Best Assault Rifle build (Patch 1.63) - Cyberpunk 2077
This post will cover the Best Assault Rifle build for Cyberpunk 2077. It is a commando-type build that is best described as tactical combatant. You move precisely from cover to cover to take down your enemy, not involving yourself in any unnecessary risks. Assault Rifle is your choice as it gives perfect medium-range accuracy
Assault Rifle Build
As you can guess the build will try to maximize the effectiveness of Assault Rifle weapons. The are a number of options for these weapons, making them both interesting and unique. We are also utilizing the Assault perk tree.
Cyberpunk 2077, offers using assault rifles in a particular way due to the perk system. The most effective way to play using covers and getting the bonuses to stability, and damage for assault rifles. You are encouraged to play as a SWAT team member, where you move from cover to cover while shooting
If you want to use precise and fast-firing weapons, the build is for you. Let's go deep into what perks and attributes you should pick to best optimize it.
Attributes
This section will cover the main attributes of the Assault Rifle Build
Starting the game
At the start of the game, you should definitely go for these attributes:
- Reflexes +3. This will maximize early effectiveness with Assault Rifles
- Cool + 3. Cool attribute increases the critical chance and also unlocks Cold Blood perks that the build relies on.
- Technical Ability +1. Early in the game this only provides increased armor benefit. But we will later use it for crafting and upgrading items.
Progression
| Level | Reflex | Body | Tech | Cool | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| 30 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 3 |
| 50 | 20 | 8 | 20 | 20 | 3 |
- Reflex 20. ensures that you are the most effective with Assault rifles.
- Tech 20. Allows crafting the best assault rifles in the game. Moreover, you can upgrade the Power, Smart and Tech weapon abilities
- Cool 20. Maximum effectiveness when killing enemies. Moreover, gives some offensive bonuses when sneaking
- Body 8. We only need a little bit of it for some health-related perks. Because the build does not need to move much, there is no point in investing a few more points into it.
Perks
This section covers what perks you should pick for Assault Rifle build. This will ensure the maximum effectiveness of the build
Assault
| Reflexes Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulletjock x3 | Increases damage with Assault Rifles by 10%. |
| 1 | Eagle Eye x3 | Reduces time to aim down sight with Assault Rifles by 50%. |
| 5 | Covering Killshot x2 | Increases Crit Chance with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 8% when firing from behind cover. |
| 7 | Bullseye | Increases Assault Rifle damage while aiming by 10%. |
| 7 | Executioner | Deal 25% more damage with Rifles and Submachine Guns to enemies whose Health is above 50%. |
| 9 | Duck Hunter x2 | Increases Rifle and Submachine Gun damage to moving enemies by 10/20%. |
| 9 | Shoot, Reload, Repeat x2 | Defeating an enemy with a Rifle or Submachine Gun reduces reload time by 20/40% for 5 sec. |
| 11 | Feel the Flow x2 | Defeating an enemy with a Rifle or Submachine Gun reduces reload time by 20/40% for 5 sec. |
| 11 | Nerves of Steel x2 | Increases headshot damage with Sniper Rifles and Precision Rifles by 10/15%. The Assault rifle build can still use precision rifles. |
| 12 | Hunter's Hands x2 | Reduces recoil with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 5/10% when firing from behind cover. |
| 12 | Trench Warfare x2 | Increases Rifle and Submachine Gun damage by 5/10% when firing from behind cover. |
| 14 | Named Bullets | Increases Crit Damage with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 20%. |
| 14 | Skull Skipper | Each headshot reduces recoil with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 4% for 10 sec. Stacks up to 5 time(s). |
| 16 | Bunker | Increases Armor and Resistances by 15% while aiming with Rifles and Submachine Guns from behind cover. |
| 16 | Recoil Wrangler | Reduces recoil with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 5%. |
| 18 | In Perspective | Bullets fired from Power Rifles and Power Submachine Guns ricochet an additional 1 time(s). |
| 18 | Long Shot | Rifle and Submachine Gun damage increase the farther you are located from enemies. |
| 20 | Savage Stoic | Increases damage with Rifles and Submachine Guns by 35% when standing still. |
| 20+ | Punisher | After defeating an enemy with a Rifle or Submachine Gun, weapon sway is nullified and weapon spread does not increase for 10 sec. +0.2 sec. per Perk level. |
Crafting
| Technical Ability 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%. |
Ninjutsu
| Cool Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silent and Deadly | Increases damage dealt by silenced weapons by 25% while sneaking. This is very useful as Assault Rifles can have a silencer on. |
| 7 | Assassin | Deal 15% more damage to human enemies. |
| 7 | Strike From the Shadows | Increases your Crit Chance by 7% while sneaking. |
| 9 | Sniper x2 | Increases headshot damage outside combat by 10/20%. |
| 12 | From the Shadows x2 | Upon entering combat, Crit Chance increases by 10/20% for 7 sec. |
Cold Blood
| Cool Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cold Blood x3 | This perk allows gaining a stack of Cold Blood for each enemy killed. |
| 7 | Easy Out x2 | Ranged weapon damage is increased by 20% if hitting enemies within a 5-meter radius. |
| 9 | Rapid Bloodflow x2 | Health regeneration is increased by 10% for each stack of Cold Blood |
| 9 | Defensive Clotting x2 | Armor is increased by 10% for each stack of Cold Blood |
| 11 | Frozen Precision | Headshot damage is increased by 5% per stack of Cold Blood |
| 11 | Collagulant | Cold Blood stacks are removed one by one. |
| 12 | Icy Veins x2 | Weapon recoil is reduced by 6% for each stack of Cold Blood you have active. |
| 14 | Cold and Calculating | Crit Hits now provide a chance to gain Cold Blood. Due to many bullets with Shotgun, you will be able to generate the stacks very fast |
| 14 | Pain is an Illusion | Reduces damage taken by 5% when Cold Blood is active |
| 16 | Critical Condition x2 | Cold Blood duration is increased by 50%. The bonuses will now stay longer. |
| 16 | Coldest Blood x2 | Increases maximum number of Cold Blood stacks by 2. Very valuable perk for Shotgun builds to maximize Cold Blood bonuses when fighting many enemies. |
| 18 | Immunity | Negates negative effects of Bleeding, Poison, Burn, and Shock. For this to activate you need 4 stacks of Cold Blood. |
| 20 | Bloodswell | A great ability that provides additional survival chance. If you take lethal damage, Cold Blood stacks are drained and they restore HP. |
| 20 | Merciless | This is a very powerful ability for Shotgun build. It increases Crit Chance by 5% and Crit Damage by 25% while Cold Blood is active |
Athletics
| 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 60/65/70% to 65/70/75% in combat and to 100% out of combat. |
| 7 | Wolverine | Health regen activates 20/40/60% faster during combat. |
Engineering (optional)
All of the perks in this tree are optional. They are more related to the Assault Rifle that you will pick. For example, if using a Power weapon you will definitely want to get Play the Angles and Draw the Line perks.
| Technical Ability Level | Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Draw the Line | Preview bullets' ricochet trajectory when aiming with Power Weapons if Ballistic Coprocessor cyberware is installed. |
| 9 | Up to 11 x2 | Allows you to charge Tech weapons up to 100% capacity. |
| 9 | Lock and Load x2 | Take this if you will use Smart Weapons. Increases Smart weapon reload speed by 10%. |
| 12 | Play the Angles x3 | Ricochets deal an additional 50% damage. |
| 12 | Tesla x3 | Increases the charge multiplier for Tech weapons by 55%. |
| 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. |
Build tactics
Here are my tips for the Assault Rifle build:
- You can put on a silencer. Although you lose some damage, you can precisely target enemies and kill them instantly with headshots.
- You should avoid shooting while moving with the build. Of course, if you are under heavy fire then that's normal. However, many of your perks that increase damage only activate while standing still or shooting behind from cover.
- Grenades are an amazing item that can be used to knock out enemies in case there is a large group. They are effective even without any related perks.
- Although the build relies on Assault Rifles, you can still use Sniper or Precision rifles as they use the same perks. I would always carry with me Widow Maker.
- Because you have Crafting perks, do not forget to craft and upgrade your iconic weapons. This will give a kick to your damage.
Equipment recommendations
In this section, I will cover recommended gear for Assault rifles build in Cyberpunk 2077
Assault Rifles
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
 Moron Labe |
Great Assault Rifle that can be received fairly early in the game. It has a fast rate of fire and can dismember enemies |
 Widow Maker |
Although not Assault Rifle it can come in very handy in many fights as this precision rifle can shoot through walls. |
 Psalm 11:6 |
Deals additional thermal damage and can burn enemies. I think it is very effective against most human enemies throughout the game |
 Divided We Stand |
This is an amazing Smart Assault Rifle. It can target multiple enemies, and with some practice, you can get guaranteed headshots. |
Mods
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
 XC-10 Alecto |
The best Muzzle allows for silent weapon shooting. Unfortunately, when using silencer ricochet bullets are disabled and damage is decreased. |
 Countermass |
Eliminates horizontal recoil while aiming. This will make shooting with Assault Rifle a breeze |
 Crunch |
Increases damage. This is a base mod that I recommend for Assault Rifle build. |
 Neon Arrow |
Reduces weapon reload time by 5%. |
 Vendetta |
Increases headshot damage by 10%. |
 Penetrator |
Increases Crit Chance |
 Pacifier |
Increases Crit Damage |
Armor Mods
| Mod name | Description |
|---|---|
 Deadeye |
+6% Crit Damage +15% Headshot Damage Multiplier |
 Fortuna |
Increases Crit Chance by 4% |
 Bully |
It gives an 8% Crit Damage bonus |
 Armadillo |
Provides bonus armor. Good for increased survival |
Cyberware - Frontal Cortex
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Heal-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 |
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 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 |
Increases headshot bonus damage by 25%. |
 Weakspot Detection |
Increases Crit Chance by 2%. |
Cyberware - Circulatory System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Biomonitor |
Instantly restores a large portion of health when it drops below a certain threshold. |
| 2 |  Microgenerator |
When your Health drops to 15%, release electroshock that deals damage |
| 3 |  Feedback Circuit |
Instantly restores health if shooting a fully charged tech weapon |
Cyberware - Immune System
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Shock-n-Awe |
Release electroshock when being hit. Has a certain activation chance. |
| 2 |  Pain 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 |
You can now slow time when dodging or sliding. |
| 2 |  Nanorelays |
Increases Sandevistan and Kerenzikov duration |
| 2 |  Reflex Tuner |
Slows time when your 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. Really neat cyberware for a stealth build |
| 3 |  Heat Converter |
Increases damage if you are burning |
Cyberware - Operating System
I definitely prefer Sandevistan for this Assault Rifle build.
| Priority | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Militech "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 |
Gives a 15% critical chance and a 15% damage dealt increase while Sandevistan is active. |
| 3 |  Dynalar Sandevistan Mk.4 |
Increases damage and Crit Chance by 15%. Has a 30-second cooldown. |
| 4 |  Dynalar 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 |
|---|---|
 Heatsink |
Reduces Sandevistan cooldown |
 Prototype Chip |
While Sandevistan is active, increases Crit Chance by 5%. |
 Neurotransmitters |
While Sandevistan is active, increases Crit Damage by 15%. |
 Overclocked Processor |
Increases duration of Sandevistan |
Cyberware - Skeleton
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bionic Joints |
Reduces recoil of Ranged weapons |
| 2 |  Synaptic Signal Optimizer |
Increases Health. Greatly improves the survivability of Assault Rifle Build in the late game. |
Cyberware - Hands
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Smart Link |
Take this one if you will use Smart Assault Rifles |
| 1 |  Ballistic Coprocessor |
Use this cyberware if you plan to take Power shotguns. The legendary version gives +50% ricochet damage. |
Cyberware - Legs
| Slot | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Reinforced Tendons |
My personal favorite makes traversing much easier. |
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this post on the best Assault Rifle build in Cyberpunk 2077. We went in-depth about what attributes and perks you should pick for maximum effectiveness. Moreover, I included recommended gear and cyberware
Feel free to leave a comment below
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