Cyberpunk 2077: Netrunning Guide

In the neon-lit streets of Night City, where corp agents rub shoulders with street scum, mastering the art of netrunning can make you a god amongst mortals. Whether you're jacking into the Net to pilfer secrets, control minds, or simply fry the circuits of your foes, becoming a primo netrunner is the key to surviving and thriving in Cyberpunk 2077's digital jungle. This extensive dossier will deep dive into choosing your cyberdeck, honing your netrunning skills, crafting ideal builds, deploying cunning netrunning strategies, and mastering advanced netrunning tactics. Prep yourself; we're about to jack in.

Choosing Your Cyberdeck

Your cyberdeck isn't just a tool; it's your gateway to bending the digital will of Night City. Think of it as your arcane tome in this high-tech grimoire. When selecting your cyberdeck, two factors are paramount: its buffer size and its available quickhack slots.

Buffer Size: This determines the complexity of quickhacks you can deploy without a hitch. A larger buffer offers more leeway for executing sophisticated quickhacks, turning the tide during critical encounters.
Quickhack Slots: More slots equals a broader arsenal at your disposal. Diversifying your quickhacks allows for adaptability across various encounters, whether against augmented thugs or fortified drones.

High-tier decks, like the legendary Arasaka Mk. 4, come with expansive buffers and myriad slots but demand a hefty sum of eddies. Yet, for those willing to dive deep into the netrunner's path, they're a worthy investment.

Netrunning Skills

Your ascent to netrunning nobility is through the careful cultivation of the Intelligence attribute and the Breach Protocol and Quickhacking skill trees. Here’s a synopsis:

Intelligence Attribute: Elevating this enhances your overall netrunning efficiency, reducing quickhack costs, and increasing damage.
Breach Protocol: This skill tree is your bread and butter for weakening foes and fortifying your cyber defenses. Mastering Daemon skills and reducing ICE picks cost can exponentially increase your dominance in the digital field.
Quickhacking: Investing here amplifies your quickhacks’ potency and variety. From rendering enemies oblivious to your presence to controlling their actions, your prowess in this domain can make you an omnipotent cyber shepherd among sheep.

Ideal Builds

Crafting the quintessential netrunner build is akin to architecting a digital symphony; every component must harmonize. Here are two blueprints:

The Puppet Master: This build focuses on manipulation and control. Prioritize quickhacks such as Contagion for spreading chaos, System Reset for non-lethal takedowns, and Cyberpsychosis for turning enemies against each other. Coupled with high Intelligence and Quickhacking investments, the Puppet Master dictates the battlefield without getting their hands dirty.
The Digital Ghost: Stealth and subtlety are the cornerstones here. Enhance your capability to infiltrate without detection using quickhacks like Ping for enemy location intel and Reboot Optics to blindside foes. A balanced investment between Breach Protocol for accessing fortified networks and Quickhacking for silent takedowns ensures you’re a whisper in the net, seen only when you choose to be.

Netrunning Strategies

Netrunning in Night City isn't just about raw power; it's about knowing how to apply that power effectively. Here are some universal tactics:

Recursive Hacking: Start with a Breach Protocol to weaken enemy defenses, then layer your attacks. Use Ping to map out enemy positions, followed by quickhacks to disable or disrupt. Chain your attacks efficiently to keep your opponents in perpetual disarray.
Environment Is Your Ally: Night City is riddled with hackable objects. Explosive canisters can be quickhacked to detonate amidst clusters of enemies, while distractions like vending machines can be utilized to stealthily maneuver around or incapacitate targets.
Hacking Through Cameras: Your digital eye in the sky. Hacking into surveillance cameras not only gives you a bird's-eye view but also extends your quickhacking reach, allowing you to disable unaware foes or fortifications without direct line of sight.

Advanced Netrunning Tactics

Once you've mastered the basics, these high-level maneuvers can elevate your netrunning to an artform:

Daemon Cascade: By stacking Breach Protocol effects, you can unleash a rapid-fire sequence of daemons, crippling enemy networks in a domino effect. This requires precise timing and a deep understanding of Breach Protocol sequencing but is devastating when executed correctly.
Quickhack Combos: Certain quickhacks, when used in tandem, can have exponential effects. Overloading an enemy's cyberware with Short Circuit followed by Sonic Shock can incapacitate even the most formidable opponents. Experiment with combinations to find devastating synergies.
Advanced Quickhack Modding: Deep in the underbelly of Night City's black market lie advanced mods for your cyberdeck, enabling quickhacks to bounce between targets or even spread virally. Investing your eddies here can dramatically amplify your control over the battlefield.

Infiltrating the Net

Becoming a virtuoso of the virtual in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City demands more than just a keen intellect and a well-equipped cyberdeck; it necessitates a strategic mindset, a creative approach to problem-solving, and an intimate knowledge of the game's mechanics. By adhering to the principles outlined in this compendium, you'll ascend from a mere digital delinquent to a netrunning legend, weaving through the digital ether with unmatched grace and potency.

Remember, in the composite reality of Cyberpunk 2077, information and control are the ultimate currency. As you refine your skills and expand your arsenal, always stay adaptable, always stay learning. The Net is vast and infinite, and its secrets are there for those bold enough to pry them from its digital depths. Now, with these strategies, builds, and tactics at your disposal, go forth and claim your dominion over Night City's digital frontier.