Hero Specific Tips & Tricks

Dominate as any hero in Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Learn specialized weapon choices, talent synergies, and tactical positioning for careers like Kruber's.

Mastering each hero and their various careers is key to surviving the relentless hordes of Vermintide 2. This section provides detailed, actionable strategies for optimizing your gameplay with each character, focusing on weapon choices, talent synergies, and tactical positioning.

Kruber: The Stalwart Soldier

Kruber offers a versatile toolkit, capable of tanking, crowd control, and even ranged damage. His careers each excel in different roles, demanding distinct approaches.

Mercenary (Kruber)

• Role: Crowd Control, Temporary Health Generation, Aura Buffs.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Executioner Sword for massive cleave and headshot damage, or Halberd for its versatile attack patterns and reach. Pair with Swift Slaying on critical hit for increased attack speed.
  • Ranged: Repeater Handgun for excellent special and elite sniping, or Blunderbuss for close-range horde clear and emergency knockback.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Paced Strikes is almost mandatory for Mercenary, granting a significant attack speed buff after hitting multiple enemies, synergizing perfectly with his cleave weapons.
  • Level 25: Strike Together enhances your team's power, making your F ability, Morale Boost, even more impactful.
• Tactical Play: Always be in the thick of the fight, utilizing your cleave to generate temporary health and keep hordes at bay. Use Morale Boost to stagger dangerous elites or provide a crucial damage buff during boss fights. Position yourself to protect ranged allies.

Foot Knight (Kruber)

• Role: Tank, Stagger, Damage Reduction.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Mace and Shield or Sword and Shield are ideal for their superior blocking and shield bash capabilities. Focus on properties like Stamina Regeneration and Block Cost Reduction.
  • Ranged: Handgun for precise special sniping, or Blunderbuss for quick burst damage against close threats.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 15: Mainstay increases your damage against staggered enemies, which you'll be doing constantly with shield bashes and your charge.
  • Level 20: Bull of Ostland provides significant damage reduction after using your F ability, Charge, making you an even more resilient frontline.
• Tactical Play: Your primary role is to control the battlefield. Use Charge to knock down entire lines of enemies, interrupt specials, or create space for your team. Always be aware of enemy flanks and use your shield to protect vulnerable allies.

Bardin: The Grumpy Dwarf

Bardin is a master of close-quarters combat and engineering, offering high damage, sturdy defense, and explosive utility.

Ironbreaker (Bardin)

• Role: Unkillable Tank, Taunt, Crowd Control.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Axe and Shield or Hammer and Shield are excellent for their defensive capabilities and crowd control. Prioritize Block Cost Reduction and Stamina Regeneration.
  • Ranged: Drakefire Pistols for unlimited ammo horde clear and burning damage, or Grudge-Raker for powerful close-range bursts.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Dawi Defiance is crucial, granting temporary health on stagger, which you'll be doing constantly.
  • Level 25: Bombardier makes your F ability, Impenetrable, also throw a powerful bomb, adding significant utility and damage.
• Tactical Play: You are the team's anchor. Stand your ground, absorb damage, and use Impenetrable to taunt elites and bosses, drawing their aggression away from squishier teammates. Your Gromril Armour passive allows you to shrug off a hit every 20 seconds, making you incredibly resilient.

Slayer (Bardin)

• Role: Melee Damage Dealer, Elite Killer, Berserker.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee (Dual Wield): Dual Axes for unparalleled single-target damage and armor penetration, or Dual Hammers for excellent crowd control and stagger. Always run two melee weapons!
  • Ranged: None! Slayer forgoes ranged weapons for maximum melee prowess.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Adrenaline Surge provides a massive attack speed boost after using your F ability, Leap, making you a whirlwind of destruction.
  • Level 25: Trophy Hunter increases your damage after killing an elite or special, further enhancing your elite-killing potential.
• Tactical Play: Aggression is your best friend. Use Leap to close gaps, stun dangerous enemies, or escape sticky situations. Focus on eliminating elites and specials quickly. Be mindful of your health, as Slayer is squishier than Ironbreaker, and rely on your high damage output to generate temporary health.

Kerillian: The Elven Assassin

Kerillian is a swift and deadly combatant, specializing in ranged precision and agile melee. Her careers offer diverse playstyles from stealthy assassination to rapid-fire archery.

Waystalker (Kerillian)

• Role: Ranged Damage, Special Sniper, Self-Sustain.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Dual Daggers for quick attacks and high critical chance, or Sword and Dagger for a balance of cleave and single-target damage.
  • Ranged: Longbow for precise headshots and special sniping, or Hagbane Shortbow for powerful area-of-effect poison damage against hordes and armored enemies.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Rejuvenating Locus provides excellent self-sustain, healing you when you kill enemies with ranged attacks.
  • Level 25: Ricochet makes your F ability, Trueflight Volley, even more devastating by allowing arrows to bounce to additional targets.
• Tactical Play: Maintain distance and prioritize specials and elites with your ranged weapon. Use Trueflight Volley to clear groups of distant specials or thin out approaching hordes. Be aware of your surroundings and use your agility to reposition quickly.

Shade (Kerillian)

• Role: Elite Assassin, Stealth, Burst Damage.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Dual Daggers for extreme single-target damage and armor penetration, especially with backstabs. Glaive can also be effective for its reach and cleave.
  • Ranged: Repeater Crossbow for quick bursts against specials, or Longbow for precise headshots from stealth.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 15: Exquisite Huntress significantly boosts your critical hit damage, making your backstabs even more lethal.
  • Level 25: Cloak of Pain allows you to chain backstab kills while in stealth, turning you into a whirlwind of death against armored patrols.
• Tactical Play: Your primary goal is to eliminate high-threat targets. Use your F ability, Infiltrate, to go invisible, reposition behind elites or bosses, and deliver devastating backstabs. Practice your stealth attacks to maximize damage. Be cautious in open combat, as Shade is squishy.

Saltzpyre: The Zealous Warrior

Saltzpyre is a fanatical warrior, bringing divine wrath and precise firepower to the battlefield. His careers offer options for ranged support, melee brawling, and even magical incineration.

Witch Hunter Captain (Saltzpyre)

• Role: Elite Slayer, Crit Buffs, Stagger.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Rapier for its excellent headshot damage and pistol shot utility, or Axe for armor penetration.
  • Ranged: Volley Crossbow for rapid-fire bursts against hordes and elites, or Brace of Pistols for quick special sniping.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Flense applies a bleed effect on critical hits, synergizing with your high crit chance.
  • Level 25: Animosity grants a critical hit chance buff to your entire team after using your F ability, Tag and Bag, making it a powerful team utility.
• Tactical Play: Focus on tagging elites and specials to trigger your passive and deal increased damage. Use your F ability, Tag and Bag, to instantly kill a normal enemy or stagger a larger one, while also buffing your team. Maintain a balance between melee and ranged combat, adapting to the situation.

Bounty Hunter (Saltzpyre)

• Role: Ranged Burst Damage, Special Sniper, Ammo Regeneration.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Rapier for its utility and headshot potential, or Axe for armor penetration.
  • Ranged: Crossbow for precise headshots and special sniping, or Repeater Pistol for high burst damage.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Blessed Shots is essential, granting a guaranteed critical ranged shot every 10 seconds or after a melee kill, ensuring consistent high damage.
  • Level 25: Double-Shotted makes your F ability, Locked and Loaded, fire two powerful shots, capable of instantly killing multiple elites.
• Tactical Play: Prioritize specials and elites with your ranged weapon. Manage your Blessed Shots passive to ensure you always have a critical shot ready for high-value targets. Use Locked and Loaded to quickly eliminate dangerous threats or clear a path through a dense horde.

Sienna: The Fiery Mage

Sienna is a master of destructive magic, capable of incinerating hordes and elites with her various fiery spells. Managing her Overcharge is crucial for sustained damage.

Battle Wizard (Sienna)

• Role: Area-of-Effect Damage, Crowd Control, Teleportation.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Dagger for quick attacks and high critical chance, or Sword for better cleave.
  • Ranged (Staves): Flamestorm Staff for unparalleled horde clear, Conflagration Staff for area denial and stagger, or Fireball Staff for versatile ranged damage.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 10: Lingering Flames makes your burning effects last longer, increasing your overall damage.
  • Level 25: Kaboom! causes your F ability, Fire Walk, to explode at the end, dealing massive damage and stagger.
• Tactical Play: Focus on controlling hordes and dealing consistent area damage. Use Fire Walk to reposition, escape danger, or deal burst damage. Manage your Overcharge carefully, using your melee weapon or blocking to vent when necessary.

Pyromancer (Sienna)

• Role: Ranged Single-Target Damage, Elite Killer, Critical Hits.
• Key Weapons:
  • Melee: Dagger for quick attacks and high critical chance, or Sword for better cleave.
  • Ranged (Staves): Beam Staff for precise single-target damage and a powerful shotgun blast, or Bolt Staff for rapid-fire projectiles and charged attacks.
• Talent Synergy:
  • Level 15: Blazing Skull increases the damage of your F ability, The Burning Head, making it a potent elite killer.
  • Level 25: Volcanic Force grants a significant power boost after using The Burning Head, allowing for follow-up damage.
• Tactical Play: Prioritize elites and specials with your ranged attacks. Your passive, Critical Mass, grants increased critical hit chance as your Overcharge rises, so learn to play at higher heat levels. Use The Burning Head to instantly eliminate dangerous threats.