Cyberpunk 2077: Double Barrel Shotgun Build | Order, Dezerter + Sovereign (P2.5)

Welcome to the best Double Barrel Shotgun Build for Cyberpunk 2077 (Patch 2.5). This build lives at point-blank range: three iconic double barrels, the Apogee Sandevistan to slow the fight down by 85%, a Projectile Launch System to blow everyone up, and Peripheral Inverse so that the closer an enemy gets, the less damage they deal to me.

The Double Barrel Shotgun Build combines Order, Dezerter, Sovereign, Rip and Tear, Obliterate and the Apogee Sandevistan: two barrels, a Quick Melee hit, two more barrels, and wounded enemies simply come apart. Armored targets get a charged Bolt shot from the Order that vaporizes everything in a line.

You can find more builds here on the Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database page.

Table of Contents for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build:

• Build Overview
• Attributes
• Perks (Skills)
• Cyberware
  • With all Capacity Shards
• Weapons
  • How to get Order
  • How to get the Dezerter
  • How to get the Sovereign
• Gear
• Skill Progression
• Leveling Tips
  • Perfect Start
  • How to make Money
  • Upgrade Weapons
  • How Gear Scaling Works
  • How to get Perk Points Fast
  • Dogtown Consumables

Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build:

Would you rather carry one heavy shotgun instead of three double barrels? Read my Rebecca Build. If you like the charged Bolt shots and want more of them, check out my Weak Kingsley Build.

Cyberpunk 2077 Double Barrel Shotgun Build Overview

This Cyberpunk 2077: Double Barrel Shotgun Build is about getting close and staying close. I open with the Apogee Sandevistan, which slows time by 85%, and Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone around me a second later. A rocket from my arm goes into the biggest group, a charged jump with Fortified Ankles puts me in the middle of it, and then it is two barrels to the face.

Every shotgun hit makes my next Quick Melee hit harder with Rip and Tear, and the Quick Melee hit makes my next shot harder. Wounded enemies come apart with Obliterate, and every dismemberment refills my Adrenaline. Armored targets and tight groups get the Order: a charged Bolt shot that vaporizes everything in its path and arcs lightning to the enemies next to it. And the closer they are, the less they hurt me, because Peripheral Inverse cuts damage from enemies right next to me by up to 45%.

My rotation: This is how almost every fight goes for me.

1. Sandevistan: Pop the Apogee. Time slows by 85%, Ticking Time Bomb charges an EMP that stuns everyone nearby 1 second later, and every kill while it is active extends it.
2. Rockets: Fire the Projectile Launch System into the biggest group, or hold the button for the five-rocket burst. Every explosion adds a Pyromania stack, and at 6 stacks Burn This City gives you a charge back.
3. Close the gap: Charge a jump with Fortified Ankles, or Dash and Air Dash straight into the group. Once you are within 3 metres, Peripheral Inverse takes 45% off every hit.
4. Shoot, punch, shoot: Fire the Dezerter or the Sovereign, follow up with a Quick Melee, then shoot again. Rip and Tear boosts both hits. Reload when it is empty, and the Microgenerator turns the next shot into an electroshock. Wounded enemies get Obliterated.
5. Armor or a tight group: Swap to the Order and hold the charge. Release it right before it is fully charged for a Bolt: it counts as a full charge, so it vaporizes everything in its path, ignores armor with Shock Value and arcs to nearby enemies with Chain Lightning.
6. Heal: Every dismemberment adds Adrenaline with Bloodlust, every kill heals with Heal-on-Kill, and the Blood Pump and Biomonitor top you up when it gets close.

Before the iconics: The Sovereign is a crafting spec in Japantown, so I craft it as soon as Act 2 opens Westbrook. The Order and the Dezerter need Phantom Liberty. Until then, a DB-4 Igla or DB-2 Testera from any weapon vendor does the job. The Dynalar Sandevistan from level 10 holds the Operating System slot until the Apogee unlocks at level 40.

Attributes – Double Barrel Shotgun Build

Distributing Attributes correctly for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build is important. Attributes dictate the direction of the build and give access to different tiers of perks depending on how many points you invest in each category.

The Cyberpunk 2077 Double Barrel Shotgun Build’s primary Attributes are Body, because shotguns are Body weapons, and Technical Ability for the Order, the rockets and the chrome. We also invest points in Cool and Reflexes. Intelligence stays at 3.

Double Barrel Shotgun Build Start Attributes

At the start of the game, select the following Attribute allocation to give us the optimal start for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077.

Attribute	Points	Description
Body	+3	Unlocks Painkiller and the health regen row right away, and gets you closer to Die! Die! Die! and Like a Feather at 9.
Technical Ability	+2	Unlocks Glutton for War, First Aid and Transfusion for better health items.
Reflexes	+2	Unlocks Slippery, Multitasker and Muscle Memory, so you can reload while sprinting from the start.
Cool	None	N/A
Intelligence	None	N/A

Max Level Attributes

At max level, you want to have the following distribution of Attributes for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077:

• 20 Body
• 20 Technical Ability
• 20 Cool
• 18 Reflexes
• 3 Intelligence

Why these numbers: Body goes to 20 for Rip and Tear and Pain to Gain, and Technical Ability goes to 20 for Edgerunner, Ticking Time Bomb and Chain Lightning. Reflexes sits at 18, which covers Air Dash at 15. Cool doesn’t get a single perk point, but it still goes to 20: every Cool point adds +1.25% Crit Damage, so that is +25% Crit Damage on every shell, and the Shock Absorber and Reflex Tuner add headshot and weakspot damage for every Cool point on top. Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability and Cool are all at 9 or higher, so Renaissance Punk gives +16 Cyberware Capacity.

Perks – Double Barrel Shotgun Build Cyberpunk 2077

In this section of the Cyberpunk 2077 Double Barrel Shotgun Build, I will explain the perks that we use for each attribute.

• Body
• Technical Ability
• Reflexes
• Cool
• Intelligence
• Relic

Perk Points: To get perk points, you can either simply level up or farm Perk Shards. Read our guide on all 13 Perk Shard Locations in Cyberpunk 2077, with map locations, screenshots, and the nearest fast travel point for each shard.

Perk Order: The bold perks are the core of the build, so pick them up before the non-bold ones. While you are leveling, rush Body: Die! Die! Die! and Like a Feather at 9, then Spontaneous Obliteration, Dread and Adrenaline Rush at 15. Technical Ability to 9 comes next for All Things Cyber and Renaissance Punk, and Reflexes to 9 for Dash. After that, Body to 20 for Rip and Tear, then Technical Ability to 15 for Bolt, Pyromania and Doomlauncher once you have the Order and the rocket arm. Edgerunner, Ticking Time Bomb and Chain Lightning come last, since they need 20 Technical Ability.

Perk Points: This build uses all 80 Perk Points at level 60: 40 in Technical Ability, 26 in Body and 14 in Reflexes.

Body Perks

The Body Perk-Tree is the heart of the Double Barrel Shotgun Build, and we max it out at 20. Shotguns are Body weapons, so we take the whole gun branch on the left, plus the health regen and Adrenaline Rush branch in the middle.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

The health regen row.

Perk	Description
Painkiller	Unlocks passive health regeneration during combat.
Comeback Kid	The lower your health, the faster you regenerate.
Speed Junkie	+100% Health Regen while sprinting.
Army of One	More health regen for each nearby enemy. With this build, there are always enemies nearby.
Dorph-head	Using the Blood Pump or a health item gives you a big boost to Mitigation Chance for 1 second.

Level 9 Perks

Die! Die! Die! opens the shotgun branch.

Perk	Description
Die! Die! Die!	Faster Stamina regen, then better weapon handling the lower your Stamina gets. It opens the whole shotgun branch. Only works with shotguns, LMGs and HMGs.
Bullet Ballet	-50% bullet spread while moving. Double barrels spray a wide cone, and this keeps more of the pellets on target while I run in.
Like a Feather	No movement speed penalty with shotguns, LMGs and HMGs. You have to get close fast, so this one is mandatory.
Don’t Stop Me Now	More Mitigation Chance and Mitigation Strength while your Stamina is low. Shooting drains Stamina, so this is on a lot.

Level 15 Perks

Spontaneous Obliteration and everything around it on the left, Adrenaline Rush in the middle.

Perk	Description
Spontaneous Obliteration	More Crit Chance as your Stamina drains, +10% damage against nearby enemies, then Obliterate: a chance to instantly kill and dismember enemies at low Health, and the lower their Health, the higher the chance. Max it out.
Close-quarters Carnage	A higher Obliterate chance at close range. Close range is the only range this build has.
Dread	Ranged attacks lower enemy armor, and dismemberment spreads the effect to nearby enemies. One of the strongest damage boosts in the tree.
Skullcracker	More Quick Melee damage the lower your Stamina gets, up to +200% at 0 Stamina. It stacks with Rip and Tear, so the punch between two shots really hurts.
Rush of Blood	Much faster reload for 1 second after dismembering an enemy. With 2 shells per magazine, every quick reload counts.
Bloodlust	+50 Adrenaline every time you dismember a nearby enemy while Adrenaline Rush is active. Double barrels dismember a lot, so this keeps the second health bar full.
Adrenaline Rush	+35 max health, +20% to all health regen, then Adrenaline Rush itself. Health items and the Blood Pump now also give Adrenaline equal to 30% of your max health, shown as a yellow second health bar.
Juggernaut	+20% movement speed and +10% damage while Adrenaline Rush is active.
Calm Mind	A 3 second delay before Adrenaline starts decaying.
Unstoppable Force	Immunity to movement penalties, knockdown and blinding while Adrenaline Rush is active. Nothing knocks you out of the group.

Level 20 Perks

Body is at 20, so we take two capstones.

Perk	Description
Rip and Tear	+100% damage for your next Quick Melee attack after you shoot an enemy with a shotgun, and +100% damage for your next shotgun shot after a Quick Melee hit. This is the core of the build: shoot, punch, shoot. Only works with shotguns.
Pain to Gain	While Adrenaline Rush is active, every kill gives +20% health item recharge. Kills come fast at this range, so the next heal is never far away.

Technical Ability Perks

The Technical Ability Perk-Tree is the second big tree, and we max it out at 20. The left branch gives us more health items and turns the arm rockets into a real weapon, the middle branch handles the chrome and leads to Edgerunner, and the right branch is for the Order and its Bolt shots.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

The health item perks on the left.

Perk	Description
Glutton for War	+1 health item charge. Every health item also fills your Adrenaline once Adrenaline Rush is unlocked.
First Aid	+15% recharge speed for health items when you have only used one charge.
Transfusion	+30% health from the final charge of your health item.

Level 9 Perks

Health items and grenades on the left, the Cyberware perks in the middle.

Perk	Description
Health Freak	Faster recharge for health items and grenades, then an instant partial recharge after every kill. Max it out.
Borrowed Time	If you are below 25% health and out of health item charges, your next kill instantly recharges a health item.
Demolitions Surplus	+1 grenade charge, and much faster grenade recharge outside of combat.
Coming in Hot	+50% grenade recharge speed when you have no grenades left.
Field Medic	15% faster health item use in combat.
All Things Cyber	+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers and -20% Cyberware Capacity cost for Integumentary System and Skeleton chrome. That discount saves about 24 capacity in this build. Max it out.
Driver Update	Every cyberware gets an additional stat modifier.
Renaissance Punk	+4 Cyberware Capacity for each Attribute at 9 or higher. Body, Technical Ability, Reflexes and Cool all count, so that is +16 capacity.
Chrome Constitution	-5% incoming damage while all your Integumentary System and Skeleton slots are filled. This build fills all of them.
Lucky Day	+25% crafting components from looting. You craft the Sovereign yourself, and upgrading three iconic shotguns to Tier 5++ eats a lot of components.
Chipware Connoisseur	When you upgrade cyberware, you can choose between two stat modifiers, and from Tier 3 between three. You get to pick Crit Chance and Crit Damage instead of hoping for them.

Level 15 Perks

Pyromania and the explosive perks on the left, chrome in the middle and the Bolt branch on the right.

Perk	Description
Pyromania	Faster health item and grenade recharge, a bigger explosion radius for grenades and the Projectile Launch System, then Pyromania stacks when your explosions hit enemies. Ticking Time Bomb sits behind it.
Burn This City	At 6 Pyromania stacks, the stacks are used up to instantly give you a grenade charge back, and their bonuses stay active for 1 more second. With Doomlauncher, the Projectile Launch System gets the same bonus.
Friendlier Fire	+50% resistance to damage and effects from your own explosions. I fire rockets into groups I am about to jump into, so this matters.
Heat Shield	Every Pyromania stack gives you Mitigation Chance. Rocket first, then walk in.
Doomlauncher	More Projectile Launch System charges and much faster recharge, faster still when you are out of charges or out of combat, plus 20% of a charge back after every kill. Together with Launch Capacity Override, the rocket arm is almost always ready.
License to Chrome	+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers, +40 armor and an extra Skeleton slot. Max it out.
Ambidextrous	A second Hands slot, which holds the Shock Absorber next to the Microgenerator.
Extended Warranty	+15% duration for all cyberware effects. The Sandevistan and Kerenzikov both last longer.
Cyborg	-15% cooldown for all cyberware while every cyberware slot is filled. This build fills every one, so the Sandevistan comes back faster.
Built Different	Unlocks the Cellular Adapter for the Integumentary System, which you can then buy and install at any Ripperdoc.
Bolt	+20% charge speed and +15% charged shot damage with Tech weapons, then Bolt shots. Release the trigger right before the Order is fully charged to fire a Bolt, which counts as a full charge and deals a lot of bonus damage. Max it out.
In Charge	Tech weapons no longer fire automatically at full charge, so I can hold the Order charged and walk into the group before I let go.
Internal Clock	A longer time window to fire a Bolt. Much more forgiving in the middle of a fight.
Lightning Storm	Faster charging after every Bolt, stacking 3 times. Swapping weapons or firing a non-Bolt shot resets it, so I stay on the Order for a few shots once I swap to it.
Shock Value	Bolt shots ignore enemy armor. This is why the Order handles the heavily armored enemies.

Level 20 Perks

Technical Ability is at 20, so we take three capstones.

Perk	Description
Ticking Time Bomb	Every time you activate the Sandevistan, you charge an EMP that hits nearby enemies 1 second later. It stuns them and deals damage based on how many cyberware implants you have and their tier, and you take less damage while it charges. Every fight starts with the whole group stunned.
Edgerunner	Go up to 50 points over your Cyberware Capacity, for -0.5% Max Health per point. Kills can also put you into a Fury state with +10% damage, +30% Crit Chance and +50% Crit Damage, and the further you are over capacity, the higher the chance. This build sits about 36 points over, see the Cyberware section.
Chain Lightning	Bolt shots deal Electrical damage and release an arc that electrocutes up to 3 nearby enemies. One charged Order shot, several targets.

Reflexes Perks

The Reflexes Perk-Tree is only used for its middle branch: movement. A shotgun is useless from across the room, and Reflexes is how you close that distance. Reflexes sits at 18.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

Slippery and the movement row.

Perk	Description
Slippery	The faster you move, the harder you are to hit. It also opens the movement branch.
Multitasker	Shoot while sprinting, sliding and vaulting. You never have to slow down on the way in.
Muscle Memory	Reload while sprinting, sliding and vaulting. With 2 shells per magazine, you reload all the time, so you better do it on the move.
Power Slide	Longer slides. A slide is one of the fastest ways into the group.
Parkour	Faster vaulting and climbing.

Level 9 Perks

Dash and the two perks next to it.

Perk	Description
Dash	Rank 1 cuts dodge and dash stamina cost, rank 2 unlocks the Dash itself. Aim during a Dash and Kerenzikov slows time.
Can’t Touch This	+100% mitigation chance while dashing.
Steady Grip	Shoot while dashing. Dash in and fire both barrels before you even land.

Level 15 Perks

Air Dash and the two midair perks.

Perk	Description
Air Dash	Lower dash stamina cost, faster dashes, then the ability to dash in midair. Combined with the charged jump from Fortified Ankles, nothing is out of reach.
Aerial Acrobat	Better control in midair.
Aerodynamic	A big boost to Mitigation Strength while you are in midair.

Level 20 Perks

We don’t use any level 20 perks. Reflexes sits at 18.

Cool Perks

We don’t spend any perk points in Cool. It still goes to 20 for its Attribute bonus: every Cool point adds +1.25% Crit Damage, so that is +25% Crit Damage on every shell. The Shock Absorber and the Reflex Tuner also add headshot and weakspot damage for every Cool point.

Intelligence Perks

We don’t spend any perk points or Attribute Points in Intelligence. It stays at 3.

Relic Perks (Phantom Liberty DLC)

The Relic tree runs on Relic points from Phantom Liberty rather than attribute levels, so there are no level tiers here. We spend 8 points across two branches: one to turn the Projectile Launch System into a real weapon, and one to make every shotgun blast count.

Perk	Description
Jailbreak	Unlocks new abilities for all Arm cyberware, and for this build specifically it overhauls the Projectile Launch System. Holding the button overcharges the launcher into a burst of five projectiles covering a much wider area.
Launch Capacity Override	+1 Projectile Launch System charge. Stacks with the extra charge from Doomlauncher in Technical Ability.
Vulnerability Analytics	Lets you spot Vulnerabilities in enemy armor and cyberware during combat. Hitting one gives 100% Crit Chance and +25% Armor Penetration, and destroying it sets off an EMP blast in a 3 metre radius. A double barrel at point-blank range hits them with almost every pellet.
Machine Learning	Destroying a Vulnerability makes new ones appear more often and grants Crit Damage against them, stacking five times with the effects doubled at max stacks.

The other 7 Relic points: I leave them unspent, because none of the other Relic perks do anything in this build. Emergency Cloaking only works with Optical Camo on the Combat Gadget quickslot, and Optical Camo would need an Integumentary System slot that is already taken. Sensory Protocol sits behind Emergency Cloaking. Limiter Removal, Data Tunneling and Spatial Mapping are for Gorilla Arms, Monowire and Mantis Blades, and our Arms slot holds the Projectile Launch System.

Cyberware for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Slow motion, rockets and a body that takes a beating: The Sandevistan and Kerenzikov slow time, the Projectile Launch System handles cover and cars, the Microgenerator adds a shock to every reload, and the Skeleton, Integumentary and Circulatory Systems keep you standing in the middle of the group. Every slot is filled, so Cyborg and Chrome Constitution are always on.

Cyberware Capacity: At level 60 you have 201 Cyberware Capacity, plus 15 from the Engineer skill tree and 16 from Renaissance Punk, so 232 in total. Everything marked bold or without a note below costs about 268 at Tier 5++, already including the -20% from All Things Cyber on the Skeleton and Integumentary System.

That is 36 points over, and Edgerunner lets you go up to 50 over. It costs -0.5% Max Health per point, so about -18% Max Health, which the Epimorphic Skeleton and Adrenaline Rush give back. Edgerunner needs 20 Technical Ability, so until you have it, run the Subdermal Armor instead of Peripheral Inverse, the Ballistic Coprocessor instead of the Shock Absorber and the Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics instead of The Oracle. That brings you down to about 230, inside the limit.

Once you have collected Capacity Shards, you can go further. I explain the swaps in With all Capacity Shards below.

Important: Priority Cyberware is marked in bold.

• Operating System (Most Important)
• Frontal Cortex
• Face
• Arms
• Hands
• Skeleton
• Nervous System
• Circulatory System
• Integumentary System
• Legs
• With all Capacity Shards

Operating System

Cyberware	Description
Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan	Slows time by 85% while you move at full speed, with +20% headshot damage, +20% Crit Chance and +20% Crit Damage on top. Every kill while it is active extends it by 10% and gives you 22% Stamina back. Shotguns drain Stamina, and Die! Die! Die! and Spontaneous Obliteration both work better at low Stamina, so you get to choose when to refill. Max duration 6 seconds, plus 0.1 seconds per Reflexes point and +15% from Extended Warranty. 25 second cooldown, minus 15% from Cyborg. Every activation also triggers Ticking Time Bomb, so every Sandevistan starts with an EMP.
Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan (Alternative)	Slows time by 70% for 10 seconds, and every kill while it is active restores 12% Health. Less damage, more sustain, and 5 capacity cheaper.
Dynalar Sandevistan (Early Game)	Slows time by 50% with +15% Crit Chance and +15% Crit Damage for 9 seconds. The Sandevistan I use until the Apogee unlocks, and it only costs 18 capacity.

Location of items:

• Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan: Iconic, any Ripperdoc once you reach level 40.
• Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan: Iconic, any Ripperdoc after level 30. You also get it during Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (Phantom Liberty) if you enlist Carol Emeka’s help.
• Dynalar Sandevistan: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with tier improving as you level.

Frontal Cortex

Cyberware	Description
Kerenzikov Boost System	Improves Kerenzikov: no Stamina cost for shooting while it is active, and time slows even more. Only 3 capacity.
Mechatronic Core	+40% damage against drones, robots, mechs and turrets. Only 5 capacity.
Self-ICE	Automatically negates an enemy quickhack, with a 20 second cooldown. This build has no answer to Netrunners otherwise. Only 5 capacity.
Axolotl (With all Capacity Shards)	-7.5% cooldown for all your cyberware after every kill. Takes the place of the Kerenzikov Boost System once you have all Capacity Shards.

Location of items:

• Kerenzikov Boost System: Any Ripperdoc after level 20, scaling up to Tier 5.
• Mechatronic Core: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
• Self-ICE: Any Ripperdoc after level 20.
• Axolotl: Iconic, from Regina Jones after the gig Last Call, also sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.

Face

Cyberware	Description
Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics	When you scan, it highlights every enemy within 19.5 metres for 60 seconds, including enemies behind cover. I always know who is waiting around the corner before I jump in.
Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics (Early Game)	Highlights cameras and turrets when scanning. Only 2 capacity, so it is my pick until I have Edgerunner.

Location of items:

• Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics: Sold by Ripperdocs from level 30, with quality scaling by level.
• Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics: Any Ripperdoc.

Arms

Cyberware

Description

Projectile Launch System

Fires an explosive rocket from your arm. My answer to enemies behind cover, mechs and anyone in a car, and a great opener before I jump in. Counts as a grenade, so it scales with every grenade perk in Technical Ability. Jailbreak lets you hold the button to overcharge it into a burst of five projectiles. Doomlauncher and Launch Capacity Override together add extra charges plus large recharge bonuses. Every explosion builds Pyromania stacks, which convert back into free charges through Burn This City.

Update 2.5 added Glamdocs, so you can now give the Projectile Launch System a new look. Visit one of the 5 Glamdocs (spray paint icon on the map) once you have it installed.

Location of items:

• Projectile Launch System: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling as you level.

Hands

Cyberware	Description
Microgenerator	Reloading an empty weapon makes your next shot release an electroshock that deals Electrical damage around the point of impact. The damage grows with the number of rounds reloaded, so 2 shells don’t get the maximum, but a double barrel is empty after every second shot, so it triggers all the time.
Shock Absorber	-24% recoil, and every Cool point adds +0.2% headshot and weakspot damage, so +4% at 20 Cool. Double barrels kick hard, and this keeps the second shot on target.
Ballistic Coprocessor (Early Game)	Increased ricochet chance with Power weapons and +35% ricochet damage. The Dezerter and the Sovereign are Power weapons. Only 2 capacity, so it is my pick until I have Edgerunner.

Ambidextrous gives you the second Hands slot.

Location of items:

• Microgenerator: Sold by any Ripperdoc from level 10 onward.
• Shock Absorber: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
• Ballistic Coprocessor: You get it during the intro quest The Ripperdoc, and Ripperdocs sell better versions as you level.

Skeleton

Cyberware	Description
Epimorphic Skeleton	+13% Max Health. It gives back what Edgerunner takes.
Spring Joints	+16% Mitigation Strength. Slippery, Can’t Touch This, Neofiber and Heat Shield all give Mitigation Chance, and this makes every one of those mitigated hits hurt less.
Bionic Joints	Armor for only 8 capacity, plus +0.5 Armor for every Technical Ability point. It fills the third slot for Chrome Constitution.
Para Bellum (With all Capacity Shards)	+12% Armor. Takes the place of the Bionic Joints once you have all Capacity Shards.

License to Chrome gives you the third Skeleton slot. Fill all three for Chrome Constitution.

Location of items:

• Epimorphic Skeleton: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 30.
• Spring Joints: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
• Bionic Joints: Any Ripperdoc, with tier scaling by character level.
• Para Bellum: Any Ripperdoc from level 20, with quality scaling by level.

Nervous System

Cyberware	Description
Kerenzikov	Aim during a slide, dodge or Dash and time slows by 60% for 3.75 seconds, with a 6 second cooldown. Slow motion between two Sandevistans, and the Kerenzikov Boost System needs it.
Neofiber	+11% Mitigation Chance and +11% Mitigation Strength, so you simply take less damage in the middle of the group.
Reflex Tuner	Slows time by 60% for 4.5 seconds when your Health drops below 25%. Time to heal, dash away or finish the last guy. Only 5 capacity.
Deep-field Visual Interface (With all Capacity Shards)	Its Crit Chance bonus only works at long range, so that part does nothing here. I run it for its Cool attunement: +1% Crit Damage per Cool point, so +20% Crit Damage at 20 Cool. Takes the place of Kerenzikov once you have all Capacity Shards.

Location of items:

• Kerenzikov: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
• Neofiber: Any Ripperdoc after level 20.
• Reflex Tuner: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
• Deep-field Visual Interface: Iconic Visual Cortex Support variant (Phantom Liberty DLC), sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.

Circulatory System

Cyberware	Description
Blood Pump	Works as a second health item: 110 health right away, then 23 health per second for 6 seconds. With Adrenaline Rush it also fills your Adrenaline.
Biomonitor	Automatically uses your health item when your health drops below 50%, and +16% health item effectiveness. Both hands stay on the shotgun.
Heal-on-Kill	+7.5% Health for every kill. Obliterate kills come in bunches, and every one of them heals.

Location of items:

• Blood Pump: Ripperdocs from level 10.
• Biomonitor: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
• Heal-on-Kill: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.

Integumentary System

Cyberware	Description
Peripheral Inverse	The closer an attacking enemy is, the less damage they deal to you: -45% incoming damage at 3 metres, tapering off to 0% at 6 metres. Every enemy this build fights is inside that range.
Carapace	+32% Armor effectiveness against attacks from the side or the rear. In the middle of a group, that is most attacks.
Cellular Adapter	For every Technical Ability point: +1% explosion resistance, +0.5% Tech weapon damage and +0.5% health item and grenade recharge speed. At 20 Technical Ability, that is +10% damage with the Order and +20% resistance against my own rockets. Only 10 capacity. It only shows up at Ripperdocs once you have the Built Different perk.
Subdermal Armor (Early Game)	A big chunk of Armor for only 5 capacity. My pick until I reach Dogtown and have Edgerunner.

Location of items:

• Peripheral Inverse: Iconic ProxiShield variant (Phantom Liberty DLC), sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.
• Carapace: Sold by Ripperdocs from level 10 onward, with quality scaling by level.
• Cellular Adapter: Any Ripperdoc once you have the Built Different perk.
• Subdermal Armor: You get it during the intro quest The Ripperdoc, and Ripperdocs sell better versions as you level.

Legs

Cyberware	Description
Fortified Ankles	Charged jumps: hold the jump button to charge it, then release for a much longer jump. This is how I get from cover into the middle of the group in one move, and every Body point adds +0.5 Health on top.

Location of items:

• Fortified Ankles: Any Ripperdoc from level 10 onward.

With all Capacity Shards

Capacity Shards permanently raise your Cyberware Capacity by +2, +3, +4 or +6 each, depending on their tier. They drop from enemies, police scanner activities and airdrops until you have them all: 60 capacity from the base game and 14 more from Phantom Liberty. With all of them, you have 306 Cyberware Capacity, and 356 with Edgerunner.

That is enough room for three more expensive pieces. These are the swaps I make:

• Axolotl: -7.5% cooldown for all cyberware after every kill. The Apogee and the rocket arm come back much faster, and Obliterate kills come in bunches.
• Deep-field Visual Interface: +20% Crit Damage at 20 Cool from its attunement. Kerenzikov and the Kerenzikov Boost System go out together, since the Boost System only works with Kerenzikov. The Apogee still covers the slow motion.
• Para Bellum: +12% Armor instead of the flat Armor from the Bionic Joints.

That brings the total to about 355 of 356. You are about 49 points over 306, so Edgerunner costs about -24% Max Health. The Epimorphic Skeleton and Adrenaline Rush still give most of that back.

Weapons for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Three double barrels: The Dezerter and the Sovereign do most of the work up close, and the Order is the shotgun I swap to for armored enemies and tight groups. All three are shotguns, so every Body perk in this build works with all of them, and the Order also gets the whole Bolt branch.

• Body perks like Spontaneous Obliteration, Dread and Rip and Tear boost all three shotguns.
• Bolt, Shock Value and Chain Lightning only work with Tech weapons, so only with the Order.
• All three hold 2 shells, so Muscle Memory, Rush of Blood and the Microgenerator matter a lot.
• All three use Shotgun Ammo. I keep a stack crafted, because three shotguns go through it fast.

Upgrade: Weapons can be upgraded when you go to the crafting section and then swap to upgrades.

Item	Description
Order (Main)	My Bolt shotgun. Charge it above 66% and the shot vaporizes every enemy in its path and leaves an EMP trail behind. In Charge lets me hold the charge, Bolt makes the release hit even harder, and Shock Value makes it ignore armor. The highest armor penetration of the three.
Dezerter (Main)	My main shotgun. Extreme firepower that pulverizes everything in front of it, and the fastest reload of the three. Every kill sets me on fire, which here is a good thing: a movement speed boost and more Mitigation Chance. It doesn’t trigger while your Health is low.
Sovereign (Main)	The crit shotgun. Point-blank shots are guaranteed Crit Hits, and a torso hit gives you faster reloads and movement speed. It also fires faster than the other two, and you can craft it early in Act 2.
DB-4 Igla (Early Game)	The standard Rostović double barrel. Sold by weapon vendors and found as loot, so it is what I use until I have the iconics.
DB-2 Testera (Early Game)	The other Rostović double barrel, with a faster reload. Also sold by weapon vendors and found as loot.

Location of items:

• Order: Bought from Herold Lowe at the black market in the EBM Petrochem Stadium in Dogtown (Phantom Liberty DLC). See below.
• Dezerter: In a cache from the Phantom Liberty side job Addicted to Chaos, which you unlock by sparing Rinder in the gig The Man Who Killed Jason Foreman. Herold Lowe also sells it. See below.
• Sovereign: Crafting spec from Shinobu Imai during the Suspected Organized Crime Activity Modern Labor Market in Japantown, Westbrook. See below.
• DB-4 Igla and DB-2 Testera: Sold by weapon vendors across Night City and found as loot, with quality scaling as you level.

Grenades: Any explosive grenade. Explosions build Pyromania stacks, Heat Shield turns those stacks into Mitigation Chance, and Burn This City gives you a charge back at 6 stacks. The Projectile Launch System uses the same perks.

Health item: MaxDOC MK.5 for the big instant heal. Every heal also fills Adrenaline Rush.

Vehicle: Any car or bike you like. This build doesn’t use any vehicle perks.

Order (Iconic Tech Double Barrel Shotgun) – How To Get It

“Don’t bother aiming. Something’s guaranteed to hit.” The Order is the only Tech double barrel in this build, and the reason the Bolt branch is in it.

• Prerequisites: Phantom Liberty DLC, and Dogtown has to be unlocked.
• Where: Herold Lowe’s black market inside the EBM Petrochem Stadium in the north of Dogtown. Fast travel to EBM Petrochem Stadium and look for the vendor icon with the eurodollar and glasses.
• How to Get It: Buy it from Herold Lowe. Bring plenty of eddies.
• What to Do: Upgrade it to Tier 5++ like any other iconic. With Bolt, In Charge and Shock Value, a charged shot past 66% vaporizes everything in its path.
• Note: Herold’s stock changes as you progress through Phantom Liberty, so check back if you don’t see it right away.

Dezerter (Iconic Power Double Barrel Shotgun) – How To Get It

“Faultless as far as murder weapons go.” You get the Dezerter by letting a man live, so read this before you walk into Rinder’s room.

• Prerequisites: Phantom Liberty DLC. Finish the main mission You Know My Name, which unlocks the gig The Man Who Killed Jason Foreman in the Longshore Stacks.
• Where: Investigate the crime scene, then follow the marker to Rinder’s hideout and fight your way to his room.
• How to Get It: Spare Rinder and make the deal. Exhaust his dialogue, then threaten his life. He gives you his dogtags and the location of a supply cache, and you tell your client he is dead.
• Next: The deal unlocks the side job Addicted to Chaos. Follow it to Rinder’s garage, open it with the code 1975 and take the Dezerter from the cache.
• Note: If you kill Rinder, there is no cache. Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium sells the Dezerter in that case.

Sovereign (Iconic Power Double Barrel Shotgun) – How To Get It

“Become the king of the hunt.” The Sovereign is a crafting spec, and it is the first of the three iconics you can get.

• Prerequisites: Westbrook has to be unlocked, which happens at the start of Act 2.
• Where: The Suspected Organized Crime Activity Modern Labor Market in Japantown, Westbrook.
• How to Get It: Clear the area and loot the crafting spec from Shinobu Imai, the leader of the group.
• What to Do: Open the Crafting menu and craft the Sovereign. Upgrade it later like any other weapon.
• Note: It is a crafting spec, not the shotgun itself, so you need the components to craft it.

Gear for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Since gear is mostly cosmetic, you can wear whatever you want. All of this build’s defense comes from cyberware instead, mainly Peripheral Inverse, the Epimorphic Skeleton, the Carapace, Neofiber and Adrenaline Rush.

For the look, I wear the full NUS Infiltrator set:

• Head: NUS Infiltrator Headgear
• Outer Torso: NUS Infiltrator Jacket
• Legs: NUS Infiltrator Pants
• Feet: NUS Infiltrator Boots

Location: The clothing vendor in Japantown, near the Sagan & Diamond fast travel point. Update 2.5 added the set, and the clothing vendors in Kabuki sell it as well.

Skill Progression in Cyberpunk 2077

This is often overlooked; in the character menu, you can actually click on “Skill Progression”. This will send you to a very powerful mechanic in Cyberpunk 2077.

By leveling up these trees you gain powerful effects.

For our Cyberpunk 2077: Double Barrel Shotgun Build you want to focus on Solo, Engineer and Shinobi. Solo is the big one: every shotgun kill levels it. At level 40 you get +10% Crit Chance within 5 metres, which is exactly where this build fights, and at level 55 your Adrenaline decays 50% slower. Engineer levels with every charged shot and Bolt from the Order and every Projectile Launch System kill. It gives you the extra Cyberware Capacity this build counts on, and at level 55 adds +10% Bolt damage and makes Chain Lightning burn. Shinobi comes along with all the dashing.

Solo (Body)

• Level 5: +50 Carrying Capacity
• Level 10: +10 Max Health
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +20% Fist/Gorilla Arms damage & speed (Fists bleed)
• Level 25: +100 Carrying Capacity
• Level 30: +15% Max Health
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: +10% Crit Chance within 5 meters
• Level 45: +25% Strong/Quick Melee damage
• Level 50: +25% Health after performing a Finisher
• Level 55: Adrenaline decays 50% slower, min 10% floor
• Level 60: Berserk Mode: +30% Finisher threshold, +50% Finisher heal, +30% duration

How to Level Up Solo (Body)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using Heavy Weapons (Shotguns, Light Machine Guns, and Heavy Machine Guns).
• Defeat enemies using blunt weapons, Gorilla Arms, or bare fists.
• Force open locked doors, rip heavy turrets from their mounts, and pass physical Body attribute checks in the world.
• Execute physical melee finishers.

Engineer (Technical Ability)

• Level 5: +15 Armor
• Level 10: +5 Cyberware Capacity
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +10% Grenade damage & explosion radius
• Level 25: +25 Armor
• Level 30: +10 Cyberware Capacity
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Increased Shock chance when charging Tech weapons
• Level 45: +15% Health Item effectiveness
• Level 50: +30% to all Cyberware stat modifiers
• Level 55: +10% Bolt damage, +40% Bolt burn, Chain Lightning burns
• Level 60: Fury Mode: You occasionally release a massive EMP blast

How to Level Up Engineer (Technical Ability)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using Tech weapons, especially by firing fully charged shots or Bolt shots.
• Get kills using damage-dealing grenades or the Projectile Launch System (PLS) cyberware.
• Craft new weapons, quickhacks, and item components.
• Upgrade weapons and cyberware at Ripperdocs or through your crafting menu.
• Dismantle weapons, armor, and junk items into crafting components.

Shinobi (Reflexes)

• Level 5: +5% Movement Speed
• Level 10: -5% Dodge/Dash Stamina cost
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: Better accuracy after dodging/dashing
• Level 25: +5% Movement Speed
• Level 30: -10% Dodge/Dash Stamina cost
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Increased Mitigation Chance the faster you move
• Level 45: +25% Fast Attack damage
• Level 50: Sliding & Air Dashing reload 20% of your weapon
• Level 55: Mid-air/Slow-mo: low stamina does not penalize combat
• Level 60: Sandevistan Mode: +40% Crit Chance; No movement Stamina cost

How to Level Up Shinobi (Reflexes)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using blade weapons (Katanas, Machetes, Chainswords, or Mantis Blades).
• Actively dodge, dash, air-dash, slide, and vault while in active combat.
• Defeat enemies using Assault Rifles or Submachine Guns (SMGs), especially while moving at high speeds.

Headhunter (Cool)

• Level 5: -10% Visibility to enemies
• Level 10: +10% Headshot & Vulnerability damage
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: No weapon sway when crouched
• Level 25: -10% Visibility to enemies
• Level 30: +15% Headshot & Vulnerability damage
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Optical Camo is active while grappling enemies
• Level 45: -30% Recovery time after a throw
• Level 50: +30% Crouch walk & sprint speed
• Level 55: Undetected damage bonus lasts 3s in combat
• Level 60: +15% Optical Camo charge on stealth/special kills

How to Level Up Headhunter (Cool)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Perform stealth takedowns and neutralizations on unaware enemies.
• Get headshots and hit enemy weakspots using any weapon type.
• Defeat enemies using pistols, revolvers, sniper rifles, precision rifles, or thrown weapons (knives and axes).
• Deal damage and secure kills while crouching or using Optical Camo.

Netrunner (Intelligence)

• Level 5: +5% RAM Recovery Rate
• Level 10: +1 Max RAM
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +20% Smart Weapon lock-on range
• Level 25: +5% RAM Recovery Rate
• Level 30: +1 Max RAM
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: -20% RAM cost for hacking devices/vehicles
• Level 45: +15% Control/Covert duration; +5% Combat hack damage
• Level 50: +40% Overclock duration
• Level 55: -10% Health loss during Overclock
• Level 60: Overclock Mode: Reveals enemies (10m) & hacks through cover

How to Level Up Netrunner (Intelligence)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Use offensive, control, or covert quickhacks on enemies during combat.
• Hack environmental objects, security cameras, and devices to distract enemies or trigger explosions.
• Successfully jack into and hack Access Points (Data Terminals) using Breach Protocol.
• Defeat enemies using Smart weapons or the Monowire.

Leveling Tips for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Here are a few general leveling tips for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077.

• Perfect Start
• How to make Money
• Upgrade Weapons
• How Gear Scaling Works
• How to get Perk Points Fast
• Dogtown Consumables

Perfect Start in Cyberpunk 2077

Here are the steps that I recommend taking with a new Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough.

Starter Build: You can also check out my Cyberpunk 2077 Starter Build that takes you from level 1 to level 15.

1. Regular Start (Don’t skip ahead to Phantom Liberty).
2. Immediately after the prologue, once you are out of your room and go downstairs before you enter the elevator.
   1. Weapon Vendor: Buy the Iconic pistol Dying Night.
   2. Coach Fred: Capacity Boosters (in case you get over capacity so you can still move).
3. Buff Routine: Sleep & Shower. This gives you 20% Skill XP acquisition and Health Regen.
4. Watson Clean Sweep (NCPD Missions):
   1. Watson is the first district you play in.
   2. Clearing all missions takes 1-2 hours. This will give you at least 10 levels, 15 Street Cred and over 150k Eddies Cash. 
   3. Loot all enemies and either disassemble for materials or sell them at the vendor for extra Eddies.
5. Get the Fenrir SMG from the monk mission. This SMG is insanely good at the start because it often stuns enemies.
6. Visit a Ripperdoc at level 10: After you have enough money, it’s time to get chromed up.
   1. Dynalar Sandevistan (Operating System): Sold from level 10. Slow motion for your shotguns until the Militech “Apogee” unlocks at level 40.
   2. Reinforced Tendons (Legs): Allow you to double jump
   3. Kerenzikov (Nervous System): Slows Time by 60% for 2s.
   4. Synaptic Accelerator (Nervous System): Slows time by 20% for 2s when enemy detection reaches 50%.
   5. Whatever else you can fit!
7. Time to start playing for real. The Pickup mission is waiting for you!

How to make Money

It is actually fairly easy to make money in Cyberpunk 2077. The best way to make money is to clear all the NCPD and Cyberpsycho missions in each district. As previously mentioned, clearing most of the Watson district NCPD mission alone already gives you approximately 150k Eddies Cash.

Upgrade Weapons

This often gets overlooked, but you can upgrade early-game weapons in Cyberpunk 2077. Go to the crafting section, then move to the Upgrade tab. Here you can upgrade all weapons if you have the necessary crafting components.

Gear Scaling in Cyberpunk 2077

Gear scaling is automated in Cyberpunk 2077. The moment you reach a certain level, you will start finding more and more high-quality items. Meaning the faster you reach a higher level the sooner you will find better gear from chests or enemies. That counts for Gear, Weapons, Cyberware, Outfits, etc.

• Tier 1: Level 1-9
• Tier 2: Level 10-19
• Tier 3: Level 20-29
• Tier 4: Level 30-39
• Tier 5: Level 40-44
• Tier Iconic: Level 45-50

How to get Perk Points in Cyberpunk 2077

You need Perk Points to unlock additional Perks for the Double Barrel Shotgun Build in Cyberpunk 2077. Perks are the bread and butter of any CP2077 Build, as they significantly enhance your power.

1. You get one Perk Point per character level.
2. Skill Progression awards you with Perk Points.
3. You can farm up to 13 Perk Shards (10 base game, 3 Phantom Liberty DLC)

Perk Point per Character Level

Not much needs to be said here; leveling up gives you one extra Perk Point.

Skill Progression

This is often overlooked; the Skill Progression system also awards you Perk Points at 15 and 35. So you can get an additional 10 Perk Points from this.

Character menu > bottom right Skill Progression.

Perk Shards

There are 10 base-game Perk Shards and 3 Phantom Liberty DLC Perk Shards you can collect to earn additional perks in Cyberpunk 2077.

Read Guide: All 13 Perk Shard Locations in Cyberpunk 2077

Here is the full list, click on the hyperlink of each location to see images, it will send you to the full Cyberpunk 2077: Perk Shards Location Guide.

Dogtown Consumables (Phantom Liberty DLC)

During the starter quest of the Phantom Liberty DLC in Cyberpunk 2077 called “Dog Eat Dog” you eventually enter the marketplace area (You can also access the area later at any time). Here you can buy various new stuff that isn’t available in the base game.

Some vendors also sell permanent consumable upgrades, 12k each. Best you go talk to all the vendors in that area and see what they offer.

• Bartender Shop: Dendritic Protoplasma Supplier permanent +1% Ram Recovery Rate.
• Netrunner Shop: Dendritic Protoplasma Supplier permanent +2% Ram Recovery Rate.
  • Note: The items are called the same, but they both work, so you get a total of 3% Ram Recovery Rate.
• Food Vendor: Prototype Pseudo Embryonic Cell Builder permanent +2 Health.
• Meds Vendor: Prototype Pseudo Embryonic Cell Builder permanent +3 Health.
  • Note: The items are called the same, but they both work, so you get a total of +5 Health.
  • Note: You find the Meds vendor on the opposite side of the Netrunner Vendor in a hallway.
• Food Vendor: Military-Grade Lactic Acid Recyclers: +1% Stamina Regen Rate.
• Herold Weapon Vendor: Sells you all the Iconic Weapons you have missed during your playthrough.
• Marcin/ Michal Kicinski Junk Vendor: 1 Perk Shard and 1 Progression Shard of each type.

Additionally, make sure to check all other vendors in Dogtown. For example at the Longshore Stacks fast travel point, you also have vendors that sell you permanent upgrades.

Related Cyberpunk 2077 Content

• Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database