[EndGame] NEW META: Gun Zealot | Auric Ready | Guide by Yobi
Build for Darktide

This is your New Zealot META; A Close-Range "Ranged-Weapon" Zealot.

Idea behind the build:

It may seems odd to you but this is what peak performance looks like!

After playing Crit and Wound builds for a while I always thought they are clearly superior in melee compared to Inexorable Judgement. 

This is when it all clicked together;

Inexorable Judgement increases ranged rate of fire (ranged DPS) and damage. There are parts of the talent tree dedicated to Sprinting, Dodging, Ranged Damage, Ranged Backstab, Spread-Recoil Reduction and Reloading. 

Adding to that an Infantry Autogun with Stripped Down and Stealth, I realized I had a gem in my hands; A high mobility, high-dps, immune to ranged damage, close range, stealth, range-weapon zealot.

The build is Auric Damnation ready and extremely fun to play.

Here are the key points:

Ranged Weapon

• Weapon of Choice: Columnus Infantry Autogun (Use whichever Autogun is the best in the current IAG meta)
• Perks: Flak/Maniac if you struggle with killing targets, otherwise you can go reload speed and stamina cost reduction
• Blessings: 
  Stripped Down is a must; Become immune to range damage while sprinting. 
  Second blessing; DumDum if you need DPS, otherwise Speedload, Terrifying Barrage or Hit&Run

Melee Weapon

• Eviscerator 
  --- Good against Carapace / Superior against Hordes / 1-tap Mutants
  Perks: Carapace + Elite damage
  Blessings: Savage Sweep + Bloodletter / Momentum
• ChainAxe 
  --- Superior against Carapace / Fine against Hordes / 1-tap Mutants
  Perks: Carapace + Elite damage
  Blessings: Bloodletter + Thrust
• Ironhelm Thunder Hammer 
  --- Great Against Bosses / Superior against Carapace / Good against Hordes / 1-tap Mutants
  Perks: Carapace + Unyielding
  Blessings: Thrust + Momentum

Curios

• Blessings: HP% Curio (Alternative option is to bring 1x +3 stamina curio if you have trouble managing your stamina)
• Perks: Stamina Regen + Sprint Efficiency + Anything else

Talent Synergy:

• Fortitude of Fellowship + Loner = Easier to regen toughness
• Voice of Terra; +Toughness on ranged kill
• Anoint in Blood; +25% Range Damage
• Ambuscade; +20% Damage if you hit enemies in the back with a ranged weapon
• Pious Cut-throat; 20% Ability Cooldown if you kill things from the back
• Inexorable Judgement; +20% Ranged Attack Speed +20% Damage
• Sainted Gunslinger: +3% reload speed on melee kill, stacks 10 times (+30% reload speed)
• Unremitting; 20% Sprint Cost Reduction + another 45% Sprint Efficiency from Curios + 20% from weapon (optional)
• Swift Certainty; +10% Sprint Speed, Sprinting procs dodging
• Dance of Death; -75% Spread and -50% Recoil on dodge (swift Certainty + sprint cost reduction synergy)
• Good Balance; 25% damage reduction on dodge (swift Certainty + sprint cost reduction synergy)
• Until Death + Holy Revenant = life savers if you make mistakes while mastering this build.

Other noteworthy talents:

• Thy Wrath Be Swift: Cannot be stunned in Melee + Gain Speed if hit in melee
• Backstabber: +20% Backstab Melee Damage (for boss/carapace killing with Thunder Hammer)

-- I'm personally happy with the build as it is but if I wanna pick slightly different talents I'd sacrifice one/some of the following: Sainted Gunslinger, Invigorating Revelation (ability modifier), Pious Cut-throat (CDR), Until Death + Holy Revenant

How to play:

• Hordes / Unarmored melee enemies: Bring out ThunderHammer/Eviscerator/ChainAxe
• Mutants: Bring out ThunderHammer/Eviscerator/ChainAxe, Charge it up, dodge, hit
• Carapace: Bring out ThunderHammer/Eviscerator/ChainAxe, Charge it up, dodge, hit
• Bosses: Bring out ThunderHammer
• In general:
  Your job is to take out all elites especially the ranged weapon ones (Gunners, Shotgunners, Reapers) as well as shootie boys (shooters) before they can be a threat to your team. 
• Sprinting/Sliding:
  Sprinting above 50% stamina makes you immune to ranged damage (Stripped Down)
  Sliding makes you immune to all attacks.
  Stamina Regen and Sprint Efficiency allows you to sprint forever.
  Sprint/Slide between ranged enemies with your ranged weapon equipped. Swap to melee to force them switch to melee too and kill them.
• Stealth Usage:
  If you get pinned down use stealth to escape
  You can use Stealth to get behind very compact enemy lines in small corridors
  Remember to always hit/shoot the back of the enemies; You deal extra damage AND refresh your CD on kill.
  Remember you can use stealth to rescue your team-mates
  If you are planning to rescue team-mates remember to RUN to them and THEN use stealth. I see many people use stealth to get to them and then cant rescue because they have aggro
  Never use stealth to pick a downed team-mate in the middle of a horde, he is going to spawn with low HP and get insta-killed by 20 mobs who are already attacking him (since you are invisible)

Thank you if you made it to the end of this guide.

I know it still sounds odd/unorthodox to you but trust me and give it a try.

Below you'll find a video where I clutch the game, I do the highest damage and I clear whole rooms of gunners/reapers/shooters by my own while my team is pinned and unable to move forward

If you upvoted this guide I tip my hat to you, sir.