Horde Clear Builds
In Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, effectively dealing with large swarms of enemies, known as hordes, is crucial for team survival. Horde clear builds focus on maximizing area-of-effect (AoE) damage and crowd control capabilities, allowing players to thin out overwhelming numbers of enemies quickly. A well-desed horde clear build can prevent your team from being swarmed and overwhelmed.
Horde clear builds in Darktide are desed to decimate large groups of weaker enemies efficiently. These builds often prioritize weapons with high attack speed, wide swing arcs, or inherent splash damage, alongside abilities and perks that enhance AoE potential. For the Veteran, a popular choice is the Autogun or Lasgun with perks like 'Dum-Dum' (increased damage per shot fired) and blessings like 'Sunder' (reduces enemy armor) or 'Shattering Impact' (applies stagger). The Veteran's 'Commanding Shout' ability can also provide a brief moment of invulnerability or increased damage, useful for pushing through dense hordes. The Zealot excels at melee horde clear. Weapons like the Combat Blade, Chainsword, or Power Maul with blessings such as 'Shred' (increased damage against unarmored enemies) and 'Savage Sweep' (increased cleave) are excellent. The Zealot's 'Until Death Do Us Part' aura, which activates at low health, can be devastating when surrounded. For the Psyker, focus on staves that offer wide AoE attacks, such as the Voidstrike Staff or Surge Staff. The 'Brain Rupture' ability, when upgraded for AoE, can also clear groups of enemies. Perks like 'Psychic Barrage' (increased damage on consecutive hits) and blessings like 'Ascendant Blaze' (applies burning) are highly effective. The Ogryn is a natural horde clearer. Heavy weapons like the Ripper Gun or Heavy Stubber are great for ranged clearing, while melee options like the Crusher or Power Maul with blessings like 'Rampage' (increased damage after killing an enemy) are devastating up close. The Ogryn's 'Taunt' ability can draw enemy attention, allowing teammates to focus fire or reposition. Key perks and blessings to look for across all classes include those that increase cleave damage, apply status effects like burning or poison, or grant bonus damage after killing a certain number of enemies. Investing in feats that enhance your AoE capabilities, such as increased radius for abilities or passive buffs to weapon cleave, is also paramount. A balanced team composition often includes at least one dedicated horde clearer to ensure the squad isn't overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.