As a seasoned Chivalry 2 player with hundreds of hours across all the classes, I‘m often asked which ones are the strongest and which ones to focus on leveling up first. While all the classes can be viable in the right hands, some clearly outshine others in certain areas.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be reviewing each class, their unique strengths and weaknesses, best weapon choices, and how to effectively level them up. I‘ll also provide my personal recommendations on the strongest and most versatile classes worth prioritizing.
Overview of Chivalry 2 Classes
For those new to Chivalry 2‘s class system, here‘s a quick overview:
- There are currently 4 main class archetypes: Vanguard, Knight, Footman, Archer
- Each archetype has 3 subclasses to choose from
- Subclasses offer different weapons, abilities, and playstyles
- You earn experience to level up subclasses and unlock new gear
The key factors that set the classes apart are their available weapons, special abilities, and attributes like speed and toughness. Even within archetypes, the subclasses can play very differently.
My advice is to experiment with all the classes first to get a feel for their playstyle. Then you can make an informed decision on which ones to invest time levelling up. Below I‘ll cover each archetype and subclass in-depth.
Vanguard: The Fragile Speedster
Living up to their name, the Vanguard subclasses epitomize speed and aggression, thriving in head-on clashes thanks to their weapon versatility. They can quickly overwhelm opponents through brute force alone, at the cost of being relatively fragile.
Officer
The Officer is naturally fastest in the roster. They have solid mid-range options between their Longsword and Shortsword combo. Unfortunately, the Officer is painfully average, rarely excelling in any scenario. You‘re better off with most other subclasses in terms of damage and versatility.
- Weapons: Longsword, Shortsword, Throwing Axe, Throwing Knife
- Special: Inspire – Temporary speed & damage buff to nearby allies
- Rating: 😕
Skirmisher
The Skirmisher sports top-notch close-quarters weapons like the Falchion, Axe, and Dagger. This is where their strength lies, with unrivaled speed and combo potential to eviscerate opponents caught sleeping. Just don‘t expect to win ranged engagements.
- Weapons: Falchion, Hand Axe, Dagger
- Special: Evade – Quick dash in any direction
- Rating: 😀
Ambusher
With the ridiculously fast War Axe and heavy-hitting Double Dane axe sets, the Ambusher is a close-range terror with devastating burst damage potential. Their Throwing Axe lets them harass from afar and their Smoke Bomb special allows for tricky flanks.
- Weapons: War Axe, Double Dane Axe, Throwing Axe
- Special: Smoke Bomb
- Rating: 😁
Knight: The Resilient Warrior
The Knight excels at holding down objectives and controlling the battlefield through sheer staying power from heavier armor. They trade offence for impenetrable defence.
Guardian
Probably the easiest class for beginners to pick up thanks to their huge Kite Shield. Its broad coverage makes blocking a breeze. Paired with a slash-focused Longsword, the Guardian can safely approach enemies from cover. Underwhelming damage output however.
- Weapons: Longsword, Messer, Kite Shield
- Special: Rejuvenate – Restore stamina over time
- Rating: 🙂
Crusader
The quintessential Knight experience, the Crusader sports traditional bastard sword and heater shield combo. With access to sturdy Holy Water Sprinklers and Bear Traps, they excel at area denial. A strong choice if you enjoy tanking hits while chucking axes.
- Weapons: Broadsword, Poleaxe, Heater Shield, Throwing Axe
- Special: Rally – Temporary damage reduction aura
- Rating: 😄
Templar
Perhaps the most well-rounded Knight, the Templar is equipped for any situation with long reach from their Spear and Polehammer mix. Their Sturdy Heater Shield provides solid protection. Plant Banners to bolster ally defenses and keep enemies at bay with caltrops.
- Weapons: Spear, Polehammer, Sturdy Heater Shield, Banner
- Special: Plant Banner – Boost ally health regen in area
- Rating: 😊
Footman: The Fierce Hybrid
Balancing speed and resilience, Footmen are extremely well-rounded. They can quickly overwhelm foes with aggression but also take a beating themselves. Expect flexibility and versatility here.
Man-at-Arms
The quintessential hybrid class, Man-at-Arms have good armaments for any range and situation. Their War Club demolishes armor while Sword & Buckler allows swift combos. Their healing kit keeps them sustainable on the frontlines. You can‘t go wrong leveling them up.
- Weapons: War Club, Sword, Buckler
- Special: Healing Kit – Restore lost health
- Rating: 😃
Poleman
Favoring reach over defence with their Poleaxe and Spear combo, Polemen control space exceedingly well, shutting down tightly packed groups. Some of the best anti-ranged capabilities in the game with their Pavise Shield. Surprisingly sturdy if played well.
- Weapons: Poleaxe, Spear, Pavise Shield
- Special: Pavise Cover – Take cover behind a shield
- Rating: 🙂
Raider
An unusual hybrid melee/ranged subclass, Raiders separate themselves with a rugged Longbow for pestering and picking off weaker targets. Their other weapons lend themselves to an attrition playstyle, steadily wearing down foes. Solid versatility overall.
- Weapons: Longbow, War Axe, Falchion
- Special: Scavenger – Resupply ammo from dead archers
- Rating: 🙂
Archer: Ranged Support
If keeping your distance and peppering the enemy team with arrows or fire bombs sounds fun, then consider playing as an Archer. They‘re obviously rather frail in close-quarters though.
Longbowman
The quintessential Archer, Longbowmen punish unaware enemies with strong Longbow draw attacks and crippling Bodkin Arrows. Light Crossbow allows for rapid harassment up close. Firebombs create chaos across chokepoints and objectives.
- Weapons: Longbow, Light Crossbow, Firebomb
- Special: Fire Arrows – Turn arrows incendiary for more damage
- Rating: 😄
Crossbowman
The armored artillery, Crossbowmen bring heavier Repeating Crossbows versus Longbows, trading rate of fire for raw damage. Bear Traps help secure flanks while bandages buy you precious time trying to escape pursuers. Solid anchor for ranged support.
- Weapons: Repeating Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow, Bear Trap, Bandage
- Special: Scavenger – Resupply ammo from dead archers
- Rating: 🙂
Javelineer
The odd one out, Javelineers differentiate themselves through their Javelins – a melee/ranged hybrid throwing spear. Lack of a proper bow really hurts though. Bolas roots enemies briefly while Smoke Bomb facilitates an escape. Requires an unorthodox playstyle.
- Weapons: Javelin, Bola, Smoke Bomb
- Special: Barbed Javelin – Next throw causes bleeding
- Rating: 😕
Best Classes to Level Up
So out of all the Chivalry 2 subclasses, which ones are most deserving of your precious time to upgrade and unlock all their goodies? These would be my personal top recommendations:
- Ambusher – Their raw speed and damage cements them as the premiere duelist, especially once you unlock the powerful Double Daneaxe. You‘ll terrorize frontlines and carry games once seasoned.
- Skirmisher – Similar aggression to Ambusher with greater consistency across all their weapons. Those max level Axes hit like trucks while the Dagger remains speedy and versatile.
- Man-at-Arms – Jack of all trades, master of most. There‘s no situation the Man-at-Arms can‘t adequately handle which is invaluable for newer players still learning map dynamics.
- Longbowman – Once you nail down Longbow aiming, the damage potential is bonkers. Capable of two-shotting most subclasses if you maintain distance. Fire Arrows inflict insane chaos.
- Crusader – The best pure tanking option, especially on objective maps. Area denial from Bear Traps and Banners bolster ally pushes immensely. Sturdy with patient play.
Other solid options include the Templar for support capabilities and Poleman for anti-archer potential via Pavise Shield.
The Officer, Javelineer, and Guardian sadly just don‘t bring enough unique strengths to the table and should be down priortized.
Tips for Leveling Up Classes
Here are some tips to speed up the leveling process for unlocking all your desired weapons and gear with a subclass:
- Play Objectives – Whether attacking or defending points, you‘ll rack up significantly more score (and thus XP) playing objectives versus raw team deathmatch kills.
- Maximize Score – Look for ways to score points outside getting kills, like planting banners or firing catapults. Assists also count!
- XP Bonuses – Having an active battle pass provides bonus class XP upon match completion to level up faster.
- Change It Up – To prevent burnout on a single class, experiment with multiple subclasses rather than maining just one. Different playstyles keeps things fresh while also diversifying your skills.
Closing Thoughts
And there you have it – everything you need to know about the classes of Chivalry 2 and how to spend your time unlocking the best weapons and gear for dominating the medieval battlefield.
The top contenders like Ambusher, Man-at-Arms, and Longbowman should be high up your priority list. But it never hurts to dabble among all the subclasses until you discover your personal favorite flavour.
Feel free drop any other Chivalry 2 class questions in the comments section below!