If you have spent more than ten minutes in Chivalry 2, you already know one thing. Every player insists their favourite class is secretly overpowered, tragically underrated, or both at once. The Knight player thinks they are the immovable wall of civilisation. The Archer thinks everyone is just jealous. The Vanguard is usually halfway across the map screaming at three enemies and somehow surviving. Then there is the Footman, quietly doing all the hard work while nobody notices.
The truth is that every class in Chivalry 2 can be brilliant in the right hands. But some are easier to use, more flexible, and simply more useful across the chaos of Team Objective and large-scale battles.
Here is every Chivalry 2 class ranked, explained, and broken down so you know exactly where you should be spending your time.
4. Archer
The Archer sits at the bottom of the ranking, which feels slightly unfair because a good Archer can absolutely ruin an enemy team’s day. The problem is that the class depends heavily on positioning, accuracy, and not getting instantly flattened by an angry Knight with a Dane Axe.
Archer is brilliant when you have room to breathe. It is far less brilliant when the fight turns into twenty people swinging weapons in a corridor the width of a garden shed.
Why Archer Ranks Lowest
- Lowest health in the game
- Weak in close combat
- Requires good aim and map awareness
- Can dominate from range, but struggles if pressured
A skilled Archer can still rack up huge scores, especially on maps with open sightlines. The class is just less reliable than the others because one mistake usually ends with your head rolling into a river.
Best For
- Players with strong aim
- Supporting the team from behind the front line
- Picking off wounded enemies and enemy Archers
Archer Subclasses
Longbowman
The classic ranged class. You get a longbow, decent range, and the ability to keep constant pressure on the enemy.
The Longbowman is strongest when firing into crowded fights or punishing players sprinting in a straight line, which, to be fair, is roughly half the player base.
Crossbowman
The Crossbowman trades speed for stopping power. Crossbows hit hard and can punch through enemies with brutal efficiency.
The downside is the reload time. Miss your shot and you have just created the most stressful ten seconds of your life.
Skirmisher
The Skirmisher is the weird, slightly chaotic cousin of the Archer family. Instead of bows, you get throwing weapons and more mobility.
It is harder to use, but surprisingly effective if you enjoy darting around the edges of the fight and making people question where that spear just came from.
Best Weapons
- War Bow
- Heavy Crossbow
- Javelins
3. Footman
The Footman is the most underrated class in Chivalry 2. It does not have the raw toughness of the Knight or the sheer aggression of the Vanguard, but it quietly excels at almost everything.
If Chivalry 2 classes were people at a group project, the Footman would be the only one actually doing the work while everyone else argues about who gets to carry the giant axe.
Footman is fantastic for players who want flexibility. You can heal teammates, use long-reaching weapons, hold objectives, and adapt to almost any situation.
Why Footman Is Strong
- Balanced mix of health, speed, and reach
- Great support abilities
- Strong objective-based play
- Excellent weapon variety
The class shines in Team Objective because it is constantly useful. Whether you are defending a gate, reviving allies, or poking enemies from a suspiciously safe distance with a halberd, the Footman always has something to offer.
Best For
- Team-focused players
- Objective modes
- Players who want flexibility instead of pure aggression
Footman Subclasses
Poleman
The Poleman specialises in long weapons and keeping enemies at a distance. Halberds, polehammers, and spears let you stay just outside an enemy’s reach.
A good Poleman can feel absolutely unfair to fight against. You spend the whole duel wondering why their weapon seems to be about twelve feet longer than yours.
Man-at-Arms
The Man-at-Arms is fast, mobile, and excellent in close combat. With a shield and quick weapons, it is one of the trickiest subclasses to pin down.
If you like weaving around attacks and annoying larger enemies, this is your subclass.
Field Engineer
The Field Engineer is the strangest subclass in the game. It can build barricades, traps, and defensive structures.
In the right hands, the Field Engineer can completely change a battle. In the wrong hands, you end up accidentally trapping your own team in a doorway. It is a subclass with tremendous potential and equally tremendous opportunities for accidental sabotage.
Best Weapons
- Halberd
- Polehammer
- Morning Star
2. Vanguard
The Vanguard is pure chaos in class form. It is fast, aggressive, and built for players who want to sprint headfirst into battle while somehow surviving long enough to get a five-kill streak.
This class has less health than the Knight, but far more mobility. That means you can flank, dodge, and create havoc across the map.
Vanguard rewards confidence. If you hesitate, you die. If you fully commit, you often end up looking like the hero of a medieval action film made by someone who thought subtlety was for cowards.
Why Vanguard Is So Good
- High mobility
- Powerful weapons
- Great at flanking and picking isolated enemies
- Excellent for aggressive players
The Vanguard is especially deadly in larger modes where you can slip around the edges of a fight and attack from behind. Most players are too busy staring at the Knight in front of them to notice the Dane Axe heading towards their spine.
Best For
- Aggressive players
- Flanking and fast movement
- High-risk, high-reward gameplay
Vanguard Subclasses
Devastator
The Devastator is one of the strongest subclasses in the game. It gets access to massive two-handed weapons and can deal absurd damage.
The trade-off is survivability. You hit like a runaway horse, but you are not exactly built to take punishment.
Raider
The Raider is all about versatility. It can carry two primary weapons, which gives it an answer to almost every situation.
Need range? Grab a throwing weapon. Need damage? Switch to a Dane Axe. Need to cause widespread panic? You are already doing that.
Ambusher
The Ambusher focuses on speed, stealth, and bonus damage from behind. It is a niche subclass, but very satisfying if you like darting around the battlefield like an extremely angry raccoon.
Ambusher is not as easy to use as the others, but in the right hands it can shred distracted enemies before they even realise what happened.
Best Weapons
- Dane Axe
- Greatsword
- Messer
1. Knight
The Knight is the best overall class in Chivalry 2.
There, I said it. Every Knight player can now nod smugly while every Archer player prepares a strongly worded reply.
The Knight is simply the most reliable and forgiving class in the game. It has the highest health, excellent weapons, strong survivability, and works in almost every situation.
You can charge into the front line, hold an objective, survive fights that should absolutely have killed you, and still walk away looking like you belong on the front cover of a medieval fantasy novel.
Why Knight Is the Best Class
- Highest health in the game
- Strong in both attack and defence
- Great weapon selection
- Easy to learn, but still powerful at higher skill levels
The Knight is forgiving enough for new players but still incredibly effective in experienced hands. That balance makes it the strongest overall class for most players.
Best For
- Beginners
- Players who like front-line combat
- Anyone who wants a strong all-round class
Knight Subclasses
Officer
The Officer is the most versatile Knight subclass. It gets strong weapons and a war horn ability that can heal nearby teammates.
If you want to help your team while still smashing people with a longsword, this is easily one of the best choices in the game.
Guardian
The Guardian trades some offensive power for defence. With a shield and extra survivability, it is brilliant for holding objectives and surviving huge fights.
Guardian is particularly useful when defending choke points. You become the medieval equivalent of a traffic cone that can also hit people with a mace.
Crusader
The Crusader is the heavy-hitting subclass. It has access to brutal weapons like the Messer and Executioner’s Axe.
This is the subclass for players who want to hit enemies so hard that they briefly reconsider all their life choices.
Best Weapons
- Longsword
- Messer
- Executioner’s Axe
Which Chivalry 2 Class Should You Choose?
The best class depends on how you like to play.
| Playstyle | Best Class |
|---|---|
| Want to survive longer and learn the game | Knight |
| Love fast, aggressive gameplay | Vanguard |
| Prefer supporting the team | Footman |
| Enjoy ranged combat and precision | Archer |
If you are new to Chivalry 2, start with the Knight or Footman. They are easier to learn and far more forgiving.
If you already know the maps and want to play more aggressively, Vanguard is arguably the most fun class in the game. There is something deeply satisfying about sprinting through a battlefield with a massive axe while absolutely no sensible decisions are being made.
And if you genuinely enjoy Archer, ignore the complaints. Yes, everyone will blame you for everything. No, they are not entirely wrong. But landing a perfect headshot across the map still feels incredible.
Takeaway
Every Chivalry 2 class has a role, and none of them are useless. Archer can dominate from range, Footman quietly carries objectives, Vanguard causes chaos, and Knight remains the safest and strongest choice.
For most players, the Knight is still the best overall class thanks to its survivability and flexibility. But the real answer is whichever class makes you laugh the hardest when the battlefield descends into complete nonsense.
Because at its best, Chivalry 2 is not about playing perfectly. It is about charging into battle, missing half your swings, somehow surviving anyway, and feeling like an absolute legend for thirty glorious seconds.
