I love For Honor for it`s Potential (it has a unique Combat System) but it`s far from perfect (compared to release devs learned alot and made many good changes but some core Problems are still arround).

I play for arround 500 hours and i play every Character on a decent level.

I want to adress a few Problems (some bigger and some "kinda" easy to fix). This is just my Opinion and they may not be the best Solutions (just let people playtest different builds with a weaker defense system and see if they like it or not).

1. Side deflect window is shorter (~60ms instead of 200ms) cuz dodge frames get priorty over deflect (this is in the game for like forever).

2. Many Zone attacks are way to weak (super slow AND deal no damage) there is NO reason why some Zone are godlike strong (pk / gladiator) and others simply suck balls (lawbringer/valk). Some Characters struggle with Winions in Breach cuz they lack good options to clear em.
Every Zone attack should have atleast a fast starting low damage part followed by a heavy hitting attack (and don`t come with diversity argument cuz a slow hitting no damage zone attack you never see has nothing to do with character identity (insert roman lawbringer zone is viable but you suck meme here ^^).
Also strong Zone attacks allow for Parry Option selects making some Characters stronger in high level.

3. Defending vs normal attacks is too easy (it`s a problem ignored for too long). As you can see in many new characters and reworks (highlander unblockable stance / Jiang Jun full of unblockables /
Nuxia "lul" nothing more to say / warden rework / valk rework). But the current band-aid solution results in very dull gameplay of people only using 1-2 attacks (bash bash bash) so the higher you get
the less viable attacks you have (sure bashes get the job done but it`s not very interesting gameplay). So instead of adding more and more bashes / unblockables / trap on a few character how about
tackle the defense system itself.... (like increasing chip damage on heavy attacks* / adding punchthrough damage on very slow attacks even if parried / always ensure a free gb on feint+gb if the enemy
tried to parry / change dodge attacks to only give heavy parry punish).

4. Search for new player Button not working (you will queue vs the same person over and over)

5. Not talkin about Stamina cuz we know there is a future change coming to the system (i still think after the messed up patch some Characters like Shinobi regain Stamina at a lower rate). Also consider removing the additional stamina consumption on block (conquerors only blocking to burn stamina from you just to perma bash you in oos state and holding you there is not very fun and interactive).

*
Slow Attacks have no benefit most of the time (incease chip damage by 10% for every additional 100ms starting from 600ms?).
Also make sure that every Parry Attempt can be punished by a instant feint + gb.

**
Another Solution would be to add Trap property to the current attack by taping the Revenge Button for 30% Revenge Bar. So it wouldn´t be spamable but enemys can`t lightly parry everything and slower attacks would benefit more from the system.