With the right upgrades and strategic builds, these formidable weapons can remain effective throughout an entire playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077. Each also serves as a solid foundation to start building a playstyle, whether players prefer to primarily brandish Tech weapons, be a terminator-like solo, or take the lone wolf path of a street samurai. These weapons are potent, readily available, and can give players a significant edge in surviving the perilous locales of Night City and its outskirts.
The Dying Night Pistol Is The First Obtainable Iconic Weapon
Side Job: “The Gun” – 2nd Amendment Store, Outside V’s Starting Apartment After Prologue
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Militech
M-10AF Lexington
Dying Night is protagonist V’s weathered pistol, given to the player for free by the 2nd Amendment store owner, Wilson, who was tuning the Dying Night for V. Simply walking by the shop for the first time will give the player the quest to obtain it. Dying Night’s modifier provides the pistol a ramping damage buff, which caps out at 25%, based on the player’s current movement speed.
This modifier also accounts for the miniature bayonet affixed to the frame and trigger guard of the weapon. Dying Night does 150% increased damage with quick melee attacks and quick melee attacks also have a chance to inflict shock. Besides the Iconic modifier, the Dying Night is fully automatic and easy to handle with its exceptional weapon handling stat, which comes in at a 7.7 base rating. Compared to the standard M-10AF Lexington, the Dying Night also has 25% armor penetration. It’s a reliable weapon for traversing Cyberpunk‘s exciting open-world sandbox early on.
The Iconic Fenrir SMG Shocks Targets and Their Systems
Side Job: “Losing My Religion” (Alternatively titled “Sacrum Profanum”) – Watson’s Northside, Cargo Bay
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Militech
M221 Saratoga
Rather than being a quest reward, players can find Fenrir simply lying on a table inside the Cargo Bay amid the “Losing My Religion” side job. Fenrir is a capable submachine gun that’s especially effective against enemies with pesky cyberware, like Malestrom members and some early Cyberpsycho encounters. This is due to Fenrir’s Iconic modifier doing the following: Fenrir’s damage type is changed to Electrical and has a 10% chance to upload the Cyberware Malfunction quickhack on hit.
On top of that, Fenrir also possesses an Intrinsic modifier granting it a 20% chance to shock the target on hit in addition to the modifier’s effects. While Fenrir is useful against all cyberware given its Iconic modifier, it’s especially effective at handling enemies in the early to mid-game that like to rely on Sandevistan. This is especially useful if the player’s build doesn’t account for other methods of disrupting cyberware use.
The Buzzsaw is a Limb-Threatening Iconic SMG from Darra Polytechnic
Suspected Organized Crime Activity: “Vice Control” – Watson’s Northside, Ross Street Parking Garage
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Darra Polytechnic
DS1 Pulsar
Buzzsaw is a vicious submachine gun that is especially unique for a Power weapon. Buzzsaw’s Iconic modifier allows its rounds to penetrate through objects and cover, a feature normally reserved for charged shots from a Tech firearm. Its Iconic modifier also increases damage to limbs by 40% and grants the SMG a very high chance to wound or dismember on hit. During “Vice Control,” the crafting schematic for this weapon is found on Yelena Sidorova‘s body after she’s defeated.
With Update 2.0, crafting Iconic weapons is straightforward. The player must have enough Tier 5 Item Components for the Iconic weapon crafting schematic they want to use. A player with Buzzsaw can fire at will during close-quarters combat, rendering nearly every form of cover ineffective at preventing their gunfire. The weapon also has an additional 25% armor piercing to accompany its Iconic feature.
Psalm 11:6 Is an Iconic Assault Rifle That Brings Heat
Suspected Organized Crime Activity: “Just Say No” – Watson’s Northside, Richmond Street
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Nokota
D5 Copperhead
For players hunting their first Iconic Assault Rifle, Psalm 11:6 is a powerful option that forgoes a Power weapon’s innate ricochet shots for explosive thermal damage rounds, backed by a 3m thermal damage radius on hit. This is part of Psalm 11:6’s Iconic modifier, which expands its magazine size to 50 rounds. Psalm 11:6’s Intrinsic trait provides a 20% burn chance that can be upgraded to 30% when the weapon is upgraded to tier 5. The crafting schematic can be found on Tom Ayer’s body after he is taken down during “Just Say No.”
“Just Say No” only occurs after “Vice Control”, the Buzzsaw Suspected Organized Crime Activity, is completed. Also requires 20 Street Cred, though both factors can be achieved relatively early.
With a build that specs into Assault Rifle perks, players can easily take Psalm 11:6 with their V as they progress through Cyberpunk 2077. If the player wants to upgrade the Psalm 11:6 or any of their Iconic weapons, they only need the required number of Tier Item Components per upgrade from one tier to the next.
The Iconic Nehan Knife Was Saburo’s Undrawn Backup Weapon
Main Job: “The Heist” – Yorinobu’s Penthouse, Saburo Arasaka’s Body
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Throwable
N/A
Kaiken
“The Heist” is a main job in Cyberpunk 2077 which serves as a capstone to Act 1 of the game’s plot, with a bit of early game left after its conclusion. During the job’s main confrontation, Yorinobu Arasaka kills his father, Saburo Arasaka, inadvertently throwing a wrench into the situation and forcing V and Jackie to flee prematurely. However, once the players regain control of their V and check Saburo’s body, they can find the Nehan.
Nehan is a straightforward but highly effective option to center a knife-based build around on the way to the middle game. Nehan’s Iconic modifier causes all hits when thrown to inflict bleeding. If the enemy is already bleeding from Satori’s effect, the enemy will hemorrhage instead, and the player will regain health equal to the bleed amount inflicted. Nehan also has an Intrinsic modifier that increases the damage it does when used as a melee weapon.
Satori Is an Iconic Katana and an Optimal Blade Weapon
Main Job: “The Heist” – Yorinobu’s Penthouse, Roof Landing Zone
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Blade
Arasaka
Katana
If players want to build a V that is a cybernetic samurai, slinging swords throughout the city instead of bullets, this katana is a must. One of the best Blade weapon choices in Cyberpunk 2077, Satori is easy to miss during “The Heist” while rushing away from the scene. However, if players have their V take a detour, they can instead scale the penthouse’s steps to the roof and find Saburo’s AV, which contains Satori.
Satori’s Iconic modifier grants the player two unique attacks with the katana. The first allows V to leap at a target within a moderate range while charging a heavy attack with Satori. The second is available when Satori is sheathed; holding the attack button will execute a quickdraw attack that always inflicts bleeding on hit. If this second hit strikes a target already bleeding because of Nehan, the target will hemorrhage instead.
Yorinobu’s Iconic Kongou Pistol Was Left for the Taking
Main Job: “The Heist” – Yorinobu’s Penthouse, Yorinobu’s Nightstand
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Constitutional Arms
Liberty
Kongou is the last of the three exotics the player can obtain within and above Yornibu’s penthouse before finishing “The Heist.” Kongou is easier to find than Satori, but equally missed given that it’s in the opposite direction of the exit players are directed towards. Players will find Kongou sitting on the nightstand beside Yorinobu’s bed. Make a right turn after exiting V and Jackie’s hiding spot to head toward the penthouse’s bedroom where it is located.
Kongou has a simple but convenient Iconic modifier that enables the weapon’s ricochet rounds without the prerequisite cyberware. Compared to the Liberty, Kongou has two fewer rounds in its magazine, but better recoil control and a slightly boosted fire rate. However, Kongou does have a permanent 10% Crit chance buff to cap off the bundle of smaller benefits it possesses in addition to its Iconic modifier.
The Iconic Lizzie Pistol Is Nearly a Pocket Shotgun
Main Job: “Automatic Love” – Lizzie’s Bar, Private Room Adjacent to Judy’s Den
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Tech
Militech
M-76e Omaha
Before entering the room with Judy and her Braindance editing setup during “Automatic Love,” the player can peek into the nearby private room to grab Lizzie from the table inside. Lizzie is a powerful pink Tech pistol with an Iconic modifier that has the pistol fire four rounds per trigger pull compared to three, changing the firing pattern into a diamond shape. If Lizzie is fully charged, it releases a burst of five rounds instead.
Combined with a 50% armor penetration stat and 150% headshot damage, players looking for their V to focus on Tech weapons cannot afford to miss Lizzie. Even without branching heavily into Tech weapons during character progression, players can pick up Lizzie as an effective “panic” weapon in tense close-quarter encounters. Just one full charge from Lizze is usually enough to turn the tides in the early game.
Cocktail Stick Is an Iconic Katana Specialized for Stealth
Main Job: “Automatic Love” – Westbrook’s Japantown, Clouds Changing Room
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Blade
Arasaka
Katana
The Cocktail Stick is a powerful melee weapon found toward the end of the early game during another step of the main job “Automatic Love.” The player has to head upstairs while searching through Clouds and head into the dressing room. Inside, the Cocktail Stick is laid on a desk, free for the taking and without crafting. Cocktail Stick’s Iconic modifier causes bleed effects inflicted on enemies while the player is under the effects of Optical Camo, extending their duration to 16 seconds.
Cocktail Stick’s extended bleed prevents enemies from double-jumping, dodging, and dashing, keeping them locked down and within striking distance. This stylish Blade weapon makes for a solid option for most of the mid-game if the player isn’t running the combination of Nehan and Satori. The Cocktail Stick originally served as Evelyn Parker’s signature weapon.
Skippy Is an Iconic and Talking Smart Pistol
Non-Job World Encounter – Heywood’s Vista Del Rey, Next to a Body Within an Alley
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Smart
Arasaka
HJKE-11 Yukimura
Unlike many other Iconic weapons that require players to complete certain Cyberpunk‘s main or side jobs, the Skippy can be found simply lying on the ground in Haywood. There’s a fence close to the College Street fast travel point, and after scaling it, the player can find Skippy next to a body in the proceeding alleyway. Skippy talks to the player and comes with two modes — Puppy Loving Pacifist and Stone Cold Killer.
The former only aims for limbs while the latter explicitly locks on for headshots, with a stunning 85% increased headshot damage. However, it’s important to note that after fifty kills with either mode, Skippy will swap to the opposite mode and remain locked in it forever. That means players should use the mode they do not need first, so they can have Skippy locked in their preferred mode for the rest of the game.
The Edgerunners Update Made Obtaining The Iconic Guts Shotgun a Breeze
Non-Job World Encounter – Memorial Park, Found In Bushes on the South Side, Near Three Praying Monks
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Power
Budget Arms
Carnage
Patch 1.6 for the game was dubbed the “Edgerunners Update” and it aptly added some content from the Cyberpunk 2077 anime, including Rebecca’s shotgun, Guts. Once the map fully opens at the start of Act 2, players can make a beeline for Guts and pick it up off the ground for free. Guts is a fantastic shotgun that solo-inclined Vs can comfortably use for the rest of the game after obtaining it.
Guts’ Iconic modifier starts by greatly increasing the weapon’s chance to wound and dismember enemies. But its main mechanic is a stacking buff that gains a stack per kill up to five total. Each stack gives the player a percentage increase in damage, crit chance, attack speed, and weapon spread, while also incrementally decreasing reload speed per stack. At max stacks, the player is doing an immense 75% increased damage with a 50% increased crit chance. Reloading and attacking 33% faster, but at 90% increased weapon spread.
The Iconic Widow Maker Precision Rifle Is Downright Venomous
Main Job: “Ghost Town” – Choose to Help Panam With Her Revenge, On Nash’s Body After
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Tech
Militech
M-179 Achilles
Widow Maker is a tech precision rifle that’s easily one of Cyberpunk 2077’s best early-game picks. It can keep up with the player’s progression well into the mid-game. It doesn’t take long to unlock, either, as it’s obtainable during the “Ghost Town” mission which unlocks when players complete the first act of Cyberpunk 2077. After choosing to take revenge on Nash, with Panam, the Widow Maker can be picked up from his body after his defeat.
Widow Maker’s Iconic modifier effectively makes it a long-range shotgun that deals Chemical damage on each of its shots, with a total 30% increase to inflict poison when aided by Widow Maker’s Intrinsic modifier. This is all complimented by a 100% damage increase for fully charged shots, also from the Iconic modifier’s effects. This makes for a reliable weapon that can net the player consistent one-shot kills when paired with a suitable build.
Cottonmouth Is a Uniquely Non-Lethal Iconic Blunt Weapon
Main Job: “The Space in Between”
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Blunt
N/A
N/A
Cottonmouth can be found in the main job, “The Space in Between,” set on a coffee table in Fingers’ Ripperdoc Clinic. Cottonmouth is a powerful, but non-lethal, Blunt One-Handed Club with elemental effects granted by its Iconic modifier. This Iconic modifier makes Cottonmouth deal Electrical and Chemical damage, with a 25% chance to either Shock or Poison an enemy on hit. This makes for a surprisingly effective non-lethal weapon that can incapacitate enemies more swiftly than some of the player’s lethal options.
Players looking to make their V a melee-focused solo can grab this weapon fairly early to help them Shock and Poison their way through the mid-game. It’s further aided by its 25% armor piercing stat until they get a more powerful Blunt melee option. However, Cottonmouth’s non-lethal nature always makes it ideal for subduing Cyberpsychos once their health has been reduced through other means.
Randomize Elements on Reload with the Iconic Chaos Tech Pistol
Main Job: “The Pickup” – Dropped by Royce, Any Route That Doesn’t Ally With Him
Weapon Classification
Manufacturer
Ordinary Counterpart
Tech
Arasaka
JKE-X2 Kenshin
Chaos can only be obtained during “The Pickup” if Royce is neutralized while negotiating or becoming hostile to Maelstrom. However, the player can also let Militech handle Royce. Even if the player encounters Royce in the mission “Second Conflict,” it’s impossible to get Chaos from him during that mission. Chaos is aptly named, and its Iconic modifier randomizes Chaos’ damage type, crit chance, and corresponding status effect chance on every reload.
While players generally consider consistency more valuable than random chance, none of Chaos’ random variations are undesirable. Even with a slightly lower headshot damage percentage when compared to its ordinary counterpart, the damage of Chaos’ status effects and randomized buffs to crit chance pick up that slack competently. Players wanting to prioritize pistol use can reliably enjoy this pistol until the mid-game kicks in fully.
Don’t Forget to Pick up Jackie’s Iconic La Chingona Dorada Pistols
Side Job: “Heroes” – Heywood’s El Coyote Cojo, 24 Hours After Job Completion
Jackie Welles, beloved by Cyberpunk 2077 players and V alike, leaves behind a mighty memento in the form of his dual Iconic pistols. While players, unfortunately, cannot dual-wield La Chingona Dorada themselves, they get both pistols to do with as they wish. As a weapon, La Chingona Dorada is all about chaining headshots to properly utilize its Iconic modifier, which grants a 10% crit chance and burn chance for 3 seconds per headshot. This effect can stack up to ten times, allowing players to guarantee critical burning shots if they are accurate enough.
Beyond that, La Chingona Dorada will also restock up to ten bullets into the magazine when equipped — one bullet for each headshot the last time the player had the Pistol in use. If the player can pick their shots and get the weapon stacked with its Iconic modifier buff, it quickly becomes apparent why Jackie Welles enjoyed using the pistols as his weapon of choice.
