New(?) Berserker-specific Tech: Anti-Nobushi / Kensei punish | Forums

[Callisto-Major]

Hello everyone! Been lurking in here since closed beta, but this is my first time posting. I found a neat Berserker-specific follow-up to parry on Nobushi and Kensei I wanted to share (it could very well work on other characters as well).


Typically, when you parry an attack in For Honor you're rewarded with a 'free' GB and a Side Heavy for decent damage. The problem is that parrying Kensei / Nobushi / Conqueror / Lawbringer / Valkyrie heavies at certain ranges does NOT allow you to reach with your GB, even if you move towards them or dodge inwards after the parry. Some will say, just use the deflect because it gives you a guaranteed 100%-to-hit GB. But the problem here is the damage isn't optimal, all you get from the deflect version of the GB is a throw or light (it gives you less frame advantage than a raw GB in open space)

So how do you claim your reward in damage after successfully parrying these characters? Berserker has unusually fast heavies, so I tried skipping the GB part entirely and parrying Nobushi and going straight to heavies. . Then I found out you can parry her heavies and land a TOP HEAVY, his slowest move. So vs. Nobushi, any parry of any of her attacks leads to a free top heavy, or side heavy into chain mix-up. Everyone talks about Parry > GB all day, but I think this might be an alternative way to deal with predictable heavies you couldn't otherwise punish. The most unreal part is that this seems to be Berserker-specific, which is such a huge relief for those of us who main him (he has mediocre mix-up at high level and no unblockable to open up opponents).

Then I tried vs others in the cast, and I found the same to be true vs. Kensei and Conq if you parry their moves as well. I believe their moves are more punishable on parry because they are safer characters that are harder to get in on, with more range. So the game rewards you appropriately for managing to crack their mid-range & defense game.

Parrying Heavies > your own Heavy might work with the other assassins (they also have quick moves).

Also this kind of invalidates deflect for me now lmao

[Shinimas]

Yes, you get a top heavy after parrying a light attack on any character against any character. Debuff resistance gear might be messing with it, I don't know. This is fairly common knowledge.

[Callisto-Major]

Yes, you get a top heavy after parrying a light attack on any character against any character. Debuff resistance gear might be messing with it, I don't know. This is fairly common knowledge.

Thanks!, I corrected my post, I actually knew that lights were more punishable I just forgot while I was typing this. I've never heard of parrying a heavy directly into your own heavy before, which is what this post is really about. Specifically vs longer range characters where you normally can't even get a GB if you parry them? I think this is new

[MrForz]

Berserker has the luxury of landing a top heavy right after any form of parry. I don't know if another class can do it, that's also one of the very few luxuries he can get.

[Bob__Gnarly]

I'll have to try this.

If this is true and he gets a free top heavy after a parry, I'll start using him again.

[MRDR.Rider]

This is not true. You do not get a free overhead heavy after any parry when using berserker. Just thought I'd end this rumor in case anyone else stumbles across this thread.

Edit: I thought I'd add something useful/helpful here too. The only free overheads (I know of) on berserker are on an opponent that's been thrown into a wall, or an opponent that is on the ground. For the opponent that is on the ground lead with an overhead light. This will always get you in range for the overhead heavy.

[Butonfly]

This is not true. You do not get a free overhead heavy after any parry when using berserker. Just thought I'd end this rumor in case anyone else stumbles across this thread.

Edit: I thought I'd add something useful/helpful here too. The only free overheads (I know of) on berserker are on an opponent that's been thrown into a wall, or an opponent that is on the ground. For the opponent that is on the ground lead with an overhead light. This will always get you in range for the overhead heavy.

For an opponent you knock to the ground you lead with an immediate side heavy followed by a top heavy.

That said, if you parry a top attack you can immediately top heavy without GB. I don't know if you can parry a side into a free top heavy without GB. I was under the impression you can't.

Here's an example
https://youtu.be/og5R1wCCl5A?t=29

[MrForz]

This is not true. You do not get a free overhead heavy after any parry when using berserker. Just thought I'd end this rumor in case anyone else stumbles across this thread.

But I do it all the time when I can't be bothered to make a GB based punish. I've done it a couple of times today too. You can freely retaliate with a heavy right (like, DIRECTLY) after parrying. Retaliating with an overhead right after parrying a side attack might be tricky, but if you parry an overhead, your own overhead is free right after it, whether it's a parried heavy or light.

I'm not sure it matters anymore though, unless your opponent has some measure of range that a GB can't reach.