Key Takeaways
Ol’ Reliable is a Phantom Liberty-era Iconic Power revolver built around deliberate, distance-based precision rather than sustained close-range fire. Its value depends on how consistently a build can create space and land accurate shots.
Distance is part of the weapon’s identity
Ol’ Reliable rewards fighting from farther away: its Iconic effect improves its critical or precision potential with distance, making positioning an important part of its damage profile rather than a minor handling detail.
It is a Power revolver, not a generic pistol
As a Power weapon, Ol’ Reliable belongs with revolver-focused and precision-shooting setups. Its role is defined by deliberate shots and headshot-oriented play, not by the tracking behavior of Smart weapons or the charge mechanics of Tech weapons.
Phantom Liberty content is required
Ol’ Reliable is associated with Phantom Liberty’s Dogtown content, so players using only the base game do not have access to its acquisition route.
Accuracy matters more than volume
The revolver profile favors carefully placed shots and rewards players who can maintain spacing. Its slower, less forgiving close-range rhythm and limited shot capacity make missed shots more costly than they are with many automatic pistols.
Its Iconic status affects progression
Ol’ Reliable is an Iconic weapon with the post-2.0 tier-based progression framework, so its effectiveness should be discussed with its current tier or upgrade state rather than as one universal damage value.
Its best comparison is another precision revolver
Compared with a more general-purpose Power revolver, Ol’ Reliable gives up some flexibility for a distance-sensitive precision role. It is most distinctive when the build and encounter allow long sightlines.
Overview
Ol’ Reliable is an Iconic Power revolver in Cyberpunk 2077, introduced with Phantom Liberty. It is built for deliberate, distance-conscious handgun play: its unique effect rewards precision and range rather than sustained fire or automatic target tracking.
As a revolver, Ol’ Reliable occupies the precision end of the handgun roster. Its identity comes less from a broad collection of bonuses than from the way its Iconic modifier ties performance to the distance between V and the target. That makes positioning part of the weapon’s value: it is most naturally suited to players who create space, aim carefully, and treat individual shots as meaningful attacks.
The Power classification also separates it from Tech and Smart alternatives. Ol’ Reliable does not define itself through charge timing, target-lock assistance, or a specialized weapon-system gimmick. Instead, it supports a conventional firearm approach centered on direct shots, headshots, and the normal handling expectations of a revolver. Its distinctive behavior is therefore easiest to appreciate in encounters where the player can control sightlines rather than being forced into constant close-quarters exchanges.
Its place in progression is as a Phantom Liberty-era Iconic sidegrade, not a universally superior replacement for every handgun. A player focused on rapid follow-up shots, automatic weapons, or close-range control may prefer a different pistol or revolver whose effect better matches that approach. Ol’ Reliable is more specifically appealing to a precision handgun archetype, especially when a build already invests in handgun-oriented perks and benefits from careful engagement distances.
The weapon is also notable because its identity remains useful without requiring the page to treat one numerical tier as permanent. Cyberpunk 2077’s post-2.0 equipment system makes ordinary weapon values dependent on tier and upgrade state, while the Iconic effect is the more stable reason to choose this model. That distinction matters when comparing it with other handguns: compare matching tiers and states for raw performance, but judge Ol’ Reliable by whether its distance-sensitive precision behavior fits the player’s preferred fight spacing.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Revolver |
| Subtype | Revolver |
| Technology | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Iconic | Yes |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Phantom Liberty |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar revolvers
| Attribute |  Ol’ Reliable | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Revolver | Revolver | Revolver | Revolver | Revolver |
| Technology | Power | Power | Tech | Power | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Iconic | Yes | — | — | — | Yes |
How to Obtain
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and access to Dogtown.
- Progress far enough in Phantom Liberty for Mr. Hands to offer the “Roads to Redemption” gig.
- The acquisition is tied to the gig encounter with Dante Caruso and is not a normal base-game or NG+ pickup.
- 01Travel to Dogtown and accept the Mr. Hands gig “Roads to Redemption.” The gig becomes available as part of Phantom Liberty’s Dogtown content; follow its objective to locate Dante Caruso.
- 02During the confrontation with Dante Caruso, defeat him and loot his body before leaving the area. Ol’ Reliable is obtained as a guaranteed drop from Dante when he is defeated, rather than purchased from a vendor.
- 03The weapon is missable during the gig: if Dante is not defeated, or if his body is left unlooted before the encounter area becomes unavailable, the normal acquisition route is lost. No separate recovery route is established here.
Availability
Story mode — Aldecaldos quest line
The weapon is tied to this story-side activity and can be missed if the challenge is skipped or failed. No separate vendor price or Online availability applies.
- Requires
- Reach “We Gotta Live Together” and complete Cassidy’s shooting challenge successfully.
Mechanics and Handling
Distance Is Part of the Damage Profile
Ol’ Reliable is a Power revolver whose defining modifier rewards fighting at range. As distance from the target increases, the weapon’s headshot damage and critical-hit chance increase. This makes spacing an active part of its handling rather than merely a way to stay safe: the revolver is most distinctive when its user can create separation and consistently place shots on the head.
The distance effect is conditional, not a permanent replacement for the weapon’s ordinary revolver damage. At close range, Ol’ Reliable still functions as a hand cannon, but it does not receive the full benefit of the modifier. The weapon therefore suits deliberate engagements better than point-blank panic fire, especially when the encounter allows the player to control sightlines and avoid being forced into melee distance.
Power-Revolver Handling
Ol’ Reliable fires as a conventional single-shot revolver rather than using burst, automatic, Smart-targeting, or Tech charging behaviour. Each trigger pull demands a separate shot, so accuracy and target selection matter more than sustained spray. Its Power classification also keeps it within the game’s ordinary Power-weapon framework; the weapon’s special identity comes from its distance-based headshot and critical bonuses, not from a separate alternate firing mode.
The revolver uses handgun ammunition and has a finite cylinder or magazine that must be reloaded after its available shots are spent. Reloading is a meaningful interruption when enemies have closed the distance, so repeatedly emptying the weapon without repositioning can undermine the range advantage. Firing fewer, better-placed shots is generally more compatible with Ol’ Reliable’s modifier than treating it like a close-range automatic weapon.
Sightlines, Cover, and Cyberware Support
Ol’ Reliable performs best from a stable firing lane: a rooftop, doorway, long corridor, or other position that lets V maintain distance while preserving a clear head-level sightline. Cover is useful because it allows the player to break line of sight during a reload and re-engage from range. The weapon’s modifier does not remove the need to manage flankers, rushing enemies, or obstructions that make its distance condition difficult to exploit.
The revolver can be paired with the broader support available to Power weapons and handguns, but those systems should be treated as complementary rather than part of Ol’ Reliable’s unique effect. Cyberware or perks that improve handgun use, critical-hit performance, headshots, or survivability while aiming can reinforce its intended role. Smart-targeting and Tech charging mechanics do not define this weapon, and a build centred on those technologies does not change how Ol’ Reliable’s distance modifier works.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its distance-based damage bonus rewards deliberate engagements across open sightlines, giving the revolver a clear role beyond point-blank fighting.
- As a precision-focused revolver, it benefits accurate headshot and weak-spot placement more than indiscriminate fire. This makes careful target selection an important part of using its Iconic effect.
- Its Power-weapon classification supports conventional firearm play rather than requiring Smart-targeting or Tech charging, so it can fit a precision Handgun setup without those technology-specific dependencies.
Weaknesses
- The distance bonus is less valuable when enemies are already inside close-combat range, where a faster close-range option can be more forgiving.
- Its precision-oriented benefits lose value when the user cannot consistently land headshots or weak-spot hits; missed shots provide no compensating area damage.
- It is a firearm, not a melee weapon. It cannot replace a blade, blunt weapon or other close-range tool for players whose build depends on melee attack sequences, melee stamina management or weapon-specific melee perks.
- As a revolver, its available shots and reload windows make missed or poorly timed shots more costly than they are with a weapon built around sustained automatic fire.
Best uses
- Precision shooting across medium-to-long sightlines, where its distance-based damage advantage is active.
- Single-target pressure against exposed enemies, especially when the user can reliably aim for heads or weak spots.
- Handgun builds that want a Power revolver and do not depend on Smart targeting or Tech weapon charging.
- A loadout’s deliberate ranged option when a separate weapon covers close-quarters encounters.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute | Ol’ Reliable |  Archangel |  Crash |  Rosco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class and technology | Rewards deliberate, distance-oriented revolver play: its signature benefits become more relevant when engaging targets from farther away. It retains the power weapon’s potential for wall penetration and ricochet interactions when supported by the relevant build. | A burst-oriented alternative associated with Kerry Eurodyne. Its firing pattern favors landing repeated bursts rather than treating every trigger pull as an isolated precision shot. | A versatile quest-reward revolver with a more sustained-fire profile than Ol’ Reliable. It is a practical alternative when the encounter demands repeated shots rather than careful long-range pacing. | Built around a distinctive leg-shot-then-headshot interaction that can produce an explosive payoff. This gives it a setup-and-execute pattern rather than Ol’ Reliable’s straightforward distance-focused role. |
| Distinctive combat profile | Players who prefer accurate revolver shots, open sightlines and a Power Weapons or handgun-focused build. It is less naturally suited to close-range crowd clearing than revolvers with burst or automatic-fire options. | Players who want a more aggressive revolver rhythm and are comfortable trading Ol’ Reliable’s distance emphasis for burst output. | General-purpose handgun builds that move between medium-range firefights and closer engagements, especially when sustained fire matters more than distance-based specialization. | Players who enjoy deliberate target sequencing and crowd-control opportunities, particularly when they are willing to create the weapon’s special payoff before finishing an enemy. |
| Best suited to | — | — | — | — |
Used In
- The Man Who Killed Jason ForemanOl’ Reliable can be obtained during this Phantom Liberty gig in Dogtown.
