Unraveling the Monowire: A Deep Dive into its Damage Type and Mechanics in Cyberpunk 2077
The Monowire in Cyberpunk 2077 is a unique and potent piece of cyberware, offering a thrilling melee experience unlike any other. One of the most frequently asked questions revolves around its damage type. Understanding this fundamental aspect is crucial for optimizing your build and maximizing its devastating potential.
Monowire’s Primary Damage Type: Physical, with a Twist
The Monowire deals primarily Physical damage. This is a core characteristic, meaning that its base damage is considered physical and it’s affected by perks and modifiers that enhance physical damage. However, it’s crucial to understand that the Monowire isn’t just physical. It’s capable of dealing other types of damage thanks to elemental modifications.
The Monowire’s initial damage is physical, dealing a concentrated amount of damage. It’s capable of inflicting brutal attacks including the iconic ability to instantly dismember an enemy with a quick strike. This makes it a formidable weapon, especially when combined with the right skills and perks.
Elemental Modifications and Their Impact
While the base damage is physical, the Monowire can be modified to deal elemental damage types. The most common elemental modification changes the damage type to Thermal.
This thermal damage can be further enhanced by relevant perks that increase fire/thermal damage. Other elemental modifications (although less common) can change the Monowire’s damage type to electrical or chemical. Each of these changes are also reflected in the color of the wire, allowing for easy identification.
- Physical: Orange
- Thermal: Red
- Electrical: Blue
- Chemical: Green
The type of damage inflicted by the Monowire is crucial for understanding its effectiveness against different enemies and exploiting their weaknesses. For example, enemies with armor are generally more resistant to physical damage, making thermal or electrical damage modifiers more effective against them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Monowire
1. Is the Monowire a blade or a melee weapon?
The Monowire is categorized as a Blade weapon within Cyberpunk 2077. While it’s a melee weapon, its damage and perks are tied to the Blades skill tree in the Reflexes attribute. It was originally considered a Blunt weapon in earlier versions of the game, but this has been changed.
2. What attribute does the Monowire scale with?
The Monowire’s damage scales with your Reflexes attribute. For every level in Reflexes, the Monowire gains +3 damage. This makes it an ideal weapon for a nimble and agile character build. Additionally, perks from the Blades skill tree further enhance its damage and effectiveness.
3. What makes the Monowire such a powerful weapon?
The Monowire stands out due to its range and cleaving ability. Unlike other melee weapons, it has a whip-like arc that reaches several meters, allowing you to engage enemies at mid-range. It can also hit multiple enemies simultaneously. Its charge mechanic, when fully charged delivers immense damage, especially in stealth. In addition, the Relic skill tree exclusive to Phantom Liberty can further enhance the Monowire’s capabilities.
4. Is the Monowire a stealth weapon?
Yes, the Monowire is an excellent stealth weapon. Like other melee weapons, it’s silent, allowing for covert takedowns from the shadows. This makes it perfect for players who prefer a stealthy approach to combat. The ability to kill silently and smuggle it into restricted areas is invaluable for stealth builds.
5. How does the Monowire charge work?
The Monowire has a charge meter that builds up when not attacking. The charge meter will begin recharging after a moment of not attacking. Attacking with no charge still causes damage but with a reduced amount. A full charge significantly increases damage output. Using it after initiating stealth, will also greatly increase its effectiveness.
6. Can you put Quickhacks on the Monowire?
Yes, the Monowire can utilize certain Quickhacks, making it a versatile weapon for Netrunner builds. Common Quickhacks for the Monowire include:
- Cripple Movement: Freezes enemies in place.
- Cyberware Malfunction: Causes enemies to take more damage for a short duration.
- Reboot Optics: Temporarily blinds enemies.
- Weapon Glitch: Jams enemy weaponry for a short time.
These Quickhacks further enhance the Monowire’s utility in combat.
7. Is the Monowire better than Mantis Blades?
Whether the Monowire or Mantis Blades are “better” depends on your preferred playstyle. Monowire excels with Netrunner builds, especially with quickhacks and the Phantom Liberty expansion. On the other hand, Mantis Blades are better for bullet-time ninja builds. Ultimately, it comes down to your build, preferences, and the perks you select.
8. Can you use Monowire in the Beat on the Brat missions?
No, the Monowire is disabled in Beat on the Brat missions. Only Gorilla Arms are allowed for these specific side missions that feature hand-to-hand combat.
9. Which does more damage, Monowire or Mantis Blades?
Generally, a fully optimized Monowire can achieve a higher DPS than Mantis Blades. For example, the legendary version from Doc Ryder has been known to achieve a much higher DPS compared to the Mantis Blades. However, the “best” is subjective and dependent on build specifics.
10. What does the Monowire’s range allow for?
The Monowire boasts the longest reach among melee weapons in the game. This enables you to strike enemies from a mid-range distance, hitting multiple targets with its whip-like arc. It’s very useful for maintaining spacing while dealing damage.
11. Did the Monowire’s scaling change in patches?
Yes, the Monowire’s scaling has changed. Prior to patch 1.5, its damage scaled with the Cool attribute and counted as a blunt weapon. Now it scales with the Reflexes attribute and is considered a Blade weapon.
12. Does the Monowire count as a melee weapon?
Yes, the Monowire is definitely a melee weapon. Despite its unique design, its categorized as a melee weapon with its damage and mechanics.
13. Does the Monowire scale off Blades Perks?
Absolutely. The Monowire is heavily affected by the perks within the Blades skill tree. This is crucial to improving its effectiveness, along with investing points in Reflexes. The correct perks can greatly increase the Monowire’s damage and utility.
14. Is the Monowire better than Gorilla Arms?
It’s a matter of preference. Monowire is powerful with full charge attacks and has better range, making it more suitable for those who want fast and strong attacks with stealth options. Gorilla Arms are good if you aren’t investing much into the Body attribute. Many people will agree that the Monowire is the superior option with correct build.
15. Can you modify the Monowire’s damage type?
Yes, you can modify the Monowire’s damage type through certain elemental mods. Typically, the base damage will change from physical to thermal (red) with other mods allowing for electrical (blue) and chemical (green). This is crucial to adapt to different enemy weaknesses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Monowire is primarily a physical damage weapon but is enhanced by its flexibility when using elemental damage types. Its mechanics are unique, versatile and effective. Understanding its core characteristics, along with scaling and quickhacks allows players to fully utilize its full potential in the thrilling world of Cyberpunk 2077.