the mechanic requires only avoiding detection and knowing the layout of the areas. However, I would like to utilize Optical Camo for that ultimate invisibility and taking down a foe, without them knowing you are there.

So if this sounds interesting, let's get into it

The build was created and tested on Very Hard difficulty.

Attributes

First, let's go through attributes, they provide stat bonuses and unlock new perks. The more points you invest the better options you unlock to create the ultimate Ninja build.

Starting Game

Here are the attributes you should take at the game's start. You can allocate a total of 7 points.

I recommend checking Cyberpunk 2077 beginner tips to avoid missing or misunderstanding important things early in the game.

Attribute Allocation Description
ico_coolCool +2 The main attribute for stealth and throwing knives.
ico_refReflexes +3 Reflexes will unlock mobility and katana-related perks.
ico_techTechnical Ability +1 Just 1 point to unlock the first tier perks.
ico_bodyBody +1 Unlock first-tier perks.

End Game Attributes

Here is how the end-game setup would look with the build once you have all the attributes sorted out:

I am leaving the build at level 52. This is when everything relevant to the Ninja setup is maximized. After that, you would improve on already strong aspects of the build
Attribute Allocation Description
ico_refReflexes 20 Maximum reflexes ensure the highest effectiveness using Katanas and all maximum mobility. Also, it improves critical chance.
ico_bodyBody 15 The goal with the high body is to get Adrenaline RushAdrenaline Rush, for survivability and damage boost.
ico_techTechnical Ability 20 This is mainly used to improve cyberware and consumable usage. You will want an Extended WarrantyExtended Warranty to get a longer duration for our Sandevistan and EdgerunnerEdgerunner perk in those tight combat situations.
ico_coolCool 15 Cool is where Throwing Knives will come into play and you get access to some sweet stealth perks using Optical Camo cyberware.
ico_intIntelligence 3 Skip this attribute as it is irrelevant to the build.
Need help with level-by-level attribute/perk progression? For my supporters on Ko-Fi or Patreon, I offer attribute picks on each level, for optimal progression.

To finish off the build you can put the rest of the points in either of these:

  • Body, for higher HP and access to Pain to Gain perk icon cyberpunk 2077Pain to Gain.
  • Cool, for improved critical damage and optional Style Over Substance perk icon cyberpunk 2077Style Over Substance​ perk.

Perks

Let's go through the perks of the Ninja Build. You will need about 60~ perk points for the build, and the base game awards about 80 with skills progression and perk shards. So some should be left to adjust the build to your needs.

Reflexes Perks

This is the core perk of the build that will allow using Katanas effectively. You should always have one on hand as it will be used if the combat situation becomes tight.

reflexes perks ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Level 4 Perks

Perk Description
Slippery perk icon cyberpunk 2077Slippery Base perk, that we will need to progress to other levels

Level 9 Perks

Finally, you will be able to get the first mobility perk. It is useful both for exploration and combat

Perk Description
Dash perk icon cyberpunk 2077Dash Another new perk that gives a short dash to avoid or get close to the enemies.
Mad Dash perk icon cyberpunk 2077Mad Dash Doubles the distance if dashing directly to an enemy
Can't Touch This perk icon cyberpunk 2077Can't Touch This A 100% mitigation chance while dodging is very valuable. This will give you a higher chance of reaching an enemy if you are under heavy fire.
Lead and Steel perk icon cyberpunk 2077Lead and Steel This is an awesome mechanic that allows us to block incoming bullets. Be sure that enemies are attacking you only from one side, as it does not work if we are shot from the back
Bullet Deflect perk icon cyberpunk 2077Bullet Deflect You can now redirect bullets back to enemies. This is very useful as you both deal damage and stagger enemies, allowing you to jump on them.
Seeing Double perk icon cyberpunk 2077Seeing Double Although the perk may not be useful, you want to take it to unlock Flash and ThunderclapFlash and Thunderclap. If you do not take it, skip this one
Flash and Thunderclap perk icon cyberpunk 2077Flash and Thunderclap A strong attack will now do a jump that closes the distance. The perk is optional, many iconic katanas come with this action, so check their descriptions
Need help with level-by-level Perk progression? For my supporters on Ko-Fi or Patreon, I offer optimal progression at each level, to pick correct perks.

Level 15 Perks

The Air Dash perk icon cyberpunk 2077Air Dash​ upgrade perks are amazing. However, due to limited perk points, I skipped them.

Perk Description
Air Dash perk icon cyberpunk 2077Air Dash Extremely cool and effective move that allows dashing in air.
Finisher: Bladerunner perk icon cyberpunk 2077Finisher: Bladerunner Finishers are mandatory, especially on higher difficulties. They give you a brief time of invulnerability, instantly destroy the enemy, and restore health. With a few more upgrades it will increase attack speed.
Opportunist perk icon cyberpunk 2077Opportunist You want to make Finishers as effective as possible
Flash of Steel perk icon cyberpunk 2077Flash of Steel Gives a huge boost to attack speed after a Finisher
Going the Distance perk icon cyberpunk 2077Going the Distance The biggest drawback of melee weapons is distance. Well with this perk it is somewhat alleviated.

Level 20 Perks

Perk Description
Slaughterhouse perk icon cyberpunk 2077Slaughterhouse 25 stamina from dismemberments and finishers have a bigger chance to activate.

Cool Perks

These perks are the second pillar of Ninja build. They give access to improved crouching mechanics and stronger Throwing Knives.

cool perks cyberpunk 2077

Level 4 Perks

Perk Description
Feline Footwork perk icon cyberpunk 2077Feline Footwork Improves crouching speed and gives a higher mitigation chance.
Blind Spot perk icon cyberpunk 2077Blind Spot Improves chances of avoiding enemy detection, by taking it longer to fill the meter.
Killer Instinct perk icon cyberpunk 2077Killer Instinct Flat damage increase for Throwing Knives outside of combat.
Gag Order perk icon cyberpunk 2077Gag Order Can be a lifesaver if you are not able to one-hit kill an enemy during stealth.
Quick Getaway perk icon cyberpunk 2077Quick Getaway This perk is optional. However, I do like using takedowns and neutralizing foes from stealth. Additional movement speed is a good addition especially when crouching.

Level 9 Perks

Now you will get access to the first Throwing Knife perks

Perk Description
Scorpion Sting perk icon cyberpunk 2077Scorpion Sting Required for progression but also gives an additional poison effect in case you don't kill an enemy.
Neurotoxin perk icon cyberpunk 2077Neurotoxin Blinding enemies is a great way to reduce their combat potential, especially against stronger ones.
Accelerated Toxin Absorption perk icon cyberpunk 2077Accelerated Toxin Absorption Perfect against stronger enemies like Elites or Cyberpshycos to inflict bonus damage after they have been poisoned.

Level 15 Perks

This is the biggest improvement to the build - you unlock improved Optical Camo perks and instant Throwing Knife return with Juggler perk icon cyberpunk 2077Juggler.

Need help with level-by-level Perk progression? For my supporters on Ko-Fi or Patreon, I offer optimal progression at each level, to pick correct perks.
Perk Description
Juggler perk icon cyberpunk 2077Juggler The most important perk for Throwing Knife users. Makes it instantly return after killing with a headshot, crit hit, or Poison.
Sleight of Hand perk icon cyberpunk 2077Sleight of Hand A big critical damage increase after activating Juggler perk icon cyberpunk 2077Juggler.
Finisher: Act of Mercy perk icon cyberpunk 2077Finisher: Act of Mercy Amazing action that gives an instant kill option and HP restore.
Pounce perk icon cyberpunk 2077Pounce Increases Finisher: Act of Mercy perk icon cyberpunk 2077Finisher: Act of Mercy​ range, which saves time and increases the speed at which you can kill foes.
Ninjutsu perk icon cyberpunk 2077Ninjutsu A unique ability that is mediocre in my opinion. However, with a few upgrades and Optical Camo, this becomes a staple for Ninja build.
Creeping Death perk icon cyberpunk 2077Creeping Death Mainly taken for unlocking the next perk, but the bonuses are decent.
Vanishing Act perk icon cyberpunk 2077Vanishing Act This is what will make the build true Ninja! Just by crouching you can ensure you are invisible and take down foes with either a katana or throwing knife.

Technical Ability Perks

technical Ability perks cyberpunk 2077

Level 4 Perks

Perk Description
Glutton for War perk icon cyberpunk 2077Glutton for War You will be taking out a lot of enemies, so why not faster healing item recharge?

Level 9 Perks

Perk Description
All Things Cyber perk icon cyberpunk 2077All Things Cyber Mandatory perk as we will need as much Cyberware as we can. Reduces its costs
Renaissance Punk perk icon cyberpunk 2077Renaissance Punk With this build, we will have 4 attributes above 9, so worth taking it.
Chrome Constitution perk icon cyberpunk 2077Chrome Constitution With Ninja build we are filling all the slots with chrome, so reduced damage is nice.
Driver Update perk icon cyberpunk 2077Driver Update This is a rare perk to recommend coming from me. However, there is an important aspect that greatly improves the build. This increases the chance of getting a Decreased Enemy Vision modifier, which acts as an invisibility layer.
Chipware Connoisseur perk icon cyberpunk 2077Chipware Connoisseur Makes it easier to get the Decreased Enemy Vision modifier.

Level 15 Perks

Perk Description
License to Chrome perk icon cyberpunk 2077License to Chrome Improves Skeleton cyberware and unlocks a new slot for even more chrome
Extended Warranty perk icon cyberpunk 2077Extended Warranty The increased duration is useful for all cyberware the Ninja build uses.
Cyborg perk icon cyberpunk 2077Cyborg Try to have all the cyberware slots filled. This way you will get reduced cooldowns, meaning you can reuse sandevistan, Optical Camo, and countershell faster. However, this requires filling all the slots, which requires tons of Cyberware capacity. So feel free to take this late
Ambidextrous perk icon cyberpunk 2077Ambidextrous Mainly used to unlock the full potential of the Cyborg perk icon cyberpunk 2077Cyborg​ perk. There are not many handles that are useful for this build.

Level 20 perks

Perk Description
Edgerunner perk icon cyberpunk 2077Edgerunner This is a very important perk in my opinion if you are doing cyberware-heavy build. You can now use better gear and you also get improved damage.

Body Perks

This is an important tree in my opinion especially if you are playing on Very Hard. The survivability boost.

body perks ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Level 4 Perks

Perk Description
Painkiller perk icon cyberpunk 2077Painkiller A very valuable perk that is recommended for any build. We also need it for the progression
Dorph-head perk icon cyberpunk 2077Dorph-head When you activate the healing item, this will give a big survivability boost via mitigation chance.
Need help with level-by-level Perk progression? For my supporters on Ko-Fi or Patreon, I offer optimal progression at each level, to pick correct perks.

Level 15 Perks

Perk Description
Adrenaline Rush perk icon cyberpunk 2077Adrenaline Rush This perk will make sure that we have an additional buffer of health. It will counteract the negative effects of EdgerunnerEdgerunner.
Calm Mind perk icon cyberpunk 2077Calm Mind Longer duration of adrenaline rush
Juggernaut perk icon cyberpunk 2077Juggernaut With more movement speed and damage, it gets better and better.

Perks - Relic

These perks are available with Phantom Liberty DLC. They will give further improvements to some of the game mechanics.

relic perks ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Priority Perk Description
1 Emergency Cloaking perk icon cyberpunk 2077Emergency Cloaking This is the perfect perk for Ninja playstyle as you can just vanish from combat anytime.
2 Sensory Protocol perk icon cyberpunk 2077Sensory Protocol This is another tier of security when approaching combat from stealth. Slow time before being detected.
3 Vulnerability Analytics perk icon cyberpunk 2077Vulnerability Analytics Shows enemy weak spots, which when hit, create an electricity explosion. It is especially useful against robots and stronger enemies which are hard to chip away with just melee weapon attacks.
4 Machine Learning perk icon cyberpunk 2077Machine Learning Improves Vulnerability AnalyticsVulnerability Analytics by making them appear faster and giving a higher critical damage boost

Equipment

This section will cover what gear I recommend using with the Ninja build. Always try to obtain the highest tier equipment as it provides the best stats and most modification slots.

Best Katanas

Here are my recommendations for the best Katanas that you should be on the lookout for

Item Description
byakko cyberpunk 2077Byakko Very powerful katana, that now has a unique combo effect after killing an enemy. It releases a flurry of hits, easily chipping away at any enemy.
jinchu maru katana cyberpunk 2077Jinchu-Maru
Although this is not the strongest Katana overall, it does fit the theme of Ninja. It gets a big boost of damage from guaranteed critical hits when using Optical Camo. It also deals bonus damage against elites.
errata katana cyberpunk 2077Errata A newly introduced fire katana. What makes it special is that hitting enemies on fire deals critical hits. The Katana has a 30% burn chance, but you can also apply it via Incendiary Grenade, Projectile Launch System, etc.
scalpel cyberpunk 2077Scalpel This is the best katana after Act 1 and early Act 2 that you can get, specifically if you are using Sandevistan. While under its effect you will get a bonus of 50% critical chance.
satori cyberpunk 2077Satori The first major katana that you will obtain playing through the story. It will be quickly replaced by the next one.

If you find a higher-tier Katana you may be on the lookout for these modifications. However, I do not think it's worth switching them with Iconic ones.

Modification Description
silencio modification cyberpunk 2077Silencio If you dabble in sneak attacks this mod can guarantee critical hits and increase damage by 50%.
cyclone cyberpunk 2077Cyclone If you have used Byakko this allows doing a similar combo just not as fast.
severance modificaiton cyberpunk 2077Severance A strong mod that increases the likelihood of insta-kill once the enemy's HP is below 50%.
bleedout modification cyberpunk 2077Bleedout As blades apply bleeding, this will greatly improve the status effect damage.

Best Throwing Knives

Here is what I recommend to use for maximum knife build effectiveness. The good thing is that you can melee attack with them. You can check my Throwing Knife tier list for all options.

Item Description
knife cyberpunk 2077Knife The simple knife is one of the best weapons due to its 200% Headshot damage multiplier. You just need to obtain high-tier ones.
headhunter cyberpunk 2077Headhunter I think this is the best option for Throwing Knives. In case the first headshot does not kill, the second gets a 200% damage bonus.
blue fang cyberpunk 2077Blue Fang This knife has the unique effect of stunning an enemy. However, there is a slight delay, so that could be problematic. Use this on Elite enemies, to better crowd control them.
stinger cyberpunk 2077Stinger Although not as strong as the others, it can apply bleeding which is additional damage over time effect.

Some knives, especially not the iconic ones, can be modified. Try to get the highest-tier upgrades. Sadly, none of them are truly game-changing:

Modification Description
zero g throwable modification cyberpunk 2077Zero-G Throwing weapons flight straight, making it easier to hit.
slice em up modification cyberpunk 2077Slice 'Em Up Increases the chance of activating the finisher, but this requires you to neutralize an enemy first.
bleedout modification cyberpunk 2077Bleedout Bleeds have a 100% crit chance.

There are other modifications, but those only work when hitting with melee, not throwing:

Modification Description
silencio modification cyberpunk 2077Silencio This gives a huge boost to critical damage and guarantees a critical hit. However, this only works for melee attacks, not throwing.
severance modificaiton cyberpunk 2077Severance The unique modification gives a chance to dismember enemies when attacking with melee hits.

Throwing Axe

Although, technically it is not a throwing knife, it can be still thrown. One weapon that I urge you to get:

Item Description
agaou axe cyberpunk 2077Agaou Okay, this is an amazing weapon, although not stealthy. Critical hits release a shockwave and by itself, it has a 30% shock chance. So not only you will most likely kill the single target, but damage everyone around it.

Cyberware

Cyberware is a unique mechanic that allows us to fill the build with implants. Early games can be quite difficult as you will have limited capacity. However, as you progress and drop more Capacity Shards, you will be able to equip more.

I will be covering here what is your goal for the end game, to make the build as powerful as possible

First Priority Cyberware

This is what is essential to make the build work. I would even recommend dropping everything else to equip these if cyberware capacity doesn't allow it. These cyberware selections make the core of the build.

first priority cyberware ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Slot Cyberware Description
Frontal Cortex 1 newton module cyberpunk 2077Axolotl This cyberware will take the build to the ultimate level. It has a very steep cyberware capacity cost. But it gives cooldown reductions for almost everything.
newton module cyberpunk 2077Newton Module Gives a cyberware cooldown reduction after taking out an enemy. It is not much, however, with multiple kills, the effect adds up.
Skeleton 1 spring joints cyberpunk 2077Spring Joints Improves mitigation strength, complementing other cyberware like Countershell and Neofiber.
Nervous System 1 neofiber cyberpunk 2077Neofiber Thanks to Defenzikov, the bonus mitigation strength will prove effective in ensuring you receive as little damage as possible.
Integumentary System 1 countershell cyberpunk 2077Countershell One of my favorite cyberware. With this, in case you are under heavy fire it will activate to give a huge boost to mitigation chance. Thanks to other cyberware you will have 70-90% damage reduction for 4 seconds. Together with Axolotl, you can have almost instant cooldowns.
Integumentary System 2 optical camo cyberpunk 2077Optical Camo As the theme of the build is stealth, I would say this cyberware is mandatory.
Operating System 1 militech apogee sandevistan cyberpunk 2077Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan This version of Sandevistan provides a bit higher damage bonuses but comes with a shorter duration and increased cyberware capacity cost.
militech falcon sandevistanMilitech "Falcon" Sandevistan A bit weaker version, but enough for the the end game. Has a 10-second duration and adequate combat bonuses.
dynalar sandevistan cyberpunk 2077Dynalar Sandevistan This is the base version that I recommend using from early levels.
biodyne berserk cyberpunk 2077Biodyne Berserk
Optional cyberware that I recommend if you want to have an "all things go to hell" option. You become invisible, and attacks don't drain stamina. So for example, as a Ninja, if your stealth approach does not work, just pop Berserk and finish off everyone with your katana in a few seconds.
Circulatory System 1 biomonitor cyberpunk 2077Biomonitor Automatically heals, makes the combat somewhat easier, as you do not have to worry how long it takes to use a healing item.
Circulatory System 2 blood pump cyberpunk 2077Blood Pump The most powerful healing item in the game, it will ensure that you don't die while using OverclockOverclock.
Legs reinforced tendons cyberpunk 2077Reinforced Tendons My personal favorite makes traversing much easier.
fortified ankles cyberpunk 2077Fortified Ankles Gives the highest jumps and high boost to armor compared to cyberware capacity cost. But you need to hold the jump button.

Second Priority Cyberware

This is what you should be getting once you have the core cyberware, or you have free capacity.

second priority cyberware ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Slot Cyberware Description
Skeleton 2 epimorphic skeleton cyberpunk 2077Epimorphic Skeleton The huge boost to health and armor is a good improvement to survivability. On Very Hard in the late game, some enemies may one-shot you with too low HP.
Skeleton 3 dense marrow cyberpunk 2077Dense Marrow The bonus weapon damage is substantial. However, this impacts your stamina consumption which might be a problem during longer encounters.
Nervous System 2 stabber cyberpunk 2077Stabber Improves critical chance for katanas and throwing weapons.
Integumentary System 3 painducer cyberpunk 2077Painducer
This is recommended if you can afford the cyberware cost. This is a huge lifesaver that greatly reduces big damage and spreads it over a while.
carapace cyberpunk 2077Carapace Gives bonus armor effectiveness when being attacked from flanks.
subdermal armor cyberpunk 2077Subdermal Armor A simple cyberware that has a high armor-to-cyberware capacity cost ratio.
Face 1 kiroshi cockatrice optics cyberpunk 2077Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics The best eye cyberware for any build that uses ranged or melee weapons. However, the cost is very steep, so I would leave this for the end game.
kiroshi doomsayer optics cyberpunk 2077Kiroshi "Doomsayer" Optics A lightly improved version that also gives bonus critical chance based on the Reflexes attribute.
basic kiroshi optics cyberpunk 2077Basic Kiroshi Optics Simple eye cyberware, that I think does the job for this build as you get bonus headshot damage.

Final Cyberware setup

The last tier of cyberware options. Here is how the build should look in the end. Overall, you should try to fill all the slots if you are using the Cyborg perk icon cyberpunk 2077Cyborg​ Perk. After that as capacity increases, obtain improved options.

final cyberware setup ninja build cyberpunk 2077

Slot Cyberware Description
Frontal Cortex 2 quantum tuner cyberpunk 2077Quantum Tuner If you can obtain this one, it is one of the best cyberware to have for cooldown heavy build. Just remember that it will be used up fast due to multiple cyberware utilizing it - Sandevistan/Berserk, Reflex Tuner, Countershell, etc. I would remove Reflex Tuner if you started using this one as this would greatly extend the duration of the operating system.
mechatronic core cyberpunk 2077Mechatronic Core Just an alternative cyberware to fill the slot. It is also okay, for some bonus damage against mechs.
Frontal Cortex 3 kerenzikov boost system cyberpunk 2077Kerenzikov Boost System Although the build is not using Kerenzikov, this still gives a bonus to critical chance based on the Reflex attribute.
Nervous System 2 revulsor cyberpunk 2077Revulsor Improved version of Reflex Turner, which works similarly to Sandevistan and does not slow you down.
reflex tuner cyberpunk 2077Reflex Tuner Excellent cyberware that kicks in when your health drops below 25%. This has a good synergy with Borrowed Time perk icon cyberpunk 2077Borrowed Time, which gives a chance to gain a health item when on Low HP.
Arms projectile launch system cyberpunk 2077Projectile Launch System Generally, anything works here, you just need the slot to be filled.
Hands 1 handle wrap cyberpunk 2077Handle Wrap It's the only true hands cyberware that gives a direct boost for throwing axes and kn
Hands 2 Any cheap Cyberware You can use tattoos or anything else at a low cost to fill it.
Circulatory System 3 isometric stabilizer cyberpunk 2077Isometric Stabilizer If you can afford the cyberware cost this is great cyberware to extend the number of attacks you do with katanas. This is particularly effective with Byakko combos.
microrotors cyberpunk 2077Microrotors Take this if you want to increase attack speed further and do not care as much about survivability and health regeneration.
heal on kill cyberpunk 2077Heal-On-Kill I would say this is the safest option, it gives an additional layer of HP restoration.
threatevac cyberware cyberpunk 2077Threatevac Low-cost alternative to fill the slot

How to Use the Build

Here I would like to share some general tips that I would like to recommend for the best approach with this build.

Core Mechanics

Let's go through what I think are the core mechanics of the build to maximize its effectiveness.

Sandevistan Usage

In my opinion for this build, Sandevistan is the lifesaver. It allows you to concentrate and land the perfect throwing knife hit, which is essential for a fast-moving build like this. Moreover, in the early game, you may need to wait for Sandevistan cooldowns a lot, but this becomes better once you reach level 30 and get access to Militech ones.

Another aspect is that Sandevistan plays well with stealth combat. For example, you can use it to slow down time, take out a foe, and use a small time window to move to the next target before combat even starts.

Another important aspect of Sandevistan and why you should use it often - is increased damage. Both Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan and Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan give respectable bonuses.

Finishers with Sandevistan

This is the main problem that Sandevistan creates when using it together with Finishers. If the finisher is activated while Sandy is active, this will waste precious time and not stop its usage.

An alternative is to deactivate Sandevistan (if you are using Militech ones) and only then do a finisher. However, in the late game, stopping might just take too long and the enemy might just be killed with the next attack.

Overall, this needs some practice to be used together. However, Finishers play an important role in Stamina management so let's get into that.

Stamina Management

The biggest problem with melee builds (and any build in cyberpunk) is prolonged combat where you do multiple hits sequentially. This uses up your stamina and greatly slows down your attack speed or accuracy. To circumvent this there are various options:

  • Waiting, which is simplest but breaks the combat and slows it down.
  • Using Finishers - this is best done without Sandevistan being active. While the Finisher animation is running a few seconds will pass which will restore fully or at least partially your Stamina pool.
  • Perks like Tailwind perk icon cyberpunk 2077Tailwind, Lead and Steel perk icon cyberpunk 2077Lead and Steel, Slaughterhouse perk icon cyberpunk 2077Slaughterhouse, etc. These are great as usually you can incorporate them in combat rotation and ensure that you have stamina

As you can see, when I initiated combat and wanted to do finisher I disabled Sandevistan. After that, as combat went on, I drained my stamina. This is when my Katana hits become weaker and slower.

Overall, this is only a problem when you are fighting in longer combat sequences. However, there is one cyberware that overcomes this limitation.

Berserk Operating System

In the cyberware section, I already covered Biodyne Berserk. This is ridiculously powerful cyberware that you may be overlooking. Sandevistan is cooler, but when you want huge damage spikes Berserk is for you.

As you can see Berserk makes one of the most difficult encounters in the game a cakewalk. You become invincible, with no stamina limit and a huge damage boost. The only downside is that the screen becomes red, which I think can be fixed with mods.

Optical Camo

Now I would like to cover stealth cyberware that gives the Ninja feel for the build. With all the perks the build uses the Optical Camo cyberware is outright broken:

  • You can sneak up on enemies very close and do a stealth takedown
  • With Emergency Cloaking perk icon cyberpunk 2077Emergency Cloaking​ if the situation is too dire, just escape combat and enter again.
  • When Crouch-Sprinting only uses as much as needed of Optical Camo.

So you can avoid deadly situations and take your stealth combat to the next level.

Early Game Combat

Okay, let's go through some early-game combat approaches. I recommend checking Cyberpunk 2077 beginner tips for additional information on the early game combat.

At level 10 get a better operating System

From level 10 be sure to visit ripperdocs and get access to Tier 2 Sandevistans. This will be a huge upgrade to combat capabilities. This gives you a short period where you will "feel" overpowered and this is the first step towards the Ninja build I envision.

Switch between Ranged and Melee weapons

Throwing Knives only becomes "worth it" once you get access to the Juggler perk icon cyberpunk 2077Juggler​ perk. Before that, it is pointless in my opinion. So switch between ranged weapons like pistols, assault rifles, and katanas at close range.

Use Grenades

Consumables like grenades are another great choice to give some crowd control for free. Just throw them on the enemy that you want to stagger. This is perfect when you are waiting for the throwing item to return.

Late Game Combat

The late game is where you mix and use all the build mechanics I covered:

  1. Approach the encounter either crouching or with Sandevistan and neutralize a few enemies using Throwing Knives or takedowns.
  2. It's good if you can do everything not being detected, but that's rarely the case. If things go wrong, you can activate Sandevistan and take out the enemy that detected you. With Gag Order perk icon cyberpunk 2077Gag Order​ you have a chance of avoiding combat status.
  3. Once combat starts you can either use Throwing Knives to maintain medium range and chip away at enemies.
  4. Or enable Sandevistan and use Katana to shred your foes to pieces.
  5. If it becomes bad, you can use Emergency Cloaking perk icon cyberpunk 2077Emergency Cloaking​ to escape combat and get a breather.

So the combat has various approaches, via being invisible, time slow, throwing knives, or direct melee weapon combat.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post on the Ninja build in Cyberpunk 2077. This is the ultimate stealth experience that resembles a stealth assassin with blades. You will be effective both at ranged and melee combat and thanks to various cyberware enemies will bend to your will.

Feel free to leave a comment below!

Discussion

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Post author zanuffas avatar zanuffas
Gamestegy Founder. I have been writing game guides and builds for 4 years. I like to push myself to create something wonderful for the readers!