Understand Nikana
Useful when…
- Normal attacks with a high Slash share of listed damage.
- Heavy attacks when you want the listed 710 damage value; heavy slam is a distinct area mode.
How does Nikana attack?
Normal attacks list 142 total damage: 120.7 Slash, 14.2 Puncture, and 7.1 Impact. The attack speed is 0.917, critical chance 16%, critical multiplier 2×, and status chance 16%. Regular slams are an area attack with 284 Impact damage and 50% falloff by 6 m. Heavy slams deal 426 Blast damage with 30% falloff by 7 m. The details separately list 710 heavy-attack damage; do not conflate that value with the heavy-slam mode. Range is 2.5 m, follow-through 0.7, and heavy-attack wind-up 0.5 seconds.
What should guide a build?
The normal attack's damage is overwhelmingly Slash, while the listed critical and status chances are both 16%. That supports considering Slash or status-oriented upgrades, but the input does not specify mods or their resulting damage. Nikana requires Mastery Rank 4 and reaches rank 30; it comes with Madurai and Vazarin polarities. Its listed recipe includes 200 Alloy Plate, 3 Argon Crystals, a blueprint, one Forma, and 75 Oxium Alloy; the build time is 43,200 seconds.
Which alternatives have different conditions?
Nikana Prime keeps the Nikana weapon type but has a higher Mastery requirement and stronger listed critical statistics in the comparison. Tatsu is a two-handed Nikana whose description says kills build charges and Slide Attacks release seeking projectiles; that is a distinct mechanic. Anku is a scythe and does not share Nikana's class. These are alternatives to consider for their stated differences, not automatic replacements.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- Accessible Mastery Rank 4 requirement and Slash-heavy normal attacks.
- 16% listed critical and status chances are modest compared with the Prime comparison.
- Distinct normal, heavy-attack, slam, and heavy-slam modes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not treat the listed heavy-attack damage as the heavy-slam value.
- Do not combine slam Impact damage with normal Slash damage.
- Do not assume Tatsu's charge-and-projectile behavior applies to Nikana.