On The Road To Defeating Very Hard Adam Smasher in Cyberpunk

The Basics of Smasher

Smasher is known as the most challenging antagonist or boss in Cyberpunk. He was employed by Hanako Arasaka’s brother Yorinobu Arasaka, but previously had dealings with some criminal gangs in NC, as we learn from the gig about Johnny’s porsche 911. He is presented in the original Cyberpunk 2077 game and doesn’t have connections to Phantom Liberty. Smasher is the final boss in the game and must be defeated by V in order to reach Yorinobu Arasaka, following V’s agreement with Hanako. The meeting with Hanako Arasaka marks the so-called “point of no return”, which implies that you won’t have access to side jobs or gigs until you complete this one. Despite this name, after having the chip removed by Arasaka surgeons, you can return to NC and continue from the point where you met Hanako.

Yorinobu Arasaka (Saburo Arasaka’s son), Hanako Arasaka (his sister), Adam Smasher (former criminal, head of Yorinobu’s security)

Smasher is known for his enormous physical power, strong armor, ultra-fast movements (Sandevistan?), fatal melee attacks, a devastating cannon on his back, and powerful ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics) designed to inhibit his enemy’s cyberdeck. The cannon on his back (missile launcher) can unleash deadly projectiles in rapid succession, leaving his enemies with no chance of survival. Like his counterpart Sandayu Oda, he can move at incredible speeds and deliver devastating blows in combat. But, unlike Oda, Smasher cannot restore his health during the fighting. Nevertheless, Smasher does not fight alone. After he takes damage, Arasaka soldiers come to the battleground to protect their boss.

Smasher’s abilities: movement speed, deadly guns, and ICE (the Weak Spot perk helps to show vulnerable spots on his body)

To have a chance to defeat Smasher, V must be skilled as much as possible, equipped with tier 5++ deadly guns, and possess high cyberware and armor points. All this cannot be obtained by completing only the main missions without engaging in side jobs and gigs. Personally, before agreeing to the deal with Hanako Arasaka and reaching Smasher, I completed all available gigs and jobs in NC, including the main storyline of Phantom Liberty. Thus, I was able to reach the maximum reputation level, street creds, 100% in all skills, and more than 500 health points, tier 5++ cyberware components, a 40GB cyberdeck, etc.

We Need Tier 5++ Chrome

The chrome (cyberware) components define V’s capabilities, including netrunning, caused damage, and physical power. These components are tied to the character’s skills and develop alongside them. Impressive netrunning skills are insufficient against of Smasher, as the damage that can be dealt with quickhacks is low. The key components in this case are health points, armor, and powerful guns. There is a variety of chrome components that can be installed as V achieves the necessary skill levels, each offering unique characteristics. Some significantly enhance armor, while others increase health points or boost netrunning capabilities.

My configuration

Since I had come a long way before facing Smasher, my cyberware was fully equipped with tier 5++ components. They are listed below. One of the most useful implants is the Second Heart in the circulatory system. Because Smasher fires extremely dangerous projectiles, there is always a high risk of death, even with the strongest armor. The Second Heart acts as a kind of insurance against sudden death. While it doesn’t guarantee survival, it helps restore health if something goes wrong in critical moments. Another invaluable component is the Blood Pump, a powerful health-restoration item. This implamnt instantly restores 45-110 health points and continues regenerating an additional 9-23 health per second for six seconds after activation.

Icons of the chrome components, see description below

Description of the chrome components

Quickhacks may not be an option

Like other bosses, Smasher is vulnerable to quickhacks, which can be used against his chrome. But obtaining enough cyberdeck memory to execute them is a separate challenge of the whole game. The pic below illustrates the approximate memory size required for each quickhack to be applied to Smasher’s chrome. Unsurprisingly, some quickhacks can’t be executed at all due to high memory requirements, although the Overclock mode (E) might be an option there. Considering Smasher’s immense power and the time required to restore cyberdeck memory, even deadly quickhacks typically fail to cause significant damage. In contrast, no-lethal quickhacks, such as Cripple Movement and Weapon Glitch, can be highly effective. These can immobilize Smasher, leaving him vulnerable to direct shooting.

RAM size required to run quickhacks on Smasher

Smasher posesses ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics), a device or technology designed to locate enemies even when they are out of sight. It is also capable of blinding his enemy’s cyberdeck, making it impossible to run scripts even with sufficient free memory slots. When executing a counterhack, the ICE emits a bright flash, temporarily blinding the enemy. In fact, the memory size required to execute each script depends on the chrome configuration of the character.

RAM size

The Appropriate Guns

Personally, my fav guns are pistols, sniper rifles, and shotguns. All of them are effective against Smasher, especially given the battlefield’s layout. Shotguns deliver the most devastating damage, but are only practical when used alongside the cripple movement quickhack to immobilize the target beforehand. Engaging in close combat with Smasher using any gun is useless, because his deadly melee strikes are unstoppable. Fast running, long or double jumps, the appropriate quickhacks help to keep distance from him. Smasher is also equipped with a deadly HMG (heavy machine gun), capable of sustained fire for tens of seconds. The only way to protect yourself from it is to find a natural obstacle and hide behind it.

All these guns are useful in different combat scenarios, depending on the distance of shooting and/or the time available to perform the attack. Since shotguns deal the most damage, they can be used in conjunction with the cripple movement quickhack when Smasher is immobilized. When the distance is long, a sniper rifle seems to be the most suitable gun.

happy gaming chooms, be strong and don’t let yourself get flatlined; don’t forget to get the maximum ammo for your guns, it can be easily crafted before the combat (crafting the ammo during the combat is not allowed)