Night City is a harsh environment, and only those prepared to use every advantage have a chance of thriving there. Many turn to the obvious weapons like guns, swords, and hammers to keep themselves safe. Others follow a less predictable path. Throwing Knives are an underrated and somewhat niche pick in Cyberpunk 2077, even with the Blue Fang. Fast, lightweight, and capable of surprising damage, these weapons aren’t to be underestimated. With the right Perks and equipment, you can be as terrifying with Throwing Knives as you would be with a shotgun or katana. Here’s everything you need to know to put together the best Throwing Knife build.
Cyberpunk 2077 Throwing Knife Playstyle
Despite Throwing Knife Perks being concentrated in a single Attribute tree, there’s a surprising amount of variation possible in this build and its associated playstyle. This build focuses on a combination of stealth, mobility, and DPS. Making the most of the Throwing Knife’s unique qualities takes some careful strategy, but it pays off. You have an infinite supply of knives, but there is a cooldown between uses. Time your throws well and always make productive use of the downtime between throws, whether that means healing or moving to a superior position. Though this build doesn’t focus on Intelligence Perks and quickhacks, netrunner variants of this build can be quite strong and are worth experimenting with.
Attributes
The most important Attribute for the best Throwing Knife build in Cyberpunk is Cool. This Attribute governs stealth as well as assassination abilities, making it a natural fit for this kind of build. In the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty DLC, you can respec your Perks at will but not your Attributes, so be mindful of your Attribute Point distribution. In addition to allowing, you to purchase higher tier Perks, putting points into Cool has another advantage. Each Attribute Point spent on Cool grants you +1.25% Crit Damage, to a maximum of +25% Crit Damage at Level 20. This is the recommended prioritization for Attributes:
- Cool
- Reflexes
- Technical Ability
- Body
- Intelligence
Body and Intelligence can be useful for regeneration and quickhacks respectively, but neither is essential for the best Throwing Knife build in Cyberpunk. Technical Ability can be extremely useful, however. Many pieces of cyberware pair well with Throwing Knives. This is particularly true of cyberware that enhances one’s movement abilities, allowing you to reposition more easily. The Reflexes tree is important for the same reason. Getting Dash and Air Dash is optional, but unlocking those Perks can make a big difference in your ability to get into and out of battle. Always pay attention to the passive bonuses each Attribute grants as well.
Perks
If there’s one indispensable piece of the best Throwing Knives build in Cyberpunk 2077, it’s the Cool Perk tree. Whereas other Perks may synergize with knives, Cool Perks directly buff them or even unlock new mechanics. Every Throwing Knife Perk is worthwhile, but the best reside at the top of the tree, so you’ll need to put as many Attribute and Perk points into Cool as you can. Once you have finished the Cool tree, expand into Reflexes and then Technical Ability. Unlike some other builds, you have a great deal of flexibility to pick and choose your follow-up Attribute trees and Perks after Cool. The most important Cool Perks to grab are the following:
- Style Over Substance
- Juggler
- Scorpion Sting
- Finisher: Act of Mercy
- Pounce
- Sleight of Hand
- Parasite
- Accelerated Toxin Absorbtion
- Corrosion
- Neurotoxin
Unlike some other builds devoted to a certain weapon, it’s worth taking every single Perk that applies to Throwing Knives. Used in combination, these Perks grant several advantages. The Act of Mercy finisher allows you to dispatch badly injured foes in an instant. That synergizes well with Scorpion Sting and its associated Poison buffs in Cyberpunk, with or without the Blue Fang. Style Over Substance is the crown jewel of the best Throwing Knife build in Cyberpunk, guaranteeing Critical Hits when the player is crouch-sprinting, sliding, dodging, or Dashing.
Cyberware
After the 2.0 update, cyberware matters more in Cyberpunk 2077 than ever before. Unlike in previous versions of the game, V now has a limited cyberware installation capacity. If you want to install more, you’ll need to invest points into Technical Ability, so keep that in mind when planning your build. Ripperdocs also have new and rebalanced cyberwear in the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty DLC. If you haven’t dropped by the clinics for a while, it’s worth doing so to see the new stock. The game’s updates have also made it easier to obtain key pieces of cyberware sooner, so you no longer need to wait until the end of the game to put together the best Throwing Knife build.
There’s a good argument for Sandevistan systems being some of the best cyberware for a Throwing Knife but since they allow you to slow time and execute multiple precision throws. This build opts for a more direct approach. Stabber is a Tier 4 cyberware that directly buffs blades and throwable weapons. Its +14.5% Crit Chance buff makes it easier than ever to squeeze the highest possible DPS from your build. In addition, it offers the following benefits:
- +2.3% Melee Damage Resistance
- +2.9% Melee Damage
- +1.7% Health Item Recharge Speed
Keep things simple. Between Critical Hits, Poison, and Finishers, you’ll shred through crowds of enemies without trouble.
Throwing Knife Weapons
CD Projekt Red’s effort to revamp and improve the game with the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty paid off. While having the Blue Fang is still helpful for creating the best Throwing Knife build in Cyberpunk, it’s no longer essential in the way it once was. That said, if you can get your hands on this Iconic Throwing Knife, it’s still worth it. If you haven’t grabbed the Blue Fang yet, a standard Neurotoxin Knife will work just fine.
Scorpion Sting and several other Throwing Knife Perks directly benefit from or contribute to your ability to deal Poison Damage. That’s why Poison-afflicting weapons in Cyberpunk like the Blue Fang and Neurotoxin Knife are so powerful here. It has solid overall stats, but its most important feature is its +45% chance of inflicting Poison. It’s always a good idea to structure your weapon choices around your Perks, and for the best Throwing Knife build in Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no substitute for a poisoned blade.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
