Understanding Darktide Capacitance is very important if you're playing as the Skitarii, as it's an exclusive mechanic that helps you recharge your Ability. Unfortunately, it's only explained in one place outside of the Skitarii basic training, so it's quite easy to miss what Capacitance and the related Charges are, despite them getting mentioned a lot across the talent tree. Fear not, Alpha Primus, as I've explained how this Skitarii Capacitance system works below so that you can make the most of it for your builds.
What is Darktide Capacitance and how does it work?
Skitarii Capacitance is a percentage-based charge-up mechanic for your main Abilities; Chordclaw Strike, Voltaic Emitter, or Advanced Combat Doctrines. So, unlike the other Darktide classes whose Abilities run on cooldown timers, Skitarii Abilities must build up to 100% Capacitance before they can be used – think of it as "ultimate charge" from games like Overwatch, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and such. During missions, it's represented by the blue bar that fills your Skitarii Ability icon.
As a Skitarii, you passively generate 2% Capacitance per second, so it takes 50 seconds to reach 100% without any other help. You also gain 2% Capacitance by killing enemies and 4% for killing Elites and Specialists. There are plenty of other ways you can generate Capacitance via talents, which I've explained further down, so you can massively increase your Capacitance generation and spam your Ability as part of your Darktide Skitarii build.
Reaching 100% Capacitance grants you one Charge and resets your Capacitance back to zero, letting it tick back up again. The number above your Ability icon represents how many Charges you currently have. By default, all Skitarii can hold a maximum of three Charges and their exact purpose differs depending on your chosen Ability (bear in mind that additional talents and modifiers can change these even more):
- Voltaic Emitter always consumes all your current Charges when used, increasing its effective range and adding other benefits per Charge.
- Chordclaw Strike can be used once per Charge, so if you have three Charges, you could use it up to three times in a row.
- Advanced Combat Doctrine can't be used without having at least one Charge, but it otherwise doesn't use Charges. Instead, it drains Capacitance per second it's active and for each shot fired while active. If you had three Charges, you would effectively have 300% Capacitance to spend.
How to generate Capacitance and Charges in Darktide as a Skitarii
As mentioned, all Skitarii generate Capacitance passively and from kills, but there are several talents that can bolster these Capacitance gains, add news ways of generating it, and earn more Charges:
- Augmented Power-Cycle: Generate an additional 1% Capacitance per second.
- Reactor Coil Recharge: Weakspot kills generate 2% Capacitance.
- Flux Conduit Build-Up: Critical hits generate 5% Capacitance over 4 seconds.
- Capacitor Reclamation Loop: Hitting 3 or more enemies with an attack generates 1% Capacitance.
- Satiated Steel (Chordclaw Strike Ability modifier): Chordclaw Kills restore 25% Capacitance over 5 seconds.
- Higher Purpose (Flensing Protocols Keystone modifier): Killing Elites and Specialists restores an additional 5%.
- Redline Capacitors: Spending or gaining a Charge applies a stacking buff which grants +5% Toughness damage reduction and +5% Capacitance generation for 12 seconds, with a maximum of 4 stacks. It also increases your maximum Charges by 1 (4 total).
- Resource Optimization Canticles (Redline Capacitors Keystone modifier): Increases your maximum Redline Capacitors buff stacks and maximum Charges by 1 (5 total for both).
Another thing you might want to understand is how Darktide Skitarii names work – they don't have any strict rules, but you might want some inspiration from the guide above if you're after a more lore-friendly name.
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