[Autumn]

Sayakensa currently is a detriment to a Kensei no matter how you look at it, you gain some crit rate sure which is really good, but Crownbleeder+ also does practically the same thing and gives you bonus stats on top of that.

I think the payoff for having a cursed katana being that your autohits become Dark Damage is cool as heck, and should certainly stay in line with the weapon's theming, but I also think that changing your damage type to Dark more often than enough is a detriment, especially if you're unable to use Indignant Idol to shred off a bit of dark resistance.

Because Eresh isn't a Katana either, that item doesn't fit with it either, and as a result, there just is no way to make this item work in it's current state without actively inhibiting your build.

At the very least, please consider buffing this item so that it may shred off dark resistance, similarly to how Eresh functions as a dark damage sword, shredding off 10% Dark Resistance per Kensei autohit (Up to a cap of 30%) would be the ideal scenario for this item I believe, its a really cool item that opens up more Kensei 'sheath' options as well.

[Snake]

Amen to that.

[Lolzytripd]

Agreed, in it its current state starsign does its job better.

[Snake]

Oh yeah, I think -5% Darkness Resistance per Kensei autohit that doesn't trigger Evasion would be more fun, but have the duration be like 8 rounds.

So it'd take like 3 rounds of stacking for it to go full effect.

A good alternative is also making 10% of a Kensei's damage inflicting or empowering Cursed Wounds for 3 rounds.

[Perdition]

Shredding Dark Resistance up to 30% per Kensei autohit seems like the way to go in regard to buffing this item. It is a really cool item, but as stated in the OP, turning your damage into darkness is usually a strict downgrade, and without the ability to use Eresh on top of it and a katana, there's no way to circumvent that downgrade.

[Ace]

Sayakensa currently is a detriment to a Kensei no matter how you look at it, you gain some crit rate sure which is really good, but Crownbleeder+ also does practically the same thing and gives you bonus stats on top of that.

I think the payoff for having a cursed katana being that your autohits become Dark Damage is cool as heck, and should certainly stay in line with the weapon's theming, but I also think that changing your damage type to Dark more often than enough is a detriment, especially if you're unable to use Indignant Idol to shred off a bit of dark resistance.

I can't express how much I agree with this. I tried a Saya-Kensei build out a while ago and granted my race wasn't Ideal it was still Saya-Kensei or in other terms, Kensei but worse. As it stands that cool factor you mentioned is kinda the only reason to run it because you're not getting much else but looc respect.

[Lolzytripd]

thinking on this more the only other buff I feel this could use would be some interaction with sheath sword. Perhaps something all sheath items could gain if more come to exist. probably just reducing the momentum cost would be enough.

[Noxid]

I think it'd be cool if it had some strong boost but also a strong downside. Seems fitting for an edgy cursed katana...sheathe. But anything to make it actually usable would be great

[Poruku]

Since it's a sheath, perhaps sheathing your katana could give you a buff where your next attack or kensei skill applies a random lvl 2 curse among the stat-based ones. Essentially imbuing your blade with each resheathing. The dark damage change already works as basically a downside, and this would make a kensei hexer build viable too