Surge
 Psyker Build - Warhammer 40k: Darktide 

SURGE: HIGH CRIT, HIGH DAMAGE, CROWD CONTROL.

This is a build guide for Warhammer 40k: Darktide Psyker Class using Surge Staff.

This build will get you at the very bare minimum, if you are actively targeting priority units or clearing groups, 1k+ in crits and 400k+ in total damage done. As well as, you will be CCing and clearing hordes asap while making room to CC and lockdown Crushers/Elites/Specials while you make distance to pop their heads with brain burst/surge staff or your team follows up to eliminate them.

This is a VERY easy and comfortable build with different variations of certain skill node choices. This specific skill tree is the one I currently use as I do have other alternatives of the same idea of the build; This one suits me best.

Equipment Break Down
a. Nomanus Surge Staff
b. Illisi Blaze Force Sword

 

-Equipment-

Nomanus Mk VI Surge Force Staff

Stats

• Base Damage: 70 to 80✅🔒
• Crit Bonus: Same✅🔒
• Charge Rate: Same✅🔒
• Warp Resistance: Anything above 55%, comfortably 68% is a decent luxury but between 55% and 68% is fine.⚖️
• Quell Speed: Anything over 55% as well.⚖️

Perks

• 25% Damage Bonus to Flak Armoured Enemies✅🔒
• 10% Damage to Elite Enemies✅ OR 5% Crit Chance (or 10% Crit Damage)⚖️

Blessings

• Warp Flurry III - IV✅🔒
• Warp Nexus III - IV✅🔒

Why this set up?:

I highly recommend using the perk options I've listed instead because it's a consistent damage increase. Allowing 25% increase dps to Flak Armoured Enemies plus 10% on Elites which are MORE important to get rid of asap. Biggest BONUS to this is that enemies you face can be in both categories giving you 35% increased dps. 

Look...

Flak Armoured Enemies🛡️(13♙): 25% damage
https://darktide.gameslantern.com/enemies?armor=armored

We won't be counting the 3 bosses for the final tally of regular play, so 13. (+3 bosses make it 16)

Elites💪(10♙): 10% damage

https://darktide.gameslantern.com/enemies?type=ELITE

Elites that have Flak Armour💪🛡️(7♙): 35% damage

https://darktide.gameslantern.com/enemies?type=ELITE&armor=armored

There is an overlap and so these perks are boon for you to easily dispatch a large portion of enemies that will give your team a hard time if not eliminated during crucial moments.

Total coverage tally: 16♙ Enemies covered in Perks selected

Effectively you will be crushing 7/16♙ enemies who overlap class and armour.

With the single highest attribute for 6/16♙ of them being non-elite flak armoured.

And lastly with 3/16♙ being elite non-flak armoured.

We are not adding 13+7+10...just to clear up the math. We have 13 flak non-bosses and 10 elites. But 7 of them over lap both groups. So its 6(flak)+3(elite)+7(flak+elite) = 16♙

You can opt for 10% crit damage or crit chance over elite but I would choose crit chance over damage just to dip further into crit consistency but you will be totally fine without it because of the nature of the staff's inherent crit chance + our passive crit node.

Illisi Mk V Blaze Force Sword

Stats

• Base Damage: 74 to 80✅🔒
• Finesse: Same✅🔒
• First Target: Same✅🔒
• Warp Resistance: Anything above 45%, comfortably 68% is a decent luxury.⚖️
• Mobility: Anything over 50% as well.⚖️

Perks

• 25% Damage Bonus to Unarmoured( or Flak) Enemies✅🔒
• 25% Damage to Maniacs ✅ OR 5% Crit Chance  (or 10% Crit Damage)⚖️

Blessings

• Riposte (or Shred) III - IV✅🔒
• Executer/Slaughterer/Unstable Power/Uncanny Strike III - IV✅🔒

At this point after reading the Staff recommendations and the reasoning for it, this set up should be self explanatory. We'll dive further for the blessings here.

Riposte is only superior to Shred because Shred requires ramp up time and can expire in between portioned and spaced out packs of mobs where as for Riposte you simply need to dodge and you do it often. You'll also be counted as dodging against ranged attacks when you crit. Shred however is a good back up if you are limited on modification 🛠️ options between blessing and perks to meet in the middle.

I usually prefer Uncanny Strike because I want the armor penetration for when I do need to attack enemies with armor, and if I cast Venting Shriek or recently killed an elite/special enemy to proc the warp flame dots on enemies near by that have armor, this would help ensure my swings do more damage as well as that my dots are also ticking for more.

But, you are not using your sword for most elite/special encounters (even Maniacs can be dealt with using staff or brain burst), it's for horde clearing with light or heavy attacks. Maybe an empowered swing or two but mostly light attacks are enough + Executor/Slaughterer.

But to expand on that about enemy types, you could just go Flak+Unarmoured or Crit Chance + Flak/Unarmoured. Whatever you can get realistically with RNG or modification 🛠️.