Best Darktide weapons
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Best Darktide weapons

The best Darktide weapons will keep the hordes at bay in the FPS game, and stop those oppressive Scab Maulers from caving your head in

Best Darktide weapons: a group of scruffy soldiers stand in a line, holding their horrific weapons close
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Warhammer 40k Darktide 

The best Darktide weapons aren’t only tools of destruction, they’re a means of keeping you and your squad safe. They’re used for tearing anything that looks remotely fleshy and are vital in carving a path so that you and yours can live to fight another day. The question is, though; which of these Warhammer 40,000 weapons does their job the best?

Whenever you venture out on the Emperor’s orders in the FPS game, you’ll have two things on hand; a melee weapon, and a gun. By increasing your Darktide trust levels, you can access shops to buy new gear. Your melee weapons are used when the horde gets a bit too close for comfort, or simply as a plan B should you run out of ammo – they’re powerful, but lack damage when you come up against something with armour in the co-op game. Your guns, however, generally lack the ability to take out huge groups of enemies due to ammo constraints but can be great at single-target takedowns, no matter which of the Darktide classes you choose.

Best Darktide melee weapons

Here are the best melee weapons in Warhammer 40,000 Darktide:

  • Catachan Mk I ‘Devil’s Claw’ Sword: A crowd control melee weapon, its high cleave damage means you’ll be cutting through those Pox Walkers like a hot sword through butter. Big horizontal swings can hit multiple enemies at once, although your single-target damage may be lacking.
  • Cadia Mk IV Assault Chainsword: A jack of all trades, the Chainsword has decent cleave damage, meaning it can take on multiple enemies at once, and its special attack sees you rev the weapon up to chew through a single target.
  • Crucis Mk II Thunder Hammer: It’s a giant hammer with a battery attached, simple as that. Its heavy attack is a huge horizontal swing, capable of hitting multiple enemies at once, while its special attack charges the hammer with electricity, dealing absurd damage to a single target.

Best Darktide guns

Here are the best guns in Warhammer 40,000 Darktide:

  • Kantrael MG Infantry Lasgun: A semi-automatic laser rifle capable of inflicting excellent damage to a single target. Not great at dealing with large groups of enemies, you’ll want to stay behind your teammates in order to pick off powerful individual targets.
  • Ius Mk II Shredder Autopistol: A mobile, full-automatic gun, the Autopistol doesn’t slow you down when facing the hordes of Pox Walkers. With its large clip size and high rate of fire, you’ll be able to mow down weaker enemies in their hundreds, but may struggle when it comes to armoured foes.
  • Lawbringer Mk VI Combat Shotgun: A pump-action shotgun with a high enough fire rate that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was an automatic. High damage and enough pellet spread to deal with groups of enemies and single targets alike. It does, however, take a long time to reload, so get ready to unsheathe your melee weapon should things get too busy.

There you have the best Darktide weapons, the absolute best tools of destruction you have available in the multiplayer game. Doing the Emperor’s bidding is dangerous work, so you’ll need to make the best Darktide Veteran build or best Darktide Psyker build for long-range combat or the best Darktide Ogryn build or the best Darktide Zealot build for those who want to get their hands dirty.

Weapons are not the only thing you can unlock via the shop, as there are also Darktide cosmetics for each class, with more requiring the completion of Darktide Penances. As always, diligence is duty, praise the Empire, and learn whether Darktide crossplay is a thing.

When he's not writing guides at PCGamesN, PK is usually found waiting for the respawn timer in League of Legends, hanging around a tavern in Baldur's Gate 3, or fighting his way through the Settled Systems in Starfield. PK's extensive knowledge of video games is matched only by his extensive wardrobe of flannel shirts, which he has been curating since he was born, proving he was always meant to be a games journalist. He watches an episode of Star Trek every night before bed, and he loves toast, even though it makes him feel a bit sick. Buttery goodness exacts a heavy toll, one that he's willing to pay.