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If you use heavy armour then the additional abilities from the archetype amount to the signature ability of the swashbuckler, but both nerfed and split between levels 5 and 14 rather than being gained at level 1, and a +2 reflex save. In exchange for losing the mount and related abilities, and one feat to get the heavy armor. This and the fact the samurai isn't top tier to begin with makes it a very weak class. You can simulate and better it in several ways.

The easiest equivalent is any other cavalier archetype which loses the mount, or a fighter, or the myrmidon srchetype of the swashbuckler. These are each better in several ways. What do you want to get out of the character? Just fighting with a 2H katana and presumably being tough, or are there some more criteria?

I like the other abilities the samurai gets such as the challenge and the method of survivability the ronin order/samurai get. The whole idea of not falling unconscious even after falling below 0 as well as the not dying from outside of your challenge dmg at lvl20 just screams the idea of samurai to me. It’s a shame it’s so poorly balanced. Katana duelist stuck out to me because it had the idea of a samurai parrying and then quickly counter-attacking (riposte). If you think this can be better maximized with a swashbuckler, while still maintaining some form of survivability I’d really appreciate some advice. On top of this I heard kensai as a magus archetype might fit this bill as well as the 3rd party ronin swashbuckler archetype. Tell me what you think. Thanks again for your help!!!

<browsing KD link> ....balls, this is one screwball archetype. How any of them manage to survive to 3rd level without armor I can't imagine. They get much worse armor (their INT bonus) and have to forfeit their mount (i.e., no elevation bonus and 50' move for you) to get it. The major benefit of the class doesn't come online until 5th (but isn't useful, unless Hasted or TWFing, until BAB6 a level later), and seems to only be useful in those instances in which you kill your opponent (after declaring a full attack) while still having attacks left (in which case you reserve them for off-turn parries versus new opponents).

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The big problem is that your AC unarmored isn't going to be amazing even with Int added to AC. And you're a meleer. The monk problem.

They're much worse than monks, who at least have free early feats, extra attacks, scaling damage, Ki powers, great saves, evasion, and other built-in defenses (many automatic).

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My DM said that he would let me trade out my unarmored defense for medium armor proficiency

While it helps you survive at low level, it means you'll need good dexterity (since you won't be wearing heavy armor), and the archetype's advancing AC Bonus granted every 4th level will shut off since you're wearing armor!

--If you're going to play a medium/light-armor samurai, go whole hog base-class samurai with a barbarian[urban] dip, extra rage, and TWF a pair of wakizashis w/Piranha Strike after BAB4. And keep your mount.

what about spending a feat on heavy armor prof.? would that fix the dex/AC issue?

The big problem is that your AC unarmored isn't going to be amazing even with Int added to AC. And you're a meleer. The monk problem. Order of the Ronin only helps if an enemy challenges/smites/etc. you first which is rare outside an actual duel, uncommon in one, and not a big bonus anyway. Order of the Eastern Star would be better. The parry ability arrives at level 5 and is pretty weak.

One option is to go for snake style to give you a decent AC against one attack per round. The resolve ability suggests you'll want some Wis bonus anyway; you were already going to be dependent on multiple abilities (MAD).

A different one would be to dip in a class which can add some defence. Magus for the mage armor spell before combat, and spell combat with the shield spell in combat would be best if you can tolerate spellcasting. You could simulate that with the use magic device skill, the pragmatic activator trait and wands, but it'll take a while to get enough skill to be reliable and it's not as good.

Alternately a dip in swashbuckler gets you a parry which doesn't cost an attack, it grants you an attack. Absurdly better, and possibly earlier too. The myrmidon archetype (also by Flaming Crab Games) and the perfomance weapon mastery feat will let you use your 2H katana and still regain panache.

My DM said that he would let me trade out my unarmored defense for medium armor proficiency, due to his weird point buy system that he is implementing.The system is going to make it particularly hard for MAD characters to stay afloat so he said that i could switch it out. With this change do you think I would deal enough damage and have enough survivability to stay mildly useful?

looking for help/advice on how to build the samurai katana duelist archetype. any advice would help. starting at lvl1, looking for the two-handed katana samurai feel. thinking of going order of the ronin for survivability and going potentially crit feats.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/alternate-classes/samurai/archetypes/flami ng-crab-games-samurai-archetypes/katana-duelist