The Fighter in Dark And Darker is a versatile class capable of wielding pretty much every single weapon in the game. You are likely to start your journey into the game with this class. Its shield, in particular, is fantastic for learning the attack patterns of various skeletons and mummies.

RELATED: Dark And Darker: Class Guide

This guide covers the best beginner and late-game builds for the Fighter, as well as the best perks, abilities, and some gameplay tips to help you get started.

We updated this information on February 7, 2023, for the February playtest of the game. The Fighter was largely untouched in terms of tweaks and buffs, but we have added more information regarding Fighter solo queue players & the best weapons to use in the game.

Fighter Class Overview

The Fighter is an excellent class for new players. With no real strengths or weaknesses one way or the other, you are able to focus purely on getting to grips with the game's mechanics - how to loot, how to defend yourself, and how to extract.

• Pros
  • Well-rounded class
  • Can use a variety of weapons
  • Can sprint
  • Can act as a Tank in a team set-up (combined with a Cleric you can have a really strong frontline to protect a Ranger or Wizard)

• Cons
  • Relies on equipment to scale in power
  • Can't cast spells
  • Can become very slow when wearing Heavy Armor

Here's a closer look at the Fighter's perks and abilities.

Fighter Perks And Abilities

Perks
Barricade	When using your shield or in a defensive stance, your physical defense is increased by 5%
Combo Attack	Each successful hit increases your damage (inside 3 seconds)
Counterattack	If you parry/defend you get an increase to movement and attack speed for 3 seconds
Defense Expert	Gives you 10% more AR (Armor Rating) on equipment
Dual Wield	You get 7% faster attack speed if you're holding a weapon in both hands
Projectile Resistance	Damage from ranged projectiles decreased by 10%
Shield Expert	5% extra movement speed while using shield defensively
Swift	Gives you a speed boost when you've got heavy armor on, reduces speed penalty for armor by 20%
Weapon Mastery	All primary/secondary weapons are available to you, you have a 20% damage penalty to weapons that are not native to your class
Abilities
Adrenaline Rush	Grants a burst of speed, attack speed for 6 seconds (25% increase), you suffer a penalty after the ability ends (slows you down again)
Breakthrough	Activating this will remove movement speed debuffs
Second Wind	Gives you a 50% health regen over 12 seconds, works to remove the Adrenaline Rush debuff
Sprint	Gives you a movement speed increase
Taunt	Increases monster aggro, improves your defense
Victory Strike	Your next attack deals 20% extra damage - if this kills an enemy, you get 5% of your HP

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In Dark And Darker, you can take one perk from the start of the game, but must level your character to gain access to other perks - one perk at level 0, then unlocked at level 5, level 10, and level 15.

Starter Fighter Perks And Abilities

There are a few options for your starter perk with Fighter, and it really depends on how you want to play. For a total beginner, we recommend you take Barricade for defense or Swift to give you better movement speed.

In terms of abilities, we think that Second Wind is crucial because of the health regen, and Sprint is very important because of the power of movement speed in Dark And Darker. Whether it's running away, dodging skeletones, or chasing an enemy player, Sprint can be the make or break of a successful run.

Is The Fighter Any Good As A Solo Class?

The Fighter is a very reliable solo class because of your extreme survivability. Not only do you have the shield to block obvious incoming damage and telegraphed attacks from enemies, you'll also be able to get a chance to regenerate HP with your Second Wind ability.

Even after the nerfs to Goblins in the solo queue Goblin Cave, Fighters are still one of the best classes to deal with Goblins because you can block a lot of their attacks. Find out about the best classes for solo queue here.

Max Level Fighter Build

At level 20, you'll have access to four perks in total. We've created a sample four-perk build for a late-game Fighter, but you can definitely experiment with different variations.

We've opted to keep the same abilities as the starter build as we think they are still both extremely useful, both for solo play and team play. If you are running with a Cleric you might consider dropping Second Wind and replacing it with Adrenaline Rush for engaging with enemies.

In terms of perks, this is where the versatility of the Fighter comes in to play, and your perk choices might differ depending on your playstyle.

• Swift - Movement speed is king. We can't see how you could remove this perk from the build.
• Projectile Resistance - Ranged damage is such a big deal in Dark And Darker, both from skeleton archers and enemy Rangers. Having a little extra defense can really help.
• Combo Attack - The Fighter is all about closing down space and getting into enemy's faces. This combo attack can help stack attack speed for close-range engagements.
• Defense Expert - 10% extra AR is actually pretty significant, especially when you've got some decent armor sets on.

RELATED: Best Solo Classes In Dark And Darker

Best Fighter Gear To Look Out For

The Fighter can wield any weapon if you're using the Weapon Mastery perk, which means you get a lot of choice when it comes to the weapon you want to use.

For example, the Fighter with a bow is extremely strong. You can swap out from your sword/axe and then deal ranged damage as well with no damage penalty.

In the early game, however, we recommend you stick with the shield. This is the idea tool to learn enemy attack patterns and to give yourself a fighting chance against other players.

Gear with movement speed and + to all attributes are what you're looking out for, but typically just pick up the best gear in terms of AR that you can find during the beginning.

One of the best weapons for the Fighter is the Spear. This weapon can deal excellent damage from a medium range, which allows you to easily bypass Barbarians, catch up to Rogues and Rangers, and even dodge around a Fighter's shield. While the Halberd is also a ranged weapon, you can't thrust with it, which makes the Spear the superior choice.

Fighter Gameplay Tips

Here are a few tips to help you improve your Fighter gameplay.

• Combat in Dark And Darker is directional, i.e, you need to aim your shield block where the attack is coming from. This applies to both enemy players and skeletons/other monsters. Just something to keep in mind.
• Even though the Fighter has better defense than other classes, you still shouldn't engage with multiple players unless you feel very confident.
• Use your Sprint and Adrenaline Rush (if you picked it up) to get out of sticky situations, or to close the gap on squishy enemies like Wizards and Rangers.
• Second Wind is typically the most popular skill for new players, as it essentially gives you a second chance with full HP.

NEXT: Dark And Darker: Beginner Guide