Vikings, knights, and samurai have no legitimate reason to wage war against each other on a single landmass, but the imagination of Ubisoft's For Honor make this a reality. It's a game where context doesn't make sense, and it's best to suspend your disbelief for some good dueling fun. With the plethora of characters/heroes/classes available, having that fun can be an intimidating process.
Thankfully, we're here to help make your journey through the chaos of For Honor's war easier. Certain classes that house certain characters tend to be better than others for learning the game or trying out something new. Do keep in mind that any class or hero is viable in this game with practice, but those mentioned below have a lower bar of entry or have better potential.
6 If You Want A Simple Class: Vanguard
When starting For Honor for the first time, you'd want a class or hero that will introduce you to the base concepts of the game without discouraging you. For that, the Vanguard excels much as it's the simplest class in the game.
Vanguards typically carry two-handed weapons and don't worry much about the intricacies of combat roles. They just go to the frontlines and try to duel anyone who thinks they're awesome enough to be a frontliner. Vanguard heroes also typically have a low learning curve but most of them come with a high skill ceiling, meaning they can last well into the late game.
Best Vanguard: Raider
Meta balance changes ensure that no one hero or class will remain superior than the others in For Honor. Still, a safe class to pick that more or less always good in the Vanguard category is the Raider.
The Raider grants big tactical advantages compared to other heroes due to his excellent dodge as well as his throw. The combos are also easy to perform and you don't even have to be adept at handling the dual-analog combat in For Honor to be decent with the Raider.
5 If You're A Tank: Heavy
Some of you, however, might want to prefer to stay safe while shrugging off several enemy attacks and even tackling multiple assailants all at once. That kind of power is something that's attainable enough if you're piloting the Heavy class.
These are big and mean heroes that can act as support and even soak up or distract several combatants so the other classes can do what their job description demands of them. They have some of the best blocks in the game and their trademark attack moves consist of disrupting enemy attacks and movements.
Best Heavy: Warlord
For a safe and rather subversive Heavy class option, you really can't go wrong with the Warlord. It's one of the fastest Heavy heroes in the game and has a good charge attack that will further increase its movement speed, perfect for attrition and sometimes chasing down stragglers.
Warlords also tend to use their head, literally, in staggering enemies as their successive headbutt attacks make them troublesome to deal with in duel or 1v1 situations. They're also not that complicated to play but then again, most Heavy heroes aren't.
4 If You Want A Glass Cannon Playstyle: Assassins
Being the polar opposites of the Heavy class on the battlefield, Assassins are small, precise assets in every For Honor team. They're perfect for sneakily zipping in and out of the fray to deal some killing blows or snag some easy kills.
Another advantage they have over other classes is how they're all faster and nimbler, meaning they can evade more often and wiggle out of tough situations. The downside is that they get killed pretty easily when cornered or staggered. They do make up for it with high damage output.
Best Assassin: Peacekeeper
The Peacekeeper from the Knights faction lives up to its name as it can end fights rather quickly with a barrage of light attacks that do surprisingly good damage. Trying to duel with a Peacekeeper is a dangerous idea, in that regard.
On top of the typical fast movements of Assassins, the Peacekeeper also doesn't have many counterplays against them. The most prominent is blocking their right-side attacks but since they perform light attacks so fast, they can change up their attack angles pretty often.
3 If You Want A Jack-Of-All-Trades: Hybrids
Then again, maybe you might find some of the more traditional heroes too straightforward and would like something that can cover all bases or weaknesses? If so, then the Hybrid heroes would be perfect for you.
These guys are usually the most complex characters in For Honor and aren't meant to be used by newbies. They can be utilized to fulfill many roles but they're much more confusing to master or play well due to their spread-out strengths.
Best Hybrid: Centurion
For the most coldly efficient Hybrid hero in the game, not many can match the Centurion, especially when used in duels. He makes use of the terrain well enough and if you fight this hero where there's a wall nearby— with or without spikes, then your chances of winning are slim.
Moreover, Centurions love to punish his attackers with some attentive parries thanks to the rather short and light Gladius sword. That same weapon also makes the Centurion's light attacks blazing fast.
2 Easiest Hero To Play: Warden
Now, for those who are truly fresh to the game with no prior experience or aren't too used to the controllers or whatever control schemes they're using, then you don't need to venture far from the Warden, which is a Vanguard.
He's the first hero that the game gives out for the tutorial and for testing for a good reason. The Warden has the lowest learning curve out of all the heroes and most players who pilot him don't need to think about much. The best part is that you can decide to stick with the Warden and still be a master duelist at For Honor, he's that versatile.
1 Hardest Hero To Play: Highlander
As for the most intricate hero to play in For Honor, the Highlander takes the cake right now. It's a Hybrid hero that wields a claymore and a nasty Scottish accent despite being a part of the Viking faction.
In any case, the Highlander's fighting style is similar to the Warden but more defensive as they typically wait for an opening to deal the most damage. To that end, playing with them reactively seems to be the best; taunting the enemy and then punishing them with a roaring "Dunmaglass!" is the way to go.