If you want to use both blades and assault rifles in Cyberpunk 2077, do not split your perk points evenly from the start. The Reflexes tree gives both weapons the same mobility core, but the deeper branches solve different problems: blades use movement to enter and survive close range, while assault rifles use it to keep a firing lane open. Reach the shared checkpoints first, then make one weapon your primary investment.
Reach 9 Reflexes Before Chasing a Capstone
Update 2.0 rebuilt Cyberpunk 2077's perk trees around fewer, more meaningful choices. In Reflexes, the center branch is the shared route: Slippery at 4 Reflexes makes movement part of your defense, Dash at 9 replaces a dodge with a ground dash, Air Dash at 15 adds a midair dash, and Tailwind at 20 restores stamina when you double-jump or air-dash.
The redesigned Character menu places Reflexes alongside the other core attributes.
That gives you a concrete opening order:
- Take Slippery at 4 if you are committing to Reflexes.
- Take Dash at 9 before buying deep weapon perks.
- At 15, take Air Dash, then the tier-15 perk for your primary weapon.
- At 20, finish the primary branch before starting the second weapon branch.
The only exception is a weapon entry perk you need immediately at 9: Lead and Steel for a blade-first build or Ready, Rested, Reloaded for an assault-rifle-first build. Both are more useful once Dash is already changing where you can fight.
Blades: Take Lead and Steel Before the Finisher
For a blade-first build, Lead and Steel is the first serious weapon choice at 9 Reflexes. It lets you block incoming projectiles with a blade at the cost of stamina, so you can cross a gunfire lane instead of waiting for every enemy to expose themselves. Take it after Dash, then move toward Finisher: Bladerunner at 15.
Finisher: Bladerunner reduces the stamina cost of blade attacks, increases their attack speed, and unlocks finishers against low-health enemies. The finishers restore health, which makes the branch safer after you have already spent stamina to reach the fight. At 20, Slaughterhouse makes blade attacks, deflections, and counterattacks apply bleeding.
The optional picks should follow the enemies you struggle with. Seeing Double is the answer to melee opponents because it improves counterattacks. Bullet Deflect is worth taking when gunfire is the problem and you are comfortable aiming the return shot. Opportunist makes enemies affected by stagger, stun, blinding, or bleeding more susceptible to finishers. Do not delay Bladerunner to collect every option: the primary route is Dash, Lead and Steel, Finisher: Bladerunner, then Slaughterhouse.
Assault Rifles: Choose Stamina or Aim Control at 15
For assault rifles, take Ready, Rested, Reloaded at 9 after Dash. It reduces the stamina cost of shooting and improves reload speed, so sustained fire does not stop you from repositioning. At 15, choose your next perk based on how you shoot:
- Sharpshooter first if you stay on one target and build value from repeated hits. It improves weapon handling and builds stamina regeneration as you land shots.
- Gundancer first if you aim while strafing or crossing open ground. It stops aiming from slowing your movement, which protects the firing lane your rifle perks need.
- Add Mind Over Matter when recoil is the reason your shots are not landing.
At 20, Salt in the Wound rewards sustained fire with a damage burst on every seventh successful shot against the same enemy. Keep that target in sight rather than swapping constantly; the perk is an argument for finishing one threat before dashing to the next angle.
The rifle route is therefore Dash, Ready, Rested, Reloaded, then either Sharpshooter or Gundancer at 15, with Salt in the Wound at 20. Pick Sharpshooter for a hit-stacking rifle loop; pick Gundancer when movement while aiming is the part keeping you alive.
Hybrid Order: One Primary Branch, One Close-Range Answer
A hybrid works when one weapon handles most kills and the other covers its bad distance. Use this order:
| Reflexes checkpoint | Blade-primary route | Assault-rifle-primary route |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Slippery | Slippery |
| 9 | Dash, then Lead and Steel | Dash, then Ready, Rested, Reloaded |
| 15 | Air Dash, then Finisher: Bladerunner | Air Dash, then Sharpshooter or Gundancer |
| 20 | Slaughterhouse | Salt in the Wound |
If you are undecided, make the weapon you use against ordinary enemies the primary route and keep the other for emergencies. A blade-primary V uses an assault rifle to pressure distant targets before closing; a rifle-primary V uses a blade to solve enemies who reach cover or survive the first burst. In either case, buy the primary branch's 15-point perk before buying the secondary branch's 15-point perk.
That is the efficient stopping rule: reach 9 for the shared movement-and-weapon entry, 15 for Air Dash and your main weapon's defining behavior, and 20 only after you know which branch you will use often enough to justify its capstone. Lead and Steel, Finisher: Bladerunner, and Salt in the Wound are the cleanest signals of which role your Reflexes build has chosen.