Kensei Guide V_1.1

Kensei Guide

As a vanguard, kensei is pretty balanced. He has some quick lights, slow but powerful heavies, and a gimmick. Of the three vanguards, Kensei has the best dash, furthest range, the highest single strike damage, and strongest wall throw followup(perhaps of all heroes in the game). His mixup game takes some work to get to, but is very strong when it's reached.

The first thing you should do with Kensei is establish space. His normal attacks have greater range than every character except Nobushi. His side lights in particular cause him to rush forward towards the enemy if they are outside of their normal range. His forward dash guardbreak special also means his is superior to most other characters at a further range.

Kensei's backdash is great, almost as good as an assassin's, and can be used after blocking some heroes with shorter range to re-establish space. Peacekeeper in particular cannot spam light chains, because a blocked light means a free backdash for you, unless they read it and dash forward gb you. Blocking any character's heavy gives you a free backdash out of pressure.

Forward dash + light is a very fast top, equivalent to a warden's top light, but can be parried if the opponent reacts to the forward dash. It is useful for punishing whiffed heavies.

Side dash + light is also very fast, and Kensei's dash speed and range means this can be used to dodge and then punish an opponent for using anything like conq's shieldbash, nobu's kick, warden's shoulder, shugoki hug, warlord headbutt, ect.

Kensei has very powerful chain finishers, so you really want to get to the third hit in your chains.

Kensei's dash attacks allow you to skip the first hit in an attack chain. Also, a guardbreak skips the first hit, and a throw skips the second hit, so a throw can be immediately followed up by a chain finisher.

I recommend you follow up a guardbreak with a garunteed top heavy, then do your chain finisher mix-up. If you are near a wall, you should instead throw them and use a top heavy chain finisher, which is garunteed after a wall throw.

Forward throw also causes dizzy and has shorter range than side throws, which can be followed up with top heavy chaain finisher mix-ups for additional confusion. It makes reacting to side heavy cancels impossible, and a true 50/50. This is generally not as good as just following up guardbreak with top heavy - top heavy chain finisher, though. Good for staying unpredictable.

Once you reach the chain finisher, start with his top heavy unblockable. Your opponent must either side dash or parry this, creating a mixup. You never really want to just let top heavy go, it's extremely easy to parry or dodge.

***Here's your basic mixup game.***

*Cancel that top heavy into a side light, which is completely unreactable, for decent damage.
*Cancel that top heavy into a side heavy if your opponent tries to throw out an attack, or dashes and has a quick dash follow-up(Everyone except warden and the heavies). Both side heavies will catch an opponent dashing to either side of you. Side heavies are inferior to side lights if your opponent is not dashing or attacking, because it IS reactable with a parry or block, albeit hard. Anything that can trade with a side heavy is heavily outdamaged by it, except for an armoed shugoki.
*Cancel that top heavy into a forward dash + guardbreak to catch people dashing backwards or waiting patiently to block the side heavy. You do not need to feint, top heavy chain finisher can be canceled directly into dash.
*cancel that top heavy into a forward/side dash + light to catch people trying to tech the throw or using an armored move. This resets his attack chain.

*If you're feeling cheeky, you can cancel top heavy into side heavy(which takes 0 stamina), and then feint that side heavy. This can bait someone with good enough reactions to parry the side heavy cancel.

Zone Attack:

Kensei's zone attack is funky. The first strike is a 180 degree swing opposite wherever kensei is facing, and the second is a 180 degree swing in whichever direction kensei IS facing. The first has short range, the second has slightly longer range, and both have an unlimited amount of armor through the entire animation. The second hit can be canceled by pressing the feint button after the first hit comes out. Zone consumes a large amount of stamina, and the second hit can be punished with an untechable guardbreak. The first hit is harder to punish if the second is canceled, but can still be punished nonetheless.

The trick to using Kensei's zone effectively is to understand how to change the direction of the first swing.

Use your zone attack, and unlock from your opponent at the same time. Turn Kensei around before the first hit can come out. Before the second hit comes out, turn him around again. Both hits will come out towards the opponent.

Assassins(or anyone really) with a tendency to spam lights when close can be surprised by this technique. The first hit of the zone will trade, with slight advantage, with an assassin's light, and prevent the next light from coming out. Cancel the second hit and counterattack.

Guardbreaks can be beaten on reaction with it. As soon as you hit zone, you cannot be guardbroken. This is useful for punishing guardbreak attempts, rather than just teching a guardbreak.

Feint a heavy, then use the zone to interrupt their attempted counterattack. This is useful against side-dashy assassins, warden counter-crush attempts, charged conq heavy, deflect attempts, nobushi stance, ect. Anything typically used to counter a heavy attack, aside from PARRIES. If your opponent is only responding to heavies with parries, just bait the parry as normal.

In all situations, using his zone is typically very unexpected, and because of this, you should follow-up a second-hit cancel with your own offense, taking advantage of their confusion.