Mawk's Heroes and Villains Guides: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Force Guide
Overview: Obi-Wan is an overall decent character. His health is normal. His saber is weaker than normal. His dash is unique and can penetrate block very easily. His force powers are force push and saber throw. He's probably the best Hero at no force on the ground level.
Obi-Wan's movement is normal speed. This means his sprint is normal speed also. This is good because he can catch up to a walking Vader, Dooku, and Emperor fairly easily. His dash is powerful in the sense of attack. It does okay damage overall. His dash has the ability to get through block much easier than many dashes and this is what makes it unique. Not only can it get through block easily, it can knockdown easily too. I would say that besides Ki-Adi-Mundi, Obi's dash is the easiest hero dash to move left and right while dashing. The reason being is that after you click your button while sprinting, the saber does a left and right fan type motion, which lasts for a few seconds. Once you start the attack in the dash, you can still move left and right fairly easily.
His dash does the most damage when hitting the enemy at certain angles. From the side and behind you can usually achieve a knockdown. You do need to learn the timing of his dash, because the end of the dash does more damage than the beginning. You can also zoom right by, so you will want to slowdown if you are hitting someone directly. As the saber fans at the beginning it does a little damage, but as the fan is coming to a close, he stops. If you time the stop for you to be right on top of your enemy, it will do the most damage. The absolute easiest way to achieve a knockdown with dash is from behind. You need to time it so you get to the enemy just as the saber fanning finishes. Doing this guarantees a knockdown, even if they are blocking. If you time it incorrectly, you will usually fly past and then get forced. If this happens be sure to roll away. If you do successfully achieve a knockdown, finish with the saber combo. Remember you can curve left and right with this dash to try to get around the enemies block.
If you are dashing head on against someone, be sure to click before you get to them so you actually do some damage. If you do not time the knockdown correctly, you will fly right past them, so get your block up quickly.
If you do happen to be going no force, Obi is pretty much the king of the ground level, so use block often if you are going to stay on the ground.
Now Obi-Wan's saber is not all that strong. It can only kill a few characters with one time through the combo. These characters are those with normal or lower health. Primarily Darth Maul, Anakin, and the Emperor. If you wind up pushing a Vader or Grievous (at full health), you generally will need to go twice through your combo, which can spell death for you if you do not execute it properly.
When facing a Vader or Grievous after you push them, you will need to first do one normal combo. They will begin to get up and you will find they are ?Not quite dead yet? (Monty Python reference). The best thing you can do right now is NOT MOVE or to back up. If you move you will most likely be stunned from a back swing. BUT if you keep just swinging you can take a few hits and hope they die. The best thing to do against a Grievous or Vader is get them when they are lower health, or keep hidden until you can dash them from behind for a stun with damage.
You can also perform a Yoda move. Since Yoda's saber is also weaker, I have perfected a two-part move. When going against a Vader or Grievous if you use push, perform one combo, and then roll in a direction that will make them turn to face you. By the time they take to get up and look for you, you have the ability to push again, and then go in for another combo. It confuses the enemy and is effective. It just is bad when you have to deal with other people interrupting your two-part.
Since push was mentioned, lets go into that topic next. As I have mentioned before, push is very valuable when you can stun. A good push only happens when you stun the character, other pushes are a waste of energy, unless you push to run away. A person will not be stunned from push if they are on a roof of the same level as you and you push them off. An enemy will not be stunned usually if you push them into a wall (I call this wall bouncing). An enemy will not be stunned if you are below them and you push them. Also if they have already started jumping and you push, they won't be stunned. All of the ways listed above, your enemy will be able to get away. The best angle of a push stun is when you are above them (usually you on a roof and them on the ground).
Roof pushing, in my opinion, will give you a very good kill/death ratio. You can look over the edge of a roof and push someone who is unaware and go down for the kill. After that hop up and out of the way, in case more teammates arrive. Since many people don't use the mini map you can just hide out of sight and wait for the next person. Now roof pushing isn't as easy with Obi-Wan because of his saber. Just little things can make it go awry. If someone has the damage reduction buff on (blue/green sphere around them), you probably won't be able to kill them in one saber combo. This happens against all the characters if they have the buff. So be as cautious as you can.
One thing I did want to mention about the combo, it sometimes does a knockdown on it's own, against the higher health characters. It requires button mashing to survive a saber fight against Vader or Grievous, but I have found that I have knocked them down with my first combo a lot. This may have to do with spinning my character a little, or moving backwards as I do it, but I haven't found a defined angle that it happens. It is random but it happens. I have noticed this when I have been going no force against someone and don't have to worry about being choked. Sometimes the angle is just right and they fall over. If you button mash quickly (get the aspirin) you can go through Obi-Wan's combos pretty quickly. I would say this is his only saving grace in head on saber fights, since he can interrupt others easily.
Saber throw in Obi-Wan's case, is very effective. It helps weaken a character that you will be fighting. Lets say you are on a roof above someone and they haven't seen you. If you saber throw them and it double hits (aim at their head if you are on a roof, and hope it goes through them and back), it will significantly weaken them. Then you can switch to push, stun them with it, and finish them off with your saber. Other than that, I use it mostly against a Grievous or Fetts. Aim takes practice. Just use the reticule's dot for where you want it to go. I would recommend this against Fetts because Obi-Wan's aerial attack isn't that accurate.
His aerial attack can do some pretty hefty damage, but your landing is not as pinpointed as Luke, Maul, or Mace for example. When you click in midair, he does not drop to the ground, he just swings left and right. I have noticed it does very high damage for when you are jumping over someone. If you end up landing directly on them as you swing, it sometimes stuns and sometimes doesn't. You usually end up dead in the latter case unless you are quick on the the backslash. But you can aim the land just in front of them (be sure to hit attack when still in the air to take a chunk away) and do a backswing or two. Sometimes they will move forward to attack and sometimes they'll just block. Either way you can usually get away if you don't kill them or stun them.
If people are standing on the top of the dome roofs, aim your jump to pass through them, and swing as you get to their head. It usually hits pretty hard and gives you a chance to try again, or to get away if needed. You can get away very well if you hit someone who is also in mid air with you.
Obi-Wan vs. Chokers: If you are on a roof, you need to be very careful of the floaters (Vader and the Emperor), because they can choke you at first sight as they float up and onto the roof. If you see them floating in your direction, try to push them away before they can choke you. Run if you need to. If you see a choker on a roof above you, sprint past that roof, because choke will not stop you while you are sprinting. Always be aware of places you can jump to. You cannot block a choke. So if you do not get a push off and they are in range to choke you, jump away to a safe location, because they cannot stop you in midair. You will take damage if you are sprinting past a choker or if they are choking you while in mid-air, but the benefit is that you can get away.
Obi-Wan vs. The Fetts: Usually a saber combo will get them pretty good, but they tend to fly upon your first hit since it doesn't stun mid combo. The best trick is to stay out of shooting sight and get them when they are unaware. Pushers have the roughest time against Fetts, because they generally stay above you. If you push, they just fly away. Try to sneak up on them when they are sniping someone. They spend a lot of time on the tall Hexagon building near the Cantina. You can use the mini-map to see which way they are facing and jump up on the other side. Hit them from behind and you can usually beat them. Keep block up if they are close because they will flame you. You can block flame if you are facing them directly and do not try to swing. Wait until they are done with their flame burst and are reloading to swing at them. Block is the key to staying alive with Fetts.
Obi-Wan vs. Pushers (Maul): You will encounter multiple other roof pushers. The key is to get above their roof somehow. With most of the populated roofs with the dome on them, there is a spire fairly close. If you get on that spire you can sprint down until you are on the dome, then you have the correct angle to push them and take them out. If you wind up going head on with a Maul keep block up and do not plan on a head on saber fight, because the Maul's combo can get under your block. The best defense is to be far enough to escape if needed and try pushing right after you block them (hopefully before they get their block back up). Do not forget that when you push, your block goes down, so try to be the second one to push. Obi-Wan's dash also has a built in ability to block a push if they are facing your saber fan directly. When this happens you can crash into them with the dash and time it for a knockdown.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Non-Force Guide1
Obi-Wan is very good in non-force. Not only does he have a very quick saber, but he has a great dash. He can also do some damage with his aerial attack when used properly.
In duels he is one of the most popular to use. A lot of it stems from his dash which has a built in knockdown feature AND a built in block. But he does have a lot more available to him than dash spamming.
If you do dash however, one of the first tricks to use in a duel is fake dashing. Now I'm not saying use any glitches or whatever, I'm saying sprint toward your opponent and then stop and don't complete the dash, but stay at a good enough distance so you can avoid an attack. What this does is forces your opponent to do something. If an Obi-Wan is coming at them, they'll usually do something to avoid a dash. Just see how they respond and act in kind. If they roll you can then dash them for a stun and finish them off (be careful of backslash). If they start jumping you can watch them closely and try to get them as they land. If they do an aerial attack move at the last couple of seconds, and get them as they're recovering from landing, again watch for backslash. If they put up block, try faking them again and get close enough for when they put it down you can dash them or saber them.
Obi's dash is a flexible dash. You can move left and right with it. You can also swing around and do a 180 or more if your mouse sensitivity is high enough. Doing this throws your opponent off. It can also negate someone's block when used properly. If you swing around behind them, most of the time you're hitting their back and it will knock them down. There are moments though where block will work against Obi's dash, so be wary. Some of the best moments of knockdown are when the enemy is moving. If you just graze them when their block isn't up it's usually a knockdown. There are times when it isn't, like if you click too late or something, but most of the time you can get them. If they are trying to sprint right by you, you can quickly dash and most likely will catch them.
One of the best features Obi has is his combo. Though it's not as powerful as Luke or Mace's, it is quick. It can also knockdown when used properly too. Obi's combo will kill the normal health characters in one time, unless they have damage reduction buff. The characters with higher health it will take more than one, up to three sometimes. A trick with his combo, while dueling or going full map, is to try to get the enemy's back. I've found countless times that when an Obi combo's someone head on, the person just takes the blows but can instantly swing. So the key is to combo them from behind after you've stunned them with dash or backhand. If you push forward as you combo from behind, there is about a 90% chance of knockdown. This is how you kill a grievous or a vader, both have higher health, though it may take a couple of times. So in a duel, stun them, finish them from behind. Remember your timing though, if you get there too late you can be backslashed. His saber combo can be used for a quick knockdown too, or null. If someone is dashing at you, try moving to the side and doing just one click of the combo. It has a really good chance of stunning them, and you'll be so close that you can combo them to finish.
Obi's aerial attack is also very quick. It can be used mid-air and for landing. In a duel the best time to use it is when your enemy is ahead of you in the air, they should usually just be one jump up, or floating. You can sprint jump across their path and quickly slice them. This takes aim and precision, but I've won multiple duels with it. It is unexpected in a duel, most people assume Obi will dash.
The aerial also has a knockdown feature when landing. The best time this knockdown happens is if you turn away from them as you are landing and slash. It creates the same motion as a backslash and tends to knock down the unaware dueler. You can be backhanded when you are aerial attacking an enemy, so be careful when doing this move. It's really good as a surprise move too.
In full map play, Obi is generally the king of dashes. Though he can be killed while he's recovering from dash, most people do not time it right. He does some damage at the end of the saber fan, and it generally knocks the opponent down while they dash you before yours is done. As soon as the dash is done, keep moving. Change your levels (roofs vs. ground) or roll until you get your awareness back.
A good tactic is to dash off the edge of a roof, especially if someone is coming up on to your roof from below. Not only can they not hit you, but you can possibly stun them and for sure do lots of damage. It also makes you escape any possible aerial attack (primarily Dooku and Vader).
I don't make it a habit to dash much as Obi in non force, but when I do, it's quick and hopefully not too predictable. You don't want to run directly at someone and expect them to stand there while you dash them. Just like in duels you can fake dash them by just sprinting. See what their reaction will be and go from there. When you're on a roof, the quick dashes work well. Sometimes they knockdown so be prepared to finish them off. If you fall over I wouldn't recommend trying to go back up unless you've recovered from the dash quickly. What happens is you can dash them, they fall over, you fall off the roof, you recover, you jump back up, and surprise, they're ready to kill you. So be careful about jumping back up when you have fallen off. I recommend just keep the fight going and try to get them a different way.
I probably use Obi's normal combo more than anything in non force. It is quick and lethal and if you surprise your enemy you can generally get a lot of kills. Obi blends pretty well into his surroundings because of his costume, and not everyone uses the mini map. So sneaking as Obi-Wan is easier than someone wearing all black. Try to come up behind an enemy who isn't aware and combo them. Most people dash and that's fine, but sometimes you can dash right by them without knocking them down. If they are a normal health character definately just combo them to kill them.
There are a couple moments with Obi's combo where you can interrupt your opponent's combo. I've noticed this especially against vader and dooku. If someone is coming at you with their saber already swinging, you can face them and start clicking. It occasionally slows them down or makes their combo start over. In that time you can generally flip around real quick and get a backhand off, but also watch for them doing the same thing.
Lately I've noticed a lot of people using backslash at the wrong time. If you dash as Obi and miss, you probably don't want to go directly into 4-5 backslashes. It just leaves you open to attacks since you can't see behind you. A good villain will pick the right moment to strike between your backhands, so it's really a waste of time. I recommend one or two, and if you don't connect, get out of there. Otherwise you'll be overpowered from the back by more powerful sabers.
If you find someone backhanding multiple times after they miss you with the dash. Move slightly to the left and time your combo between their backslashes. Use the left because the right side is where the saber comes from and you'll be hit.
If you experience someone dash-rolling you, evade them and dash them when they are rolling.
You definately want to use the aerial attack like I described in dueling. This works great if an enemy is leaping onto the roof you are on. You can generally sense a preparation for a leap toward you, so do the same and hit them in mid air. Though it may not kill them right away you've just taken 40% of their life. Use it to knockdown the unaware people on opposite roofs too. Sprint jump at them and turn your character back toward your roof as you land and slice for best knockdown results.
In summary, use ALL of the tools the game gives you. If you focus on just one of them, you will sell yourself short in fights. Don't just dash dash dash, because there are ways to be defeated if you do. Always be aware of possible backslashes as an Obi. Be sure to change your levels (roof to ground and visa versa) when going full map. You'll find that when you do use all the built in features Obi-Wan has, you'll be a lot more powerful at him than before.