Mastering the Placide Encounter in Cyberpunk 2077: A Comprehensive Guide
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Placide, the imposing right-hand man of Maman Brigitte and a key figure in the Voodoo Boys gang, can be a tough nut to crack in Cyberpunk 2077. He’s armed with a powerful shotgun and uses the Sandevistan MK. 2 cyberware to zip around the room, making him difficult to hit. The most effective strategy involves keeping him in one place. Achieve this by landing successive headshots to stagger him, then quickly backing away and unloading a barrage of grenades. Rinse and repeat, and Placide will fall.
Understanding the Placide Fight
The encounter with Placide occurs during the “Transmission” quest in Pacifica. This mission is crucial for progressing the main story and opens up new opportunities within the Voodoo Boys faction. Whether you choose to side with Placide initially or betray him to NetWatch, a confrontation is likely. Understanding his abilities and weaknesses is paramount to your survival.
Placide’s Abilities and Weaknesses
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Strengths: Placide’s primary strength lies in his speed and firepower. The Sandevistan MK. 2 allows him to move at an accelerated pace, making him extremely agile. He also wields a shotgun that can inflict significant damage at close range.
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Weaknesses: Despite his speed, Placide is vulnerable to staggering effects from headshots. He also struggles against crowd control. If you can keep him contained with grenades or other area-of-effect weapons, you can limit his mobility and significantly increase your damage output.
Strategic Approaches to Defeating Placide
The Grenade Gambit
As mentioned earlier, the grenade strategy is highly effective. Here’s a breakdown of how to execute it:
- Initial Engagement: Begin by landing a few well-aimed headshots to stagger Placide.
- Strategic Retreat: Immediately back away to create distance. Placide will likely close the gap quickly, but the distance will buy you time.
- Grenade Barrage: Throw a series of grenades at Placide’s location. Fragmentation grenades or EMP grenades are particularly effective.
- Repeat: Continue staggering him with headshots and bombarding him with grenades until he’s defeated.
Cyberware and Weapon Recommendations
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Cyberware: Invest in cyberware that enhances your movement speed, aiming accuracy, and damage resistance. A good Sandevistan or Kereznikov implant can significantly improve your reaction time and allow you to dodge Placide’s attacks more effectively.
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Weapons: While the grenade strategy is the primary focus, having a reliable weapon for landing headshots is crucial. Precision rifles or revolvers with high accuracy and damage are ideal. Consider weapons with thermal or electrical damage, as they can provide additional crowd control. A rare SPT32 Grad is OP!
Alternative Combat Styles
If grenades aren’t your thing, consider these alternative approaches:
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Quickhacks: If you have a Netrunner build, use cyberware malfunction or weapon glitch quickhacks to disable his Sandevistan or shotgun temporarily. This will give you a window of opportunity to deal damage.
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Melee Combat (Advanced): This is a riskier approach, but if you’re skilled in melee combat, you can try to anticipate his movements and counterattack. Use dodge and block maneuvers to avoid his shotgun blasts, and focus on landing powerful blows with a katana or gorilla arms.
The Consequences of Your Choices
Your interactions with Placide and the Voodoo Boys have significant consequences for the rest of the game. Whether you side with him, betray him, or even knock him out, your choices will influence the events that unfold.
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Siding with Placide: If you stick to the plan and incapacitate the NetWatch Agent, Placide will betray you. He’ll attempt to use the malware he planted on you to kill you and other NetWatch Agents. You can survive this.
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Punching Placide: Alternatively, you can punch him, jack into him while he’s unconscious, but your systems get rebooted, and Placide backstabs you anyway. He’ll roast all the NetWatch agents through you, while trying to kill you in the process.
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Betraying Placide (Siding with NetWatch): Siding with the NetWatch agent will lead to the Voodoo Boys becoming hostile. You will need to fight your way out of their hideout.
The Aftermath of Sparing Placide
If you spare Placide in “Transmission,” he will later message you through the Net. If you did not take Bryce’s deal in “I Walk the Line,” hacking into Mosley will result in you and the entire NetWatch network being burned by the virus. Luckily, V recovers thanks to the Relic.
Preparing for the Placide Fight
Before engaging Placide, consider the following preparations:
- Level Up: Ensure you’re at an appropriate level for the “Transmission” quest. Being under-leveled can make the fight significantly harder.
- Upgrade Cyberware: Invest in cyberware that enhances your combat abilities.
- Stock Up: Purchase plenty of grenades, healing items, and ammo.
- Save the Game: Always save before entering a boss fight. This will allow you to reload if you fail.
FAQs about Placide and the Voodoo Boys
1. What happens if you side with Placide?
If you side with Placide, he will betray you after you complete your objective. He will use the malware he implanted in you to try and kill you and other NetWatch agents.
2. What happens if you punch Placide in Cyberpunk 2077?
Punching Placide will lead to him backstabbing you. He will use your connection to him to roast the NetWatch agents, and will try to kill you as well.
3. What loot does Placide drop?
Upon defeating Placide, you can loot his body for the chapel key and his coat.
4. Should I betray the Voodoo Boys?
The decision to betray the Voodoo Boys is a complex one with moral ambiguities. Siding with the Voodoo Boys is better in terms of gameplay, while siding with Netwatch leads to their death and the Voodoo Boys becoming hostile.
5. What are the consequences of siding with NetWatch?
Siding with NetWatch results in the death of Maman Brigitte and the other Voodoo Boys, making the rest of the gang hostile. You will have to fight your way out of their hideout.
6. Is Brigitte evil in Cyberpunk 2077?
Brigitte is considered a secondary antagonist in Cyberpunk 2077.
7. Should I fight the Voodoo Boys?
The Voodoo Boys betrayed you. Killing the NetWatch agent and then killing the Voodoo Boys is the best way to avoid being their pawn.
8. How do I start Phantom Liberty?
You can start Phantom Liberty by skipping ahead from the main menu or after completing the “Transmission” main story quest. Selecting “Skip Ahead To Phantom Liberty” from the main menu will begin a new game that skips the story ahead to the point where the Phantom Liberty story begins. After completing “Transmission,” you will receive a call from Songbird to begin the “Dog Eat Dog” mission.
9. What level should I be for Phantom Liberty?
While Phantom Liberty becomes available after the “Transmission” quest, it’s recommended to gather your best weapons and cyberware before venturing into Dogtown.
10. Does V get cured in Phantom Liberty?
Phantom Liberty offers a cure for either Songbird or V, but not both.
11. Should I skip straight to Phantom Liberty?
Starting a new game for Phantom Liberty is the official recommendation of Cyberpunk developers CD Projekt Red.
12. Should I finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty?
No, you don’t need to finish Cyberpunk 2077 before playing the Phantom Liberty DLC.
13. How do I get Johnny to 70%?
To get your relationship with Johnny to 70%, focus on these missions: Automatic Love, Transmission, Life During Wartime, Tapeworm, Search and Destroy, Blistering Love, Holdin’ On, and A Like Supreme.
14. How do you get Johnny Silverhand arm?
After completing “Chippin’ In,” find the icon of Johnny’s silver arm in V’s backpack.
15. What happens if you don’t throw the fight in Cyberpunk 2077?
Winning the fight will give you more Street Cred, but fewer eddies, than if you lose.
Conclusion
The Placide fight is a challenging but rewarding encounter in Cyberpunk 2077. By understanding his abilities, exploiting his weaknesses, and making informed choices, you can overcome this obstacle and continue your journey through Night City. The knowledge and strategies discussed here will undoubtedly increase your chances of success. Remember to explore the Games Learning Society website at GamesLearningSociety.org (or Games Learning Society), to learn more about the ways games are educating and training people around the globe. Good luck, and stay frosty, choomba!