Welcome to the best Smart SMG Build for Cyberpunk 2077 (Patch 2.5). This is my favorite way to play a netrunner who would rather shoot than hack: two iconic Smart SMGs that I swap instead of reloading, Overclock to make every bullet lock on instantly, and a Monowire that spreads free quickhacks through the whole group.
The Smart Submachine Gun Build combines the Yinglong, the Chesapeake, Submachine Fun, Overclock and Smart Synergy: swap SMGs for a free reload, lock on instantly, deal +60% Electrical damage with the Militech Paraline, and turn every kill into RAM and Health.
You can find more builds here on the Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database page.
Table of Contents for the Smart SMG Build:
- Build Overview
- Attributes
- Perks (Skills)
- Cyberware
- Quickhacks
- Weapons
- Gear
- Skill Progression
- Leveling Tips
Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Smart SMG Build:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Would you rather let the quickhacks do the killing? Read my Lucy Netrunner Build. If you like the Yinglong but want more hacking, check out my D Build.
Cyberpunk 2077 Smart SMG Build Overview
This Cyberpunk 2077: Smart SMG Build is guns first and hacks second. I scout the area with Ping and my Kiroshi optics, open quietly with the silenced Pizdets, and the moment I get spotted, I hit Overclock. Power Surge heals me, Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone around me a second later, and Smart Synergy makes every Smart weapon lock on instantly. Then I swap between the Yinglong and the Chesapeake instead of reloading: Submachine Fun reloads the SMG during the swap and gives it +22% fire rate, and Target Lock Transfer keeps the lock through the swap.
As a Smart Submachine Gun Build, it also lives off RAM. Every Smart weapon kill gives RAM back with Recirculation, and while Overclock is active, Sublimation turns every bit of that RAM into Health. The Axolotl cuts all my cooldowns with every kill, so Overclock is back almost as soon as it ends.
My rotation: This is how almost every fight goes for me.
- Scout: Scan the area. The Kiroshi “Clairvoyant” Optics highlight every enemy within 19.5 metres for 60 seconds, and Ping reveals everyone on the local network.
- Open quietly: Start with the Pizdets. It is silenced, so Killer Instinct adds +25% damage outside of combat, and Gag Order delays detection from the enemies around your target.
- Overclock: The moment you get spotted, activate Overclock. Power Surge heals you, Ticking Time Bomb stuns everyone nearby 1 second later, and the Adrenaline Converter gives +40% movement speed as combat starts.
- Weapon Glitch the group: A charged Monowire attack uploads Weapon Glitch for free, and normal swings that hit several enemies spread it with Data Tunneling. Every hacked enemy takes Smart Synergy bonus damage, and every upload adds +12% Crit Chance with Smart weapons.
- Swap, don’t reload: Empty the Yinglong, swap to the Chesapeake, empty that, swap back. Submachine Fun reloads during every swap, and Smart Synergy locks on instantly while Overclock is active.
- Heal or leave: Smart weapon kills give RAM back, and Sublimation turns it into Health during Overclock. When it gets close, the Biomonitor and the Blood Pump top you up, or Optical Camo with Emergency Cloaking takes you out of combat.
Before the iconics: The Yinglong is a crafting spec in Wellsprings, so I pick it up as soon as Heywood opens. Until then, a Dian or a Warden from any weapon vendor does the job. The Pizdets needs Phantom Liberty, and the Chesapeake only drops from Dogtown airdrops from level 40. This build comes together late: Smart Synergy needs 20 Intelligence and Submachine Fun needs 20 Reflexes, so the full rotation is an endgame thing.
Attributes – Smart SMG Build
Distributing Attributes correctly for the Smart SMG 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 Smart Submachine Gun Build’s primary Attributes are 
Reflexes for the SMG perks, 
Intelligence for the Smart weapon perks and Overclock, and 
Technical Ability for the chrome. We also invest points in 
Body for Adrenaline Rush, and the rest goes into 
Cool.
Smart SMG Build Start Attributes
At the start of the game, select the following Attribute allocation to give us the optimal start for the Smart SMG Build in Cyberpunk 2077.
| Attribute | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
|
+3 |
|
|
Technical Ability |
+2 |
|
|
Intelligence |
+1 |
|
|
Body |
+1 |
|
|
Cool |
None |
|
Max Level Attributes
At max level, you want to have the following distribution of Attributes for the Smart SMG Build in Cyberpunk 2077:
- 20 Reflexes
- 20 Intelligence
- 20 Technical Ability
- 15 Body
- 6 Cool
Why these numbers: Reflexes goes to 20 for Submachine Fun, Intelligence goes to 20 for Smart Synergy, and Technical Ability goes to 20 for Edgerunner and Ticking Time Bomb. That leaves 21 points: 15 Body covers Adrenaline Rush, and the last 6 go into Cool for Killer Instinct, Gag Order and Feline Footwork. Reflexes, Intelligence, Technical Ability and Body are all at 9 or higher, so Renaissance Punk gives +16 Cyberware Capacity.
Perks – Smart SMG Build Cyberpunk 2077
In this section of the Cyberpunk 2077 Smart SMG 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 and Technical Ability to 15 first and use any SMG: Dash and Ready, Rested, Reloaded at 9, Sharpshooter and Air Dash at 15, and All Things Cyber and Renaissance Punk at 9 Technical Ability. Body to 15 for Adrenaline Rush comes next. Then it is Intelligence: Acquisition Specialist, Speculation and Recirculation at 9, Overclock, Sublimation and Target Lock Transfer at 15, and Smart Synergy at 20. Submachine Fun, Edgerunner and Ticking Time Bomb come last.
Perk Points: This build uses all 80 Perk Points at level 60: 25 in Reflexes, 23 in Technical Ability, 19 in Intelligence, 10 in Body and 3 in Cool.
Reflexes Perks
The Reflexes Perk-Tree is where the SMG perks are, and we max it out at 20. We take the gun branch on the left for the SMGs and the movement branch in the middle for Dash and Air Dash.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
Slippery and the movement row.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
The faster you move, the harder you are to hit. It also opens the movement branch. |
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Shoot while sprinting, sliding and vaulting. You never have to stop shooting. |
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Longer slides. |
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Faster vaulting and climbing. |
Skip: Muscle Memory. I swap SMGs instead of reloading them, so I don’t need to reload while sprinting.
Level 9 Perks
Ready, Rested, Reloaded on the left, Dash in the middle.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
-10% Stamina cost for shooting with Assault Rifles and SMGs, then +30% reload speed while you are above 50% Stamina. It opens the whole gun branch. |
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Faster weapon swaps, and less bullet spread for a moment after swapping. This build swaps all the time. |
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+20% effective range and accuracy with SMGs. |
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Rank 1 cuts dodge and dash stamina cost, rank 2 unlocks the Dash itself. Aim during a Dash and Kerenzikov slows time. |
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+100% mitigation chance while dashing. |
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Shoot while dashing. Dashing never interrupts my shooting. |
Skip: Mind Over Matter. Recoil barely matters when your bullets steer themselves.
Level 15 Perks
Sharpshooter and everything behind it, plus Air Dash.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Faster aiming and better weapon handling, then Sharpshooter stacks. Every successful shot adds a stack, and each stack lowers your Stamina cost and speeds up Stamina regen for a few seconds. The Yinglong fires 12.5 rounds per second, so the stacks build up fast. |
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+2% Crit Chance and +2% Crit Damage per Sharpshooter stack. The longer you hold the trigger, the harder you crit. |
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+2% Armor Penetration with automatic weapons per Sharpshooter stack. |
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-10% Stamina cost for hip-firing. Smart weapons lock on from the hip, so I hip-fire a lot. |
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Aiming no longer slows you down. |
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Lower dash stamina cost, faster dashes, then the ability to dash in midair. |
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Better control in midair. |
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A big boost to Mitigation Strength while you are in midair. |
Level 20 Perks
Reflexes is at 20, so we take the SMG capstone.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Swapping to an SMG is faster and reloads it automatically, and it fires +22% faster until you reload it normally. This is the perk the whole build is built around: empty one SMG, swap to the other, never reload. |
Skip: Salt in the Wound only works with assault rifles.
Intelligence Perks
The Intelligence Perk-Tree is the second heart of the build, and we max it out at 20. We take the Smart weapon branch on the right and the Overclock branch in the middle, which meet at Smart Synergy.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
Optimization opens the middle branch.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+35% RAM recovery rate. During Overclock, Sublimation turns that into Health regen too. |
Level 9 Perks
The Smart weapon basics on the right and the road to Overclock in the middle.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+10% RAM recovery rate, then more quickhack damage against enemies affected by Control or Covert quickhacks. Ping and Weapon Glitch set that up for Short Circuit, and Overclock sits behind it. |
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Killing an enemy with a Combat quickhack gives back 25% of the RAM of every quickhack on them. You need it to unlock Recirculation. |
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A larger targeting reticle for Smart weapons, then reloading no longer breaks target lock, plus faster lock-on when you hip fire or aim. |
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+2 RAM for every Smart weapon kill, and if the enemy had quickhacks on them, you also get back 50% of their RAM cost. Weapon Glitch from the Monowire makes this pay out on almost every kill. |
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If a Smart weapon target lock is about to run out, shooting the enemy resets it. |
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More accuracy with Smart weapons for every point of Max RAM in your cyberdeck. |
Level 15 Perks
Overclock and everything around it.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+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 10 Health instead. 30 second cooldown. Smart Synergy and the Paraline’s Electrical bonus only work while it runs. |
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Activating Overclock instantly restores Health equal to your Max RAM, so every Overclock starts with a heal. |
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While Overclock is active, all RAM recovery also restores Health. Recirculation, Memory Boost and RAM Recoup now heal you too. |
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A larger targeting reticle, then switching from aiming to hip fire keeps the lock on headshots and weakspots, and switching between Smart weapons keeps it as well. The lock survives every Submachine Fun swap. |
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Faster bullets and longer lock-on range for 6 seconds after a Smart weapon kill, stacking 3 times. |
Skip: Targeting Prism. It splits your bullets between several targets, so instead of one dead enemy you end up with three wounded ones.
Level 20 Perks
Intelligence is at 20, so we take the Smart weapon capstone.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
While Overclock is active, Smart weapons lock on instantly and deal bonus damage to enemies affected by a quickhack. Swap to the other SMG and it is already locked on. |
Technical Ability Perks
The Technical Ability Perk-Tree keeps you alive and powers the chrome. The left branch gives us more health items and leads to 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.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+1 health item charge. Every health item also fills your Adrenaline once Adrenaline Rush is unlocked. |
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+15% recharge speed for health items when you have only used one charge. |
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+30% health from the final charge of your health item. |
Level 9 Perks
Health items on the left, the Cyberware perks in the middle.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Faster recharge for health items and grenades, then an instant partial recharge after every kill. Max it out. |
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If you are below 25% health and out of health item charges, your next kill instantly recharges a health item. |
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+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers and -20% Cyberware Capacity cost for Integumentary System and Skeleton chrome. That discount saves about 22 capacity in this build. Max it out. |
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Every cyberware gets an additional stat modifier. |
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+4 Cyberware Capacity for each Attribute at 9 or higher. Reflexes, Intelligence, Technical Ability and Body all count, so that is +16 capacity. |
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-5% incoming damage while all your Integumentary System and Skeleton slots are filled. This build fills all of them. |
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When you upgrade cyberware, you can choose between two stat modifiers, and from Tier 3 between three. I pick Crit Damage and Electrical damage wherever I can, since the Paraline and the Yinglong both deal Electrical damage. |
Level 15 Perks
Pyromania on the left for Ticking Time Bomb, chrome in the middle.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Faster health item and grenade recharge, a bigger explosion radius, then Pyromania stacks when your explosions hit enemies. Ticking Time Bomb sits behind it. |
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Every Pyromania stack gives you Mitigation Chance. Blow up the explosive barrels and devices next to the group to build stacks. |
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+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers, +40 armor and an extra Skeleton slot. Max it out. |
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+15% duration for all cyberware effects, so Overclock, Optical Camo and Kerenzikov all last longer. |
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-15% cooldown for all cyberware while every available cyberware slot is filled. Together with the Axolotl, Overclock comes back very fast. |
Skip: Ambidextrous. Cyborg only counts the slots you actually have, so you don’t need a second Hands slot to keep it active. Built Different is only for the Cellular Adapter, which this build doesn’t use.
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. Stunned enemies don’t shoot back while the SMGs do their work. |
|
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 44 points over, see the Cyberware section. |
Body Perks
The Body Perk-Tree is only used for its middle branch: health regen and Adrenaline Rush. I clear rooms by running through them, so the sprint regen and the second health bar matter a lot. Body sits at 15.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
The health regen row.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Unlocks passive health regeneration during combat. Chitin multiplies it. |
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The lower your health, the faster you regenerate. |
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+100% Health Regen while sprinting. Multitasker lets you shoot while you sprint, so you get both at once. |
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More health regen for each nearby enemy. |
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Using the Blood Pump or a health item gives you a big boost to Mitigation Chance for 1 second. |
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.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+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. |
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+20% movement speed and +10% damage while Adrenaline Rush is active. |
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A 3 second delay before Adrenaline starts decaying. |
Level 20 Perks
We don’t use any level 20 perks. Body sits at 15.
Cool Perks
The Cool Perk-Tree only gets 3 points for a better opening. The Pizdets is silenced, so the first burst out of stealth is where these perks pay off. Cool sits at 6.
Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.
Level 4 Perks
Three cheap perks for the start of a fight.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
+25% damage with silenced guns outside of combat, plus a preview of the damage you will deal. The Pizdets comes with its own silencer. |
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Hit an enemy right after they detect you, and the enemies around them take longer to detect you. |
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+15% movement speed and +15% Mitigation Chance while crouched. |
Level 9, 15 and 20 Perks
We don’t use any perks above level 4. Cool sits at 6.
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 12 points across all three branches: one for the Monowire, one for Optical Camo, and one to make every bullet count.
| Perk | Description |
|---|---|
|
Unlocks new abilities for all Arm cyberware. For the Monowire, you can slot a Control quickhack into it, and a charged Strong Attack uploads it at no RAM cost. I slot Weapon Glitch. |
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When an enemy is affected by a quickhack you uploaded with the Monowire, normal Monowire attacks that hit them and other enemies at the same time spread the quickhack to those enemies too. One charged attack, one sweep through the group, and they are all hacked for Smart Synergy. |
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Activating Optical Camo during combat makes enemies lose track of you, which gives you a chance to leave combat. Back out of combat means Killer Instinct works again. Optical Camo has to be on your Combat Gadget quickslot. |
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If an enemy detects you while you are crouched, time slows down. Dodge or Dash out of their line of sight and you leave combat right away. |
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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. Smart bullets put a lot of hits into them. |
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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 3 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 our Arms slot holds the Monowire.
Cyberware for the Smart SMG Build in Cyberpunk 2077
RAM, cooldowns and Electrical damage: The Militech Paraline turns every Overclock into +60% Electrical damage, the Frontal Cortex keeps my RAM and my cooldowns flowing, Smart Link makes the guns lock on, and Chitin, the Skeleton and the Circulatory System keep me alive. Every available 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 276 at Tier 5++, already including the -20% from All Things Cyber on the Skeleton and Integumentary System.
That is 44 points over, and Edgerunner lets you go up to 50 over. It costs -0.5% Max Health per point, so about -22% Max Health. Chitin, Adrenaline Rush and Sublimation make up for it with a lot of healing. Edgerunner needs 20 Technical Ability, so until you have it, run the Camillo RAM Manager instead of the Axolotl and the Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics instead of the Clairvoyant. That brings you down to about 230, and you won’t have the Axolotl or Chitin before Dogtown anyway.
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 Crit Damage and Electrical damage first, then RAM on kill and headshot 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 |
|---|---|
|
|
Tetratronic Rippler |
Every Overclock automatically uploads Reboot Optics and Weapon Glitch to every enemy within 8 metres, so the whole group is hacked for Smart Synergy without the Monowire. +12 Max RAM and +15% weapon damage against enemies with non-Combat quickhacks on top. You lose the +60% Electrical damage, though. |
Location of items:
- Militech Paraline: You get a Tier 1 version during the intro quest The Rescue, and any Ripperdoc sells it. Upgrade it to Tier 5++.
- Tetratronic Rippler: Sold by any Ripperdoc.
Frontal Cortex
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
-7.5% cooldown for all your cyberware after every kill. Overclock, the Blood Pump, Optical Camo and Kerenzikov all come back faster, and a room full of enemies means Overclock is ready again almost as soon as it ends. |
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+1.35 RAM for every kill and +1 Max RAM. During Overclock, Sublimation turns that RAM into Health. |
|
Faster RAM recovery for only 8 capacity, so Ping and Short Circuit are ready more often. |
Camillo RAM Manager |
Instantly restores 30% of your Max RAM when you drop to 20%, with an 80 second cooldown minus 2 seconds per Intelligence point. My pick until I have Edgerunner and the Axolotl. |
Location of items:
- Axolotl: Iconic, from Regina Jones after the gig Last Call, also sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.
- Memory Boost: Any Ripperdoc after level 5.
- RAM Upgrade: Sold by any Ripperdoc.
- Camillo RAM Manager: Sold by Ripperdocs from around level 30.
Face
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
When you scan, it highlights every enemy within 19.5 metres for 60 seconds. Together with Ping, I know where everyone is before I fire the first shot. |
Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics |
Highlights cameras and turrets within 39 metres for only 2 capacity. |
Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics |
+35% Crit Chance, but it costs 30 capacity. Only worth it once you have all Capacity Shards and want more damage instead of scouting. |
Location of items:
- Kiroshi “Clairvoyant” Optics: Any Ripperdoc from level 20. There is also one in the airdrop at Tranquil Terrace in Luxor Heights (Phantom Liberty) after Lucretia My Reflection.
- Kiroshi “Sentry” Optics: Sold by any Ripperdoc.
- Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs from level 35 (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.
Arms
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
|
The Monowire doesn’t use the Combat Gadget quickslot, so Optical Camo can have it. 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).
Location of items:
- Electrifying Monowire: Sold by Ripperdocs, with quality scaling as you level.
Hands
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
Without it, Smart weapons can’t lock on. +20% target lock duration, +15% Crit Damage with Smart weapons and +2 Max RAM on top. |
I skip Ambidextrous, so there is only one Hands slot, and Smart Link needs it. That also rules out the Microgenerator. Cyborg only counts the slots you have, so it stays active.
Location of items:
- Smart Link: Sold by any Ripperdoc, with quality scaling as you level.
Skeleton
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
+16% Mitigation Strength. Slippery, Can’t Touch This, Feline Footwork and Heat Shield all give Mitigation Chance, and this makes every one of those mitigated hits hurt less. |
|
Taking damage restores RAM, and +2 Max RAM. During Overclock, Sublimation turns that RAM into Health, so getting hit heals you a little. |
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+62% Carrying Capacity for only 6 capacity. Two SMGs eat a lot of ammo, and this makes room for it. It fills the third slot for Chrome Constitution. |
License to Chrome gives you the third Skeleton slot. Fill all three for Chrome Constitution.
Location of items:
- Spring Joints: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
- RAM Recoup: Sold by Ripperdocs across Night City.
- Titanium Bones: Sold by any Ripperdoc, with quality scaling as you level.
Nervous System
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
Aim during a slide, dodge or Dash and time slows by 60% for 3.75 seconds, with a 6 second cooldown. Steady Grip lets me shoot through the whole Dash, and Kerenzikov gives the SMGs time to empty into the group. |
|
+11% Mitigation Chance and +11% Mitigation Strength. |
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+40% movement speed for 9 seconds when you enter combat, for only 6 capacity. The moment I get spotted, I am already out of their line of fire. |
Location of items:
- Kerenzikov: Any Ripperdoc from level 10, with quality scaling by level.
- Neofiber: Any Ripperdoc after level 20.
- Adrenaline Converter: Any Ripperdoc, with tier scaling as you level.
Circulatory System
| Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|
|
Works as a second health item: a big heal right away, then more health over 6 seconds. With Adrenaline Rush it also fills your Adrenaline, and the Axolotl brings it back after every kill. |
|
Automatically uses your health item when your health drops below 50%, and +16% health item effectiveness. You never have to stop shooting to heal. |
|
+7.5% Health for every kill. |
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 |
|---|---|
|
A very durable shell under your skin, plus +10% Health Regen for every Body point. At 15 Body, that is +150% Health Regen on top of Painkiller, Speed Junkie and Adrenaline Rush. |
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-90% visibility to enemies for 7 seconds. With Emergency Cloaking it takes me out of combat, so I can reset and open with the silenced Pizdets again. Put it on your Combat Gadget quickslot. |
|
A big chunk of Armor for only 5 capacity. It fills the third slot for Chrome Constitution. |
Location of items:
- Chitin: Iconic Subdermal Armor variant (Phantom Liberty DLC), sold by Dogtown Ripperdocs and found in airdrops.
- Optical Camo: Sold by Ripperdocs from level 10, with quality scaling by 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, keep shooting: Aerodynamic makes you hard to hurt in midair, and Smart bullets don’t care where you shoot from. |
Location of items:
- Reinforced Tendons: 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:
| Slot | Swap out | Swap in | Extra capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal Cortex | RAM Upgrade | Quantum Tuner | +37 |
| Circulatory System | Heal-on-Kill | Second Heart | +20 |
| Nervous System | Adrenaline Converter | Visual Cortex Support | +14 |
- Quantum Tuner: When another implant is fully used, it instantly restores that implant’s cooldown (up to 50 seconds, 60 second cooldown), and -15% cooldown for all other cyberware. That means two Overclocks back to back, which is better than the Axolotl on bosses, where there are not many kills to feed it. With all shards you run both.
- Second Heart: +100% Health when your Health reaches 0, with a 200 second cooldown. Edgerunner takes a chunk of your Max Health, and this is the safety net.
- Visual Cortex Support: Up to +30% Crit Chance the further you are from the enemy (max at 30 metres). Smart bullets hit from range, so I happily stay back.
That brings the total to about 347 of 356. You are about 41 points over 306, so Edgerunner costs about -20% Max Health.
Find the Quantum Tuner in a hidden container at Tranquil Terrace during the Phantom Liberty job From Her to Eternity. Second Heart and Visual Cortex Support are sold by Ripperdocs.
Quickhacks for the Cyberpunk 2077: Smart SMG Build
This Smart SMG Build uses quickhacks for scouting and setup, not for killing. The guns do the damage. The quickhacks find the enemies, make them easier to lock onto, and mark them as hacked for Smart Synergy and Recirculation.
- Important: Keep them cheap. Your RAM goes into Overclock and Sublimation, and Weapon Glitch from the Monowire is free.
- Important 2: How to get Quickhacks for your build.
Smart SMG Build Quickhacks:
Ping (Scouting)
Sonic Shock (Stealth opener)
Weapon Glitch (Monowire)
Short Circuit (Drones and mechs)
I will only explain the quickhacks I use for this build. You are free to swap in others if you prefer another combo.
1. Ping
(Tier 5): My first quickhack in every fight. It reveals every enemy and device on the local network for 30 seconds, and at Tier 5 you can quickhack devices through walls. Smart weapons also lock on 25% faster against Pinged enemies, and Ping counts as a quickhack on the target for Recirculation. Only 4 RAM.
2. Sonic Shock
(Tier 3 or higher): Upload it to the enemy I want to open on with the Pizdets. It deafens them, scrambles their comms so they can’t call for help, and cloaks them from their allies’ sensors. It is untraceable and only costs 2 RAM.
(Tier 5): The one I slot into the Monowire. It blows up the enemy’s main weapon, jams their backup and lowers their accuracy. Every upload gives +12% Crit Chance with Smart weapons for 10 seconds, stacking 5 times, and as long as you stay locked on with a Smart weapon, the Weapon Glitch doesn’t run out. Upload it with a charged Monowire attack for free, then spread it with Data Tunneling.
(Tier 5): Fast and cheap. Extra damage against mechs, robots, drones and turrets, an EMP effect on top, and +3 seconds on every Control quickhack on the target, so Weapon Glitch lasts longer.
Optional: On bosses, I add 
Cyberware Malfunction. It shuts down their cyberware, every stack adds +5% damage against them, and Short Circuit deals +25% damage per stack.
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 four quickhacks above.
Weapons for the Smart SMG Build in Cyberpunk 2077
Two SMGs and a silencer: The Yinglong and the Chesapeake are the swap pair, and the Pizdets opens fights quietly. Any Smart SMG works with this build, so don’t be afraid to use one that isn’t on this list.
- Reflexes perks like Submachine Fun and Practice Makes Perfect boost SMGs.
- Intelligence perks like Smart Synergy and Recirculation boost Smart weapons, and a Smart SMG gets both.
- Swap instead of reloading. Submachine Fun reloads the SMG you swap to, and Target Lock Transfer keeps the lock.
- Two SMGs at full speed eat a lot of ammo. Craft ammo before big fights, and Titanium Bones gives you room to carry it.
Upgrade: Weapons can be upgraded when you go to the crafting section and then swap to upgrades.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
Yinglong |
My main SMG. A genius among smartguns. Kang Tao’s iconic Smart SMG adds Electrical damage to every bullet, with a small chance to apply EMP on impact. 45 rounds at 12.5 shots per second, so Sharpshooter and Practice Makes Perfect stack up fast, and the Paraline adds +60% Electrical damage on top during Overclock. |
Chesapeake |
The swap partner. An iconic Smart SMG with 40 rounds and 25 Armor Penetration, so it handles the armored enemies the Yinglong struggles with. Kills give a boost to movement speed and Armor Penetration. |
Pizdets |
The opener. The only Smart weapon with its own silencer, so Killer Instinct adds +25% damage to the first burst. The longer it fires, the higher its Crit Chance. Only 20 rounds, so I swap to the Yinglong once the fight starts. |
Warden |
A common Smart SMG with 40 rounds that hits harder per second than the Yinglong. No Electrical damage, but great if you don’t have the Chesapeake yet. |
Prototype: Shingen Mark V |
An Arasaka prototype Smart SMG with explosive rounds that tracks up to 3 targets while you aim. Swap it in for the Chesapeake if you fight big groups. |
Dian |
The non-iconic version of the Yinglong: 45 rounds at the same fire rate. Sold by weapon vendors, so it is what I use until I have the Yinglong. |
Location of items:
- Yinglong: Crafting spec from Denzel Cryer at the Suspected Organized Crime Activity Living the Big Life in Wellsprings, Heywood. See below.
- Chesapeake: Dogtown airdrops from level 40 (Phantom Liberty DLC). See below.
- Pizdets: Looted from Boris Ribakov during the Phantom Liberty gig Spy in the Jungle. See below.
- Warden: Sold by weapon vendors and found as loot across Night City.
- Prototype: Shingen Mark V: Inside trailer 667 at the exterior loading dock of the Arasaka Industrial Park in Northside, Watson. The area is guarded by Arasaka.
- Dian: Sold by weapon vendors and found as loot, with quality scaling as you level.
Grenades: None. Optical Camo takes the Combat Gadget quickslot.
Health item: MaxDOC MK.5 for the big instant heal. The Biomonitor uses it for you, and every heal also fills Adrenaline Rush.
Yinglong (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It
“A genius among smartguns.” The Yinglong is the heart of this build, and you can get it as soon as Heywood opens up.
- Prerequisites: None.
- Where: Wellsprings in Heywood, at the Suspected Organized Crime Activity Living the Big Life.
- How to Get It: Defeat Denzel Cryer, “The Brain”, and loot the crafting spec.
- What to Do: Craft the Yinglong from the spec in your crafting menu, then upgrade it to Tier 5++.
Pizdets (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It
“When they’re located, Pizdets is typically the last word they’ll ever say.” The Pizdets is 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. Ping finds him, and Smart bullets follow him through the smoke.
- Note: If you missed it, Herold Lowe sells missed iconics.
Chesapeake (Iconic Smart SMG) – How To Get It
“Man’s best friend.” The Chesapeake is my swap partner for the Yinglong, 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.
Gear for the Smart SMG 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, Spring Joints, Neofiber and Adrenaline Rush.
My Smart SMG character uses the following items:
- Head: Custom Ballistic Mask
- Location: Buy from Satoshi Ueno at Longshore Stacks, Dogtown.
- Outer Torso: Netwatch Spectral Fear Operations Suit
- Location: The Netwatch clothing store in Japantown, Westbrook. Fast travel to Sagan & Diamond and head southeast. The clothing vendor on the elevated causeway north of Regina Jones’s place in Kabuki, Watson, sells it too.
- Feet: Netwatch Quiet-Step Aramid Field Boots
- Location: The Netwatch clothing store in Japantown, Westbrook. Fast travel to Sagan & Diamond and head southeast. The clothing vendor on the elevated causeway north of Regina Jones’s place in Kabuki, Watson, sells it too.
Both Netwatch pieces were added in Update 2.5. 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: Smart Submachine Gun Build you want to focus on Netrunner, Shinobi and Engineer. Netrunner is the big one: every Smart weapon kill, every Monowire kill and every quickhack levels it. At level 20 Smart weapons lock on from 20% further away, 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. Shinobi levels with every SMG kill on the move, and at level 50 sliding and Air Dashing reload 20% of your weapon. Engineer gives you the extra Cyberware Capacity this build counts on.
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.
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.
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 Smart SMG Build in Cyberpunk 2077
Here are a few general leveling tips for the Smart SMG 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.
- Smart Link (Hands): Lets Smart weapons lock on, so you can use the Dian right away and the Yinglong later.
- Militech Paraline (Operating System): You start the game with it. Keep it and upgrade it, it is the cyberdeck this build ends with.
- Reinforced Tendons (Legs): Allow you to double jump
- Kerenzikov (Nervous System): Slows Time by 60% for 2s.
- 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 Smart SMG 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.
