KEY POINTS

  • Katanas are great options for melee-oriented players
  • Invest in high Body and Reflexes to get the most out of melee weapons
  • Build toward getting as many critical hit stats as possible

In a world full of guns, cybernetic implants and all other weapons of destruction, it’s ironic how a traditional Japanese sword can become one of the most powerful tools that “Cyberpunk 2077” players can wield.

There are some strong and enticing firearm builds in the game, but anyone who wants to roleplay as a neon ninja or an urban samurai will want to go down the full Katana route. Melee weapons aren’t bad at all in “Cyberpunk 2077,” and they can be made wildly OP with the right setup of perks and items.

Best Katana Builds

When built correctly, players can straight-up obliterate enemies with massive damage from a single Katana swipe. But, this requires a very specific build.

Players will want to invest in the Body and Reflexes stat. Pouring points into the former will boost health, stamina and raw melee damage, while the latter increases critical hit and mitigation chances. A somewhat even distribution of points between these stats will work nicely, but feel free to lean more toward either a brawler (Body) or glass cannon (Reflexes) playstyle.

Next, take the following perks from the Blades tree:

  • Float Like a Butterfly
  • Blessed Blade
  • Dragon Strike
  • Roaring Waters
  • Judge, Jury and Executioner
  • Deathbolt
  • Flight of the Sparrow
  • Shifting Sands
  • Slow and Steady

This build revolves around getting the first charged attack on the enemy to critically strike to maximize the damage of Judge, Jury and Executioner. With that in mind, players should focus on getting as much critical hit chance as they can from buffs and items.

Katanas can be surprisingly effective even against guns in Cyberpunk 2077
Katanas can be surprisingly effective even against guns in Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077

The Fortuna and Deadeye mods can help increase critical hit chance just by slotting them into armor mod sockets. Take note that as of the 1.5 patch, such mods can no longer be installed into multiple armor pieces, which will hamper the effectiveness of crit-based builds in general.

As for weapons, players can choose between the Satori, the Jinchu-Maru and any legendary rarity Katana with favorable stats.

Satori and its ~500% critical hit damage bonus can one-shot enemies on the first strike, assuming it crits. On the other hand, Jinchu-Maru can grant players a 100% critical hit chance if they have Kerenzikov active, and the last hit of every combo will always deal double damage. The latter favors attack speed, so the perk build may need some tweaks to get the most out of this weapon.

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