Chivalry 2 is chaos incarnate. Here’s a guide to help you find your way through the complete madness that lays ahead.
Chivalry 2 has taken the world by storm and it’s easy to see why. It’s a gruesome medieval combat game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The best example of this would be my first foray into the game, where I was decapitated by a knight who then promptly used my head as a projectile weapon against my allies.
Chaotic moments like this are non-stop in a game of Chivalry. Every second is peppered with blood-curdling screams, recently detached limbs, and copious amounts of mead.
What makes the game so popular is not only its refreshing approach to multiplayer combat, but because it has a low skill floor and a high skill ceiling. Almost anyone can pick up the game and have fun with it, hence low skill floor. But becoming truly adept with the game’s mechanics will take quite a bit of work, ergo a high skill ceiling.
So if you want to transform that button mashing into polished swordplay that even Zorro himself would be envious of, this guide is for you.
However, before we get into the nitty-gritty, we should outline each of the playable classes in Chivalry 2 so you can decide what works best for you.
Chivalry 2 Classes
Knight
Best described as the Gigachad of Chivalry 2, the Knight is an absolute tank with decent damage output to boot. The Knight is a tad slower than his counterparts and has a hard time outmanoeuvring his enemies. But what the Knight lacks in speed, they make up for in survivability, as they have the largest health pool in the game.
Knights can use most two-handed weapons; long swords, war axes, and clubs. Or instead, they can opt for a single-handed weapon and shield combo, making them particularly good against Archers.
The Knights also have a special ability called ‘Trumpet’. When blown, all allies around you within a radius are healed to full health.
Knights have 180 health, 80 speed, and 80 stamina.
Vanguard
This class is super mobile and pumps out huge amounts of damage, however, the trade-off is their health bar. Although it’s not the smallest in the game when you take into account their effective damage range, their health can easily be depleted in a matter of seconds.
To make up for this, Vanguards can wield the most devastating weapons in the game without any mobility debuffs, making them ideal for getting behind the enemy’s line and causing massive damage from the back.
Vanguards have 130 health, 120 speed, and 100 stamina.
Archer
Having thick skin is a prerequisite for this class, as your main role will be scapegoating for your team’s poor performance.
When you’re not receiving a torrent of abuse, you will be prodding the enemy from the backlines, strategically placing arrows in their exposed fleshy bits.
Archers have 90 health, 100 speed, and 50 stamina.
Footman
If you want to play like an Archer but without any of the abuse, then the Footman might be for you! This class grants access to the longest-range melee weapons in the game, making it a good class for stabbing the enemy from afar.
You’ll be keeping up the intensity with well-timed prods that are in rhythm with your fellow knight’s swings and slashes.
You’ll also need to keep the frontlines healthy with your special ability. You have access to a ‘Bandage Bag’ item which keeps everyone’s bandage supplies topped up.
Footmen have 150 health, 100 speed, 80 stamina.
How to do the ‘Parry, Riposte, and Please Fuck Off’
Combat in Chivalry 2 is undeniably brutal and unforgiving, meaning at any second, the battle can turn against you. Spacial awareness is key, and an easy way to constantly be aware of what’s going on around you is changing your camera perspective.
I’ve found a lot more success in my games from simply switching from first to third person, as it helps me see anyone trying to sneak into my blind spots.
Block
Now when it comes to melee combat, you’re going to need to know how to block, parry and riposte. Blocking is very simple: all you need to do is hold the block button. While in blocking stance, your stamina bar will drain and once it’s empty, you won’t be able to block anymore.
An easy way to maximise your blocking potential is to only use the block when you need it, and not to hold it down frivolously. In order to get a successful block, you only need to hold the block button down right before you are hit and place your crosshair in the direction of the hit.
If you time that perfectly, it’s called a parry.
Parry/Riposte
Parries are quicker than blocks and use less stamina. Parrying also allows you to riposte. To riposte, you’ll need to do a parry and then attack straight afterwards. These strikes take advantage of your quick block and give you the upper hand for your next hit.
An important concept to help you figure out when to play offensively and when to play defensively in a duel is ‘Advantage’. If you get a successful strike against your opponent, you have the advantage. This means you should keep the intensity up through a combo of attacks. If you’ve had a successful hit against you, you’ll need to regain the advantage through a successful parry and riposte.
If you are having trouble hitting your enemy because they are locking themselves in a block stance, you can Sparta kick them to interrupt it. This will leave them stunned for a second, giving you plenty of time to wallop them whilst, most importantly, telling them to fuck off.
Feinting and Swinging
Another powerful tool in your arsenal is feinting. In Chivalry 2 you have an overhead attack, a stab, a left swing, a right swing. You can feint into a different attack by initiating one then another right afterwards. This will cause the first animation to blend into the second, giving your opponent less time to figure out where to block.
You can also change the speed at which you swing. Your right joysticks, or on PC your mouse, act as your hips. The speed at which you turn into the strike dictates how quickly it travels.
Experiment with differing strike speeds in a combo to keep your enemy guessing. As this is a bit of a strange mechanic, I’ve attached an excellent video from Torn Banner themselves that explains it.
