David build guide – Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk Edgerunners was a Netflix show that brought many new fans to Cyberpunk 2077 due to its popularity. I loved watching David's progression in the street gang on his way to becoming a solo, and it got me wondering if I could recreate him in Cyberpunk. And so, this guide will cover making a David build in Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty.

Best attributes for a David build - Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty (Early game)

The David build guide for Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty will focus on creating the most faithful representation of David Martinez's abilities from the Edgerunners show. After his rise to power, David followed the path of his mentor, Maine, becoming a solo. His main characteristic is adorning his body with many cyberware implants, thanks to his ability to resist the onset of cyberpsychosis, which gave him an edge in many dangerous situations. 

The best starting stats I like to use for the David build in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 are as follows:

• Intelligence: 3
• Reflexes: 6
• Technical ability: 4
• Cool: 3
• Body: 6

The primary attribute for the David build will be Body, which is a primary pathway for any solo build out there. We will follow this with the Technical Ability to support his cyberware affliction.

Best stats for a David build - Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty (Late game)

The best stats you should have when you reach Level 60 for the David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty are as follows:

• Intelligence: 18
• Reflexes: 20
• Technical ability: 20
• Cool: 3
• Body: 20

Related: Best Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Smart Weapons (Netrunner) build

Best perks for a David build (Level 10) - Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

The best way to level your David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is by prioritizing the Body perks over all others since they will form the basis of your play style, making you proficient in melee combat and more durable. The goal is to unlock DIE! DIE! DIE! and Wrecking Ball parent perks by level 10 to become more proficient with Shotguns and melee weapons. Here is how your perk progression should go up to level 10:

Best Perks for a David build (Level 50) - Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

The key to building your David to Level 60 in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is to develop the Body attribute first, followed by perks from its skill tree that favor bold and aggressive play, providing damage bonuses along the way.

Technical ability skill tree should start from All Things Cyber, primarily to give our David an Edgerunner perk, which allows you to exceed your cyberware capacity by up to 50 points, but at the cost of -0.5% max health per point over capacity (since this build is heavily focused on cyberware).

Best weapons for a David build in Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

I have compiled a list of the best weapons for David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, according to the weapons he was seen using in the show:

• Rostovic DB-2 Satara: This double-barrel shotgun is a Tech weapon that synergizes well with your Technical Ability perk tree. You can find this shotgun on fallen enemies as common loot or purchase it at almost any vendor.
•  Militech Crusher: Due to David's affinity for shotguns and because they're so powerful in this game, it's only logical to have an automatic shotgun. The Crusher fits the bill perfectly, with an ability to ricochet bullets off surfaces. You can obtain it from fallen Militech enemies or purchase it from a Weapon Vendor in Rancho Coronado.
•  Arasaka HJKE-11 Yukimura: The Yukimura is a bit of an oddity because it's a Smart weapon, but I still decided to include it in the list. It's an excellent Arasaka-produced pistol with 30 rounds in the magazine. To obtain it, visit any weapons vendor in the Night City.
• Kang Tao L-69 Zhuo: Zhuo is a powerful Smart shotgun firing projectiles in a rectangular pattern. To obtain this weapon in any rarity, visit Downtown's Weapon Vendor shop.

Best Cyberware for a David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

Here is the list of the best cyberware for the David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty that I've confirmed he used in the show:

• Fortified Ankles: This cyberware directly increases your Armor, depending on your tier level. You can purchase Tier 3 and 4 variants at ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook.
• Gorilla Arms: Gorilla Arms are a staple cyberware of David throughout the series. They work by substantially boosting your damage output in melee combat and, as such, are a crucial part of any build relying on close combat. To obtain this cyberware, visit any ripperdoc in the Night City, as most of them stock this useful mod.
•  Kiroshi Cyberoptics Kiroshi Cyberoptics: The show wasn't clear on exactly what kind of optics David had equipped, but I suggest getting the Stalker version because they have excellent synergy with Tech weapons, highlighting enemies behind cover in a cone that covers 10% of your field of vision and scans up to 15 meters deep. To obtain this item, visit a ripperdoc in Kabuki, Watson.
• Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan: Sandevistan is one of the most powerful cyberwares in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe and it can be made to work with practically any build out there. It works by slowing down time by 85% while allowing you to move normally, essentially giving you superspeed; it allows you to take down multiple enemies while they're frozen in time, which is helpful if you can't separate them and take them out one by one. To obtain the Apogee Sandevistan, go to the Bellevue Overwalk point in the Watson district.
• Projectile Launch System: This iconic piece of gear was one of the first modifications David built into himself after his mentor's demise in the show. This arm implant allows you to fire missiles at enemies and is coupled with a targeting system via the Smart Link perk, allowing you to lock onto enemies visually. Visit ripperdoc in Wellsprings to obtain the Tier 4 variant.
• Subdermal Armor: This cyberware incorporates armor to your build since the 2.0 update (which revamped how the armor system works in the game). To obtain this piece of cyberware, visit a ripperdoc in Kabuki, Watson.
• Syn-Lungs: Provides its user with an increase in Stamina regeneration, depending on the Tier level. I suggest going to either a ripperdoc in Wellsprings or the one in Rocky Ridge to get the Tier 4 variant.

Related: How to upgrade weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0

Best Relic perks for the David build in Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

Introducing the Relic Perk system brings new abilities that are especially helpful for just about any melee build and, as such, are perfect for the David build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. Here are some of the perks you should invest your relic points in:

• Jailbreak: Unlocks new abilities for Arm cyberware.
  • Limiter Removal: The shockwave from a charged Gorilla Arms attack now knocks down all enemies caught within an area of effect. This goes especially well together with David's Gorilla Arms cyberware and supporting perks.
  • Launch Capacity Override: This perk increases the number of Projectile Launch System charges by 1, complementing David's iconic Projectile Launch System cyberware.

How to look like David Martinez in Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

At the moment, beyond customizing your character's appearance at the beginning of the campaign or visiting a ripperdoc, there are few options to achieve the specific character look of David Martinez in Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty. You can still obtain an iconic EMT jacket originally belonging to David's mother, Gloria—get it by doing the Over the Edge side GIG southwest of Dam Viewpoint. Falco himself will give you the jacket, claiming you remind him a lot of his late friend.

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 David build guide (No Phantom Liberty)

I created this David build with Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty in mind because the expansion offers certain perks that synergize with the build and nicely complement the armaments it uses. But if you don't have the Phantom Liberty game expansion, you will have to apply certain tweaks to this build.

• Forgoing Relic perks: The first main difference is you won't be able to use any perks from the Relic skill tree.
• Cutting 10 Perk and Attribute points: Phantom Liberty further expands your character customization, raising the level limit to 60. To build David in Cyberpunk 2.0, you will be capped at level 50, which means you will have 70 perk points and 56 Attribute points.

To adapt the build to Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 version, I made cuts limited to Technical Ability perk tree (specifically the far right branch that boosts technical weapons). Here is the revised list of parent and side perks.

Looking for more guides on Cyberpunk 2077? You've come to the right place! Have a look at How to respec in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 and All changes in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty 2.0 Update here on Pro Game Guides!