For Honor’s closed beta is done and dusted. The next time you’ll be able to play is the open beta from February 10-13. The full title will be released February 14 and in order to prepare you, we’ve put together all the information we could gather.
For Honor is very close to release, but even so, some of the information we have from the closed beta may have changed by the time the open beta starts and the full game is released.
| CLASSES | FACTIONS | MODES | PREVIEW | STRATEGIES | EQUIPMENT |
| WHAT IS FOR HONOR? |
Factions
The Knights of Ashfeld
The Knights of Ashfeld are brash paragons of might. They were sent by the Iron Legions to pacify the land. They’ve since acquired a taste for freedom and have made Ashfeld their home.
The Knights of For Honor seem to be largely based on classic British and French Knights, the Knights of the Round Table and Knights of the Crusades. They have a regal, dignified appearance, particularly when compared with the Vikings, but are still formidable opponents.
When they appear on the battlefield, the Knights have a commanding presence and are easily recognised by their shining armour and enormous shields. Their amour and clothing are detailed with colourful insignia and emblems.
In the beta, there were three Heroes available from the Knights; Warden, Conqueror and Peacekeeper. These three heroes are a good demonstration of the Knight’s brute force and style of dominating the battlefield. The Warden belongs to the Vanguard class which is the basic all-rounder, the Conqueror belongs to the Heavy class and the Peacekeeper is an Assassin.
We’ll go into more details on each of the classes in our piece dedicated to them. We’d recommend starting off with the Warden and working your way though each hero. The Warden is the easiest to use and the Peacekeeper the most difficult.
The Samurai of the Myre
The Samurai of the Myre have emerged from a civil war that has left them fractured. Nevertheless, rival houses still share an iron determination to protect their lands and punish warlike neighbours.
The Samurai in For Honor are heavily inspired by the Edo era of Japan and the feudal society of medieval Japan. They are the most different of the three factions visually and in terms of how they play.
As opposed to the Knights and Vikings, the Samurai have a style all their own. Whereas Knights and Vikings move deliberately and with big hulking strikes (for the most part), Samurai move in an almost dance-like fashion. They kill you and do it gracefully.
They do of course have heavy hitters, but their style is still more fluid and flowing than any of the others. The three Heroes available in the beta are; Kensei, Nobushi and Orochi. Each of these heroes are great examples of the Samurai’s grace and strength. The Kensei belongs to the Vanguard class and Orochi belongs to the Assassin class.
Nobushi is different though and belongs to the Hybrid class. A mixture of the other classes, Hybrids are very difficult to use, but once mastered are incredibly difficult to face one on one.
Vikings of Valkenheim
Vikings thrive in frozen Valkenheim. They raid to make up for the scarce resources of their lands. Viking clans live in relative peace but to outsiders, this looks strangely like perpetual war.
For Honor’s Viking’s are the most brutal of the three factions. Based on the Nordic warriors of the Viking Age — 8th to 11th centuries — they are every bit as dangerous as their real life counterparts were.
Using any of the Viking’s three available classes in the beta shows their strength, unrefined combat skills and proclivity for violence. While the Samurai, and to a lesser extent the Knights, fight with strategy and technique, the Vikings rely on sheer force of will.
They do of course have skills, but they aren’t anywhere near the level of technique and grace exhibited by the other factions. The three Heroes available in the beta are; Raider, Warlord and Berserker. The heroes belong to the Vanguard, Heavy and Assassin classes respectively.
The Vikings are a good place to start when first playing as they;re generally the easiest faction with Knights second and Samurai the most difficult. They’re a good entry point for For Honor’s combat and their brutality means you’ll see plenty of blood and gore.
Whatever your favourite faction and fighting style, For Honor has you covered. When the open beta commences February 10 be sure to check out all of our coverage and guides to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
For Honor will be available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One from February 14, 2017.
