Full Arbites Guide

Hello dear reader! My nickname is NRGaa and I'm actively streaming DarkTide on my twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/nrgaa . Mostly playing Havoc, so opinions and builds will be a lot biased because of that. If you have any questions about DarkTide or you want to improve at the game or want to learn how to do High Havoc content, just drop by and ask me anything.

Survivability & Curio section.

Balanced approach is the best approach for Arbites imo. So with a really good amount of base Toughness we probably still want 2 Toughness and 1 Health Curio combo. 3 Toughness Curios is good too.

Looking at how bad Arbites survives vs gunners even on the normal board it's safe to say that getting 3 Gunner resistance on Curios (even with diminishing returns) is the way to go. And keep in mind that Gunner resistance doesn't work on lesser gunners and shotgunners, so be extremely cautious about them.

Notable curio perks:

• Combat ability regeneration: With a long CD on Nuncio-Aquila and Castigator's Stance, having two of those is a really good call. Can replace those if you are running Break the Line. 3 of those is a bad call, because of diminishing returns.
• Revive speed: I can't stress how good this perk is the Havoc. This thing just saves games, can pull some crazy revives with grenades or Break the Line . Stacks additively, so can even go for 3.
• Stamina regeneration: Arbites got 0.5 second stamina replenish delay, so on the majority of weapons you can skip it, but on Tac Axes or Crusher those perks are a must.
• Corruption resistance: Can save you from oneshot in Havoc. Helps vs Dreg Tox Bomber, Beast of Nurgle. Somewhat broken in combo with Rebreather.
• Toughness: Always a good pick.
• Sniper Resistance: You will get sniped here and there, but imo not a good investment. Better go for 5% Toughness.

Weapon section & Tier list.

Melee Weapons:

1. Branx Mk III Arbites Shock Maul Probably one of the strongest melee weapons in the whole game. Great damage vs Carapace, so it doesn't need any rending node to perform vs Crusher. Comfortable moveset. EZ “S Tier” Weapon.

   Special: Use it on staggered targets, so it will apply the dot effect(Most usable on Bulwark).

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy>Light>Loop

   Horde: Push Attack>Light>Heavy>Loop

2. Branx Mk VI Shock Maul and Suppression Shield Lower DPS compared to Branx Mk III Arbites Shock Maul same situation with good Carapace damage and great moveset, but we get a lot of Utility(Ranged damage block, overheads block and Special) in exchange for that DPS. Both variants of Arbites Shield are really good, so pick which moveset you like the most. I prefer Mark VI, because of Push Attack. “S Tier” Weapon.

   Special: AOE stagger pulse around you, which stops gunner volleys and can open Bulwark shield and that's HUGE.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Light>Heavy>Loop or Light>Heavy>>Light>Light>Loop

   Horde: Push Attack>Light>Heavy or Heavy>Light>Loop

3. Branx Mk XI Shock Maul and Suppression Shield Lower DPS compared to Branx Mk III Arbites Shock Maul same situation with good Carapace damage and great moveset, but we get a lot of Utility(Ranged damage block and  overheads block and Special) in exchange for that DPS. Both variants of Arbites Shield are really good, so pick which moveset you like the most. “S Tier” Weapon.

   Special: AOE stagger pulse around you, which stops gunner volleys and can open Bulwark shield and that's HUGE.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Push Attack>Heavy>Heavy>Light or Heavy Spam

   Horde: Light>Light>Heavy>Light>Heavy>Loop

4. Indignatus Mk IVe Crusher Weapon stolen from the Zealot. If you want to juggle enemies around and have fun, that's your Weapon. But this weapon lacks Carapace damage and Attack speed. So Strike Down and Hammer of Judgement and Lone Wolf and Forceful with mods are the way to play this weapon.

   Push Attack is the gem of this weapon. “A Tier” Weapon.

   Special: AOE damaging blast around the target. Opens Bulwark.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy>Light>Loop or Push Attack>Light>Heavy>Loop

   Horde: Push Attack>Heavy>Light>Loop or Light>Heavy>Loop

5. Munitorum Mk III Shock Maul Similar to Branx Mk III Arbites Shock Maul, but it got access to Skullcrusher and Weapon Special can erase Shield of Captains with ease. Horde clear is mediocre, but it's better compared to Agni Mk Ia Shock Maul. Benefits a lot from Strike Down and Hammer of Judgement. “A Tier” Weapon, but with debuffs for the team.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy Spam or Light>Heavy>Heavy>Light>Loop or Light>Heavy>Loop

   Horde: Push Attack>Light>Light>Light or Heavy>Light>Loop

6. Agni Mk Ia Shock Maul Similar to Branx Mk III Arbites Shock Maul, but it got access to Skullcrusher and Weapon Special can erase Shield of Captains with ease. Horde clear is bad, but solo target damage is better compared to  Munitorum Mk III Shock Maul. Benefits a lot from Strike Down and Hammer of Judgement. “A Tier” Weapon, but with debuffs for the team.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Push Attack>Light>Heavy>Light>Heavy>Loop or Heavy>Light>Loop

   Horde: Light>Heavy>Loop

7. Rashad Mk III Combat Axe People favorite Combat Axe. Great armor damage profile, so it doesn't need rending. Boss damage is juicy too, but horde clear is not pleasant, to counteract that we need Cleave and Attack Speed from the tree nodes. “S Tier” Weapon.

   Special: Bad. Forget about it.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy Spam

   Horde: Push Attack>Light>Light>Light

8. Achlys Mk VIII Combat Axe Weird axe without horde clear options in the base of the weapon. Requires Brutal Momentum and aiming at heads level to clear hordes efficiently. “C Tier” Weapon.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy spam VS Carapace, Light spam VS Everything else

   Horde: With Brutal Momentum Push attack>Heavy or Slide>Heavy

9. Antax Mk V Combat Axe Slower version of Rashad Axe, almost identical, but worse. “B+ Tier” Weapon.

   Combos: 

   Solo target: Heavy Spam

   Horde: Push Attack>Light>Light>Light

10. Atrox Mk II Tactical Axe Good DPS on light spam. Best special from Tactical Axe category. “A+ Tier” Weapon.

    Special to the head will stagger Crusher, Bulwark, Reaper, Scab Mauler. Best Special in the family.

    Push Attack can stop Ragers and Maulers from attacking.

    Combos: 

    Solo target: Light Spam

    Horde: Push Attack>Light Spam or Heavy>Light>Loop

11. Atrox Mk VII Tactical Axe Best DPS light spam Tactical Axe with decent cleave. “S Tier” Weapon.

    Special to the head will stagger Crusher, Bulwark, Reaper, Scab Mauler.

    Push Attack can stop Ragers and Maulers from attacking.

    Combos: 

    Solo target: Light Spam

    Horde: Push Attack>Light Spam or Push Attack>Heavy>Light>Loop

12. Atrox Mk IV Tactical Axe Worst DPS light spam Tactical Axe, but Heavy attacks DPS are on par with Combat Axes. “A Tier” Weapon. Special to the head will stagger Crusher, Bulwark, Reaper, Scab Mauler.

    Push Attack can stop Ragers and Maulers from attacking.

    Combos: 

    Solo target: Heavy Spam

    Horde: Push Attack>Light Spam 

13. Cadia Mk XIIIg Assault Chainsword Terrible carapace damage on normal attacks, but can tear through Captain shields with ease and do decent boss damage. To have a chance vs carapace you should use Special and try to land the hit on the head. “B+ Tier” Weapon.

    Combos: 

    Solo target: Light>Heavy>Loop or Special

    Horde: Push Attack>Light>Heavy>Loop or Push Attack>Light Spam

14. Cadia Mk IV Assault Chainsword Worst weapon in the game. Armor damage is only through Revving your weapon. “Garbageeee Tier”

    Combos: 

    Solo target: Special>Push Attack or Special>Heavy Attack or non-existent LUL

    Horde: Heavy>Light>Light>Heavy>Loop or Heavy>Light>Loop

    

Ranged Weapons:

1. Exaction Mk VIII Exterminator Shotgun Insane boss damage and cleave, special ammo magnifies that even more (25% Brittleness which can stack with other two Brittleness sources). Decent Special sniping capability. Havoc viable. Best shotgun in the game. Always use Judicious Efficiency with this weapon. “S Tier” Weapon. 

2. Exaction Mk III Exterminator Shotgun Insane mixed horde damage and cleave. Can mow down mixed hordes with ease. Bad Special sniping capability. Bad ammo efficiency. Special ammunition can disable distant targets and open Bulwark. Always use Judicious Efficiency with this weapon.

   Havoc viable, but don't be full ammo hog (or warn your team about that at least) and don't unload into the chaff horde. “S Tier” Weapon.

3. Judgement Mk IV Subductor Shotpistol and Riot Shield Suboptimal special sniping tool with good cleave. Bad breakpoints, so poor ammo efficiency. Block utility on top. “B Tier” Weapon.
4. Godwyn-Branx Mk IV Bolt Pistol Best special sniping tool for melee Arbites. Very quick swap speed, accurate at hipfire, superb breakpoints. “S Tier” Weapon. 
5. Locke Mk IIb Spearhead Boltgun With insane amount of crits on Arbites this weapon is a BEAST. Can build it for boss deletion or for a more generalist approach. Generous ammo pool. “S Tier” Weapon.
6. Vraks Mk V Infantry Autogun Insane amount of crits (Multiplied by the crit strings) x Insane amount of Finesse damage. If you can unload into the boss weakpoint, that's your best boss DPS weapon in the game. And still accurate at long ranges. “S Tier” Weapon.
7. Agripinaa Mk I Infantry Autogun Slow, hits hard, but magazine is small and recoil is high. More penetration compared to other Infantry AG. Can be built for long range special sniping with short bursts. “A- Tier” Weapon.
8. Columnus Mk VIII Infantry Autogun Middle ground of Infantry AG family. Best sustain damage, good special sniping capability. “A Tier” Weapon.
9. Ius Mk IV Shredder Autopistol Superb handling. Arbites amount of crits and flat damage nodes can make this peashooter a really viable choice. Not good for long range sniping. With Cavalcade and Blaze Away combo it's a viable option for melee focused builds. “A+ Tier” Weapon.
10. Graia Mk IV Braced Autogun Whole Braced Autogun family is one big meme. Can't special snipe consistently even at middle range. Blessings are aimed at horde shooting. This mark is probably the best one. “C Tier” Weapon.
11. Vraks Mk II Braced Autogun Whole Braced Autogun family is one big meme. Can't special snipe consistently even at middle range. Blessings are aimed at horde shooting. “C Tier” Weapon.
12. Agripinaa Mk VIII Braced Autogun Whole Braced Autogun family is one big meme. Can't special snipe consistently even at middle range. Blessings are aimed at horde shooting. “C Tier” Weapon.
13. Zarona Mk IIa Quickdraw Stub Revolver Really strong choice with crazy breakpoints, but imo requires at least Judicious Efficiency and maybe Ammo Belt to be considered a decent choice for Havoc for quick special sniping. “A Tier” Weapon.
14. Agripinaa Mk XIV Quickdraw Stub Revolver Revolver with bulk reload and crazy Unyielding damage. But Crosshair behaviour is very messy on the quick scope, so i can's play this weapon personally. “B Tier” Weapon.
15. Accatran Mk IX Combat Shotgun Big ammo pool, good spread, great handling. Special ammo is a Slug Shot, which can be used to snipe at long range. Always use Judicious Efficiency with this weapon. “A Tier” Weapon.
16. Agripinaa Mk VII Combat Shotgun Mediocre ammo pool, wide spread, but Highest damage across Combat Shotguns. Special ammo is Incendiary Shot, which will inflict Burn damage on groups of enemies. Always use Judicious Efficiency with this weapon. “A Tier” Weapon.
17. Zarona Mk VI Combat Shotgun Black sheep of combat shotguns. Avoid it. “D Tier” Weapon.
18. Graia Mk VII Vigilant Autogun Sniping weapon family in active and hectic DT game. Clunky, unpleasant recoil. Excessive zoom. “B Tier” Weapon.
19. Agripinaa Mk IX Vigilant Autogun Double burst AG, decent ammo capacity. Unpleasant recoil.  “B+ Tier” Weapon.
20. Columnus Mk III Vigilant Autogun Worst Vigilant AG, lacks damage dramatically. “C- Tier” Weapon.
21. Crucis Mk XI Double-Barrelled Shotgun No breakpoints meme shotgun. Can make it work in Auric, avoid in Havoc. “Garbageee tier” Weapon.

Talent tree section:

Blitz Selection:

• Remote Detonation Best AOE damage option for Arbites. Can stagger bosses. Automatic reload. If you are using Cyber-Mastiff in your build, that's your best blitz option. 
• Voltaic Shock Mine Pocket Smite at your disposal. Long deployment time, so caution is required. Best in the combo with Lone Wolf. 
• Arbites Grenade Best blitz to run with Lone Wolf. Very quick. Can stagger and ledge bosses. Can get you out of sticky situations. Can be used to safely rescue a teammate in combo with 2-3 Revive Speed on curios.  

Auras:

• Part of the Squad Really strong aura for clutches or True Solo runs. 7.5% TDR on a character with almost no TDR is a nice survivability boost.
• Ruthless Efficiency Running a shotgun or a revolver in your ranged build? Grab this node.
• Breaking Dissent Melee build? Run this one.

Ability Selection:

Castigator's Stance 

One point wonder. This Ability fully replenishes your Toughness on use. Your main tool to dive into the gunners or emergency button. Imo best ability for melee focused builds. Better pathing through 25% Cleave node on top.

Don't use it in fire patches, because for some reason Toughness replenishment won't work.

Modifiers:

• Writ of Execution+Blessed Armament Can be used for Auric memes, but avoid it in a havoc environment, because you will ammo starve your team. Yes-yes it's really strong in combo with Exaction Mk III Exterminator Shotgun and can mow down mixed hordes easily, but then you will just lose the game, because your team is out of ammo and cant kill specials. If you wanna delete everything except Carapace, just play a Rifthaven Mk II Inferno Force Staff psyker and don't sabotage your team's ammo economy.
• Bloodlust 10 seconds duration for ½ of Execution Order bonus? Maybe the dog will kill one more enemy during Castigator's Stance because of it. Not worth a point investment.

Nuncio-Aquila 

Buffs and debuffs in one package. Support oriented ability, best used in combo with Malocator for better uptime. Really starts to shine with additional modifiers. Good choice for Havoc, not needed in Auric.

Modifiers:

• Inspiring Recitation In combo with Revive Speed curios can pull crazy fast team revives. TDR on a class with a low base TDR is really helpful. 10% Attack Speed is really nice to have too. 
• Fear of Justice Dramatically increases the staying power of the squad in scab armor/dreg rager seeds in havoc.

Break the Line

Mostly CC tool, but won't stagger bosses. Not a zealot Fury of the Faithful . Doesn't give you DR or ranged fire immunity, so often you will just die during the animation. Don't use it as one point pathing for the talent hungry builds, going through Castigator's Stance is way better. With additional point investment can be a solid tool in an Arbites arsenal.

Modifiers:

• Commendation from Condemnation  With addition of this node this ability can be used as emergency Toughness regen, but requires listed targets to do so.
• Targeted Brutality Can be used in combo with Malocator for CC heavy build for havoc. Not needed in Auric.
• Engage With this node our ability becomes a solid charge option, but that means that we are locked in that animation for a longer time, which means that we are exposed for a longer time. Will still stop at the first big target touched, so it can't be used as an escape tool, when you are cornered. Good in Auric, questionable in Havoc.
• Kill Order In combination with Targeted Brutality we can reach solid uptime on this mod, but 50% dog damage is not that potent.

Cyber-Mastiff Keystones:

• Unleashed Brutality Questionable node, because 25% damage is not that much and Elites are really tanky, so pouncing Elite will occupy the dog for noticable time. Better go without keystone, dog ai works really good that way too and you save precious talent point.
• Lone Wolf ditching our Cyber-Mastiff friend to get more buffs and grenade regen is a good trade for a lot of Arbites builds.
• Go Get 'Em! Base automatic target selection radius for the Cyber-Mastiff is 15m, this node will increase it to 40m. Good choice if you are running Arbites heavy party. Arbites are really weak vs ranged fire and selecting that node will partially lift that pressure from your squad. But probably drop Man and Cyber-Mastiff if you gonna run that node, because the dog will be away killing those pesky gunners. 50% vs squishy gunners is noticeable too. 

Keystones:

Execution Order 

Best universal keystone for skirmisher and Cyber-Mastiff builds. If you are playing “Cyber-Mastiff Build” you always should play this Keystone, because that 150% damage is additive and you can't get even remotely close values to that node.

Plus additional buffs to Arbites himself and Toughness regen on Mark kills.

Works really well with Crit based weapons like Axes.

Modifiers: 

• Efficient Killer More Crit and Crit DMG? Yes please!
• Malocator Cooldown node, extremely efficient with Nuncio-Aquila and Castigator's Stance long Cooldowns.
• No Lenience Good universal rending node for weapons with low Carapace damage.
• Keeping Protocol Insane value from one node. Damage Resistance and Boss Damage combined. Really shines in Havoc. Stacks are lost on death, so be careful. 
• Not Far Behind Move speed and universal damage in one node. Dog build? Grab it!

Terminus Warrant 

Terrible keystone, badly needs a rework or buffs to make it decent. Melee stacks are lost on every target on cleave, so you can lose al your stacks in 5-6 hits. Can make it work using Ius Mk IV Shredder Autopistol or Vraks Mk V Infantry Autogun.

Avoid this one until it gets buff.

Modifiers: 

• Dispense Justice Probably that's THE node you want to play Terminus Warrant for lightning quick shotgun or bolter reload. But the combo of Ruthless Efficiency and Judicious Efficiency is more than enough to reach a comfortable reload.
• Obstinate 15 Stacks for those weak bonuses. NO.
• Terminal Decree Another decent node in this Keystone. Support team by doing melee kills, but require stacks. 
• Writ of Judgement 30 Stacks for mediocre bonuses. NO.

Forceful 

Best melee frontliner keystone for Arbites. Really powerful mod nodes. Shines in combo with Lone Wolf.

Modifiers: 

• Adamant Will Stun immunity and ability to perfect block Overheads. Yes please!
• Will of the Lex 5% passive Toughness regen is crazy good in combo with Walk It Off. 
• Targets Acquired Attack speed and 50% cleave in one node. Noice!
• Arbites Vigilant For now its 25% Strength w/o losing stacks. Have fun while it's not fixed. But it will still be strong after the fix, because accumulating stacks is very easy.
• Judicial Force Not a bad knockback node, but currently can't test it properly, because of Arbites Vigilant bugged state.

Tree nodes review:

Top diamond:

• No Escape Universal damage and precious movement speed as a pathing node? Yes-Yes!
• Withering Fire Good node for shotgun/ranged builds. Skip in the melee builds.
• Hammer of Judgement Good node for melee builds, but we already have a lot of IAS from different melee nodes and it works only on hordes. QoL node.
• Razor-Jaw Augment Works on targets in the path of the Cyber-Mastiff pounce and on the pounced target. After recent hotfix adds 16 Bleed stacks instead of 8. Crazy value.
• Target Neutralised 
• Up Close One of the best Toughness regen nodes in Arbites disposal. Best pathing node.
• Force of Will Insane value in combo with Concussive. Core of any Forceful melee build.
• Retaliatory Force Tank fantasy node. May be used with Branx Mk VI Shock Maul and Suppression Shield + Last Guard for BCR stacking.
• Man and Cyber-Mastiff Really strong node if you are decided to keep your Cyber-Mastiff with you.
• Walk It Off Universal and almost constant Toughness regen by doing basic combat things. Best pathing node.
• Shield Plates Really helpful node on bosses like Chaos Spawn or Sword Captain. Decent value for melee builds.

Middle diamond:

• Voltaic Mandibles Augment Best damage boost node for your Cyber-Mastiff. Grab it!
• Ammo Belt Qol node for Melee builds. Core node for Ranged builds, because Arbites weapons are ammo hungry.
• Concussive Core node for melee builds. Enables a lot of Arbites talents.
• Canine Morale 20%TDR for your whole squad plus 2% constant Toughness regen on top. Really good node.
• Imposing Force If you are running Lone Wolf Ranged build, or don't want to support your team, that's your best pathing node.
• Suppression Force Really questionable node. Helpful vs Ragers packs and Chaos Spawn, besides that it won't help much. (Staggered enemy will be dead in the next few seconds, or its really big target and that -20% doesn't matter at all).
• Suppression Protocols Imo best pathing node for Melee focused builds. TDR on Arbites got a really nice value, because we don't have much of it.

Execution Order part:

• Arbites Revelatum Good value for a pathing node.
• Judicious Efficiency If you are running Shotgun/Revolver/Bolter in your build, this node is a game changer. But can save a point if you are running Auto Gun/Bolt Pistol/Shredder.
• Rapid Movement Tried this node multiple times and can't feel the difference when I'm with it and when I'm without it. So I just avoid it.
• Zealous Dedication 16% Crit on easily accessible node with 10 seconds duration. WOW. Additional damage scaling for Forceful builds, because we will have 23.5% crit in combat. Superb node. 
• Target Selection Damage node for Dog builds with generous 8 seconds duration. Dog build? Grab it! 
• Soulguilt Scan More easy accessible damage scaling nodes? Yes please. 
• Serrated Maw Inspect your team before Havoc deployment and if you don't have a Brittleness source (Ogryn with Thunderous or Veteran with Onslaught) grab this node for a noticeable boss damage boost. Avoid this node in Auric.
• Prosecution Blow Don't use precious ammo in Havoc to shoot Crusher please. If you still want to do so, use Locke Mk IIb Spearhead Boltgun  or Exaction Mk VIII Exterminator Shotgun. And those guns don't require this node to function properly. So avoid this node completely.

Terminus Warrant part:

• Justified Measures 15% universal damage with almost 100% upkeep time as pathing node. WOW
• Rebreather Tox Gas mission in Havoc? Get this node and thank me later. In Havoc this node lets you face tank 3 Rodin Karnak mines without losing HP at all. Good for Karnak Twins mission for the same reasons. Works on Poxburster too.
• Cower, Miscreants! Suppression nodes are not needed at all.
• Street Smarts Best pathing node if you are aiming to get Monstrosity Hunter. Shines in combo with Castigator's Stance, because you can close the distance to gunners, while dodge sliding to the side and avoid gunner fire by doing so.
• Priority Endowment Potent node for Auto Guns/Shredder. QoL node for other ranged weapons. Fun note: Makes Crucis Mk XI Double-Barrelled Shotgun a Triple-barrelled shotgun, sadly burst shot will still shoot only 2 shells. 
• Target Priority This node can help certain weapons reach needed breakpoints in Havoc. Really good in combo with hard hitting weapons (Melee and Ranged).
• March Meme node to run with Ius Mk IV Shredder Autopistol. Not needed in other scenarios.
• Monstrosity Hunter Really strong node, but it's taxed by Street Smarts pathing.

Forceful part:

• Hold the Line Damage reduction vs melee attacks, shines even more in combo with Concussive.
• Target the Weak Another friend of Concussive node, gives damage this time.
• The Emperor's Fist Additional damage vs beefy targets. Impact part enables staggering Bulwark and Crusher more easily.
• Drive them Back Easy accessible cleave node. Almost always a grab for any melee build.
• Final Warning This node can help you reach certain breakpoints for havoc specials, but 5s duration is not that long and it won't work in prolonged shooting scenarios. So I'm personally skipping this node in the majority of my builds. 
• Weight of the Lex Good node for weapons with mixed movesets. If you are using Tactical Axe 2 or 7, swap this node for Strike Down.
• Strike Down Great source of rending in combo with Concussive. Best used with: Indignatus Mk IVe Crusher or Tactical Axes or Chain Swords. Not needed for Arbites unique weapons, because they have only 20% damage reduction vs Carapace.
• True Grit I have mixed feelings about this node. It's totally unnecessary in Auric (Maybe use it while learning the game) and in Havoc you have ~150HP, but corruption from damage applies before health damage, so you will end with almost full purple hp after eating an overhead. Don't eat overheads in Havoc and avoid this node, gamers.

Build skeleton examples:

So here we are at the section where we should look at the desired weapon and understand what pros and cons it has and adapt our build according to those things. Maybe your melee weapon lacks a good horde clear, so we close that con by picking Hammer of Judgement .  Or we are running low armor damage weapons, so we close that weakness by grabbing Strike Down. There are tons of valid combinations, so I can't list them all here. Explore the game, inspect your weapons in the armory and adapt accordingly. Best working builds are builds with good synergies.

Melee Lone Wolf build skeleton:

With Lone Wolf we can play either Execution Order with Crit Melee weapons (Axes,Chain Sword) or we can play Forceful  with any Arbites weapon.

For the ranged option for melee builds I strongly recommend Godwyn-Branx Mk IV Bolt Pistol , because it performs insanely well without any point investments.

Imo there is no point in running Lone Wolf ranged build at all, because your Cyber-Mastiff is just way too good and it will lift a lot of pressure from you, while you can work on those priority targets.

Build examples:

1. https://darktide.gameslantern.com/builds/9f362c74-5f5a-4274-a25d-e0786ae4e553/forceful-castigator-lw-melee-h40
2. https://darktide.gameslantern.com/builds/9f36b767-43c8-412f-875e-b23bf76ae3f0/eo-charge-lw-cc-monster-h40
3. https://darktide.gameslantern.com/builds/9f360cac-965f-4910-a6b2-5d912b5333dd/eo-castigator-lw-melee-h40

Cyber-Mastiff build skeleton:

If we are playing Cyber-Mastiff build, we should always use Remote Detonation and Execution Order, you just can't get any better performing synergy in the whole tree. It's still possible to run any melee weapon with Execution Order, but you just have to invest a lot in the Forceful part of the skill tree. 

Build examples:

1. https://darktide.gameslantern.com/builds/9f4a9023-0702-46ae-bd19-dbff05d0858e/ultimate-support-arbitesdog-h40
2. https://darktide.gameslantern.com/builds/9f367b0d-fbfa-4669-b874-afdd7fde263a/eo-castigator-dog-melee-h40

Thx for reading that wall of text! I hope it was helpful! Have a great time in DarkTide! XOXO