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Perils Of The Warp
Psyker Psykinetic Blitzes
Psyker Psykinetic Auras
Psyker Psykinetic Abilities
Psyker Psykinetic Keystones
Psyker Psykinetic Strategies And Tips
Psykers are an iconic part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, so it's no surprise that they're playable in Darktide. Playing as a Psyker Psykinetic gives you access to the sorcerous powers of the Warp, with all the power and peril that such gifts entail. While you'll never lack for ammunition, overusing your power can lead to an untimely end.
Related: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Veteran Marksman Class Guide
Like the Marksman, Psykers excel at range. Their ability to deal heavy damage to single targets make them perfect for quickly finishing off Elites, but their long charge times and need for cooldowns means that they require protection.
Updated on October 17, 2023 by Matt Arnold: Darktide received a huge patch this fall, including a complete overhaul of all four classes. We've updated this guide to give you an at-a-glance breakdown of all the Psyker's new abilities so that you can plan your perfect build.
Perils Of The Warp
Psykers can use normal weapons, but these are secondary to their fearsome Warp magic. Their class abilities are centered around managing this frightening power. Whenever you use one of your psychic attacks, you'll gain Peril. Your current Peril can be seen in the center of the screen, so always keep an eye on it!
Peril degrades over time, and you can speed the process by holding the Reload button with your psychic power equipped. If Peril ever reaches one hundred percent and you try to use another psychic power, you'll unleahs a blast of energy that heavily damages everything nearby, including yourself and your teammates.
Related: The Best Games Where You Fight Hordes Of Enemies
Psyker Psykinetic Blitzes
Your main attack will be your Blitz, which by default is Brain Burst. Brain Burst takes a while to charge but deals massive damage to a single enemy. It's usually enough to instantly kill all but the most powerful foes, and ignores armor. Early in your character's career, you'll be able to exchange Brain Burst for one of the following advanced Blitzes:
Blitz | Effect | Available Upgrades |
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Brain Rupture |
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Smite |
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Assail |
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Psyker Psykinetic Auras
The Psyker's basic Aura, The Quickening, reduces the cooldown on Abilities for all allies in Coherency. It can be upgraded to one of the following:
Aura | Effect |
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Seer's Presence | Increases the cooldown reduction of The Quickening. |
Kinetic Presence | The Psyker and allies in Coherency deal additional damage to Elites and Specialists. |
Prescience | The Psyker and allies in Coherency gain increased critical hit chance. |
Psyker Psykinetic Abilities
The Psyker's basic Combat Ability, Psykinetic Wrath, generates a blast of psionic energy that staggers foes in a wide arc in front of them. As you gain Talent Points, you can evolve this power into one of the following:
Ability | Effecs | Available Upgrades |
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Venting Shriek |
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Telekine Shield |
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Scrier's Gaze |
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Psyker Psykinetic Keystones
Unlocking one of these ultimate abilities will give your Psyker a fighting chance on the game's hardest missions. Remember that you can only choose one!
Keystone | Effect | Available Upgrades |
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Warp Siphon |
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Empowered Psionics |
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Disrupt Destiny |
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Psyker Psykinetic Strategies And Tips
The Psyker's role on the team is to provide supporting fire to melee characters and deal heavy damage to Elite enemies. If there's no Marksman on the team, you'll also be calling plays since you'll have the best visibility over the battlefield.
You don't have as much Toughness recovery as the other classes, so it's important that you stay out of danger as much as possible. Luckily, Psykinetics are very good at staggering large groups, typically through Psykinetic's Wrath or Bio-Lightning, so if you're surrounded, let loose until reinforcements arrive.
As long as your team is protecting you effectively, your biggest threat is your own Peril meter. Conserve your power during horde battles, since the rest of the team is better-suited for handling groups than you are. When a larger enemy does appear, you'll be at full power and ready to smite them! Doing so will probably fill your Peril quickly, though, so if multiple Specialists or Elites show up at once, pick your target and let your team know.
Since reducing Peril takes a lot more time than reloading a weapon, it's very important that you tell your team when you're recharging.
Since the Psyker has longer cooldowns and a specialized role, you should take on the responsibility of resetting Data-Interrogators and using Auspex radar when the mission calls for it. Elites are rare during these sequences, so as long as you're protected by your teammates you should be able to quickly complete the objectives and get back to fighting with less Peril.
If you're surrounded and help isn't coming, feel free to unleash your full power and let your Peril meter max out - you'll go down, but you'll take your enemies with you!
Next: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Zealot Preacher Class Guide
