Senior Member
I am a Beserker main, but I like switching it up every now and then to keep things fresh and lately I have been using Kensei and more often than not I will win 1v1 in Dominion without getting touched or just taking a few hits. I would say this happens around 60-70% of the time.
The overhead feint + the dodge R1 + a R1 combo thrown in every now and then and its like you blew their mind. They can't block accurately, they can't parry consistently and then they seem to almost not know what to do.
I am by no means claiming I am some Kensei god or something its just that when I am on my Beserker I can tell my opponent knows what they are doing and knows how to fight me, but most times its like the Kensei is alien to them.
Is it because she doesn't get used that much so people are used to her?
Is it that her kit is just different from everyone elses?
I am genuinely confused as to why this seems to be the case. PS4 player here btw.
Member
Kensei dodges left and attacks to the right. It trips up some new players. You can defensively win a fight with just dodge attacks at times just waiting for an attack and dodging over and over. But that only works against newer players as well. I'm rep 11 kensei and the higher I go the more difficult it is for me to win some fights. Playing against a newer player is completely different from playing an experienced one. Seems newer players can't handle overly aggressive kensei play where a experienced player seems to tear that strategy apart.
Member
Banned
This is spot on.
I'm a kensei main and I'm the first type. I play properly, utilise feints, rely on the overhead UB feint to the side. It's difficult playing anyone with any sense really, even post patch kensei is lacking in openers. I have to play extremely defensively at first then switch it up and confuse people, only way.
The ones who abuse feint exploits and 'tech' as they call it are scum, dude above was right to say they make for a terrifying kensei.
Still, it's near impossible to fight certain characters, regardless of skill.
Can't fight peacekeepers or shield characters. As I said, no openers.
Member
Wow! that surprised me! As a kensei, for me the most easy fights are vs Pk´s.Originally Posted by Mudflaaaps Go to original post
Senior Member
As a PK, kensei is my worst matchup and if I remember correctly, he is one of the few PKs have less than 45% victories against in regular and high level play on the devs' data. I like to parry, the attack suddenly changes direction, I like to deflect, I suddenly get guardbroken, everything I do that normally works seems to play into their hands, i think I need to play against them more or put time into playing them.
Senior Member
the problem to fight kensei, isn't the Kensei but the turtle players, not dodge, simple parry and heavy.
Dodge attack, if is predict, can be parry well and you can punish kensei,
the samurai with long sword has big problem vs warden because he has fear to the top punish and the vortex, and vs Law and Warlord and Conqueror,for the push attacks ....the others heroes can be fight well with good expirience,and patience ( like Tokugawa Ieyasu say: patience is the key for victory ).
Member
Kensei main really high rep. I consider myself in the high tier of players, and stats can prove it. Mostly 1v1 and brawls, and some 4v4 to when i am in a lazy mood. Anyways i'm not posting to sell myself, but to support he fact that my arguments have been thought for a long time, and that i know my class by heart.
@CoyoteXStarrk Generally speaking, you don't have the same mindset when you play 4v4 and 1v1. In 4v4 modes, you got a lot of things to think about, not only the opponent you are vs, so it can be easier for characters like the kensei : big range, easy to learn and making huge damage on each hit, especially with his combo ender. You have an easier time throwing your full combo in 4v4 modes because of ennemies who takes care of all their surrounding constantly.
While in 1v1, you can fully concentrate on the ennemy, making the fight much more intense, and much more "turtle". Giving the fact that Kensei has no opener, vs the defensive meta, he has a hard time opening people up. For example, how do you want to punish someone out of stamina without any opener ? GB feints. Each one of your opening tries is a risk, by feinting, by some slow side lights, by the side dodge light (which is over risky), by trying the lights/GB feints... Each of your tools are a risk for you, than most of any other chars.
Meaning that you need to use EACH (risky) tools you can at high level to actually be efficient... Making the Kensei a real pain to master and to fight with, against good opponents.
And for me, even on consoles, when i play with Kensei, pk's aren't my nightmare. We got the advantage of a really fast guard switch, which helps a lot with the light spam, we got the range, which helps a lot against low range assassin's, and some super armor on the 4th hit, helping a lot with the spam dodging characters. So yeah, i think Kensei is a sort of natural counter to assassin's.
Member
Member
The problem I have with Kensei when playing as a slower class like Lawbringer, is that Kensei can cancel his overhead unblockable so late that I am being punished for reacting to it by trying to parry.
It goes like this
-Kensei goes for overhead unblockable (starts spinning in the air)
-Sword is coming towards you
-Do upward parry
-Kensei cancels and switches to sideway heavy/light
-Your failed attempt to parry changes into overhead heavy and Kensei lands a sideway hit
