Venting Flames/Surge-Pub Carry Build
 Psyker Build - Warhammer 40k: Darktide 

WHAT THIS BUILD DOES

Primarily this build is designed to be able to cover problems in just about any team composition.  I use it for quickplaying auric damnation mostly as that's just what I enjoy doing.  It is the truest all rounder I've yet come up with.  I often find myself covering the back line with this build as well as you're best off sitting behind your group in the pocket.  Positioning is key with this build as your options in a tight press are limited.  It will put down some solid numbers on both overall damage, specialist/elite/disabler kills, and trash kills pretty consistently.  It all depends on what the rest of the team is doing well.

HOW TO USE IT

Your primary weapon really is the staff.  The sword is mostly used as a mobility tool (I personally like the Mk IV as I find heavy boosting for mobility easy and intuitive, and the heavy stab chain easier.  Replacing it with the Mk II if that's what you're more comfortable with makes complete sense.)  The sword is also handy for dispatching close specials and elites, I'll often short cast a shock from the staff to stop them up before doing so if the staff is already in my hands to get a quicker kill than is possible with the staff alone.  The high mobility it grants makes it an excellent tool for dancing with bosses if you have to, though you will do more damage if you have room with brain burst.  The Heavy/special attack chain is good for ragers, maulers, and crushers if they're right up in your face.

Your primary horde clearing tool is Venting Shriek, with creeping flames if casted above 85% peril for the max 6 stacks it will burn off most trash all by itself.   Generally I'll cast shock at the front line to run peril up and give myself room until I can vent, if they're out of range just spam the projectiles from your staff at them.  Then either use the sword to fight the front line of trash until they burn off, or use the staff's projectiles if you have more room, or focus down specials/elites with either the projectiles or shock if they are present.  If your team is doing fine against the horde, cover the back line or any ranged specials that pop up.  Don't be an idiot and race them for kills.  Knowing when to hold your Venting in reserve is a very necessary skill for this build.

A nice little trick with the flames on venting is burning off snipers that you can't quite see or get a bead on. 

Brain burst is used as a utility to clear mostly gunners, trash shooters, snipers, and bombers at range.  Its also used for putting damage on bosses if you have room, while looking around to keep situational awareness and clear any issues that may crop up.  Don't forget to use venting to light the boss on fire if you can, the DOT adds up.  

Overall the more specials and elites around to kill the better this build works as it increases uptime on venting shriek.  

If you're in clutch, kite like mad, use staff shocks to create room and run your peril up, and vent flames into the hopefully grouped up enemies to get damage happening.

What to Watch Out For

You are terrible in a press.  The Mk II Dueling sword may give you a little better ability to deal with it if that's what you prefer.  Overall I find this build really lives or dies on its positioning.  As such I find its better to be a little mercenary about just getting out of a bad position and living instead of trying to hold a line you can't to save your team and dying anyway.  Knowing when to use and when to hold onto venting shriek will also be an important skill as it really is your best tool against hordes, but is also a utility for prolonging Warp nexus/flurry on your staff, and for increasing your brain burst speed when there's a lot of shooters/gunners/whatever at range.  It gives you a lot of utility but it also means you can lean on it too hard and find yourself without a vent up when you really need one.

Appended is a self-indulgent MLG reel to give you an idea of what this build can do.  These are a couple of short clips from an hour or two of playing one day, so its only moderate cherry-picking (the up-loader tells himself to cope.)  These clips were taken after Traitor's curse Part 1 but before Part 2.