Best Stealth Build - Invisibile Killer - Cyberpunk 2077

Ultimate Stealth Build - Invisible Killer

With this build, I wanted to create the ultimate invisible killer. It is similar to my other stealth builds. However, I shuffled the available tools, giving it a different flavor:

• Sandevistan - time-slow technology allowing to neutralization of the enemy before they understand what is happening
• Optical Camo - become invisible to leave combat, get behind enemies, or enhance your shots with Her Majesty.
• Pistols and Snipers - they fit well with the Cool Tree, which already gives access to some stealth-related perks.

This is a very fun playstyle if you like Sandevistan and constantly slowing down time. Moreover, with all the optimizations that I will suggest the build will be able to easily clear groups of enemies before they realize what is happening.

I suggest watching the encounter below to decide if this is what you are looking for. It becomes especially fun once you learn layouts and enemy positions to get into the best position. Another important thing is that you will not need to quickhack any kind of camera as you either can pass them with time slow or just shoot them down.

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 that allow creating the Stealth 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	+3	Will give access to stealth perks and progress toward the first Pistol perks.
Reflexes	+1	Will be used for a few early perks.
Body	+3	Unlocks the first tier of perks, which will also be used for Shotgun 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	15	Reflexes attribute will give access to higher critical chance, weapon handling perks, and improved mobility.
Body	15	Although high Body is not necessary, getting access to Adrenaline Rush​ is great as it will help with some boss encounters or where you cannot use stealth.
Technical Ability	20	Technical Ability will improve cyberware-related stats, but mainly it will give access to Edgerunner​ for more cyberware capacity.
Cool	20	The main attribute for Pistols and Sniper Rifles. Moreover, it gives access to some stealth perks.
Intelligence	3	Skip this attribute as it is irrelevant to the build.

Perks

Let's go through the perks of the Stealth Build. You will need about 57~ 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.

Cool Perks

Snipers and Pistols will be your main weapons, so I recommend heavily investing in this tree and keeping it as a priority.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Feline Footwork​	Unlocks next-level perks, but also provides good bonuses specifically for stealth.
Blind Spot​	Together with some other perks like Ninjutsu​ and Feline Footwork,​ you will be able to delay detection further.
Killer Instinct​	The bonus damage for stealth build is important to ensure you can kill most enemies with a single shot.
Gag Order​	An amazing perk that will allow you to save the situation in case you are not able to insta-kill an enemy. This is perfect against elite enemies where a single headshot might not be enough and you want to avoid all enemies entering the 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
Focus​	The perk allows for more accurate shots as they do not drain stamina. This is relevant early in the game, later on with various cyberware the negative effect is negated automatically.
Head to Head​	Reset the duration of Focus, making it easier to sustain no stamina drain period.
Deep Breath​	Slows time by 25%. This makes it easier to land precise shots. If this is not a problem, you can skip it.
Rinse and Reload​	Improved reload speed makes it easier to continue shooting after you empty the clip.
No Sweat​	Reduce the stamina cost of Focus​ after it ends. This is relevant early in the game, where stamina has a huge impact on accuracy.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
Deadeye​	The most powerful perk for any pistol user. Gives a big headshot damage increase. This pairs well with Focus​ as the effect only applies when stamina is full.
High Noon​	Improved reload speed after you neutralize an enemy.
Long Shot​	Removes any distance penalties that pistols have.
California Reaper​	This perk will allow you to get back to 85%+ stamina so that both Deadeye​ and Focus​ can be reactivated.
Quick Draw​	Makes it easier to swap between Snipers and Pistols. This can be useful once your stealth approach has been broken and you want to switch to another weapon.

Stealth-related perks:

Perk	Description
Ninjutsu​	Allows move faster while crouching. Although this uses stamina, with a few upgrades you will be able to become invisible at will using crouch-sprinting.
Serpentine​	Together with Blind Spot,​ you will be delaying your detection.
Creeping Death​	Together with Optical Camo, you will be able to improve movement speed after a kill.
Vanishing Act​	This is an amazing perk, especially if you are heavily using Optical Camo. You can now become invisible at will, allowing for some great stealth combos while using Sandevistan.

Level 20 Perks

Perk	Description
Run 'N' Gun​ (Optional)	Optional perk, use it if you want to shoot from hip fire without any penalties. Moreover, the bonus movement speed can be helpful when you are readying for that precise shot while Sandevistan is active.
Nerves of Tungsten-Steel​	This perk works with Snipers and Revolvers (there is one that will perfectly fit your playstyle, covered in the equipment section)

Reflexes Perks

These perks will mainly serve for better traversing, especially when you have Sandevistan active. Also, two important perks allow you to shoot and reload while moving.

Level 4 Perks

Perk	Description
Slippery	Base perk, that we will need to progress to other levels
Muscle Memory​	Gives you more agility in combat as you can reload while sprinting.
Multitasker​	Although not mandatory, having the option to shoot while moving fast can be handy.

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.
Steady Grip​	Allows to shoot while using Dash.

Level 15 Perks

Perk	Description
Air Dash​	You can use this to move around the battlefield both in stealth (while sandevistan is active) and in load combat. It also improves your speed while traversing.
Aerial Acrobat​	This is one of the rare instances where I highly recommend this perk. As a stealth build when using Sandevistan and Air Dash, having full control of where you land can open up some beautiful enemy takedowns.

Technical Ability Perks

These perks will allow you to fully chrome up for the ultimate stealth setup.

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
Health Freak	You now have 3 health recharge items, making combat a bit easier.
Borrowed Time	Gives instant health item recharge when taking out an enemy when being close to death.
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 Samurai build we are filling all the slots with chrome, so reduced damage is nice.
Driver Update​	These perks should go together, I also only recommend these for the late game. This will allow unlocking additional stat modifiers which then could be optimized for decreased enemy vision or damage.
Chipware Connoisseur​

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 will work on Kerenzikov and other cyberware effects, although without an operating system, it is not as impactful.
Ambidextrous​	Unlocks another slot for hands.
Cyborg​ (Optional)	This perk should be taken if you have all cyberware slots filled and want a bit of improved cyberware cooldown for Sandevistan, Coutnershell, etc. The bonus is good, but can be difficult to fill all the slots early on. So that's why I recommend this only for the late game.

If using Tech Weapons like Rasetsu or Breakthrough:

Perk	Description
Bolt​	Together these perks will make it easier to charge Tech weapons and deal maximum damage. Moreover, Bolt​ adds 30% damage on top and makes each shot count as fully charged. the other upgrades will make it easier to reach the precise charging point needed for activation.
Shock Value​
Internal Clock​
Lightning Storm​

Level 20 Perks

Perk	Description
Edgerunner​	Increases cyberware capacity allowing to stack up some very powerful iconic ones later in the game.

Body Perks

This tree is mostly necessary for increased survivability.

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	This perk is an easy way to automatically boost survivability when using the item. This will also get prolonged as the build uses Sandevistan.

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.
Juggernaut	With more movement speed and damage, it gets better and better.
Calm Mind​	A slight delay of Adrenaline decay.

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  attacks
2	Machine Learning	Improves Vulnerability Analytics by making them appear faster and giving a higher critical damage boost
3	Emergency Cloaking​	If you plan on using Optical Camo, this perk is great, otherwise it is taken just for progression.
4	Sensory Protocol​	It gives you a moment to escape enemy vision if you are about to be detected.

Equipment for Stealth Build

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

Pistols

These are the core weapons of the build. One thing to understand is why they are powerful. Due to Silencers, Headshot multipliers, and fast shooting speed, they can do more damage than some sniper rifles.

Item	Description
Pride	The strongest pistol in the game, but requires you to finish the game first. Using it, you are guaranteed to one-shot Elites with 3 health bars.
Tamayura	Quite a niche pistol and rare to find. However, it has very good base damage, headshot multiplier, and armor penetration. Slap the XC-10 Cetus silencer and you have one of the best weapons in the game. It can even kill some of the Elites with one shot.
Death and Taxes	If you can handle the recoil of the second shot, this pistol can kill most of the normal enemies. The downside is that it also drains your HP, so use it sparingly.
Her Majesty	Extremely popular and well-made pistol. I would use this if you plan on equipping Optical Camo, as this guarantees critical hits, ensuring you one-shot most of the enemies.
Pariah	A very satisfying weapon that is silenced (although it is tech-type). The bullets hit at the same time making it deadly and getting all the stealth bonuses.
Seraph	This pistol applies Burn on the enemies and increases damage. Overall, Seraph is a good choice in mid-game, you can also use it effectively on loud encounters, as Burning will help at chipping away foes.
Lexington X-Mod2	Comes with multiple modification slots and a very high headshot multiplier bonus.

For modifications any silencer is necessary to get the most out of stealth or out-of-combat shots, to get the bonus damage.

However, the pistol damage falls off if you continue shooting with them during combat, so I recommend having an alternative weapon without silencers.

Modification	Description
XC-10 Cetus	Go for the Tier 5 version as it guarantees critical hits. This makes most of the normal pistols on equal ground or stronger than the iconic ones. For example - Tamayura.
Swiss Cheese	Improves armor penetration at the cost of increased Stamina. This is not a problem for Pistols and Revolvers as Focus​ will somewhat negate this effect.
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

Revolvers

Item	Description
Mancinella	The only revolver that has a silencer and a very high headshot damage multiplier. It also retains stealth bonuses even after the first shot. Another great thing is that it also activates Nerves of Tungsten-Steel​ allowing for guaranteed crits.

Sniper Rifles

I recommend switching to sniper rifles during load combat. They have high headshot multipliers and don't suffer from the damage reduction that pistols with silencers get.

Item	Description
Overwatch	Technically silenced sniper rifle, but it did not work that 100% of the time. I would use it when your target is not looked at by other allies or you have them disabled with Sonic Shock or Reboot Optics.
Rasetsu	Technically not a silenced weapon, but damn is it cool to use it. It can kill enemies silently if they are some distance apart. Be sure to take the Bolt​ perk if using it.
Breakthrough	Can easily shoot through walls and comes with very high armor penetration. Be sure to take the Bolt​ perk if using it.

Cyberware

Cyberware is a unique mechanic that allows you 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
Skeleton 1	Spring Joints	Improves mitigation strength, complementing other cyberware like Countershell, and Neofiber.
Skeleton 3	Kinetic Frame	It should be easy to maintain high stamina with Pistols especially when using Focus.
	Bionic Joints	A cheap cyberware to get bonus armor
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.
Integumentary System 3	Painducer	For medium or long-ranged combat this is my recommended pick.
	Subdermal Armor	A simple cyberware that has a high armor-to-cyberware capacity cost ratio.
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 10 10-second duration and adequate combat bonuses.
	Dynalar Sandevistan	This is the base version that I recommend using from early levels.
Hands 1	Shock Absorber	Reduces recoil and gives a headshot damage bonus from Cool attunement.
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 heals during a few-second span.
	Heal-On-Kill	I would say this is the safest option, it gives an additional layer of HP restoration.
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
Frontal Cortex 1	Axolotl	This cyberware will take the build to the ultimate level. It has a very steep capacity cost. But it gives cooldown reductions for every cyberware.
	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 2	Epimorphic Skeleton	A big boost to HP and armor greatly improves survivability.
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	Optical Camo	Optical Camo is one of the pillars of the stealth build allowing you to become invisible. If you will pair it with Her Majesty's pistol you can get guaranteed critical hits.
Face 1	Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics	The best eye cyberware for the maximum crit chance with the build. 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

If you will have free perks for Cyborg​ be sure to fill the Arms cyberware slot with something like Projectile Launch System.

Slot	Cyberware	Description
Frontal Cortex 2	Kerenzikov Boost System	Although the build does not use Kerenzikov, the bonus crit chance is an okay bonus for a few cyberware capacity points.
Frontal Cortex 3	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 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.
Nervous System 3	Deep-Field Visual Interface	If you want to maximize damage at the cost of survivability using this cyberware will give an additional 20% critical damage with 20 cool.
	Tyrosine Injector	If you have limited cyberware capacity and use takedowns to some extent, I recommend this cyberware.
Hands 2	Immovable Force	Gives a good recoil and spread reduction making it easier to make perfect shots.
	Ballistic Coprocessor	Most of the weapons the build uses are Power type, allowing for bullets to ricochet. Although this is not the intended build mechanic the damage bonus from the cyberware is almost free.
Circulatory System 3	Second Heart	Gives a revival in case you go under and get flatlined.
	Isometric Stabilizer	Gives a substantial stamina decrease for when you are not able to activate Focus. It is a bit better than Clutch Padding due to the attunement bonus.
	Clutch Padding	This cyberware is good enough to limit stamina drain with your ranged weapons.
	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.

Stamina Management

This is an important mechanic for almost any build in Cyberpunk 2077 that uses weapons. The good thing is that Pistols get access to Focus​ perk making it easy to sustain it. With some further perk upgrades and cyberware you can easily maintain 80-100%.

However, I would still recommend always being aware of your stamina as in early to mid-game, having it low will reduce your accuracy. In the late game, you will have some amazing cyberware that can compensate for this.

Use Sandevistan to reach targets quickly

Using this operating system makes the game much easier, no matter what is the build. The time slow effect only works on the world, but not on V. So for example, if you are feeling too lazy to crouch, activate it, run down to the enemy, and grab them.

The same is true with multiple enemies. Thanks, to Gag Order, you can take out one enemy with a headshot, another gets alerted, and you take them out. This way the combat phase does not reach other members of the group and you can continue your stealth.

Switch to Sniper against Elites

Once you get Overwatch, I recommend using it against Elite enemies (if you are playing on Very Hard). The stealth shot from the pistol is not enough to take them out unless it is Pride, which can only be obtained by finishing the game.

Another option is to approach these enemies with either Sandevistan or Optical Camo and just do a takedown. This is of course a more risky approach, but effective and can provide good satisfaction.

Look for Cyberware with Decreased enemy vision

This is a very useful stat modifier for stealth build. It allows you to avoid enemy hits and makes it very hard for enemies to fully detect you. With high enough bonuses, you can lower it to 1%, where you will be practically invisible most of the time.

Maintaining high Mitigation Chance

This is an important aspect of the build, that will allow it to survive against multiple enemies at the same time if you will engage in direct combat. Mitigation Chance is like a second layer of armor, that works with a specific chance. Mitigation Strength is what goes together to ensure how "Strong" the mitigation effect will be.

It will also improve your detection delay because the Blind Spot​ perk uses Mitigation Chance for its effects.

1. Dorph-head​ - 100% mitigation chance
2. Can't Touch This​ - 100% mitigation chance
3. Countershell + Neofiber + Spring Joints + Kinetic Frame - 78% mitigation chance and 80% mitigation strength.

So for most of the combat, you will be able to soak up a lot of damage. Of course, there will be a second or two intervals, where none of these effects will apply as they will be on cooldown. So that's when you will be the weakest.

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.

Use anything on hand

The early game for melee builds is very punishing, especially on harder difficulties. So just use anything you have on hand - pistols, assault rifles, etc. With some practice and more knowledge of the game encounters it will become fairly easy to survive difficult encounters with only melee.

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 a great way to open the encounter if you see that you are about to be detected.

Visit Ripperdoc at level 10

Once you reach level 10, I urge you to visit a ripperdoc. They will have higher-tier cyberware and will give access to your first Sandevistan. This will be a huge upgrade in terms of combat capabilities.

Many players delay it or don't know about this and get their ass kicked by stronger enemies. The few seconds of slowed-down time will be a game-changer on shorter encounters.

Late Game Combat

The late-game combat will mostly rely on landing precise headshots with silenced pistols and using Cyberware to get into perfect stealth position.

1. The first thing, before starting the encounter, I would evaluate enemy positions, cameras, and turrets. Because you don't have quickhacks, you need to be careful. Cameras can be problematic if, for some reason, your Sandevistan stops in an open area, so you can destroy them if the encounter is longer.
2. I would prioritize normal enemies with 1-2 health bars, these should be taken out with a single or two shots from your pistol. You can use Sandevistan to get into the perfect position, as enemies will be slow to react to you passing them.
3. Elite enemies (with skulls) should be taken out either with Takedowns or be prepared for multiple sequential headshots. Some of them have head protection, making it even harder to shoot them. So takedowns are the best bet.
4. If things go bad, you can get to a better vantage point, change to a Sniper Rifle, and chip away at enemies one by one. Something like Rasetsu will be able to one-shot most of the enemies.
5. Generally, try to evaluate 2-3 enemy positions - take them out. Take a breather, and prepare your next targets. Now move to take out the next targets.
6. If things go bad, you can always activate Sandevistan and neaturalize the single target, before combat is initiated for the whole group.
7. With Optical Camo and Emergency Cloaking,​ you can leave the combat if you feel overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post on the Stealth build in Cyberpunk 2077. The build should be an exciting pick for those who are looking for more strategic gameplay. To make it all work you should utilize Optical Camo, Sandevistan, and Cool perks to become the ultimate stealth killer.

Feel free to leave a comment below!