70-100% Rending on Backstab Hit.
52.5-60% Weak Spot Damage (Enemies with Bleed Stacks).
4.5-6% Close Range damage on Repeated Hit. Stacks 5 times.
32.5-40% Damage when shooting Enemies in the back.
Greetings and welcome to your friendly arthropod's very first attempt at a build/guide. I'll be showcasing my go-to zealot build, and the one that I've played majority of my games in the last few days.
Before we go ahead with any explanation, I will say that I came up with this build because I think it's cool. Yes, that's right, I only play things I find cool to look at/do. It may not be optimal, but I had plenty of fun with it, so I'm sharing it in case you lot wanna give it a shot.
Zealot was the first class I played in Darktide, back when the game released and I couldn't play any mission with difficulty 3 or above because my game would crash. I was quick to switch to veteran, as I found it much cooler to play... and of course, I tried making a speedy, knife wielding veteran.
As it turns out, not only zealots are better for being speedy knife wielders, they also look cooler doing it, because with this absolutely wonderfull class rework, you can throw knifes and go bloody invisible.
With this build, you really want to go pester the enemy backline. Tie their shooters up in melee with ya, snap gunners' necks, kill shotgunners before they can get to your team... but here's the trick. You wanna do it from behind. The Combat Blade does some 20% or 25% (I think) extra damage on the back, and that's why we're going with Ruthless Backstab, so you can fight crushers and maulers, too. If you use your invisibility, you can consistently two-shot crushers and one-shot everything else, as long as you're doing it from behind.
You always want to be going after the priority targets when using your invisibility. Get the crushers, bulwars and reapers, and get as many of those machine-gun wielding fuckers (gunners) as you can. The throwing knife is a great addition that allows you to easily and swiftly deal with additional high value enemies that may show up while you're bogged down in melee. Trapper showed up while you're fighting? Throwing knife to the dome. Flamer is trying to set you ablaze? Throw a knife at it. Bomber showed up? Throwing knife. Dog ready to pounce? You may want to try a dodge (same with the trapper, to be fair)... but if you have nowhere to dodge, throwing knife to the dome. It's a very strong tool, because you can throw it while having your combat blade in hands. You have plenty of mobility, lots of close quarters damage and now, a tool to deal with medium distance threats, too.
For the ranged weapon, I go with the las-pistol because... well, I find it cool. With dumdum, you can melt various enemies in close range (such as gunners and shotgunners), as long as you're aiming for the head. That thing shoots real fast. I used to run the revolver with this build, too, and it was also very strong. Slap Crucian Roulette and Gloryhunter on it, and you have a very strong panic gun to earn yourself some toughness when need be... it's very shit when suppressed, though, and that's why I switched to the las-pistol.
Choose whatever you like. I ejoy dealing more damage against maniacs and flak.
You may have noticed how my Combat Blade doesn't have any way of applying bleed, but has the "Mercy Killer" blessing, which requires bleed in order to work. That's where "Scourge" comes in, applying 2 bleed stacks for each critical hit. Since the Combat Blade crits a lot, you will have that bonus damage against the noggin most of the time.
"Shroudified" gives you 100% backstab damage, and adding that to the 20% or 25% (can't remember still) passive backstab damage the Combat Blade has, as well as the rending from Ruthless Backstab. The keystone Momentum gives you plenty of extra damage to make sure those crushers will die in two (maybe even one, if you get lucky) hits when you stab 'em in the back.
Considering you'll be far from teammates in various situations, I also slapped in "Until Death" and "Holy Revenant", so you can tank a fatal blow and try to deal enough tamage to hopefully get enough health to escape. Still regarding the defensive talents, I also chose various toughness replenishment/dmg reduction talents, so you can afford to go in and out of difficult situation at your heart's content (Benediction and Invigorating Revelation, for example).
I would say this isn't the easiest build to play. Of course, the level 26 Psyker that played on a Damnation match with me disagrees and thinks it's very easy to play, but he said that while dead and waiting for me to clutch (twice), while also playing with Assail and Voidstrike.
Jokes aside, I think this is a DIFFICULT BUILD TO PLAY (solo para entendidos, as my friends say), kinda high risk and high reward. It requires good game sense for all the quick decision making you'll have to work with, regarding the fights you can and can't take, when you should leave your teammates to deal with high priority targets or when you should stick by their side, when you should use the knife and when you should use the ranged weapon, that kind of thing.
That was all, friends! I hope you all will enjoy the build as much as I do. Now go and stab some gunners in the back, make their backline fall apart, so that your teammates may relish in holy slaughter undisturbed by ranged fire!
