For Honor's Kensei hero class is the Vanguard of the Samurai faction and are an easy hero to pick up, but a tough one to master. They are adaptable in the extreme and can switch between mid-range quick hits to slow powerful close-in strikes. This adaptability comes with a price, though; the Kensei is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. This For Honor Kensei moveset guide will show you the best way to use the adaptability and versatility of this class to good use while minimizing its weaknesses.

Pros and Cons of the Kensei Class

Pros:

• The Kensei's number one asset is its adaptability. The ability to effectively go on the offense or defense against many different classes makes the Kensei incredibly powerful in the right hands.
• Once you learn a Kensei's ability to link any attack into a three-hit combo chain, you'll be able to react to almost any situation into which you're thrown.
• The Kensei can pressure enemy heroes from all sides if you use dodging, rolling, and combos correctly.

Cons:

• The Kensei is hard to master. You have to pay close attention to the tempo and timing of your attacks and combos. Additionally, while the Kensei can do well at close and long-range, keeping the enemy at the optimal mid-range distance can be tough.
• The Kensei is slower than other Vanguards, which means they don't have the staying power you may be used to with the Warden.
• Kensei excel at combos and heavy attacks, and most of the damage you deal with be from those. This means you have to be methodical when you're on the offense and always be ready to backpedal and take the defensive.

Kensei Attack Strategies

Basic Attacks:

The Kensei's light attack has good range but isn't nearly as quick as other Vanguard hero classes. This slowness makes the light attack much easier to parry or block, and they're more useful for harassing the enemy rather than dealing any damage. The Kensei's heavy attacks cover a great distance and in combos can push that range out even further. Heavy attacks will be your most basic damage dealers as a Kensei and the cornerstone around which your combos are built.

Chains and Combos:

The Kensei has a unique ability to link any of their attacks into a three hit chain. This chain is the cornerstone of the Kensei's versatility and their primary strength as a hero. The third attack in the Kensei's three-hit chain is a special ability as long as it is a heavy attack. What special ability will be triggered is dependent on what position your guard is in when you start your combo chain.

If you land your three-hit combo ending with a heavy attack from the top guard position you'll execute the Kensei's most powerful attack which is also unblockable. This attack is very slow and easily dodged, and it has a small recovery period which leaves the Kensei open to attack. This attack takes a lot of stamina, and if you don't hit with it the first time, you'll need to let your meter refill before you try it again. While this attack cannot be deflected or blocked, enemies can parry it, though the potential damage they could take by mistiming the parry makes it a dumb move to try.

If you land the Kensei's three-hit combo ending with a heavy attack while in the right or left guard position, you'll pull off an uninterruptible heavy side attack. This attack can't be interrupted, but you will still take damage, and it can be blocked, parried, or deflected.

Kensei Defensive Strategies

Dash Attacks

The Kensei has access to two types of dash attacks that you can either use to attack or defend against enemies. The first dash attack is a forward dash followed by a light attack. The forward dash is a quick attack with good reach, though it does negligible damage. This dash is best used to put the enemy on the defensive so that you can get ready to land a stronger attack. The second dash attack is from the sides and allows you to dodge an enemy attack while simultaneously slashing them with a light attack. Both of these dash attacks count towards the first hit of a three-hit combo, so they can be used to quickly transition into a position where you can pull off your unblockable overhead swing combo.

You can find further info on the hero classes in our For Honor guide hub.