Stealth Knife Assassin
Stealth-focused throwing knife build with basic Netrunner utility and high mobility. Throwing knives are the main weapon, supported by poison and stealth perks. If stealth fails or enemies get too close, switch to blades as a reliable fallback. Prioritizes Cool first, then balances other attributes while building toward Juggler, Ninjutsu, Dash, Air Dash, Adrenaline Rush, and Overclock
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A stealth-focused build centered around throwing knives, with basic Netrunner abilities for additional utility and control. The main goal is to eliminate enemies from stealth using throwable weapons and poison-based effects, while maintaining high mobility in case stealth fails.
The build starts by rushing Scorpion Sting, then gradually spreads perk and attribute investment across the different trees to avoid falling behind in other areas. By level 17, Juggler is fully unlocked, significantly improving the throwing-weapon gameplay. From there, the build picks up Dash and various supporting perks before reaching Ninjutsu 3/3 at level 25.
By level 27, Cool reaches 20, completing the core stealth and throwing-knife progression and unlocking most of the important perks from the tree. Reflexes are then pushed toward 15 by level 33, providing the mobility needed to stay effective when stealth breaks.
The next major milestone is Body 15 by level 42, while simultaneously maxing out Air Dash and picking up useful perks from the other attributes. By level 44, Adrenaline Rush is fully unlocked, after which the build shifts its focus toward Intelligence, eventually reaching 20. By level 53, Overclock 3/3 and Bladerunner 3/3 are completed, giving the build both basic Netrunner utility and a reliable melee fallback when enemies get too close.
In the base game, the build reaches its main level-60 endpoint at Intelligence 20 / Cool 20 / Body 17 / Reflexes 15 / Technical Ability 9. With the intended level-cap-65 mod, Body is finished at 20 by level 63, while Technical Ability is raised to 11 and Health Freak is maxed by level 65.
The result is a stealthy, mobile knife-focused character that relies primarily on throwing weapons, uses quickhacks as supporting tools rather than its main damage source, and can switch to blades when enemies manage to close the distance.
Max level — 65 (via Custom Level Cap (https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/2909))
Points
Cyberware
Allows you to perform quickhacks on enemies and devices while scanning.
Enemies take 100% longer to trace your location.
-2 RAM cost for Covert quickhacks.
+5 RAM after performing a Takedown.
When Overclock is active, quickhacks will not increase trace progress (but they will still initiate it).
-1.35% Cooldown instantly for all cyberware after neutralizing an enemy.
technical · +0.5 Armor per Attribute Point.
+1.35 RAM when you neutralize an enemy.
+1 Max RAM
intelligence · +0.05% to all dealt damage per Attribute Point.
Automatically negates an enemy quickhack.
+2 Max RAM
Cooldown: 20 sec.
intelligence · -0.5 sec. Cooldown with this cyberware per Attribute Point.
Effect active when scanning: Highlights enemies within 19.5 m. The effect remains active for 60 sec. after scanning.
10x optical zoom when scanning or aiming.
cool · +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage per Attribute Point.
+20% Crit Chance with Blades and throwable weapons.
reflexes · +0.1% Crit Chance per Attribute Point.
Successful Takedowns grant: +21% headshot damage for 15 sec. +11% movement speed for 15 sec.
cool · +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage per Attribute Point.
Slows time by 50% for 4.5 sec. when enemy detection reaches 50%.
Cooldown: 60 sec.
cool · +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage per Attribute Point.
When equipping or throwing a throwable weapon: +27% Crit Chance with throwable weapons for 6 sec.
cool · +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage per Attribute Point.
+50% quieter movement +12% crouched movement speed -20% fall damage
cool · +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage per Attribute Point.
Automatically heals you with your equipped Health Item when your Health drops below 50%. +16% Health Item effectiveness
technical · +0.1% Health Item efficiency per Attribute Point.
Functions as a powerful Health Item. Instantly restores 110 Health, then regenerates 23 Health per second for 6 sec.
technical · +0.1% Health Item efficiency per Attribute Point.
+100% Health when your Health reaches 0. (May not activate in some situations, such as falling from extreme heights.)
Cooldown: 200 sec.
body · +0.5 Health per Attribute Point.
-90% visibility to enemies for 7 sec., making it more difficult for them to detect you outside of combat and hit you during combat.
Assign cyberware to the quickslot and activate it with [UseCombatGadget].
Cooldown: 50 sec.
cool · +0.1 sec. duration with this cyberware per Attribute Point.
-7% all incoming damage
cool · +0.1% damage reduction per Attribute Point.
+50% Mitigation Chance for 4 sec. if you lose 35% Health within 3 sec.
Cooldown: 6 sec.
reflexes · +0.1% Crit Chance per Attribute Point.
+15% Max Health
body · +0.5 Health per Attribute Point.
+19% Mitigation Strength (Total Mitigation Strength cannot exceed 90%)
Mitigation grants a chance to reduce incoming damage by current Mitigation Strength (default: 50%).
body · +0.5 Health per Attribute Point.
Weapons
3/3Marks enemy on hit. Attacking the enemy’s head with any weapon deals 200% damage, returns the Headhunter and clears the mark.
While Optical Camo is active, this weapon's shots gain perfect accuracy and guaranteed headshot Crits along with increased damage. As if that weren't enough, it comes with a unique silencer.
Byakko's perfect balancing allows you to leap toward an enemy with full force. Killing them allows you to temporarily perform a rapid combo of attacks.
Grenades
0/1Quickhacks
8/8Allows you to perform quickhacks on enemies and devices while scanning.
Enemies take 100% longer to trace your location.
-2 RAM cost for Covert quickhacks.
+5 RAM after performing a Takedown.
When Overclock is active, quickhacks will not increase trace progress (but they will still initiate it).
Reveals enemies and devices connected to the local network.
+25% lock-on speed with Smart weapons against Pinged enemies.
Highlights devices and allows you to quickhack them through walls.
Prevents the target enemy from noticing you for a short time. -25% trace progress when uploaded outside of combat.
Quickhacks queued after Memory Wipe are not traceable.
Forces all enemies to exit combat state.
Extends the base effect's duration.
+15% headshot and weakspot damage against the affected enemy.
Blinds the enemy for the duration of the quickhack. In combat, it greatly reduces enemy accuracy.
Neutralizing the affected enemy via headshot or weakspot replenishes +3 RAM units and spreads the quickhack to the nearest enemy.
Deafens the enemy, reducing their ability to detect you.
Scrambles comms, preventing the affected enemy from communicating with their allies.
Cloaks the enemy from their allies' sensory systems, causing them to be ignored.
Uploading Sonic Shock to an enemy already affected by Memory Wipe and Reboot Optics will cause them to lose consciousness.
Jams a target's weapon, rendering it temporarily unusable.
Causes a weapon malfunction that reduces enemy accuracy and disables Smart-targeting and cover-penetration.
Locking onto the affected enemy with a Smart weapon will extend Weapon Glitch's duration until target-lock is released.
Detonates the enemy's primary weapon, forcing them to switch to their secondary weapon which will be affected by the quickhack's core effects.
+6% Crit Chance with Smart weapons for 10 sec. whenever you upload this quickhack. Stacks 5 times.
Knocks out the enemy without making noise by crippling their nervous system.
-12 RAM cost for a short time after reducing trace progress. Stacks 2 times.
Neutralizing an enemy with this quickhack reduces trace progress by 20%. Neutralizing an enemy netrunner this way removes all trace progress.
+3 sec. duration for all Control quickhacks currently affecting the target.
+10% damage for each stack of Cyberware Malfunction affecting the enemy. This increased damage also causes the affected enemy's weakspot to explode.
Applies an EMP effect that deals additional damage over time.
+20% damage against enemies below a High threat level.
Infects the enemy with a virus that causes toxic cyberware substances to leak. This deals poison damage over time and can spread to 4 enemy(-ies) within 8 m. Effective against closely grouped enemies. Ineffective against mechs, robots, drones and turrets. Stacks 2 times.
Applying a Burn or Overheat effect against an affected enemy will cause the leaked toxic substance to detonate. The explosion removes Contagion's effect.
+15% damage with this quickhack against each subsequent enemy it spreads to.
Skills
Decreases Visibility to Enemies by 10%.
+10% headshot damage. +10% damage against vulnerabilities.
+1 Perk Point.
No weapon sway when crouched.
Decreases Visibility to Enemies by 10%.
+15% headshot damage +15% damage against Vulnerabilities
+1 Perk Point.
Optical Camo is active while grappling enemies.
Decreases Recovery time after a throw by 30%.
30% faster when crouch-walking and crouch-sprinting.
Damage bonuses from being undetected outside of combat persist for 3 sec. after entering combat.
+15% Optical Camo charge when neutralizing an enemy in one of the following ways:
- While undetected.
- During Focus mode.
- During Deadeye mode.
- With a thrown weapon.
Increases RAM Recovery Rate by 5%.
Increases RAM by 1.
+1 Perk Point.
Increases RAM Recovery Rate by 5%.
Increases RAM Recovery Rate by 5%.
Increases RAM by 1.
+1 Perk Point.
-20% RAM cost for quickhacks used on devices and vehicles.
+15% duration for Control and Covert quickhacks. +5% damage with Combat quickhacks.
+40% duration for Overclock.
-10% Health loss from using quickhacks during Overclock.
When active, Overclock now reveals enemies within 10 m, and allows you to quickhack non-netrunner enemies through cover.
Increases Movement Speed by 5%.
-5% Stamina cost from dodging and Dashing.
+1 Perk Point.
Increased accuracy for a short time after dodging or Dashing.
Increases Movement Speed by 5%.
-5% Stamina cost from dodging and Dashing.
+1 Perk Point.
Increased Mitigation Chance the faster you move.
+25% damage with Fast Attacks.
Air Dashing and sliding automatically reload 20% of your equipped weapon.
When attacking from midair or while time is slowed, low Stamina does not affect ranged accuracy or melee attack speed.
When Sandevistan is active:
- +40% Crit Chance.
- No Stamina cost for any type of movement.
Increases Carrying Capacity by 50.
Increases Health by 10.
+1 Perk Point.
Fists and Gorilla Arms have:
- +20% damage
- +20% attack speed
- Fists also have a chance to apply Bleeding.
Increases Carrying Capacity by 100.
Increases Health by 15.
+1 Perk Point.
+10% Crit Chance against enemies within 5 m.
+25% damage with Strong Attacks and Quick Melee Attacks.
+25% Health after performing a Finisher.
When Adrenaline Rush is active, Adrenaline decays 50% slower and cannot decay below 10%.
When Berserk is active:
- +30% enemy Health threshold to perform Finishers
- +50% Health from performing Finishers
- +30% Berserk duration
Increases Armor by 15.
Increases Cyberware Capacity by 5.
+1 Perk Point.
+10% grenade damage and explosion radius
Increases Armor by 25.
Increases Cyberware Capacity by 10.
+1 Perk Point.
Increased Shock chance from charging a Tech weapon or electric baton.
+15% Health Item effectiveness.
+30% to all cyberware stat modifiers.
+10% damage with Bolt shots. +40% Burn chance with Bolt shots. Chain Lightning now also sets enemies on fire.
When Fury is active, you occasionally release an EMP blast.