"Mala ultro adsunt."
Misfortune comes uninvited. If you’ve spent more than five minutes in a Dominion match lately, you know exactly what that misfortune looks like. It’s a kite shield the size of a door and a man who looks like he hasn't seen sunlight since the fall of the Blackstone Legion.
The Black Prior—or Vortiger, if we’re talking about the guy who started it all—is a weird beast in the For Honor roster. He isn't just another heavy. He’s a statement. Ever since he dropped back in Year 3, he’s been the literal "no" button of the game. You want to bash? No. You want to deflect? No. You want to gank me with your three friends while I’m holding Point A? Definitely no.
Honestly, he’s one of the few heroes that has never truly fallen out of the meta. While characters like Gryphon or Pirate had their fifteen minutes of fame before being nerfed into the dirt, BP just sits there, menacingly, in S-tier. He’s reliable. He’s edgy. And if you’re playing him right, he’s basically untouchable.
The Secret Sauce: Why Bulwark Counter Changes Everything
Let's talk about the flip. You know the one.
The Bulwark Counter is arguably the most unique mechanic in the entire game. It’s not a parry. It’s not a deflect. It’s a 100ms startup move that flips anything that isn't a guardbreak. This includes bashes, drop attacks, and even multiple people at once. I’ve seen a Black Prior flip an entire team because they all tried to heavy him at the same time. It’s hilarious. It’s also terrifying.
But here’s what most people get wrong: they think BP is just about the flip. If you just sit in Bulwark Stance waiting for a light to parry, you’re going to get guardbroken and eaten alive. The real pros use Fast Flow.
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Basically, you can cancel the recovery of almost any attack (except your own bashes) directly into Bulwark Stance. This means if you whiff a light and see a dodge attack coming, you don't just eat the hit. You flow into the stance and flip them. It turns your mistakes into baits. It’s a psychological game. You’re telling the opponent that even when they win a trade, they might actually be losing.
Crushing Counters and the Neutral Game
If you aren't using his superior block lights, you're playing half a character. Every single one of his light openers has the superior block property.
- Timing: 100-300ms into the attack.
- Reward: An unblockable "Crushing Counter" that deals 17 damage.
- The Mind Game: People love to dodge-attack BP. If you expect a dodge attack, you don't always have to parry. Throwing a light in the direction of the incoming red indicator rewards you with a high-damage counter that keeps your chain going.
The "Bash vs. Undodgeable" Vortex
BP’s offense is simple, but it’s a nightmare to defend against. It’s a classic 50/50. After a light opener, you have two main choices: Tenebris Rising (the bash) or an Undodgeable Heavy Finisher.
If your opponent thinks you’re going to bash, they dodge. If they dodge, the blue-trailed heavy catches them for 28 damage. If they stand still to parry the heavy, you bash them for a guaranteed light. It’s a loop that forces the enemy to make a read every single time.
Is it "cheesy"? Maybe. Does it work? Absolutely.
The range on his forward dodge heavy (Tenebris Thrust) is also surprisingly good for catching people trying to roll away. It also has superior block, which makes it a weirdly effective tool for trading with people who try to interrupt your forward movement with a light.
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Feats That Break the Rules
We have to talk about Oathbreaker. It is probably the most hated feat in For Honor, and for good reason.
Imagine you’re fighting for your life. You’ve managed to parry three people, your Revenge meter is full, and you finally pop it to get that sweet, sweet shield. Then, a Black Prior clicks a button from ten feet away and your shield is just... gone. You’re standing there with no protection, and you die in two seconds.
It’s brutal.
But if you want to be a team player, his other feats are just as insane. Umbral Shelter (Tier 4) provides a pulsing shield to your entire team. It’s basically a "win the teamfight" button. While your enemies are struggling to chip through regenerating health bars, your team is just mowing them down.
The Best Perk Setup (2026 Meta)
Don't just slap on whatever gear looks cool. If you want to be the unkillable god of the side point, you need the right perks. Most high-level players agree on the "Heavy Trifecta":
- Bastion: 10% damage resistance when you're on a point.
- Vengeful Barrier: Gives you a 25 HP shield when you exit Revenge. (This is huge for surviving the "post-revenge" gank).
- Last Stand: 40% damage resistance when you're in critical health.
When you combine Last Stand with his Healing Ward feat (which lets you heal just by sitting in Bulwark Stance), you become a stalling machine. You can sit on a point, heal back up to full, and resist an ungodly amount of damage while waiting for your team to arrive.
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How to Actually Win Against Him
Since I’m being honest, BP isn't invincible. His biggest weakness? Guardbreaks. He cannot counter-guardbreak while in Bulwark Stance. If you see a BP who is "flip-happy," just feint your heavy into a GB. They’ll go for the flip, miss the timing, and you get a free heavy.
Also, his range is... okay, but not great. Heroes with long-range pokes like Nobushi or even a well-played Kensei can give him trouble if they stay outside his bash range. He has no real "chase" either. If an enemy decides to just run away, BP’s heavy armor and slow sprint speed mean he isn't catching anyone.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Match
If you're looking to main the Black Prior or just want to stop getting destroyed by him, keep these three things in mind:
- Master the Recovery Cancel: Practice flowing into Bulwark Stance after every blocked or landed heavy. It should become muscle memory. This is what separates the Rep 1 BPs from the Rep 70 masters.
- Don't Spam the Bash: People expect the bash. Empty forward dodges into a guardbreak will catch people who are reflex-dodging because they’re scared of the shield.
- Use the Zone for Spacing: His zone attack is a bash with a huge horizontal hitbox. It’s great for pushing people off you in a 1v2, but it eats stamina, so don't get greedy with it.
Stop trying to parry everything and start looking for the flip opportunities. The Black Prior is a hero built on the idea that the best defense is an aggressive counter-attack. Go out there, find some "true wolves," and show them why the darkness isn't something to be afraid of—it's something to control.
Next Step: You should head into the Training Arena and set a bot to "Onyx Charge" or "Shield Bash" to practice the 100ms timing of the Bulwark Counter until you can do it with your eyes closed.