In most shooters, I'm usually reluctant to play as characters with AI-controlled companions who do a lot of the work for you. You won't catch me playing Torbjorn in Overwatch 2 or Namor in Marvel Rivals, and I'm typically not a fan of the myriad "buddies" available to Warlocks in Destiny 2. My feelings remained the same when Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's first new class since launch, the Arbitrator – a sort of discount-Judge-Dredd police officer who gets a cybernetically-enhanced attack dog to order around – was announced. How would a companion fit into such a fast-paced and busy horde shooter like Darktide?
But even after just a few missions playing the Arbitrator, I was glad to get a satisfying answer to that question: it turns out it's an extremely good fit. Now with over 50 missions under my Arbitrator Wallace's belt, most of which undertaken with faithful support from my cyber-mastiff Gromit, the Arbitrator is a firm favorite of mine amongst the five classes in Darktide. It's definitely far too powerful, but the thrill of new ways to play my favorite horde shooter has also got me thinking of what developer Fatshark has on the horizon.
A grim day out
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From mission one, Gromit's savage proficiency astounded me. Darktide being set in the grim darkness of Warhammer 40,000 meant I knew he was hardly going to be an affable lad (although Fatshark, keenly aware of what players really want, does let you pet your dog between missions in a rare show of affection for Darktide), but he quickly proved he was really good at killing the heretics of Hive City Tertium. Darktide's hordes can be massive, a gaggle of lurching cannon-fodder mixed with elite foes who can incinerate, trap, grab, and batter you, and having something that can cut through the crowd to deal with the most dangerous threats is a game-changer.
While your cyber-mastiff is autonomous, a quick double-ping of a specialist enemy marks them as a target for your dog, causing them to either sprint into the fray or launch themselves like a ballistic missile at the highlighted foe, briefly stunning them or pinning them to the ground while their throats get ripped out. For maximum dog-based crowd-control, Wallace has outfitted Gromit with the best mauling upgrades and the Remote Detonation ability, which lets him release an electrical explosion that fries nearby enemies ("cracking toast, Gromit!").
Mixing all this with other devious inventions up the Arbitrator's sleeves, from a stunning riot shield and Voltaic Shock Mines to brutal mauls and shotguns, there's no doubt that the Arbitrator is ludicrously overpowered in Darktide. With the mobility and melee prowess to go head-to-head with the Zealot, firepower that outclasses the Veteran, and durability that almost rivals the Ogryn, not to mention all the stunning and staggering, there's little that Wallace and Gromit can't do with their blessed tools of destruction.
Sure, the cyber-mastiff can sometimes be an inconvenience, slamming enemies to the ground right as myself or an ally is about to decapitate them, or by blocking paths with said pinned enemy. But as life imitates art, I think Gromit in Darktide has saved Wallace from far more trouble than he has caused.
It's going to make going back to my beloved, flamer-and-chainaxe-toting Zealot a real challenge, unless the classes that are lacking are buffed up rather than the Arbitrator getting brought down a peg or two. Having the cyber-mastiff around almost trivializes certain aspects of the game but makes for a superb power fantasy as I sic Gromit on foes, leaving them open for a point-blank buckshot spread to their bonce. So perhaps, I should be looking ahead to what could be the next addition to Darktide.
A matter of loathe and death
The expansive nature of Warhammer 40,000 as a setting means there are many prime candidates for additional classes in Darktide, though the one I see most often suggested is some Adeptus Mechanicus-aligned lackey. A Tech-Priest or some kind of Skitarii marksman with unique radiation weaponry would be cool, but I raise you a filthy xenos class: an Aeldari Corsair.
I'm far from the only person to have thought of this, but since the Arbitrator has been available, I've not been able to get this out of my head. The piratical space elves are known for their psychic powers, agility in battle, and use of a wide range of advanced technology, vastly different from anything represented in Darktide so far, so their utterly alien nature would be the differentiating factor – an agile, glass-cannon class with strange wargear such as debuffing psychic spells, a teleportation Blink Pack, or even a devastating warp-powered Wraithcannon.
There's even an in-game reason for their inclusion too. Dialogue from Mortis Trials indicates that deadly Aeldari crews have been eyeing the Mourningstar, and in the broader Warhammer 40,000 lore, the space elves aren't afraid to make temporary alliances with the Imperium if necessary. But most importantly, I think there would be fantastic opportunities for team chatter. The Psyker could confide in another psychically attuned character while the Corsair would endlessly remark on the inferiority of the rest of the "mon-keigh" humans as they all begrudgingly cooperate.
However, despite another new class likely being a long way off for Darktide, the quality of the updates that have released even since I thought Darktide was in its best state yet in October 2024, has made each one an exciting event, reinvigorating my love of the grim-dark horde shooter.
So, what's next for Darktide after the Arbitrator? Melta Guns and Plasma Pistols? A new Genestealer enemy faction? Even if a Corsair never makes it into Darktide, I'll continue to look forward to whatever else Fatshark cooks up, hopefully leading to many more chaotic close shaves as Wallace and Gromit.
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