Welcome to the best Monowire Build for Cyberpunk 2077 (Patch 2.5). This is my Overclock netrunner who fights up close: the Electrifying Monowire spreads Cyberware Malfunction through the whole group for free, Synapse Burnout deletes them, and when the RAM runs out, I keep hacking with my Health. Some players call it a Monowire Netrunner or a whip build. I built it to take down MaxTac.
The Monowire Build combines the Electrifying Monowire, Jailbreak and Data Tunneling with Overclock, a 4-quickhack queue and the COX-2 Cybersomatic Optimizer: a free Cyberware Malfunction on every charged swing, quickhacks that always crit, and enough Body to stand in the middle of a MaxTac squad.
You can find more builds here on the Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database page.
Table of Contents for the Monowire Build:
- Build Overview & How To Play
- Attributes
- Perks (Skills)
- Cyberware
- Quickhacks
- Weapons
- Gear
- Skill Progression
- Leveling Tips
- Monowire FAQ
Would you rather stay hidden? Read my Lucy Netrunner Build, which uses the Monowire from stealth. If you want guns next to your Monowire, check out my Smart SMG Build, and for pure quickhacks, my D Build.
Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Monowire Build:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Cyberpunk 2077 Monowire Build Overview & How To Play

I play this Cyberpunk 2077: Monowire Build right in the middle of the fight, which is not where most netrunners want to be. Every charged Monowire swing uploads Cyberware Malfunction for free, and normal swings spread it to everyone they hit. Then I queue Synapse Burnout on whoever is left. The COX-2 makes every quickhack crit, and the closer I stand, the less RAM they cost.
When the RAM runs out, I activate Overclock and keep hacking with my Health. Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone around me, the Tetratronic Rippler blinds and disarms them, and Body 20 with Adrenaline Rush keeps me standing while I pay for every hack in Health.
My Monowire rotation: This is how almost every fight goes for me.
- Close in: Dash or double jump into the group. Proximate Propagation makes quickhacks up to 35% cheaper the closer I am, so close range is where I want to be.
- Charged swing: A charged Monowire Strong Attack uploads Cyberware Malfunction for free.
- Spread it: Normal swings that hit several enemies spread Cyberware Malfunction to all of them with Data Tunneling. Siphon gives RAM back on every hit.
- Queue the damage: Synapse Burnout on the toughest target. ICEpick and Queue Hack_Root make it cheaper on anyone with Cyberware Malfunction on them.
- Overclock: When the RAM runs dry, activate Overclock. Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone nearby, the Tetratronic Rippler blinds and disarms them, and Spillover spreads my quickhacks to more targets.
- Finish: Finisher: Live Wire on anyone with quickhacks queued on them, for Health and RAM back.
Before Phantom Liberty: Jailbreak, Data Tunneling, the COX-2 and the Axolotl all come from Phantom Liberty, so before Dogtown I upload Cyberware Malfunction by hand and use the Bioconductor for quickhack crits. The Monowire is still the best way to get close and refill RAM with Siphon.
How To Use The Monowire
The
Electrifying Monowire is more than a backup weapon in this build. It uploads my first quickhack, spreads it through the group and refills my RAM.
- Slot Cyberware Malfunction:
Jailbreak lets you slot a Control quickhack into the Monowire.
Cyberware Malfunction is a Control quickhack, so it goes in. Every charged Strong Attack uploads it for free. - Spread it with normal swings: With
Data Tunneling, normal Monowire attacks spread the quickhack to every other enemy they hit at the same time. One charged swing, one sweep, and the whole group has Cyberware Malfunction on them. - Refill RAM:
Siphon gives RAM back on every Monowire hit, and much more if the enemy has a quickhack on them. After the first sweep, they all do. - Hit harder: The Tetratronic Rippler adds +15% weapon damage against enemies with non-Combat quickhacks on them, and Cyberware Malfunction raises all damage they take with every stack.
- Finish:
Finisher: Live Wire is the Monowire Finisher. The more quickhacks you have queued on an enemy, the easier it is to trigger, and it gives Health and RAM back.
Why Cyberware Malfunction: It stacks up to 8 times. At 2 stacks it shuts their cyberware down for good, at 3 stacks it adds Electrical damage over time, and at Tier 5++ every stack raises all damage they take by 15%. At max stacks their cyberware overloads for massive damage. Free uploads from the Monowire stack it very fast.
My Quickhack Rotation (MaxTac & Bosses)
Hack Queue, Queue Acceleration and Queue Mastery let me queue 4 quickhacks on one enemy. These are the combos I use:
Why it works:
- Cyberware Malfunction first: It is a Control quickhack, so
Embedded Exploit adds damage to everything after it,
ICEpick takes 1 RAM off every Combat quickhack, and
Queue Hack_Root makes the next quickhack of a different category cheaper. - Synapse Burnout last: Its damage grows by 10% for every RAM unit you have spent, up to +400% at Tier 5++, and that bonus doubles while Overclock is active. A kill with it extends Overclock by 3 seconds.
- Contagion against groups: It deals Poison damage over time and spreads to up to 4 enemies within 8 metres. MaxTac comes in squads, so the opener hits all of them.
- Queue Mastery: The quickhack that fills the queue costs 50% less RAM and locks the queue until everything has uploaded, and you deal more damage against enemies with a locked queue.
System Overwhelm adds +7% quickhack damage for every different quickhack and damage over time effect on the target.
Contagion doesn’t work on mechs, robots, drones and turrets. Use Synapse Burnout or the Fenrir on those.
How To Use Overclock
Overclock is what lets this build take on MaxTac. While it runs, I can upload quickhacks without enough RAM, and the missing RAM costs Health instead.
- Activate it in the middle of the group:
Power Surge heals me right away,
Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone around me 1 second later, and the Tetratronic Rippler uploads Reboot Optics and Weapon Glitch to every enemy within 8 metres. - Hack everything:
Spillover gives my quickhacks a 50% chance to spread to another enemy, and
Race Against Mind adds up to +50% quickhack damage the lower my Health is. - Heal while hacking:
Sublimation turns every bit of RAM recovery into Health, Siphon included.
Blood Daemon gives +25 Health for every quickhack still queued on an enemy when they die. - Keep it going: Every Synapse Burnout kill adds 3 seconds,
Extended Warranty makes it last 15% longer, and the Axolotl brings it back faster with every kill.
Safety net: Overclock eats Health fast. Countershell kicks in when I lose a big chunk of Health in a short time, the Biomonitor uses my health item below 50%, and Feen-X spikes my RAM regen when I am almost empty.
Attributes – Monowire Build
Distributing Attributes correctly for the Monowire 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 Monowire Build’s primary Attributes are
Intelligence for quickhacks and Overclock,
Technical Ability for the chrome, and
Body to survive Overclock. We also invest points in
Reflexes for Air Dash, and the rest goes into
Cool.
Monowire Build Start Attributes
At the start of the game, select the following Attribute allocation to give us the optimal start for the Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077.
| Attribute | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
|
+3 |
|
Technical Ability |
+2 |
|
Body |
+1 |
|
Reflexes |
+1 |
|
Cool |
None |
|
Max Level Attributes

At max level, you want to have the following distribution of Attributes for the Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077:
20 Intelligence
20 Technical Ability
20 Body
15 Reflexes
6 Cool
Why these numbers: Intelligence goes to 20 for Queue Mastery and Spillover, Technical Ability goes to 20 for Edgerunner and Ticking Time Bomb, and Body goes to 20 for Pain to Gain. Overclock pays with Health, so every Body point counts. Reflexes stops at 15 for Air Dash, and the last 6 points go into Cool for +1.25% Crit Damage each. Intelligence, Technical Ability, Body and Reflexes are all at 9 or higher, so Renaissance Punk gives +16 Cyberware Capacity.
Perks – Monowire Build Cyberpunk 2077
In this section of the Cyberpunk 2077 Monowire Build, I will explain the perks that we use for each attribute.
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 Intelligence to 9 for Hack Queue, Embedded Exploit and Siphon, then Technical Ability to 9 for All Things Cyber and Renaissance Punk. Intelligence to 15 comes next for Overclock, Queue Acceleration and Finisher: Live Wire. After that, Reflexes to 9 for Dash, Body to 15 for Adrenaline Rush, Technical Ability to 15 for License to Chrome and Cyborg, and Reflexes to 15 for Air Dash. Queue Mastery, Spillover, Ticking Time Bomb, Edgerunner and Pain to Gain come last, since they need 20.
Perk Points: This build uses all 80 Perk Points at level 60: 30 in Intelligence, 26 in Technical Ability, 12 in Body and 12 in Reflexes.
Intelligence Perks

The
Intelligence Perk-Tree is the heart of the Monowire Build, and we max it out at 20. We take the queue branch on the left and the Overclock branch in the middle, plus Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire for the Monowire.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
The RAM basics and the start of both branches.
Level 9 Perks
Hack Queue on the left, Embedded Exploit in the middle, and Siphon for the Monowire.
Level 15 Perks
Overclock and everything around it.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
| +1 Max RAM, cheaper device hacks, then +1 queue size and +60% upload speed for quickhacks third or later in the queue. | |
| +50% upload speed for the first quickhack when you have at least 2 queued on an enemy. | |
| -1 RAM cost for the first quickhack of each new category that is second or later in the queue. Synapse Burnout after Cyberware Malfunction gets it every time. | |
| While Overclock is active, you get +25 Health for every quickhack still queued on an enemy when they die. | |
| Unlocks the Monowire Finisher. The more quickhacks you have queued on an enemy, the easier it is to trigger, and it restores Health and RAM. | |
| +10% RAM recovery rate, +10% quickhack damage, then Overclock mode. For 14 seconds you can upload quickhacks without enough RAM, and every missing RAM unit costs Health instead. 30 second cooldown. How to use Overclock. | |
| While Overclock is active, all RAM recovery also restores Health. Optimization, Feedback Loop, Siphon and Speculation now heal you too. | |
| While Overclock is active, your quickhacks deal more damage the lower your Health is, up to +50%. Health is checked when the upload starts. | |
| Activating Overclock instantly restores Health based on your Max RAM, so every Overclock starts with a heal. |
Level 20 Perks
Intelligence is at 20, so we take both capstones.
Skip: The Smart weapon branch on the right. This build doesn’t use Smart weapons, and the Smart Link in the Hands slot is only there to fill it.
Technical Ability Perks

The
Technical Ability Perk-Tree powers the chrome and keeps you alive through Overclock. The left branch gives us health items, grenades and Ticking Time Bomb, and the middle branch handles the cyberware and leads to Edgerunner. Max it out to 20.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
The health item perks on the left.
Level 9 Perks
Health items and grenades on the left, the Cyberware perks in the middle.
Level 15 Perks
Pyromania on the left for Ticking Time Bomb, chrome in the middle.
Skip: Ambidextrous. A second Hands slot would need another filler for Cyborg, and no Hands cyberware helps a netrunner enough to be worth it.
Level 20 Perks
Technical Ability is at 20, so we take two capstones.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
| Every time you activate Overclock, 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. I activate Overclock in the middle of the group for this. | |
| 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 41 points over, see the Cyberware section. |
Body Perks

The
Body Perk-Tree is only used for its middle branch: health regen and Adrenaline Rush. Overclock pays for quickhacks with Health, and Body is where that Health comes from. We max it out at 20 for Pain to Gain.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
The health regen row.
Level 9 Perks
We don’t use any level 9 perks. They are all for Body weapons and Blunt weapons.
Level 15 Perks
Adrenaline Rush and the perks that branch off it.
Level 20 Perks
Body is at 20, so we take one capstone.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
| While Adrenaline Rush is active, every kill recharges your health items by 20%. Health items fill Adrenaline, and kills refill health items. |
Reflexes Perks

The
Reflexes Perk-Tree is only used for its movement branch in the middle. The Monowire needs you close, and Dash and Air Dash get you there. Reflexes sits at 15.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
Slippery and the movement row behind it.
Level 9 Perks
Dash and the perks around it.
Level 15 Perks
Air Dash and the midair perks.
Level 20 Perks
We don’t use any level 20 perks. Reflexes sits at 15.
Cool Perks
We don’t spend any Perk Points in Cool. Every perk in the tree is for guns, throwables or stealth. Cool sits at 6 for the Crit Damage, see the Attributes section.
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 for the Monowire, and one to make every hit count.
The other 7 Relic points: I leave them unspent. Launch Capacity Override, Limiter Removal and Spatial Mapping are for the Projectile Launch System, Gorilla Arms and Mantis Blades, and Emergency Cloaking and Sensory Protocol need Optical Camo, which this build doesn’t use.
Cyberware for the Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077

RAM, crits and surviving Overclock: The Frontal Cortex makes every quickhack crit and keeps Overclock coming back, the Tetratronic Rippler adds RAM and hacks everyone around me when Overclock starts, and the Skeleton, Integumentary System and Circulatory System keep me alive while Overclock eats my Health. 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 273 at Tier 5++, already including the -20% from All Things Cyber on the Skeleton and Integumentary System.
That is 41 points over, and Edgerunner lets you go up to 50 over. It costs -0.5% Max Health per point, so about -20% Max Health. Body 20, Adrenaline Rush, Sublimation and Blood Daemon give a lot more than that back. Edgerunner needs 20 Technical Ability, so until you have it, leave the Axolotl out. That brings you down to about 225, inside the limit.
Once you have collected Capacity Shards, you can go further. I explain the swaps in With all Capacity Shards below.
Stat modifiers: With Chipware Connoisseur, you choose the stat modifier every time you upgrade cyberware. I pick quickhack damage and Max RAM first, then Crit Damage.
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 Paraline |
While Overclock is active, Smart weapons and the Monowire deal bonus Electrical damage equal to 60% of their normal damage, and the Monowire gets +2% damage for every RAM unit you have used. Pick it if you want the Monowire to do more of the killing. You lose the Rippler’s Overclock uploads and some RAM. |
Location of items:
- Tetratronic Rippler: Any Ripperdoc. Lower Mk. versions are already available at low levels, and the Mk.5 shows up from level 40.
- Militech Paraline: You get a Tier 1 version during the intro quest The Rescue, and any Ripperdoc sells it. Upgrade it to Tier 5++.
Frontal Cortex
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| Your quickhacks can crit, with 100% Crit Chance, for -4 Max RAM. Every Intelligence point also adds +0.5% quickhack damage, so +10% at 20 Intelligence. It costs 50 capacity, but every Synapse Burnout is a crit. | |
| -7.5% cooldown for all your cyberware after every kill. Overclock and the Blood Pump come back much faster, and with Cyborg on top, Overclock is ready again almost as soon as it ends. | |
| +6 Max RAM and +35% upload speed for quickhacks, for only 10 capacity. | |
Bioconductor |
Quickhacks can crit with 40% Crit Chance, for -4 Max RAM. The non-iconic version of the COX-2, and only 16 capacity, so it holds the slot until Dogtown. |
Location of items:
- COX-2 Cybersomatic Optimizer: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.
- Axolotl: Iconic, from Regina Jones after the gig Last Call, also sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.
- Ex-Disk: Any Ripperdoc after level 20, scaling up to Tier 5.
- Bioconductor: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
Face
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| Highlights cameras and turrets when scanning. Quickhacks already crit 100% with the COX-2, so I save the capacity here. Only 2 capacity. | |
Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics |
+35% Crit Chance for the Monowire and the guns. It costs 30 capacity, so I only run it once I have all Capacity Shards. |
Location of items:
- Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics: Any Ripperdoc.
- Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs from level 35 (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.
Arms
Unlike the Projectile Launch System, the Monowire doesn’t take over the grenade button, so the Gash grenade stays. Update 2.5 added Glamdocs, so you can give your Monowire a new look at one of the 5 Glamdocs (spray paint icon on the map). The other Monowires are compared in Best Monowire.
Location of items:
- Electrifying Monowire: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
Hands
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| This build doesn’t use Smart weapons, so the lock-on does nothing here. It fills the only Hands slot for Cyborg and adds +2 Max RAM, for only 4 capacity. |
Location of items:
- Smart Link: Sold by any Ripperdoc, with quality scaling as you level.
Skeleton
License to Chrome gives you the third Skeleton slot. Fill all three for Chrome Constitution.
Location of items:
- Feen-X: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
- Dense Marrow: Any Ripperdoc from level 10.
- Titanium Bones: Sold by any Ripperdoc, with quality scaling as you level.
Nervous System
Location of items:
- Neofiber: Any Ripperdoc after level 20.
- Reflex Tuner: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
- Synaptic Accelerator: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
Circulatory System
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
Location of items:
- Shock-n-Awe: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
- Countershell: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
- Subdermal Armor: You get it during the intro quest The Ripperdoc, and Ripperdocs sell better versions as you level.
Legs
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| Double jump. Double jump, Air Dash, and I land in the middle of the group with the Monowire out. |
Location of items:
- Reinforced Tendons: Any Ripperdoc from level 10.
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:
| Slot | Swap out | Swap in | Extra capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face | Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics | Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics | +28 |
| Integumentary System | Countershell | Painducer | +14 |
| Skeleton | Titanium Bones | Spring Joints | +8 |
- Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics: +35% Crit Chance for the Monowire and the guns. Quickhacks already crit 100% with the COX-2.
- Painducer: A lot of Armor, and 30% of the damage you take is turned into damage over time instead. MaxTac hits hard, and this spreads it out.
- Spring Joints: +16% Mitigation Strength. Slippery, Can’t Touch This, Neofiber and Countershell all give Mitigation Chance, and this makes those hits hurt less.
That brings the total to about 323 of 356. You are about 17 points over 306, so Edgerunner only costs about -9% Max Health.
Want even more Health? Put the Epimorphic Skeleton (+13% Max Health) in place of Spring Joints. That brings you to about 343, and Edgerunner takes most of that bonus back, about -10% Max Health for the extra capacity.
The Painducer is sold by Ripperdocs from level 30, Spring Joints by any Ripperdoc from level 10, and the Epimorphic Skeleton by any Ripperdoc from level 30.
Quickhacks for the Cyberpunk 2077: Monowire Build
This Monowire Build for Cyberpunk 2077 only needs three quickhacks, and all of them at Tier 5++. Cyberware Malfunction sets up the target, Synapse Burnout kills it, and Contagion opens against groups.
- Important: The Monowire uploads Cyberware Malfunction for free, so most of your RAM goes into Synapse Burnout.
- Important 2: How to get Quickhacks for your build.
Monowire Build Quickhacks:
Cyberware Malfunction (Setup, slotted in the Monowire)
Synapse Burnout (Damage)
Contagion (Groups, MaxTac opener)
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(Tier 5++): The one I slot into the Monowire. It disables the enemy’s cyberware and raises all damage against them by 15% per stack at Tier 5++, stacking up to 8 times. At 2 stacks their cyberware is shut down for good, at 3 stacks it adds Electrical damage over time, and at max stacks their cyberware overloads for massive damage. It is a Control quickhack, so Embedded Exploit, ICEpick and Queue Hack_Root all work off it.
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(Tier 5++): My damage quickhack. Heavy damage that grows by 10% for every RAM unit you have spent, up to +400% at Tier 5++, and that bonus doubles while Overclock is active. Every kill makes the next one 2 RAM cheaper for 15 seconds, stacking 3 times, and a kill during Overclock extends it by 3 seconds. With the COX-2 it always crits.
3. Contagion
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(Tier 5++): Poison damage over time that spreads to up to 4 enemies within 8 metres, stacking twice. My opener against MaxTac and boss fights with adds, because one upload reaches the whole squad. It doesn’t work on mechs, robots, drones and turrets.
How to get Quickhacks in Cyberpunk 2077

In Night City, quickhack progression is tied to your character level. Vendors, world loot and crafting options scale up every 10 levels.
Netrunner Vendors sell Quickhacks
Netrunner Vendors will sell you Quickhacks depending on your level.
- 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 (Only in Dogtown)
This means you can keep going back to the same Netrunner vendor when you reach a new level threshold.
Crafting Components
Always hack every Access Point you see. They give you free materials and sometimes even free Quickhacks. Use them to craft and upgrade the three quickhacks above.
Weapons for the Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077

The Monowire is the weapon: It is Arm cyberware, so it never needs ammo, and the quickhacks do most of the killing. I carry two guns for what the Monowire can’t reach, like drones and enemies on rooftops.
- Intelligence perks like Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire boost the Monowire.
- No perks go into guns, so the backups are for range only. Pick guns that are easy to get and hit hard without perks.
- The Tetratronic Rippler still adds +15% weapon damage against enemies with Cyberware Malfunction on them.
Upgrade: Weapons can be upgraded when you go to the crafting section and then swap to upgrades.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
Fenrir |
My backup for drones and anything out of reach. An iconic Power SMG whose rounds deal Electrical damage with a chance to disable enemy cyberware, the same idea as Cyberware Malfunction. You can get it early in Watson. |
Overture |
A Power revolver that hits hard per shot, for enemies at range. Weapon vendors sell it from the start, so there is nothing to farm. |
Location of items:
- Fenrir: On a table beside the captive monk during the side job Losing My Religion in Northside, Watson. See below.
- Overture: Sold by weapon vendors and found as random loot throughout Night City.
Grenades: Gash Antipersonnel Grenade. Explosions build Pyromania stacks, and Demolitions Surplus and Coming in Hot keep them coming.
Health item: MaxDOC MK.5 for the big instant heal. The Biomonitor uses it for you when Overclock pushes you below 50% Health.
Best Monowire in Cyberpunk 2077
There are four Monowires. All of them cost 8 capacity and work with Jailbreak, Data Tunneling, Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire. What changes is the element and the Attribute they are attuned to, which adds +0.5% damage per point:
- Electrifying Monowire (Electrical, Reflexes): The best Monowire for this build. Electrical damage with a chance to Shock, the same element as the Fenrir. +7.5% damage at 15 Reflexes.
- Monowire (Physical, Intelligence): The best Monowire for a pure netrunner. Attuned to Intelligence, so it gets +10% at 20 Intelligence, a bit more than the Electrifying one in this build.
- Thermal Monowire (Thermal, Cool): The best Monowire for the Contagion combo. Burn on an enemy with Contagion makes the poison detonate in an explosion. Lucy’s Monowire, which I use in my Lucy Netrunner Build.
- Toxic Monowire (Chemical, Technical Ability): The best Monowire for a Technical Ability build. +10% at 20 Technical Ability, with Chemical damage.
My advice: The attunement difference is only a few percent, so pick the element you like. Synapse Burnout does most of the damage anyway.
Fenrir (Iconic SMG) – How To Get It

“Belches fire like a dragon with heartburn.” The Fenrir is one of the first iconics you can get, and it stays useful all game for the things a Monowire can’t reach.
- Prerequisites: Early game, Watson.
- Where: The side job Losing My Religion in Northside, Watson.
- How to Get It: It sits on a table beside the captive monk.
- What to Do: Clear the Maelstrom in the area, free the monk, and take the SMG from the table next to him.
- Note: If you missed it, Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium (Phantom Liberty) sells missed iconics.
Gear for the Monowire 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 Shock-n-Awe, Neofiber, the Skeleton and Adrenaline Rush.
Change the look of your Monowire: Update 2.5 added Glamdocs, so your Monowire can match your outfit too. Visit one of the 5 Glamdocs (spray paint icon on the map) to give it a new look. It is cosmetic only, so the stats and the element stay the same.
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: Monowire Build you want to focus on Netrunner, Engineer and Solo. Netrunner is the big one: every quickhack and every Monowire kill levels it. At level 45 Control quickhacks last 15% longer and Combat quickhacks deal 5% more damage, at 50 Overclock lasts 40% longer, at 55 you lose 10% less Health during Overclock, and at 60 Overclock reveals nearby enemies and lets you hack through cover. Engineer gives you the extra Cyberware Capacity this build counts on, and Solo adds Max Health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Leveling Tips for the Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077
Here are a few general leveling tips for the Monowire 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.
- Regular Start (Don’t skip ahead to Phantom Liberty).
- Immediately after the prologue, once you are out of your room and go downstairs before you enter the elevator.
- Weapon Vendor: Buy the Iconic pistol Dying Night.
- Coach Fred: Capacity Boosters (in case you get over capacity so you can still move).
- Buff Routine: Sleep & Shower. This gives you 20% Skill XP acquisition and Health Regen.
- Watson Clean Sweep (NCPD Missions):
- Watson is the first district you play in.
- Clearing all missions takes 1-2 hours. This will give you at least 10 levels, 15 Street Cred and over 150k Eddies Cash.
- Loot all enemies and either disassemble for materials or sell them at the vendor for extra Eddies.
- Get the Fenrir SMG from the monk mission. This SMG is insanely good at the start because it often stuns enemies.
- Visit a Ripperdoc at level 10: After you have enough money, it’s time to get chromed up.
- Electrifying Monowire (Arms): Sold from level 10. Your main weapon from here on, and Siphon refills your RAM with it.
- Tetratronic Rippler (Operating System): Lower Mk. versions are already for sale. Upgrade it as you go, it is the cyberdeck this build ends with.
- Reinforced Tendons (Legs): Allow you to double jump
- Blood Pump (Circulatory System): A second health item.
- Synaptic Accelerator (Nervous System): Slows time by 20% for 2s when enemy detection reaches 50%.
- Whatever else you can fit!
- 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 Monowire Build in Cyberpunk 2077. Perks are the bread and butter of any CP2077 Build, as they significantly enhance your power.
- You get one Perk Point per character level.
- Skill Progression awards you with Perk Points.
- 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.
| Shard # | Exact Sub-Location | District | Nearest Fast Travel Point | Source Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abandoned Warehouse A B C (Garages) | Watson (Northside) | Offshore Street | Base Game |
| 2 | NCPD Scanner Alert (Car Trunk) | Westbrook (Japantown) | Dark Matter | Base Game |
| 3 | Roadside Crash Site (Billboard/Drone) | The Badlands | Sunset Motel | Base Game |
| 4 | Suspected Organized Crime Activity (NCPD) | The Badlands | Sunset Motel | Base Game |
| 5 | Dead Maintenance Worker at Ventilation Shaft | City Center (Corpo Plaza) | Corpo Plaza Apartment | Base Game |
| 6 | At Memorial Park, in a chest during NCPD Assault | City Center (Corpo Plaza) | Arasaka Tower | Base Game |
| 7 | Gang Activity under Bridge (NCPD) | Heywood (The Glen) | Ventura & Skyline | Base Game |
| 8 | Arasaka Park Entrance Building Upstairs | Santo Domingo (Arroyo) | Arasaka Industrial Park | Base Game |
| 9 | Reported Crime Garage (NCPD) | Santo Domingo (Rancho Coronado) | Woodhaven Street | Base Game |
| 10 | Riverside Garage (NCPD) | Santo Domingo (Arroyo) | Red Dirt Bar | Base Game |
| 11 | “Dog Eat Dog” Starter Quest | Dogtown | Dogtown Entrance | Phantom Liberty DLC |
| 12 | Red Van Junk Shop (Marcin) inside EBM Petrochem Stadium | Dogtown | EBM Petrochem Stadium | Phantom Liberty DLC |
| 13 | Longshore Stacks below Jung Store behind cardboard | Dogtown | Longshore Stacks | Phantom Liberty DLC |
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.
Cyberpunk 2077 Monowire FAQ
Is the Monowire good in Cyberpunk 2077?
Yes. In Patch 2.5, with Phantom Liberty’s Jailbreak and Data Tunneling, every charged swing uploads a quickhack for free and normal swings spread it through the group. Siphon turns every hit into RAM, so it is the best weapon a close-range netrunner can have.
What is the best Monowire in Cyberpunk 2077?
I use the Electrifying Monowire. With 20 Intelligence, the Physical Monowire gets a slightly bigger attunement bonus, and the Thermal Monowire can detonate Contagion. All four compared.
Is the Monowire Intelligence or Reflexes?
It depends on the version. The Monowire is attuned to Intelligence, the Electrifying Monowire to Reflexes, the Thermal Monowire to Cool and the Toxic Monowire to Technical Ability. The Monowire perks, Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire, are in the Intelligence tree.
How do you upload quickhacks with the Monowire?
You need the Jailbreak Relic perk from Phantom Liberty. Then you can slot a Control quickhack into the Monowire, and a charged Strong Attack uploads it for free. How to use the Monowire.
Which quickhack should I put in the Monowire?
Cyberware Malfunction. It is a Control quickhack, so it can go in, it stacks more damage on the target, and it makes every Synapse Burnout after it cheaper and stronger.
How do you beat MaxTac with a netrunner?
Open with Cyberware Malfunction and 3x Contagion to hit the whole squad, then use Cyberware Malfunction and 3x Synapse Burnout during Overclock. My full rotation.
Where do you get the Monowire?
Any Ripperdoc sells the Monowires from level 10, with quality scaling as you level. You can upgrade them to Tier 5++ at any Ripperdoc.
Can you change the look of the Monowire?
Yes. Since Update 2.5 you can restyle it at any of the 5 Glamdocs (spray paint icon on the map). It only changes the look, so the stats stay the same. See Gear.
Can I play the Monowire Build without Phantom Liberty?
Yes, but it plays more like a regular netrunner. You lose Jailbreak, Data Tunneling, the COX-2, the Axolotl and the Cockatrice Optics. Upload Cyberware Malfunction by hand, and use the Bioconductor for quickhack crits and a RAM Upgrade in place of the Axolotl.






