This, Kensei is not OP, he requieres skill and can be countered by some heroes or just by everyone in early. He is BF 2.0.
Kensei is far from weak but his true weakness is CC. Anything with CC messes him up and that’s why I always buy a block although its almost never up. Kensei used to be a tank killer but unless if its CC he can dodge he’s going to struggle against a composition like Tony, Baptiste, and Reim. Skye and Kinetic are pretty good counters as well while Baron and Caine can handle him appropriately. I highkey smirk every time I’m laning against a Gwen though.
I can put a timestamp on a VOD from ilovejoseph if anyone wants to see my Kensei even though I don’t appear much on it during lane phase.
CC counters everyone, so the same can be said about literally every hero.
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That’s an over simplification. CC is useful against every hero (even Phinn), but it is more useful against certain heroes, and different kinds of CC is better against different heroes.
For example, stuns tend to be very useful against heroes with long channel times, slows are better against heroes without dashed. Slowing a Ringo really hurts him, but Baron who gets places mostly via dashes is not really a big impact. Stunning a Lorelei will be nice, but stunning Adagio while he is channeling his Ult is a big play that can win a fight.
Kensei is far harder countered by stun than Blackfeather. He has no tools to block it in his kit, and if he stops proccing his perk even for a second he is not at all tanky. Kensei is more countered by CC than most heroes. Probably about as much as Rona.
BF > Kensei
BF best man UwU Not kit wise since his massive nerfs.
BF was my main jungle hero in 3v3, but since the massive nerfs… I just had to move on, so I picked Kensei, who is BF 2.0 
Sure, there are heroes not as vulnerable to cc, but I don’t think kensei is particularly vulnerable to cc, as vulnerable as a dive hero. What I meant with it applying to everyone is that cc chaining a hero is always a counter and not specific from Kensei.
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Perhaps we could use this topic and these posts as a start to the discussion regarding a Kensei guide, @HipsterSkaarf?? (I don’t think we have one yet, do we?)
@VaKTaBi - I’d enjoy reading some of your playstyle tips and builds!
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Here’s what in my opinion is the sad truth. Vainglory has had CC creep in a real bad way, from characters like Lorelai who can constantly throw AOE ranged stuns that last for over a second to Kinetic overdrive B which is a extraordinary long range skillshot stun + slow which can easily catch people out or kite. This leaves sustain DPS melee heroes in a really bad spot.
So when people say that Kensei’s kit is broken by design, I just want them to remember that Joule used to be used for her CC because we were that starved for it and at one point Krul used to be a sustained damage dealer instead of a TB abuser and/or worthless garbo. It’s just what happens when kit design can’t help but throw in CC where it really isn’t needed.
What counter’s Kensei counters everyone else because there’s so much of that counter going around. You can’t afford to be weak to much outside of it unless you have five blinks and two free reflex blocks.
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That’s the problem, how a melee hero who has to dive can survive the damage of 5 heroes and it’s CC? Range heroes doesn’t have this problem since not many heroes can dive, and few roams can support this who engage.
Most roams are protectors, so they benefit the kitting, and paired with the inherent kitting potential most range heroes has, it’s really hard to fight them, so those heroes who dive needs a lot of mobility and sustain, reason why Kensei’s kit is how it is.
Who would you say is your least favorite hero to go against as Kensei? Who would have the chance to beat him 1v1?
Definetly Skye, Reza and Melene (if you are good you can deal with Kensei, not as easy as playing with Skye, but easier than with Reza) are also really good into him, but Skye is better. She can snowball easily Kensei, and his only chance to win the match is in mid, when he can defeat Skye if he is not to far in gold, but if Skye manage to get to lategame (or just snowball him), with 
you shound’t have any problem dealing with him (and when i say that i mean, its not even fair to Kensei).
Edit: Grumpjaw can abuse his earlygame potential and destroy Kensei from the start of the match, its really hard to recover from snowball done by GJ.
Oh! @HipsterSkaarf just added the Kensei wallpapers! Admire his default, it’s, by far, the best default skin and model in the entire game.
Be careful if you don’t agree, if you try to say any other hero i will reduce you to ashes with my mind 
I have been enjoying Kensei top quite a bit. The damage rework makes him feel really good even in the early game. I’ve always been torn between either getting 4 offensive items or a second defense item. I figured that since his damage sort of becomes his defense that 4 items is better overall than a second defense item. What do you guys think is better?
Building a second defensive items depends on how the match is going, but usually is better to build offensive with only one defensive.
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@VaKTaBi - thanks for adding some great details to the guide. I enjoyed reading it. Very thorough. I’ll have to review my Ylva and Catherine guides at some point to make sure I touched on so many things. Well done!
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I’ve been wondering about Kensei in 4.7… Rona has made a bit of a comeback, and so have Blackfeather and Reim, although a little less so. What about Kensei? Does he feel viable these days? @VaKTaBi do your builds (posted in 4.2) still seem like the best ones?
Kensei is viable but not top tier. The best build still the 
… About another offensive item, not sure, nowadays is better to go 2 defensive items.
Edit: there are way better picks than him in not lane: Caine, Kestrel, Joule and Kinetic are all better than him (safer and stronger)
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