I've got a Monowire and it's cool as hell. Who wouldn't want to run around with a laser whip-cum-garrote.

But I don't really understand how to properly get the most out of this weapon. Its range is inscrutable to me, the damage seems to vary wildly, sometimes it's lethal and severs limbs and heads with abandon, other times I defeat enemies and they're writhing on the floor "unconscious" as though I did a non-lethal takedown, and perhaps most importantly, I cannot for the life of me figure out what stats, skills and perks support using this thing well.

So what am I missing here, beyond simply target enemy -> press attack button in order to get more out of my wrist-mounted laser whips?