Speed is key in the timing-intensive fight of For Honor, and Assassins are built to go full-throttle in combat. Thanks to their agility, the Assassin Class can easily outmaneuver and outflank other Heroes. With the right timing, Assassins can dish out fierce counters as soon as they dodge otherwise-killing blows. Their combos open room for follow-ups, and their deceptive nature makes lethal blows easier to land.
Unfortunately, the Assassin does lack a huge number of defensive options, making them quite a risk to master even for skilled players. Still, newcomers will love capitalizing on the Assassin's speed to wreak havoc on the battlefield without enemies catching them in the act.
Updated on June 17, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: With For Honor remaining strong in 2022 with its slate of upgrades for Year 6, fans and newcomers to the game might want to give the medieval action game a shot. And with the “Golden Age” DLC revealing a time before time amongst For Honor’s numerous factions, now is as good a time as any for fans to explore some of the game’s more acclaimed Classes. For instance, hopeful Assassin mains might want to indulge in tips such as studying their Archetypes, getting comfortable with mobility, and learning how to use their environments more than ever to their advantage.
15 Get A Comfortable Archetype
Of all the Classes in the game, the Assassin tends to be the one with the most complicated toolkits due to the way they’re built. Specializing more in speed and deceit, their skills are tailored to chase enemies down and kill them swiftly - a far cry from the usual standoff duels that other Classes enjoy. This doesn’t mean Assassins have to be overwhelming, though. In fact, being skilled in an Assassin may very well be based entirely on getting a comfortable archetype.
Thankfully, with seven (currently) Archetypes, there are a lot of options for players to consider. The Shaman is easily one of the most versatile Assassins out there, combining distance-closing attacks with bleed and lifesteal. Fan-favorite Berserkers are surprisingly heavy hitters, while the Gladiators tire opponents with multiple unblockables.
14 Delay Enemies Through Feints
Despite the different gimmicks of Assassins, they’re almost always sharing the same reliance on speed and mobility. Assassins gain the upper hand as soon as they get the jump on their opponent. And since opponents probably know this, a duel with an Assassin is almost always a matter of blocking timing. Interestingly enough, players who use Assassins can play with this assumption by baiting opponents with speed.
Instead of zooming in for the kill, which opponents are almost always going to anticipate, try to extend the duel time through feints. This can catch enemies off-guard since they will most likely want to eliminate the player as soon as possible to help their other allies as well. Baiting and feinting will eventually tire enemies and have them leave an opening.
13 Sometimes Running Works More Than Killing
On top of baiting and feinting against opponents, players may also want to use their control over speed to lure opponents into a cat-and-mouse chase. This can become extremely helpful in situations where one particular opponent excels in eliminating the player’s allies, their Assassin can become the bait while allies pick off the opponent’s own party.
This advice is extremely risky, since one wrong move on a mobility skill can send players too close to their opponent. However, enough dodges and parries with a few hits here and there can be enough of a distraction against tougher foes. Given the Assassin’s nature as a deceitful fighter, being more of glorified bait than an actual combatant may be beneficial if they have powerful allies to back them up.
12 Use The Environment To Get An Advantage
Unlike other team-based games that take place on rather empty battlefields, For Honor takes place on unique maps that have their own weather changes, daytime elements, as well as NPCs soldiers to back them up in their incursions. This makes For Honor quite a thrilling battlefield simulation, as though players are in an actual medieval war.
However, players do need to remember that, like in actual war, combatants don’t always have to keep the duel going forever. Players who feel like they need to run or get in a better vantage point should do so if that’s what’s needed. Thankfully, there are more than enough indestructible battlefield elements and pathways to lure enemies into a glorified duel setup. That, or, lure them into an unsuspecting ambush. And thanks to the Assassin’s control over mobility, running around the environment can be an easy thing to do.
11 Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Given how For Honor has its own set of 4-versus-4 and 5-versus-5 modes, it’s no question that teamwork has a place in its gameplay. These can take the form of ganking or ganging up on a single foe, or even “fair” duels where players need to watch their backs and their allies’ to ensure that they outlast the enemies.
However, in the case of Assassins and their 1v1 specialization, players might seem inclined not to gank with allies. Thing is, players should take advantage of their Assassin’s ability to jump in and out of combat. When they know allies are in rather sticky situations, they can always jump in for the assist and distract the enemy while their allies are recuperating. And just when the enemy decides to face the Assassin, players can run away to find another duel to interrupt.
10 They're Geared For Repeated Attacks
As expected from their name, Assassins specialize in dealing as many attacks as possible in a short amount of time. Thanks to their unique grasp of speed, Assassins can get away from opponents as fast as they can get close, be it through nifty dodges, counter-attacks, and constant pressure. Their unique abilities rely on engaging the opponent as much as possible.
Assassins such as the Peacekeeper, the Orochi, and the Shinobi rely on counter-attacks through feints, quick dodges, and deflections. Meanwhile, Assassins like the Gladiator, Shamans, and Nuxia capitalize on pestering opponents until they bleed out.
9 Moveset Declares Timing
Players should remember that, unlike other classes, Assassins care less about dealing huge damage going in. Rather, their movesets offer the best ways to lure opponents into granting them an opening. Each Assassin has a unique take on when they should lunge in for the quick kill.
For instance, all Assassins have a Deflect move that follows-up with various Hero-specific options. These include guard breaks (Peacekeeper), a power move (Berserker), or Light or Heavy Attack variants (Orochi). Likewise, certain movesets accommodate special mechanics. Players should try and maximize these to improve their chaining and combos. For instance, Nuxia's Trap mechanic encourages taunting enemies, while the Shinobi's Charge mechanic provides mid-range attack opportunities.
8 The Gimmick Declares Killing Style
True to their nature, Assassins all work toward eliminating threats as fast as possible. Each Assassin has a special gimmick that finds ways of luring enemies into a false sense of security. Players who understand these intricacies can confidently play with enemies during skirmishes to force openings in an opponent's flow.
Bleeding damage over time is a primary mechanic of the Shaman, Gladiator, and Peacekeeper Assassins. For Shamans, facing a Bleeding opponent puts them in a Blood Trance state, which triggers lifesteal alongside special attacks. The Gladiator can finish chains with Skewer, which increases Bleed damage. The Peacekeeper's dagger stabs will also cause enemies to Bleed. Alternatively, the Berserker, Orochi, and Shinobi offer a variety of feints and dodges to transform counter-attacks into fierce chains.
7 Become The Anti-Player
Assassins live up to their name as elimination specialists, as most of their abilities and moves are specifically tailored towards PVP. In fact, unlike other Hero Classes, most Assassins share major Passives that encourage engagement with as many enemies as possible.
Bounty Hunter serves as a great example of such a Passive. Shared across all Assassins except the Shaman, Bounty Hunter regenerates Health and Stamina whenever they kill another Hero. Meanwhile, all Assassins share the Execution's Respite Passive. Whereas an ordinary Execution grants a certain amount of Health, this Passive grants 50-percent more healing towards Executions. Assassins have all the more reason to pull off that perfect cinematic finish.
6 Passives Emphasize Speed
As expected of their target-focused nature, Assassins have fewer Self Passives compared to active abilities. Moreover, most of their Passives also focus on providing much-needed repositioning, defense, or even killing ability.
The Peacekeeper has the Thick Skin Passive (T2), which grants much-needed damage reduction. Countering this is the Slip Through Passive of the Shinobi and Orochi, which raises attack when dodging to motivate counter-attack. Both the Peacekeeper and Shinobi possess the Stealth Passive, hiding from the game's aim assist, radar, and HUD. It's for quick entrances and exits.
5 Punish The Enemy's Offense
Both Heavies and Assassins capitalize on turning an enemy's offense against them. Whereas the Heavy's defense makes it nigh-impossible to land hits, the Assassins transform the speed and the enemy's timing itself into a weapon. The Peacekeeper, the Berserker, and the Orochi share the Fear Itself Passive. With this ability, enemies near them have lower defenses and decreased Stamina regeneration. This discourages them from performing complicated maneuvers, especially those prone to counters.
Meanwhile, the Nuxia's Infection (T4) deals damage over time whenever enemies stay close to each other, encouraging isolation. Even the Gladiator has Righteous Deflection (T2), which greatly increases damage reduction whenever it parries attacks.
4 Capitalize On Extra Attack Options
Similar to the Vanguard, Assassins also have extra attack options. These give Assassins more damaging abilities on top of their fast-paced chains and punishing counters. While some players might feel like these are overkill, they may be worth it in emergencies.
Great examples include long-ranged attacks such as the Gladiator's Neptune's Wrath (T3), the Shaman's Hand Axe (T3), the Berserker's Throwing Axe (T3), and the Peacekeeper's Crossbow (T3). Even the Orochi has two of these long-ranged options: the Kunai (T2) and the Long Bow (T3). Having these in one's back pocket can help Assassins adapt against escapees and retreating foes.
3 Consider Crowd Control
It's always annoying when others interrupt an ongoing assassination. Thankfully, most Assassins have various crowd control (CC) methods to ensure enemies are punished for trying to get in the way of their fight.
Various projectiles can deal burst AOE to deter an enemy approach. These include Arrow Storm (Shinobi), Catapult (Peacekeeper, Gladiator), and Caltrops (Nuxia). Some Assassins also have damage-over-time AOE, such as the Pugno Mortis (Gladiator), Fire Flask (Berserker, Shaman), and even the Bleed from Nail Bomb (Orochi, Shaman). Utility CCs include the blinding Fiat Lux (Peacekeeper), the stunning Stun Trap (Berserker), and the concealing Smoke Bomb (Orochi, Shinobi).
2 Keep Moving
Assassins rely on nimble movement and quick dodges to score hits. These complex playstyles can often feel overwhelming for players; however, Assassins excel when they do just that. As long as Assassins keep moving, the better they can pull off their devastating combos.
The Orochi's Calm Before The Storm move allows them to chase an opponent until they decide to hit them from any direction they choose. Likewise, a Shinobi's Deflect move teleports them instantly behind opponents, while the Nuxia possesses various multi-directional counterattack opportunities whenever they Deflect or Parry attacks.
1 Capitalize On Follow-Throughs
Unlike other Heroes that include a wide range of unblockables and uninterruptibles in their toolkit, Assassins give players more room for flexibility in terms of follow-throughs. These include easier cancels, more flexible chain starters, and continuous mix-ups.
For example, the Shinobi doesn't have any finishers. Rather, Mix Ups allow them to infinitely continue chains via kicks, back flips, and front rolls. Alternatively, Shinobi also have Double Dodge and even Super Sprint. Likewise, most Assassins have faster ways to pull off cancels, leaving them more open to switching to other modes of offense much faster.
For Honor is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.