In the neon-drenched, rain-slicked streets of Night City, a new kind of terror bleeds from the digital abyss. By 2026, the events of the Phantom Liberty expansion have left an indelible mark, and for those who walked the path of Solomon Reed, the ultimate prizes are weapons born not of metal and circuitry alone, but of the malevolent will lurking beyond the Blackwall. Securing the Erebus SMG or the Militech Canto Mk.6 Cyberdeck is a journey fraught with permanent choices, demanding specific attributes and an unwavering commitment to a single, fateful narrative branch. These are not mere tools of war; they are fragments of a hostile digital frontier made manifest, and missing them means they are lost forever, like a ghost in the machine vanishing at dawn.
🔥 The Point of No Return: Firestarter
The entire quest for these forbidden armaments hinges on a single, critical decision during the "Firestarter" mission. When presented with the choice to aid Songbird's escape or help Reed capture her, the aspiring wielder of Blackwall power must side with Solomon Reed. This alliance sets V on a collision course with MaxTac and unlocks the exclusive quests necessary for the ultimate reward. Choosing otherwise is like slamming a vault door shut on the most powerful artifacts in Night City; there is no lockpick, no second chance.
⚙️ The Path Unfolds: Black Steel & Somewhat Damaged
Following Reed's path leads to two key missions:
-
"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos": Here, V must hire a Netrunner to breach MaxTac's security. While options exist, contacting Mr. Hands and using his runner for 15,000 eddies is highly recommended. This investment isn't just about efficiency—it plants a seed for a future, unique Mantis Blades reward.
- Crucial Step: In this mission, you will meet Yoko, a Netrunner in Kabuki Market. Listen to her proposal and agree to send Mr. Hands a text later about the MaxTac convoy's location. This seemingly minor interaction is the linchpin for everything that follows.
-
"Somewhat Damaged": This is where the hunt truly begins. After navigating the treacherous Cynosure facility and its Cerberus security units, V reaches a pivotal, missable point.
🗝️ Securing the Blueprints: A Facility Crawl
Within the depths of Cynosure, two blueprints await, guarded by Attribute checks as formidable as any Arasaka guard.
For the Erebus SMG Blueprint:
-
Navigate to the checkered tile room with Songbird's surgery flashback.
-
Proceed through the left doors, then go right twice into the Engineering/Living Quarters hallway.
-
Enter the Engineering sector.
-
Find a broken door terminal. To repair it, 20 Technical Ability is mandatory. This requirement makes the quest best attempted at or near level 60.
-
The fix is nearby: turn around, find a storage closet on the left, and inside, use your 20 Technical Ability on a fuse box with a red light to reroute power.
-
Return to the terminal, open the door, and claim the Erebus Power Submachine Gun blueprint from the table.
For the Militech Canto Mk.6 Blueprint:
-
Progress the quest until you initiate the Core Shutdown Protocol.
-
Leave the Core Control room, head right into The Lab area.
-
Before entering the Observation Room, look left for the Experimental Prototyping room.
-
Access requires either 15 Intelligence or a keycode.
-
The code is: 714212. Enter these digits (7, 1, 4, 2, 1, 2) into the terminal.
-
Inside, at the room's end, claim the Militech Canto Mk.6 Cyberdeck blueprint.
⚡ The Final Component: A Piece of Cerberus
After confronting So Mi within the Blackwall, a deactivated Cerberus unit will be found. Loot it to obtain the "Behavioral system component." This encrypted misc item is as vital as the blueprints themselves. With all three items in hand—the two blueprints and the component—complete the "Somewhat Damaged" quest. The final choice regarding Songbird's fate has no bearing on crafting the weapons.
🔨 The Crafting Crucible: Yoko's Decryption
Back in Night City, after a few in-game days, an anonymous message will arrive with decryption instructions. This leads V back to Yoko at the Netrunner Store in Kabuki Market. Giving her the Behavioral component is like feeding a raw, chaotic data-stream into a master cryptographer's mind; she will decode it, returning the "Cerberus' decoded behavioral system component."
Now comes the agonizing choice. At a crafting bench, V can use this single, unique component to create only one of the two legendary items. The decision is final.
⚖️ The Choice: Erebus vs. Militech Canto Mk.6
Choosing depends entirely on your build. Here’s what each offers:
| Weapon / Cyberware | Core Identity | Key Crafting Materials | Defining Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erebus (Iconic Power SMG) | The Physical Breach | 40x Tier 5 Components, 1x Decoded Component | Fires Blackwall-infused rounds; +100% Headshot Damage, +25% Armor Penetration. The gun itself houses a rogue AI that will occasionally speak to V. Its power in direct combat is obscene, making firefights feel less like battles and more like systematic erasures. |
| Militech Canto Mk.6 (Iconic Cyberdeck) | The Digital Apocalypse | 50x Tier 5 Components, 12x Tier 5 Quickhack Components, 1x Decoded Component | Unlocks the "Blackwall Gateway" quickhack. This ultimate attack spreads lethally to nearby enemies, frying neural systems and deactivating machines. It also features a chatty AI, adding a second sinister voice to V's psyche. For a Netrunner, it is the pinnacle, a weapon that doesn't just hack enemies but unmoors them from reality itself. |
For the Netrunner (High Intelligence Build): The Militech Canto Mk.6 is unparalleled. It transforms V from a hacker into a digital god of death, wielding the Blackwall as a personal weapon. Its effects are as terrifying as they are effective.
For the Solo or Tech Specialist (High Technical/Reflexes Build): The Erebus is the clear winner. It requires no specific attribute investment to dominate, hacking enemy cyberware on impact and clearing rooms with the relentless fury of a data-storm given physical form. Wielding it is to hold a contained singularity in your hands.
💎 Final Advice
No matter which prize you choose, remember: you are not just carrying a weapon, you are carrying a piece of the Blackwall's consciousness. These tools are more than legendary loot; they are narrative consequences given weight and firepower. In the end, the only universally wise course of action is to keep your choice far, far away from the prying sensors of NetWatch. In Night City, some power is best left unobserved.