Chivalry 2 beginner's guide: Tips and tricks to end them rightly

The Monty Python-inspired battlefields of Chivalry 2 may be silly and humorous, but there's quite a lot of gameplay depth to the game's combat systems. This can make the gameplay frustrating to start to learn as a new player when going up against experienced opponents, and while the in-game tutorial does teach you the basics, there's also a lot that it doesn't cover as well. Don't worry, though, because we're here with some helpful tips and tricks that will get you started in the right direction on your quest to become a seasoned and skilled warrior.

Get creative with your attacks

Above all else, it's important to be creative when fighting your opponents. Being predictable will likely make it easy for skilled foes to defend against your attacks and then go on the offensive against you, so switch things up if you notice that you're having trouble penetrating a player's defenses. Try morphing slashes into thrusts and vice versa, feinting, turning towards or away your opponent when swinging to alter the timings of your blows, and kicking enemies whenever you notice that they're turtling up with a held block. Using both light and heavy versions of attacks is a great way to catch opponents off-guard, too, and heavy attacks that land will do increased damage.

Getting creative will also help you discover weaknesses your opponent might have. If you notice that a player is struggling to defend against a specific attack, take advantage of it; more often than not, you'll easily end up winning your duel. If they eventually catch on and adapt to your strategy, you can then start mixing things up again to throw them back off-guard.

Avoid turtling up

It's crucial that you avoid turtling up in combat. The ability to hold your block is useful for when you're trying to defend yourself from multiple opponents at once and then attempt a counterattack to fight back, but in most situations, turtling will result in your death. Kicks are designed to break blocks and open you up to a follow-up strike, so don't make it easy for experienced opponents to do this by hiding behind your shield or weapon. Also, holding your block drains your stamina, which you need to go on the offensive yourself.

Instead, it's better to block just before attacks hit you so that you're able to successfully defend yourself while also minimizing stamina loss. You can also quickly input a block and then an attack that matches an enemy's incoming attack type at the same time to counterattack, giving you a hit and an opportunity to go on the offensive.

Position yourself carefully

Your positioning in battle is almost as important as your skill with your weapon, as getting stuck in bad positions will almost certainly result in your death. As a general rule, you should always make sure to avoid situations where you could be surrounded by multiple enemies without any teammates nearby to help. Always try to stay where most of your allies are, as there's safety in numbers.

Certain classes will also want to position themselves based on their unique strengths and weaknesses. Vanguards and Knights should be on the frontline since they have more armor and less range, while Men-at-Arms should be behind them since their halberds and spears have more range but slower attack speeds. Archers should always be far behind the melee fighting, shooting the enemy's frontline from cover.

Don't hit your teammates

This tip seems obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many times I've been teamkilled as my team's frontline clashes with the enemy. When you're standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your allies, wide swings intended for an opponent's body will often end up hitting a comrade's instead due to the tight spacing. This usually won't kill them unless they're already hurt since team damage is reduced, but it will still weaken them and make them easier for the other team to kill.

In situations like these, use thrusts and overhead strikes as much as possible. Attacking by thrusting forward or by swinging downwards is much less likely to hit friendlies than horizontal slashes are, after all.

Archers: Aim center mass

This archery-specific tip probably goes against every instinct you've ever had while sniping in games, but it's true: you should aim for a target's center mass instead of going for headshots. This is because in the frenzied chaos of battle with dozens of players moving around and swinging melee weapons, trying to actually hit someone's head is extremely difficult. It's possible, and you do increased damage, but more often than not you're going to miss and waste your arrows.

Hitting people in the chest may not be as flashy or damaging, but it's also much easier to do. It's also still very helpful for your teammates on the front, as players weakened by arrow damage are easier to take down in melee combat. Therefore, I recommend opting for the consistent and reliable bodyshot damage.

Your thoughts

What do you think of my Chivalry 2 tips? Do you have any that you'd like to offer new players? Sound off in the comments below. Chivalry 2 is one of the best Xbox games of 2021 so far, and I highly recommend you jump in if you enjoy first-person melee games. For more of my thoughts on it, check out my Chivalry 2 review.