The Footman in Chivalry 2 is a class all about fast-paced and agile movements in close-quarters combat. What the Footman lacks in power it makes up for in utility as the "death by a thousand cuts" class. Footmen are generally seen running around the battlefield, taking points, aiding allies, and using strategies like flanking to take enemies unawares.
This Chivalry 2 class suffers from its relative squishiness and the lack of damage in some of its primary weapons. The class's secondary weapons and abilities are its most useful factors on a team, but a Footman still needs to protect himself when not in a team vs. Team situation.
Updated July 3, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: Chivalry 2 has four classes, each oriented around a particular aspect of the battlefield. Archers stay at a distance for ranged support, Knights stay in close quarters and tank hits, and Vanguards wildly duck in and out of combat to do bit hits with big weapons. The Footman, on the other hand, ducks in and out of combat to do small hits with medium weapons. The Footman and its three subclasses are the fastest in Chivalry 2, though their speed is not always enough to guarantee victory in battle. The most effective Footman weapons in Chivalry 2 are those with rapid attacks, decent damage, and good range.
10 Shovel
The shovel is an unorthodox weapon available to Footmen in Chivalry 2, available in two varieties: a regular Shovel version and a specialized Pointed Digger version. The regular version is better for blunt attacks, while the Pointed Digger is better for jabbing and piercing attacks. The shovel is one of the worse options for a Footman because of its low damage and its lack of reach.
It's hard to argue that it's not one of the funniest weapons in Chivalry 2, though, because what medieval soldier would ever bring a farmer's shovel to the battlefield? If you're set on using the shovel, try using the Man At Arms subclass as their ability to dodge faster can help with the unwieldiness of this weapon.
9 Pickaxe
The pickaxe is a decent melee weapon for Footmen thanks to its high damage output and its ability to take down armored enemies effectively. It lacks range, which is made up for with the pickaxe's strength. Once you get the hang of moving strategically, though, it's actually a pretty decent primary choice.
It's not a great first-timer weapon for Footmen, though, because it requires quick movements and rapid reactions to close combat. It can be used in its regular Pickaxe version or the Mattock, and is good for all subclasses except the Poleman who can use longer-range weapons.
8 Morning Star
The Morning Star is a short mace with a spiked sphere on the end of it. It's a blunt damage weapon that breaks apart armor but isn't quite as effective against unarmored opponents (who are more susceptible to slashing or jabbing attacks). The Morning Star, like other weapons here at the low end of the rankings for Footmen, fails due to its low range – it's even shorter than the pickaxe.
It can knock out an enemy on a hit to the cranium, though the Footman would have to get in pretty close to pull that off reliably. It comes in two varieties: the Brutal Morning Star and the normal Morning Star, and is good for the Man at Arms subclass as they are least affected by the weapon's low reach.
7 Polehammer
The polehammer is a long-reaching and extremely powerful blunt weapon available to the Footman in Chivalry 2. Available as either the Double-Sided Hammer or Lucerns, the weapon boasts one of the largest ranges and damage outputs of any primary weapon for Footmen, but it does have one big drawback. It hits hard and can reach faraway enemies, but it takes ages to swing compared to other long-range weapons.
While the polehammer can kill just about anybody with two overhead swings, it takes a long time to pull those off. If the enemy can switch to a fast side weapon or block the attack, the Footman will be wide open to retaliation for a second. Use the polehammer with the Poleman subclass as they are built for long-reaching weapons like this.
6 Sword
The sword is the iconic and stereotypical weapon of Footman due to its ease of use and its relatively balanced stats. The sword, in the form of the fast Arming Sword or the more powerful Broadsword, is something of a jack-of-all-trades primary weapon for the Footman.
While the Footman can't throw it, the sword does decent damage when thrust in a jabbing attack and when used to slash enemies. It's a little bit less effective against armored players like Knights, though. This weapon is good for Field Engineers and Men at Arms as it is a very all-around decent melee weapon, though Polemen should opt for something longer.
5 Sledgehammer
The Sledgehammer is the ultimate close-quarters weapon available for Footmen in Chivalry 2. It's more powerful than the sword, has longer range than a Morning Star, and serves just as well against armored and unarmored foes thanks to its massive damage. Normally, Blunt damage is less effective against opponents without heavy armor. The damage output of this weapon is so insane that it one-shots all but the most defended foe.
The drawback of the sledgehammer is, of course, its low range. Footmen planning to use this weapon should expect to be in the middle of big fights constantly – so be sure to keep an eye out for teammates to team up. Use the Sledgehammer or the Blacksmith's Sledgehammer with the Poleman or Footman subclasses for their abilities that can be helpful in melee fights.
4 Spear
The spear is the longest-range melee weapon available to the Footman class. The class, in general, has little armor and relatively low health, which makes keeping bigger and scarier enemies at an arms' length at all times an important plus of any weapon. The spear is one of the best options for the class thanks to this range and damage output.
There are two versions of the spear primary weapon — the normal spear and the one-handed spear, the latter of which is slightly faster at the cost of range. The Earspoon and the Partisan are the unique versions of the spear, which is best used by a Field Engineer who must keep enemies at bay to get room to build defenses.
3 Glaive
The glaive is an ornate, elegant-looking weapon that beats the spear for one important reason: it can be swung side to side and used for thrusting jab attacks. The weapon is best when it hits enemies at its full range, as the sharpened part of the glaive deals much more damage than the hilt or bottom part of the blade. One downside to the glaive is that because of its size, the Footman will have to dance around combat rather than jump into the fray.
It's all too easy to accidentally kill an unsuspecting teammate, after all, and you'll have better luck connecting big hits at a slight distance. The Glaive is best used by a Man at Arms or a Poleman, and though it's one of the better options for Footmen in general, there are two that outrank it based on damage and speed: the halberd and the one handed spear.
2 Halberd
The halberd is one of the most iconic weapons of the Middle Ages, and it was brought back for Footmen in Chivalry 2. The halberd is, essentially, a gigantic axe with a pointed tip, and the three variants shown in the game are the most powerful middle-range melee weapons available.
The Bardiche is a typical long-handled greataxe, the Billhook has a curved end to tear apart flesh, and the namesake Halberd is a combination of a spear tip and axe head on top of a long two-handed hilt. Use this with the Poleman class for best effectiveness, and be sure to mix thrusting and slashing attacks to confuse enemies with its moveset.
1 One-Handed Spear – Lead Spear, Short Spear
The one-handed spear is the best weapon for Footmen in Chivalry 2 because of its reach, potential for damage output, speed of attacks, and ease of use in combat. The regular spear is too long and unwieldy, while the one-handed spear lets the Footman also equip a shield. The classic tactic with a one-handed spear is to dance around foes and poke them when the opportunity arises from behind your raised shield.
Doing the same thrusting attack over and over again might sound boring, but it's technically the most effective way to play the class. One-handed spears are good for all Footman subclasses, if available, though the Man at Arms' enhanced dodge makes it a weapon that embodies the concept of death by a thousand cuts.
Chivalry 2 is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S