David Martinez Build - Complete Guide - Cyberpunk 2077

David Martinez Build

So remaking David Martinez's build is somewhat challenging. The main theme is Sandevistan of course, and this is easy to recreate - just go to any ripperdoc and have it installed. This will be the core of what makes this setup.

However, things get a bit dicey once recreating what equipment David uses. For example, the anime shows him using Pistols early in his life, later on, he is seen wielding Shotguns and using a Projectile Launch System. Also, he has Gorilla Arms equipped but doesn't look like he used it in any episodes.

So the build will try to incorporate all of these things and recreate David Martinez with the setup mentioned above. Of course, you can bend all of these things to your play style. For example, if not using shotguns, why then not put those points into better mobility or Gorilla Arms?

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 David Martinez 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
Reflexes	+1	Just taking one point to unlock the first perk tier.
Technical Ability	+2	Just 1 point to unlock the first tier perks.
Cool	+2	As David has used pistols in the anime, this is the perfect allocation to represent that.
Body	+2	Unlock first-tier perks and increases HP.

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	15	This tree is relevant for the mobility perks that you can get. Generally, just 9 points would be enough, but an additional critical chance is a good passive to get.
Body	20	The Body tree gives access to Shotgun and Gorilla arms-related perks. Moreover, you will get Adrenaline Rush​ for a survivability boost.
Technical Ability	20	The main attribute that allowed David to chrome up the full body with cyberware. You will be investing a lot of perk points here.
Cool	15	Cool represents David's proficiency with handguns and pistols which he used during the first part of the anime.
Intelligence	3	Skip this attribute as it is irrelevant to the build.

Perks

Let's go through the perks of the David 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.

Body Perks

The Body tree represents survivability but also gives access to the Shotgun and Blunt weapon perks. Through the anime, David is seen using these weapons.

Level 4 Perks

These perks will ensure that you have sufficient HP regeneration in various combat situations.

Perk	Description
Painkiller	A very valuable perk that is recommended for any build. We also need it for the progression
Dorph-head	Blood Pump will be one of the main Cyberware that we use to drastically boost HP restoration

Level 9 Perks

I did skip on the blocking-related perks. They are great early in the game, but as you improve your cooldown times and can sustain Sandevistan longer they become not important.

Perk	Description
Wrecking Ball​	The ability allows now to knock out targets while sprinting. This is great for mobility as it gives better control of the battlefield.
Die! Die! Die!​	Improved weapon handling with low stamina, will be useful with shotguns.

Level 15 Perks

The next set of Perks will give a huge survivability boost and unlock new actions.

Perk	Description
Adrenaline Rush	Awesome perk gives a second layer of HP when using healing items. This will give so-needed survivability if you plan on using Edgerunner and also play on Very Hard
Calm Mind	Delay before Adrenaline starts decaying, prolonging the second layer of HP.
Juggernaut	Encourages you to have Adrenaline activated most of the time, to get these sweet combat bonuses.
Quake​	A violent hit that knocks down everyone around the area. It can be initiated from the air. It gets even better with the next perks
Aftershock​	Bonus stamina after doing quakes and hitting enemies.
Ripple Effect​	Bonus health when using quake, which will be useful for survivability.
Spontaneous Obliteration​	Unlocks obliterate mechanics that can instantly kill a foe.
Close-quarters Carnage​	Improves Obliteration chances.
Rush of Blood​	Greatly improves reload speed after you Obliterate an enemy.

Level 20 Perks

I can say these perks are optional. So take them if you have perk points to spare. They do provide great bonuses but nothing that David Martinez builds would require.

Perk	Description
Pain to Gain	A big boost to health item recharge rate. Taking this saves some perks from the Technical Ability tree in my opinion.
Finisher: Savage Sling​	Very cool finisher that can either restore health or allow you to throw enemies at the next target. This deals decent damage but most importantly it is fun!

Reflexes Perks

The Reflexes perk tree serves two purposes. First, get improved mobility with Dash​ and its related perks. With more perk points you could also unlock Air Dash​ giving even bigger distance coverage as you move.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Slippery	Base perk, that we will need to progress to other levels
Muscle Memory​	Improves combat prowess by allowing you to reload while sprinting, giving so-needed agility during short combat moments.
Multitasker​	Can shoot while sprinting, making you more agile with ranged weapons during combat.

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.
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.

Technical Ability Perks

So this is the main perk tree for David Martinez Build. I will be putting a lot of points here to reflect his heavy reliance on Cyberware.

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
Health Freak​	Additional health item charge.
Borrowed Time​	This is an amazing perk, that you can combo with Reflex Tuner cyberware to ensure you survive close to death experience.
Renaissance Punk	Improves Cyberware Capacity which will allow for a bit more cyberware options.
Chrome Constitution	Reduced damage is a great improvement to survivability. Although for late-game levels, I would say it is optional.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
License to Chrome	Improves Skeleton cyberware and unlocks a new slot for even more chrome
Extended Warranty	Increasing the duration of cyberware effects will further improve the Sandevistan operating system.
Cyborg	For this yo work you will need to have all cyberware slots filled. However, the reduced cooldown is such a great improvement that allows you to minimize the duration between Sandevistan activations.
Ambidextrous​	Mainly used to unlock the full potential of the Cyborg​ perk. There are not many handles that are useful for this build.
Pyromania​	This works together with Ticking Time Bomb​ and Shock-N-Awe cyberware.
Heat Shield​	Improves survivability once you stack up some Pyromania.
Friendlier Fire​	Damage resistance from your caused explosions. I would only take this if you plan to use Projectile Launch System
Doomlauncher​	Improves Projectile Launch System, I would only take this if you plan on using this cyberware. Otherwise do not take the perk.

Level 20 perks

Perk	Description
Ticking Time Bomb​	A powerful EMP charge that stuns and deals damage to enemies around after you activate the Operating System.
Edgerunner	The one mandatory perk for this build is that allows it to reflect the insanity that David has to go through. This gives increased cyberware capacity at the cost of your health.

Cool Perks

So David in the anime used pistols multiple times. So I think it would be relevant to reflect that with this build, and I would urge you to start investing in this tree from the early game.

Level 9 perks

Perk	Description
Focus​	Increases headshot damage and gives a 4-second duration without any stamina usage.
Head to Head​	Reset duration of Focus, but most importantly it gives access to the next perk.
Deep Breath​	Slows down time, which allows for better targeting when activating Focus.
Rinse and Reload​	Improves reload speed when you neutralize an enemy using aim.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
Deadeye​	Improved headshot damage and unlocks special shots that further enhance damage.
High Noon​	Improved reload speed and slows down time during it. This is great as you can use that to better evaluate your combat situation.

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	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.
2	Machine Learning	Improves Vulnerability Analytics by making them appear faster and giving a higher critical damage boost
3	Jailbreak​	Improves both Gorilla Arms and Projectile Launch System with unique action.
4	Limiter Removal​	Additional knockdown after using charged Strong Attack with Gorilla Arms
5	Launch Capacity Override​	Provides additional charge with Projectile Launch System.

Equipment

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

For weapons I will recommend those that relate to David but also their iconic versions which can be more powerful.

Shotguns

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

Item	Description
Order	Very strong Tech shotgun that will most likely one-shot any enemy. The main downside is that it reloads after each shot.
DB-2 Satara	The most satisfying shotgun to use, thanks to its sound effects. It was also briefly held by David.
Crusher	One of the shotguns that David used. Offers a good headshot multiplier and a decent fire rate.
L-69 Zhuo	A smart shotgun that releases multiple pellets

Here are some weapon mods that could be useful to improve weapons if you drop a good non-iconic one. There are two combos that I suggest with shotguns:

Modification	Description
Kneel	Use this together with Firecracker to create exploding puddles that dismember targets. This is ultimate destroyer that will make enemies die instantly.
Firecracker

For Tech shotgun:

Modification	Description
Wallpuncher	The perfect mode for DB-2 Satara for even more damage.

Pistols

These are the pistols that David Martinez has used or had equipped in the anime. I also include iconic versions of some of them as they are just too good to pass up.

Item	Description
Lizzie	One of the best pistols in the game, due to powerful charge shots.
Dying Night	Early game pistol, that has a fast firing rate and is excellent while you are learning the ropes of the game.
Lexington	Great pistol with plenty of mods. However, it's iconic versions are stronger.
Yukimura	Smart pistol if you feel too lazy to target your enemies precisely. However, without smart weapon perks, this is inferior to other options I suggest.
Omaha	Tech pistol, with okay damage, you will obtain its iconic version Lizzie which is much more powerful.
Overture	A revolver weapon that has a very high headshot damage multiplier.

Here are some weapon mods that could be useful to improve weapons if you drop a good non-iconic one.

Modification	Description
Wallpuncher	Improves tech weapon charge damage.
Pinpoint	Reduces bullet spread after you land a headshot
Zenith	Improve weapon handling and crit chance, but require you to draw a weapon for this effect to initiate.
Better Half	Improves crit chance with the second half of the magazine.
Equalizer	Improved damage against elite enemies

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.
Arms 1	Gorilla Arms	This is one of the cyberware I recommend and somewhat related to David. It is especially good early on as a melee weapon if you decide to use Blunt weapons.
	Projectile Launch System	This is the cyberware that David used in the Maelstrom encounter. I recommend this for the latter part of the game as for maximum effectiveness it will require some relic perks.
Skeleton 1	Spring Joints	Improves mitigation strength, complementing other cyberware like Countershell and Neofiber.
Nervous System 1	Neofiber	Improves mitigation chance and strength. This synergizes well with Countershell + Spring Joints.
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	Shock-N-Awe	A very powerful cyberware that I recommend if you plan on using melee weapons or shotguns. The proximity will trigger shock explosions staggering nearby foes.
Operating System 1	Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan	The iconic cyberware that David used to overcome any challenges. It is good for bigger damage boosts and instant kills. However, the time-slow effect is very strong, which can be problematic for automatic ranged weapons.
	Militech "Falcon" Sandevistan	Another alternative that has lower cyberware cost to Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan. It is better suited for faster-firing weapons.
	Dynalar Sandevistan	This is the base version that I recommend using from early levels.
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	Second Heart	This is an alternative if you are okay with less healing amount, but want to revive if you die. This is very powerful as Axolotl will constantly reduce its cooldown time
	Blood Pump	The most powerful healing item in the game, if calculating the total healing amount.
Legs	Fortified Ankles	Gives the highest jumps and high boost to armor compared to cyberware capacity cost. But you need to hold the jump button. This is what David used in the Maelstrom fight.

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.
Nervous System 2	Revulsor	Improved version of Reflex Tuner, 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.
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 a 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.
Hands 1	Shock Absorber	Gives better handling for ranged weapons.

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, Reflex Tuner, Countershell, etc. I would think of limiting these and just utilizing Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan in that case.
	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.
Skeleton 3	Dense Marrow	Improves melee damage, and although it comes with an increased stamina consumption.
Nervous System 3	Adreno-Trigger	If you can afford the capacity this is a great alternative that allows moving faster.
	Adrenaline Converter	Improves initial combat speed, perfect for any melee build
Hands 2	Immovable Force	Better weapon handling.
	Microgenerator	This cyberware works very well with shotguns which reload often and can trigger the additional shock release
	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 without any penalties.
	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

This operating system is the core of David Martinez's build. It allows slowing down time while you move at full speed. The only downside is that the weapon fire rate also slows down. So there is a fine line between absolute time slow and enough to be able to have full control of the fight.

One thing is that when you obtain Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan or Militech "Falcon" Sandevistan the time slow effect can be enabled/disabled at will. This gives some tactical options on how to better manage the cooldown, instead of using up everything.

My recommendation is to have Sandevistan activate while engaging in combat and not in between. This way you get a damage boost and also minimize damage from being stationary.

Projectile Launch System usage

This is one of the main cyberware that David Martinez uses together with Sandevistan. However, in Cyberpunk 2077 it is not as powerful. You can do some damage, but most of the time single rocket will inflict half of enemies HP.

But, with Jailbreak​ multiple rockets, can wreak some havoc as they can eliminate even Elite enemies then. However, I would use this cyberware more as a Grenade rather than a bazooka. It is perfect for staggering or knocking down foes.

Stamina Management

The biggest problem with Katanas is prolonged combat where you have to do multiple hits sequentially. This uses up your stamina and greatly slows down your attack speed. 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

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

Gorilla Arms finishers

Another thing with Gorilla Arms and Finisher: Savage Sling​ is that they have the most interesting finisher out of all weapons. It can do two actions:

• Finish off or damage the enemy
• Throw the enemy

The latter option is where it gets interesting. So not only do you finish off the current foe, but you can sling it into another target and either deal great damage or kill them. This is what makes Blunt weapon finishers so powerful.

However, the simple finisher is also good as it gives a huge 20% health restoration and with its long animation restores part of your stamina.

Use Quake to crowd-control enemies

From the Body perk tree, you will get the Quake​ perk which works with Blunt weapons. It is the only action that allows hitting multiple enemies at the same time. Moreover, with subsequent upgrades, it will restore health and stamina.

The good part is that all of the enemies that are hit with it will be at least staggered, giving you time to pummel on the next foe.

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 the improved operating system

From level 10 be sure to visit ripperdocs and get access to the Tier 2 Sandevistan system. This will remove the starter cyberdeck and give you access to the first true operating system that you can use for the rest of the game.

Switch between Ranged and Melee weapons

So as you can guess the early game can be brutal, especially on very hard. For this reason, I recommend always having some ranged weapon. The David build will be effective with pistols early on, so I suggest using them at least for early games.

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 there is a group of foes, that could easily overwhelm you.

Late Game Combat

The late game offers multiple combat approaches as the build is proficient with a variety of weapons. I think by this time you will have found your preferred approach. For me - Tech Shotguns and Projectile Launch System are my favorite.

1. You can enable/disable Sandevistan and use it when you want to get behind enemy backs, reach a group of them faster, or need help with landing a headshot.
2. Use Quake​ often as it will help maintain your HP pool and stagger enemies.
3. Finishers should be used when Sandevistan is not active. Otherwise, you will waste time.
4. Killing enemies fast ensures that your Sandevistan doesn't end and you can have it ready at any time.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post on the David Martinez build in Cyberpunk 2077. I tried to recreate the build as precisely as possible. This of course makes you spend perks very thinly. However, I think that is a correct representation of David as his true power came from Cyberware rather than gun proficiency.

Feel free to leave a comment below!