Ubisoft's For Honor has one of the more unique combat systems in gaming today. Players aim the right stick in a certain direction, either left, right, or up to target a part of the opponent and to block incoming attacks. A major part of that combat system is parrying.
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Parrying is probably the most important part of the combat system since performing it can open your opponent up for a moment for attacks. It is an important thing for both beginners and experts alike to get the hang of. It can be tough to get down at first but once you do, you can play like a pro in a matter of moments.
How To Parry In For Honor
Before you can master parrying in For Honor, you first have to know how to do it. Parrying is done by hitting the heavy attack button right as an attack is about to make contact with you. Attacks in For Honor are marked by a bright red icon.
Of course, just hitting it is not enough as you also have to have the right stick facing in the direction the blow is coming from as well. Having it facing a different direction will instead initiate a heavy attack, causing not only a loss of health but also a loss of stamina due to initiating an attack.
What Can You Parry In For Honor?
Heavy attacks are what the game has you start out with when parrying since they are slower attacks than light attacks, and are easier to get the timing down for. Light attacks can be parried as well but are harder to get the hang of and don't leave as much an opening to attack an opponent with. Unblockable attacks can be parried as well, provided that they are strike-based. This is because some are initiated with the guard break button, like the Shugoki's headbutt or the Black Prior's shield swipe, cannot be parried and must be dodged to avoid.
It is also important to note that some characters can strike quicker than others. For instance, a lighter character, like the Nobushi, can strike more quickly and more frequently than a heavier character, such as the Lawbringer. Quicker attacks mean you have a shorter window to parry, which means you have to pay closer attention to who you are facing, the type of attacks they are unleashing, and the direction they are attacking from.
When Can You Parry In For Honor?
As for when to parry — just about anytime you are blocking in a particular direction and hitting the heavy attack button when the opponent's attack hits will cause you to initiate a parry. Assassin-classed characters need to be extra careful as they can only guard in a specific direction for a certain amount of time before their guard drains. Once the guard drains, it becomes impossible to block in that direction and thus makes it impossible to parry.
In order to block and parry in that direction again, you would have to switch quickly to another direction and then back to the previous one. An opponent playing an assassin character has to be aware of the same thing. Knowing stuff like this is essential to becoming a pro at parrying.
Next: For Honor: Complete Beginner's Guide
