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For an overview of the katana in the Fallout universe, see katana. |
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The katana is a weapon added with the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Gun Runners' Arsenal.
Background
A katana is a type of Japanese sword, traditionally made with a blade length greater than 23.6-28.7 inches (60-73 centimeters) and characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade; a circular or squared guard; and a long grip that can accommodate two hands. It was often called a "samurai sword" or "samurai's sword" because of its extensive use as the personal armament of the namesake warriors, leading to it becoming a symbol of the samurai caste in Japanese culture.
Renowned for its sharpness and cutting ability, its origins go back at least as far as the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Most often held with two hands, some techniques and combat styles were performed with a one-handed grip. The katana was generally carried in a saya, or scabbard, manufactured from lightweight wood, with a coat of lacquer on the exterior and a wooden knob on one side for attaching a braided cord.
By the 23rd century following the nuclear apocalypse, the art of crafting katanas has been rediscovered by wasteland weaponsmiths inhabiting the former American landscape such as the Gun Runners, a group rising from small pickings in the Hub to become the premier manufacturer of weapons, from blades to shotguns to sniper rifles, in New California, with the militaries of the New California Republic as their biggest customers.
Characteristics
The katana deals about 22 damage per swing and can average about three swings a second. Its attacks deal bonus limb damage to targets and it benefits from an enhanced critical chance. The katana uses 21 AP in VATS. At a weight of three pounds, the katana requires 4 Strength and 75 Melee Weapons to wield effectively.
Visually, the weapon initially has a tsuka (Japanese sword grip) of a worn blue color, with an aged, exhausted blade and tsuba (Japanese sword handguard) and which rests openly on the left hip when sheathed. After being fully modified, the worn grip is replaced, the blade and handguard are renewed and polished, and a wooden brown saya (Japanese scabbard) is worn on the left hip, which the weapon is holstered inside when sheathed.
Special attack
The katana has a special attack called Unlabored Flawlessness, an attack launched with a reverse grip. It does 250% damage in V.A.T.S. at the cost of 19 more action points (requires a Melee skill of 50).
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | - Type of attack |  | - Skill required | |
 | - Damage per attack in V.A.T.S. |  | - Action point cost | |
 | - Damage per action point |  | - Additional effects | |
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0 | 44 | 21 | 2.1 |
| Unlabored Flawlessness | 50 | 110 | 40 | 2.75 |
- Note: Melee weapons do double normal damage in V.A.T.S.
It is possible to execute Unlabored Flawlessness outside of V.A.T.S. (without the required Melee skill of 50 to perform the move) by initiating a power attack (hold attack button) while moving forward.
Durability
The katana can successfully strike about 995 times, or 1,495 times when equipped with the protective sheath, from full condition before breaking.
Modifications
- Katana authentic blade - Increases damage by 5.
- Katana protective sheath - Increases condition by 50%.
- Katana balanced grip - Increases attack speed by 20%.
Comparison
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | - Weapon name (melee or unarmed) |  | - Attacks in V.A.T.S. | |
 | - Weapon name (gun, energy or explosive) | | - Action point cost | |
| - Damage per attack (damage per projectile) | | - Damage per action point | |
 | - Damage per second |  | - Weapon spread | |
 | - Area of effect damage |  | - Magazine capacity (shots per reload) | |
| - Effect damage & duration |  | - Durability (number of attacks before breaking) | |
 | - Bonus effects |  | - Weight | |
| - Attacks per second |  | - Value in caps | |
 | - Critical chance % multiplier |  | - Value to weight ratio | |
 | - Critical damage | | - Skill required | |
 | - Critical effect damage & duration |  | - Strength required | |
 | - With all mods attached | |||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Katana  | 22 | 71.1 | x2 limb  | 3.23 | x2 | 22 | 21 | 2.1 | 995 | 3 | 2500 | 833.3 | 75 | 4 |
| Katana | 27 | 104.7 | x2 limb | 3.88 | x2 | 22 | 21 | 2.6 | 1495 | 3 | 5300 | 1766.7 | 75 | 4 |
- Note: Melee damage is doubled in V.A.T.S.
Locations
- Freeside - Sold by Mick in Mick & Ralph's.
- Freeside - Sold by Gloria Van Graff in the Silver Rush.
- Novac - Sold by Cliff Briscoe in the Dino Bite gift shop.
- Gun Runners - Sold by Vendortron if Mick, Cliff Briscoe, and Gloria Van Graff are dead.
Notes
- When dropped, the current model appears as that of the base weapon, regardless of if it is modified or not.
- The katana's attack speed can get up to six times per second by having a high Melee Weapons skill, the Slayer and Ain't Like That Now perks, and the balanced grip and authentic blade modifications.
- The weapon features in the images for the Master of the Arsenal and Curios and Relics achievements and trophies.
- It is the only melee weapon in the game with a visible scabbard (once modified to have it) whereas all others hang openly on the left hip.
- Mick will always have one in stock when his inventory restocks after a few in-game days.
- After modding a katana with the protective sheath, dropping the weapon will cause both the sheath and the katana to drop separately.
- The modifications available for the katana can replace every part of the weapon, however because of how weapon modifications work the modifications cannot be assembled into a weapon without a base katana.
Behind the scenes
- The weapon's sheathe/unsheathe sound effects are audibly similar to those from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
- The special attack name, Unlabored Flawlessness is a reference to a weapon of the same name in Ninja Gaiden.
Bugs
If modded with the protective sheath, when changing weapons or un-equipping the katana, the sheath will still be on the player's hip. When dropped, sometimes the sheath is not dropped. Occasionally, this bug may also result in two sheaths overlapping each other.[verified]
- Equipping a different weapon that is holstered the same way will remove it, but sometimes changing weapons may not remove the sheath.
- You may have to save the game, return to the main menu, and reload the save to fix the problem.
- If modded with the protective sheath, it will be stuck in a glitched condition when the weapon's condition is at 100%. This can be fixed by repairing it with another katana, or a one-handed melee weapon with the Jury Rigging perk. Also, when asking ED-E to repair the weapon, the condition will degrade every time.[verified]
- There is a chance that Cliff Briscoe will not have the katana in his inventory, or it will sometimes disappear. [verified]
Sounds
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Unsheathed |
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Sheathed |
Gallery
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