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    Infinite Crisis builds for Katana

    Comprehensive Katana Guide

    A Katana guide by Arogs
    Last updated: May 1st, 2015
    Link to guide: www.dawnbase.com/guides/2826-Katana-Comprehensive-Katana-Guide
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    1

    Ability levelling order
    01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
    Starter items
    Core items
    Offensive items
    Defensive items
    Situational items
    Augments
    Modifiers
    Stolen Powers
    Welcome to my Comprehensive Katana Guide
    I am Arogs and have been playing Katana for a while. I will go deep into how I play Katana, and how you should play her too!

    The beauty of this lady is that she can be played in any number of ways. I was skimming the guides of her and saw that my style isn't there. I play her as a high auto-attack damage late-game carry, with a lot of mid-game potential, and incredibly strong ganks.

    If you like this guide, please press the thumbs up button at the top of this page. It encourages me to make more guides!


    Pros:
    + Great Mobility.
    + Excellent Map Presence.
    + Strong Teamfight.
    + Great 1v1 Potential.
    + Great Clear Time for Jungle (finishes the jungle camps quickly)
    Cons:
    - Steep Learning Curve.
    - Almost non-existent Crowd Control (CC).
    - Squishy (dies easily if caught).
    - Lame /joke & /dance command.



    Abilities



    [Q] - Slash:
    Katana slashes with her blade, dealing 50 / 85 / 125 / 125 + 45% Attack Damage to all enemies in a cone in front of her.
    Cooldown: 3.5 seconds.

    This is your bread and butter camp clearer in the jungle. If you position yourself in a clever way you can hit all the creeps in a camp. I max this skill out second, after Kendo. See more of the reasoning behind this below.




    [W] - Cross Step:
    Katana rushes a short distance and reduces damage from the next Champion Basic Attack by 6 / 9 / 12 / 15 Attack Damage + 1% Bonus Health. This effect lasts for 5s and can stack up to 3 times.
    Cooldown: 3.5 seconds.

    This is what makes you into such an effective jungler. Time spent traveling between camps is greatly reduced. This skill should never be on cooldown, use it all the time! Paired with Shadow Step from Kendo you have a presence almost anywhere on the map, and are impossible to kill since you just step out of any situation. I only get one level of this, until I have no option to level it. The only thing it gives you is 3 extra damage block per stack, not that impressive.




    [E] - Kendo:
    Kendo becomes a different skill based on Katana's last two uses of Slash and/or Cross Step.
    Cooldown: 8.0 seconds.

    Now this is what makes Katana such a daunting task to play for someone who is new to her. Depending on the order of your two last skills uses of Cross Step and/or Slash, it becomes a different skill with different properties. The image of the skill that will fire if you press [E] will be displayed in your HUD where the skill is located. A good Katana is also able to look at the bar above her head to determine how many charges of Cross Step and/or Slash she currently has stored. I max this first since it provides a lot of utility and allows you to make some clutch plays before you get access to your ultimate. All the skills that root in Kendo share the same cooldown, so use it wisely.




    [QQ] - Spirit Wave:
    Fire an arced missile that deals 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 + 70% Bonus Attack Damage to all it passes through.
    Share Cooldown With Kendo

    This is the reason I get Kendo at level 2. It speeds up my clear time and will allow me to casually pass the lane I am helping to shoot some harass at the enemy while I go to my next camp. Spirit Wave is usually only viable for harass poking and clearing camps, since other skills from the family are better suited for damage and chase.




    [WW] - Shadow Step:
    Katana dashes forward and is immune to Disables for 0.5 / 1 / 1.5 / 2 seconds.
    Shares Cooldown With Kendo

    Oh Joy! At level 3, after grabbing your first skill point of Cross Step you can start using this lovely skill. It makes your map presence huge, since you can move from top lane to bottom lane in record times, even fast than The Flash! So are you now the fastest man alive? Well you are a woman, so no.

    Use this skill often and vigorously, but make sure to have Kendo off cooldown when you reach your destination. I see a lot of players rely heavily on Shadow Step to get TO the fight, letting your allies find the battles. Don't be that Katana, arrive first! If your team is moving together you should be at the spear head. Relying on Cross Step to scout ahead, and saving Shadow Step to disengage if you run into company. (If you want to know what to use to ENGAGE, read on).




    [QW] - Vendetta:
    Empowers your basic attack to deal additional 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 + 30% Bonus Attack Damage and Slow.
    Shares Cooldown With Kendo

    I'll be honest with you, I don't know how big the slow is, but it is comparable to Psychic Assault's slow, only with a shorter duration (about 1.5 seconds).

    This is your GANK INITIATION tool. Stand well hidden from the enemy, and do a Slash in the air to warm you up. Then rush into lane and close the gap with a Cross Step and activate Kendo, follow it with an auto attack, congrats, you have successfully slowed your enemy! If you wanna be a real pro you can activate Vendetta before you even rush in! Since it empowers your next attack for a solid 5 seconds, allowing Kendo to go on cooldown earlier so you can follow up with an additional skill! This is not recommended for new players though.




    [WQ] - Soul Rend:
    Deal 40 / 75 / 110 / 145 + 50% Bonus Attack Damage and Bleed enemies for 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 + 10% Bonus Attack Damage per second in a line. Additional damage extends the bleed duration up to a maximum of 6s.

    This is the kill skill, and it separates the Bad Katanas from the Good Katanas. The reach on this SKILL SHOT is surprisingly long, longer than the animation claims in fact (not by much though). If the enemy you are ganking is over extending and you don't need the slow from Vendetta, this is your go-to skill. This is also a preferable jungle camp clearer over Spirit Wave since it actually deals more damage, make sure you hit all the creeps in the camp though. Note that DAMAGE increases the duration, not just your auto attacks but any damage. Thus you pair very will with other Champions who have damage over time (DoT) effects, such as Gaslight Catwoman. or Atomic Green Lantern




    [R] - Thousand Cuts:
    Katana becomes invulnerable and untargetable while she blinks from enemy Champion to enemy Champion, up to 5 times, dealing 160 / 260 / 360 / 460 + 100% Bonus Attack Damage to each enemy she hits. Thousand Cuts deals 25% damage to enemies it has already hit. The first and last attack will be against the same target.

    Oh lordie! You just became and invincible killing machine. Once you hit level 6, you can SECURE ganks completely solo. If you enemy is about to run under tower, don't be afraid to use it on them. If you have a lot of health left and they don't have too many friends there, you should come out with some minor injuries. This is also a great way to reposition during team fights, and dish out A LOT of damage to the enemy team. Since the first and last attack will always go on the same target you have two options.

    FOCUS FIRE:
    If they have an important damage dealer who is low, ult them. You will land next to them and can finish them off, unless they are already dead, in that case you will instead land next to the closest enemy champion.

    DISENGAGE:
    You got caught out and you are low, trying to save your ass, but your team is there so you want to fight. Ult their biggest initiator, they will rush into your team (most of the time, it is their job) and you can land next to them at the end of your ult and get out quick with your great mobility, and help from your team.



    Passive



    [R] - Soultaker:
    Katana stores the last two uses of Slash and Cross Step. For each stored Slash she gains 2.5 / 5 / 7.5 / 10 Attack Damage and for each stored Cross Step she gains 2% / 3% / 4% / 5% Attack Lifesteal.

    I max this third, actually, before maxing out Cross Step. The reason is MORE damage, MORE life steal gives you more survivability than a mere 3/level auto attack damage block will. With two red charges in your meter you deal an additional 20 Attack Damage. That isn't anything to scoff at.


    Stolen Powers



    Atomic Wonder Woman's Super Speed
    Some times your built in mobility isn't enough to secure kills or get away. So super-speed is my way to go. Wonder Woman's Super Speed gives you even more punch as you chase your enemy down, you are stacking Attack Damage anyway, so why not capitalize on it?

    Gaslight Catwoman's X-Ray Vision
    I played a lot of Atomic Catwoman for a while, boy is this ability great. I think every team should have at least one X-Ray Vision on it, and I think Atomic Catwoman's is one of the best. It allows you to see CAMERAS in stealth-pads before you get close. This is important for your early ganks. You can pop this, ask the people in the lane you are ganking to destroy the camera. It is also amazing for securing objectives. When you have been using this Stolen Power for a while you'll get a feel for when to fire it. During objectives or early jungle invasion fights, this will save your ass and your team-mates butts many, many times. Remember, vision is king.

    Zatanna's Psychic Assault
    Is also a viable option if you aren't comfortable landing your slows, or if the lane you are supporting is low on crowd-control. I think the other two picks are superior in most cases though.




    Itens & Mods




    This is what makes or breaks a guide for most people. Just try it, I promise you wont regret it. It makes you a strong carry the doesn't just rely on your abilities to deal bonkers amount of damage. If you CAN land your abilities too, you are basically unstoppable.

    The recommended items are items I buy often on Katana, depending on the situation. I will tell you why I have recommended these items and why the work well with Katana. You need to figure out what order you should build things in, it is an important aspect of the game. Look in Tips & Tricks to see my thought process when buying items. Feel free to get creative , Katana is all about personalization, she can be played in so many ways.

    Here is a sample FINAL 6-slotted build from an average game for me :

    Batman's Utility Belt (3)
    Soultaker Katana (4)
    [[Shade's Kane (3)]]
    Joe Chill's Revolver (3)
    Atomic Axe (2)
    Ra's al Ghul's Robe (2)

    I can't understate, this varies depending on the circumstances! At the end of the Item Section I will tell you my thought process when building items.



    Starter Items

    Marauder Shield (2)
    This is usually taken by tanks when they jungle. I was reading a guide online that told me to try this out, and I have never looked back. (I WOULD LOVE TO CREDIT YOU BUT I CAN'T FIND IT AGAIN!!). When it is maxed out it gives you a 30% Resilience, as well as 10% Cooldown Reduction, that's just bonkers, and exactly what you need to survive a full combo nukeparty from someone like [[The Joker]].

    Modular Health Vial (2)
    Everyone needs regen, get this leveled up as soon as possible to increase your staying power on the map, so you can farm and gank properly. if you level it up in lane (buying from a tower) you wont get the stacks refreshed.



    Core Items

    Depending on what's happening I go for one of the following items first.

    Batman's Utility Belt (3)
    If fights are breaking out early, and people are smacking each other vigorously in all lanes, this item will let you shine even though you don't have that much farm. The health lends you some extra surviveability in early skirmishes, and the cooldown reduction is really clutch. Not to mention Skilled Attack, that empowers your basic attack after using a skill (which you do A LOT).
    Soultaker Katana (4)
    If I am left to my devices, farming and ganking at my leisure. I build this item first. Once I have it at Tier 4 I can start accumulating stacks. With the Capacity mod I can get EVEN MORE stacks on this item, making it the item that will give you the most single slot Attack Damage money can buy. At full stacks that is 70 Attack Damage in one item slot. The life steal is really sweet in late game engages as well. You have to make sure not to die, or you lose your stacks though. A good Katana never dies.


    [[Shade's Kane (3)]] (for some reason it isn't formatting properly. But it's the Red Raven Head, see top of page)
    Once I have the two previous items I go for this huge raw Attack Damage item on my list. Each time you use a skill or auto-attack you gain a stack, each stack gives you Attack Damage and Attack Speed. You are Katana, and with the cooldown reduction from Batman's Utility Belt and Marauders Shield there is not a reason for you to have less than 7 stacks at any given moment. Did I say that Soultaker Katana gave you the most Attack Damage a single slot item can buy? Well that was wrong! With 7 stacks on this item and the recommended Mod you get 72 Attack Damage in one slot.



    Offensive Items




    Joe Chill's Revolver (3)
    Now you aren't getting this for the Attack Damage although it's nice, but not nearly as impressive as your previous items. You are getting it for the Critical Strike. My math may be wrong, but lets play a fun little game of hypothetical. With ONLY the items I have listed so far.

    Katana's Basic Attack Damage 55
    + 20 Attack Damage Two Stacks of Slash stored.
    + 70 Attack Damage Soultaker Katana (at full stacks)
    + 30 Attack Damage Batman's Utility Belt
    + 72 Attack Damage Shade's Kane (at full stacks)
    + 50 Attack Damage Joe Chill's Revolver

    That is 297 Auto Attack Damage.
    Batman's Utility Belt after a Skill Use increases it to 594 Attack Damage
    Joe Chill's Revolver Lucky Crit on that Attack 1633.5 Attack Damage

    Now I am not sure that the Utility Belt and the Revolver Crit stacks, but I have seen my crits do some NUTTY damage, so I wouldn't be surprised.

    Atomic Axe (2)
    A lot of people say that Armor Penetration is very important on Katana, and I agree. You only need one penetration item though, and it's this one. Because it penetrates MORE if they have the Armor that you are trying to penetrate. If they don't have the armor, more Attack Damage is better. Don't fill all your slots with Armor Reduction items, all you need is this baby. It's pricey, but well worth it.

    Rip Hunter's Time Pack (3)
    I am all about stacking that Attack Damage, here is another good one. It gives you some cooldown reduction too, almost putting you at your max CDR cap. What is really excellent about this item is the ACTIVATEABLE part.

    Time Anchor is amazing in so many ways. Activate it just before you ult someone you are ganking. If they run back to their entire team you can reactivate it again as soon as your ult ends to teleport you back to your original location. This combines really well with your Shadow Step too, since it makes you immune to crowd control for a couple seconds (meaning your anchor can't be broken). Allowing you to drop your anchor, quickly move in and dish some damage, make them blow some important ability cooldowns, then reactivate to leave again. Really, it's all about getting creative with this nifty tool, and Katana is an excellent bearer of the backpack for so many reasons.



    Defensive Items




    Ra's al Ghul's Robe (2)
    Is one of the few purely defensive items I have recommended. I believe (say it with me) "more Attack Damage solves all problems" it bumps the health you get back from your lifesteal, and you should basically never be focused. All their big CC abilities should be dodgeable with your ult (since most of them are dropped in the first moments of a team fight). If you do get caught and focused down fast in a team fights (The damn Nightmare Superman keeps waiting for you to land from your ult, to use his ult on you), this item is for you.

    The only time you should die is in big team fights, because you have been playing smart with your X-Ray Vision and your huge mobility advantage, never getting truly caught out. When you do die in a team fight, you shouldn't just be gone. With this item you become an additional "Choice of Focus" for the enemy. If they managed to get together to focus you down, do they continue focusing your shielded carcass? OR do they do something about Doomsday bunny-hopping on their face?

    Even in death you force your enemies to make tough decisions, and hopefully it will be the wrong one. Most of the time they can ONLY make wrong choices. Ignore your team to focus you down, they killed you. Now their team is wiped, the three seconds it took to kill your corpse is an infinity of time in a team-fight. Focus the rest of your team instead? Okay now Katana is back alive again chopping and hopping, the spells and time they used to kill you are for naught. Win/Win for your team, get this item if you are getting focused in team fights. Even if you die in the end, you are doing good stuff keeping Focus off your allies so they can finish the job.



    Situational Items




    Tips & Tricks


    SOON TO COME!



    This is an incomplete guide, but if you like what you see, please like it and I'll be more encouraged to finish it!

    /Arogs
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