NRGaa's Melee Scum H40
 Hive Scum Build - Warhammer 40k: Darktide 

TLDR Warning. Build is really HARD to learn, if you are new to the Havoc don't even bother. Take your chances in Auric first and if you are somewhat comfortable there, only then move to Havoc.

14.12.2025

• Minor changes
• Branx MKII Needle Pistol dump stats changed.

Build Highlight:

• Crowbar: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2638531235
• Combat Blade: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2640037665
• Shivs: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2640030964

Weapon choices:

1. Improvised Mk I Shivs (5%Crit/Carapace + Riposte / Uncanny Strike)
2. Enginseer's Mk VI Crowbar (5%Crit/Carapace + Superiority / Opportunist)
3. Catachan Mk VI Combat Blade (5%Crit/Carapace + Riposte / Uncanny Strike)

Branx MKII Needle Pistol dump stats:  Stopping power & Damage. Both only work on initial 30 damage hit, not affecting Chem Toxin at all.

Stimm Lab:

Crits are our main damage scaling and survivability tool at the same time. So Stimm choice is obvious (Vultoprene II), but can slap few additional points into Spur or Barrage if you want to. Adapt to your gameplay style, personnally i like to use Stimm with Rampage! at the same time.

When using Catachan Mk VI Combat Blade, swapping to Wildfire V is a valid choice too.

Adaptable nodes:

After recent hotfix we have some nodes moved around, so we have few free points to play with. So I decided to capitalize on boss damage with Branx MKII Needle Pistol and Potent Tox + Coated Weaponry . What we have to do?

 We shoot any boss 5 times and then we swap to melee and our crits will refresh our crazy stacked dot. Additional idea is to drop Slippery Customer and go for In Your Face to get even more boss damage.

If we don't want that, we can grab:

• Pickpocket Infinite ammo
• Extra Pouches for our Chem Grenade or swap to Boom Bringer and have fun
• Sticky Hands Hipfire and Weapon swap
• Forge's Bellow Knockback for sticky situations or rescues and boss control.
• Blessed Stimms To counter The Blight Spreads modifier. Not very potent, but better than nothing.

How we are supposed to play:

• Learn and master the "Dodge Dance" on horde, elite horde, gunners. Loop around the blob of elites, while making quick work on them if you have space to do so. Test your limits. Be ALWAYS aware of your surroundings and map layout. You will die a lot while doing that. This build is 11/10 on difficulty scale in the high Havoc environment.
• Your main role is DAMAGE DAMAGE DAMAGE (But try not to die in the process). High Risk, High Reward. Snowball out of control. Thats what this build is in the nutshell. You have to be precise with estimating your chances of success when diving. Because sometimes you can't just stop and go back after the dive and are forced to go into crazy prolonged dive, just not to die. When that scenario happen, be extremely mindful about boss triggers, if your team is not ready for them. Its probably even better to crumble and ask team for respawn, than trigger additional bosses.
• Melee target priorities: Small elites (Because we can oneshot them) > Crushers > Rest
• Scum is very nimble, so we are supposed to: 

1. Dive the frontline
2. Sweep the backline
3. Loot for team. Announce those "Healing stimms" for your teammates, pass those medkits and ammo crates around and continue looting if people are slacking off.
4. Apply Chem DOT with Branx MKII Needle Pistol to Bosses and refresh it, even if we are occupied with other things.

• Twins scenario: If you have an opening on any Twin, shoot them with needle pistol, pop Rampage! and Stimm and nuke the living shit out of them. Rinda Karnak will dive very far away from her brother, so if whole team will fall back, its really easy to lure her into very favorable fight. Toss Chem Grenade into choke point nearby when you start to work on Rinda Karnak. Another possible scenario: You let Rinda Karnak charge into your backline and are forced to go on Rodin Karnak while holding arriving horde. Almost same scenario, but with some decisions on top. Chem Grenade into nearest choke point. Observe arriving enemies and if they will cruble to your Chem Grenade just go for Rodin Karnak. If there are beefy enemies present, you have to kill them, while poking on Rodin Karnak. Break he's shield so he stop shooting at your team, poke him and run into different room or hide behind obstacle, so he will follow you. Keep killing stuff if its possible while doing so.
• Bosses scenarios: Chaos Spawn pop everything, nuke the bastard. Beast of Nurgle just max stack Chem Toxin with Branx MKII Needle Pistol and refresh, while doing different things. Plague Ogryn depends on situation. You can easily decimate that guy solo or repeat Beast of Nurgle scenario (But keep an eye on him if you do, sudden charge into the back is not fun).
• A lot of people are complaining about "Exhaustion", when rampage ends. Personally, i don't feel it at all. If you are getting hit, you are still taking a lot of damage in any scenario on Scum, so just don't get hit and learn how to "Dodge Dance". 
• Use boxes and other obstacles while moving around and fighting. Slide dodge from them will launch you very far.