Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is Fatshark's co-op FPS set in the grim darkness of the far future, where four players fight through Hive City Tertium against hordes of heretics, mutants, and Chaos-corrupted enemies. Building on the Vermintide formula, Darktide replaces fantasy melee with the Warhammer 40K universe's blend of brutal melee and ranged combat. The game's atmosphere captures the oppressive industrial gothic of 40K perfectly. Every mission drips with grime, decay, and fanatical devotion to the God-Emperor. Major updates in 2024-2025 overhauled the crafting system (removing despised RNG locks), added new classes, and expanded the mission pool, addressing the rocky launch complaints.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bolter | Veteran Sharpshooter | The iconic Warhammer 40K weapon firing explosive mass-reactive rounds. |
| Power Sword | Veteran, Zealot | A melee weapon with an activated power field (special attack) that cleaves through armored enemies. |
| Eviscerator | Zealot Preacher | A massive chainsword dealing heavy damage per swing with excellent cleave through hordes. |
| Plasma Gun | Veteran Sharpshooter | A chargeable energy weapon that fires superheated plasma. |
| Thunder Hammer | Zealot Preacher | A massive warhammer with an activated lightning strike. |
S-Tier: Bolter
The iconic Warhammer 40K weapon firing explosive mass-reactive rounds. Each bolt explodes on impact, dealing massive damage to single targets. Limited ammo means careful shot placement. The Bolter is the premier special/elite killer for Veterans.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Veteran Sharpshooter |
| Key Mechanic | class abilities |
| Recommended Role | Veteran Sharpshooter |
See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Bolter: Pairs naturally with Veteran Sharpshooter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Power Sword
A melee weapon with an activated power field (special attack) that cleaves through armored enemies. The activated swing ignores armor, making it devastating against Carapace-armored elites. The Power Sword is the best generalist melee weapon for most classes.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Veteran, Zealot |
| Key Mechanic | horde combat |
| Recommended Role | Zealot Preacher |
Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Power Sword: Pairs naturally with Zealot Preacher thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Eviscerator
A massive chainsword dealing heavy damage per swing with excellent cleave through hordes. The special attack revs the chain blade for a single devastating strike. Slower than the Power Sword but hits significantly harder.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Zealot Preacher |
| Key Mechanic | crafting system |
| Recommended Role | Ogryn Skullbreaker |
Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Eviscerator: Pairs naturally with Ogryn Skullbreaker thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Plasma Gun
A chargeable energy weapon that fires superheated plasma. Charged shots deal enormous damage but can overheat, damaging the wielder. The highest single-shot damage of any ranged weapon, melting Monstrosities and bosses.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Veteran Sharpshooter |
| Key Mechanic | mission modifiers |
| Recommended Role | Psyker Psykinetic |
Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Plasma Gun: Pairs naturally with Psyker Psykinetic thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Thunder Hammer
A massive warhammer with an activated lightning strike. The special attack one-shots most elite enemies but has the slowest attack speed of any melee weapon. Extremely satisfying when the activated swing connects.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Zealot Preacher |
| Key Mechanic | penance challenges |
| Recommended Role | All Classes |
Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Thunder Hammer: Pairs naturally with All Classes thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Hive City Tertium
- Power Sword → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Eviscerator → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Bolter → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Toughness regenerates when near teammates (coherency bonus). Stay within 15 meters of at least one ally to maintain toughness recovery. Isolated players lose their toughness buffer and die quickly.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
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