The grimdark world ofWarhammer 40,000: Darktideis not one you’d want to live in without some serious protection. Even with the wide arsenal of melee and ranged weaponry that the rejects trying to save Tertium Hive have, it isn’t always enough.
The threat of chaos grows daily, which is whythe Adeptus Arbiteshave come to lend their skills to the fray. The iron fists of Imperial law, the Arbites and their canine companions have some specialist weaponry to add to the fight, and the skills to use them effectively, but some of these weapons are better suited than others are.
10Exterminator Shotgun
A Certain Chaos Problem
A new addition to the shotguns that are a common weapon of underhives everywhere. The Exterminator Shotgun is a special tool used by the Arbites for “pacification” of their enemies at close range. It is similar to the other shotguns in the game with a surprising amount of range when aimed, at the loss of damage.
It excels at crowd control though, with firing from the hip the mainstay that allows it to do damage to a handful of enemies at a time. The specialty ammo you can load in this weapon is an electrified pellet that allows it to stun enemies instead of blowing them apart outright, which makes it a solid choice at the start, and one you can upgrade to allow for more horde-based defense.
9Subductor Shotpistol & Riot Shield
The One-Two Punch
The first ranged weapon & shield combo was added to Darktide. The Subductor Shotpistol & Riot Shield is an interesting combination and one that takes some time to get used to. A revolver that shoots shotgun shells is a powerful weapon at close to medium range, but isn’t the most accurate, and the limited ammo is a hindrance.
More often than not, you’ll find yourself using it to pick off enemies and then switching to your other weapon for more large-scale or frustrating threats. Blessings like Run & Gun, Speedload, and Scattershot ease the learning curve of the weapon, but it takes a while to maximize your talents with it.
8Arbites Shock Maul
A Shocking Addition
The Arbites Shock Maul is one of the first weapons you’ll have access to in this new class, and there’s a good chance if you enjoy the class, you will enjoy this weapon.
It has some wide swings that don’t often instant-kill enemies, instead staggering them for follow-up blows. When combined with another melee teammate, you can easily field this weapon to stun & kill whole hordes, or at least cut your way through one. It doesn’t hold out in comparison to some of the other more specialized weapons in the armory.
7Crusher
Swing For The Fences
A welcome addition to the Arbites armory forfans of the zealot class. The Crusher is a punishing two-handed melee weapon that can be beneficial if you want to run, and the Arbites focus on wading into throngs of enemies. It is good for wide swings that injure and kill smaller enemies while keeping an arc of distance between you and your foes.
In addition, the focused heavy attack can one-hit quite a few enemies, even armored ones. It doesn’t have as much of a gap in power as you would hope from some of the one-handed mauls in Darktide which is unfortunate considering its slower swing.
6Double-Barreled Shotgun
The Ye Olde Solution
Not every solution tothe chaos problem of 40khas to be high-tech. The Double-Barreled Shotgun is a more recent addition to the arsenal that comes with the Arbites. It may seem a little too retro, but it can cut through heretics with relative ease.
The aimed-fire option will let you brace and fire both barrels at the same time, cutting down a swath of pox walkers or doing incredible damage to one larger enemy. It has a surprising range to it, but to get the most bang out of this bang-stick you’ll want each pellet to hit the target. This is the perfect option for an Arbiter who wants to focus on close-quarters combat.
Having a Double-Barrel with the Priority Endowment trait will add a third shot to the magazine. Despite that not making any sense.
5Combat Axe
Chop Chop
The Combat Axe has been a staple for Darktide players for some time now, and Arbiters are definitely not above wielding it with glee. It is incredibly fast for a melee weapon, allowing for sudden strikes even on enemies that appear out of nowhere.
It doesn’t have the highest damage, but with the right amount of movement and speed, you can often get multiple hits on an enemy before they injure you once. Brutal Momentum, Limb Splitter, and Decapitator also further this. The specialty attack is an uppercut that does increased damage to armored enemies, softening them up for follow-up blows.
4Assault Chainsword
“A More Elegant Weapon…”
A mainstay for long-term Darktide players,the Arbites classis not without the option to use the Chainsword as well. It makes for a well-balanced melee weapon that is available fairly early on in the level. It has a fair amount of rending and cleaving to it that allows for devastating strikes to unarmored enemies.
It is fairly fast, has good damage, and can be upgraded to hit harder when attacks are chained together, which means it can carry you fairly well in medium-difficulty engagements. It loses steam in comparison to more specialized melee weapons, but it’s a great fallback for any class.
3Bolt Pistol
Commissar At The Ready
A slightly less unwieldy version of the larger Boltgun, the Bolt Pistol is a powerful weapon that is only limited by its fire rate and ammo capacity. It can one or two-hit most enemies, even including elite units, but its recoil and accuracy are slightly better than the larger rifle variant.
Using the Bolt Pistol to pick off troublesome enemies at a medium range is the best use of this ranged weapon to limit excess ammo usage. Waiting to incorporate this weapon fully until the boss section or horde area of a mission can be a great way to not get caught empty-handed at range.
This is a solid choice for those who want to move through the battlefield quickly, keeping up with the zealot class in melee.
A 40k Staple
A cornerstone of the Warhammer 40,000 experience. Bolters are as grimdark as they come, and while they usually aren’t meant for everyday humans, certain patterns are adjusted for mortal hands. The Spearhead Boltgun is a devastating weapon that is part rifle, part rocket-launcher.
Each shot is devastating, but the limited ammo and heavy recoil limit the weapon. It is great for the Arbites class when combined with a melee weapon that is good at crowd control. Using the Boltgun as a specialty weapon to kill groups of enemies and to single-shot elite units can drastically ease even the most difficult missions.
The ability to add stacks of bleed and brittleness to enemies injured by the Boltgun can greatly benefit using this weapon as a boss-killer.
1Shock Maul & Suppression Shield
Uphold The Lex
The next logical step in the line of mauls that the Arbites arm themselves with. This is a great choice for most players who want to get the purest form of what the Arbites class has going for it.
The shock maul is a solid weapon that knocks out and stuns enemies with relative ease. Hits to weak spots on low-level enemies are often kills, but a blow with a special hit is enough to stagger enemies long enough for a follow-up charged attack. The Suppression Shield blocks incoming attacks, which is great for when ranged enemies get a bead on you too.
Blocked attacks work towards filling the gauge for the special stun attack. The shield is even capable of blocking heavy attacks from elite enemies.
