The cooperative shooter Warhammer 40,000: Darktide regularly receives new updates and DLCs with new content. The latest DLC brings the sixth class into the game, the Hive Scum, or in English: Hive Scum. MyMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was allowed to play it in advance and has only one criticism: at release, he has to level it up again.
I have to admit that I prefer playing Vermintide over Darktide. This is not only because the levels in Vermintide look much prettier, but especially because of the 5 iconic heroes and their constant bickering on missions.
Darktide takes a different approach with customizable, but nameless anti-heroes and branching skill trees instead of “careers” for each character. More freedom at the cost of distinct characters.
Now, however, the developers have invited us to test the new update in advance. With the 2nd DLC, the “Hive Scum” enters the game, lowly gang members from the most dangerous areas of the Hive City.
Last time, I found the free content of the update better than the Arbites – this time I couldn’t get enough of playing the new class. By the Emperor, I have never had so much fun in Darktide!
New weapons and a unique damage type
First of all: Who is the Hive Scum actually? Lore-wise, the Hive Scum are members of various gangs based in Atoma.
In Warhammer 40,000 there are massive Hives with billions of people and correspondingly large underworlds. The gangs usually fight among themselves in the “Underhive”, beneath the “normal” citizens, but they definitely have connections to the nobility.
Darktide implements this fantasy by giving the character a highly skilled fighter who, however, has no training whatsoever. A lot of shooting without sense or reason. To this, the Hive Scum gets some new content:
- Dual pistols, dual submachine guns, and the iconic needle pistol as new ranged weapons
- Crowbars, chainsaws, and double shivs as new melee weapons
- Grenades that can either poison or stun enemies
- Customization options exclusively for the Hive Scum with new hairstyles, tattoos, skins, and of course voice lines for more banter between the characters
As with all other classes, there are different playstyles, but with the Hive Scum, they differ much more: Chemists fight with their stims and grenades to deal (also new) poison damage. Daredevils smash through the enemy masses in melee. But the pistol heroes are the true centerpieces.
As a Desperado through Atoma with endless magazine
While playing, I initially decided to try out a pistol build and by the end of the test had no chance to do anything else. Too much fun with the shooting.
Normally, Darktide has a notorious ammunition shortage. Not for desperados, because they have a proverbial Hollywood magazine: the “Desperado” ability means I don’t consume any ammo while reloading during the effect’s duration.
By default, the skill lasts only a few seconds, but every kill on marked enemies extends the duration. As long as enough enemies rush in – and there are plenty of those in Darktide – I can run around endlessly in Desperado mode shooting away. Wonderful!
But the best part is yet to come: pistols (and especially SMGs) are now known for their inaccuracy, especially when carrying two of them. Here come the new combat stims into play, as the Hive Scum simply mixes them himself.
The private chemistry lab for the right kick
In addition to talents, the Hive Scum has another menu, a lab, where he assembles his own stims. There are four predefined directions for different playstyles and benefits.
The buffs are limited by points you can invest. Depending on how far you go in a certain direction, the effects become more expensive. In my case, I tailored the stim to the Desperado:
- Under the influence of the combat drug, I have less spread and recoil, thus hitting more accurately even from the hip.
- My attack speed is greatly increased and my stamina costs are lowered, so I can rush through enemies while shooting wildly.
- In addition, my abilities cooldown quicker, allowing me to use Desperado more often if the buff runs out.
With the combination of skills and stims, I dart through the levels like a John Wick with significantly less precision, but incredibly like a rabid Chihuahua. Particularly handy is that the skill replaces the standard stims, meaning you always run around with it and don’t have to find something first. A nice touch: Chemists can distribute the effects of their stims to their teammates similarly to a medikit.
Oh yes, the Hive Scum also has a rocket launcher as an alternative to grenades for mighty kaboom. Even the Ogryn should be worried.
Free content lures with nostalgia for Warhammer veterans
The Hive Scum DLC will cost €11.99 in the standard version and €18.99 in the deluxe edition with additional cosmetics. On December 2, the DLC will be released alongside a free update.
In the update, all players will gain access to a new mini-campaign with 3 maps set in the trenches of Atoma. “The Road to No Man’s Land” uses assets reminiscent of the gothic style of terrain from the Warhammer tabletop.
While I played the missions, the environment was truly secondary to me. I just wanted to shoot and had a blast with the Hive Scum. The only problem: there aren’t that many players on the press server, so I spent most of the time with bots, and that… is exhausting.
I experienced the class at max level and now that I know how much fun it is, I really have to push through at release if I have to start over. But at least I know it’s worth it.
What I really need to try is the needle pistol. This is an iconic weapon from the Warhammer universe and is used by assassins among others. And if there’s one thing Warhammer does well, it’s absurd and absolutely cool weapons: Almost all known armies in Warhammer 40,000 use bolters, but what exactly is that?
