Kyudo Samurai (Bow + Katana) Build Guide

After doing a bit of experimenting with the bow + katana build type, I have decided to share my knowlege on the build here.

Rememer that this isn't quite necessarily a build itself, just a guide about how to make a kyudo samurai.

Spoiler: Why is it called the Kyudo Samurai?

Some of you may be thinking, "what does kyudo mean?". Kyudo is the Japanese martial art of using a bow/archery, so I figured that since you use a katana as a sub-weapon, and a katana is a Japanese weapon, that calling the bow + katana build the "kyudo samurai" made sense.

Spoiler: Build Overview & Function

The kyudo samurai's (or just kyudo) function is similar to a normal bow sniper/archer, but they have a few key differences that make them a unique class.
-Since they get +65 critical rate from meikyo shisui and you focus most of your stat points on DEX, the kyudo doesn't need too many crit gears since they can put meikyo in front of their main dps skill and land the rest of their attacks by using their hit rate. The only issue with that is that you usually can't fight bosses like Zolban because a lot of those attacks will miss.
-Though weak at first, they can potentially have stronger snipes than a regular sniper since they can get most of their crit from meikyo, then focus the rest of their equips on cdmg, ATK%, DEX%, element, damage to element, and even things like AMPR.
-Their combos are very flexible and have a lot of customization. Since they main both the shot and mononofu skills thay have a large variety of skills to use in their combos. Kyudos have 4 main dps skills: Snipe, Arrow Rain, Hasso Happa, and Zantei Settetsu. With the kyudo, all of these skills do roughly the same amount of damage, so you can choose one based on what kind of situation you are in.
-One thing to note about kyudo builds is that, even though they are DPS focused builds, their snipe’s damage suffers from not being able to equip elemental arrows, and hasso happa & zantei settetsu suffer from not having the two hands passive in effect. The best way to fix this would be to make a bunch of elemental bows to compensate for not being able to equip an arrow, while the katana will allow you to fully benefit from meikyo shisui’s crit rate buff. Kyudo samurai could potentially be more powerful than a regular sniper, but you would need to have a lot of spina and other resources for that.

Spoiler: Stat Distribution

Full DEX then STR. You can spend a few points on CRT if you want to fill in the extra gap that you still have because 25 + 65 = 90, though I would recommend using equipment for that. Spend a few points on VIT if you need more HP.

Spoiler: Skills

Green = Recommended
Blue = Optional
*Note: you might not be able to get all of these skills.

Shot Skills:
-Power Shot 5
-Moeba Shot 5 ~ 10 for extra damage
-Paralysis Shot 5 ~ 10 For extra stability; this helps since your stability is only at 60%, though it could ruin proration
-Smoke Dust 1 ~ 10 if you want extra accuracy (optional but not recommended)
-Bullseye 5
-Snipe 10
-Arrow Rain 10
-ATK raising skill that I forgot the name of
-Sneak Attack 10
-Long Range 10
-Quick Draw 10

Mononofu skills:
-Issen 5
-Pulse Blade 5 ~ 10 for extra damage
-Triple Thrust 5 ~ 10 for stronger damage buff (not highly recommended)
-Hasso Happa 10
-Pommel Strike 5 ~ 10 for higher stun rate
-Magadachi 5 ~ 10 if you want to use this skill for blocking attacks
-Zantei Settetsu 10
-Bushido 5 ~ 10 if you want to convert this build into a normal samurai
-Two-Hands 5 ~ 10 if you want to convert this build into a normal samurai
-Meikyo Shisui 10
-Shukuchi 10 if you want to convert this build into a normal samurai

Halberd Skills:
-Quick Aura 1 ~ 10; get this skill to 1 if you want to use it as a filler, get it to 10 for extra ASPD if you need it

Magic Skills:
-Arrows 5
-Javelin 5
-Lances 5
-Impact 7
-MP Charge 1 ~ 10

Blade Skills:
-Sword Mastery 5
-Quick Slash 5
-War Cry 1 ~ 10

*Other skills such as survival and battle skills are up to you

Spoiler: Equipment

Bow:
-Element; elemental bows are recommended since you don't need crit rate stats and you can't equip an arrow since you have a katana equipped as a sub-weapon.
-Damage to element%
-Critical damage

Sub weapon:
-Any katana, the stats don't matter. You can still put stats on your katana though if you want to make your build convertible into a normal samurai
-Elemental arrows if you want to be able to convert your build to a normal archer (I'll list them later)

Armor:
-Full crit (c141414%cd7%)
-Anything with ATK%, cd/cd%, etc. if you want to fill in your missing crit rate with CRT or crystas

Additonal gear:
-Grecia mask
-Whatever you prefer to equip for your archer (I'll list a few equips later)

Special gear:
Dex talisman III

Crystas:
-Roga/Iconos
-Bexis
-Warmonger/Proto Leon
-Eerie Crystal/Tapir
-Whatever you would equip with a normal archer

Spoiler: Combos

*Note: not all of these can be active at the same time

Kyudo combo 1 (1mp):
moeba shot> smoke dust (save)> meikyo shisui (consecutive)> hasso happa (smite)> triple thrust/paralysis shot (consecutive)

Kyudo combo 2 (1mp):
moeba shot> smoke dust (save)> meikyo shisui (consecutive)> snipe/zantei settetsu (smite)> pulse blade (swift)

Heavy Combo (4-5mp):
impact> snipe/zantei settetsu/hasso happa (smite)> meikyo shisui (consecutive)

Stun combo (1-2mp):
moeba shot> smoke dust (save)> paralysis shot (swift/smite)> pommel strike (swift/smite)> impact (consecutive); impact is at the end so that you can use pommel stike again for only 1mp in case the first stun didn't succeed.

Bow + arrow combo (1mp):
moeba shot> smoke dust (save)> impact (conscutive)> sneak attack (swift) meikyo shisui (consecutive)> snipe (smite)> paralysis shot (consecutive)

Katana main combo (3-4mp):
pulse blade> impact (save)> meikyo shisui (consecutive)> zantei settetsu/hasso happa (smite)> triple thrust (consecuitve)

*Remember to edit these combos however you like; these are just ideas.

Spoiler: Video(s)

This build is mostly experimental, so it may not be the most efficient killer, but if someone works hard enough on it then it could be a viable class.

 

+65 crit rate ???

 

Yes, you get 20 by default, 2 every level, and 25 if you have a katana equipped. The buff does get consumed if you use another skill though, so it's not as overpowered as it seems. That's the reason you need to put it before your main DPS skill.

 

i thought 65 for main samurai?

 

You get it for both main and sub.

 

katanas cannot equip arrows.
all skill points spent on arrow attacks and bow mastery will be lost.

 

Yeah, but im thinking that this build can go both ways maybe? If your bored with bow arrow u can also switch to katana main and vice versa and also as sub. Is that possible? Im planning to reset my skills to giveway at mononofu XD

 

meikyo no cdmg reduce when katana as sub?

 

Nope, and that's why it works for this build

 

emmm...
can show a video SNIPE dmg use meikyo n none meikyo?

 

Well, I didn't make the build, I'm just answering for him. But you can trust me about Meikyo not reducing CDMG for Katana sub, but if you insist, I suppose I can make a video to prove my point.

 

i trust u

ok its time for work hard again.
bow+katana

but i doubt about bow element i can get all

 

well outside light and dark element it is quite easy to get elemental bows with element,damage to element,flat c + cd as they just need 39pot. At least that was the case last time i played...

 

I just meant katana + nothing

Yeah, this is what I meant.

 

the damage zantei n hasso are half than original mononofu build
50%+ dmg reduce

 

It's more like 33% since two hands gives +50% ATK to crits and not +100%, it's actually still a little bit less than that since we also haven't thrown in skill constants. Either way, 50% and 33% is still a lot of damage which is why this build needs to have elemental bows which would make the damage reduction more like 8%.

 

Even with ele it wont be 8% reduced. Also katana get element too so the reduction doesnt count, not to mention katana usually has lot of unsheathe atk which is kinda waste on bow katana since shot skills are not unsheathe. If bow katana doesnt get unsheathe then that + the loss from two handed will indeed mean you will do less than half the damage pure katana does.

I am waiting for a non unsheathe katana skill if they release such a skill I will make bow katana right away as well.

 

Ya, I redid my math and discovered an error. it's more like a 25% damage reduction, which is a lot better than a 50% reduction, or course. Since snipe does enough damage without skills like two-hands (lol, because it can't) then it should do a proper amount of damage with an elemental bow. Since zantei and hasso do a similar amount of damage as snipe when you have a bow + katana then they should be able to do as much damage as snipe, though they would do a lot better with a pure katana build. My main idea when creating this build though, was that someone might have thought about making a build like this, and they could look at this thread to see wether or not they liked the idea and would want somewhere to start off instead of having to figure everything out at first.

 

Yeah, im planning to reset and test as well if one character could switch jobs Since they have similar base stats. I think it would be great option as well for your character to be versatile esp if u easily get bored

 

still i hve my doubt on this due to upcomin class re-balance (hopefuly not a thrash rework). Katana skills may get fix/revamp (mp-wise, base power wise) soon. Nice build btw