Despylocked; Pure Ranged Desperado with Dual Autopistols Build
 Hive Scum Build - Warhammer 40k: Darktide 

'These guys obviously don't know who they're messin' with.' - Ratchet, 2005

Since the initial announcement of the class Desperado became an iconic thing for the Hive Scum. Upon release the ability was a hot topic however for its ability to go infinite with amunition thanks to Pickpocket; this didn't last long however after its nerf... and together with buffs for toxic archetype and Rampage ability it felt into obscurity over the melee alternative...

People sleep on Desperado...

1. Dual Auto Pistols (DAP) are an iconic weapon of the class and this build in particular. Perk and Blessing choices are important:
- +25% damage againts Flak and Unyielding maximizes damage againts the most important targets; it is better to amplify the damage on those specific health bar types. Maniac/Elite damage can be used instead of Unyielding however it is not advised since being able to kill Bulwarks, Reapers and Monsters is much more important in general gameplay for this weapon in this build
- Blaze Away is a no brainer; offers great power boost by simply using the weapon... which is holding the fire button (works also on tapping the trigger very fast in order to preserve accuracy on mid to long range!)
- Run 'n' Gun is a personal choice and in my opinion the best second blessing; despite the weapon already having in built Run ‚n’ Gun the reduced spread by 30% paired with Sticky Hands talent turns your close range only weapon into a potent mid to long range one! Perfect for taking down pesky Specials and other threats at longer ranges! Even Snipers at long range can be shot with ease with this setup where normally you’d had to either close the distance or hide due to innability to do the first option; all You have to do is tap the trigger - this way you preserve your accuracy and recoil and also stack Blaze Away too!
Why not Speedloader? Despite clear synergy with the build it is not better than increased accuracy provided by Run 'n' Gun; Speedloader talent provides enough reload speed to be able to mow down any enemy and keep Desperado as long as possible thanks to diminishing returns after 20 seconds of its durration
Why not Pinning Fire? Despite extra Strenght it is not better than increased accuracy provided by Run 'n' Gun; You do alot of damage as it is
2. Melee weapon should be primarily used as a tech choice for procking Pickpocket fast. You can use ANY melee weapon You want that will fulfill the purpose of it! My personal choice after many games is Mk VI Combat Blade thanks to its moveset - mainly Push Attack and synergy with another blessing which I will talk about more below;
- +2 Stamina is important due to being able to utilize Push Attack more (despite the fact that You can still spam it thanks to Hive Scum having 0,5 seconds Stamina Regen Delay), push more, block more and sprint longer
- +25% damage againts Flak is another bonus that helps in killing majority of the enemies faster in order to activate Pickpocket easier
- Haymaker blessing is still considered a niche despite its great potential! The idea of it is to counter high HP pools of enemies and help with activating Pickpocket; due to how it works and Push Attack on Combat Blades counting as its reliably always at its full power (20% chance to instakill ANY enemy (yes even Mutants; they are considered human-sized) exept Bulwarks, Crushers, Reapers, Captains, Twins and Monsters). The stacks DO NOT decay upon missing/executing other than a Heavy Attack and are lost 1 AT A TIME ON A 5 SECOND TIMER! Not to mention; Push Attack on the Combat Blades activate Haymaker!
- Lacerate is a controversial pick but a technical one; its main use is to apply Bleed on Bosses; nothing else to it! You approach them, slice them 4 times and then either spam Push Attack or switch to Your ranged weapon. Its also nice for enabling other classes that like Bleed synergies like Zealot and Ogryn!
3. Many would ask why not use a more popular Mk V Infantry Autogun? Its due to many technicalities and how the build is made;
A) Mk V Infantry Autogun relies on Weakspots and Crits in order to do damage the most while Dual Autopistols rely on Firerate and Raw Damage; the build could be used with the autogun but some talents benefit it more than the autopistols that are not picked (like The Sweet Spot for example)
B) Mk V Infantry Autogun CANNOT SHOOT WHILE SPRINTING! Since the build is perfect for diving enemy positions and running around its less fitting for the general playstyle of it. On top of that its overall mobility is far worse than of the autopistols; worse sprint speed and stamina recovery especially
C) Many would say that the autogun can aim better at a distance than autopistols; this is wrong (sadly) for 2 reasons;
1. Autogun has a problem regarding the ironsights placement and where the bullets actualy go while shooting - very easy to spot especially when going full auto...
2. Combining Sticky Hands talent and Run 'n' Gun blessing You gain 70% less spread on Your shots! This turns mediocre midrange capabilities of the autopistols into a potent one and even acceptable long range sniping; all You have to do is to tap the trigger in order to not accumulate recoil!
4. Cartel Stimm in general with Desperado is used to accelerate its cooldown in order to use it more often - IMO thats a mistake; considering having Pickpocket, micromanagement of ammo usage, scavenging (which You should be doing) and Gunslinger Improved aura You should not be having problems with ammo on this build.
Strength path towards Rending gives the best results for maximising damage; extra Rending in combination with Pick Your Targets from Desperado gives You 30% Rending for Your autopistols which in turn can even be used againts Carapace (albeit still poor damage but better than nearly 0)!
Attack Speed path might seem questionable but think about it; its affecting both Your melee and ranged attacks! Which means You gain firerate = more bullets shot = more damage in a shorter amount of time! The final node Reflex gives us extra reload speed and less recoil which undoubtedly help the build even more + if You did not know; reload speed AFFECTS THE ENTIRE SHOOTING ANIMATION OF THE BOOM BRINGER = YOU STOW IT FASTER AFTER THE SHOT (You can also use Desperado as soon as You release the rocket in order to skip the animation as well)
5. Your gameplay is that of a skirmisher/diver; You go in, kill as many as You can and in combination with Vultures Mark and Desperado movement speed You can safely retreat/reposition to Your team! Even when You can't push and have to stay and fight with the team Your Vultures Mark when fully stacked gives with each Elite and Special kill extra toughness for Your teammates - can be very handy in tight situation as You focus on killing said priority targets to further empower Yourself and Your team!
6. Utilize Your aura! 10% extra ammo might not seem much but in combination with EVERYONE benefiting from it (including You) as long as You are around when You or Your teammates pick up tins/packs/ammo crate charge it gives alot of value and can even give more ammo to those who need it more by preseving potential pickups from teammates who get the passive bonus and do not use range alot!

Thats about it! I hope You will enjoy this build as much as I did and realize that Hive Scum is not only Rampage melee or Stimm Supply melee to counter Blight Spreads modifier in Havoc!