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Chivalry 2offers four different classes for its players to choose from during a match. This medieval team vs. team bash varies the default equipment and abilities of these classes not just from each other but within the classes as well, thanks to the subclasses unlocked through leveling. The Footman, in particular, juggles many ideas through this method.
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The Footman starts as the equivalent of a soldier for the setting of Chivalry 2. As the player grows in their experience in the class, they will learn the Footman can go from a mixed bag of tricks to a catch-all problem fixer.
The Poleman is unlocked by default for the Footman class. As the name implies, the primary weapon is a long two-handed pole-based weapon such as the Halberd. The secondary slot has a short sword or knife, and the third item slot flexes a spike trap. The spike trap is nothing more than a short blockade the Poleman can place as an obstacle for the enemy, but the trap can be easily spotted and just as easily destroyed. The most dangerous part of the Poleman is the primary weapon, but not just for the enemy team, unfortunately. Due to the length of the weapon, swinging to attack while in a group makes it very likely to injure your teammates, and friendly fire is not turned off for Chivalry 2, so you’re able to end up killing your teammates doing this.
The Footman class is not designed for ranged attacks, so this powerful attack is both a boon and a viability. If you do want to try and stay away from your team in fear of harming them, the Poleman can scout for enemy snipers and easily kill them in close counters where they’d likely be away from both teams. The length of the weapon also makes it a great counter to enemies on horseback. You can swing at the riding soldier while managing to stay out of their range. It’s even decently possible to kill the rider without doing too much damage to the horse, should you then steal it for yourself or a teammate. The primary weapon is also useful in destroying enemy traps and match objectives.
There are also a surprising amount of abilities for the Poleman.
To make up for the damage your weapon can do to the team, the Poleman’s chargeable ability has them throw bandages at the team. A direct hit will instantly give health, and the charge can be stockpiled as far as three bandages on hand. When you hover your vision over an ally, you will see their health, so try and only give bandages to those not already in full health. The bandage will simply bounce off them if they’re already fully healed, but you can just pick it back up. Banner and trumpets are better for healing a crowd, but the bandages stockpiling aspect can be incredibly useful.
Then there is the tackle and the sprint. They both happen when a Poleman gains momentum; the difference is the impact. A tackle does little damage but knocks an enemy over. A sprint is powerful, on the other hand. Both can be useful, so it’s up to you to gauge which is better in what circumstances. The Poleman is effectively a jack of all trades, and it’s up to the player to make them a master of any.
Man At Arms
Man At Arms is unlocked at level 4 for a Footman and is an interesting switch. At first, the only noticeable change is that the Man At Arms has a sword and shield instead of a pole. The sword is the new primary weapon, but the secondary follows the same path of being a shorter blade. However, a further glance reveals this is not the only thing traded for the shield.
Man At Arms keeps the sprint but loses the tackle. The shield has also effectively taken the item slot, so the spike trap is gone. Not everything is gone; the bandage kit remains fully intact as the timed ability.
In many aspects, the Man At Arms is the other side of the coin for theKnightclass. The Knight class has the tackle but not the sprint, and the Knight class will be slower than a Man At Arms but with higher defense. The Man At Arms Footman is best used for a player who tried the Knight class but could never get used to the slower speed and finds the bandage kit a good replacement for abilities such as the trumpet and banner.
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Field Engineer
Field Engineer is the final subclass, unlocked at level 7, and is the one that feels like a direct evolution of Poleman. The primary weapon is a sledgehammer. No, not a weapon named sledgehammer; this is a regularsledgehammer, which some players may find jarring or hysterical given the setting. Fittingly, should you level up further, you can replace it with a shovel or a pickaxe, nothing else. The sledgehammer, however, proves just as useful as the Halberd. Field Engineer’s passive ability also means all primary weapons do double damage to enemy objects, meaning you can easily demolish objectives and barriers. Unlike the previous Footman subclasses, you do not get an additional short blade; the primary weapon is the Field Engineer’s only weapon.
Defensive types can use a trap and barriers. Spike traps return but unlocked from the start is the chance to replace it with a bear trap, and you’ll also have two blockades to lay down. The bandage kit and sprint abilities return the same as before. Field Engineer feels modern for the medieval setting, but it’s truly a force to be reckoned with.
