There are fewer heroes that look objectively cooler than the Black Prior knight. They are truly a beacon of For Honor fashion as well as the all popular sword and shield wielding type of combination.
When it comes to learning how to play as the Black Prior it is important to remember their weaknesses and the areas in which they struggle to stand out amongst other heroes. The Black Prior is a defensive/reactive hero and will struggle if you try to dominate fights with their attack patterns. It is best to learn how to become a reactive fighter and parry master when playing them.
Beginner Tips
1. Shield Bash Slash
One of the better Black Prior opening combinations is to lead off with their forward breaker which initiates a forward shield bash. This does a very minimal amount of damage, but can be followed up with a guaranteed light sword slash attack. Another good aspect of this combo is that if your opponent dodge attack counters the shield bash, depending on the opponent, the light sword strike followup can still catch them. (This means that this ability is not all that punishing).
2. Unblockable Sword Slap
When the Black Prior sits back in their All Block ability they can initiate an unblockable sword swipe heavy attack. This attack does the most damage out of all the Black Prior's attacks. However this ability can be easily telegraphed and many experienced players will parry it if you set it up obviously. You are able to opt out of this attack though and it does a good job of throwing enemies off.
Advanced Tips
1. Shield Flip
The all famous shield flip will help give you an edge in any fight, but needs to be used properly. Sitting in the All Block stance, as stated in the previous tip, and waiting to shield flip will get you nowhere. Even beginners know to watch out for this ability and will break you out of the stance or fake out of the initial attack.
Again, while the timing will be tricky to master as you need to input moments before you would for a parry, reactively shield flipping is the way to go. When you see the opponent going in for a strike, sit back in your All Block and flip them. This is a step more punishing than a regular parry as the opposing hero will be flipped over your back and fully vulnerable to any manner of attacks.
2. Face Poke
Like their faction brother, Lawbringer, the Black Prior has a solid attack combination that begins with a face jab. Dodging forward with a light attack input will allow the Black Prior to step forward and jab their sword into the opponent's face. This can then be followed by a few more light slashes, an over the top heavy strike or even a shield bash which can allow for more punishing hits.
3. Master The Ulta Block
The Black Prior relies heavily on the ultimate blocking ability. While always a good ability to have the Black Prior is much less fluent with their transition to the all block than other heroes. Their all block stance also drains stamina significantly when sitting in it long term so it is best to not try and wait opponents out in this position.
-
The ideal way to utilize a Black Prior's All Block is to learn the timing of switching to the position before a strike lands in place of parrying. This will help you pull off less obvious shield flips. Learning how to fluently use the All Block for the Black Prior will take time, but it is one of the best things you can do for their gameplay. If you want some more For Honor content check out the rest of my articles, especially the best Heavies, Vanguards, and Hybrids articles!
