Bernetti³: Akimbo, The Right Way! [OUTDATED]

This guide explains how to build and play your very own akimbo build, featuring Swan Song, Inspire and Med Bags. With this build, you will become FBI's Most Wanted, 100% guaranteed.

Introduction

Hello,
In the past weeks, Overkill's business practice has caused an outrage amongst its fans. I am one of those fans. The addition of microtransactions is fine with me, but the fact that you can pay to get weapon stats isn't! To top it all off, the announcement of the rewards for the Completely Overkill Pack, which were supposed to be purely cosmetic, is even more infuriating. I completely despise what Overkill has done and feel as if they have broken the game I once loved.

As such, I will no longer be updating or responding to my guides (they are out of date anyways) and will not be returning to Payday 2 until Overkill explains their recent actions.

For those of you who still play this game, keep those helmets flying ;). Have a good one fellows, and feel free to add me if you want to play other games.

-Atlantic

---
Hey there!

My name is Atlantic and today I am proud to present you our take take on making a Deathwish viable Akimbo build. Our main focus when creating this build was to achieve a of high level of team play while still being able to dish out tons of damage and surviving. Hence, Inspire, Swan Song, Aced Medic Bags and Dodge Chance are featured in this build! To top it all off, we also happened to make a "skill set" which we find incredibly fun to play (and addictive)!

Before moving on to the guide, we would like to remind you to thumbs up this guide if it was helpful to you. It may not seem like much, but it helps us out a lot.

On with the build!

Note: Infamy II with an infamy point placed into the Mastermind/Fugitive (plage doctor mask) Infamy Skill is required to run this build. If you don't meet these requirements, visit the build variations section for an Infamy-less variation of the build!

Explanation of the "dodging" mechanic

If you read the introduction, then you know that this build features dodging. But what exactly is dodging?

Definition:

Dodging in Payday is one of the 2 ways to defend yourself against enemy bullets. The other way is using armor to tank the bullets. The difference between dodging and "tanking" with an armor is that dodging has a chance of completely negating the damage (as if the bullet had never been fired) whilst armor will absorb a set amount of damage until it deactivates itself and the player starts "tanking" with his health bar. The best part is that a player can theoretically dodge an infinite amount of bullets if luck is on his side. Sounds pretty strong? You're darn right.

If a player is dodges a bullet, the game will make his screen flash yellow. Here is an image to help you understand. Notice that I take absolutely no damage (even my armor doesn't go down):

Pros and Cons:

Running a dodge build is not for everyone. Some people will prefer the consistency of armor and some players will prefer the luck factor of dodge chance. Nonetheless, Here is a list of the Pros and Cons of running a dodge based build. Hopefully, it will help you decide if a dodge chance build is fit for you.

Pros:

• Allows for high Stamina
  
• Allows for high Speed
  
• Allows for high Mobilty
  
• Allows a player to potentially take no damage at all
  
• Fun to play Makes the game feel completely different

Cons:

• Based off luck (granted the odds are usually in our favour)
  
• Unreliable
  
• Limits the player to a (not that) strict selection of weapons
  
• Armor doesn't regenerate when dodging a bullet

Mastermind Skills

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of skill choices:

Cable Guy: This skill allows us to cable tie faster and carry a total of 6 cable ties when aced. At first sight, cable ties may seem useless for loud because you will rarely have the chance to use them. However, cable ties are actually very useful, even in the middle of a firefight. First, they may allow you to get your teammates out of custody by using them on civilians. For example, on Hoxton Breakout Day 1, I have saved my entire team a couple of times by using my ties on 3 civilians in the garage. Furthermore, if you cable tie 6 civilians at the start of the heist, you are pretty much guaranteed to have atleast one of them survive and be useful to you later. Even if you don't trade a hostage versus a teammate, hostages delay assault waves, which is very useful. A must have for any build, loud or stealth, with the exception of builds made for specific heists.

Combat Medic: With 1 point in this skill, we will receive a 25% damage boost for 10 seconds after reviving a teammate, . It's pretty amazing. We will stay away from the aced version because the bonush health it gives to revived teammates is pretty much useless on Deathwish and usually simply ends up messing with someones plan to proc his berseker skill.

Endurance: As the name suggests, this skill allows us to run for longer periods of time. In other words, it gives us stamina (+100% stamina). The aced version increases our stamina even more aswell as that of our teammates (+50% stamina to you and your crew). To sum it all up, this skill gives us +150% stamina and +50% stamina to our teammates. Because a dodge based build focuses on high moblity and speed, stamina is pretty much essential to get it working. It wouldn't be fun to be able to run as fast as a racecar for only a few seconds now would it? To top it all off, this is pretty much a must have for any build.

Leadership: The basic version of this skill increases our stability with pistol by 25%. The aced version increases the stability on all weapons by 50% for you and your teammates. This is a very important skill for us, mostly because akimbo comes along with a stability penalty.

Spotter: The basic version of this skill allows us to mark enemies (press F while looking at a special unit). Marked enemies will then take +15% damage from you and your crew. Acing this skill isn't required as it simply unlocks us the Spotter asset which will highlight enemies.

Equilibrium: We are finally arriving at our first skill which directly impacts our choice of weapons! The basic version of equilibrium increases our accuracy with pistols by 10% and decreases time it takes to pull and put away pistols by 50% The aced version increases our rate of fire with pistols by 100%. This skill is simply amazing, especially since we will usually be running 3 pistols. The accuracy gives us to ability to shoot targets which are farther away from us (like snipers). The pull/put away time decreases may seem like a waste, yet it isn't. Coupled with the Rogue perk deck (which reduces time to swap weapons by 80%), we can basically switch weapons whenever we want on the fly! Finally, the increased rate of fire allows us to deal more damage in a smaller time lapse, very useful for killing bulldozers.

Dominator: This is a very important skill. It allows us to convert a cop into a hostage. Very useful to get a teammate out of custody. The aced version makes it easier to convert a cop. Countless times has this skill saved either me or teammates. Must have.

Combat Doctor: When acing this skill, we unlock the ability put 2 Medic Bags which each contain 4 charges. Each charge replenishes health and downs. Theoretically, if they are used correctly (everyone heals after 3 downs), they allow a team to go down 24 times! Very important skill and very important to have it aced.

Gunslinger: Yet another skill which directly boosts our choice of weapons. The basic version of Gunslinger allows us to reload pistols 50% faster. This is very important, especially since akimbo pistols are notorious for having long reload times. The aced version gives us +15 damage on pistols (7,5 for each pistol when using akimbo). Only 1 word can explain the power of this skill when using pistols: Insane.

Inspire: Anyone who specs high into Mastermind usually does it to ultimately get Inspire. The basic version isn't all that strong but can be useful in certain situations. It allows us to shout at teammates, which increases their movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds. It also allows us to revive teammates 50% faster. The aced version, on the other hand, is the very definition of overpowered. It allows us to shout at teammates which are down and we have a 70% chance of reviving them instantly from a distance. Yes, it can be spammed (Press F while looking at a downed ally to trigger). It is often considered essential to have atleast 1 person running Inspire aced per team on Deathwish. Be that person.

Enforcer Skills

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of skill choices:

Transporter: This skill is a must have for any build. The basic version allows us to move 50% faster while carrying bags. The aced version allows us to throw bags 50% further. In Payday, you are constantly handling bags, so why not make it slightly more enjoyable?

Underdog: With the basic version, when surrounded by 3 or more enemies, we receive a +15% damage boost. Yet another +% damage boost! Very strong skill. However, the aced version is currently bugged, so we will stay away from it. (It makes us take more damage instead of less)

Technician Skills

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of skill choices:

We did not take any skills in the technician perk because none of them really go well with our choice of weapons/playstyle.

Ghost Skills

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of skill choices:

Sprinter: Basic version reduces the time it takes for stamina to start to regenerate by -25% and increases the regeneration rate of stamina by +25%. The aced version increases our sprint speed by +25% and increases our dodge chance by +25% while moving. Basically, this skill is at the very core of what allows us to play a dodge chance build. It gives us stamina, which couples well with high mobility and speed, and it gives us dodge chance. It's also pretty much a must have for any build.

Cat Burglar: Not a must have skill, but still pretty nice to have. It reduces the damage we take from falling from non-fatal heights by 75%. Because we have high moblity, it only feels natural to sometimes try risky jumps. This skill allows us to do exactly that without being punished to much. Still, think before you act. Taking damage isn't good, especially when it's because you decided to go full parkour mode.

Fast Hands: Quality of life skill. While aced, we receive +75% interaction speed with loot bags and while packing loot. In other words, it allows us to move bags quickly. Because we move a lot of bags in Payday, this skill is pretty much essential to stop you from going mad too quickly. Jokes aside, it is considered a must have skill for most builds.

Shinobi: Basic version increases our walk speed by 25% and our crouch speed by 10%. This is one of our sources of high moblity. Aced version is rather useless for loud because we don't really care how much noise enemies make when they die.

Fugitive Skills

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of skill choices:

Hidden Blade: Basic version increases our melee weapon concealment by 2. Not all that useful, but allows us to use better melee weapons while not affecting our dodge chance. Aced version is really useless for loud but I picked it to allow us to go further up the skill tree.

Thick Skin: With the basic version, our steadiness is increased by 10. This is pretty good considering akimbo has a stability penalty. The aced version is completely useless as we will be moving around in suits.

Run and Gun: As the name suggest, this skill allows us to run and shoot. More precisely, the basic version give us +10% movement speed, which is one of the sources of our high speed and mobility, and the aced version allows us to aim while moving without getting a speed punishment. Very strong good skill for our build. Note that this skill is not an excuse to go running in the middle of the battefield. It's not because our skills give us the possibility to do something that we should.

Sixth Sense: Completely useless for loud but required to go higher up the skill tree.

Duck and Cover: When aced, we receive +15% dodge chance when crouched. This is one of the sources of our dodge chance. Must have for this build to work properly.

Brother's Keeper: Acing this skill reduces damage thugs deal to us by 35%. This may seem useless, but believe me, thugs hit like a truck. We are also picking this skill to go higher up in the skill tree.

Winsotn Wolfe: Allows us to carry an extra body bag. Not all that useful for loud. However, we need to place a point in it in order to go higher up the skill tree. You can place this point in Daredevil if you prefer.

Swan Song: Finally, we have arrived at a skill which isn't used to slingshot our way up into the skill tree. When aced, Swan Song allows us to stay alive for 9 seconds after going down while having infinite health and ammo at the cost of our movement speed (-60%). Yes, you read that right, it wasn't a typo. This skill is incredibly powerful. It basically is our panic button to clear the room. It can also be used to fix drills, get to teammates, die where we wish, and so forth. To top it all off, if a tazer tazers us while in Swan Song, the meter will reset. This means we can easily get up to 18+ seconds of god mode!

To know when Swan Song activates itself, the game covers our health bar with a blue meter. Here is an image to help you understand (also notice how the meter resets when I get tazered):

Note: the following footage is running at highly increased speed. Keep your eyes on the blue meter.


Low Blow: This is where a massive amount of our damage comes from. Low Blow adds a certain amount of critical hit chance to our character depending on our concealment. I don't personnally know exactly how critical hits work. From what I have grasped reading around the web, critical hits basically apply headshot damage to body shots. Indeed, every unit has a headshot damage multiplier which multiplies the damage done by a bullet if it hits the head. When we score a critical hit, we apply that multiplier to the shot, wherever it hits. Now, this is the part where I'm not exactly 100% certain, but I believe that scoring a critical hit on a headshot would cause the damage to be multiplied by the headshot damage multiplier squared. In other words, Total Damage = Bullet Damage x (Headshot Multiplier)². However, I do know that when I score a critical hit when headshotting a Bulldozer, it does an insane amount of damage.

Here is a chart which shows how much concealment we need for a set amount of critical hit chance (taken from Payday 2 wiki):



Because we will be running under 5 concealment, we don't need to ace this skill.

Sneaky Bastard: This skill allows us to get dodge chance. The amount of dodge chance we receive depends on our concealment and caps at 10%.

Here is a chart which shows how much concealment we need for a set amount of dodge chance (taken from Payday 2 wiki):



Because we will be running under 5 concealment, we don't need to ace this skill.

Akimbo: Essential skill for this build to work. This skill unlocks the akimbo weapons for us to use. Sadly, we won't have enough points to ace it. Thankfully, the aced version only gives extra ammo and stability. If we scavenge the battlefield from time to time, we won't have any ammo problems (I have done entire heists without taking ammo a single time, but it's risky). Stability won't really be a problem either because we will be shooting from pretty close range.

Perk Deck

Link to pd2skills version of the build[pd2skills.com]

Explanation of the perk deck choice:

The perk deck we are going to run is the Rogue Perk Deck. The explanation is rather simple. It gives us +30% dodge chance, the regular +% damage that all the other decks give, -80% time to swap between weapons (which couples well with gunslinger) and a chance to pierce enemy armor!

Primary Weapon

Akimbo Bernetti 9 Pistols

Sadly, we are rather limited in our choice of akimbo weapons. On the other hand, that isn't really a problem because the akimbo Bernetti 9 pistols are simply godly. They have some very, very strong damage, very good firerate, good concealment and a ton of ammo! This is our close range/special unit killing machine. Bulldozers probably have nightmares about these at night. I can't blame them. The only area in which these pistols fall off is in long range trades. Luckily, we will mostly be running a pistol secondary, so that niche will be covered!


Mods:

• Flash Hider
  
• Micro Laser (Community Item)
  
• Ergo Grip
  
• Extended Mag
  
• The Elite Slide

Notes:

1. The build suggested here requires some DLC to fulfill. View the build variation section for a DLC-less version of this build!
   
2. To unlock community items, join the Payday 2 community group on steam

Secondary Weapons

Bernetti 9 Pistol

This is my personal favorite when it comes to secondary pistols. Just like it's akimbo version, it has very good fire rate, damage, concealment and ammo. The only time I really use my secondary weapon is if I have to shoot an enemy which is far away or if I need to reload my primary/running low on ammo in my akimbo pistol.


Mods:

• Flash Hider
  
• Micro Laser (Community Item)
  
• Ergo Grip
  
• Marksman Sight
  
• The Elite Slide

Gruber Kurz Pistol

This is another very viable choice. The Gruber Kurz is all around an excellent pistol. It offers more accuracy than the Bernetti 9 but has less stability. Basically, it's slightly better at long range but slightly weaker at short range. The other stats are basically the same. I personally feel more comfortable using the Bernetti 9 but honestly they are both really powerful.


Mods:

• Flash Hider
  
• Micro Laser (Community Item)
  
• Laser Grip

The Judge Shotgun

The first thing that should pop into your head when reading the name of this gun is that it isn't a pistol. It is a shotgun. Hence, it doesn't take advantage of the pistol skills we put into Mastermind. However, the judge is the best shotgun in the game if we don't have any shotgun skills. To top it all off, we can equip special ammunition into it, such as HE Rounds. Using HE Rounds, we can easily kill shields, even while being infront of them. We can also stun bulldozers, which makes them even easier to kill. Finally, the judge + Swan Song = Overpowered, because we receive infnite ammo on a spammable shotgun. Very often I have cleared entire rooms while being in Swan Song and having the Judge equipped.

Of course, using the judge has a downfall. When having it equipped, we struggle at killing opponents at long range. I personally use the judge if I know we are going to be in a crowded and closed area for most of the heist where long range is useless, like Hotline Miami day 2. I also sometimes use the judge if no one else on my team is running heavy fire power to kill bulldozers. Use carefuly.


Mods:

• HE Round
  
• Compact Laser Module (optionnal)

Other Secondary Weapons:

I personally am not really a fan of any other secondary pistols. However, that doesn't mean that other pistols wouldn't be viable with this build. If you prefer another pistol to the ones I suggested, go ahead and use it. Chances are you will play this build slightly differently than me, which would explain why other pistols may fit you better.

Notes:

1. The build suggested here requires some DLC to fulfill. View the build variation section for a DLC-less version of this build!
   
2. To unlock community items, join the Payday 2 community group on steam

[/i]

Melee/Armor/Deployable

Melee:

I personally use the Boxing Gloves because I like the feeling I get when I hit with them. Note that any melee weapon with identical or higher concealment than the concealment of the Boxing Gloves will do the trick. Go with whatever you feel comfortable using.

Armor:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we will be robbing banks and killing cops in...suits! Two-piece suits, to be precise. Why this perticular piece of clothing, you may ask? Well, it offers us the most dodge chance, speed, stamina and mobility out of all the armors.

Face it, you will never have looked this classy robbing a bank.

If you followed the guide correctly, you should be able to see 50 next to dodge when you select your armor. This means we achieve 50% dodge chance at all time, which can be buffed up to 65% when crouching and 75% when moving.

Deployable:

Because of how we specced our skills, it would only make sense to pick up what we invested our points in. Hence, we will be using the Medic Bag as our deployable. We have a total of 2 Medic Bags, each containing 4 charges. Each charge heals up completely and regenerates downs (after 3 downs, a player must use a Medic Bag or he will go into custody on his 4th down). Use it wisely.

How to play this build

Play Style

• Even if it seems natural to run around the battefield when playing this build, don't! You should always stick to cover and play as if you had armor. More importantly, stay with your teammates! Remember that you have inspire. Hence, it is your job to help up your teammates, and you can't do that if you are down!
  
  
• The other really important factor for a successful heist is communication. Communicate with your team, even if you don't use voice chat. I cannot stress this enough. Before doing any important action, for example going to get the drill in Hotline Miami Day 2, you must warn your team so that they can cover you/you can cover them. Even if we have Swan Song, we do not want die!
  
  
• Deathwish is a team game, always place the team before yourself!
  
  
• Remember that you have 2 deployables. Do not waste them! If you know that you are only going to stay in an area for a short amount of time, try not to use a deployable at that area unless it is extremely urgent (i.e. a teammate has 3 downs). Also , you should try to place your deployables in safe areas and near the other deployables of your teammates! Do not place them too far, you should always be able to quickly cover someone going to use your Medic Bag!
  
  
• Sometimes, if there are no cops around and none of your teammates desperatly need ammo, you can run to go scavenge bullets dropped by the cops upon death. Do not do this if your teammates are under fire or if there is a risk of you going down! If you have a chance of going down while scavenging, use an ammo bag instead!
  
  
• Your biggest weakness is flashbangs

A few things to know about Swan Song

• The meter of Swan Song will reset if a Tazer tazers you. Use this to your advantage.
  
• Always try and go down in a safe area near your allies
  
• Cloakers, fire and falling from fatal heights will not trigger Swan Song

How to kill specials:

• Bulldozers: Bulldozers aren't really hard to kill. Mark him and shoot at his face using your akimbo pistols as quickly as possible. Do not rush at him, let him come to you and always stick to cover! Bulldozers can put you down very quickly if you aren't lucky, so be careful. If you are using a judge, shoot 2 times at his face, then switch to akimbo for the easiest kill of your life.
  
  
• Tazers: Tazers are rather easy. Try marking and killing them before they tazer you. If you hear a tazer, make sure you are near your team so they can help you kill him in the event that he hides behind a an object while you are tazered. Note that when you are tazered, you can still press your mouse to shoot whenever you like. Use this to your advantage.
  
  
• Cloakers: Cloakers aren't hard to kill, especially with the akimbo pistols. However, they sneak up on you when you don't expect it. Never run alone, because cloakers are notorious for killing you when you go running around alone. If you hear a cloaker chasing you, run towards your team. Sometimes, you manage to outrun them/they miss their kick. If you see the cloaker running towards you, shoot him down as fast as possible.
  
  
• Shields: Shields are probably the hardest unit for you to kill if you aren't running a Judge. Try getting behind a shield to kill him. If you really cannot get rid of him, throw a grenade. Be careful with grenades, they hurt your allies aswell. If you are using a judge, just mark them and shoot at them from the front.
  
  
• Snipers: Snipers aren't hard to kill. Just switch to your secondary weapon and kill them. In the event that you are running a judge, try to shoot them down with your akimbo pistols or simply mark them, stick to cover and wait for a teammate to kill it.

Gifs and Videos

Gifs

Here are various animations of me killing bulldozers. Notice how sometimes they just drop dead instantly when they still have health left. That is the power of Critical Hits!

Videos

It's now time for me to put my money where my mouth is. Here is a video of me performing Rats Pro Job on Deathwish.

Build Variations

Infamy-less Build Variation

• Click Me![pd2skills.com]

DLC-less Build Variation

• Primary: Akimbo Bernetti 9 Pistols
  
• Mods:
  • Facepunch Compensator
    
  • Micro Laser (Community Item)
    
  • Ergo Grip
    
  • The Elite Slide]
• Secondary: Bernetti 9 Pistol
  
• Mods:
  • Facepunch Compensator
    
  • Micro Laser (Community Item)
    
  • Ergo Grip
    
  • Marksman Sight
    
  • The Elite Slide

Conclusion

A Note From The Author

Hey guys,

Thanks for taking the time to read my guide. I hope you enjoyed both reading the guide and playing the build! Personally, I adore this build and I think it's the most fun build I've played in all my time in Payday.

Of course, this guide is far from perfect. That is why we are asking for your constructive criticism and tips to improve it. Feel free to add me if you have a very good suggestion that you want to be sure I read or if you simply want to see me play the build. Remember, the best way to test something in this game is to try it yourself.

Finally, if this guide was helpful to you, if you liked the build or simply if you think the guide is well made, please give us a thumbs up. It helps A LOT and it only takes 2 seconds!

- AtlanticQc

Contributors

Goalball: Thanks for playtesting the build and giving your opinion on it!

Other Guides

Here are links to other guides I've made:

• Optimal Utility Dodge Build [Deathwish Certified]

[Chuchichuchachu]

dammit :/

[Atlantic]

Very, very outdatedl

[Chuchichuchachu]

outdated?

[Jake]

Is there going to be a update 100 build of this?
EDIT: spelling

[Tinca]

Nice build il definetly be using it :D

[Buddy]

from the completely overkill pack just another gunskin

[Buddy]

i don't blame you for giving up on this i blame overkill cause their a bunch of sad people that content i found out was just another gun skin god bless you i tried but i find deagles were more effective for me

[Atlantic]

Hello,
In the past weeks, Overkill's business practice has caused an outrage amongst its fans. I am one of those fans. The addition of microtransactions is fine with me, but the fact that you can pay to get weapon stats isn't! To top it all off, the announcement of the rewards for the Completely Overkill Pack, which were supposed to be purely cosmetic, is even more infuriating. I completely despise what Overkill has done and feel as if they have broken the game I once loved.

As such, I will no longer be updating or responding to my guides (they are out of date anyways) and will not be returning to Payday 2 until Overkill explains their recent actions.

For those of you who still play this game, keep those helmets flying ;). Have a good one fellows, and feel free to add me if you want to play other games.

-Atlantic

[Cylinum]

where i can get the mag?

[Cylinum]

how to get the Extended Mag?