So, I did something similar in the last couple years, where I went through the Complete Dwarves and evaluated all the kits... the good, the specific, and the ugly. I figure for the "make things to keep me occupied" projects for the weekend (maybe getting my brain working on other WIPs), I'd do the same for other Complete Books, just to see how they match up. So, first, the Complete Fighter's Handbook.
As a general rule, I like mechanical changes and dislike more wishy-washy social ones, especially if they impose an expectation but not an obligation. I'll bring these up as I go.
Amazon: Mechanically, you get two bonus NWP, and a +3 to hit and damage against low-level foes for your first hit only, in exchange for a big reaction penalty against those same foes, and some restrictions on your initial equipment. Mechanically, it's pretty unimpressive. Socially? It feels like an atavism, leftover from earlier fantasy... which would have been current at the time, TBH, what with the Sword and Sorceress Anthologies. But its a very specific cultural set-up designed to interact with a very specific cultural set-up that is largely absent from the game... I can't even think of any canonical Amazon-like societies in standard worlds.
Barbarian: Another specific one; you get a bonus NWP (Endurance), and some wild rules on encounter reactions (things either go REALLY WELL or REALLY BAD), accompanied by some fairly light restrictions on initial weapons and armor (can't buy the really expensive armor you probably couldn't afford anyway, have to spend almost all your starting money). It can mostly be emulated just with choices (Endurance NWP, correct weapons and armor choices), so it's a question of whether or not you want the Title of "Barbarian" and want to interact with the Encounter Reactions (which, IME, was kind of variable as to whether or not DMs did).
Beast Rider: The first really substantive change; you are psychically linked with a certain kind of animal, gaining huge bonuses to interact with them. You start with a mount of that type, which might include flying animals. You get some NWP related to that. It's balanced by a pretty severe reaction penalty (they apply to almost everyone), and some possibly severe consequences if your mount dies (damage, possibly feebleminded for a few hours). There's some tighter restrictions on initial armor and weapons than a barbarian has (smaller list for both), and the same money spending requirement.
I like this one. It's a CHANGE. While you could emulate some of it, the monster-as-mount mechanic would otherwise only exist with DM fiat. I will note that, for some people, the Riding (Land-Based) bonus NWP might be irrelevant, and so the DM might want to step in there. Since these are general warrior kits, I assume a paladin of this kit would get their special mount as a their "warhorse", or a special version of that mount.
Berserker: Barbarian plus, really. Same bonus NWP. No required WP, but forbidden from taken certain weapons (ranged) initially.... and those are kind of weird, because you can't have thrown weapons, either, and those aren't usually separated. The reaction penalty is more straightforward (+3 from tribes with berserkers, -3 from everyone else), and there are berserking rules; I'm not a fan of the full turn required before one goes berserk, because it feels like it would be inapplicable a lot of the time, but the rules are pretty solid and well-described.
I don't particularly like this one, personally, but that's my dislike of berserking in general, not that it is a bad class. I kind of wish that, instead of flat bonuses to attack, damage, and HP, it was more scaled (bonus HP based on HD, bonus strength to do strength things, including damage); at 1st level, that +5 HP is great. At 9th level, it's not terribly significant, and your berserker can't do things like shatter chains. It's a Choice to play a certain kind of character, and good to have mechanical support for it, but I don't like that kind of character, so it's not for me.
Cavalier: A powerful kit, with a lot of benefits, blending aspects of the Beast Rider, Berserker, and Noble Warrior. Moderate restriction on beginning weapon proficiencies and beginning gear purchasing (must buy lance, must buy sword, must buy most expensive armor), and some HEFTY and MEATY role-playing restrictions; heavy limitation on missile weapon use, role-playing consideration on target acquisition (a little squishy, since a cavalier might argue about "powerful looking"... a wizard looks a lot more pwoerful to me than an ogre!), and big restrictions on armor use and behavior... a cavalier is almost as restricted as a paladin, in many ways, but to a campaign-defined "Chivalry", rather than Law and Goodness. They have a bit more leeway (three strikes), but it's still some powerful restrictions.
Like the Berserker, I don't like it for me, but I think it's a good one mechanically. It's got good advantages balanced by some strong disadvantages. I'm of the opinion that the disadvantages are less likely to matter, because you don't choose the cavalier kit if you're not planning on role-playing a cavalier, but they're there, and they're significant enough to offset the bonuses.
Gladiator: This is one of the first with sort of wishy-washy restrictions. You have some required WP, but you get a free specialization, which makes it a backdoor for non-fighter weapon specialization... and you can even do it as a paladin, if you're a former/retired gladiator (IMO, gladiatorial combat isn't usually a paladin thing). One of their bonus NWP is even a rogue one, so extra bonus. But their hindrances are all social, and non-mechanical... the gladiator is easily remembered, there's always NPCs bothering them about being a gladiator. These don't carry mechanics, though, and you run into the possibility that if the DM over-relies on it, it becomes "The Gladiator and his Hangers-on". A good DM can handle this, but I think it's a narrow thing.
Myrmidon: My favorite, but with the same problems as a Gladiator: The benefits are mechanical, the problems are circumstantial. The NWP are not bad, not great, there's no real restrictions on weapons or armor, but there may be bonus money if there are restrictions. You get a free weapon specialization in some of the most common and powerful weapons (again, non-fighter specialization is possible), and there's the advantage/disadvantage of a patron. Like the Gladiator, this is as much of a restriction as the DM wants, and if he makes it too much of a restriction, it colors the entire campaign, as Myrmidon Bob either has to do what he is told, or leave the game to do what he is told.
Noble Warrior: While this is one of those "character choice" things, I think it's well supported mechanically. Required WP, Useful bonus NWP, required expenditures (offset by a huge amount of gold), and some mostly social bonuses (offering Low Justice, requesting lodging, reaction adjustment)... but those social modifiers are offset by some pretty substantial penalties. +10% per level to costs is going to eat into early funds, and failure to pay them eats away at the reaction bonus... and the reaction bonus can turn into a massive penalty (-6????) if the character gets on the social outs. Unlike the Gladiator or Myrmidon social requirements, these are both supported by mechanics, and personal without being campaign defining... a disgraced noble might try to drive the campaign, but it's not as strict as with a myrmidon's patron or a gladiator's low-rent promoters. While you could just say "I'm a nobleman" and otherwise play your fighter, this gives it some teeth.
Peasant Hero: More on the fence about this one, for all that it mirrors the Noble Warrior in some ways. A couple useful NWP, some DM-dependent restrictions on WP, and a "spend all your money" mandate. No explicit mechanical bonuses, but some RP ones, and an explicit mechanical penalty if you don't act like a peasant hero. But most of this is lost, BTB, by going one town over, where you're not necessarily a hero to the local peasantry. While a Noble gets their benefit wherever their society stretches (a noble from Baldur's Gate might be able to impose on someone in Waterdeep), the Peasant Hero needs to be either local or adopted by the locals. In a lot of ways, a kit that could just be a concept.
Pirate/Outlaw: Entirely a character concept with a couple bonus NWPs attached, and some optional weapon restrictions if you call yourself a pirate. Other than that... no intrinsic benefits, sort of vague "the law is after you" penalties.
Samurai/Ronin: Mechanical upsides? Two specializations, in good (if very uncommon) weapons, and proficiency in a weapon of choice (from a list). Two bonus proficiencies, but a Required NWP from a non-warrior class group, which cancels out the value of that. Limited options for weapons and armor at 1st level, but a free katana. Kai-shout lets them get 18/00 strength for one round, once a day per level, which is nice, but not terribly overpowered (especially since it might eventually be overridden by magical equipment). The samurai balances this with Myrmidon-like fealty restrictions... the ronin balances it with half XP, which, holy shit, that is WAY too much for the benefit. I know it is thematic and all, but, sweet monkey, that's a big penalty. Give them a reaction penalty or something instead.
For the samurai, I have the same problem as the Gladiator and the Myrmidon. For the ronin... yikes.
Savage Warrior: Limited weapon choices, with an admonishment (but no requirement) to stay with those weapon choices even after level 1. LOTS of free NWP; four, where most are just getting two. HEAVY gold and equipment restriction... no gold at all, just four weapons and ten other items, and possibly a horse or canoe. Their benefit is a single 1st level spell, with the DM approval, that they can cast level/day. The default options are Alarm, Animal Friendship, Detect Evil, and Detect Magic... all good options, with the DM-limited option to choose others.
Their penalty though is pretty strict. They have to wear mostly light clothing; heavy restrictions on armor use, to the point where they arguably cannot wear any at all without a steep penalty to pretty much every action; you might be able to argue with a DM and get access to Hide or similar, and I think one could get a shield, but no armor on a warrior-type can be pretty severe. And since the kit carries an attribute requirement (15 or higher con), you're less likely to have a good Dex to offset that. It is definitely a Choice to play one, and you have to think carefully about what you're going to do, and maybe buy the DM a pizza so you can get some kind of "savage" armor.
Swashbuckler: Lots of benefits, story-based penalties. They get two extra weapon slots for swashbuckler weapons, but beyond that, hey, it's two extra weapon slots, and no restrictions on what they specialize in (if they can/do). Two bonus NWP, can buy Rogue NWP at-cost, AC bonus in light armor, and a bonus to reactions with the opposite sex (which, in this enlightened age, I'd modify to "with those attracted to the swashbuckler's gender"). Their "penalty" works out to "make the swashbuckler the main character"; bad luck falls on them, but in interesting ways. They don't get shot more often in a random melee, but they get mistaken for the king or wind up in the bedroom of someone with a jealous husband... it's a very non-penalty penalty.
Wilderness Warrior: Another take on the "barbarian" archetype... you have the Mighty Thewed Warrior (Barbarian), the Beast Rider, the Berserker, the Mystic With Special Powers (the Savage Warrior), and the Wilderness Warrior, who is "Outsider good at survival without being explicitly bad at anything else." Their penalty is "gotta be an outsider", but not backed up by mechanical things, while their benefit is "good at their main skill".
That said, it's my favorite of the five. It's penalty is soft, but it's bonuses aren't that severe, either. It's got loose restrictions that don't apply much beyond first level, but, while it's benefit is cool and useful in its circumstance, it's not so amazing that you are going to play a Wilderness Warrior every time. The Barbarian has fiddly reaction mechanics; the Berserker is Like That, the Savage Warrior runs around mechanically naked; the Beast Rider is also good, but it is a choice to be cavalry in a game that doesn't always favor cavalry. The Wilderness Warrior is Good at One Thing, and it's not even a game-changing thing outside of certain circumstances.
End evaluation?
My favorite remains the Myrmidon, though that's because you can just say "Screw you guys, I'm going to Undermountain"... there may be consequences, but it's not abandoning your kit or anything. The Gladiator and Samurai are similar, with only some differences in the social place of the character, and the Samurai being a bit cooler (TWO weapon specializations and the kai-shout), but more limited because their favorite weapons are unlikely to be common. Mechanically, I like the Cavalier, the Beast Rider, the Noble Warrior, and the Berserker; strong mechanical basis for the character, though they are a character type you want to play... you are unlikely to just take them because they're good, you're going for a specific role.
Unimpressive are the Amazon, the Barbarian, the Peasant Hero, and the Pirate/Outlaw. There just isn't much there aside from a character concept, sometimes with some loose benefit. You can mostly do them by saying "I am an X" and playing that, and won't notice much difference.
Mechanically screwed up? The Swashbuckler is pretty much zero downside, with some good advantages. The Savage is a warrior who doesn't wear armor, which is a hard sell. And the Ronin gets only half XP, which is WAY too big of a penalty.
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