For Honor: How to Play the Nobushi

Nobushi – For Honor

One of the most elegant and dangerous enemies on the battlefield, the Nobushi is a terrifying samurai that can bleed her opponents out in For Honor. This light armored fighter utilizes her superior distance thanks to her naginata. However, what sets her apart from others is her ability to stack bleed damage on opponents, causing them to quickly drain out and die even if they try and run away from her.

Playing as the Nobushi is not easy as she requires users to have an intimate knowledge of her combos and limitations. She can deal a lot of damage easily, but also is easily killed if an opponent manages to close the distance between her and her foe.

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, AND MOVESET –  HOW TO PLAY THE Nobushi

Hybrid – Long Range, Versatile Retreats

Strengths – A powerful distance fighter that can stack on damaging effects that will kill her opponents quickly and without warning. She also is fantastic  at retreats or hit and run tactics in big game modes like Domination.

Weaknesses – However, due to her reliance on combos she requires a strong memory of how to chain her abilities together. Also, if the distance is closed she has a small amount of armor, making it easier for another hero to kill her.

Moveset

Hero Specific Perks

• Renown – Balanced across all activities.
• Revenge Mode – Boosts Damage and Health. All Attacks are Uninterruptible. Parry and Throws knock enemies down. Attacks are Auto Parried on activation.
• Way of the Shark – Does extra damage when hitting someone already affected by Bleed.
• Hidden Stance – The Startup has a Dodge property. Basic Attacks Startup can be canceled into Hidden Stance. Hidden Stance can be followed by attacks, kick, or dodge.

Moves (From Gaurd Mode L2/LT)

• Poke the Nest (Bleed)
  • PS4 – R1, R1, R1
  • Xbox One – RB, RB, RB

• Hiss and Bite
  • PS4 – R1, R2
  • Xbox One – RB, RT

• Death Rattle Form
  • PS4 – R2, R2
  • Xbox One – RT, RT

• Hidden Stance
  • Right Stick Down

• Cobra Strike (Bleed)
  • PS4 – Left Stick Left or Left Stick Up or Left Stick Right + X, R1
  • Xbox One – Left Stick Left or Left Stick Up or Left Stick Right + A, RB

• Cobra Strike Mix Up
  • PS4 – Square (Must hit), Square, R1
  • Xbox One X (Must hit), X, RB

• Viper’s Retreat (Bleed)
  • PS4 – Left Stick Down + R1
  • Xbox One – Left Strick Down + RB

• Kick
  • PS4 – R1 or R2, Square
  • Xbox One – RB or RT, X

• Sidewinder Form
  • PS4 – Left Stick Left or Left Stick Right + X, R2
  • Xbox One – Left Stick Left or Left Stick Righ + X, RT

• Swift Recoil
  • PS4 – Block, X
  • Xbox One – Block, A

TACTICS – HOW TO PLAY THE Nobushi

The Nobushi is one of the deadliest characters in all of For Honor, however, it’s imperative that players memorize her combos and know which chain together. Her attacks are quite fast, which allows her to constantly poke and stagger her opponents. Being able to mix up your combinations will be necessary to keep your opponent off balance, as it allows her to remain unpredictable. You want to poke your opponents with the naginata as it can become annoying to deal with and goad them into attacking her recklessly.

Try to wear opponents out of stamina by tricking them into attacking you and dodging. The Nobushi will always have superior range in a fight so always try and use this to your advantage. Keeping enemies at a safe distance while constantly hitting them with chip damage will either force them to retreat or come in for an attack. Don’t get greedy, when this happens wait until they’ve tired themselves out and then hit them with a flurry of attacks. If you don’t kill them that’s fine just back up and repeat the same tactics until they die.

For bigger maps and game modes like Domination try to practice hit and run tactics to finish off enemies. You have a lot of skills for disengaging or blocking strikes, so rush in and give them a quick combo then run out. Nobushi are some of the best harassers in all of For Honor, so use their superior weapon and speed to your advantage. Always try to start your attacks with a Bleed move like Poke the Nest as it will increase your damage for a brief period of time.

Finally, you will want to be careful of characters like the Peacekeeper and Berzerker as they can close the distance very quickly. This is your biggest weakness as you are not nearly as capable in a point blank range conflict, so try to back up and gain some distance. When facing against other fast heroes try to be a bit more aggressive and use light attacks to keep them at a distance by poking in their general direction. The last thing a Nobushi player wants in For Honor is for someone to take their biggest advantage away from them.

RECOMMENDED FEATS – HOW TO PLAY THE Nobushi

• Iron Lungs – While you should never try to deplete your stamina, being able to sprint when you’re out could very well save your life. This allows for quick escapes or a chance to regain some lost distance if a foe gets too close.
• Smoke Bomb – Another escape tool, the Smoke Bomb allows you to break a lock, disrupt your opponent, and run if needed. This is wonderful if they get too close, as you can drop a smoke bomb to disorientate them and then follow-up with a few combo attacks.
• Blissful Rest – Just having the ability to heal is always a nice Feat if you are just learning to play Nobushi. However, try swapping this out later on with the Sharpen Blade to stack even more Bleed damage on opponents, making them an even easier kill.
• Stalwart Banner – Traps and arrow storms are very hit or miss in For Honor, so acting like a healer for your entire team can turn the tide of a losing battle or help you win out numbered engagements.

For more guides, tips, and walkthroughs visit our every growing For Honor wiki.