Fatshark, developer of upcoming hack-and-slash Warhammer 40k Darktide, has shared new information on the video game’s Zealot: Preacher class. A class spotlight video shows the character laying waste to Chaos hordes, while an article on the Darktide website dives deeper into the nitty gritty inner workings of the Preacher class, one of multiple class options that’ll be available for the Zealot character archetype.
With a starting loadout of an autopistol and a combat axe, Fatshark says the Zealot: Preacher class is suited to “players who prefer a more aggressive, in-your-face type of playstyle”. Class abilities include increased attack speed, a melee dash ability, and the power to sometimes resist lethal damage, so you’re naturally encouraged to get right up in the thick of things and preach in person. In melee, you can apparently deal effectively with vast hordes of enemies, while also dishing out good damage to armoured opponents.
There’s also a health management aspect to mastering Darktide’s Zealot: Preacher. You’ll do more damage the more injured you are, but push yourself past the limit and you’ll quickly get into trouble. Fatshark’s blogpost warns that “the flow of combat can be particularly hectic when you actively put yourself in the thick of it.”
Darktide’s Zealot: Preacher sounds a bit like a Warhammer 40k version of Viktor Saltzpyre’s Zealot career from Vermintide 2. Obviously, they’re linked by a name, but it seems as though some of the abilities will be the same too – the death defiance and increased damage sound like versions of Vermintide 2’s Heart of Iron and Fiery Fury abilities. Saltzpyre never used a Stumm Grenade, however, as far as we know.
The Zealot: Preacher is the first Darktide class to receive a spotlight outlining its abilities and party role. The blogpost and video were posted on September 30, and we’d expect to see similar dossiers on the range of classes available for the Veteran, Psyker, and Ogryn well before Warhammer Darktide releases (assuming no more delays) on November 30. There’ll presumably also be a few more subclasses for the Zealot too. Check out our Warhammer 40k Darktide guide for the very latest updates and details on the game’s beta.