Things I wish I knew before starting ‘Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’

Much like its predecessor, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a brutally unforgiving game at times. Fret not and gather ’round, new recruits, because I have some helpful beginner tips for you as you begin (or continue) your journey to serve the Emperor.

Pay attention to toughness

That little blue bar above your health is your lifeblood. As long as it’s full, you’re not going to take much permanent damage to your health. Block melee attacks and use line of site to avoid being shot at, and be sure to back off and regroup to fill it passively or utilize your class abilities (for instance, Ogryn can refill their toughness via melee kills).

Stick together

Scenario time: Your three teammates just jumped down a one-way pit, but you spy an ammo tin in the adjacent room. You walk in and are accosted by a Hound, pinning you with no one to help. Your fate is sealed. Stick with your team, especially during “point of no return” segments. 

Let your Psyker do their job

When you begin playing, you may notice enemies with a blue aura around their heads. If these enemies aren’t an immediate threat, ignore them. Your team’s Psyker is about to go full Scanners-mode and pop their cranium, so don’t steal the kill. Instead use this time to focus on other priority targets. 

Ogryns: Stay out of the way

Ogryn are an amazing tank-like class, but they’re even better running support. You can revive allies without being interrupted by damage, and your charge is amazing at crowd control. Coincidentally your body is also the size of a family minivan. Next time you feel like charging ahead down a tight corridor, consider the view of your meaty back blocking your teammate’s shots and slow down a little. 

Watch ammo icons to determine who needs ammo most

If you take a look at your allies’ health bar, you’ll notice an ammo icon denoted by three bullet symbols. If it’s white, they’re at or near full ammunition. Yellow means they’re halfway empty, and orange means they’re almost out. Use this to determine if you should scoop up that ammo tin or ping it for one of your allies instead.

Suppress, suppress, suppress

If you’re playing a class with a weapon that has spread-fire capabilities (like Ogryn), don’t worry about shooting enemies to kill them; shoot them so they can’t shoot back. Suppression works on enemies just as it does on you, so keep the ranged baddies pinned down so your long-range teammates can pick them off easily and safely.

These are merely a handful of anecdotal tips I’ve gathered while playing thus far. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of your own in time, but I hope these serve you well. Now get out there, and serve up some divine retribution.