Best Pistol and Revolver Build (Patch 1.63)

Best Pistol and Revolver Build (Patch 1.63) - Cyberpunk 2077

By zanuffas
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This post will cover the best Pistol Build for Cyberpunk 2077. if you were wondering if can you make something deadly with these one-handed weapons - then you are in for a treat. Cyberpunk 2077 provides great perks that match this playstyle perfectly. Although one would think these weapons are weak they are very strong once the correct perks are taken.

Pistol and Revolver Build

What makes the build very efficient? Handgun tree allows shooting and gaining buffs while using Dodges. Pair this with Kerenzikov and you can have a very agile build. Generally, pistols are very effective at headshots thanks to the Handguns perk tree.

However, I think it all depends on your ability to land multiple headshots. Of course, after a few hour of practice, this will be easy as enemy AI is fairly predictable.

Attributes

In this section, I will cover what attributes to pick for the Pistol Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Starting the game

  • Reflexes +3. It is best to maximize pistol damage early in the game.
  • Cool +2. This will also benefit offensive capabilities, although not much early in the game.
  • Technical Ability +1
  • Body +1. Gives some bonus HP for better early survival chances.

Progression

Level Reflex Body Tech Cool Int
10 10 6 6 6 3
30 15 11 14 8 3
50 20 12 20 16 3
  • Reflexes 20. We want to maximize this attribute so that we would have maximum effectiveness when using Pistols with the build
  • Body 12. This will be sufficient to get some health-related perks and improvements to weapon handling. This means that you will be able to shoot and reload pistols while jumping, sprinting, etc.
  • Technical Ability 20. I always like this tree, it allows crafting whatever you need and whenever you need - ammo, grenades, legendary gear.
  • Cool 16. This attribute will provide some good perks related to overall combat, particularly Cold Blood.

The pistol build does not rely on Intelligence. The main reason is that we will forgo Cyberdecks and only use Sandevistans as the operating system.

Perks

This section covers what Perks you should pick with the Pistol build. It is very important part as it can make or break any build

Handguns

The main Pistol perk tree. It provides damage-related improvements.

Engineer build Handguns cyberpunk 2077

Reflexes Level Skill Description
1 Gunslinger x3 Reduces reload time for Pistols and Revolvers by 25%. 
1 High Noon x3 Increases Crit Chance with Pistols and Revolvers by 6%. 
5 Desperado x3 Increases damage with Pistols and Revolvers by 10%. 
5 Rio Bravo x3 Increases headshot damage multiplier with Pistols and Revolvers by 15%. 
7 Long Shot Drop Pop x2 Increases damage with Pistols and Revolvers to enemies 5+ meters away by 25%. 
9 Steady Hand  Reduces Pistol and Revolver recoil by 20%. 
9 O.K. Corral  Deal 50% more damage with Pistols and Revolvers to enemies whose Health is below 25%. 
9 Vanishing Point  Increases Mitigation Chance by 20% for 5 sec. after performing a dodge with a Pistol or Revolver equipped.
11 A Fistful of Eurodollars x2 Increases Crit Damage with Pistols and Revolvers by 30%.
11 From Head to Toe x2 Increases damage done to limbs with Pistols and Revolvers by 7/15%. 
12 Acrobat  You can now perform dodges while aiming a Pistol or Revolver. 
12 Grand Finale  The last round in a Pistol or Revolver clip deals double damage. 
14 Attritional Fire  Firing consecutive shots with a Pistol or Revolver at the same target increases damage by 10%. 
14 Wild West  Removes the damage penalty from Pistols and Revolvers when shooting from a distance. Now you can maximise your damage when fighting enemies from long distances with this Pistol build.
16 Snowball Effect  After defeating an enemy, the fire rate for Revolvers increases by 5% for 6 sec. Stacks up to 5 time(s). 
16 Westworld Increases Crit Chance for Pistols and Revolvers by 5% if fully modded. 
18 Lead Sponge  Enables you to shoot with Pistols and Revolvers while dodging. 
20 Brainpower  After a successful headshot with a Pistol or Revolver, Crit Chance increases by 7% for 5 sec. 
20+ The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly  After a successful Crit Hit with a Pistol or Revolver, damage and Armor increase by 30% for 5 seconds. +1% per Perk level. 

Engineering - if you use Tech Pistols

Choose these perks if you use Tech Pistol. They are very powerful and allow to shoot through walls.

Pistol build tech pistol Engineering cyberpunk 2077

Tech Level Skill Description
9 Up to 11 Allows you to charge Tech weapons up to 100% capacity. 
12 Tesla x3 Increases the charge multiplier for Tech weapons by 55%. 
14 Ubercharge Fully charged Tech weapons deal 30% more damage. 
14 Gun Whisperer Fully charged Tech weapons do not shoot automatically. Does not apply to revolvers. 
16 F*** All Walls Reduces the charge amount needed for Tech weapons to penetrate walls by 30%. 
18 Lickety Split x2 Tech weapon charge time is reduced by 20%. 
20 Superconductor Tech weapons ignore Armor.
20 Revamp  Increases damage from Tech weapons by 25%. Increases charge damage from Tech weapons by 10%. +1% charge damage per Perk level. 

Engineering - if you use Smart pistols

These pistols do not have many related perks. However, they have homing bullets that try to reach the selected target.

Pistol build smart pistol Engineering cyberpunk 2077

Tech Level Skill Description
9 Lock and Load x2 Increases Smart weapon reload speed by 10%. 

Engineering - if you use Power Pistols

These pistols allow bullets to ricochet. What does that mean? Pistol build shots can change their trajectory based on the angle you hit.

These pistols are very effective in close quarters and tight-spaced corridors, where bullets jump off to hit the target.

Pistol build power pistol Engineering cyberpunk 2077

Tech Level Skill Description
5 Draw the Line Preview bullets' ricochet trajectory when aiming with Power Weapons if Ballistic Coprocessor cyberware is installed. 
12 Play the Angles x3 Ricochets deal an additional 50% damage. 

Crafting

I have always loved having high crafting. Making the best weapons in the game will make your gameplay much easier, especially on high difficulties.

Shotgun build crafting perks cyberpunk 2077

Tech Level Skill Description
1 Mechanic Gain more components when disassembling. 
5 True Craftsman Junk items are automatically disassembled. 
5 Scrapper Allows you to craft Rare items. 
11 Field Technician x2 Crafted weapons deal 5/10% more damage. 
12 Grease Monkey Allows you to craft Epic items. 
16 Tune-Up Allows you to upgrade lower-quality components into higher-quality ones. 
18 Edgerunner Artisan Allows you to craft Legendary items. 
20 Cutting Edge Improves damage and all damage-related stats of crafted weapons by 5%. 

Athletics

This is a very important perk tree for a Pistol build. It will enable to shoot and reload while moving, providing greater agility during combat.

Pistol build athletics cyberpunk 2077

Body Level Skill Description
1 Regeneration Health slowly regenerates during combat. 
1 Pack Mule Increases carrying capacity by 60. 
7 Epimorphosis Increases Health regen threshold from 60% to 65% in combat and to 100% out of combat. 
7 Wolverine Health regen activates 20% faster during combat. 
11 Multitasker Allows you to shoot while sprinting, sliding, and vaulting. 
11 Divided Attention Allows you to reload weapons while sprinting, sliding and vaulting. 
11 Like a Butterfly Dodging does not drain Stamina. 
12 Tenacious V Getting hit does not interrupt Health regeneration. 
12 Invincible Increases max Health by 15%. 

Cold Blood

pistol build Cold Blood cyberpunk 2077

Cool Level Skill Description
1 Cold Blood x3 After defeating an enemy, gain Cold Blood for 7 sec. and increase movement speed by 2%. Stacks up to 1/2/3 time(s). The duration of each additional stack is 1 sec. shorter. 
7 Easy Out x2 While Cold Blood is active, increases ranged weapon damage by 20% to enemies within an area of 5m. 
9 Rapid Bloodflow x2 Increases Health regen inside and outside combat by 10% per stack of Cold Blood. 
9 Defensive Clotting x2 Increases Armor by 8% per stack of Cold Blood. 
11 Coolagulant Stacks of Cold Blood are removed one by one, not all at once. 
11 Frozen Precision Increases headshot damage by 5% per stack of Cold Blood. 
12 Icy Veins x2 Reduces weapon recoil by 6% per stack of Cold Blood. 
14 Pain is an Illusion While Cold Blood is active, reduces damage taken by 5%. 
14 Cold and Calculating Landing a Crit Hit has a 50% chance of applying a stack of Cold Blood. 
16 Critical Condition x2 Increases duration of Cold Blood by 50%. 
16 Coldest Blood x2 Increases max stack amount for Cold Blood by 2. 

Ninjutsu

Pistol build ninjutsu cyberpunk 2077

Cool Level Skill Description
1 Silent and Deadly Increases damage dealt by silenced weapons by 25% while sneaking. This is very useful as Pistols can have a silencer on.
7 Assassin Deal 15% more damage to human enemies. 
9 Sniper x2 Increases headshot damage outside combat by 20%. 
12 From the Shadows x2 Upon entering combat, Crit Chance increases by 20% for 7 sec. 

Build tactics

  • I recommend equipping Kerenzikov and using dodge often. The Handgun perk tree provides some perks that give a higher mitigation chance after using dodge.
  • A pistol build is the most effective when landing headshots. So to hit the head often practice a lot.

Cyberpunk 2077 silencer

  • A Silencer is a good option. It allows you to take out a few enemies before you are spotted. However, it comes at a cost and your damage is lowered. Due to this, I recommend trying to hit enemies in the head to not alert their companions.
  • There are many Pistol and Revolver choices in the game. Definitely try all of them. I personally prefer Lizzie, especially in its Legendary and upgraded version.

lizzie pistol cyberpunk 2077

  • Thanks to the Divided Attention perk you can sprint and reload at the same time. This makes combat much easier as you can run away when your clip is empty

Equipment recommendations

This section will cover the best equipment that you can use on Pistol Build in Cyberpunk 2077. The game provides multiple options for these types of weapons. Due to this, I suggest trying out all three types: Smart, Tech, and Power.

Smart Pistols and Revolvers

Usually, these pistols are the weakest. However, they automatically target the enemy for you. This can make the game much easier if you miss a lot of shots.

Item Description
chao cyberpunk 2077Chao I personally prefer this one to the ones mentioned below. Has the largest damage and is very good in the late game.
cyberpunk 2077 genjirohGenjiroh Very effective against multiple enemies. Also, deal with electric damage so is effective against drones.
skippy cyberpunk 2077Skippy A pistol that comes with interesting dialogue and smart targeting. Part of a side quest. Maybe not the most powerful but definitely a good option in the mid-game.

Tech Pistols and Revolvers

You could say these pistols and Revolvers are the strongest in terms of pure power. What makes Tech weapons special is that they can be charged up and shot through walls.

Item Description
lizzie cyberpunk 2077Lizzie I think this is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. It releases 4 shots. Even more when fully charged. Once obtained, it makes the game much easier.
comrades hammer cyberpunk 2077Comrade's Hammer An interesting weapon that has only one round per clip. It is a monster revolver that's bullets explode on impact.
rt 46 burya cyberpunk 2077RT-46 Burya Comrade's Hammer alternative packs a strong punch and deals adequate damage. It has 4 ammo per clip
chaos cyberpunk 2077Chaos An interesting weapon that each reload provides a different stat bonus.

Power Pistols and Revolvers

These are vanilla weapons. They usually do not have any special effects. However, they have good damage and fire rate. Use these if you prefer simple combat options of just shooting.

Although their bullets can ricochet I would not rely on this mechanic. Rather, concentrate on hitting the enemy. For this, I have a separate Ricochet build that utilizes the mechanic to its maximum

Item Description
crash cyberpunk 2077Crash Has very high base damage and a headshot multiplier.
malorian arms cyberpunk 2077Malorian Arms 3516 Johhny's Iconic weapon. has very satisfying sounds
archangel cyberpunk 2077Archangel Applies electrical damage and has reduced recoil.
kongou cyberpunk 2077Kongou A decent semi-automatic pistol. Good all around.

Weapon Mods

Item Description
xc 10 alecto cyberpunk 2077XC-10 Alecto The best Muzzle allows for silent weapon shooting. Unfortunately, when using silencer ricochet bullets are disabled and damage is decreased.
countermass cyberpunk 2077Countermass
Eliminates horizontal recoil while aiming. This will make shooting with a Revolver a breeze
crunch cyberpunk 2077Crunch Increases damage. This is a base mod that I recommend for a Pistol build.
neon arrow cyberpunk 2077Neon Arrow Reduces weapon reload time by 5%.
vendetta cyberpunk 2077Vendetta Increases headshot damage by 10%.
penetrator cyberpunk 2077Penetrator Increases Crit Chance
pacifier cyberpunk 2077Pacifier Increases Crit Damage

Armor Mods

Mod name Description
dead eye cyberpunk 2077Deadeye +6% Crit Damage
+15% Headshot Damage Multiplier
Fortuna cyberpunk 2077Fortuna Increases Crit Chance by 4%
bully cyberpunk 2077Bully It gives an 8% Crit Damage bonus
armadillo cyberpunk 2077Armadillo Provides bonus armor. Good for increased survival

Cyberware - Frontal Cortex

Slot Item Description
1 Heal-on-kill cyberpunk 2077Heal-On-Kill This item provides a certain percentage of health after each enemy that you kill. The effectiveness increases with the cyberware rarity
2 mechatronic core cyberpunk 2077Mechatronic Core I recommend this one because it will greatly boost damage against mechs. On higher difficulties, this helps a lot in certain encounters.

Cyberware - Ocular System

Slot Item Description
1 kiroshi optics mk3 image cyberpunk 2077Kiroshi 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
trajectory analysis cyberpunk 2077Trajectory Analysis Increases headshot bonus damage by 25%.
weakspot detection cyberpunk 2077Weakspot Detection Increases Crit Chance by 2%.

Cyberware - Circulatory System

Slot Item Description
1 biomonitor image cyberpunk 2077Biomonitor Instantly restores a large portion of health when it drops below a certain threshold.
2 microgenerator icon cyberpunk 2077Microgenerator Releases Electroshock when health drops below 15%.
2 cyberpunk 2077 feedback circuitFeedback Circuit Take this option if you will use Tech Pistols or revolvers. It will allow restoring health after a 100% charged shot.
3 bioconductor image cyberpunk 2077Bioconductor
Reduces cyberware cooldowns. Unfortunately, due to Body attribute 12 you can only equip the Rare version.

Cyberware - Immune System

Slot Item Description
1 shock n awe cyberpunk 2077Shock-n-Awe Release electroshock when being hit. Has a certain activation chance.
2 pain editor image cyberpunk 2077Pain Editor Reduces all the damage that you receive by 10%.

Cyberware - Nervous System

You can wear 2 pieces of cyberwar for the Nervous System. Try to get the highest Rarity of the mentioned item

Slot Item Description
1 kerenzikov image cyberpunk 2077Kerenzikov You can now slow time when dodging or sliding.
2 reflex tuner imageReflex Tuner I like this Cyberware as it gives you some time when you are in a critical situation and slows down time.

Cyberware - Integumentary System

Slot Item Description
1 subdermal armor image cyberpunk 2077Subdermal Armor
Provides flat armor increase. Try to obtain the highest rarity for the highest value.
2 optical camo image cyberpunk 2077Optical Camo This is a bad boy. You will become invisible for a few seconds which you can use to take out enemies. Really neat cyberware for a stealth build
3 heat converter image cyberpunk 2077Heat Converter Increases damage if you are burning

Cyberware - Operating System

I definitely prefer Sandevistan for the Pistol build. It allows you to target enemies precisely for headshots.

Priority Item Description
1 Militech Falcon Sandevistan Mk.5 cyberpunk 2077Militech "Falcon" Sandevistan Mk.5 Provides 20 Crit Chance and 35% Crit Damage while Sandevistan is active. The effect lasts 18 seconds. Enough for most of the encounters.
2 QianT Sandevistan Mk.4 cyberpunk 2077QianT Sandevistan Mk.4  Gives a 15% critical chance and a 15% damage dealt increase while Sandevistan is active.
3 dynalar sandevistan mk 4 cyberpunk 2077Dynalar Sandevistan Mk.4  Increases damage and Crit Chance by 15%. Has a 30-second cooldown.
4 dynalar sandevistan mk 3 cyberpunk 2077Dynalar Sandevistan Mk.3  I recommend getting the Epic version early as possible as it will greatly improve your gameplay.

Operating system mods

Mod name Description
Sandevistan heatsink cyberpunk 2077Heatsink Reduces Sandevistan cooldown. because we have high Tech ability, you will be able to craft higher-tier mods. Stacking a few legendary ones makes Sandevistan recharge in a few seconds
Sandevistan prototype chip cyberpunk 2077Prototype Chip While Sandevistan is active, it increases Crit Chance by 5%.
Sandevistan neurotransmitters cyberpunk 2077Neurotransmitters While Sandevistan is active, it increases Crit Damage by 15%.
Sandevistan overclocked processor cyberpunk 2077Overclocked Processor Increases duration of Sandevistan

Cyberware - Skeleton

Slot Item Description
1 bionic joints cyberpunk 2077Bionic Joints Reduces recoil of Ranged Weapons. Pretty obvious choice for this build
2 Synaptic signal optimizer imageSynaptic Signal Optimizer Increases Health. It dramatically improves the survivability of Revolver Build in the late game.

Cyberware - Hands

Slot Item Description
1 cyberpunk 2077 smart linkSmart Link
Take this one if you will use Smart shotguns.
1 ballistic coprocessor cyberpunk 2077Ballistic Coprocessor Use this cyberware if you plan to take Power pistols. The legendary version gives +50% ricochet damage.

Cyberware - Legs

Slot Item Description
1 reinforced tendons image cyberpunk 2077Reinforced Tendons My personal favorite makes traversing much easier.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post on the best Pistol and Revolver build in Cyberpunk 2077. It should cover all the details you need to know: perks, best weapons, and attribute allocation as you progress through the game.

Feel free to leave a comment

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!