Alright, so I’m seriously hooked on Warhammer 40K: Darktide, and I’ve been messing around with all the different weapon upgrades and perks to see what works best for me. One thing that really caught my attention is how “Enemy Hit Mass” affects how well your weapons perform. Basically, it’s all about how many enemies you can hit at once. So, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned from my own experience and break down how this whole Hit Mass thing works in Darktide.
What is Enemy Hit Mass and its Effects?
In Warhammer 40K: Darktide, the concept of Enemy Hit Mass is closely related to the mechanic of Cleave. When a weapon has Cleave properties, it can hit multiple targets with a single swing. However, there is a limit to the number of targets that can be cleaved. This limit is determined by the Hit Mass value of each enemy type.
Hit Mass is a value assigned to different enemy types in Darktide, indicating their size or mass. A melee weapon with Cleave properties can only hit a certain number of enemies before the swing is stopped. For example, a weapon with a Hit Mass value of five can hit up to five regular enemies, each with a Hit Mass of one, with a single swing.
However, when a blessing or ability allows you to Ignore Enemy Hit Mass, it means that your melee weapon will have infinite Cleave targets once the action is activated. This means that your weapon can hit an unlimited number of enemies, regardless of their Hit Mass values. That’s a great bonus. This ability is particularly useful when facing hordes of enemies, as many of them naturally have a higher Hit Mass.
By ignoring Enemy Hit Mass, you can effectively cleave through large groups of enemies without being limited by the number of targets your weapon can hit. This provides a significant advantage, especially in situations where there are numerous enemies with high Hit Mass values.
Swinging Through Hordes and Elites: The Catachan Sword
When using the Catachan Sword, a weapon known for its cleaving attacks, understanding Enemy Hit Mass becomes crucial for optimal combat efficiency.
- Light Attacks: A light attack with the Catachan Sword can hit three to five Pox Walkers before concluding the swing.
- Heavy Attacks: The heavy attack can cleave through more enemies with lower Hit Mass, such as Pox Walkers. However, when facing foes with higher Hit Mass, like Scab Shotgunners, the sword’s swing may stop after hitting only the second or third enemy.
Exploring Hit Mass Ignoring Blessings:
The Power of Hit Mass Ignoring Blessings: The Thunder Hammer
Certain blessings in Darktide allow weapons to ignore Enemy Hit Mass, leading to devastating results.
- Shock & Awe Blessing: The Thunder Hammer, favored by Zealot builds, can benefit from the Shock & Awe blessing. This blessing enables the Thunder Hammer to ignore 35% of Enemy Hit Mass for 0.5 seconds after landing a killing blow. The effect can stack up to five times, potentially allowing the Thunder Hammer to bypass 175% of Enemy Hit Mass.
Differentiating Hit Mass from the Cleave Stat:
Cleave Stat and its Limitations
While increasing the Cleave stat on your weapons allows you to hit more targets and deal greater damage in a single swing, it does not ignore Enemy Hit Mass.
- Understanding the Limitations: Additional Cleave stats enable wide-swinging weapons, like the Power Sword, to strike multiple targets per swing. However, if the Enemy Hit Mass is too high, your attack will still stop short.
Conclusion: Having experienced the intricate mechanics of Warhammer 40K: Darktide firsthand, the concept of Enemy Hit Mass has become a crucial aspect of my gameplay. By understanding the significance of Hit Mass and utilizing blessings that ignore it, I have unlocked new possibilities for my chosen weapons. Remember, striking a balance between Cleave stats and Hit Mass-ignoring blessings is the key to optimizing your combat effectiveness in Darktide’s unforgiving battles.
