Hey gamers! Hope everything is going well. I'm still deep into Chivalry 2 and today it's time to talk about the Knight class, which is probably the class most people picture the moment they hear the name of this game. Big armor, heavy weapons, walking into battle like nothing can stop you. And in many ways, nothing really can. This is the tankiest class in the entire game, sitting at 175 health, the highest of all four classes, and it comes with three subclasses to explore: the Officer, the Guardian, and the Crusader. The tradeoff for all that health and power is that the Knight is the slowest class in the game and comes with a 50% increased dash cooldown, which means you're not exactly dodging your way out of situations. You're standing your ground, blocking, reading enemy swings, and making them regret coming near you. Let's break down each subclass because they each bring something genuinely different to the table.
The Officer Subclass
The Officer is the first subclass you get when you pick the Knight, and it's honestly one of the best starter options in the whole game regardless of which class you're comparing it to. The description the game gives it says "seasoned veteran with equipment that combines speed and power" and that pretty much nails it. What you're getting here is a well-rounded fighter that doesn't fully commit to any one extreme, which sounds boring on paper but ends up being incredibly useful in actual gameplay.
The weapons available to the Officer include some real classics like the Longsword, the Heavy Mace, and the War Axe, all of which hit hard and have solid reach without being so slow that you're leaving yourself wide open after every swing. On top of that, the Officer carries Throwing Knives as a secondary option, which is a surprisingly fun tool to have in your pocket. Nothing feels quite as satisfying as landing a throwing knife on an enemy who's trying to back away from you after taking a beating. It's a great finisher and adds a little bit of ranged utility to a class that would otherwise have none.
The signature ability of the Officer is the Trumpet, a rallying shout that when activated boosts the health regeneration of nearby allies for a short period. What makes this ability stand out is that it can heal teammates even through walls within its radius, which in the cramped corridors and castle interiors of the 64-player maps is a massive advantage. Being able to pop that Trumpet at the right moment and instantly give your whole squad a health boost without needing line of sight is the kind of thing that can completely shift the momentum of a push. The Officer also shares the Knight's tackle ability, which lets you charge forward and knock an enemy flat on the ground, leaving them completely vulnerable for a follow-up hit. Between the tackle, the knives, the Trumpet, and those solid weapon options, the Officer ends up being a genuinely complete package that rewards players who know how to switch between aggression and support depending on what the situation calls for.
The Guardian Subclass
If the Officer is the well-rounded option, the Guardian is the full commitment to defense and it takes that role further than any other subclass in the entire game. The Guardian comes equipped with a Heavy Shield that can block incoming melee strikes and even projectiles from archers, which instantly makes you a nightmare to deal with in direct confrontations. Enemies that rely on ranged damage will simply bounce off of you and enemies trying to crack through your block will drain their own stamina way faster than yours.
The weapon selection for the Guardian leans into that defensive identity with options like the Warhammer and One-Handed Spear, weapons that work well in combination with the shield since you've only got one free hand. The Warhammer in particular is a really strong choice because Blunt damage in Chivalry 2 deals extra damage to armored targets, meaning other Knights and Footmen are going to feel every hit significantly more than they would against a slashing weapon. It turns the Guardian into this incredibly frustrating opponent to face because you're watching your attacks bounce off their shield while they're smacking you with a hammer that hurts way more than you expected.
The signature ability here is the Planted Banner, which is a flag you place into the ground that continuously heals nearby teammates for as long as it stays standing. The key to using it well is placement, drop it too close to the frontline and it gets destroyed almost immediately by stray attacks, but position it just behind your team's main push and it becomes this constant source of sustain that keeps your whole group in the fight far longer than the enemy team can manage without one. Combined with the shield blocking and the Warhammer's armor-shredding damage, the Guardian ends up being one of the most impactful subclasses you can bring to an objective-based fight where your team needs someone to anchor the line and keep everyone alive.
The Crusader Subclass
The Crusader is the third and final subclass for the Knight, unlocked at class level 7, and this one completely flips the script compared to the Guardian. Where the Guardian is all about holding steady and keeping your team alive, the Crusader throws all of that defensive utility out the window and goes full offense. No shield, heavier and harder-hitting weapons, and an attitude that basically says we're going forward and everything in the way is going to regret it.
The weapon arsenal for the Crusader includes some of the heaviest and highest damage options available to the Knight, things like the Battle Axe and the Messer, weapons that hit so hard they can actually one-shot enemies with a heavy attack if you land it cleanly. The Messer in particular has incredible range for a Knight weapon, which helps offset the slower swing speed since you don't need to be as close to connect. The Crusader can also use Throwing Axes as a ranged option, which unlike the Officer's throwing knives have some real stopping power behind them and can chunk a significant amount of health from a distance before you close in for the melee finish. The tradeoff for all of this offensive output is that without a shield, you are fully dependent on timing your blocks with the weapon itself, and if you get caught in the middle of a heavy swing by multiple enemies at once there's no shield to bail you out.
The special ability is the Oil Pot, basically a throwable incendiary grenade that explodes into a patch of fire on the ground and ignites anyone who walks through it. It's an incredibly satisfying ability to use, especially in chokepoints and narrow corridors where enemies are forced to push through a small space. You can throw the Oil Pot right at a doorway or the base of a staircase and just watch the chaos unfold as the enemy team either takes fire damage pushing through or has to completely reroute. One important thing to keep in mind though is that the fire doesn't care which team you're on, so throwing it into a crowd of your own teammates is a very real way to make enemies out of your own faction. Aim carefully.
The Crusader Was My Favorite
Of the three subclasses, the Crusader ended up being my personal favorite by a clear margin, and the main reason comes down to the combination of weapon feel and that Oil Pot ability. The weapons hit hard and have medium reach, which actually feels more agile compared to some of the slower two-handed options you find on classes like the Vanguard's Devastator. You're still swinging heavy hits but you're not waiting forever between each one, which keeps you in rhythm during fights instead of feeling like you're constantly recovering from your own attacks.
Not having a shield was honestly less of a problem than I expected. Once you get used to reading enemy attacks and timing your blocks with the weapon, you start to realize the shield is more of a crutch than a necessity if your fundamentals are solid. And then there's the Oil Pot, which just adds so much fun to the Crusader's kit. Landing one of those incendiary throws at the perfect moment, right as a group of enemies is pushing through a gate or crowding around an objective, is one of the most satisfying things in the entire game. It's the kind of ability that makes you feel like you genuinely changed the outcome of a moment rather than just adding one more sword swing to the pile.
So those are the three Knight subclasses, gamers. A solid class all around with real variety in how you can approach it depending on whether you want to support your team, tank everything coming at you, or just burn it all down with a fire pot and a Battle Axe. Hope you enjoyed the post and I'll see you soon!
