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With a Smart Link, the auto-targeting feature of the smart weapons is unlocked and shots fired from these items seek out the target. The trade-off for this increased accuracy is a decrease in damage, but honestly, losing a little damage in order to score a hit with every shot is not much of a penalty. One last thing, the DPS (damage per second) and damage per shot listed here may be different than what someone’s copy of these weapons shows; in fact, there are reports of weapon stats changing over time for no reason.
Updated December 6, 2022, by Jeff Drake: Using the futuristic smart weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 is almost too easy. The player doesn’t even need to aim; just get behind some cover and pull the trigger for a little while. Getting hold of these weapons, at least the iconic variants, at any rate, can be a bit difficult. Several of the best Smart Weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 can be purchased at the various weapons vendors; though some might have a chance for a better-level variant. Thankfully, finding the best Smart Weapons in Night City is relatively straightforward when one knows where to look.
13 D5 Sidewinder
The D5 Sidewinder is a smart assault rifle. In many games similar to Cyberpunk 2077, assault rifles are the weapon of choice for most players. Some of the other weapon types, like Power weapons, have numerous assault rifles that are great for every situation.
The problem with the Sidewinder is its damage output. Even the worst of the Power assault rifles does twice the damage per shot as this weapon. Auto targeting is nice, but when it comes to assault rifles in Cyberpunk 2077, it’s better to use a more conventional weapon and just get good at aiming.
How to Get the D5 Sidewinder in Cyberpunk 2077
The Sidewinder is a fairly common weapon in Cyberpunk 2077. It can be purchased from vendors in Japantown and West Wind Estates. Legendary variants are also available for purchase. The spec for this weapon can be purchased from these vendors as well.
12 Divided We Stand (D5 Sidewinder)
Divided We Stand is an iconic smart assault rifle. It deals 355.1 DPS (damage per second), with a base damage of 26-32. This rifle can fire six shots per second and target up to five enemies simultaneously. In addition, Divided We Stand does electrical damage with a chance of poisoning.
The problem with this weapon is that its standard magazine only holds 30 rounds; consequently, at six rounds per second, it runs out of ammo very quickly. Divided We Stand is a better version of the Nokota D5 Sidewinder.
How to Get the Divided We Stand in Cyberpunk 2077
This Sidewinder variant can be acquired during the “Stadium Love” side job. Starting this job is done while crashing the 6th Street party; located in the Rancho Coronado section of Santo Domingo. On one of the rooftops, there is a group of people having a shooting contest. The player can join and can win Divided We Stand by earning 44 points or more. Of course, the player can instead fight the group and get Divided We Stand off one of the corpses.
11 HJKE-11 Yukimura (Genjiroh)
This smart pistol comes with several bonuses that make it actually worth using instead of a type of gun that generally does more damage and has a faster rate of fire – like an assault rifle. The HJKE-11 has a DPS of 501.8 as well as an increased chance to score a critical hit.
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It can also deal extra chemical, thermal, electrical, and physical damage; this makes the HJKE-11 effective against most enemy types. There is another variant of the HJKE-11, aside from Skippy, called Genjiroh. It is included in this entry because it isn’t that much different from the standard HJKE-11. The thermal and chemical damage is replaced with shock damage and an increase in critical damage; other than that and a different paint job, the Genjiroh and standard HJKE-11 are nearly identical.
How to Get the HJKE-11 Yukimura in Cyberpunk 2077
There are two locations the player can pick up this versatile smart weapon. The first is during the “Play It Safe” mission. Head to the 21st floor and check the door to the right of the elevator. There is a locked door in the room that can be entered with the keycode: 2906. Alternately, a Technical Ability score of at least 11 allows the player to open the lock. Another copy of this weapon is located in Arasaka Mansion.
10 A-22B Chao
The A-22B Chao is another smart pistol with some great bonuses. This weapon has a DPS of 501.8, which is the same as the HJKE-11; however, the A-22B is the better weapon.
For starters, it has more mods slots and can be reloaded much quicker than the HJKE-11. The A-22B has a chance of dealing additional thermal, chemical, physical, and critical damage. The only aspect in which the HJKE-11 is better is its rate of fire. Considering it’s a smart weapon, and nearly every shot will hit, a faster rate of fire doesn’t help as much as it would in a conventional (non-smart) weapon.
How to Get the A-22B Chao in Cyberpunk 2077
The weapon vendors in Japantown and West Wind Estate sell Epic variants on the Chao; the one in Red Peaks has a chance of having a legendary variant. The Vista Del Rey vendor will sell the player an epic-level spec for the Chao. Japantown and West Wind Estates have the much less desirable uncommon spec.
9 Tao G-58 Dian
The G-58 is a smart submachine gun. It is an extremely versatile gun; it boasts good damage, a high rate of fire, a magazine that doesn’t empty too quickly, and no variability in damage per shot. This weapon seems great until you look at the damage non-smart submachine guns are capable of, and then it becomes obvious how underpowered this smart gun is in comparison.
The G-58 has four mods slots at the legendary tier. This is a great smart gun, but it’s out-classed by most of the other smart weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 – stick with the TKI-20 Shingen if submachine guns are your preference.
How to Get the Tao G-58 Dian in Cyberpunk 2077
Epic variants of the Dian are for sale in the Downtown, The Glen, Vista Del Rey, and Wellsprings weapon vendors. The spec for a legendary variant can be purchased at The Glen, Vista Del Rey, and Wellsprings vendors. Miguel Rodriguez drops a legendary spec; the player meets Miguel during one of the Suspected Organized Crime Activity jobs in Vista Del Rey.
8 DB-4 Palica
The DB-4 Palica is a smart double-barreled shotgun that looks more like a miniature rocket launcher. This weapon has a DPS of 527.5 and its damage per shot is 39-48. If this shotgun made use of a magazine to hold spare shells it would have been higher on this list, but it must be reloaded after every shot.
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Shots from this gun deal extra thermal and have a chance of causing burn damage. Here’s how a conflict typically goes when using the DB-4; encounter a group of enemies, pull the trigger, and the encounter will be over. As good as the DB-4 Palica is, the L-69 Zhuo is the better choice for a smart shotgun.
How to Get the DB-4 Palica in Cyberpunk 2077
The Palica is a common weapon in Cyberpunk 2077. It can be purchased in gun shops and looted off corpses. The weapon vendors in Japantown and West Wind Estate both sell this smart gun; they also have the spec for sale. The West Wind Estate location can have a legendary variant.
7 Yinglong (Tao G-58 Dian)
This entry will include both the Tao G-58 Dian and its variant, the Yinglong. Both are submachine guns that have a DPS of 544.4 (at 7 attacks per second), and their individual shots deal 26-32 points of damage. The base G-58 has as many as four mod slots and can also come with extra bonuses, such as bleeding or thermal damage.
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The Yinglong comes with an additional feature that makes it better than the standard G-58 – shots fired from it have a chance of emitting an EMP upon impact. This makes Yinglong especially useful against any foes using electronics. The Yinglong does slightly more overall damage, but the standard version has a better chance of dealing additional damage – like chemical or thermal damage.
How to Get the Yinglong in Cyberpunk 2077
Prepare for a fight in order to get this weapon. That’s because the spec for Yinglong is being carried by the Organized Crime leader in the Wellsprings area of Heywood. After getting the spec, the player still requires the Edgerunner Artisan perk to craft the weapon.
6 L-69 Zhuo
The L-69 Zhuo is the other (not counting variants) smart shotgun in the game. In addition to it being the better of the two, it is also one of the best smart guns in Cyberpunk 2077. The damage per shot isn’t as good as the Palica, but the Zhuo has a few advantages that put it higher on this list.
The Zhou has a lower variability in damage than the Palica – meaning the damage output is more consistent. The Zhou can also be fired faster than the Palica. The standard L-69 Zhuo has some advantages over its legendary version, the Ba Xing Chong. The standard version has a chance of additional electric, thermal, or chemical damage; the Ba Xing Chong doesn’t.
How to Get the L-69 Zhuo in Cyberpunk 2077
This weapon can be purchased, but only one vendor in the game has it for sale. The Downtown weapon vendor can have up to a legendary-level variant of the Zhou. The spec can be purchased there too. However, the spec is for the Epic variant.
5 TKI-20 Shingen
The TKI-20 Shingen is the best smart submachine gun in the game, except for its prototype variant. It boasts a DPS 557.6, has a rate of fire of 4.5 shots per second, and has the ability to target up to four enemies simultaneously.
This weapon can have additional bonuses such as physical and bleeding damage, as well as an increased chance to land a critical hit. The TKI-20 also comes with as many as four mod slots. This weapon is so powerful and easy to use that a player can win fights with their eyes closed.
How to Get the TKI-20 Shingen in Cyberpunk 2077
Epic variants of the Shingen can be purchased at the weapons vendors in Arroyo, Biotechnica Flats, Rancho Coronado, Red Peaks, and Rocky Ridge; while the Downtown vendor has legendary variants for sale. The crafting spec for this weapon is also available at these locations.
4 Skippy (HJKE-11 Yukimura)
Skippy is a variant of the HJKE-11 Yukimura pistol. It has a lower DPS (423.0) than the HJKE-11 and deals slightly less per individual shot (41-51). Skippy has a few desirable aspects, but also a few really annoying aspects. There are two firing modes: “Puppy-Loving Pacifist” and “Stone Cold Killer.”
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The pacifist setting makes shots aim for the limbs of the target, while the killer setting aims for the head. Choose the opposite of the setting you wish to use long-term. This weapon has an erratic A.I. and can do things you don’t want it to – like intentionally miss.
How to Get the HJKE-11 Yukimura in Cyberpunk 2077
Skippy can be found in Heywood just lying on the ground. Travel to the College St. metro station and then look for a question mark on the map. This is Skippy. After a quick hop over a fence, Skippy can be found in a briefcase next to a dead body. The body is between some mattresses and a dumpster. Agree to return it to its owner, but then conveniently forget to complete the Side Job.
3 Ba Xing Chong (L-69 Zhuo)
The L-69 Zhuo is a smart shotgun with a limited magazine of four shells. The L-69’s DPS is 525.8, while the Ba Xing Chong’s DPS is 705.5. Both guns can target up to eight enemies simultaneously and hit each target; this makes the L-69 a great choice for large groups of enemies.
All shots fired can also be focused on one target to cause massive damage. This makes it also good for quickly clearing small groups of enemies. The Ba Xing Chong has the benefit of firing explosive shells. This makes it more of a grenade launcher capable of launching up to eight grenades at once.
How to Get the Ba Xing Chong in Cyberpunk 2077
This Iconic-tier smart gun takes a while to get. In fact, getting Ba Xing Chong is done after completing the game. The first step is to steal the vault key from Adam Smasher during the first playthrough. Post-game, the player needs to go loot the vault, located on Ebunike. In the vault are the specs for the Ba Xing Chong. However, the Edgerunner Artisan perk is needed for the actual crafting.
2 Tsunami Ashura
The Tsunami Ashura is the only smart sniper rifle in the game. Sniper rifles are a one-shot-one-kill type of weapon in most games. They still are in Cyberpunk 2077, but now there is a one-shot-one-kill weapon that shoots bullets that actually seek out their target.
The Ashura’s DPS is an astounding 850.8. The downside is that this weapon has a very low fire rate – making it unsuitable for medium and short-range encounters. This weapon also comes with as many as four mod slots (depending on its rarity) and possible bonuses of extra chemical, electrical, thermal, or physical damage.
How to Get the Tsunami Ashura in Cyberpunk 2077
The weapon vendors in The Glen, Wellsprings, Vista Del Rey, and Downtown all sell the Ashura. Legendary variants are available at the Wellsprings location. Its legendary crafting spec can be purchased at the Wellsprings, Vista Del Rey, and The Glen. During the NCPD scanner hustle in Rancho Coronado titled, “Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Desperate Sons-of-Bitches”, the player will encounter a man named Paul Craven. He drops a legendary spec for this weapon.
1 Prototype Shingen Mark V (TKI-20 Shingen)
The Prototype Shingen Mark V is a variant of the TKI-20 Shingen submachine gun. This prototype has a DPS that is comparable to the base TKI-20 and has the same number of shots per second. The major difference between the prototype and the base model is that the prototype fires explosive rounds.
The Ba Xing Chong made #3 on this list for being able to fire at as many as eight targets simultaneously with explosive rounds. The Mark V can only target three enemies at a time, but it’s basically an automatic grenade launcher with a standard magazine of thirty rounds. This weapon shreds entire groups of enemies in mere seconds and will be a nightmare during multiplayer matches. This is the best smart gun in Cyberpunk 2077.
How to Get the Prototype Shingen Mark V in Cyberpunk 2077
This powerful Shingen variant is available during the “Gimme Danger” mission. Look for the open shipping container sitting on a trailer; the number 667 is painted on the container’s door. Be careful entering the container - there’s an active mine on the floor. The prototype is resting in an open case.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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