After my Dragonfall Solo Guide now comes the Hong Kong version.

What I am talking about here, "the Solo", means to never take anybody besides your Main Character onto any runs if you have a choice. You are however allowed to fully use any and all characters that join your party without you having a choice. In short: the initial missions are not solo'd. You'll have around ~90 Karma when the true solo starts.

SR:HK has several new challenges, not least melee opponents. Melees can often deal AP damage and flush from cover. That opens up getting crit'ed by everybody, even stunlock is a thing. As a result armor alone does not do the trick. It is still powerful, only not as potent as it was in DF.

Since there is a mandatory run requiring a Decker every solo character needs to be a Decker.
In case you don't solo there's no reason to get Intelligence & Decking 3.

Overall SRHK is harder to solo than its predecessor. My SRDF guide followed a more flexible approach. This time I've narrowed it down to a well tried and tested build to accomodate for the increased difficulty.

Karma Investments

Read:
STAT Starting Value -> Mid term goal -> Final Value

Body 3 -> 5 -> 7
Cyber Affinity 0 -> 5 -> 7 {CA 5 for Wired Reflexes early on, 7 for Razors}

Strength 6 -> 9 -> max {9 after CA 5 & Thrown 6, maxed out in the end / bonus campaign}
Thrown 5 -> 6 -> 6
Close Combat 0 -> 0 -> 6 {The Razors are available after the 6th run}

Intelligence 1 -> 1 -> 3
Decking 1 -> 1 -> 3 {INT 3 & Decking 3 are required to solo the Tower!}
Biotech 0 -> 0 -> 2 {optional, to see enemy HP}

Charisma 3 -> 3 -> 4 {You can roleplay etiquettes, default is gang}
Conjuring 2 -> 2 -> 4 {Armor and Haste really - Conjuring 4 is not a priority}
Summoning 3 -> 3 -> 3 {Leopard Totem by default}

Quickness 1 -> 1 -> 1
Dodge 0 -> 0 -> 3 {optional, but very useful for the bonus campaign}

Willpower 1 -> 1 -> 1


Race: Orc or Troll. {The troll is slightly better, but an orc's max Strength qualifies as well}

! Max Strength ! Mind 2 cyber-/bioware arms give +2, the maximum of 15 is probably absolute. Makes 13 STR the maximum useful natural Strength - my orc had 12.



Cyberware

Head: Datajack (preinstalled)
Body: Wired Reflexes (immediately after the 2nd run - mind the Cyber Affinity 5 requirement!)
Eyes: Alpha Cybereyes (between 2nd and 6th run)
Hand: Razors (after the 6th run)
Arms: 2x Muscle Augmentation (after the 6th run)
Skin: Cross-Dermal Sheath OR Orthoskin (early CBS, else perhaps OS)
Legs: Hydraulic Jack Mk.2 OR Mk.1 (Very good; Mk.2 is slightly better, but requires waiting)



Equipment & Monetary Issues

We need precious little, which is what inspired the build in the 1st place.

Shuriken
...are our first buy. They'll last for the whole game. Shuriken are cheap, strong early and scale decently until the very end.

The conjuring spells Armor and Haste
...are high up the list and go a long way. Mind Haste 1 is best when having time to prepare, when you are in combat but have an opponent that's kindly waiting for you to make the next move. That's also why the cooldown isn't that important: In situations where Haste 1 shines you can simply wait for it to come up if necessary. Haste II makes for a good upgrade sooner or later. Armor lasts for the whole combat, which makes it efficient even with a high cooldown due to a low essence. That said mages can strip Your armor, the bonus campaign doubles down on armor shred even further. Recasting armor allows building Your armor back up and that is cooldown-sensitive. Low level Conjuring is a very powerful option in a solo, less so in party play. Still not bad, only not required and yet another thing You need to consider and manually use in addition to a whole party loaded with options to consider and play around.

For consumables
...we'll never pass on Jazz and Cram. The Red Spear Gang has Jazz btw.
Early on a pair of Grenades may shine when confronting a bunch of opponents, e.g. the Repulse Bay Hotel, when meeting Neville Ma's "associates". Throwing Weapons 5+ allows to throw two in one turn (especially if also using Cram or Jazz). It is immensely expensive and should be avoided, but at times it might be the only way to deal with amassed enemies. Combine with the knife's AoE if possible.
Besides that Medkits are decent, so we'll want one or two of those. They aren't that great and cost money however, so try and make do with what You find; better yet do not get injured in the 1st place. Medkits can (and mostly should) be used out of combat, while healing balm is slightly more combat-effective. DocWagon kits do not work in a solo - the idea is somebody else reviving you after all.

Wired Reflexes
...are too good to be true: It's what we prepare for from the start. After two runs you ought to have Cyber Affinity 5 and 2950 nuyen to get this immediately.

Cross-Dermal Sheath
...is a borderline overpowered item, especially when bought soon after Wired Reflexes. Its heal over time is okay for 1 AP, but what really makes it shine are frequent situations that play out in combat mode despite no enemies actively attacking You: It allows You to fully heal up over however many turns. There is no effective AP cost, nor a limit to the healing done then. It can solve challenges by itself. That however depends on the scenario and doesn't reflect the actual combat efficiency of the item. It makes more sense to think of it as being overpowered in specific situations that may occur between fights. In the actual epic fights it is still very good, but no longer blatantly overpowered. One of many powerful options in a by then already utility loaden build. Since it is also essence intense and competes with other powerful options to buy early on it's not mandatory, though a strong contender.

The Kunai Ninja Suit
...is pretty powerful and synergizes with the armor spell and the leopard totem. It is available after two paid runs. That suit can serve you throughout the whole main campaign. Earlier on you'd buy a suit w/ 3 armor by default. The early armor could be skipped on, specifically if you do Is0bel's run 2nd. It is not that expensive however - about as much as two consumables. It sells half price, so early armor 3 is cheaper than Jazz. If possible we'd still like a tier 3 armor in the end of course. Relying on armor alone is not what a Ninja should do however. Tier 3 would be especially useful for the Tower final. Armor can be stacked indefinitely and not just up until 10, as is readable in the character screen and apparent in damage calculations.

The initial cyberdeck
...does the trick up until the Tower, after 6 or 7 runs. For that we'll want a Kraftwerk. Even before that we could buy a program or two, most notably Blaster. The Blaster will counteract the abysmal toHit chance we'll bring with Decking 1. Shield 3 is another powerful option for a low level decker and prevents host damage through black ice entirely.
Currently I struggle to complete the Tower with Decking 1. I reckon it is possible yet not viable. To pull that off it probably requires not just a sound strategy, but also luck or in-fight quicksaves or Is0bel's deck. Tier 3 armor would help, good programs are mandatory, multiple doses of Cram are recommended.

Yamatetsu Handrazors
...pretty much complete the build. Of course you ought to have 21 karma to get Close Combat 6 immediately after aquiring those - after the 6th run that is. 1950 Nuyen, plus 2x 2750 Nuyen for the arms that are unlocked at the same time.
Starting with Cyber Affinity 1 would give us free handrazors. Now I didn't go there and started with only shuriken, but it's well possible. What's harder to do is to get the karma to level up both Close Combat and Throwing from the start. These offense skills tend to be rather useless at very low levels.

Dodge
...is really powerful in a solo. It renders You harder to hit. The opponents shoot at what's easiest to hit. Hence in party play Dodge typically leads to the enemies shooting somebody else, but in a solo there is nobody else. In a solo it finally actually leads to the enemies missing their shots. Also the Ninja wants the bioware Muscle Augmentation arms that give Strength and Quickness anyway, as well as Cyber Affinity 6 which coincidentally allows raising Dodge based on the cyber-buffed Quickness value. Hence the Ninja can get Dodge 3 w/o raising Quickness (and possibly more).

Whatever you do: Don't waste money! You'll need consumables early on, but mind none of them are free. Sell everything you don't need, do every run as best You can for a good paycheck! The weapons of a Ninja are cheap, but the chrome is not.

Shuriken are overpowered, cyberweapons are overpowered and they synergize well.

Shuriken
...basically work as the strongest early "melee" weapon (ST+6) for the lowest price (500). They allow moving and attacking for 1 AP and flush from cover, just like any melee weapon. Only that they are not melee at all, but throwing weapons with 15 range. Unlike actual melee weapons those can make sense of their own flushing ability, which is extremely useful in a solo.
Throwing Weapons 5 unlocks 1 AP grenades. That's massive early AoE burst if you throw two grenades in a single turn. It's too expensive to be a standard, yet it is a way to win otherwise impossible early fights against amassed opponents.
The pinning attack basically shuts down singular melee opponents. They are entirely helpless against it, which remains useful throughout the game. Sadly the Shuriken's AoE attack is bugged (secondary targets "only" lose AP), but Shuriken are overpowered anyway. Knives are kept, because they have separate cooldowns, can cause AoE damage and offer a different range.

Cyberweapons
...are strong, but not necessarily overpowered in terms of damage. All melees eventually outdamage most ranged options. Cyberweapons are up there, although Qi Adepts should deal higher damage. Thing is: The "weapon skill" for them is Cyber Affinity and you'll need that anyway. CA 6 is so good that it is almost always taken, even w/o ever using it as a weapon skill. Thus Cyberweapons get their weapon skill for free! That's what makes them so absurdly strong. They may even outdamage a Qi Adept, because they are so much cheaper in Karma and may use that Karma to amp their damage output. For instance with spells or simply more Strength. With Cyberweapons 7 you'll have a high crit chance, so you can compete even with the autocrit Qi Adepts have - potentially with a higher toHit chance, more Strength, definitely more armor penetration, bleeding and two special attacks that allow multiple hits for 1 AP (2xHit / AoE). To top it off we receive a little bonus in cyberweapons not needing a weapon slot, so we can keep our knives and a deck additionally to our Razors and Shuriken.

The Synergy
...between the two is Strength. Strength defines damage for both Shuriken and cyberweapons and also adds toHit chance. Thus we can stick with moderate Throwing & Close Combat skills by maxing out Strength, which raises toHit for both. That combo runs smooth throughout the game, since range is very strong early (when we are too weak to expose ourselves that much) and melee is great later on (due to the high damage output). Because we won't need early Razors all our weapon investments last: Shuriken are kept and remain strong, Razors are bought only after the better version is available. That's precious money we save. Even combined those twin fangs are easy on both money and karma, which is key in a solo: It allows for further Jack of all Trades qualities (Decking / Magic) as well as state of the art cyberware.
Last but not least flexible movement is the strongest ability in any solo and there's nobody better at it than the Ninja. Using the different ranges and the ability to move & attack we may use almost every AP for attacking, while still repositioning ourselves all the time. This defines the highly mobile, flexible playstyle of a Ninja.

Main Campaign
The initial missions shouldn't pose much of a problem, given they aren't solo'd.
What is hard is starting the actual solo, taking runs.
First trump card we play: Easy runs. We need to unlock tier 2 gear somehow, so we need to do two runs. If those don't work out perfectly, well... We still got two runs in!

Whampoa Garden is the first run. It's detective work, little fighting. The Ninja could actually kill the Red Spear Gang, but it is very costly and not worth it. Solve it as good as possible, take it easy if it isn't perfect.

DeckCon will be the 2nd. It's Is0bel's run and requires taking her. If you go full challenger you can skip on the loyalty runs to "keep it solo": The Ninja can do it! However: This is an easy run right when we need one, so skipping on it is more costly than just "one run less".

Rooster Lo isn't too hard to kidnap if you skip the formalities. If we'd do this later on we could pick up a few extras, but then we need to get there first. Bring consumables, get that door opened and go home to receive payment.

The Dig is a run that allows kiting the enemy. They run towards you - you run away. With Wired Reflexes you can attack once every turn and keep it up. Keep consumables for your return upstairs.

Neville Ma's Party is all about the final confrontation (spoilers ahead). It might be possible to lure in the vampire lady and burst her down quickly, using everything You've got. The moment she's down the fight is over, so this would elegantly allow not to engage her henchmen. It requires high burst though, as attacking her will expose You to her goons while she will retreat and heal. One turn is all the time You've got. Nothing You could easily achieve early on, You'll need to gather Your tools first.
Else the goon squad tends to cluster up, consisting of melee fighters. Hence those guys can be defeated with AoE. Double grenades and the knife AoE are hard to combine (likely needs Cram), but that would probably settle the fight. Expensive and not even easy, yet an option the Ninja can attempt even relatively early on.

Decking doesn't always try your stats. Many a system can be cracked using Decking 1 and a Blaster. The Tower is rough though and even Decking 3 makes it the hardest run within the main campaign. It would be a lot easier with Decking 5, which also unlocks a superior deck. Perhaps it would be alright to go there, but it would definitely cut down your meat space impact.

Okay, time to let go and do your thing.
Good Luck!



Bonus Campaign
Now this is where it gets tricky again. You are powerful, but so are the opponents! Captains and Grenadiers have Magnet Arms, so save your grenades. Dodge is really nice, because the opponents do not only deal AP damage at times, but also strip your armor. There is no "toughing it out": On the long run you either prevent getting hit or go down eventually.
Use your swiftness as a Ninja to hunt down one after the other. Wired Reflexes, Hydraulic Leg, Leopard, Haste and pinning Shuriken: It's the Ninja that decides who fights whom, when and where.

The Final
It is all it ought to be: Incredibly hard in a solo - close enough to impossible to lose all hope.
It needs you to understand the fight. Identify the fight's mechanics, identify the serious threats and keep moving! Do the impossible!

The Qi Adept has a lot less utility than the Ninja. Early on the Ninja's range puts him into an advantage. An adept's gear is a bit more expensive.
This is the build I currently play, but it has yet to pass the hardest fights! Although I'm confident this build will perform admirably throughout the game I won't give any guarantees for solo Qi Adept runs ;)

The Idea: Maximum Damage
If build correctly the Sword Adept will almost exclusively use the Qi Onslaught: three guaranteed crits for 2 AP. With Strength 15 (13 + 2) and multiple good weapons that's the highest late game damage. That's like 50 dmg / AP on average.

Race: Troll {Not versatile, not subtle, nor elegant: We want brutal Strength above all.}


Karma Investments

Read:
STAT Starting Value -> Mid term goal -> Finished Core -> Bonus

Body 3 -> 5 -> 5
Cyber Affinity 0 -> 5 -> 5 {CA 5 for Wired Reflexes early on}

Strength 6 -> 7 -> 10 -> 13 {After finishing the core build karma goes into Strength & CC}
Close Combat 5 -> 5 -> 6 -> 8 {The Adept needs extra toHit for Qi Onslaught}

Intelligence 1 -> 1 -> 3
Decking 1 -> 1 -> 3 {INT 3 & Decking 3 are required to solo the Tower!}

Charisma 1 -> 1 -> 1

Quickness 1 -> 1 -> 1

Willpower 1 -> 5 -> 7 {Cyber Affinity 6 would allow to use a Pain Editor to save 7 karma}
Qi Casting 1 -> 5 -> 7


Bonus: To add detail to the untested late game stages I've added the fourth "bonus" value. If your toHit deems you unsatisfying you can prioritize the Close Combat bonus, otherwise Strength adds damage on top of half as much toHit.

Cyberware

Head: Datajack (preinstalled)
Body: Wired Reflexes (immediately after the 2nd run - mind the Cyber Affinity 5 requirement!)
Arms: 2x Muscle Augmentation (after the 6th run)

Optional:
Skin: Orthoskin
Eyes: Alpha Cybereyes
Legs: Hydraulic Jack Mk.1



Equipment & Monetary Issues

Stun Glove
...is bought in Whampoa Garden.

For consumables
...we'll never pass on Jazz and Cram.
Besides that Medkits are decent, so we'll want one or two of those.

Wired Reflexes
...are too good to be true: It's what we prepare for from the start. After two runs you ought to have Cyber Affinity 5 and 2950 nuyen to get this immediately.

Qi Spells
...start with Killing Hands initially and use it with the glove. With Qi 5 Martial Defense is unlocked and Qi 6 offers Mystic Armor. The bonded spell Killing Hands + Stride needs Qi 7.

Sword
Guess we ought to have a few. Best we don't insist on it however: Qi Casting 1 already offers Killing Hands, which is more powerful a start anyway. Upgraded with gloves we ought to be fine. There's the Emperor's Sword we'll get once slaying the mummy during The Dig.
The final weapon becomes available after the 6th run only. There's a few options. Until then we won't waste money. Since Qi Onslaught has a cooldown that counts per weapon we keep the Emperor's Sword. In fact it is worthwhile to get another end game weapon (or even two, for a total of three) in the bonus campaign for the same reason: multiple Onslaughts per turn.

The Kunai Ninja Suit
...is pretty powerful still, but there's no leopard totem to synergize with. It is available after two paid runs. That suit can still serve us throughout the whole main campaign, but we wouldn't say nay to a tier 3 suit either, if we can afford one.

The initial cyberdeck
...does the trick up until the Tower, after 6 or 7 runs. For that we'll want a Kraftwerk. Even before that one could buy a programs or two, most notably a Blaster. The Blaster will counteract the abysmal toHit chance we'll bring with Decking 1. Mind Decking 3 is rough. Really rough as far as the Tower goes! The solo adept however can't afford Decking 5 w/o losing damage. You could go there, but there's others - like the Ninja - that easily take the throne and quickly outdamage a half-committed adept. This is the "King of Damage" build - Decking 5 is not part of it.
Decking 1 on the other hand is possible, but in the tower it is not viable. It depends on luck or in-fight saves and most likely results in frustrating lessons in humility. If the player aquires Is0bel's deck through a glitch Decking 1 becomes viable (though still very hard), as it is basically a Kraftwerk w/o the decking requirements. I wouldn't bother mentioning the possibility, but this build is desperately clinging to every point of karma and thus might go there despite all.


Damage Calculations
Actually it is up to (15 {Str} + 5 {Sword}) * 1.75 {crit average} * 3 {attacks} / 2 {AP} = 52.5 damage per AP on average.
"Up to" 52.5 dmg/AP because You need to hit those attacks as well. Qi Onslaught attacks with a toHit penalty, so that'll be an issue until late game gear & skill levels compensate. Oh and there's weapons with higher damage (6 / 7), but the AP gain is hard to skip on. It would get more complicated with armor considered, but if other builds compare to this build's dmg with this simplified formula they can count themselves lucky: Critical hits are really good at cutting through armor. Might counterbalance the weaker toHit chance I guess.

Auto-Reloader Arm + Grenade Launcher!
That's one lethal combo. It has high early damage and much appreciated AoE to succeed in those very challenging "One vs World" scenarios. It is in fact so good: A ranged character may want to skip on weapon skills for a start and bank entirely on this. Later on one finds some free weapons to save money. Ironically that makes heavy weapons the cheapest ranged weapons (with the exception of the Vindicator)...
My approach: Get that Launcher, next a free Laser, later on a free assault rifle and finally the Panther. Perhaps a Minigun in between to update the AoE capabilities.
Ranged chars usually lack AoE and late game damage - not the heavy! The early runs are mastered using the blatantly overpowered Reloader/Launcher combo, later on you've got high damage with heavy weapons. None of these need high-end skills, although their lack of a smartlink suggests at least a properly developped Ranged Combat skill. Combines well with Fish & Dodge, since Dodge can be just the late game insurance we need when the launcher is no longer a thing.
So far I only tested the Reloader/Launcher stages of the build and that's definitely a good way to get started. Gets one to the Laser.

Obviously the guide doesn't render a solo a walk in the park, also there might be some confusion if people try and play a party Ninja. This guide deliberately limits itself to a relatively clear cut build idea, along with some introductory pointers towards playstyle and mechanics as well as a suggested selection of early runs. The detail is limited for the sake of brevity, clarity and spoiler avoidance.

That said there's no such limit regarding the questions You may pose - please feel free to ask away! While I might not be on steam daily I'll still do my best to answer as soon as I can.