Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – BH Challenge Build

Intro

 
This build isnt a copy and paste build. If you copy the loadout, talents exactly you still wont replicate it. The build is about maximizing sustainable dps, challenging your mechanics and playing a very difficult but rewarding style. The gameplay style emphasizes processing data quickly and moving your fingers quickly. I’m going to go through the loadout and talents quickly, then try to explain how to play it. 
 
 
 
 

Loadout

 
All items are Red with maxed %s. There might be some sweet spot % where you don’t need exactly +10%, but i have not done that research. 

1. Axe – Use the axe because it looks cool and fits with the gameplan 
   • power vs chaos. this is necessary in order to 1 shot raiders
   • crit chance. this 2nd trait could be a defensive trait to make up for the builds lack of mob
   • Trait – Parry. We’re going for mechanical difficulty. Resourceful combatant is probably better specially since we are going for additional crit chance, but a successful no look parry is one of the sweetest feelings in this game
2. Brace of Pistols – This is bread and butter of the build. 
   Properties
   • anything really. No traits are absolutely necessary because no trait changes the milestone for anything, you still mostly 1 or 2 shot anything. stay away from crit chance, dmg vs infantry, dmg vs berkers; these are all wastes
   • Trait – Scrounger. This is mandatory
3. Necklace 
   • again anything works here. i use +20hp and +2 stamina in order to be abel to push more. dmg reduction vs area dmg is really good too.
   • Trait – I use Boon of Shallya simply because it always works. healer’s touch is nice when it works, but it mostly doesnt.
4. Charm 
   These are mandatory for the build because it allows you to 1 shot raiders with a charged hs. It also allows you to 1shot raiders with any crit to the head. It also guarantees a 2shot on raiders with any 2 hits. Power vs infantry also allows you to 1 shot clanrat with ANY hit.
   • Power vs Chaos
   • power vs infantry
   • Trait – whatever you want, i like the increased duration.
5. Trinket 
   I use crit chance because Im combining it with the crit chance on the axe. If you went defensive on the axe, id recommend stamina recovery. cooldown reduction is also very good here.
   • Trait – again whatever you want

Talents

 
 
Here is a brief overview of the talents 

• Level 5 – Because you are using an axe, your hits are slow but hit hard, almost any blow against infantry is a killing blow and its very easy to get the killing blow on high hp armor. 
• Level 10 – Weight of Fire is the best option by elimination. Steel Crescendo doesnt fit the playstyle, we’re playing to have and use ammo. Open Wounds is another option i experimented with, but most things arent surviving a crit hit with pistols. High HP enemies that do are basically at 1hp anyway, (stormvermin and maulers are generally 2 hit with pistols, storm can be 1shot with crit hs) This perk really only is good on bosses, but many people run the shrapnel trait on their bomb slot and there are a number of other talents that apply this same trait. It doesnt stack so imo take the +12% flat damage increase. You dont actaully need it tho. 
• Level 15 – Smiter is the best option IMO. We dont need extra ranged damage and with smiter’s 1st hit is always staggered ability we can 1 shot raiders. 
• Level 20 – Blessed Combat is a MUST. Without this trait this build doesnt work. 
• Level 25 – Salvaged Ammunition is a MUST simply for the reloading ability. The other part of the talent is almost never used. The extra damage resistance is tempting, but if you analyze the math, it is simply not worth it at high difficulties. you gain dmg resistance 1% at a time until 30%. Even if you stil think it is worth, it doesnt fit the build. We are maximizing dps, dmg resistance is off brand. 
• Level 30 – This talent goes nicely with Blessed Combat, but they are all decent.

 
Only level 20 and 25 are a must. If you want to change something else I don’t recommend it, but you wont break the build if you do. 
 
 

Gameplay Tactics

 
You may have already picked up on the ideas in from the loadout and talents, but if you didnt this build revolves around the Blessed Combat talent. In order to secure melee kills we use the axe because it hits hard. We dont care about attack speed, we are looking to reset the critical ranged shot. That’s why there are so many +power vs chaos properties. If you can reliably kill the raider then you can reliably 1shot all the infantry units (beastmen are weaker than rotbloods). With the scrounger trait we gain 2 ammo for every crit shot landed. So you shoot your crit, get a melee kill and now you’ve reset the combo. This is how most of our kills will be ranged kills and how we wont run out of ammo. You need to balance between going weapons free and conservation mode. If you run out of ammo with this build its pretty bad. Salvaged Ammunition is a bail out, but dont rely on it. 
 
Its also useful to remember that a single crit shot from the pisol can pierce 3 slave rats, or 2 clanrats ( and their equivalent rotblood and beastmen counterparts). you can also one shot most of those with a single axe swing. you can kill 4 slave rats every second or so. Its actually kinda insane. 
 
you’ll need to aim with this build. This is already a challenge for a game that is melee focused. 
 
You must quickswitch the pistols. alt fire pistols is almost too fast and the spread is too wide, especially at range. Using the above properties, every special dies in 1 crit unless super far away then its 2, in most circumstances its 2 hits and its 3 hits if at super far distance. If you rely on alt fire chances are you’re going to miss a shot so its going to take too long, use too much ammo and it leaves you exposed to the mob. Quickswitching allows you to shoot faster and keep your accuracy. If you are not familiar with this concept, very simply after you fire 1 shot, press q twice. This switches to your axe then back to your pistols. Then you just repeat this combo. If you do it correctly, you’ll only shoot out of your right pistol. The left pistol is just for show. 
 
 

Gameplay Strategy

 
Your primary responsibility in the group is killing specials, then elites, then roaming mob, boss, then horde mob. You should be going into this trying to 360 no scope all the specials. In my 5001000+ hours in the game (yea i’ve been playing this build that long and still optimizing it), almost all of it solo queuing quickplay on Legend, the number one reason for teams failing is because of a special during a horde. People cant break off their focus. Special killing is your job, the faster the better. If youre engaged in a mob fight you need to learn to disengage safely and get your shot off. If youve charged up a crit, its 1 shot 1 kill. In order to reliably kill specials with pistols tho, you will need to quickswitch. 
 
as for teamwork, the brilliant part is that the builds dps is so high you can just carry. This build can take point clearing everything, or it can fight from the back. horde cant catch you because you simply quickswitch the pistols as you run. 
 
You’ll need to balance when to go weapons free and when to conserve ammo, but this is something you[‘ll have to feel out yourself. My recommendation is to not be afraid to use ammo, but dont use the alt fire unless the mob is right there. Even then, control your shooting rhythm. 
 
 

Final Thoughts

 
This build is not the best build. Its probably actually a bad build, but it is so flipping satisfying. You can carry so hard with this build. The dps is so high AND it is sustainable AND its burst dmg. You actually have to push more that W and mouse1. 
 
I’ve been playing this game a long time, basically since day 1 of vermintide 1. Ive been using pistols sicne then and Ive had A LOT of practice with the quickswitch. It is very possible i have the most time quickswitching pistols in the entire world. People just dont even know about the pistols. Ever wished Kruber’s repeater handgun was more accurate? Well just quickswitch pistols and you have it. If you’ve never quickswitched pistols you’re gonna need to practice. When i first started my ring finger literally could not push q fast enough. I just didnt have the finger dexterity. If you keep at it, you’ll get there tho. 
 

This is all about Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – BH Challenge Build; I hope you enjoy reading the Guide! If you feel like we should add more information or we forget/mistake, please let us know via commenting below, and thanks! See you soon!