Are you a Warhammer 40k: Darktide player looking for the best weapons to equip in your Veteran loadout? You’ve come to the right place! With so many different weapon types and combinations, it can be difficult finding which arms will get you through even the toughest fights. But don’t worry – we’re here to help.
In this blog post, we’ll break down exactly which weapons are optimal for Veteran Sharpshooters when creating a build that’ll take you all the way up to Heresy difficulty levels. So let’s dive in and see what deadly weapons are available for your next Veteran build in Darktide!
Why Play as the Veteran
“Beware of veterans in professions where men and women die young.” Surviving veterans of the Astra Militarum should be feared and valued as seasoned warriors who have served in the Emperor’s name for many years. Veteran sharpshooters are among thousands who have managed to retire from the Imperial Guard, each soldier a well-trained marksman capable of outshooting any heretic.
Veterans know how to make every shot count and are skilled in the use of over a dozen weapons enlisted in the Astra Militarum, making them the strongest ranged class in Darktide. With a plethora of guns to choose from, we have found five that will elevate your Reject Veteran into an intimidating sharpshooter.
Veteran’s Top 5 Best Weapons in Darktide
1. Kantrael MG XII Infantry Lasgun
We wouldn’t dare rank Darktide’s weapons without mentioning a Lasgun, especially for the Veteran. All infantry Lasguns are exceptionally powerful, but the Kantrael MG XII is our favorite within the Lasgun family.
This version of the Lasgun has fantastic stability, high mobility, great damage, and a lot of ammunition. All of these are extremely important for landing accurate headshots, particularly when the Veteran’s role is to eliminate other ranged enemies such as Gunners.
Newer fans of the Warhammer 40K series might underestimate the Lasgun, as it is underwhelming in a universe filled with monstrous weapons. The Lasgun is exceptionally reliable, boasting long-range effectiveness, great stability, and precision; its downsides are few. No matter the situation, a Lasgun will never fail you.
Suppose you want to fulfill the role of a true Veteran and want to use the Kantrael MG XII Infantry Lasgun. In that case, we recommend using the Deadly Accurate or Headhunter Blessings to maximize your damage and increase your critical chance.
2. Standard-Issue Munitorum Sapper Shovel
The Sapper Shovel is the first melee weapon a new Veteran player will use since it is another staple tool of the Imperial Guard. The Shovel is fun, and lots of players will ditch it as soon as another weapon becomes available in the shop, but we insist that you give this weapon another chance.
The Sapper Shovel is a versatile weapon; in other words, it is a “jack of all trades, master of none.” It is an excellent option for cleaving hordes with reliable crowd control and has a fantastic push attack. Aside from its offensive purposes, we recommend the Sapper Shovel because of its high mobility, high dodge cap, and its ability to get enemies off you so you can reposition.
The Sapper Shovel may not be the most damaging melee weapon, but it is a great option to improve your mobility and help you get back to using your Lasgun quickly.
If you want to embrace the full standard Guardsmen look and pair your Lasgun with a Sapper Shovel, we recommend using Decimator, Hammerblow, Thrust, or Uncanny Strike Blessings.
Related Guide: What is Power in Darktide?
3. Munitorum MK III Power Sword
The Munitorum MK III Power Sword is a highly offensive melee weapon that is surprisingly limited only to Veterans. If you’re a bit jealous of the Zealot swinging around a Thunder Hammer and want to use a lesser equivalent of Space Marine weaponry, we recommend the Power Sword.
The Power Sword is a small sword wreathed in an energy field, allowing the blade to slice through armor and flesh like butter when powered up. It has a unique Activate feature that temporarily empowers the weapon with energy, enabling you to cut through a dozen Poxwalkers in one strike or easily penetrate a Crusher’s armor.
The Power Sword has some of the best Cleave and DPS in Darktide, but it also has quite a few downsides. This weapon has abysmal defensive weapon stats, including some of the worst stamina efficiency for sprinting or blocking. Moreover, it has a low dodge limit and requires frequent re-energizing to use its enhanced attacks.
If you can handle an aggressive playstyle and enjoy hacking your enemies to pieces, we recommend using the Power Cycler Blessing to increase the uptime of the weapons-enhanced mode. Alternatively, the Slaughterer Blessing is fantastic for improving your raw damage.
4. Locke Mk IIb Spearhead Boltgun Weapon for the Veteran Class in Darktide
Boltguns are the most iconic weapon in the Warhammer 40K Universe. This version of the Boltgun is a variant of an old Adeptus Arbites design. Boltguns are widely known for their reliability and stopping power and are often referred to as a status or rank. These Veteran weapons deal insanely high damage with each shot, and since each bullet is akin to a miniature rocket-powered missile, they are also AOE.
Boltguns are great for every situation and have loads of stopping power, damage, and pierce-through armor. Even with so much power in the hands of a mere mortal, there are some limitations to the weapon. Every time you equip a Boltgun, you must pull the charging handle back before firing. Along with a lengthy reload time, this gun has a lot of downtime.
However, when you fire a Boltgun, assume whatever is on the other end of the barrel will die in a matter of a few seconds or more. We recommended this weapon for the Zealot, but the Lasgun is better suited for the Veteran for a few reasons. The Veteran will primarily use their ranged weapon, while the Zealot is a more melee-focused class.
The Boltgun is still a devastating weapon, but it’s not as fantastic on the Veteran since they will run out of ammo faster than a Zealot, even with the increased ammo reserves.
Still, if you can balance your ammo and want to use this immensely powerful gun, then we recommend using the Pinning Fire, Shattering Impact, or Surgical Blessing.
5. M35 Magnacore Mk II Plasma Gun
The Plasma Gun is another ranged weapon that is exclusive to the Veteran. The Plasma Gun fires an energized ball of hydrogen-based plasma, which makes them devastating weapons, but they are prone to overheating. This great Darktide weapon is jokingly referred to as “firing the power of the sun,” and it certainly feels like it.
The Plasma Gun’s power level is on a scale to the Boltgun, giving it the capability of one-shotting all Elite and Specialist enemies. It can penetrate through multiple enemies and walls with a charged shot. However, the Plasma Gun generates Heat, which needs to be vented out before firing the weapon again.
If this weapon reaches critical levels, the weapon will explode, as if you were a Psyker who couldn’t manage their Peril. This weapon also has a long reload, and we recommend getting a Reload Speed Perk. The Plasma Gun also isn’t ideal for dealing with hordes, but if enough Poxwalkers line up, you can undoubtedly blast through at least 20 of them.
This weapon definitely takes some getting used to, but learning to use this gun will turn you into the big game hunter you always wanted to be. If one-shotting Elites, Specials, and bursting down bosses is fun, we recommend using the Volatile or Gets Hot! Blessing.
6. Catachan Mk I “Devil’s Claw” Sword
The Devil’s Claw Sword is another standard weapon that many Veterans will try out in Darktide’s early game, and many will agree it’s a solid weapon. We specifically enjoy using the Mk I variant for its mix of Vanguard and Relentless attack types in Darktide, which gives you a lot of Cleave power. The Devil’s Claw Sword also has Finesse which does additional damage for hitting weak points, along with high mobility. This is a great all-purpose weapon.
The Devil’s Claw Sword isn’t as flashy as other weapons, but it gets the job done with its decent crowd control and special Parry move. If you believe this is your type of weapon, we recommend using the Shred, Rampage, or Savage Sweep Blessings.
7. Atrox Mk VII Tactical Axe
If you are looking for a weapon that’s like the Devil’s Claw Sword but prefer to have more armor-piercing power instead of Cleave, this Tactical Axe is another excellent choice. The Atrox Mk VII Tactical Axe shares the great mobility and defenses the Devil’s Claw Sword has but offers more Strikedown and Assassin moves to chop open armored opponents in duels.
The Tactical Axe offers tons of power against Elites and gains bonus Critical Chance but lacks in Cleave or AOE. It’s a tremendous dueling weapon that offers excellent mobility and a high dodge limit. If you believe this assassin’s weapon sounds like a great option, we recommend using the Decimator, Brutal Momentum, or Headtaker Blessings.
Disclaimer for Our Best Darktide Veteran Weapons List
Before we conclude, we want to give a quick disclaimer for our rankings. We are not ranking these weapons in order; we think our choices are currently among the best options for Veterans to equip.
We also made our picks based on how each weapon performs on Heresy difficulty and above. Every weapon in Darktide is at least moderately viable, and if you enjoy using a weapon that’s not mentioned on our list, that’s completely fine. Yet, if you want to max your next build, these Veteran weapon picks won’t steer your wrong.
Wrap Up on the Best Weapons for Veterans in Darktide
Those are our picks for the best weapons for Veterans in Darktide. Have faith in the Emperor and make every shot count. There are plenty of other options we didn’t mention, like the Combat Blade or the Chainsword, so let us know if you have any other builds or weapons you like.
If you enjoyed our list and want to learn more about Darktide, check out our list of the best Curio Perks and top weapon blessings for your next build in Darktide. Good hunting, Rejects!
