So, everyone has been saying that stealth netrunning is dead or that stealth netrunning is no longer a viable gameplay because eventually enemies will trace you and aggro.
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This is all bullshit, as Regina would say: The media lies!!
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I started a new character to see what’s up with that, so in my experience what actually happened is that stealth netrunning is now a more intricate minigame instead of “lol, contagion and afk” or “short circuit spam”
The trace is actually a good implementation, it adds depth to the netrunner gameplay that was actually way too braindead before. Now you have to balance your deck with some covert hacks and maybe even pick a deck tailored for stealth gameplay instead of going for straight up more damage.
# “Trace what?! Explain!”
When you use a quickhack enemies will start tracing you. Prior to 2.0, the trace was an uploading reveal hack and if you killed the target, it would stop; This is not longer the case. The trace is now network-wide, meaning if you kill the enemy, other enemies in that network will still keep tracing you until you are detected and revealed.
Some hacks will increase the trace bar more than others, and some will not increase it at all. Most covert hacks are untraceable while the damage hacks are the most traceable. Control hacks are about in the middle.
# “What do I do now to avoid that?!”
Well, there are several methods now of dealing with traceability and remaining completely undetected, I’ll go down on a list to help you pick whatever suits your playstyle better.
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* **Kill all the enemies in the network.** Duh, if no enemies are alive, there’s nobody else to detect you.
* **Encryption Perk.** This is self-explanatory, straight up -30% traceability.
* **Proper Cyberdeck.** Gone are the days of 1-2 cyberdecks rulling all others, each cyberdeck now has a unique function. The Millitech is tailored for combat hacking with smart guns and monowire, the Raven is the spread-deck, and the Arasaka is the stealth deck. At tier 2 it will increase the time it takes enemies to trace you by 40%, this is huge, even better than the perk. At tier 5 it also makes so when you are Overclocking, the trace is paused during the whole duration. If you prefer a more remote approach, the NetWatch Netdriver reduces traceability by 20% when you upload hacks through cameras, and it reduces the cost of hacking the cameras while also increasing damage and duration of combat quickhacks when you upload them through cameras. Just park your car outside the building, use ping so you can hack cameras through walls, and eliminate every enemy inside the hideout while you sit comfortably in your car sipping a NiCola!
* **Shadowrunner Perk.** This is a great perk, it gives you -100% trace, which means whatever % you had before, is now 0. Notice it does not remove the trace, just brings it back to 0. A good tactic is to jump an enemy from behind, get a grip on them for a takedown but then you start hacking all their friends while holding the poor gonk. Once you are done hacking everyone, just finish the guy you are holding and the slider goes back to 0. If you are using the Arasaka MK.5, you will also gain 5 RAM whenever you perform a takedown, so it has great synergy with this perk.
* **Memory Wipe Quickhack.** ~~This is a MUST HAVE for any stealth netrunning.~~ It is untraceable by default. At Tier 3 (blue quality) it’ll subtract 25% off of the trace bar. But things get even better at Tier 4! Now every hack you queue after memory wipe is untraceable, meaning you can just open on enemies with memory wipe + 3 damaging hacks, and you won’t even get a trace bar.\*\*\* (See Sonic Shock) At tier 5, it will force enemies to exit combat. This is good to reset the fight in case shit goes south. (Notice that if the enemies are not in combat, it will just reset your trace bar, but not remove it.) **WARNING:** This quickhack is extremely expensive to use at tier 5 (32 RAM) and will most likely require you to be overclocked, if you never get in combat and don’t need the exit combat part of it, just keep it at tier 4 (10 RAM).
* **Sonic Shock.** People on the comments were saying that Sonic Shock (Tier 3+) works just as Memory Wipe for making every subsequent hack after the first not trigger trace. I was skeptical because the hack doesn’t say it makes -other hacks- untraceable, and it would make memory wipe obsolete for that purpose as Sonic Shock costs less. Well, here I am editing the post after testing it out; Because Sonic Shock is the MUST HAVE quickhack, not Memory Wipe. It completely isolates a gonk from the network, meaning you can hack them freely after using it. Armed with that knowledge, you can safely level memory wipe to 5 and keep it as an “Oh shit!” buttom while using Sonic Shock in its place instead.
* **System Collapse.** Another hack that reduces trace progress, it does require a tier 5 (legendary) though, and reduces the bar by 20% when you neutralize an enemy with it. If the enemy is a netrunner however, it reduces the bar by 100%!
* **Combos!** With the quickhack queueing and rework, some neat combos can be done now. For example, if you open with Memory Wipe, you can use a Reboot Optics next, and then finally a Sonic Shock. At Tier 5, Sonic shock has this: Uploading Sonic Shock to a target affected by Memory Wipe and Reboot Optics will cause them to lose conciousness. It works effectivelly like a System Collapse. **WARNING:** As I said before, if you use Memory Wipe Tier 5 the cost of using this combo is just ridiculously high, so you are better off with System Collapse.
* **Have a plan B.** I know some of y’all want to exclusively hack enemies, but even if you pick ALL quickhack related perks, and then pick ALL stealth related perks that helps you with being undetected, and then ALL the reflex mobility perks to dash and air dash, you are still left with more than a dozen skill points. Know what doesn’t increase traceability? A silenced pistol headshot or a throwing dagger to the face.
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Alright, thanks for reading my little guide if you made this far, hopefully it’ll help someone with some questions or issues when using quickhacks from stealth.
If you want another guide like this, check out my [Smart Weapons Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/16qdbjk/can_we_talk_about_smart_weapons_in_20_a_full_guide/) that I posted yesterday; It even comes with a full working build!
Stay in the shadows chooms!
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# MASSIVE EDIT AHEAD!!
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So, user u/MeinZ20 pointed out an interesting combo in the comments. So I booted my game to try out his combo and eventually came up with something I was not expecting: A way to bring old quickhacking back, sort of…
If you are one of those people who are upset that you can no longer kill by just uploading a damage hack and not have to be worried about the pesky trace bar; Or someone who has been complaining about having to use Overclock to not run out of RAM, this edit is for you.
**The Combo**
ALRIGHT, you will need a Tetratronic MK.5 for this. So lets go step by step with explanation:
Step 1: Use Tier 3 Sonic Shock. Target is isolated (4 RAM )
Step 2: Short Circuit (The best you have, I used Tier 5 for the testing) – It gets 60% Extra damage from Embedded Exploit, 15% from queue mastery (You -will- upload 4 hacks on ANY enemy) PLUS 40% Extra damage from Tetratronic Passive because of the next hack. ( 8 RAM – It gets a -1 from Icepick and -1 from Queue Hack\_Root)
Step 3: Queue Tier 2 reboot optics, this will boost the damage of overheat because of Tetratronic Passive. (Costs 2 RAM)
Step 4: Synapse Burnout (The best you have, I used Tier 5 for the testing) – Since you’ve used 12 RAM so far, it deals 120% more damage, plus 15% from Queue Mastery. (Costs 8 RAM – 50% reduction from Queue Mastery)
Total RAM Usage: 22 RAM
The beauty of this combo is that enemies will often die when Short Circuit hits, because it will hit like a TRUCK, it has 115% extra damage so you are effectivelly using it twice. Synapse Burnout or reboot optics will no be uploaded, unless the enemy is really tough.
With the perk Data Recycler, you get 80% of the RAM back on any remaining quickhack in the queue. EXCEPT…. it doesn’t account for the RAM cost reductions. In my testings I used a level 50 character and removed all the RAM I could from her to facilitate math. Here is the result:
* Started with 22 RAM.
* Queued everything, it brought my RAM down to 0
* The very second Short Circuit hit, I pressed tab to check my RAM number: 15
That means I am using effectivelly only SEVEN RAM per enemy killed. But wait, it gets better!!!
For whatever reason, the text on synapse burnout is wrong or incomplete. It says you get -2 cost every time you neutralize an enemy with the hack. But the hack doesn’t need to even be uploaded, just being in the queue you get the stacking buff. Meaning the second cast you use this combo you’ll only be using 5 RAM, then up to ONE RAM at full stacks.
You think I’m done with this combo? Nope! Now RAM is not an issue and you can get Bioconductor, it allows quickhacks to critically hit and gives them a 37% crit chance. So you will see big numbers around 1700-2000 again.
And as a bonus point here: [Video Proof](https://youtu.be/H2YpKVx_bQs)
Feel things to consider on the video:
* Character is my testing character, the cyberware is not optimized for netrunning, I just tossed a Bioconductor and used the tetratronik tier 5 with the hacks I listed above.
* There is a small delay between kills because I forced my character to have exactly 22 RAM for the test, a normal netrunner with this deck will be close to 40 RAM.
* The enemies got alerted because I am using Sonic Shock Tier 3. If you swap to tier 4, it costs 1 extra RAM and it will Cloak the enemy to their allies, making this takedown 100% undetectable. The extra RAM cost is not an issue for an actual netrunner character.
* I used Tier 2 Reboot Optics here for the sake of testing. A character with more RAM can just use whatever control/covert quickhack they have available, you will get 80% of the RAM back anyway. (Unless fighting tougher enemies, then the hack will go through and the enemy will most likely die to Synapse Burnout.)
* This footage is on Hard Difficulty at level 50; With the damage displayed there, I am certain it will still one shot most enemies on very hard if you make a proper netrunner build.
* No trace bar ever appeared.
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Well… that is it… quite the edit I suppose. I hope this helps out those struggling with their level 50 netrunners after the patch. Or those interested in the old playstyle that doesn’t involve using Overclock or multiple target queues. WHICH BY THE WAY, if you DO use overclock for this combo on a full netrunner, you can just upload that combo to up to FOUR targets at the same time. And when they die, you will get 160 HP back from Blood Daemon and a 100% Full Deck. (Because Data Recycler will send the RAM back to your Deck, not your HP, you’ll get 60 RAM back when you use this on 4 targets.)
I feel like my brain just went on overclock for this one, y’all enjoy your netrunning!
45 Comments
Some people are just pissy that they can’t hide behind walls all day and hack everything down with little effort.
Netrunner is easily my favorite style of play and I love that they have made it more proactive and interesting.
Memory wipe tier 5. Forces all enemies to exist combat. So even if you get traced you can reset to stealth. Just costly.
That’s just peak Reddit brain in action.
Before it was: “game is too easy even on very hard. There’s no challenge and no builds beside OP hacker”
Now it’s: this game is too hard. Netrunner isn’t as busted as it used to be. This sucks!”
This is all great. But I am loving smart weapons too much to worry about stealth right now.
Errr I’m a new netrunner but it still feels like I’m using one cyberdeck for both stealth and combat pretty handily?
I’ve mostly been using 2 quickhacks for stealth runs and the others are for CC and DoT.
Yeah, people are just mad because they can’t spam the optics hack and stealth kill people. “Oh my God I actually have to distract them and make it realistic and then sneak up on them. Oh no.” People that aren’t happy S become more intricate are like trolls. You just wanna hide behind walls and a half people. At first it was difficult for me, but now I have the flow of it. I don’t use the offensive hacks till I know I’m about to leave the area so even if they trace me I’m out the window and gone. And like this post says there’s plenty of different perks that can increase the amount of time it takes to get traced.
Also Blue or higher Sonic Boom isolates the target from the network for the duration. This lets you use combat hacks without starting a trace. So just pop that and then queue that damage.
So wait, memory wipe is actually usable below T5? Well that’s obnoxious for those of us who tried to pick up where we left off with level 40+ characters and just had the T5 available. So basically the first thing you need to do to even try stealth netrunner is downgrade. Lawl. Talk about poorly thought out.
> Have a plan B
See and **this** is a big part of why I say it’s dead. Because basically what 2.0 means is that your progress re: playstyle simply stops at mid-level. Pre-2.0 there was a gradual transition from “open with hacks and finish with plan B” to “you don’t need plan B”. So yes, if you are OK with the stealth netrunner never progressing past how it played at level 10-ish it’s still viable. But considering half the point of the RPG elements is for your character’s playstyle to progress that’s kind of a problem.
And all of this still doesn’t seem to address the issue that the **STEALTH** part – where a high-level stealth netrunner could do thievery and sabotage without killing or KOing anyone – is dead because you are on a timer from the first time you try to use your sneaky hacks.
Honestly prefer it this way, its fun to first release a bunch of quickhacks on the enemies and then do a clean up with the monowire.
Where can I find a tier 5 memory wipe? It doesn’t show up in blueprints for crafting.
Gone are the days 1-2 cyberdexks rule the game. Use this cyberdeck instead…
I have been using sonic shock a shit ton, it’s so fun. You can queue it with short circuit pretty easy. Or, what I like to do, is use it to isolate two enemies that are close together and then gun them down with a silenced pistol. I love the actual variety you get now whereas previously you could approach things pretty much the same way each time.
Thank you for your guide!!
I’m trying a netrunner (w/knife, silenced pistol and katana) build but since cdpr changed tiers and cyberdecks I was wondering how to find the “Mk. 5” (or 4?) version of the Tetratronic rippler cyberdeck, since I only see the Mk. 2 version by Ripperdocs. I upgraded it to tier 2+ I think, but maybe the cyberdeck name will change the more I upgrade it?
Also, how do you increase your cyberware capacity? Other than the Edgerunner perk that gives you 50 points more. Maybe by levelling up?
Reminder that sonic shocked enemies will not trace you.
I love how people don’t realize their pre 2.0 build won’t work in the new update them complain that cdred just nuked netrunning
The game is going towards slash and shoot game no longer it seams rpg the clothes are now useless, I can run now naked in fight same outcome. Stealth is almost non exiting now. 17 ram for a legendary net runner skill wtf. I revert it back to 1.6 patch and gone hold on on playing PL, till some reviews arrived so I can refund because is no longer a game cyberpunk, is a chore at this point.
There is a perk that allows you to target the netrunner that is trying to trace you beyond walls (and another that reduces ram cost when targeting him). Basically the moment you are being traced you target the runner back and that’s it. Kill him, memory wipe him etc
Yeah it was too OP before.
All this has done for me on my new character is make me really try to “Benjamin Winters” my way through groups of enemies so that they don’t have time to react. Some of the most fun I’ve had and I get some sick clips to boot. feel myself getting better at aggressive stealth with every loaded save lol
This sounds amazing! One of my biggest complaints is that once you get to a certain point, being a netrunner with all the perks meant just standing outside, throwing contagion on a few gonks, and waiting for everyone in the building to die before strolling in. I really wanted something with a little more substance.
Network trace is basically just putting a timer (that you can manipulate through perks and hacks to slow or reset) on your stealth-hacking missions, such that you need to proceed quickly and efficiently once the hacking begins. And that timer doesn’t start *until* the combat and control hacks kick in, so if *stealth* is your game then focus more on a strategy of avoidance. Use optical camo, pings, camera hacking and carefully planned movements to minimize the amount of time you risk. Don’t relax, and watch your back.
Sounds like fun to me. 🙂
Finally, what I’ve been waiting for: people starting to pop up, who figured out the new netrunning, and begin to make guides for slow me to understand :3
Cool, but I want my preferred playstyle to be possible from level 1 at the beginning of the game, not locked after some perks and high tier gear. It should go from viable, to strong, to op in late game, but as it is right now, it starts as downright impossible to pull of with basic gear and skills, to somewhat possible when mixed with other playstyles, to finally being viable on its own after you get all the necessary upgrades (and then still becomes op in the end, but that’s not important). I want to play as stealthy hacker who’s never detected form beginnig to the end, not start as gun user with some hacks in between.
Do you have some netrunning build that would work from low level?
Last time I played was after the release. I’m lvl 10 on very hard and it’s much harder than I remember.
It adds another layer to netrunning and I *love* it.
I hate posts like this because my og run I never finished was netrunner build that was tons of fun to play (despite the rather op contagion spam)
While time slow is cool and all I just feel like I want to go back to netrunning.
I guess I’ll either reroll or respec because I *really* want to try how hacking build would fare now.
you missed using sonic shock it prevents a trace being started
total agree, stealth netrunning is actually like a real build now. My stealth netrunner before 2.0 technically had the ability to melt everyone at anytime with contagion + short circuit even though I was trying to be a stealth throwing knife ninja who also was able to use quickhacks. Breaks immersion anytime I’m detected to just default to using quickhacks to destroy everyone. Feels like I actually have to devote to a certain playstyle now.
So how do you solve the near non-existent ram-regen in combat? If ram is money, then quickhacks cost an arm and a leg, even with overclock.
Well, I just want to say thank you CDR for these changes. I was really feeling a lot of budgetary tension between Starfield, Bauldur’s Gate, and the Cyberpunk DLC, and seeing yet another baffling hacking nerf vastly simplifies my problem. I don’t understand why they nerfed hacking the first time, and I don’t understand it this time. While I see a lot of apologists (like the OP) come in after a nerf to explain why it’s awesome after the fact, I have yet to come across any user feedback complaining about how easy hacking is compared to shooting through 10 feet of concrete with a tech gun or dancing around Matrix style gun fu-ing everying in sight.
There are a billion games where I can play gun or swordfighting. The one unique thing Cyberpunk offered has been kicked to the curb repeatedly since release.
If you like these changes, great, knock yourself out. If you’re wondering later why the DLC isn’t selling or why you aren’t getting the player count bump you were expecting, look no further than right here.
I’m enjoying hacking, but this all seems like a lot of work. I just use contagion to soften them up, then when they find me, I shoot them
The netrunner is bad propaganda is people that are sad they can’t just short circuit everything and start looting. God forbid you actually do a bit more work. Also it’s good that cyberdecks have varied use. Hell, even my AR build is making use of a cyberdeck. Netrunning has become more varied. But as I’ve learned, not many people hear want to take the time to read shit and just want “what’s the best X for my X build?”
I’m loving the new stealth Netrunner build. I deal with trace by using hack and run tactics. I quickhack and then move out of trace range or combat detection range. I spent time looking for places that will protect me even when detected before starting my quickhack attacks. The Arasaka deck and legs cyberware are very helpful for this style. My attributes and perks are all going into Int, Cool, and Tech Abilities.
I kinda miss the afk kill things from afar. Oh well.
>When you use a quickhack enemies will start tracing you. Prior to 2.0, the trace was an uploading reveal hack and if you killed the target, it would stop; This is not longer the case. The trace is now network-wide, meaning if you kill the enemy, other enemies in that network will still keep tracing you until you are detected and revealed.
Yes, it’s a stupid gimmick. There’s no reason why normal enemies should be able to trace you, netrunners do that. It’s not an ability casted by an enemy. It’s a local timer.
Let’s see what are the solutions for a low level character.
>Kill all the enemies in the network.
So it forces you into a timed event where you have to kill enemies as quickly as possible. Lame.
>Encryption Perk. This is self-explanatory, straight up -30% traceability.
-30% is useless.
>Proper Cyberdeck.
You don’t have access to a proper cyberdeck until midgame at least.
>Sonic Shock.
The enemy affected by sony shock is alerted. So it’s not technically stealth
>System Collapse. Another hack that reduces trace progress, it does require a tier 5 (legendary) though,
As you say, not really feasible for a low level character
>Know what doesn’t increase traceability? A silenced pistol headshot or a throwing dagger to the face.
If I’m playing netrunner is because I don’t want to use pistols and daggers.
I’m not gonna lie it’s weird that people are upset people like to play with just cyberhacks. Like, why are yall so mad I enjoyed just taking down 6 people without showing my face? I think netrunner is just fine in 2.0 and I haven’t had issue as long as I’m upgrading the right shit but there have been so many posts and comments acting like we were playing wrong. That was just my preferred playstyle.
I converted a save, and the first combat encounter I had was bugged. The trace was instant. I uploaded one short circuit, and the entire group instantly detected, saw, and aggro’d me, so after that I avoided quickhacks for a bit. Now that I’ve been playing for a bit, it’s much more manageable, especially with overclock.
I wish there were still awards so I could reward you. Great writeup.
Oh man, now I have to choose between subtlety and slowly peeling gonks off the group Vs melting them all in one big woosh of overheat and contagion. Decisions decisions. Awesome guide I do like that there are ways to stealth hack again
There should be a legendary quick hack called sonic snitch, that forces a target to call MaxTac an snitch on himself and his whole crew, that way we can sit back and watch the chaos.
I needed this post, thank you. I was struggling with the new netrunner changes as a pure netrunner, but I’m going to give it a fresh start tonight and approach it differently.
Perhaps supplement some of the early game stealth struggles with knives and whatnot?
Love the guides that have been going up on this sub the last few days. This is an especially good one.
Just get a tier 3 sonic shock, basic ping, currently best level synapse overload and short circuit.
Step 1: acitvate sonic shock, target is isolated and can’t call for backup
Step 2: queue synapse overload (get’s 60% extra damage because you first queued sonic shock – also works with other covert/control quickhacks) – scales with RAM used up to 400%, so should hit for a fair bit.
Step 3: if the target is a big boi and not just some base level goon go ahead and queue ping
Step 4: finally queue up short circuit
Step 5: ???
Step 6: Profit, or something like that. Stuff should be dead by now and you’re still stealthed with none of the chromed up guys on the other end of your gun the wiser.
Other than that just keep eyes open for explosives and try to lure people into traps (if you pick up the corresponding trait you can get some nasty % boni for those explosions when combined with a distract enemies quickhack).
Extra points for the occasional – call for backup -> contagion -> ping -> overheat – for fiery deathballs, just throw down overclock and keep hammering away.
Solid guide man, I was wondering myself how I’d revisit my stealth hacker build
Dang, this thread is exactly what I needed.