Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Sheds Light on the Zealot Archetype as It Prepares for Closed Beta

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide discusses the Zealot Archetype and Preacher Class as one of the options for the upcoming action game.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Sheds Light on the Zealot Archetype as It Prepares for Closed Beta

The Fatshark developer has been a bit quiet for the past few weeks. This is most likely due to the fact that the Closed Beta starts on October 14th. Fans of their highly satisfying combat systems will be able to fully immerse themselves in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This time, they’ll be playing as the lowly “Rejected” instead of the awe-inspiring ranks of Space Marines.

To help you start the hype, Fatshark has revealed some information about the Zealot Archetype and one of its subclasses.

The Emperor protects

Zealots in the Warhammer 40,000 universe live and breathe to serve the immortal God-Emperor of Mankind. They are the Emperor’s staunchest followers and devote their entire existence to this diving being. The wills of the zealots are unyielding, like the deity they worship.

The Zealot

However, the Imperium of Man did not always have warriors so pious. One of the core tenets of the Emperor of Humanity was that he was not indeed a divine being to be reckoned with. In fact, he considered himself a mere mortal with enhanced abilities. His pre-Sect of Horus teachings were that humanity rejects irrational worship and embraces science and technology.

The Zealot Saints of Terra

It is somewhat ironic then, that these countless crusaders fight without rationality. They even thrive on it, as the Zealots don’t care about human laws. It is only the word of the Emperor that they follow, even though these fanatics have never even truly heard his voice or his true message.

Beware of the Alien, the Mutant, the Heretic

Zealots are best when they charge into multiple things. Their natural fervor makes them adept at using all manner of melee weapons, most notably Power Mauls, Chain Axes (and Swords!), and the mighty Thunder Hammer.

The emperor’s will became manifest

While they make good companions, Zealots tend to distrust those who do not share their ideals. They despise the cult and mutants, often condemning them outright without a second thought. It’s worrying then, as Psykers are a class that thrives on striking the Warp, the source of chaos and all heresy. Psykers walk a fine line between servitude to the Imperium of Mankind and utter destruction.

We are wary of these practitioners of witchcraft, as corruption can grow and fester if allowed to thrive.

The Preacher

To specialize even further, players can actually choose a specific class for each Archetype. So far, it’s unclear how many classes each type will receive. So far, Fatshark that the Zealot will have access to the Preacher Class.

Introducing Warhammer 40,000 Preacher

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Preachers’ reckless abandon manifests itself as this class gets stronger as they take more damage. Like the flagellants in Darkest Dungeon, the more wounds a Preacher takes, the faster and stronger they become.

Players who take on the Preacher’s mantle tend to get even more up close and personal with their prey. They have more melee damage, which gets stronger the more health they’re missing. Increased melee attack speed is another perk that goes with this, making for a deadly combination.

A holy charge with a thunder hammer

To support this playstyle, Preachers take even less Toughness damage, allowing them to take more hits before being trapped. With their Class Ability, they are able to charge into combat, locking an enemy in furious melee combat. Finally, they are so mischievous and godly that they can shake off the coils of death, resisting lethal damage and fighting even harder in a glorious last stand.

The Golden Age of Warhammer 40,000

Fans of the Warhammer 40,000 mythos certainly have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. We had a great X-COM style tactical game in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters. Magic the Gathering fans will be getting some cards in the Universes Beyond collaboration sometime this year.

Clear them with Righteous Fury

Owlcat Games is even joining in on the fun, with Rogue Trader. This is the first CRPG in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and has tons of backgrounds, companions, and information fed to us occasionally.

For the Emperor!!

Saber Interactive, the developers behind sleeper hit Circus Electrique, also have action-adventure game Space Marine 2 on the horizon.

For more news, see World of Warcraft Dragonflight Expansion Announced for November 28th and Stadia To End Service in January 2023.