FNP Branx
Build for Darktide

Branx pickaxe build to reach the breakpoint for Crusher 1-shot while still being tanky. While waiting for limbsplitter in a pack of crushers, you fire off a rumbler shot or throw a rock at a specialist before taking out the next one. 

Branx (Heavy)

Lights are strikedowns, and so is Heavy 1. But the first light chained after the second heavy becomes a wide attack. 

The weapon special is a push with good range but low width that ignores a decent amount of stagger resistance and applies the Pull debuff for ~6 seconds. This debuff increases all damage taken by ~10%. Use it after a push or after a light attack, never after a heavy. 

You can get by with +Elites instead of Carapace in some cases.

Combos

• Push Attack + Heavy 2 + Light - Hordeclear combo with the best defense. 
• Push Attack + (Heavy 2 + Light repeatedly) - Best hordeclear combo, but leaves you open to being hit. 
• Push + Special + Heavy 2 + Light - alternate combo that applies Pull debuff. The special attack usually sucks because it takes so long to deploy but it has no windup if you do it right after a push. 
• Push Attack + Heavy 2 + Light + Special + Heavy 2 - alternate defensive combo that allows more time for stamina regen and applies Pull. 
• Special + Light + Heavy + Light + Light + Heavy - single target combo if not using Limbsplitter. 

The combos are slow and you're way more likely to take chip damage during hordes and especially mixed hordes than with other weapons, but the payoff is a great anti-armor weapon. 

Against single target you can switch to ranged and do a single shot or ranged special (e.g. Ripper bayonet) then switch back and Limbsplitter will be ready by the time Thrust is charged. Alternatively you can block while waiting for it to come back. 

Blessing Combos

• Thrust IV and Limbsplitter. Limbsplitter allows for a reliable 1-shot against maulers and Crushers if you pick up +Carapace. If you don't get Carapace, most stat rolls can still finish off a crusher with a light or two. You can pretty much perfectly time each Limbsplitter heavy if you purposefully miss a light attack in between each heavy. You can also push, rock, or ranged before charging another heavy. 
• Thrust IV + Slow and Steady. The Branx's heavies have a really long initial windup phase before these two blessings start charging, so if you try to use Slow and Steady to regain toughness in combat you'll probably take more damage than if you were just doing normal combos without charging it. If you use these blessings, you should rely on Push Attack + Heavy combo more frequently since it has better stagger than the Heavy 2 + Light combo. 
• Thrust IV + Slaughterer/Headtaker/All or Nothing/Wrath. Usable combos for mixed hordes. If you get All or Nothing you have to use the push attack combo a lot. 
• Limbsplitter + Slaughterer/Headtaker/All or Nothing/Wrath. This combo relies on Can Opener to be viable. You can get by without Thrust since you can roughly take out a Crusher by hitting them with Ripper Bayonet and then a single heavy (if you switch to Bonebreaker's Aura) or a series of lights. The second blessing just covers for Limbsplitter's weakness.

Ranged Options

Rumbler: Not generally a good weapon but it fills this build's weaknesses the best. Firing and reloading a single rumbler shot fills the gap between Limbsplitter when fighting Crushers and will help keep everything staggered. Its weakness is Gunners so use rocks on them instead. 

Ripper with Can Opener: great synergy with the pickaxe's Limbsplitter since you can switch weapons and use the special then switch back and by the time thrust is fully charged limbsplitter will be back. The 40% brittleness lets you apply brittleness to a second crusher for your team to kill while you 1-shot another. It lets you quickly dispatch a rager with a stab+shoot combo. It provides ~25% increase to the team's damage against bosses compared to no brittleness at all. 

Grenade Gauntlet: Great option if you don't want to use Rock. Keep in mind that without Slam you may struggle to stagger Ragers. The melee attacks can be used in between Limbsplitter charges. 

Achlys or Gorgonum Stubber: great options, Achlys has a faster draw and aim speed, but Gorgonum is better at mid range. 

Kickback: isn't good when you're surrounded like the rumbler is. Still a great and OP weapon in general but its synergy with this build isn't great.