Anyone who has already givenWarhammer 40,000: Darktidea try, or has played games similar to it such asLeft 4 Dead 2or of courseVermintide 2(though surprisingly notSpace Marine 2) can probably vouch that audio cues are incredibly important in these types of games. Being able to hear and immediately know (or see) when an Elite/Special enemy is spawning is a huge advantage.
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So, let’s go over both the audio and visual cues of every zombie-like Nurgle Elite and Special enemy inWarhammer 40k: Darktide. And, keep in mind while there are technically both Elite and Specialist enemies, they all basically fall under the same category, so let’s just label them all as “Elites”.
Disclaimer: Not every Elite enemy has an audio cue, some are purely visual.
17Pox Hounds
Let’s start things off with thePox Hound, the horribly annoying pup that can down the 8-foot-tall Ogryn Reject with ease, especially if they’regoing for solo-play or a run with bots:
Audio Cue
It has a global howl similar to a classic werewolf or wolf howl, followed by the audible sounds of its approaching paws and sporadic barks.
Pretty obvious, it’s the only enemy that’s a dog.
16Mutants
Next up are theMutants, the second of the three Elite enemies that have unblockable (but not undodgeable) disables that feel even worse than enemieswho could do similar things inVT2. The Mutants charge straight at a target they seem to choose as they spawn and grab them in one hand before either launching them in the air randomly or slamming them on the ground a few times first:
Deep human-like “roar” followed by the sound of very heavy footsteps approaching fast.
Visual Cue
The Mutant is the largest purely human Elite. Very top-heavy mostly grey humans with all kinds of green Bane-like vials attached to their backs.
15Pox Bursters
Pox Burstersare one of the least-liked Elites in the game due to how easily they can down a player or launch people off of the map. The Pox Bursters are enemies that literally throw themselves at the Rejects before exploding in a bunch of high-damage Nurgle-based goo:
Very distinctive beeping that gets faster as they get closer.
Has an incredibly unique silhouette, with a body shape similar to a lightbulb or a pear. Additionally, had a glowing red light on the ‘belt’ of explosives strapped across their chest.
14Scab & Dreg Tox Flamer
TheDreg ToxandScab Flamerenemies almost always spawn from behind the Rejects, approaching from behind to light them up with Toughness-shredding flames while they’re distracted by what’s in front of them:
Scab Flamer:Maniacal laugh or the igniter sound of its Flamer people may recognize sounds similar to their grill or oven turning on. Also has unique voice lines about flames or fire.
Scab Flamer:Covered in Carapace Armor. Looks very close to Scab Gunner but has a Flamer in hand instead and a gas pack on their back.
Dreg Tox Flamer:Same as above.
Dreg Tox Flamer:Distinct green neck to Flamer hose, wears yellow, has a unique face mask, and sprays green flames instead of red ones.
13Scab Trapper
Trappersmay just eke out ahead of the Pox Bursters as the Elite that players enjoy seeing the least,especially on harder difficulties. These Special mobs have one job and one job only, trapping their target in a net. They almost exclusively sneak up from behind, and will often start running away almost too quickly when players notice them.
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Players caught by them are thrown to the ground in a net and must be freed by another player:
This one is harder to hear until it’s almost too late, but players may hear one of their rare voice lines when approaching or the jingling of their equipment. Otherwise, they’ll hear them by the clicking noise their Net Gun makes right before firing.
The Trapper has a lot of glowing parts on it whether it’s the red glow of its goggles or the red glow coming out the end of its Net Gun.
12Scab Bombers
Bombersare likely responsible for many player deaths inDarktide, simply because their Incendiary Grenades can separate a squad by a sea of flames. Similar to the Trappers, the Bombers hang in the back and wait for the right time before lobbing their Grenades at their target of choice, reposition, and then start throwing again:
Also has rare voice lines it can use, but if players listen closely they can hear all its grenades jingling around as it runs.
Bald enemy with no face cover (or nose) that has two belts of glowing red grenades strapped to their chest.
11Scab Snipers
Ah, the Elite most responsible for downing players who aren’t paying enough attention during any of the ‘Defend’ portions ofmany Mission Types, theScab Sniper. This Elite also stays in the back, aiming at whatever player enters their line of sight before firing a deadly beam that can melt through both Toughness and Health:
Meant to be stealthy, so it doesn’t really have an audio cue. But, because it usually fires quickly after getting into position, most players use the distinctive noise of its first shot as the audio cue.
The thin red guide laser coming from their sniper, follow it back to find the Sniper. The actual enemy themselves is covered by a cloak and has a bright green glow from their goggles.
10Crushers
The first of the Ogryn-type enemies, theCrusheris an absolute powerhouse that can almost instantly down even the tankier players with one overhead swing.The Psykers are best for popping themwith Brain Burst, but they can get downed by the Crusher even easier. In any case, Crushers are covered in Carapace Armor and are often found alongside at least one other Ogryn Elite:
None
The only Ogryn Elite with a helmet on. Fully-armored and wielding a gigantic maul made of what seems to be concrete.
9Bulwarks
This is the Elite that most allies tend to confuse their allied Ogryn Skullbreaker player with, theBulwark. This Elite is an Ogryn wielding a shield and a one-handed club or hammer of some sort:
It’s an Ogryn with a giant tower shield in front of it.
8Reapers
The only gun-using Ogryn Elite, theReaper, is also typically the biggest problem of the three. Yet somehow, Ogryn players keep trying to use these to completetheir most frustrating Penance. In any case, It fires an automatic rifle like it was a minigun, constantly pushing, damaging, and peppering allies with projectiles:
None, other than the sound of its machine gun winding up, barely audible.
