If you have played Cyberpunk 2077, then you probably know that tech weapons aren't always the best choice. Though there are some awesome iconic tech weapons, none of them reign supreme in any category (i.e. the best sniper rifle is a power weapon, the best pistol is a smart weapon, etc). Naturally, with a tree that seems to encourage tech weapons, you might be inclined to resist investing any points here.
But don't be too hasty! Not all of these skills are designed to prop up tech weapons. In fact, many of these skills boost grenades, which everyone, from hackers to snipers, will want to use on high-threat bosses and large mobs. If you spend your points wisely, you'll find that engineering has many of the skills that will help make you the ruler of Night City.
10 Mech Looter
Mech Looter |
Passive |
When Looting Drones, Mechs And Robots, There Is A 25% Chance Of Looting A Weapon Mod Or Attachment |
Look, eddies are scarce in Night City. The game does not have nearly enough, even if you try to complete every side gig and sell every piece of loot. To make it worse, mods and attachments are hard to come by and you'll usually have to pony up for them. This skill takes care of both problems.
You'll have plenty of mods to choose from by gaining at least one in almost every encounter. And what you don't need, you can pawn off. More mods, more attachments, more money.
9 Insulation
Insulation |
Passive |
Grants Immunity To Shock |
Shock is a surprisingly common effect in the game. Enemies like to send in netrunners and melee units with electrified batons to try and take V down. That doesn't include the guns that often have a chance to shock you - even common guns are capable of applying shock effects.
Eliminating this damage entirely for only a single skill point is as much value as you'll ever get. Never again will you have to worry about this pesky status effect... but you still will have to worry about the bullets.
8 Bigger Booms
Bigger Booms |
Passive |
Grenades Deal 5% More Damage |
You might wonder how the game can justify five points for a 25 percent damage increase. Sure, you can spend two skill points and increase your damage with pistols by 50 percent or more. So why is this limited to five percent increments? Because grenades do so much damage already.
An extra 25 percent is overkill on a mob, but against a cyberpsycho, it can almost one-hit kill them. It takes the damage from good, to a giant killer.
7 Can't Touch This
Can't Touch This |
Passive |
Grants Immunity To All Effects From Your Own Grenades |
When you're surrounded by melee enemies, what do you do? Try to stave them off one by one with a baseball bat? Try to use an SMG with your sights bouncing all over? You'll wish you had a flamethrower, but there's none to be found. There are truly no great choices unless you've got this skill.
With this, you're just a simple pin pull away from getting rid of all of your problems, and keeping your own life. It's also great against bosses that don't go down easily.
6 Blast Shielding
Blast Shielding |
Passive |
Reduces Damage Taken From Explosions By 10% |
So now that you're immune from your own grenades, it's time to cut down on grenade damage altogether. In fact, not just grenades, but any sort of explosion you may be unlucky enough to encounter.
If you're playing on an easier setting, then you might not think that grenades are a big deal. However, as this covers all explosions, including explosive damage that comes from guns and blasts that occur from barrels and rockets, it's a nearly mandatory skill on harder difficulties.
5 Shrapnel
Shrapnel |
Passive |
All Grenade Types Deal 20 Damage In Addition To Their Normal Effects |
If you're going to be boosting the percentage of damage from grenades, then it naturally helps to increase the base damage as well. More damage, more damage added on.
What makes it even better is that the damage from this perk isn't restricted to a specific type. Whether you're battling against machines that are immune to poison or bosses immune to shock effects, this damage will cut through all of that and do some decent damage that can't be negated.
4 Grenadier
Grenadier |
Passive |
The Explosion Radius Of Grenades Is Visible |
Even if you've got a high-end PC or current-gen console that can play Cyberpunk 2077 at its best, grenade bursts happen so quickly that trying to keep track of all the particle effects is an impossible task.
When you toss a grenade, you've got to know who will go down and who has evaded the burst, so you know where your targets are. This will reveal the radius and give you a better guidance system regarding who your biggest threats will be once the explosion has gone off.
3 Bladerunner
Bladerunner |
Passive |
Increases Damage To Drones, Mechs And Robots By 20% |
You don't run into too many robotic enemies in Night City, but when you do, they are souped up to be much stronger than your average goon. Some of them are high-threat targets and bosses - one of which, maybe the most notable boss fight in the game, is against a mech.
So grab an extra 20 percent of the damage (or even more with level two) and bring them back down to a range where you can hack them apart like any other enemy. Robots are scarce, but with this perk, they're about to be a whole lot scarcer.
2 Jackpot
Jackpot |
Passive |
Enables Grenades To Deal Critical Hits |
Online, many players of the game have taken to calling a specific grenade-heavy build The Jackpot Build, in homage to this signature trait. A critical hit with an assault rifle is hard to distinguish from any other bullet; A critical hit with a sniper rifle is pretty deadly; But a critical hit with a grenade ends the toughest opponents in the game very quickly.
It's absolutely absurd and if you chuck two or three at a target, you can be sure that this will end things before they've had a chance to unholster their sidearms.
1 Play The Angles
Play The Angles |
Passive |
Ricochets Deal An Additional 15% Damage |
Power weapons are awesome and if you're going to be spraying bullets, it helps that most of the shots will hit their mark, either by hitting the target or on the ricochet.
By default, the ricochet deals reduced damage - until you get this perk, and then suddenly, it stops mattering whether your shots hit or miss since they all deal about the same damage anyhow.