Arm yourself for the Emperor's holy war with a diverse arsenal of weapons in Darktide. From brutal chainswords to devastating lasguns, each weapon offers unique strengths and playstyles. Choose wisely to purge the heretics.
Weapon Categories
Darktide features a wide array of weapons, broadly categorized into Melee and Ranged. Each category has further sub-types, offering distinct combat roles.
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons are your frontline tools for close-quarters combat. They excel at dealing with individual threats, crowd control, and can be crucial for conserving ammo.
- Power Swords: Balanced weapons offering good damage and speed. Some have special abilities like a charged attack that deals bonus damage.
- Chainswords/Chainaxes: Iconic Imperial weapons that deal continuous damage over time. Excellent against tougher, single targets.
- Axes: Offer high stagger potential, making them great for interrupting enemy attacks and creating openings.
- Maces: Similar to axes, maces excel at staggering enemies and can have powerful heavy attacks.
- Combat Knives: Fast and agile, ideal for quick attacks and critical hits, especially against unarmored foes.
- Heavy Weapons (e.g., Power Mauls, Thunder Hammers): Slow but devastating, capable of clearing large groups of enemies or staggering bosses with a single hit.
Ranged Weapons
Ranged weapons allow you to engage enemies from a distance, prioritize threats, and support your team. Ammo management is key.
- Lasguns: The workhorse of the Imperial Guard. Reliable, accurate, and come in various forms (e.g., Lasgun Mk. IV, Vraks Mk. VII). Good for consistent damage.
- Autoguns: Offer a higher rate of fire but with more spread and recoil. Effective for suppressing groups of enemies.
- Shotguns: Devastating at close to medium range, capable of clearing out multiple enemies quickly.
- Bolt Weapons (e.g., Boltgun): High damage, explosive rounds. Excellent against armored targets and groups, but with limited ammo.
- Plasma Weapons: Chargeable weapons that deal massive damage, especially to armored targets. Can overheat if used too frequently.
- Force Weapons (Psyker): Psykers wield unique Force Weapons that channel their psychic abilities, often with both melee and ranged capabilities.
Weapon Tiers and Traits
Weapons, like Curios, come in different rarity tiers (Grey, Green, Blue, Orange). Higher rarity weapons have better base stats and can roll more and better Perks and Blessings.
- Perks: Passive bonuses that enhance weapon performance, such as increased critical hit chance, faster reload speed, or bonus damage against certain enemy types.
- Blessings: Powerful, unique effects that can dramatically alter a weapon's functionality. Examples include "Dum-Dum" (bonus damage on consecutive hits) or "Onslaught" (increased attack speed).
Acquiring and Upgrading Weapons
Weapons can be found as mission rewards, purchased from the Shrine of the Emperor, or acquired through the Ordo Machinum's weapon crafting system. At the Ordo Machinum, you can use Plasteel and Diamantine to upgrade weapons, reroll Perks, and apply new Blessings.
Choosing the Right Weapon
The best weapon for you depends on your class, your playstyle, and the mission at hand. A Veteran Sharpshooter will likely favor long-range precision weapons, while a Zealot might prefer a powerful melee weapon to get into the thick of it. Experiment with different weapon types to find what suits you best.