To create an effective Edgerunner build in Cyberpunk 2077 as of the 2.0 update, you will primarily focus on maximizing Cyberware capacity and efficiency, often leveraging the Sandevistan operating system for time manipulation. This involves heavily investing in Technical Ability for Cyberware perks, alongside attributes like Body, Reflexes, and Cool to complement your chosen combat style, whether it’s close-quarters combat with Gorilla Arms or ranged combat with pistols and shotguns.
Edgerunner Build Overview
An Edgerunner build in Cyberpunk 2077 is characterized by a heavy reliance on cybernetic enhancements, pushing the limits of what a human body can handle. This playstyle aims to “chrome up” and become a deadly mercenary, often sacrificing a well-rounded approach for specialized strengths. The core concept revolves around leveraging Cyberware to gain significant combat advantages, such as slowing down time with a Sandevistan or enhancing melee attacks. While powerful, these builds can sometimes be less versatile than others, prioritizing cyberware effects and raw stats over weapon-specific damage perks across all weapon types. The 2.0 update, and subsequent updates like 2.1 and 2.3, have refined how cyberware and attributes interact, making careful planning essential.
A notable inspiration for this build type is David Martinez from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, emphasizing extensive cybernetic augmentation. The game allows players to recreate similar playstyles by focusing on specific attributes and cyberware. While the game’s 2.1 update introduced restrictions on the number of cyberware implants to prevent players from becoming cyberpsychos, a well-optimized Edgerunner build can still achieve immense power.
David Martinez Edgerunner Build
The David Martinez-inspired Edgerunner build focuses on maximizing cyberware utility, particularly with the Sandevistan operating system, and utilizing a mix of pistols, shotguns, and Gorilla Arms. This build prioritizes Technical Ability to enhance cyberware, followed by Body for survivability and melee, and Cool for pistol proficiency.
Attribute Progression (Base Game & Phantom Liberty)
| Level | Body | Reflex | Tech | Int | Cool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 10 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| 50 | 20 | 13 | 20 | 3 | 15 |
| 60 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 3 | 18 |
The primary focus is to max out Technical Ability first. This ensures reduced cooldowns and enhanced stat boosts from all equipped cyberware. After Technical Ability, points are allocated to Body for improved health regeneration and shotgun perks, then to Cool for pistol perks. Reflexes receive points for mobility, with additional points available if the Phantom Liberty expansion is owned, allowing for air dashing and further melee enhancements for Gorilla Arms.
Recommended Cyberware
The Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan is the core operating system for this build, allowing for frequent time manipulation. For Arms Cyberware, Gorilla Arms are recommended, aligning with David Martinez’s anime portrayal.
Recommended Weapons
The build uses a variety of weapons, including:
- M-10AF Lexington: A pistol.
- M-76E Omaha: Another pistol.
- DB-2 Satara: A shotgun, benefiting from Body attribute perks.
- Gorilla Arms: For powerful melee combat.
While these weapons are chosen for thematic accuracy, it’s noted that weapon perks are spread across several attributes, meaning this build might not fully optimize damage for all equipped weapons due to its attribute distribution priorities.
Key Perks
Crucial perks for this build include those that enhance cyberware, provide health and armor boosts, and improve the effectiveness of pistols, shotguns, and Gorilla Arms. Specific perks mentioned as essential for Edgerunner builds generally include:
- Edgerunner: This perk is central to any Edgerunner build, allowing you to exceed your cyberware capacity.
- License to Chrome: Directly benefits cyberware performance.
- Pain to Gain: Improves survivability.
- Rip and Tear: Likely a melee-focused perk.
- Air Dash: Enhances mobility (requires Reflexes).
- Nerves of Tungsten Steel: Benefits combat.
- Run N Gun: Improves gunplay.
- All Things Cyber: Further boosts cyberware.
This build emphasizes constant time-slowing with the Sandevistan, supported by reduced cooldowns from perks and cyberware, replicating David’s abilities from the anime.
Netrunner Edgerunner Build
An alternative Edgerunner approach focuses on Netrunning, allowing for powerful quickhacks and control over the battlefield. This build prioritizes Intelligence to maximize quickhack effectiveness and RAM, alongside Technical Ability for cyberware enhancements.
Attribute Points
| Attribute | Points |
|---|---|
| Body | 17 |
| Reflexes | 20 |
| Technical Ability | 20 |
| Intelligence | 20 |
| Cool | 4 |
This distribution allows for high Intelligence, maximizing quickhack potential, while Technical Ability supports cyberware. Reflexes provide mobility, and Body offers some survivability.
Key Perks
The Netrunner Edgerunner build leverages specific perks to enhance quickhacks and cyberdeck capabilities:
- Edgerunner: Essential for exceeding cyberware capacity.
- License to Chrome: Boosts cyberware.
- All Things Cyber: Further enhances cyberware.
- Hack Queue: Improves quickhack queuing.
- Queue Mastery: Deepens quickhack queue effectiveness.
- Embedded Exploit: Enhances quickhack damage.
- Overclock: A powerful Netrunner ability.
- Carhacker: Allows for vehicle control.
- Dash: Improves mobility.
This build can grant up to 30 additional Cyberdeck RAM slots and the ability to deploy multiple quickhacks against a single enemy. It also enables controlling vehicles to use them against foes. The Feen-X Cyberware is highlighted as essential for its 250% increased RAM regeneration, allowing for frequent quickhack spamming.
General Edgerunner Perks
Regardless of whether you lean towards a Sandevistan-focused David Martinez build or a quickhack-heavy Netrunner build, certain perks are universally beneficial for any Edgerunner playstyle. These perks generally enhance cyberware, survivability, and overall combat effectiveness.
- Edgerunner: This perk is fundamental. It allows V to install more cyberware than their body is designed for, directly embracing the Edgerunner ethos of pushing cybernetic limits. It’s crucial for maximizing the number of implants and the resulting stat boosts.
- License to Chrome: Directly enhances the benefits derived from your equipped cyberware. This perk ensures that every piece of chrome you install is working at its peak efficiency, providing better stat bonuses and effects.
- All Things Cyber: Another perk that universally improves cyberware performance, complementing “License to Chrome” by further boosting your augmented abilities.
- Pain to Gain: Important for survivability, allowing you to absorb more damage and stay in the fight longer, which is vital when you’re heavily chromed and often in the thick of combat.
- Dash/Air Dash: These mobility perks (found in the Reflexes tree) are invaluable for positioning, evasion, and engaging targets quickly. Even if your build isn’t primarily focused on Reflexes, having some points here for these perks can significantly improve combat flow and survivability.
These perks form the backbone of any build aiming to embody the Edgerunner philosophy, ensuring that your cybernetic enhancements are not just numerous but also highly effective in combat.
FAQ
What is the core concept of an Edgerunner build in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0? An Edgerunner build focuses on heavily augmenting V with cyberware, leveraging enhancements like the Sandevistan for time manipulation or cyberdecks for powerful quickhacks, often prioritizing Technical Ability to maximize cyberware efficiency.
What is the maximum level in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 with the Phantom Liberty expansion? With the Phantom Liberty expansion, the maximum level is 60. Without the expansion, the max level is 50.
Which operating system is recommended for a David Martinez-inspired Edgerunner build? The Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan is recommended for a David Martinez-inspired build, as it allows for frequent time-slowing.
What are the main attributes for a David Martinez-inspired Edgerunner build? The main attributes are Technical Ability, Body, Reflexes, and Cool, with Technical Ability being maxed first for cyberware benefits.
Can an Edgerunner build use quickhacks effectively? Yes, a Netrunner Edgerunner build can be highly effective with quickhacks, prioritizing Intelligence and utilizing perks like Hack Queue and Overclock, alongside cyberware like Feen-X for RAM regeneration.