The Nobushi is a middle of the pack peasant warrioress who, if played correctly, can take even the highest tiered fighters to the cleaners. Her long Naginata is capable of tearing apart her enemies, but only if used correctly. When it comes to the Nobushi, she can only be used successfully in very specific ways.
Light attacks will be the key for this hero as her lights stack bleed damage to the opponent and you can quickly get to a point where you simply need to wait for the enemy to bleed out and die. So, let's dive into my tips on how to crush it as the Nobushi.
BEGINNER TIPS
Three Poke Joke
The Nobushi can pull off a three light attack combo and each attack can come from any direction at any point in the combination. The attacks are swift and because of her reach the Nobushi can have some distance between her and the enemy. My go to is light right, left, and up. This attack barely takes any stamina and if you get this off then you will successfully leave the opponent bleeding with only half their life left.
Back Lunge Poke
This attack is the most effective one that the Nobushi has in her arsenal and also can be used to build on the three poke strategy above. When you hold backwards on the attack direction joystick and light attack the Nobushi will step back, lean forward and stab her opponent in the face. This attack does a bit more damage than a normal light attack and also applies bleed. The attack is best used when following up with the three poke strategy and you do this by inputting the attack after completing the third light attack to follow with the fourth.
Side Light Attack/Combine Them All
After the recent updates all heroes have light side attacks and this is no different for the Nobushi. Her side light has her do a slight side step and jab with her naginata. So, if you want to be a side light cancer, then the best strategy is to combine all of what I have taught you into one flowing chain.
Side Light Attack, Left Light Attack, Upwards Light Attack, Right Light Attack, Back Step Light, and prepare to defend/wait for stamina regen. This will help you dominate your opponent and leave them bleeding to death or with very little overall life remaining.
ADVANCED TIPS
Heavy Attacks
The Nobushi has notoriously AWFUL heavy attacks. She has heavy side dodges that take forever, does not dodge incoming attacks, and is insanely parryable. Her basic heavies are not much better. However, to truly be a boss as the Nobushi you will NEED to learn how to sneak in some light attacks.
While it feels great pulling off the beginner strategies and stacking some serious bleed on your opponents. It simply will not be enough when it comes to fighting the more advanced For Honor Players. You will need to also apply some heavy slap damage with the Naginata. When it comes to these attacks it is best to sneak a heavy in after landing several light attacks. Also, the backwards lunge attack allows for a solid heavy attack follow up due to the distance the attack creates. Heavies can also be well applied after parrying an opponent.
Feinting Out of Heavies to Lights
You will see this strategy in almost all of my pro articles but this one applies better than most with the Nobushi. Her heavies are so easily parried that most opponents are instantly prepared to try and do just that.
So, at this point you will want to move forward with feinting out of your heavy attacks and use light attacks. Always poke from one of the opposite sides you initiated your heavy attack from. This will almost always go through no matter who you are fighting and you can even follow this up with another heavy attack or more light strikes. It will keep the opponent continuously on their toes and allow some of your original combos to go through again due to them overthinking combat.
Utilize the Step Back Kick
The Nobushi has one of the best breakers in the game that allows for dodging most incoming attacks if timed correctly. If you hold back on the direction joystick the Nobushi will step back skillfully on one leg and dodge any incoming attack. After this you can hit the breaker button which will cause the Nobushi to leap forward and kick her opponent in the chest. This breaker can be followed up with either a guaranteed light attack or a potential heavy strike. Mastering this dodge and breaker timing will separate you from the average poke happy Nobushi.
Combine All The Tips
While this is an obvious tip for all of my guides, this one needs the point driven home the most. The Nobushi's abilities do not drain nearly as much stamina as you would think so long combat situations without running out of stamina are definitely possible. Making long combo attacks based on the above strategies are a must to succeed. The bottom line is that the Nobushi is another straightforward character, but if you can punish your opponent into not having enough time to think then you can put a heck of a beat down on them. Add to the fact that they need to watch how much bleed gets placed on them from hard to block light strikes and she can truly dominate the field of battle.
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The Nobushi is a very unique fighter who brings some serious finess to the table. Her strategies may come off as one dimensional, but her speed and dodge abilities help open up heavy strikes and keep her style unpredictable. Go check out some of my other hero guides for more For Honor info!
