Darktide is one of the few Warhammer 40K games that really amps up the brutality of the licence in ways you would want from it. The violence and gore shine as you gun down, or clobber to death, endless waves of enemies as you progress from one objective to the next. And, as expendable fodder, the odds are almost always stacked against you.
Just this past week, Darktide has unleashed a class I’ve been waiting for for some time now. The Adeptus Mechanicus are one of my favorite factions across the lore, and with the Skitarii update, we finally are able to take this faction into the depths of hell, all under the watchful eyes of the Omnissiah.
The Adeptus Mechanicus are a fascinating faction, given their importance across the lore. From priests and scientists, to engineers, their devotion to the Machine God fuels their very existence. They strip out elements of their humanity to achieve perfection, as long as it pleases their god. There is a reason this faction is prevalent across so many games, and I'm actually shocked at how long it took for them to appear here. Still, the wait was certainly worth it.
Unlike the starting cast, you are not plucked out of prison. Instead, you volunteer to aid in the ongoing threat. It is here, deep beneath the Hive Tertium, where Hadron, a technoarchaeologist from Forge World Urdesh, has overseen elite operatives known as the Skitarii Alpha Primus. You are one of those units. And, aided by your own Servo Skull, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Upon building your own Skitarii, you’ll choose various backstory elements, such as your own personal history to which Forge World you originate from. I also loved that you could alter your voice, changing the pitch and modulation, which is a great touch. The customization here really allows you to feel like you have a unique unit in this squad, even if some elements are shared between everyone.
The Skitarii work through a system called the Motive Engine. This triple charge system powers your classes’ distinct ability. This is charged via Capacitance which is earned either passively or through kills, and varies from regular fodder to elites. While their starting ability is nothing more than a simple AOE attack, the fact that you are constantly rushed by dozens of enemies makes this a really reliable way to deal with the horde, especially when you use it with three charges. Eventually, you'll unlock a slashing Chordclaw Strike, and Advanced Combat Doctrines, which greatly change up how you engage.
However, my favorite aspect of the Skitarii is their use of Servo Skulls. You start with a basic model that can target enemies, or accept your manual orders, but then as you work through the skill tree, you can unlock the Purgator and the Medicae models. These offer flamethrow and healing, respectively, so your choice of being deadly or a support class is up to you.
While the Servo Skulls don't do too much damage, you can shape your build to provide them a bit more leverage in battle. I loved using the Purgator, and playing a spinning flame turret on narrow pathways, forcing mobs to take flame damage while I would arc out my AOE at those who survived, electrifying them in place for a few swings of my club.
Now, equipping your Skitarii is another matter altogether. The Galvanic Rifle is your base rifle and it is a solid addition here and provides precise marksmanship. While the reload can be a tad long, especially when you are surrounded, you'll always have your melee options to clear the field and give you time to ready up again.
The Phosphor Blaster is another standout with its energy blasts, with the Transonic Blade likely taking the cake for the best overall melee option currently available; it's immensely fun.
What is different with the Skitarii when compared to the base cast is you'll have to conquer various challenges to unlock new gear as the armor store found on the Mourningstar doesn't feature any gear for the DLC characters. Instead, you'll unlock more through these challenges or via the different versions of the character pass. This is likely my only criticism as I'd prefer the store to just expand to house these new characters instead of the current situation.
The Skitarii is a standout and likely my favorite class in the game. However, that does come with some bias as I am a massive mark for the Adeptus Mechanicus. And, to be honest, this is likely my favorite method of inclusion for this class across any Warhammer 40K game; it's just that good. From the Motive Engine to the Servo Skulls, to the additions of the new rifles, it will certainly be hard to top this, should new characters be on the horizon.
Praise the Omnissiah.