Warhammer 40K: Darktide – Zealot Talent Tree Preview
Another day, another preview of the upcoming Warhammer 40K: Darktide class overhaul. Today we take a look at the Zealot Talent Tree preview.
Darktide’s class overhaul seems to be generating more and more excitement, as gameplay videos from YouTube creators start coming out from under embargo. And with good reason. Darktide looks like it could be a lot of fun now.
Which brings us to today’s Zealot Talent Tree preview, courtesy of the developers at Fatshark. In it, we get a look at how the fiery belief of the Zealot translates to a fairly flexible playstyle that still feels like you’re putting more than just blind faith in the Emperor. You’re pouring a fair amount of melee too.
Zealot Talent Tree Preview
Above all else, the Zealot is meant to be the anchor for the team. Their faith in the Emperor translates into powerful combat abilities, and the new talent tree reflects that. One side has the classic staggering abilities of the Zealot you know. The other tree goes “full stabbing.”
We made a stealth and backstabby talent tree that leans into those tropes, fully equipped with throwing knives you can quickthrow while wielding any weapon, a stealth ability very reminiscent of the Vermintide shade, coherency while-not-in-coherency talents and mutator packages focused on mobility, headshotting and dodge-dancing. Playing with a stabbing zealot changes the way a team works its way through the mission. The sudden appearance and disappearance of one or more team members becomes a flow that the team has to adjust to. One part acts as the anchor, drawing aggro and directing combat, while relying on stealth build players to strike from the shadows, make that clutch revive or complete the objective utilizing their unique skills.
What does that look like, in practice? Here’s a taste:
- Fury of the Faithful: Dash forward, Replenishing 50% Toughness & gaining +20% Attack Speed for 10s. Your next Melee Hit gains +25% and is a guaranteed Critical Hit. Base Cooldown: 30s
- Chorus of Spiritual Fortitude: Wield a holy relic that releases pulses of energy every 0.8s. While channeling, Allies in Coherency have Stun Immunity and Invulnerability. Each pulse Replenishes 45% Toughness to Allies in Coherency. If the Ally is at full Toughness they instead gain +20 Max Toughness up to a total of +100. 60s Base Cooldown.
- Shroudfield: Enter Stealth for 3s. While in Stealth gain +20% Movement Speed, +100% Backstab Damage, +100% Finesse Damage & +100% Critical Chance. Base Cooldown: 30s
- Stunstorm Grenade: Throw a grenade that stuns all Enemies within its blast radius. This is an augmented version of Stun Grenade with +50% blast radius.
- Immolation Grenade: Throw a grenade that leaves a layer of flaming liquid, Burning and Staggering enemies, and barring their path. Most effective against Unarmoured Enemies.
- Blades of Faith: Throw a consecrated knife to deal high Damage to a Single Enemy. Very effective against most Enemies; less effective versus Carapace Armour.
And you can check out the full set come October 4th!
