Best Ninja Build - Invisible Menace - Cyberpunk 2077

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

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
Cool	+2	The main attribute for stealth and throwing knives.
Reflexes	+3	Reflexes will unlock mobility and katana-related perks.
Technical Ability	+1	Just 1 point to unlock the first tier perks.
Body	+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:

Attribute	Allocation	Description
Reflexes	20	Maximum reflexes ensure the highest effectiveness using Katanas and all maximum mobility. Also, it improves critical chance.
Body	15	The goal with the high body is to get Adrenaline Rush, for survivability and damage boost.
Technical Ability	20	This is mainly used to improve cyberware and consumable usage. You will want an Extended Warranty to get a longer duration for our Sandevistan and Edgerunner perk in those tight combat situations.
Cool	15	Cool is where Throwing Knives will come into play and you get access to some sweet stealth perks using Optical Camo cyberware.
Intelligence	3	Skip this attribute as it is irrelevant to the build.

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.
• Cool, for improved critical damage and optional Style 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.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Slippery	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	Another new perk that gives a short dash to avoid or get close to the enemies.
Mad Dash	Doubles the distance if dashing directly to an enemy
Can'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	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	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	Although the perk may not be useful, you want to take it to unlock Flash and Thunderclap. If you do not take it, skip this one
Flash 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

Level 15 Perks

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

Perk	Description
Air Dash	Extremely cool and effective move that allows dashing in air.
Finisher: 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	You want to make Finishers as effective as possible
Flash of Steel	Gives a huge boost to attack speed after a Finisher
Going the Distance	The biggest drawback of melee weapons is distance. Well with this perk it is somewhat alleviated.

Level 20 Perks

Perk	Description
Slaughterhouse	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.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Feline Footwork​	Improves crouching speed and gives a higher mitigation chance.
Blind Spot​	Improves chances of avoiding enemy detection, by taking it longer to fill the meter.
Killer Instinct​	Flat damage increase for Throwing Knives outside of combat.
Gag Order​	Can be a lifesaver if you are not able to one-hit kill an enemy during stealth.
Quick 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​	Required for progression but also gives an additional poison effect in case you don't kill an enemy.
Neurotoxin​	Blinding enemies is a great way to reduce their combat potential, especially against stronger ones.
Accelerated 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	Description
Juggler​	The most important perk for Throwing Knife users. Makes it instantly return after killing with a headshot, crit hit, or Poison.
Sleight of Hand​	A big critical damage increase after activating Juggler.
Finisher: Act of Mercy​	Amazing action that gives an instant kill option and HP restore.
Pounce​	Increases Finisher: Act of Mercy​ range, which saves time and increases the speed at which you can kill foes.
Ninjutsu​	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​	Mainly taken for unlocking the next perk, but the bonuses are decent.
Vanishing 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

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Glutton 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	Mandatory perk as we will need as much Cyberware as we can. Reduces its costs
Renaissance Punk	With this build, we will have 4 attributes above 9, so worth taking it.
Chrome Constitution	With Ninja build we are filling all the slots with chrome, so reduced damage is nice.
Driver 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​	Makes it easier to get the Decreased Enemy Vision modifier.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
License to Chrome	Improves Skeleton cyberware and unlocks a new slot for even more chrome
Extended Warranty	The increased duration is useful for all cyberware the Ninja build uses.
Cyborg	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​	Mainly used to unlock the full potential of the Cyborg​ perk. There are not many handles that are useful for this build.

Level 20 perks

Perk	Description
Edgerunner	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.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Painkiller	A very valuable perk that is recommended for any build. We also need it for the progression
Dorph-head	When you activate the healing item, this will give a big survivability boost via mitigation chance.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
Adrenaline Rush	This perk will make sure that we have an additional buffer of health. It will counteract the negative effects of Edgerunner.
Calm Mind	Longer duration of adrenaline rush
Juggernaut	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.

Priority	Perk	Description
1	Emergency Cloaking​	This is the perfect perk for Ninja playstyle as you can just vanish from combat anytime.
2	Sensory Protocol​	This is another tier of security when approaching combat from stealth. Slow time before being detected.
3	Vulnerability 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	Improves Vulnerability 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	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	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	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	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	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	If you dabble in sneak attacks this mod can guarantee critical hits and increase damage by 50%.
Cyclone	If you have used Byakko this allows doing a similar combo just not as fast.
Severance	A strong mod that increases the likelihood of insta-kill once the enemy's HP is below 50%.
Bleedout	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	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	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	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	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	Throwing weapons flight straight, making it easier to hit.
Slice 'Em Up	Increases the chance of activating the finisher, but this requires you to neutralize an enemy first.
Bleedout	Bleeds have a 100% crit chance.

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

Modification	Description
Silencio	This gives a huge boost to critical damage and guarantees a critical hit. However, this only works for melee attacks, not throwing.
Severance	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	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.

Slot	Cyberware	Description
Frontal Cortex 1	Axolotl	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	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	Improves mitigation strength, complementing other cyberware like Countershell and Neofiber.
Nervous System 1	Neofiber	Thanks to Defenzikov, the bonus mitigation strength will prove effective in ensuring you receive as little damage as possible.
Integumentary System 1	Countershell	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	As the theme of the build is stealth, I would say this cyberware is mandatory.
Operating System 1	Militech "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" Sandevistan	A bit weaker version, but enough for the the end game. Has a 10-second duration and adequate combat bonuses.
	Dynalar Sandevistan	This is the base version that I recommend using from early levels.
	Biodyne 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	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	The most powerful healing item in the game, it will ensure that you don't die while using Overclock.
Legs	Reinforced Tendons	My personal favorite makes traversing much easier.
	Fortified 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.

Slot	Cyberware	Description
Skeleton 2	Epimorphic 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	The bonus weapon damage is substantial. However, this impacts your stamina consumption which might be a problem during longer encounters.
Nervous System 2	Stabber	Improves critical chance for katanas and throwing weapons.
Integumentary System 3	Painducer	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	Gives bonus armor effectiveness when being attacked from flanks.
	Subdermal Armor	A simple cyberware that has a high armor-to-cyberware capacity cost ratio.
Face 1	Kiroshi "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	A lightly improved version that also gives bonus critical chance based on the Reflexes attribute.
	Basic 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. After that as capacity increases, obtain improved options.

Slot	Cyberware	Description
Frontal Cortex 2	Quantum 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	Just an alternative cyberware to fill the slot. It is also okay, for some bonus damage against mechs.
Frontal Cortex 3	Kerenzikov 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	Improved version of Reflex Turner, which works similarly to Sandevistan and does not slow you down.
	Reflex Tuner	Excellent cyberware that kicks in when your health drops below 25%. This has a good synergy with Borrowed Time, which gives a chance to gain a health item when on Low HP.
Arms	Projectile Launch System	Generally, anything works here, you just need the slot to be filled.
Hands 1	Handle 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	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	Take this if you want to increase attack speed further and do not care as much about survivability and health regeneration.
	Heal-On-Kill	I would say this is the safest option, it gives an additional layer of HP restoration.
	Threatevac	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, Lead and Steel, Slaughterhouse, 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​ 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. 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​ 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​ 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!