Welcome to the best Morgan Blackhand Build for Cyberpunk 2077 (Patch 2.5). Morgan Blackhand is the solo every other solo in Night City talks about, and this is my take on him: Smart guns that never miss, a rocket launcher in my arm, and a Sandevistan that stuns the whole room the moment I activate it. Some players call it a Blackhand build or a Smart solo build.
The Morgan Blackhand Build combines the Prototype: Shingen Mark V, the Projectile Launch System and the Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan with Submachine Fun, Ticking Time Bomb and Pyromania: explosive Smart rounds that track up to 4 targets, 5-rocket bursts from the arm, an EMP every time I slow down time, and an instant reload every time I swap SMGs.
You can find more builds here on the Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database page.
Table of Contents for the Morgan Blackhand Build:
- Build Overview & How To Play
- Attributes
- Perks (Skills)
- Cyberware
- Weapons
- Gear
- Skill Progression
- Leveling Tips
- Morgan Blackhand Build FAQ
Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Morgan Blackhand Build:
Strengths
Weaknesses
More Night City Legend Builds: Want to play the borg himself? Read my Adam Smasher Build. For Johnny’s Malorian, my Johnny Silverhand Build, and for Smart SMGs with quickhacks, my Smart SMG Build.
Cyberpunk 2077 Morgan Blackhand Build Overview & How To Play

I play this Cyberpunk 2077: Morgan Blackhand Build as one man against a whole squad. I open with the Sandevistan. Ticking Time Bomb charges an EMP the moment time slows down, and one second later the whole group is stunned. Then the Prototype: Shingen Mark V locks on to up to 4 of them at once, and its explosive rounds do the rest.
When the Shingen runs dry, I don’t reload. I swap to the Chesapeake, and Submachine Fun reloads it on the way in and makes it fire faster. Anything behind cover or anything big gets a rocket from the Projectile Launch System, and with Jailbreak a charged shot fires 5 at once. Chitin, Adrenaline Rush and the whole health regen row in Body keep me standing in the middle of it.
Before the iconics: The Dynalar Sandevistan from level 10 holds the Operating System slot until the Falcon shows up at Ripperdocs at level 30. The Shingen Mark V is waiting in Santo Domingo as soon as it opens after Act 1, and any Smart SMG works as the swap partner until you have the Chesapeake.
No Phantom Liberty?: The Chesapeake, the Pizdets, Chitin, Rara Avis, the Axolotl and the Relic perks come from Phantom Liberty. Without them, my swap partner is the Yinglong (how to get it), the ProxiShield takes Chitin’s slot, and the rocket arm fires one rocket at a time. The Shingen, the Falcon and the Projectile Launch System are all in the base game.
How I Fight As Morgan Blackhand
This is how almost every fight goes for me:
- Scan first:
Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics highlight every enemy within 19.5 metres for 60 seconds, even behind cover. I know where everyone stands before the first shot. - Slow down time: I activate the
Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan in the middle of them.
Ticking Time Bomb charges an EMP that hits everyone nearby 1 second later and stuns them, and I take less damage while it charges. The Adrenaline Converter already gave me +40% movement speed when combat started. - Smart bursts: The
Prototype: Shingen Mark V locks on to up to 4 enemies while I aim, and every round explodes on impact. Every kill while the Sandevistan runs restores Health. - Swap, don’t reload: When the magazine is empty, I swap to the Chesapeake. Submachine Fun reloads it on the way in, and Target Lock Transfer keeps my locks. How the swap works.
- Rockets: Groups, enemies behind cover, mechs and cars get the Projectile Launch System. A charged shot with Jailbreak fires 5 rockets. How to use it.
- Heal: The Biomonitor uses my health item below 50% Health, the Blood Pump is a second one, and both fill Adrenaline Rush as a second health bar.
Mechs and drones: The Mechatronic Core adds +40% damage against drones, robots, mechs and turrets, and the rockets finish them.
How To Use The Projectile Launch System
The
Projectile Launch System is my rocket launcher. It sits in the grenade slot, so I carry no grenades, and it doesn’t take one of my weapon slots.
- Tap or charge: Tap the button for a quick rocket. Hold it for a charged shot with +30% damage, +25% explosion radius and +40% dismemberment chance.
- Overcharge: With
Jailbreak, hold it longer to overcharge it into a burst of 5 rockets that cover a much larger area. That is my answer to a whole squad behind cover. - More charges:
Doomlauncher adds a charge, much faster recharge, and 20% of a charge back after every kill.
Launch Capacity Override adds one more. - The Pyromania loop: My explosions build
Pyromania stacks.
Heat Shield gives me Mitigation Chance for every stack, and at 5 stacks
Burn This City uses them up to give me a rocket back. - Fire up close:
Friendlier Fire gives +50% resistance to my own explosions, so I can shoot rockets at enemies right next to me.
Grenade perks: Demolitions Surplus, Coming in Hot and the grenade recharge from Health Freak only work with real grenades, not with the Projectile Launch System. Doomlauncher, Pyromania, Burn This City and Launch Capacity Override are the ones that power the rocket arm.
Smart SMG Swaps Explained (Submachine Fun)
I carry two Smart SMGs and never reload by hand. This is how it works:
- Two SMGs: The
Prototype: Shingen Mark V in one slot, the
Chesapeake in the other. The Pizdets works too if you want a silenced opener. - Swap when empty:
Submachine Fun makes swapping to an SMG faster, reloads it automatically, and makes it fire faster until you reload it normally. - Keep the locks:
Target Lock Transfer keeps the target lock when you switch between Smart weapons, and
Acquisition Specialist stops reloads from breaking it. - Swap fast:
Spice of Life speeds up every weapon swap and cuts bullet spread right after it. - Stack Sharpshooter: Every hit builds
Sharpshooter stacks, and
Practice Makes Perfect adds +2% Crit Chance and +2% Crit Damage for each one.
Attributes – Morgan Blackhand Build
Distributing Attributes correctly for the Morgan Blackhand 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 Morgan Blackhand Build’s primary Attributes are
Reflexes for the SMGs, the movement and Submachine Fun, and
Technical Ability for the chrome and the rocket arm.
Body goes to 16 for Adrenaline Rush,
Intelligence to 15 for the Smart weapon perks, and
Cool to 10.
Morgan Blackhand Build Start Attributes
At the start of the game, select the following Attribute allocation to give us the optimal start for the Morgan Blackhand Build in Cyberpunk 2077.
| Attribute | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
Reflexes |
+3 |
|
Technical Ability |
+2 |
|
Body |
+2 |
|
Intelligence |
None |
|
Cool |
None |
|
Max Level Attributes

At max level, you want to have the following distribution of Attributes for the Morgan Blackhand Build in Cyberpunk 2077:
20 Reflexes
20 Technical Ability
16 Body
15 Intelligence
10 Cool
Why these numbers: Reflexes goes to 20 for Submachine Fun and Tailwind, and Technical Ability goes to 20 for Ticking Time Bomb and Edgerunner. Body stops at 15 for Adrenaline Rush, plus one extra point, because Chitin adds +10% Health Regen for every Body point. Intelligence goes to 15 only for the Smart weapon perks, since this build doesn’t use quickhacks. Cool goes to 10 so all five Attributes are at 9 or higher, which makes Renaissance Punk give +20 Cyberware Capacity. The Cool perks are for pistols, revolvers and rifles, and my Smart guns lock on by themselves, so I don’t take any.
Perks – Morgan Blackhand Build Cyberpunk 2077
In this section of the Cyberpunk 2077 Morgan Blackhand 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 Reflexes to 9 for Dash and Ready, Rested, Reloaded, then Technical Ability to 9 for All Things Cyber, Renaissance Punk and Health Freak. Intelligence to 9 comes next for Acquisition Specialist and No Escape, so the Smart locks hold. After that, Reflexes to 15 for Sharpshooter and Air Dash, Technical Ability to 15 for Pyromania, Doomlauncher and License to Chrome, Body to 15 for Adrenaline Rush, and Intelligence to 15 for Targeting Prism. Submachine Fun, Tailwind, Ticking Time Bomb and Edgerunner come last, since they need 20.
Perk Points: This build uses all 80 Perk Points at level 60: 30 in Reflexes, 30 in Technical Ability, 12 in Body and 8 in Intelligence.
Reflexes Perks

The
Reflexes Perk-Tree is the heart of the Morgan Blackhand Build, and we max it out at 20. We take the movement branch in the middle and the SMG branch on the left, all the way up to Submachine Fun.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
Slippery and the movement row behind it.
Level 9 Perks
The start of the SMG branch, and Dash in the middle.
Level 15 Perks
Sharpshooter on the left, Air Dash in the middle.
Level 20 Perks
Reflexes is at 20, so we take two capstones.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
| Swapping to an SMG is faster and reloads it automatically, and it fires faster until you reload it normally. Shingen empty, swap to the Chesapeake, and back. How the swap works. | |
| Air Dashes no longer cost Stamina, and Air Dashes and double jumps give you Stamina back. More Stamina means more shooting. |
Technical Ability Perks

The
Technical Ability Perk-Tree powers the chrome and the rocket arm. The left branch gives us health items and the Pyromania explosives, 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 on the left, the Cyberware perks in the middle.
Level 15 Perks
Pyromania and Doomlauncher on the left, more chrome in the middle.
Level 20 Perks
Technical Ability is at 20, so we take two capstones.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
| 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. | |
| 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 32 points over, see the Cyberware section. |
Body Perks

The
Body Perk-Tree is only used for health: the regen row and Adrenaline Rush. Body sits at 16.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
The health regen row, plus Fury Road for the drive to the fight.
Level 9 Perks
We don’t use any level 9 perks. They are for shotguns, LMGs, HMGs and Blunt weapons.
Level 15 Perks
Adrenaline Rush and the perks that branch off it.
Level 20 Perks
We don’t use any level 20 perks. Body sits at 16.
Ba Xing Chong: If you play with the Ba Xing Chong, put a point into Die! Die! Die! instead of Fury Road. It only affects shotguns, LMGs and HMGs, and the Ba Xing Chong is a shotgun.
Intelligence Perks

The
Intelligence Perk-Tree is only used for its Smart weapon branch on the right. This build doesn’t use quickhacks, so Intelligence stops at 15.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
We don’t use any level 4 perks. They are for netrunners.
Level 9 Perks
The start of the Smart weapon branch.
Level 15 Perks
The rest of the Smart weapon branch.
Level 20 Perks
We don’t use any level 20 perks. Intelligence sits at 15.
Cool Perks
We don’t spend any Perk Points in Cool. The gun branch is for pistols, revolvers and rifles, and the rest is for throwables and stealth. Cool sits at 10 for Renaissance Punk, 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 rocket arm, and one to make every hit count.
The other 7 Relic points: I leave them unspent. Data Tunneling, Limiter Removal and Spatial Mapping are for the Monowire, Gorilla Arms and Mantis Blades, and Emergency Cloaking and Sensory Protocol need Optical Camo, which this build doesn’t use.
Cyberware for the Morgan Blackhand Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Slow motion, rockets and staying alive: The Operating System slows time and stuns the room, the Arms hold the rocket launcher, and the Skeleton, Integumentary System and Circulatory System keep me alive in the middle of a squad. 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 20 from Renaissance Punk, so 236 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 about 32 points over, and Edgerunner lets you go up to 50 over. It costs -0.5% Max Health per point, so about -16% Max Health. The Epimorphic Skeleton gives +13% Max Health back, and Chitin and Adrenaline Rush more than cover the rest. Edgerunner needs 20 Technical Ability, so until you have it, use the ProxiShield in place of Chitin and Titanium Bones in place of Para Bellum. That brings you down to about 221, 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 Health 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 “Apogee” Sandevistan |
Slows time by 85% with +20% headshot damage, +20% Crit Chance and +20% Crit Damage, and every kill extends it. More damage, but no healing. Pick it if you play more carefully. |
Dynalar Sandevistan |
The Sandevistan I use until the Falcon unlocks, and it only costs 18 capacity. |
Location of items:
- 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.
- Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan: Iconic, any Ripperdoc once you reach level 40.
- Dynalar Sandevistan: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with tier improving as you level.
Frontal Cortex
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| Automatically negates an enemy quickhack, with a 20 second cooldown. This build can’t hack back, so it is my answer to enemy netrunners. Only 5 capacity. | |
| +40% damage against drones, robots, mechs and turrets. Only 5 capacity. | |
| Its effect needs Kerenzikov, which this build doesn’t use. It fills the last slot for Cyborg, for only 3 capacity. | |
Axolotl |
-7.5% cooldown for all cyberware every time you neutralize an enemy. The Sandevistan, and with it Ticking Time Bomb, comes back much faster. It costs 48 capacity, so it only goes in once I have all Capacity Shards. |
Location of items:
- Self-ICE: Any Ripperdoc after level 20.
- Mechatronic Core: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
- Kerenzikov Boost System: Any Ripperdoc after level 20, scaling up to Tier 5.
- Axolotl: Iconic, from Regina Jones after the gig Last Call, also sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.
Face
Location of items:
- Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics: Sold by Ripperdocs from level 30, with quality scaling by level.
Arms
Update 2.5 added Glamdocs, so you can give your arm cyberware a new look at one of the 5 Glamdocs (spray paint icon on the map). It is cosmetic only. How I use the rocket arm.
Location of items:
- Projectile Launch System: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling as you level.
Hands
Ambidextrous gives you the second Hands slot for the Shock Absorber.
Location of items:
- Smart Link: Sold by any Ripperdoc, with quality scaling as you level.
- Shock Absorber: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
Skeleton
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| +13% Max Health. It gives back most of what Edgerunner takes. | |
| Armor for only 8 capacity, plus a bit more for every Technical Ability point. | |
| +12% Armor. | |
Rara Avis |
+40% Armor, and +2 Health per Body point. The iconic Para Bellum. It takes the place of Para Bellum once you have all Capacity Shards. |
Titanium Bones |
+62% Carrying Capacity for only 6 capacity. It holds the third slot until you have Edgerunner. |
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.
- Bionic Joints: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
- Para Bellum: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 20.
- Rara Avis: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.
- 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.
- Adrenaline Converter: Any Ripperdoc.
Circulatory System
Location of items:
- Biomonitor: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
- Blood Pump: Ripperdocs from level 10.
- Heal-on-Kill: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
Integumentary System
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
| An extremely durable shell under your skin, plus +10% Health Regen for every Body point, so +160% at 16 Body, on top of Painkiller, Comeback Kid and Adrenaline Rush. | |
| +300 Armor for only 5 capacity. | |
| Armor for only 10 capacity, plus bonuses that grow with Technical Ability, including faster health item recharge. It only shows up at Ripperdocs once you have the Built Different perk. | |
ProxiShield |
The closer an attacking enemy is, the less damage they deal: -20% at 3 m, tapering off to 0% at 6 m. My pick in place of Chitin until I have Edgerunner. |
Location of items:
- Chitin: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.
- Subdermal Armor: You get it during the intro quest The Ripperdoc, and Ripperdocs sell better versions as you level.
- Cellular Adapter: Any Ripperdoc, after unlocking the Built Different perk.
- ProxiShield: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
Legs
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 310 Cyberware Capacity, and 360 with Edgerunner.
That is enough room for the two most expensive pieces. These are the swaps I make:
| Slot | Swap out | Swap in | Extra capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal Cortex | Kerenzikov Boost System | Axolotl | +45 |
| Skeleton | Para Bellum | Rara Avis | +16 |
- Axolotl: -7.5% cooldown for all cyberware after every kill. More Sandevistans means more Ticking Time Bomb EMPs.
- Rara Avis: +40% Armor and +2 Health per Body point, in place of the +12% Armor from Para Bellum.
That brings the total to about 329 of 360. You are about 19 points over 310, so Edgerunner only costs about -10% Max Health, less than before you had the shards.
The Axolotl comes from Regina Jones after Last Call or from Dogtown, and Rara Avis from Dogtown Ripperdocs and airdrops.
Weapons for the Morgan Blackhand Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Smart guns, like the legend: Blackhand’s own Smart guns and the heavy SMG in his cyberarm aren’t in the game, so I picked the Smart weapons that come closest, and the Projectile Launch System covers the heavy hitting.
- Reflexes perks like Sharpshooter, Practice Makes Perfect and Submachine Fun boost SMGs.
- Intelligence perks like Targeting Prism and Target Lock Transfer boost Smart weapons.
- The Smart Link is required, or Smart weapons can’t lock on.
Upgrade: Weapons can be upgraded when you go to the crafting section and then swap to upgrades.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
Prototype: Shingen Mark V |
My main gun. An Arasaka prototype Smart SMG with explosive rounds. It tracks up to 3 targets while aiming, 4 with Targeting Prism, and you can get it right after Act 1. |
Chesapeake |
The swap partner. An iconic Smart SMG with 40 rounds and 25 Armor Penetration, so it handles the armored enemies. Kills give a boost to movement speed and Armor Penetration. |
Pizdets |
The only Smart weapon with its own silencer, and the longer it fires, the higher its Crit Chance. Swap it in for the Chesapeake if you like to open fights quietly. |
Ba Xing Chong |
An iconic Smart shotgun that fires explosive rounds like a rocket launcher and locks on to up to 6 enemies at once. It is a post-game reward, so most players never get it. How to get it. |
Location of items:
- Prototype: Shingen Mark V: In container 667 at the Arasaka Industrial Park in Arroyo, Santo Domingo. See below.
- Chesapeake: Dogtown airdrops from level 40 (Phantom Liberty). See below.
- Pizdets: The gig Spy in the Jungle in Dogtown (Phantom Liberty). See below.
- Ba Xing Chong: Adam Smasher’s vault on the Ebunike in Northside, Watson, after the main story. See below.
Grenades: None. The Projectile Launch System sits in the grenade slot.
Health item: MaxDOC MK.5 for the big instant heal. The Biomonitor uses it for you when you drop below 50% Health.
Best Smart Weapons for a Morgan Blackhand Build
Every weapon here works with the Smart Link, Targeting Prism and Target Lock Transfer. These are my top 4, from best to worst:
Prototype: Shingen Mark V (Smart SMG): The best Smart SMG for a Morgan Blackhand Build. Explosive rounds on up to 4 tracked targets, and it lies in a container in Santo Domingo, so you can have it early. How to get it.
Chesapeake (Smart SMG): The best swap partner for Submachine Fun. 40 rounds and 25 Armor Penetration for the armored enemies. It drops from Dogtown airdrops. How to get it.
Pizdets (Smart SMG): The best Smart weapon for a quiet opener. The only silenced Smart weapon, and its Crit Chance rises the longer it fires. How to get it.
Ba Xing Chong (Smart Shotgun): The best Smart weapon after the main story. Explosive rounds that lock on to up to 6 enemies, but you only get it after the final mission. How to get it.
No Phantom Liberty?: The Chesapeake and the Pizdets come from Dogtown. Without them, the Yinglong is the best swap partner for the Shingen (how to get it).
Prototype: Shingen Mark V (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It

An Arasaka prototype that won’t hit the market for a few years, sitting in a shipping container. It is the gun this build is built around.
- Prerequisites: Santo Domingo has to be open, which happens after Act 1.
- Where: The Arasaka Industrial Park in Arroyo, Santo Domingo.
- How to Get It: It is inside container 667 at the end of the exterior loading dock, west of the warehouse’s main entrance.
- What to Do: The container has a mine inside, so disarm it before you grab the gun. The park is guarded by Arasaka, so either sneak in or pick it up during the main job Gimme Danger, which takes you into the same compound.
- Note: If you missed it, Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium (Phantom Liberty) sells missed iconics.
Chesapeake (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It

“Man’s best friend.” The Chesapeake is my swap partner for the Shingen, and it falls out of the sky in Dogtown.
- Prerequisites: Phantom Liberty DLC and level 40.
- Where: Dogtown airdrops. They show up on the map as you explore Dogtown.
- How to Get It: Loot it from an airdrop at level 40 or higher.
- What to Do: Airdrops are random, so keep opening them until it drops. Every airdrop also has a chance for other iconics and Capacity Shards.
- Note: If you claimed it through Prime Gaming, it is already waiting in V’s apartment.
Pizdets (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It

“When they’re located, Pizdets is typically the last word they’ll ever say.” The only silenced Smart weapon in the game, and you have to take it from a Soviet spy in Dogtown.
- Prerequisites: Phantom Liberty DLC. Finish Get It Together and a few of Mr. Hands’ gigs until he offers Spy in the Jungle.
- Where: The gig starts at the Paradise Hotel (Room 203) and leads you to the Organitopia museum in southeast Dogtown.
- How to Get It: Defeat Boris Ribakov and loot the Pizdets from his body.
- What to Do: Boris turns invisible and uses smoke, and below half Health he brings in drones and holograms. The Oracle Optics find him, and Smart bullets follow him through the smoke.
- Note: If you missed it, Herold Lowe sells missed iconics.
Ba Xing Chong (Iconic Smart Shotgun) – How To Get It
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“A rocket launcher that fires explosive rounds.” Adam Smasher’s own Smart shotgun, and the reason I call it the endgame alternative: you can only get it after the main story.
- Prerequisites: Finish the main story in an ending where you fight Adam Smasher at Arasaka Tower, and loot the Access Token from his body.
- Where: Adam Smasher’s vault on the Ebunike cargo ship in Northside, Watson.
- How to Get It: After the credits, pick One More Gig, fast travel to the Ebunike Docks, and use the Access Token on the orange keypad at the back of the bridge tower.
- What to Do: Board the ship by the yellow gangplank, climb the outside stairs of the bridge tower to the second level, and open the heavy door at the rear. The crafting spec is in the lit weapon crate on the right. Crafting it costs 40 Tier 5 components, and Lucky Day helps you get there.
Gear for the Morgan Blackhand 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 Chitin, the Epimorphic Skeleton, Neofiber and Adrenaline Rush.
For the look, I went for an old-school Solo: a long, worn trench coat over dark pants and boots, with a cowboy hat on top. These are the pieces:
- Head: Modified Snake-Skin Cowboy Hat
- Location: The clothing vendor in the Badlands, under the food stall next to the Trailer Park fast travel point, just outside Santo Domingo.
- Outer Torso: Timeworn Trench Coat
- Location: Placide drops it in the main job Transmission in Pacifica. You only fight him if you side with the Netwatch agent in I Walk the Line, so make that choice if you want the coat.
- Legs: Craneo Brillante Polyamide Extra-Membrane Straightcuts
- Location: The clothing vendor in Wellsprings, Heywood, near the Cannery Plaza fast travel point.
- Feet: Leather Ankle Boots With Composite Inserts
- Location: Ded Zed in Northside, Watson, near the Docks fast travel point, or the clothing vendor in Charter Hill, Westbrook, near the Lele Park fast travel point.
Clothing vendors rotate their stock, so if an item isn’t there, skip 24 hours and check again.
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: Morgan Blackhand Build you want to focus on Shinobi, Engineer and Solo. Shinobi is the big one: every SMG kill and every dash levels it. At level 50 sliding and Air Dashing reload 20% of your weapon, and at 60 the Sandevistan gives +40% Crit Chance and makes movement cost no Stamina. Engineer gives you the extra Cyberware Capacity this build counts on and +30% to all cyberware stat modifiers at 50, and Solo adds Max Health. Netrunner levels with Smart weapon kills, and at 20 Smart weapons lock on from 20% further away.
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.
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.
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.
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 Morgan Blackhand Build in Cyberpunk 2077
Here are a few general leveling tips for the Morgan Blackhand 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.
- As soon as Santo Domingo opens after Act 1, grab the Prototype: Shingen Mark V from the Arasaka Industrial Park. It carries this build for the rest of the game.
- Visit a Ripperdoc at level 10: After you have enough money, it’s time to get chromed up.
- Projectile Launch System (Arms): Sold from level 10. Your rocket launcher from here on.
- Dynalar Sandevistan (Operating System): Sold from level 10. It holds the slot until the Falcon at level 30.
- Smart Link (Hands): So Smart weapons can lock on.
- Reinforced Tendons (Legs): Allow you to double jump
- Blood Pump (Circulatory System): A second health item.
- 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 Morgan Blackhand 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 Morgan Blackhand Build FAQ
What is the best Morgan Blackhand build in Cyberpunk 2077?
Mine combines the Prototype: Shingen Mark V and the Chesapeake with the Projectile Launch System and the Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan. Submachine Fun reloads the SMGs on every swap, and Ticking Time Bomb stuns the room on every Sandevistan. Build overview.
What weapons does Morgan Blackhand use in Cyberpunk 2077?
His own Smart guns and the heavy SMG in his cyberarm aren’t in the game. The closest you get are Smart SMGs like the Shingen Mark V and the Chesapeake, and the Projectile Launch System in your arm. Weapons.
What is the best Smart SMG in Cyberpunk 2077?
For this build, the Prototype: Shingen Mark V. Its explosive rounds track up to 4 targets with Targeting Prism, and you can get it right after Act 1. Best Smart Weapons.
How do I get the Ba Xing Chong?
Loot the Access Token from Adam Smasher in the final mission, pick One More Gig after the credits, and open his vault on the Ebunike in Northside. Then craft it from the spec with 40 Tier 5 components. How to get it.
How does Submachine Fun work?
Swapping to an SMG is faster and reloads it automatically, and it fires faster until you reload it normally. Carry two SMGs and swap every time one runs empty. How the swap works.
Do grenade perks work with the Projectile Launch System?
Only some. Doomlauncher, Pyromania, Burn This City and Launch Capacity Override power the rocket arm, but Demolitions Surplus and Coming in Hot only work with real grenades. How to use the rocket arm.
Which Sandevistan is best for Morgan Blackhand?
The Militech “Falcon”. Every kill while it runs restores Health, and this build fights in the middle of the group. The Apogee hits harder but doesn’t heal. Operating System.
Can I play the Morgan Blackhand Build without Phantom Liberty?
Yes. You lose the Chesapeake, the Pizdets, Chitin, the Relic perks and the Axolotl. Use the Yinglong as the swap partner and the ProxiShield in place of Chitin. The Shingen, the Falcon and the Projectile Launch System are all in the base game.




