Whenever a long-running game decides to shake things up with a new class for its players to play, it needs to be enticing. Warhammer 40000 Darktide is doing just that once again with the addition of their newest class, the Hive Scum. This time, instead of going down a similar, Robocop-esque path as they did with the Arbites, they are going for one that comes from the depths of the hive. And this class adds a bit of mayhem on top of all the hectic action already found in Darktide.
The Hive Scum is mysterious. They fight dirty. Most importantly, they don’t care what they use or how they use it, as long as it gets the job done. This includes the use of explosives galore and chemicals that harm others while enhancing themselves. All of these elements shake up how you approach each and every level, while also adding a new layer of fun to pull people from their favorite classes to try something new.
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What stands out the most for the Hive Scum is how they handle firearms. Their primary weapon is a dual autopistol. They’re not accurate. Yet the Hive Scum doesn’t care. They have a lot of ammo on them, and as long as they hit something, anything, they consider it a win. With an end-game build, prioritizing reload speed was the way to go. The faster you can get more bullets into your autopistols, the sooner you can go back to slinging bullets.
The introduction of the Hive Scum to Warhammer 40000 Darktide adds new levels of chaos.
What is also a nice touch is how they “aim down sights.” How they aim two autopistols for “more accuracy” adds to the Hive Scum infamy. They aim both at the same time by turning them 45 degrees to reframe the weapon’s area of effectiveness. In reality, this doesn’t change much. But the Hive Scum doesn’t care. It gets the job done.
Their melee weapon also adds to the chaos that is this class’s presence. The Hive Scum take an irregular approach, dual-wielding knives. This makes you a human-like meat grinder on the battlefield. Hordes of enemies can run right up to your face, but as long as you keep stabbing, the enemies keep dying as fountains of blood.
The whole idea of jumping right into a wave of foes can be intimidating. Yet it is oh so satisfying to stab away at an ever-swinging wall of enemies and come out on top and barely scathed. Combining that with their Stimms, you become a wave of chaos that tears through everything.
The Stimms are the Hive Scum’s twist on the regular Stimms other classes use, but cranked up to eleven. The Hive Scum’s Stimms add a new layer by giving yourself buffs, like faster reload speeds, movement speed, and more. This is entirely optional and does come with the trade-off of not being able to pick up more Stimms in a level. Thankfully, these do recharge over time.
How the Hive Scum changes the approach to combat shakes things up.
This is a nice twist that adds to the base healing mechanic. You’re not just choosing to heal, you’re choosing to pop another cooldown to make an impact or turn the tide of battle. Similarly, there is one other “oh crap” ripcord that can be pulled with their Blitz abilities. For the preview, the Boom Bringer was the way to go. Just pulling out an RPG out of nowhere and firing off a rocket into a crowd was oh, so satisfying.
Similarly, the Hive Scum uses the chemicals mentioned earlier to make chem traps that can poison enemies, corrode more armored foes, and even make them explode. You can only choose one of these Blitz Abilities. So it really will come down to what will fit best in a level. Or what you will enjoy most when causing the most mayhem.
The Hive Scum is the prime way to really shake things up in Warhammer 40000 Darktide. A whole new direction for classes that is quite unique compared to all the others that have come before. It brings a new level of chaos to an already hectic game. When you consider the number of enemies you face already, running headfirst into them can be intimidating. But the Hive Scum makes it a chaotic symphony of murder. Exactly what is needed to bring order to the Emperor’s kingdom.
Warhammer 40000 Darktide Hive Scum class is available December 2nd on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
