Those of you who have seen this guide before, though that probably isn't too high a number, are probably wondering where the cringy introduction from before went. At first, I was contempt to leave it as it was, a small memento from when I started this guide nearly 2 years ago. I then realised that 17 year old me was being too cringy to do justice to what the guide is actually about. the problem is, what do I replace it with?

I eventually settled on this. something that actually does Ninja Mode justice.

I don't think it's that big of a stretch to say that cyborg ninjas have always been cool, especially those that have been in a cyberpunkish setting. Now it seems people are beginning to obsess over Neon tinted Dystopias and the sword wielding heroes that keep them. Cyberpunk is becoming cool again, with an actual Cyberpunk game just around the corner that will doubtless allow you to play as a sneaky augmented swordsman (Update: it does, but is quite buggy atm so here's hoping cdpr fixes it :P), and other games have been allowing you to step into the role of an assassination machine. from Genji to Raiden, to the new Ghostrunner, Cyborg ninjas are only going to get cooler from here. it's good to see the Cyberpunk Genre taking it's rightful spot in the limelight again.

And yet, people often forget that the original Deus Ex was a Cyberpunk game that revolutionised Videogame Storytelling, Action RPGs and worldbuilding. Even though the game came out a full year before I was born, I grew up playing Deus Ex. (admittedly, I should not have; I was way WAY too young)

One of my favourite ways to play Deus Ex was to not use guns, or at least use them as little as possible. I felt like a ninja, sneaking up on people and taking them out with precision and finesse. Indeed, Younger me also grew up playing games like Metal Gear Solid, Tenchu, and Splinter Cell (My parents may have been responsible in buying age appropriate games for my brothers, but my brothers weren't responsible when they then shared those games with me!), and with Deus Ex's Archaic aiming system I believed stealth to be the only really doable playstyle.

I absolutely love Deus Ex Revision for a number of reasons. allowing me to replay a game I grew up with in entirely new ways is an absolute gift for a long time fan of the franchise.

Making a modifier that codifies my favourite playstyle into an actual challenge? That's just even better.

The Ninja Mode modifier seems pretty tame, and at first glance you would think it doesn't change much. a simple exchange of infinite use of both leg augmentations and starting with both types of cloak in exchange for never being able to use anything that even remotely resembles a decent gun. in Practice, as with many modifiers that Revision adds, Ninja mode fundamentally changes the way you play Deus Ex. Now you can replay a classic that defined what modern videogame storytelling could be, while playing as a stealthy swordsman Corvo Attano from Dishonoured could respect. While many modifiers can lay claim to making the game more challenging, or more interesting, I consider ninja mode to be by far the most engaging of them. Maybe I'm biased, but the way it forces you to adapt is what I enjoy about it the most. Suddenly, all the best weapons are no longer available, so you are forced to use new ones. Augmentations and skills previously overlooked become invaluable for your survival. it forces you to play the game in a way you would never even jokingly consider in a standard playthrough.

And yet, despite all of this, the game never takes away the overall feeling of being a badass. if anything it, ironically, augments it. You feel like a ninja at the end of the game, one that is up there with Genji or Raiden or any of the other iconic cyborg ninjas in gaming. the satisfaction of adaptation is what you will get when playing ninja mode.

I hope this guide, now fully updated coming up 3 years after its first iteration, helps you find that satisfaction. I love this modifier. Now, hopefully, you can see in it what I do.

To begin, let us go over some basics to actually getting started. The old version of this guide had a disclaimer and mild rant at the devs about how Ninja mode disabled achievements, though by now achievements for Ninja mode have been enabled. that being said, some of the achievements will not be attainable in ninja mode mainly due to your equipment constraints.

There are just 2 things I really need to say before we begin.


Well, this or set a custom difficulty that is pretty easy.

remember, the extra augmentations are pretty good right off the bat, but if you're coming here from standard Deus Ex, you may have a bad time with this without setting yourself to something easy. Until you learn the playstyle, ninja mode will be a harrowing challenge even on Normal difficulty.

PLAY USING BIOMOD (Or shifter if you prefer)

Biomod adds one key feature that every ninja needs. mantling objects. yes, it's a little bit buggy and can get you out of bounds to completely broken areas of the game, but that's part of the fun. activate this from the game settings. also it replaces swimming with something not completely pointless, and allows you to move bodies when your inventory is full or if they're carrying things you cannot pick up (like guns.)

NOTE: if you are unable to mantle objects in Biomod despite having lv3 or higher athletics, check your keybinds to make sure your jump key is unbound, and instead bind that key to "Jump/Mantle" if it is not.

Playing in vanilla is not impossible but it is far less enjoyable, and a lot more difficult. not being able to move bodies because you cannot pick up the guns is a massive drawback. I would advise against this. If you don't want to have a buggy mantling feature, pick Shifter instead for the fixes, but do not play this mode in vanilla.

I also cannot reccomend the new playmode, at least until it has been further developed. the new aug trees are interesting, but they mess with the way ninja mode works and is just generally raw at the moment.

Here's just a few tips and tricks as to how to ninja properly when getting started. This all assumes you are playing in Biomod, as you really should be doing.

First, you should prioritize 3 main skills. Athletics for climbing, low tech for melee damage and pistols.

Yes, it seems counter productive, but there is a single reason for it.

The Crossbow

yes, the mini crossbow is one of the few ranged weapons you will be able to actually use, aside from throwing knives which should be saved for emergencies, or a trick discussed later in the guide. the mini crossbow is going to become your best friend outside of your primary melee weapon, because it's not just a completely silent ranged weapon. it's a completely silent ranged weapon with (admittedly sometimes dubious) non lethal capabilities and also a completely silent way to set enemies on fire with flare darts. Fire is overpowered against basically any organic target. use it. it is probably your only viable choice to use if you end up in a firefight.

in addition to the main three, electronics and lockpicking are necessary, as are computers. Generally though, once you acquire the dragons tooth, lockpicking falls by the wayside because you can break doors instead of unlocking them in many situations. also, you really only need one point in computers, as quicker players will be able to do more than enough with the time allotted by a single level 1 hack. unlike other games in the series, there is no level barrier for hacking a device, so you only need to be trained in computers to hack every PC and security terminal in the game.

Medicine also makes food and (more importantly) biocells more efficient so should definitely be picked up. demolitions and environmental training is also useful, but generally are less useful. You will not be using the heavy weapons or rifle skills whatsoever, so disregard them entirely.

skills aside, grab yourself a good Lethal and/or non lethal melee weapon (this should probably be the dragon's tooth, once you can acquire it). Being able to take out enemies stealthily depends on being able to effectively deal with enemies up close, and whether it's a baton or an off copyright lightsaber, you need a means to deal with enemies that isn't the crossbow. Part 3 will cover my personal opinion on the best loadout.

The earlier version of this guide was misinformed, as I was coming in directly from attempting this challenge in GMDX. however, having spent considerable time here, I know better now. with melee weapons, always aim for the head for maximum damage and for takedowns. this becomes a less necessary technique when you are wielding the Dragon's Tooth, but it's still a good habit to get into. the only weapons to my knowledge that this does not apply to are the baton and riot prod, which you should aim for the torso with instead.

by the end of the game, you should be master rank in pistols, low tech and athletics, have an augmentation in every slot , as well as having a surplus of lockpicks and multitools.


Aside from this, the biggest challenge you will face is choosing your battles. Remember, you're a ninja, don't attack head on but from behind, above or the flank. enemies have poor vertical awareness so getting the literal drop on them is advised. attacking head on may work with a single enemy, as you can get a one hit kill before they can react. 2 enemies close together is also doable for a skilled player. more than that essentially guaruntees you will take damage, or worse.

if you are forced into combat, such as during some setpieces, your best option is to prepare for it. placing grenades around to act as proximity mines, especially gas and LAMS, will work in your favour. Gas grenades in particular are very useful; blinded enemies stand still and do not attack, so are easy kills whether you wade in and melee or line up a crossbow shot.

Robots and Synthetic enemies are best circumvented entirely if you can. if you cannot, EMP or scramble grenades can save your life, so hoard them. aside from this, you can take augmentations that will allow you to render them a lot less threatening as you progress.

These are my reccomended items for use in the late game. this is my personal preference, but you are free to change any of these to fit what you want.


here's what should be put in each slot. (There is an option to enlarge this to 12 slots, but I use the standard 10 slot toolbelt)

1. Dragon's Tooth Sword OR other primary Melee weapon
Being able to kill anything in one hit is a necessity for the budding ninja. once you have it, accept no substitute. it's the best in the game for killing, gibbing and door breaking.

This being said, other weapons, such as the Toxin Blade found under smuggler's pillow, are also viable. If you are using the Electrostatic Discharge aug, bear in mind that having a melee weapon with too high a damage will disable the robot outright rather than making it friendly, so using the dragon's tooth may not be the best weapon for that purpose.

2. your primary nonlethal melee weapon.
A nonlethal takedown has benefits beyond mere ethical concerns. knocking out a target is universally quieter than a kill. just bear in mind some enemies are not so easily defeated with non lethal weapons, as they tend to do little damage. The stun prod is useful for countering this, but requires ammo and is not guarunteed to work. use sparingly.

3. Pepper Spray
NOT FOR BLINDING PEOPLE. I know, it's funny to use it to blind enemies, and occasionally useful. However, the main reason you need it is to bypass lasers. more on that later

4/5: Crossbow and Throwing knives
these are non negotiable. the crossbow is the sole reason you should have a good pistol skill and is available from the start. Throwing knives spec off low tech and can be useful in a pinch, and while they are rarer, any explorative player will eventually have a decent amount providing they don't waste them. these weapons are your main defence if you enter an actual gunfight, and as such ammo for each should be hoarded. Special mention goes out to flare darts, as Biomod (shifter possibly as well I haven't checked) adds the capability to set enemies on fire with these darts. Get this at the start and upgrade it fully as soon as possible.

It should be noted that I have actually found an additional use for throwing knives since my previous update, and I have decided it was useful enough to add here. if you have selected the Microfibral Muscle augmentation, throwing knives benefit from the additional melee damage. in itself, this is a nice change, but combining this with a high level low tech skill allows JC to use throwing knives to discreetly destroy cameras, turrets, and alarm panels from a distance. this is actually a remarkably useful ability, and legitimises the use of MF muscle for ninja mode playthroughs.

6/7: Grenades, Biocells or Medkits
Grenades are not banned under ninja mode, (mainly because that would make ninja mode literally unplayable. you need to use explosives for door breaching, destroying bots and for the ship mission after all.) and should be used as nescessary. you need only devote one slot to a single grenade, as the "Change Ammo" key will cycle through every grenade type you have. same goes for switching between medkits and biocells, and if you want another item in the toolbelt, it works for switching between melee weapons too. I just prefer to have my lethal and non lethal options on the toolbelt for instant switching instead of pulling out my sword and then switching to the prod or blackjack.

8/9 Lockpicks and multitools.
an absolute mainstay. you will need these here at all times. more experienced players may prefer to just have either the multitool or blackjack assigned to a single slot, and then switch between them with the "Change Ammo" key. however, having the two of them assigned to different slots allows you to keep better track of your supplies for both items.

0: the nanokey ring
(this is permanently bound to this slot and cannot be removed.)



LEG: Ninja (starting aug)
given to you at the start of the ninja mode playthrough, this is a modified variant of the silent running aug from vanilla. this should be fully upgraded and always on. turning it off makes you move at a similar speed to a snail with severe artheritis and provides no benefit. it does not use any Bio energy, and provides silent running, increased movement speed and jump height, as well as anti fall damage capabilities.

SKIN 1: Cloaking (starting aug)
Just always useful. Have it bound to an accessible key and use as required. if you maxed this out, along with a maxed out version of the torso aug, the previously impossible power drain should become quite manageable.

SKIN 2: Radar Transparency (starting aug)
This is literally just cloaking but for robots and cameras. again, have this ready and maxed out. you never know when it comes in handy.

TORSO 1: Power recirculator.
This simply reduces power drain of any augs you have active. Upgrade it to max level and keep it on at all times.

TORSO 2: Inconsequential
This one is really up to you. most of the time rebreathers or Hazmat suits are available instead, so this won't see much use, but can be lifesavers if these aren't available.

TORSO 3: Regeneration
Yes, it drains energy like mad. However, if used around a repair bot, you have essentially full health restoration capability for 0 cost. Energy shield just isn't worth it.

ARMS: Electrostatic discharge OR Microfibral Muscle
This is without a shadow of a doubt the most useful aug available to the ninja mode enthusiast, but only when you have upgraded it to level 3 or above. it's the BioMod/Shifter variant of the vanilla aug "Combat strength" and does EMP damage to whatever you hit. if you want to eliminate any robot in the game by hitting it with your melee weapon, then take this aug. it's an investment that I have found to be infinitely more useful than microfibral muscle, and that is saying something given the utility of the latter.

Update regarding Microfibral Muscle:
Since my last update to this guide, I noticed the aforementioned throwing knives trick as mentioned previously when going over the inventory items. this, in my opinion, gives combat strength a massive benefit for ninja mode players, especially once you enter Hong Kong, where throwing knives are plentiful.

in addition, the other benefits that Microfibral muscle offers are easy to list, especially for anyone who made use of it in the base game. moving heavy objects gives you cover options, for both concealment and combat. throwing objects at enemies makes for a wonderful last ditch combat technique, and the passive bonus to low tech weapon damage is the icing on the cake. I would now say that picking this over Electrostatic discharge is now actually a choice of personal preference. Personally, I now actually prefer MF muscle.


CRANIUM: Spy Drone
I know, the skull gun exists (haha funny meme), but again, EMP damage from detonating. remember, not having access to rocket launchers means that EMP damage, either through grenades or your augmentations, becomes your best bet against synthetic targets. LAMs work too, but this works well, and is sneakier. if you do not invest in Electrostatic Discharge, this will work a lot better for dealing with robots once upgraded, in addition to the standard spy drone benefits. just be wary of the cooldown between uses; The spy drone is not suited for combating more than one robot in a combat situation, or indeed for any combat situation at all.

EYES: Vision Enhancement
Vanilla ninjas will prefer the Targeting aug, but with that being replaced by the target tracking aug with Biomod, the best bet will be the ability to see enemies through walls. a stealth mainstay, and the best bet for most ninjas.


Other useful items include Zyme (which allows for slow motion in tense situations thanks to Revision) or any form of food for low level healing.

A few more advanced techniques for you guys to try

Making Noise
firing a bolt into a wall will make noise that enemies will investigate. alternatively, you can bind a button to get JC to taunt enemies, which will lure them into whatever traps you want to set for them. Enemies can hear this from a surprising distance, so feel free to try it out.

Dealing with Robots
Dealing with robots is most of the time a case of live and let live; the best way to handle robots is to employ stealth and bypass them rather than engage them. that being said, when engaging them proves to be your only option, LAMS, EMP grenades, Scramble grenades, an Upgraded spy drone, or a decent hacking skill will prove very useful. if you have electrostatic discharge fully upgraded, a hit with most melee weapons will render the robot disabled or friendly, depending on the weapon and tech level of the augmentation. this means a bop from the DT with the aug will disable any robot in the game with the maxed out augmentation.

Flinch-locking
whenever you hit an enemy in deus ex, most if not all of the time they will play a pain animation, during which they are still. with faster melee weapons, it's possible to spam hit them over and over again in combat without them being able to properly move away or defend themselves. this works for most single opponents, but the time consuming nature of it means if you are seen by more than 1 enemy in melee range, you generally want to kill with the first strike, or at least use a weapon that stuns like the prod or toxin blade.

Bypassing Lasers
Firing pepper spray at laser emitters block the beams without triggering the alarm or trap, allowing you to safely bypass them. this is why I always carry pepper spray. this is a bit of a secret actually, so it's worth trying out. note that you should spray at the emitters for the entire time while you move in order to achieve the desired effect. few laser traps cannot be avoided without this technique, so it stands not just as a good trick in ninja mode, but in Deus Ex in general.

Men/Women In Black
avoid them if possible. DO NOT USE LETHAL MELEE WEAPONS ON THEM IN STEALTH OR WITHOUT CONTINGENCY. they explode on death, and if you're in melee range at the time they do explode, you usually die. though multiple charges are necessary, the stun prod makes for the best way to deal with M/W.I.Bs, but generous application of the baton will also work in a pinch if you manage to flinch-lock them into submission without getting shot.

Item Refusal settings
Inventory management is just as necessary in ninja mode than it is in standard gameplay. item refusal settings help you keep your inventory clear of junk. find them in the controls settings.

Timed Melee Attacks
with every melee weapon there is a short delay between when you click the mouse and the melee attack actually happening. when dropping in from above, or rapidly running toward an enemy, it pays to learn to time your click perfectly so your enemy is hit before they can react. it's also important to learn how to time melee attacks in tense close quarters combat, to avoid missing. remember you need to be in melee range and with the crosshair on your opponent, or you'll miss. it's a bit janky in that regard. The sword is a particularly bad offender for this, given how slow its swings are.

Advanced Archery
mastering the crossbow is really important for a ninja mode player. learning how to adjust your aim for shots at long range is super important for dealing with enemies at a distance. much like with timed melee strikes, practice is key here. I suggest using flare darts to practice, as you can far better see your shots as they travel through the air, and also when dealing with snipers it sets them on fire.

Momentum based damage
among some of the new mechanics revision has, one of them is particularly useful as a side effect of a ninja mode playthrough. enemies and objects receive damage when you hit them at speed. for enemies, the damage is usually barely noticeable, but does make them flinch enough for you to land a sword or knife attack, but generally this is not possible unless you're running at full speed toward them. No, the key thing this can be useful for is breaking down doors. if a door has a low damage threshold, try running into it a few times. this works with the doors at the free clinic, if you want free medibot treatment, and many other areas of the game.

Skip the Ancient Sword
The Ancient Sword is a hidden weapon you can find in a particular graveyard after you scuttle a freighter, buried deep beneath the earth in what I can only describe as the best example of hidden content I have ever seen. it's stats are on par with the Dragon's Tooth (at least as far as I know on Biomod) but it has the benefit of being a standard sword and taking up 1 less slot of space!

don't get it.

there's a few reasons why the dragon's tooth is still the better weapon for a ninja mode player. the main benefit of additional inventory space is a lot more useful for non ninja mode runs, but for ninja mode, the slower attack time that comes with being a standard sword compared to the DT makes the trouble of getting it generally ill advised. there is an exception to this, which is if you happen to also be playing with the Trenchcoat modifier, but mostly with everything else in your inventory not usually taking up more than 1 slot of space (remember, no cumbersome sniper rifles or shotguns to fill it up), the end result is a lot of used resources for, for this particular modifier, a worse weapon.

After changing the introduction, I thought I would have to change the ending too. however, I believe 2018 me has this covered so I'll leave you with his words. enjoy the cringe.

"Hopefully, this will help you guys get to grips with your new weeaboo duties. The ninja mode modifier is very challenging, but once mastered, one of the most rewarding playstyles available. Enjoy, and remember, the darkness is not what you should be afraid of. It's the crossbow toting, lightsaber wielding, vision augmented, trenchcoat donning ninjas that you should truly fear."