Fatshark's transition from Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to Warhammer 40,000: Darktide meant it had to rethink its core combat principles. Ranged weapons were more of a luxury in Warhammer: Vermintide 2, serving as a way to thin hordes of enemies before finishing them off with melee combat. by contrast, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's futuristic setting and variety of firearms mean the developers has to make guns play a bigger part. Though the Zealot Preacher, Psyker Psykinetic, and Ogryn Skullbreaker all possess the ability to wield some strong shooters, no class is more adept than the Veteran Sharpshooter.
A savant when it comes to ranged weaponry, the Veteran Sharpshooter serves as a great starting point for those unfamiliar with Fatshark's brand. The Veteran Sharpshooter may lack the close-range capabilities of some other classes, but it more than makes up for that with its wide variety of ranged weapons, deep ammo reserves, and unique mid- to far-range abilities. Those who would prefer picking off enemies at a distance will find a lot to love about the class, as it serves as a jack-of-all-trades in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
Veteran Sharpshooter Packs Ammunition For Days
Those who start with the Zealot Preacher, Psyker Psykinetic, or Ogryn Skullbreaker may find these classes are lacking in ammunition. While they possess some strong ranged weapons, finding ammo gets harder on Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's higher difficulties. Not only do higher-health enemies spawn, but the increased number of Elites and Monstrosities will make players rely on their guns more often.
The Veteran Shaprshooter suffers no such problems, mostly due to its Be Prepared passive ability, which drastically increases the carrying capacity of ammunition. Having a Veteran Sharpshooter also means their Scavenger passive will allow team members to regain ammunition on every Elite kill. Aside from ammunition, the Veteran Sharpshooter can also pick up the Demolition Stockpile and Demolition Team feats, allowing them to regenerate a Frag Grenade every 60 seconds and giving the whole strike team a 5 percent chance to gain a grenade on every kill, respectively. Considering grenades are their only method of crowd control, Veteran Sharpshooters are as reliant on the Frag Grenade Blitz ability as they are on their firearms.
Veteran Sharpshooter Provides Hellfire From a Distance
The majority of the Veteran Sharpshooter's feats and abilities are closely tied to their ranged expertise. Their Volley Fire class ability grants a ranged damage increase of 50 percent and highlights all Elite, non-Ogryn enemies so that they can pick them off easier (further upgraded with the Bio-Optic Targeting feat that highlights all Elite enemy types for the team). Make Every Shot Count is a passive ability that allows the Veteran Sharpshooter to deal 15 percent extra damage when shooting an enemy weak spot. Coupled with the Sniper feat that increases damage up to 20 percent based on distance from a target, the Veteran Sharpshooter is deadlier the farther he is from his enemies.
The Veteran Sharpshooter is a good starting class, and is even viable for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's endgame content. Most players tend to adopt a more ranged style on higher difficulties, as they can pick enemies off without fear of getting hit. This just so happens to be where the Veteran Sharpshooter shines, as the class can enable their team with increased ammo and grenades while providing covering fire. Other classes like the Ogryn Skullbreaker might specialize in the more nuanced forms of combat, but when it comes to being an all-rounder, there is no class better than the Veteran Sharpshooter.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.