Summary
- Darkest Dungeon offers a unique twist to the turn-based fantasy genre with permadeath and an active Stress mechanic for added challenge.
- Players who understand team compositions and class risks can navigate Darkest Dungeon's dangerous depths effectively.
- Classes like the Vestal, Jester, and Leper each have strengths and weaknesses that can impact party dynamics and gameplay strategies.
Among popular roguelike releases, Darkest Dungeon provides a unique twist to the turn-based fantasy genre with a rather grim setup. Taking place in the dungeons beneath a mansion the player inherited, Darkest Dungeon needs groups of adventurers to brave its depths and defeat threat after threat - that is until they lose their morale or die at the hands of gruesome monsters. Unlike other turn-based titles, Darkest Dungeon has permadeath and an active Stress mechanic, giving teams penalties when they witness or get affected by gruesome events.
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These various setbacks can make sessions of Darkest Dungeon quite challenging for players - although not entirely impossible. Players who know how to make the right team compositions can brave Darkest Dungeon’s more dangerous depths. Moreover, those who know which Classes pose the most risks to a team composition can find ways to either avoid them or work their way around their distinct disadvantages.
10 Vestal
Effective Healer With Lack Of DPS Potential
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Specialization |
Self and AOE Heals make the Vestal one of the best support Heroes in the game. |
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Weaknesses |
Being forced into the backline does lock the Vestal out of her melee skills, and building her as a frontline fighter makes her healing sub-optimal. |
Being a stereotypical healer in an RPG, the Vestal will have her Darkest Dungeon gameplay easily capitalize on her potential as one of the best support units in the game. Her in-game self (Judgment) and assorted (Divine Grace, Divine Comfort) heals in combat, as well as back at Camp (Sanctuary) can drastically boost the team’s survival. Moreover, her Stress heals (Chant, Pray) post-combat, and her capability of setting up an ally with more ACC and DODGE (Bless) can lead to interesting setups. While her heals set her up for the backline, her long-distance attacks (Judgment) with a nifty stun (Dazzling Light) can contribute a bit of overall DPS.
Given this toolkit, the Vestal is a go-to healer in most party setups. However, in higher-level play, Vestal’s healing may not keep up as much as players need to against tougher foes, given her lack of active DPS contribution. While building the Vestal into a melee fighter can unlock her frontline skills (Mace Bash, Illumination, Hand of Light), her anti-Unholy kit is still less efficient than the Crusader's - plus, this locks her out of her healing potential.
9 Jester
Stress Reliever Role Held Back By Movement-Heavy Gameplay
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Specialization |
Strongest Stress-healing skills in the game, coupled with combat Bleed effects and position-heavy damage. Has the highest base DODGE among the Heroes, with the setback of extremely low HP. |
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Weaknesses |
Needs a movement-comfy team to play with, since his skills need him to move a lot. He is often stuck at Position 3 to maximize his range. |
Serving as the much darker representative of the battle-ready bard, the Jester in Darkest Dungeon gameplay boasts some of the more consistent Bleed effects (Harvest, Slice Off) in the game, coupled with a Guard-bypassing forward attack (Dirk Stab) and a back-jumping setup (Finale). If necessary, the Jester can Mark himself for extra defenses (Solo), give himself more room to attack (Battle Ballad), or reduce his Stress (Inspiring Tune).
It’s when he’s at Camp where his support capabilities shine, as he has some of the best Stress-reducing abilities (Turn Back Time, Every Rose Has Its Thorn) in the game, on top of an ACC and CRIT buff (Tiger’s Eye). Unfortunately, while the Jester has the highest base DODGE stat among Classes, his HP is also among the lowest. Moreover, his movement-heavy toolkit is best used with other Heroes who rely on moving around the battlefield, limiting his synergies to the likes of the Highwayman and the Crusader.
8 Leper
Strong Frontline Potential Held Back By Potential To Miss Attacks
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Specialization |
High DPS and HP allows him on top of sustains can make him work independently from his allies, while his Camp skills help him relieve them of Stress. |
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Weaknesses |
Chances of missing can make the Leper a weaker frontline member, often requiring ACC boosts to perform properly. |
Described as damaged as he is independent, the Leper has a rather solo-oriented Darkest Dungeon gameplay mechanic with his straightforward attacks (Chop, Hew), a Corpse-clearer with Knockback (Purge), and an anti-Stealth and SPD-lowering skill (Intimidate). He also possesses self-Stress healing (Solemnity), a PROT boost with Resists (Withstand), and even a damage boost at the cost of more damage taken (Revenge). At Camp, he has a wide range of self-Stress heals (Reflection, Let The Mask Down) and advanced Resists (Bloody Shroud) while also taking in HP to decrease the Stress of allies (Quarantine).
While the Leper can excel as a frontliner with his decent HP and overall DMG, he suffers from his attacks with lower ACC than expected. Combined with the fact that the Leper’s kit is only maximized at the frontlines, the chances of a tank even missing his attacks can make him rather sub-optimal for team compositions. In the early game, where sure strikes matter due to lack of optimized equipment, the Leper may become a setback rather than an asset to parties.
7 Grave Robber
Jump Around The Battlefield At The Risk Of Low HP
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Specialization |
High damage on Blighted foes combined with her CRIT chances can make the Grave Robber a decent DPS unit. Her skills that let her retreat and advance on the battlefield work well with a dancing party. |
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Weaknesses |
Weaker protections mean mobility is her priority unless paired with units that can take the heat for her. |
Positioning can become an integral factor in Darkest Dungeon gameplay, especially when specific attacks can only target enemies in specific battlefield Positions. This is something the Grave Robber can excel at, as she has skills that move her forward (Lunge) and backward (Shadow Fade) in combat. The Grave Robber has a skill for every occasion: she can hit with Armor Piercing up close (Pick to the Face), inflict Blight on enemies (Poison Dart) and deal more damage against them (Lunge, Thrown Dagger), reduce Bleed Resistance on foes (Flashing Daggers), and even heal Blight or Bleed conditions (Toxic Trickery).
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At its core, the Grave Robber can inflict CRIT attacks more often and even synergize well with a Plague Doctor for her Blights. However, the Grave Robber's high-damaging skills do come with a caveat in the form of her lackluster HP. While it’s true that she can potentially offset her defensive weaknesses with high DODGE, her lack of a more surefire defense can spell trouble for the party—especially if they rely heavily on the Grave Robber for a performance boost.
6 Houndmaster
Beyond Support, Bleed Effects Just Don’t Pack Enough Punch
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Specialization |
Specializations in Bleed and Mark effects can make the Houndmaster a decent debuffer and damage-over-time specialist. Extra damage against Beasts make him useful in the Warrens. |
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Weaknesses |
Support-leaning role and lackluster damage mean he needs another heavy-hitter to deal significant damage in combat. |
When players get the Corpse and Hound Update for their Darkest Dungeon experience, the Houndmaster and his Wolfhound can become decent support members of the party. The Houndmaster particularly excels well in boosting damage against enemies by reducing their PROT when Marked (Target Whistle) or inflicting Stun (Blackjack), while damage-over-time is almost a guarantee with Bleed attacks (Hound’s Rush, Hound’s Harry). Should allies need his help, he can protect allies (Guard Dog), reduce their Stress (Cry Havoc), or even self-heal (Lick Wounds).
Given the Houndmaster’s bonuses against Beasts, his natural environment is in the Warrens. Outside this, however, the Houndmaster is reduced to more of a support Class. Moreover, despite his penchant for inflicting Bleed on foes, their overall damage isn’t as high as anticipated, meaning the Houndmsater’s team still needs a more DPS-focused ally as the primary heavy-hitter against targets.
5 Antiquarian
Subpar Offensive Performance Compensated For Impressive Support Potential
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Specialization |
On top of increased gold and loot drops, the Antiquarian specializes in boosting the team’s defenses (Dodge, Resistances) during and outside combat. |
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Weaknesses |
Mediocre damage capabilities force her to work in tandem with other damage dealers. |
In a game like Darkest Dungeon, where the chances of survival are easily affected by how much damage enemies deal to Heroes, the Antiquarian lies in a fragile middle line. On the one hand, the Antiquarian makes for a highly efficient support unit for teams. In combat, she can invoke Bleed and Blight Resistances (Fortifying Vapours), help protect Marked allies (Get Down!), lower the Accuracy of enemies (Flashpowder), and grant additional Dodge (Invigorating Vapours) on allies. At Camp, she can bestow more Resistances (Strange Powers) to specific allies.
However, the Antiquarian’s hyper-specialist nature is coupled with an immense caveat of having some of (if not) the lowest damage numbers in the game. The Antiquarian’s only attacks (Nervous Stabs, Festering Vapours) deal little damage and require support from other heavy hitters to capitalize on their effects. While the Antiquarian can boost the defenses of her dedicated defender (Protect Me), additional DPS on her part may be a more practical way of defeating enemies faster.
4 Flagellant
Self Damage Toolkit Treads Dangerously Close To Party Wipes
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Specialization |
Getting damage elevates the Flagellant’s combat potential. His DPS-boosting Affliction triggers high stress, and lower health grants stronger damage and Bleed. Upon death, the Flagellant heals allies and Stuns opponents. |
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Weaknesses |
Damage-emphasizing toolkit can make players accidentally kill the Flagellant before they become of any use in battle, making them a more specialized frontliner. |
Players who get The Crimson Court DLC for their Darkest Dungeon experience can experience the wrath of the Flagellant. While his rather middling DPS makes him a peculiar choice for a frontliner, his incentives for receiving damage make him a useful party member for extra DPS. At base, the Flagellant possess some of the strongest Bleed Skills (Punish, Rain of Sorrows) in the game. He has access to healing Skills at lower HP (Redeem, Exsanguinate), and at 100 Stress will become Rapturous for more DMG and SPD in exchange for less Dodge.
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However, this reliance on being damaged is the Flagellant’s greatest weakness. Hitting harder at 40% HP and hitting much faster while getting extra Resistances at Death’s Door may encourage players to put the Flagellant in dangerous situations constantly. While his death does grant a 10 HP party-wide heal and Stun all enemies, this buff quickly becomes useless when a functioning party member can deal more damage. The Flagellant excelling when he’s constantly close to death forces his synergies to be extremely specific, adding a layer of unnecessary complexity to a team comp that could just as easily focus on straightforward attack and defense.
3 Arbalest
Utility Specialist Lacking Damage Potential
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Specialization |
Mark enemies for extra damage and reduce their overall competencies to benefit the team. Her healing boost can also vastly improve the team’s survivability. |
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Weaknesses |
Lack of heavy-hitting DPS capabilities, especially as she has one of the more underwhelming Marks in the game. |
Among long-ranged Classes in Darkest Dungeon gameplay, the Arbalest is realistic in her two-fold specialization: if she’s not shooting foes, she’s likely helping the rest of the team. The Arbalest’s shining gem is a healing booster (Battlefield Bandage) that can help her teammates survive more punishing encounters. As long as she has enemies Marked, she can deal more damage and critical bonuses to foes (Sniper Shot). However, her kit can be rather underwhelming outside these skills.
While she has a Marking ability that debuffs enemies (Sniper’s Mark), she can’t use it on Position 1 enemies - vastly decreasing her versatility. Meanwhile, she has an attack that hits random targets (Blindfire) and a Knockback skill for Position 1 frontliners (Bola). Despite its Accuracy and Critical Chance reduction, Suppressing Fire doesn’t deal as much damage. Lastly, the Stun and Marked clears for allies and Stealth removal of Rallying Flare is too situational to maximize the Arbalest’s combat potential.
2 Musketeer
Arbalest Reskin Fit For Sub-Support, Sub-DPS
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Specialization |
Marking enemies and enhancing damage against them can make the Musketeer especially deadly as a sub-DPS, with healing boost for allies allowing her to vastly improve the competencies of party healers. |
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Weaknesses |
Identical to the Arbalest in terms of skill effects, making her presence redundant with the Arbalest in the party - at least in terms of pure technicalities. |
Originally added as a Kickstarter backer bonus during the game’s crowdfunding period, the Musketeer functionally acts as a reskin of the Arbalest. It’s only during her release as a free DLC that she received her own lore, visuals, and Trinkets to make her slightly more unique than her technical basis. Introduced as a sharpshooter with an unerring vision, the Musketeer specializes in Marking opponents and reducing an enemy’s Dodge chance (Call the Shot), boosting the damage against Marked foes (Aimed Shot), reducing the overall Accuracy and Critical Hit chance of enemies (Smokescreen), and even possess a nifty Knockback (Buckshot) mechanic.
However, where the Musketeer really shines is her ability to boost the Healing received by allies (Patch Up), allowing her to boost the overall performance of healers. Sadly, the Musketeer being a technical reskin means there’s no reason to have her when the Arbalest is already on the battlefield. Moreover, her lack of overall DPS means her contribution to taking down foes more efficiently can be negligible from the perspective of specialized teams.
1 Abomination
Hyper-Specialist Class Is Too Niche For Effective Comps
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Specialization |
Using Transform without a point cost allows the Abomination to become the Beast and attack in the same turn. He has access to his Human and Beast toolkits at the onset. |
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Weaknesses |
Difficult to level up due to multiple skills. Beast is powerful, but Stress penalty can be too burdensome for the team. Transforming being available only once per battle can be detrimental to overall DPS. |
Despite his frail appearance, the Abomination hides a dark secret: his Eldritch affliction allows him to transform into the terrible Beast. This is reflected in his special Transform action in Darkest Dungeon combat, where he can transition into the powerful Beast and use another skill in the same turn. The Abomination has access to both his Human and Beast toolkits at the onset. As a Human, he can inflict Stun (Manacles) and Blight (Beast’s Bile) on opponents, making him efficient near the backline. Meanwhile, the Beast has access to a heavy-hitting attack (Rake), an attack that grows in damage over time (Rage), and a Knockback move (Slam).
This dual personality gives the Abomination the opportunity to fill both sub-DPS and main DPS roles. However, being able to Transform once per battle and being forced back into Human form upon an Affliction can add unnecessary risks to combat. Not to mention, the +8 Stress to other Heroes during Transform is another unnecessary debuff for teams. This hyper-specialist nature of the Abomination can make team comps more complicated than necessary.
Darkest Dungeon
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- January 19, 2016
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Red Hook Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Red Hook Studios
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- Darkest Dungeon
