A True Guard Break is where you Guard Break during the enemy's animation, cancelling the attack and removing their ability to counter your Guard Break.



In this guide, I will explain how to consistently and successfully achieve this mechanic.



Feints are one of the core mechanics in For Honor. They create openings for combos, deflects, guard breaks, and more. But what exactly is a feint?

A feint is when you initiate a heavy attack, but cancel it before it lands. This forces your enemy to react, often attempting an immediate parry or dodge, leaving them vulnerable to punish.



There are two types of feints:

• Hard Feints - When you initiate an attack and cancel with the E key, cancelling the combo. Can be used when your enemy is exhausted to bait a parry, causing them to fall over.
  
  
• Soft Feints - When you initiate an attack but cancel it with a move (e.g., a dodge, another attack, guard break, all block), maintaining the combo.

Mastering feints is one of the fundamentals to achieving a successful True Guard Break.



Guard breaks are a key mechanic in For Honor, allowing you to break through your opponent’s defenses and set up for punishing combos. But what exactly is a guard break?

A guard break is when you close the distance and grab your opponent, interrupting their stance or attack. This forces the enemy into a vulnerable position, leaving them open to follow-up attacks if they do not counter in time.

Below is an example of a guard break being attempted but countered.





There are two types of guard breaks.

• Guard Breaks - Standard guard breaks that can be countered by the opponent's own guard break input.
  
  
• True Guard Breaks - Special guard breaks that cannot be countered. These occur when you interrupt an opponent's action during specific windows, such as:
  
  • The first 133ms of their heavy attack's startup.​
    
  • During their dodge animation.

The best way to set up a true guard break is by using a feint. Feinting and true guard breaking go hand in hand, and this is where the mechanic truly shines.

By feinting, the enemy will attempt to counter. You can punish this counter attempt via a guard break, as it cancels their animation, creating a true guard break.







The best way to utilise a True Guard Break is within a combo. For instance, after landing two consecutive attacks, follow up with a feint on the third to catch your opponent off guard. This forces them into a reactive position, making it much harder for them to predict when you’ll execute the True Guard Break.



I hope this guide has helped you understand some key mechanics to improve your gameplay. Feel free to drop a comment if anything is unclear or if you would like a guide on other game mechanics. I will likely create a guide on deflecting next.