Pew Pew Pew Servo Skull
 Skitarii Build - Warhammer 40k: Darktide 

Built around Noospheric Command uptime

The goal is to keep the Artificer Servo-Skull firing with Noospheric Command as often as possible. Noospheric Command spends 30% Capacitance to greatly increase the skull's Fire Rate for 2 seconds. This build invests heavily in recovering that Capacitance, trading tankier Skitarii options for a more aggressive combat loop.

1. Hunt elites and specialists

Elite and Specialist kills are the first priority. Higher Purpose restores an additional 2.5% Capacitance on those kills. Flensing Protocols restores 2 stacks and 15% Toughness; each of its 6 possible stacks grants 2.5% Damage and 2.5% Toughness Damage Reduction. Keep killing priority targets to replenish the resource for Noospheric Command while maintaining your damage and toughness.

2. Use the Plasma Gun to keep the kill loop moving

When elites line up, I use the M35 Magnacore Mk II Plasma Gun to annihilate rows of them. Those Elite and Specialist kills feed Higher Purpose and Flensing Protocols, recovering Capacitance, stacks, and Toughness while the servo-skull keeps working. Aim for heads and other Weakspots: Sureshot Cogitator Sync adds Weakspot Damage, and Weakspot Kills trigger Reactor Coil Recharge for 2% Capacitance plus Servo-Core Recharge Engine for Toughness. An Attack that hits 3 or more enemies also triggers Capacitor Reclamation Loop, so a well-placed multi-hit shot can feed the same resource loop as the Arc Maul.

Blaze Away builds Strength during continuous fire, and Rising Heat adds Strength as Heat rises. Ranged Elite Kills build Galvanic Marking Array's Damage stacks. Binary Ballistics Protocol restores Toughness on Elite Kills; Threat Detection Imperative and Superior Defence Engrams add protection and recovery from Ranged Kills. Ammo-Cell Augury provides more Ammo Reserve. The rhythm is Plasma Gun kills into Capacitance recovery, then Noospheric Command into another burst of servo-skull fire.

3. When priority targets are scarce, work the horde

Against mobs, switch to the Branx Mk III Arc Maul and go into the horde. Aim your swings at heads and other Weakspots while catching multiple enemies with each Attack. Capacitor Reclamation Loop restores 1% Capacitance when an Attack hits 3 or more enemies; Critical Hits feed Flux Conduit Build-Up, and Weakspot Kills feed Reactor Coil Recharge and Servo-Core Recharge Engine. Keep swinging, keep hitting groups, and keep recovering Capacitance to spend on Noospheric Command when a suitable target appears.

Let Gunsmith handle the reload

I do not manually reload the Plasma Gun in the normal combat loop. When the clip starts getting low, switch to the Arc Maul and kill trash mobs for a while. Gunsmith starts reloading after 5 seconds without shooting, then restores 7.5% of the Clip each second from Ammo Reserve. Give it time to refill while you swing into the horde: the Plasma Gun reloads, multi-enemy hits feed Capacitor Reclamation Loop, and Critical Hits and Weakspot Kills keep the other Capacitance sources working. Switch back to a replenished Plasma Gun when the next row of elites needs clearing. The automatic reload draws from Ammo Reserve, so it still needs ammunition.

Push to activate Shockline Breach Protocol for 50% increased Melee Cleave for 8 seconds. Force Distribution Actuators adds Push Impact when you have at least 50% Stamina, and spending Stamina activates Channelled Motive Force for 15% Damage for 4 seconds. Hammerblow builds Impact on hits, while Enhanced Voltaic Arcs improves the Arc Maul's lightning jumps. Electro-Strike Conduit makes Melee Critical Hits Electrocute the first target; System Shock applies Brittleness when you Electrocute an enemy.

4. Keep the Capacitance sources working

Flux Conduit Build-Up generates 5% Capacitance over 4 seconds from Critical Hits. Augmented Power-Cycle generates 1% Capacitance each second. These support Capacitor Reclamation Loop, Reactor Coil Recharge, and Higher Purpose, giving the build several ways to recover the resource that Noospheric Command spends. Last Stand Relay adds Crit Chance, and Power Redistribution Uplink turns Critical Hits into Toughness recovery and Toughness Damage Reduction.

Staying alive while the skull works

Resurgence, Progressive Plating Matrix, Adaptive Combat Engram, and Flensing Protocols provide the remaining toughness support. Auto-Repair Doctrines and Residual Current Buffer also scale with Current Charges, while gaining a charge activates Sequenced Charge's Strength bonus. Current Charges and Capacitance are separate parts of the build; Capacitance is the resource you spend on Noospheric Command. Medicae Servo-Skull supplies the selected ally-rescue option.

If you are used to a tougher Skitarii, this is tricky to get used to and leaves less room for mistakes. Learn the rhythm of priority kills, Arc Maul horde hits, Capacitance recovery, and Noospheric Command. With practice and good execution, you can run it on Havoc.

Weapons

Branx Mk III Arc Maul — dump stat: Mobility (60%). Perks: +25% Damage (Maniacs), +25% Damage (Flak Armoured Enemies). Blessings: Hammerblow IV, Enhanced Voltaic Arcs IV.

M35 Magnacore Mk II Plasma Gun — dump stat: Charge Rate (60%). Perks: +25% Damage (Carapace Armoured Enemies), +25% Damage (Unyielding Enemies). Blessings: Blaze Away IV, Rising Heat IV.

Curios

Run whatever curio main blessings and other perks you want, but this build needs triple Combat Ability Regeneration: +4% Combat Ability Regeneration on each of your three curios, for +12% total. That cooldown regeneration helps recover Capacitance to feed Noospheric Command and keep the servo-skull firing. The rest of the pictured curio setup is only a suggestion.

To automate this robot and feel like a dirty, dirty cheater, please go and install my mods.

Auto Swing, Auto Shoot and More - Input Mod provides the servo-skull targeting, Noospheric Command, and Arc Maul Auto Swing and weapon-special features used for this automated, high-DPS combat loop. Enable and configure those features to suit your build.

Auto Swing, Auto Shoot and More - Input Mod: nexusmods.com/warhammer40kdarktide/mods/1362

Improved HUD and More - HUD Mod: nexusmods.com/warhammer40kdarktide/mods/1361

Enemies Outlined and More - Field Awareness: nexusmods.com/warhammer40kdarktide/mods/1359