The Best Classes to Start With in ‘For Honor’

If you’re just now jumping into Ubisoft’s medieval combat simulator, For Honor, odds are you’ll be facing an overwhelming number of players who have already mastered their character of choice. Not only does this put new players at a disadvantage, but it can prove frustrating as you work to plant your feet in the ground with a warrior of your own choosing. Since each of For Honor’s 12 classes comes packaged with unique approaches to combat, a set of special combos to learn, and a few unblockable attacks to practice, the road to mastering each is arduous, making the character class you pick during your first few hours an important decision. Naturally, you should test different options out to find one that suits your playstyle. But if you’re looking for a few suggestions, here’s a breakdown of what to expect from each character class and some recommendations worth testing out.

In For Honor, characters are divided into three different factions: the Knights, the Vikings, and the Samurai. Aligning yourself with one faction will not prevent you from using any of the characters available, so don’t worry about your faction choice at the beginning of the game if you aim to play a specific character. Every faction has four available character archetypes too: Vanguards, Heavies, Assassins, and Hybrids.

Vanguards are very well balanced characters which can fill a variety of different roles on the battlefield, such as the standard offensive and defensive ones complimented by a bit of disruption. In general, these are a good start for players just getting into the game.

Heavies are essentially the tanks of For Honor, focused on disruption and outlasting their enemies. Heavies require a lot of practice and patience, but can obliterate opponents easily when mastered by a player.

Swift and deadly, Assassins are built for players who love movement and evading enemy strikes. While very weak to enemy attacks, they can dish out a ton of damage if used properly by chaining together combos and parrying enemy attacks.

Hybrid characters are easily the most difficult ones to learn in For Honor, built with elements of every other class in mind. While they take time to master, a skilled player can completely lock down others in battle with a Hybrid due to their unusual attack patterns and unique abilities.

Regardless of which character archetype seems most appealing to you as a player, one important thing to remember is the viability of every character; you just need to practice. In For Honor, no character is overpowered or “broken,” since every combo can be countered. Here are a few classes we recommend trying out if you’re just getting started.

The Warden

A member of the Knights, the Warden is a Vanguard-type character class built for players who prefer to use a mix of both offensive and defensive abilities to punish enemies that make mistakes in combat. Armed with a longsword, the Warden can do massive amounts of damage with heavy attacks and combo together light attacks for guaranteed hits to slowly whittle down opponents in battle. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can also use the Wardens signature moves — Shoulder Bash and Crushing Counterstrike — to lock down opponents who use overhead attacks or allow themselves to be trapped in a corner.

The Berserker

An assassin-type character aligned with the Vikings, the Berserker is designed for players who like to have access to heavy-hitting attacks without losing mobility on the battlefield. Unlike the Warden, the Berserker requires you to actively move your combat dial for every single attack and block, meaning that it will take some practice to become second nature. What’s great about the Berserkers is their ability to combo into an infinite chain of attacks once you’ve kicked up four moves or more. Doing so reduces their stamina cost and makes them uninterruptible, allowing you to terrorize opponents if they leave their guard down.

The Nobushi

The most versatile of the Hybrid-type characters in the game, the Nobushi involves playing defensively and keeping your opponents at a distance while you exploit every opening they reveal in battle. Armed with a long polearm, nearly all her attacks can be chained together for massive amounts of bleed damage no matter the opponent you face, which can stack up with deadly results if you continue to poke someone who is already bleeding. Her unblockable kick can be used to knock opponents away with ease too while her heavy attacks also do a hefty amount of damage if timed properly. Just remember to manage your stamina while playing the Nobushi; otherwise, you won’t be able to keep opponents at a safe distance.