Hitting at least 3 enemies with an attack, increases your damage by 24-36% for 3 seconds.
Hitting at least 3 enemies with an attack, increases your cleave by 140-200% for 2 seconds.
4.5-6% Close Range damage on Repeated Hit. Stacks 5 times.
Gain 7-10% Close Damage for 3.5 seconds after killing an enemy at close range, stacking 5 times.
The point of this guide is to give myself a place where I can record my analysis of popular Darktide builds and determine the most used abilities, and possibly extrapolate reasonings from there. I am using a sample size of 15 builds which are part of the top viewed. Things might change as I do more playtests and expand my sample pool.
03/15 - Exhilarating Takedown07/15 - Longshot01/15 - Volley Adept02/15 - Charismatic12/15 - Close Order Drill12/15 - Confirmed Kill00/15 - Tactical Reload00/15 - One Motion00/15 - Out for Blood
Most builds seem to most ignore this section, as most of the abilities appear mediocre, the exception being Close Order Drill & Confirmed Kill, which nearly every build takes. Honorable mention is Longshot which a bit less than half take. Overall these abilities maximize the theme of Veteran which is toughness (extra, reduction, or replenishment), with a minor emphasis on extra ranged damage.
05/15 - Shredder Frag Grenade10/15 - Krak Grenade00/15 - Smoke Grenade
The community seems divided on Shredder Frag vs Krak Grenade, with the general consensus being that Shredder (AoE focused) is superior in terms of potential, but requires skilled use whereas the Krak (Single-Target Focus) is general easier to use and provides a similar benefit, albeit in slightly different scenarios (crowd control vs armor/monster killer). In my personal experience, I find I have more use of the Krak as there are plenty of other crowd control options, whereas killing the big boys can be hard. Possible skill issue.
02/15 - Get Back in the Fight!08/15 - Survivalist06/15 - Catch a Breath06/15 - Grenade Tinkerer05/15 - Fire Team00/15 - Covering Fire00/15 - Serrated Blade02/15 - Close and Kill03/15 - Agile Engagement
The community becomes more fragmented here, but we can essentially group the most common opinions into Fire Team vs Survivalist. Survivalist is the favored option, being the go-to for most high level players as it provides a surprisingly significant boost to your ammo economy, which can be a serious concern on higher difficulties. Fire Team seems to be the option favored by the inexperience/casual community providing a fairly simple to understand and IMO more tangible benefit, even if it technically is inferior to survivalist. Additionally, it boasts the advantage of being in the same line as Grenade Tinkerer which, in addition to Catch a Breath, is one of the most favored skill options. Both of these are often even taken by builds which go down different lines.
02/15 - Kill Zone00/15 - Opening Salvo02/15 - Executioner's Stance00/15 - Enhanced Target Priority01/15 - Counter Fire00/15 - The Bigger they Are...01/15 - Field Improvisation00/15 - Twinned Blast15/15 - Demolition Stockpile10/15 - Voice of Command10/15 - Duty and Honour00/15 - Only In Death Does Duty End02/15 - Grenadier02/15 - Leave No One Behind03/15 - Infiltrate01/15 - Low Profile00/15 - Hunter's Resolve01/15 - Surprise Attack01/15 - Overwatch
The winner is obvious here, Voice of Command is just the best option and it shows by the numbers. Every build that isn't a niche gimmick uses VoC and its modifier Duty and Honour, and literally every build I looked at used the VoC line passive Demolition Stockpile, which is not surprising given its power. Unless you prefer Infiltrate strats or are doing some roleplay build, the choice is clear.
13/15 - Precision Strikes02/15 - Determined06/15 - Deadshot14/15 - Fully Loaded06/15 - Shock Trooper11/15 - Superiority Complex05/15 - Marksman01/15 - Born Leader12/15 - For the Emperor02/15 - Keep Their Heads Down!15/15 - Tactical Awareness14/15 - Iron Will03/15 - Demolition Team
02/15 - Competitive Urge04/15 - Rending Strikes07/15 - Bring it Down!06/15 - Reciprocity03/15 - Close Quarters Killzone01/15 - Duck and Dive05/15 - Desperado00/15 - Exploit Weakness02/15 - Onslaught04/15 - Trench Fighter Drill00/15 - Skirmisher
The largest and most varied section of the trait tree, many of the picks here largely depend on what the builds playstyle is and what keystone ability (if any) is being taken. However, there are still two winning combos that almost every build uses: Precision Strikes + Fully Loaded + Superiority Complex and For the Emperor! + Tactical Awareness + Iron Will, the reason obviously being that these skills are too good not to take. Some honorable mentions depending on your playstyle are Deadshot, Shock Trooper, Bring it Down!, and Reciprocity.
02/15 - Markman's Focus01/15 - Chink in their Armour01/15 - Long Range Assassin01/15 - Camouflage01/15 - Tunnel Vision07/15 - Focus Target!07/15 - Target Down!02/15 - Focused Fire03/15 - Redirect Fire!05/15 - Weapons Specialist04/15 - Always Prepared00/15 - Invigorated00/15 - Fleeting Fire04/15 - On Your Toes00/15 - Conditioning
There are essentially two essentially equal choices here, forget Markman's Focus even exists. Either go Focus Target! + Target Down! or Weapons Specialist + Always Prepared + On Your Toes. If you go FT and have some leftover points take Focused Fire and/or Redirect Fire! as well. Weapons Specialist's don't bother with anything else, put your points elsewhere.
Look at the build above: This is what I think should be a good build based on the data and my personal playstyle, even if it is not as finely tune as many of the well researched builds on here. Survivalist is probably the better pick for aura, especially at higher level play. However, having used it for so long, I truly have never noticed it to the point that I often forget its even a thing. Sure, +5% damage isn't anything crazy either, but its a nice constant boost that makes my attacks hit just a little bit harder, which honestly means more to me than the ammo.
