The Shinobi in ‘For Honor’ Is an Agile Ninja Warrior 

The Shinobi, one of two new playable heroes added to For Honor’s first DLC, Shadow & Might, is a merciless assassin who embraces the true power of what it means to be a ninja warrior.

Much like other assassin heroes, they rely on active stance changes, and deflects that create openings for them unleash quick combos which overwhelm their foes. Instead of standing toe-to-toe with enemies, however, Shinobi can attack from a distance using their two kusarigama. These weapons give Shinobi a distinct advantage because they can be used in both long- and short-range combat, allowing them to chain together deadly combos that result in a hefty amount of bleed damage if you can pull them off.

Since Shinobi has a low amount of health and can easily be defeated if caught off guard, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with each of the combos and special dodges this hero has to offer if you want to dominate the competition. The goal is to keep your opponents at a safe distance while you slice them relentlessly with your two kusarigama, which will take plenty of practice.

Here’s a few tips to help you do exactly that:

Maintain a Safe Distance

One of Shinobi’s biggest weaknesses is their extremely low health, which is actually the lowest of every available hero within For Honor, from a purely numerical standpoint. Because of this limited health pool, most heroes you’ll go up against can kill you in two or three hits if they land them — which means you’ll need to take advantage of the speed and agility offered by the Shinobi to stay alive. Always maintain a safe distance from your opponent using flips and kicks, only attacking when you have a good opening before retreating to safety.

Avoid Being Parried at Range

Since the Shinobi is based on a combination of long-ranged attacks mixed with momentum-focused combos, being parried isn’t the ideal situation — especially if you are parried while throwing your kusarigama from a distance. If your opponent manages to parry your ranged pull or heavy attack, they will grab your weapon’s chain and pull you to the ground. This maneuver doesn’t just drain some of your stamina, however, it also opens your defenses up for a heavy attack or two, and that means you’ll be dead before you can recover. Be careful using your ranged attacks with the Shinobi; otherwise, you’ll be locked down before you can even make a move.

Master the Art of Deflection

Like the other assassins in For Honor’s hero roster, the Shinobi can perform deflects by dodging in the direction of incoming attacks with the [same timing required for a parry]. Instead of following up into an immediate combo attack or unblockable attack, though, the Shinobi will allow you to teleport behind your opponent and perform a kick or deadly attack combo. While difficult to master, this maneuver will catch your enemies off guard and allow you to juggle them provided you know the Shinobi’s other combos. Use deflect to mix up your combos and keep your opponent on their toes.

Build Momentum

If there’s one thing you need to know about using the Shinobi in combat, it’s that the hero is heavily reliant on building momentum and using it to overwhelm or confuse your opponent. Nearly every combo and attack chain available for the Shinobi allows you to leap into a kick, front flip, and back flip, which can be used to maneuver around the competition. Use this consistently to dance around them and wait for a golden opportunity to punish them for their mistakes, chaining together both long-range and short-range combos to deal massive amounts of damage in a very short window.