Full plate with katana is an unusual combo. The samurai class can do that by default though. If you don’t want the mount, there are multiple archetypes that trade it out. Yojimbo can get armor training with a specific type of armor so you could choose full plate and take less penalties like a fighter, but you give up some katana damage. Sword saint may be the closest to what you want, if you want to focus on damage, while using heavy armor.
The Samurai is the obvious answer, I would think.
The Challenge ability adds extra damage equal to the samurai's level with every attack, and the Chain Challenge feat gives the Samurai potentially unlimited Challenges.
Then, pick the Order of the Flame. With it, and the Glorious Challenge ability, your Samurai will gain a morale bonus on melee damage against his target equal to 2 × the number of consecutive glorious challenges he has issued thus far. To use their example, a 5th-level Samurai that has just issued his third glorious challenge after defeating the original target of his challenge takes a –6 penalty to AC (–8 against creatures other than the target of his glorious challenge) and gains a +11 bonus on melee damage rolls (a +5 bonus from his base challenge ability plus a +6 morale bonus for three consecutive glorious challenges).
Power Attack is just icing on the cake for that character.
Sword saint may be the closest to what you want, if you want to focus on damage, while using heavy armor.
The unfortunate thing about the Sword Saint is that he focuses on a single blow. From 6th level and on, it becomes an underwhelming archetype, as the Iaijutsu Strike isn't compatible with, say, Vital Strike, and until 10th level it's a full-round action--so there isn't even a mobility component involved.
All you really need is a full BAB that gets martial weapons and heavy armor proficiency. If you don’t want to go fighter a paladin would work just as well as a samurai or cavalier. Smite Evil works extremely well with a high crit range weapon. It gets CHA to AC, to hit and bypasses all DR. Paladins get the best saves in the game once they get Divine Grace and gain some useful immunities. Lay on Hands is the only good in combat healing and really adds to the survivability of the character. Divine Bond gives you the ability to enhance your katana. If you don’t want spells, you can take the Tempered Champion archetype to gain some fighter bonus feats.
If you are OK with not being a full BAB class, a battle host occultist can start at 1st level with a set of masterwork plate mail at no cost (Panoply Bond), as well as bonus combat feats at 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th level; Heroic Splendor at 6th is a pretty nice self-buff, too. The Transmutation implement school gives the Physical Enhancement resonant power (+2 temp bonus to a physical ability score; probably Str) and the Legacy Weapon base focus power. It reduces the number of implement schools the character can learn, however.
If you want to really optimize, you could stay fighter: specifically, fighter (mutation warrior) 20 VMC barbarian.
I mean, if you're just wanting lots of damage out of your Katana-wielding character:
BARBARIAN/BLOODRAGER gets Rage. The bonus to STR will be good with the high crit-range and at later levels you get RAGING BRUTALITY which lets you add 1.5 x CON as well. They don't wear heavy armour by default but there are archetypes.
A WARPRIEST increases the damage dice of the weapon, so from level 10 onwards your Katana is dealing more damage than the usual 1d8. You can also use spells to add damage and/or to increase your size.
CAVALIERS, PALADINS and SAMURAI all get abilities that add their level to damage against a few foes per day , and importantly they are multiplied on a crit.
Going back to the Fighter, the TWO-HANDED FIGHTER archetype has a few abilities that let you add double your STR bonus to damage instead of 1.5, which is obviously pretty good.
If you're willing to drop the 2-handed weapon style the MAGUS deals boatloads of damage with a high crit-range weapon. It requires wielding it in 1 hand though, and for a Katana that means taking the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat. There are 2 archetypes that could help with this: The KENSAI can get exotic weapon proficiency, and can get some bonuses to damage beyond Spellstrie . You lose access to armour entirely, but you get other defences. Or the ARMOURED BATTLEMAGE loses Spell Combat while retaining Spellstrike , but also gives you heavier armour proficiency at earlier levels .
I'm sure there are more, but that's a few options.
Sword saint may be the closest to what you want, if you want to focus on damage, while using heavy armor.The unfortunate thing about the Sword Saint is that he focuses on a single blow. From 6th level and on, it becomes an underwhelming archetype, as the Iaijutsu Strike isn't compatible with, say, Vital Strike, and until 10th level it's a full-round action--so there isn't even a mobility component involved.
Is vital strike really so popular? At level 6 it adds 1d8 to the damage. The Iaijutsu strike adds 3d6 at that level, and will also trigger an aoe shaken condition. Improved vital strike at level 11 is +2d8 damage compared to IA’s 6d6. And of course, you can use those feats on other useful things like critical feats.
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Is vital strike really so popular? At level 6 it adds 1d8 to the damage. The Iaijutsu strike adds 3d6 at that level, and will also trigger an aoe shaken condition. Improved vital strike at level 11 is +2d8 damage compared to IA’s 6d6. And of course, you can use those feats on other useful things like critical feats.Sword saint may be the closest to what you want, if you want to focus on damage, while using heavy armor.The unfortunate thing about the Sword Saint is that he focuses on a single blow. From 6th level and on, it becomes an underwhelming archetype, as the Iaijutsu Strike isn't compatible with, say, Vital Strike, and until 10th level it's a full-round action--so there isn't even a mobility component involved.
I think what Phoebus Alexandros is saying is that Iaijutsu Strike isn't very good because it's a full-round action. It's not bad because it can't be combined with Vital Strike, it's bad because you can't make a full attack. And unlike Vital Strike you can't even move and attack, so it doesn't even have that niche . If it could be combined with Vital Strike it would be better, but for now it's just a single chance of an attack with Sneak Attack added ... which is fine but not great, and not necessarily better than a full attack.
Having said all that, I haven't played it so what do I know. I'm just translating what I think was being said.