If For Honor has an edgelord then this pyromaniac is in the running for that position. The Zhanhu has always been one of the best warriors to take the field of battle in For Honor, but their recent nerfs prevent casual players from automatically dominating fights.
Let’s dive into some tips that will help you learn how to play the Zhanhu like a pro from booting up the game!
BEGINNER TIPS
Sprint Heavy Slash
The first tip every Zhanhu should take to heart is their sprint heavy opener. While sprinting at the enemy you can tap the heavy trigger which will make the Zhanhu jump spin into a heavy attack slice. This is a great opener as it can be followed up with an unblockable light or heavy attack and does a fair bit of damage to boot.
This opener is one of the best in the game as it allows for several different followup attack options and provides an overall versatile start to combat.
Side Heavy Openers
The Zhanhu is fortunate enough to have both side light and side heavy attack patterns. Both of these attacks can be followed up by unblockable light attacks or heavy attacks. This gives a truly wild amount of different approaches to beginning combat. My recommendation is to focus on utilizing the side heavies as the extra damage helps wear down your enemy and it is hardly any slower than the side lights.
You can also slide back and forth between these side attacks by going left/right as many times as you want until stamina wears out (Do not spam this as it will be both annoying and eventually super easy to parry) but in a pinch it is good to know you have this in your back pocket.
Follow Up With Heavies
While the Zhanhu recently went through a huge nerf, their heavy attacks still devastate their opponents. Just a handful of heavy strikes will help you get to execution central. The key to the Zhanhu is mastering their timing and effectiveness of their heavy attacks.
Following up attacks with heavies also allows you to land an unblockable heavy strike which has a split second delay compared to most attacks which can cause opponents to fumble while trying to parry it.
While many higher ranked players will destroy heavy attack only users, the beginning ones will struggle and mastering their heavies is crucial to mastering their gameplay.
ADVANCED TIPS
Zone Attack Smack
One of the most effective techniques used to add to your Zhanhu’s repertoire is their zone attack. Unlike most heroes, zone attacks are fast and take a minimum stamina toll. When triggered the Zhanhu will spin in a quick circle and strike the opponent from the right with their sword. You can use this attack to start combat, end combat (when you have the opponent on the brink of death but worry about a comeback), and even as a comma (for lack of a better term) in between combo attacks.
It is a key attack for the most talented Zhanhu and due to its sweeping range it works great catching dodge specialists like the Tiandi, Shinobi, and Jiang Jun in their long dodge attacks.
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 Zhanhu. If you have been following the tips and strategies up till this point then your opponents will begin to parry your heavy attacks or maybe even look for that zone attack.
So, at this point you will want to move forward with feinting out of your heavy attacks and use light attacks. Doing this will have your Zhanhu pull back his sword and thrust a poke in whatever direction you choose. 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 Breaker
Many players forget that the Zhanhu has a forward bash breaker and while it is not the greatest breaker by any means it helps keep combat all the more versatile. When you forward step and hit the breaker button the Zhanhu will move into a forward shoulder shove. This will knock the opponent off balance and allow for you to follow up with more brutal attacks. It is also one of the better breakers that helps shove opponents into spike traps or pit falls.
Side Heavy, Light, Zone Attack, Feint Heavy for Light, Heavy
Ah, my favorite strategy. The one everyone sees coming, but few can prevent. When facing down an opponent who you have used some basic attacks on, this old reliable rarely fails. Start the combination off with a side heavy attack and immediately follow it up with a light unblockable attack. After this has been completed there are no other chain attacks you can use, but if you immediately press the zone attack button the Zhanhu will attack before most heroes can react. Come out of the zone attack with an unblockable heavy, but feint the attack into a light strike.
Most heroes at this point will parry the unblockable heavy and will try to do so, opting out is a safe bet. After the opt out followup with a heavy strike. At this point if all goes according to plan and you started with full stamina you should have the slightest amount of stamina left and your opponent will be on the brink of death or dead already.
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The Zhanhu is without a doubt one of the best heroes in the game, but can be easily countered if you do not keep your combinations versatile. Following my guide above will definitely help you excel as this hero from one prestige to 70 prestige! Go check out some of my other hero guides for more For Honor info!
