Warhammer 40K Darktide is almost here and with any PvE co-op horde shooter there are a number of classes or archetypes of playstyles you can choose from. Darktide is no different with a number of classes to choose from that radically determine how you should play the game. But, if you want a breakdown of them before you jump in then, you won’t need to look any further as we have a full list of the Warhammer 40K Darktide classes below.
Whether you are looking to pick enemies off, play as a tank, or use magic and abilities to wipe out hordes of enemies, the variety of classes here should mean that you can find something for yourself. With your class, you can then use some of the best Warhammer 40K Darktide weapons.
Warhammer 40K Darktide classes
There are four Warhammer 40K Darktide classes: Psyker, Veteran – Sharpshooter, Ogryn, and the Zealot – Preacher. All of these are pulled from the Warhammer lore and the existing universe.
Below, you can find a deeper dive into each of them, and what their specalisms and roles are within your unit.
Psyker
The Psyker is your premium magic-wielding class in the game. With large area-of-effect attacks and powerful blasts, they are able to help with crowd control, managing enemies, while the other classes pick off targets.
But, you don’t want to spam your magic as they can easily overcharge and accidentally kill themselves if they don’t expel their magic buildup over time. A detailed rundown of the Psyker class from Fatshark can be found here.
- Key features: effective vs, Elite enemies, War Charge / Peril management
- Starting loadout: Melee – combat sword, Ranged – Stub Revolver
- Tactical Action: Brain Burst
- Passive: Killing an enemy with Brain Burst stores a Warp Charge. This bio-energy increases the damage of your smite ability while active
- Class Ability: The Psyker discharges their accumulated Warp Charge knocking enemies away
- Coherency bonus: Increased damage against Elite enemies
Veteran – Sharpshooter
The Veteran is the most familiar of classes in the game. Built as a long-range shooter, they wield a rifle which can be used to impale enemies from afar, while the other classes deal with damage up-close. To help with support, the Veteran also has access to an ability that increases weak spot damage at the cost of slower movement.
Their frag grenade allows them to reach around corners or kill enemies not in their line of sight. As such, the Veteran – Sharpshooter is built for wiping out enemies with precision and accuracy and taking their time to really line-up shots in order to be effective. A full breakdown of the Veteran Sharpshooter class from Fatshark can be seen below:
- Key features: ranged combat, headshots, good vs Elites & Specials
- Starting loadout: Melee – Standard-issue Munitorum Sapper Shovel, Ranged – Kantrael Mk VII Lasgun
- Tactical Action: Frag Grenade
- Passive: increased weak spot damage, increased ammo capacity
- Class Ability: the Sharpshooter slows down their movement to take careful aim, increasing weak spot damage as well as accuracy and handling
- Coherency bonus: increased chance of not using any ammo
Ogryn
The Ogryn is your brute, tanky archetype in Darktide. Equipped with a powerful shotgun, the Ogryn is meant to be an up close sponge that soaks up damage.
The Ogryn is also a class built for distracting bosses or keeping groups of enemies occupied while your team focus on the objective, or clearing out the mass hordes. We don’t yet have a full breakdown of the class from Fatshark, but we wilkl update this guide when we do.
- Key features: good vs. hordes
- Starting loadout: Melee – Club, Ranged – Thumper Shotgun
- Tactical Action: Box of Grenades
- Passive: increased melee heavy attack damage, increased toughness from melee kills, Tough skin – greatly reduces toughness damage taken. Also reduces damage taken, Increased revive and assist speed
- Class Ability: Bull Rush – The Ogryn charges forward and knocks enemies back. After Bull Rush, the Ogryn has increased movement and attack speed for a limited time
- Coherency bonus: increased melee damage
Zealot – Preacher
The Zealot – Preacher class is built on purging heretics with melee attacks. They gain an increased speed to these up close attacks and are equipped with a combat axe and autopistol to help them out in those situations.
The class is built for aggression and pummelling enemies left and right staying in the thick of the battle, while being supported by your fellow team members who can clear out larger enemy groups coming for you. The more aggressive the Preacher gets at low health the more damage they will be able to do as well. A full breakdown from Fatshark can be found below:
- Key features: health management, high damage melee attacks, good vs armour
- Starting loadout: melee – Combat Axe, ranged – Autopistol
- Tactical Action – Stumm Grenade
- Passive – melee damage is increased based on missing health, resists death on taking lethal damage, increased melee attack speed
- Class Ability – the Preacher dashes forward, locking their target in melee
- Coherancy bonus – decreases toughness damage taken
And, that is it for the Warhammer 40K Darktide classes that will be available in the launch of the game. As you can see, each one plays a pretty defined role in the game and you will need to play around with each one to find a playstyle that really works for you in the intense co-op PvE horde slayer experience that Darktide is.