Years after its release, Fatshark's Warhammer: Vermintide 2 experienced a renaissance thanks to a brief free-to-own period on Steam. This cooperative horde-based shooter pits five unlikely heroes against the worst that the Warhammer universe has to offer, from the dastardly ratmen Skaven to the demonic Warriors of Chaos.
Vermintide teaches you a lot about how to play it right off the bat in its tutorial, but some of the nuances of its systems can be difficult to grasp when you're just starting out. This list will walk you through the things you need to know to help you survive the End Times.
8 Pick The Right Class
When starting out Vermintide 2, it can be difficult to know which character to pick. Not only are there five distinct heroes to use with their own suite of weapons, but each also has three career paths that radically alter their playstyle, with a fourth path available in DLC. Pick a character you think looks cool, but consider what class you want to play them as.
Generally, each of the three base classes can be divided into a tank, a melee fighter, and a ranged specialist. The dwarf Bardin, for example, can soak up damage as an Ironbreaker, leap into the fray as a Slayer, or take out foes from afar as a Ranger Veteran. Think about which class suits your playstyle best when selecting a character.
7 Consider Your Composition
It's not just important to pick a character you like to play, but it's also important you consider what classes everybody else in your squad is playing as well. This is especially important when playing with real players. A mishmash of the same archetypes will struggle to complement each other, whereas a more varied party can fulfill different roles.
A suite of ranged characters will likely struggle with hordes and fight over ammo, while a melee-centric party will find it difficult to take out special enemy types before they get too close. This doesn't mean you need a totally balanced party; most classes can flex a little outside their intended role. Still, it's better to be flexible when you're choosing your character.
6 Watch Out For Elites
Players of other horde-based shooters will recognize specials; they are enemies that will disable your party's abilities or movement and punish you for splitting up. Elites, though, can potentially be more dangerous. They're effectively souped-up versions of regular infantry, with far more damage and health on their side.
Stormvermin and Chaos Warriors will soak up your damage and dish it back out tenfold. Maulers and Plague Monks, meanwhile, will demolish you with a flurry of blows before you can even blink. Be on the lookout for these dangerous enemies, and avoid confronting them solo. A coordinated effort will serve you much better.
5 Don't Split The Party
Vermintide 2 is a cooperative game for a reason. There's strength in numbers, and your foes definitely recognize that, so you should too. No threat in the game is better-overcome solo, and you'll always find more success by sticking to your team and facing down enemies together.
This is especially important when it comes to specials, many of which will lock you down and prevent you from escaping without the aid of a teammate. Even outside of them, though, hordes, bosses, and everything otherwise will be much easier when you have allies at your back.
4 Use Your Push Attack
One of Vermintide 2's slightly less obvious, but important mechanics is the push attack. By holding down the attack button after pushing back enemies while blocking, you'll initiate a push attack, a quick attack with your equipped weapon.
Every weapon has its own push attack, and some of them are certainly better than others. However, the mechanic is universally good as an immediate follow-up to your push, allowing you to clear off a few of the enemies attacking you and gain some breathing room. Use your push attack often to make it easier to clear out hordes.
3 Ping Items And Enemies
Now popular in many team-based shooters, the ping feature allows you to mark enemies and items for your allies. Marking items will allow you to spread out important resources and ensure your teammates know where to find important items. Perfect for the squishier characters, Kerillian especially.
Pinging enemies, though, is even more important. Not only will your allies be able to see these strong foes, but their outline will linger even through walls. You can use this to keep track of specials and elites, especially the more slippery ones like Blightstormers.
2 Raise Your Power Level
Vermintide 2 uses a power level system, where the sum of your hero's power (their level multiplied by 10) and the average power of your equipment are added together. A higher power level increases your overall performance and will allow you to contend with enemies at higher difficulties.
High power gear can be found in chests you get by leveling up and completing levels. The best gear, though, can only be found on higher difficulties, so you should always be pushing yourself if you want to get good gear. In general, it's just a good idea to focus on raising your power level as high as possible.
1 Grab Tomes And Grimoires
There are two items in Vermintide 2 that you'll find very important to your progression: tomes and grimoires. There are three tomes and two grimoires hidden on every level, and finding them should be a top priority for you. Tomes will take up your healing slot, while grimoires will go where you would hold potions.
Holding these items can be dangerous, as you can't carry other items with you along the way. Additionally, grimoires apply a curse that reduces your maximum health. The rewards, though, are well worth it. They'll give you bonus experience and chests at the end of a level, making your progression significantly easier.