Nobushi is a slippery Hybrid character for the Samurai faction in For Honor. She uses a Naginata, which is a long staff with a curved blade at the end. Nobushi has the longest range of any character in the game, and keeps opponents under pressure with her myriad of bleeds.
She has the lowest health in the game, so she can die pretty fast if you aren’t careful. Luckily, she has a few tricks to keep out of harms way, and several ways to cancel attacks to keep the enemy guessing. I’m going to explain how to best use the Samurai’s snake.
If you want general help with the game and other Hero guides, check out my For Honor Beginner Tips and Tricks.
This guide will go everything you need to know about the Nobushi in For Honor, including:
- Nobushi Basics – Specific mechanics the Nobushi uses, as well as her moves
- Nobushi Gear – Suggested stats to shoot for when equipping gear
- Nobushi Tips – Extra tips for playing this hero at a higher level
Nobushi Basics
Moves
- Poke the Nest – Light Attack, Light Attack, Light Attack
- This move causes the enemy to Bleed for additional damage.
- Hiss and Bite – Light Attack, Heavy Attack
- Death Rattle Form – Heavy Attack, Heavy Attack
- Slithering Thrust – Press Light Attack while sprinting
- This causes Bleed.
- Coiling Slash – Press Heavy Attack while sprinting
- Hidden Stance – Hold down on the Guard direction
- Cobra Strike – Dodge in any direction and press Light Attack
- This causes Bleed.
- Cobra Strike Mix Up – Guardbreak throw, Light Attack
- This causes Bleed.
- Viper’s Retreat – Down on the movement direction and Light Attack
- This causes Bleed.
- Kick – Guardbreak after an attack
- Sidewinder Form – Dodge left or right and press Heavy Attack
- Swift Recoil – Block an attack, then dodge
Specific Mechanics
- This character earns balanced Renown across all activities.
- Way of the Shark – Deal extra damage when hitting opponents already affected by Bleed.
- Hidden Stance – Startup has a Dodge property. Basic attacks startup can be cancelled into Hidden Stance.
- Hidden Stance can be followed by Attack, Kick, or Dodge.
- Cancel Attack Recovery – Attacks can be followed by Hidden Stance, Viper’s Retreat, or Kick. Kicks can be followed by Hidden Stance or Cobra Strike.
- Light Attack Combo – Third chained Light Attack is guaranteed to hit if the second hit is successful.
- Side Slashes – Hit at the opposite direction of the way you dodge. Side Slashes can be followed by Hidden Stance, Viper’s retreat, Kick, or Dodge.
Nobushi Gear
This character already has low health, so she works well as a glass cannon. Raise Attack and Stamina stats whenever you can.
- Weapon Part 1 – Attack followed by Stamina Cost Reduction.
- Weapon Part 2 – Revenge Mode Gain by Defense and Revenge Mode Defense.
- Weapon Part 3 – Revenge Mode Attack
- Helm – This depends on who you fight. Normally I would go with Revenge Mode Duration, but if fighting other Nobushis or Heroes with Bleed, take Debuff Resistance.
- Chest – Execution Health Regen, followed by Block Damage.
- Arms – All stats are useful, so this one is up to you.
- Revive speed can make reviving nearly instant, especially if you have the Revive Speed feat.
- You can also replace the Revive Speed feat if you raise this stat enough.
Other Nobushi Tips
Master Hidden Stance
Nobushi’s Hidden Stance is extremely helpful. It can let you escape certain attacks, then come back with a counter. It also lets you start in the middle of chains, or do the kick to catch your opponent off guard. Mastering this will put you above most average Nobushi players.
Always have a Bleed on the enemy
Nobushi’s biggest strength is making the enemy Bleed. Applying constant pressure will take any opponent down — no matter how strong. It may take a while, and you may not get to execute, but it better than dying. Plus, you deal more damage when the opponent is Bleeding, so always keep one on.
Practice Kicks and Viper’s Retreat
These are great moves that you can do after most attacks. Kicks knock opponents back and can go right into a bleed attack, Cobra Strike. Viper’s Retreat has the added benefit of backing up and putting you out of harm’s way.
Those are all the tips I have for playing Nobushi in For Honor. Let me know if you have any tips of your own, or questions about anything else!
