It can be hard to tell what Warhammer 40,000: Darktide's Zealot Preacher is strong at first glance. Unlike the Veteran Sharpshooter and Psyker Psykinetic whose class names immediately give away their specialties, one can find it difficult to discern what a "Zealot Preacher" does. The Zealot Preacher starts with a standard Combat Axe and Laspistol after all, making the class seem a tad lacking when pitted against the more specialized classes at the beginning of the game.
But as players spend time and level up the Zealot Preacher, they will discover that it is one of the most survivable classes in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. The Zealots' focus on melee combat and becoming stronger the closer they are to death is what makes them a risky yet rewarding class for those who would much rather maul their enemies than shoot at them with guns. Fans of Fathshark's previous game, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, will also find much to love about the Zealot Preacher, as their faith in the Emperor of Mankind gives them the strength to charge at mighty foes and live to tell the tale.
Melee Into The Fray
Since the Zealot Preacher has the largest arsenal of melee weapons in the game, players should pick up on what the class is good at after grinding a few levels. Even though Zealots share a few weapons like the Combat Axe and Chainsword with the other classes, heavy hitters like the Heavy Eviscerator and Thunder Hammer are what draw people into playing the faithful priests. The Heavy Eviscerator can cleave through unarmored Elites with a revved-up swing while the Thunder Hammer makes short work of armored targets due to its ability to be electrically charged. These two weapons are made for different scenarios but both of them excel at crowd control, especially when paired with a couple of the Zealot Preacher's Stumm grenades.
Zealots need crowd control as their playstyle often involves running headlong into groups of enemies with their melee weapons and swinging wildly with reckless abandon. This is best exemplified through their class ability, Chastise the Wicked. Chastise the Wicked immediately restores 50% of a Zealot Preacher's Toughness and empowers their next melee strike, ensuring that it is a critical hit. The ability also makes the Zealot Preacher charge a short distance so that they can quickly close the gap on their targets.
Stronger At Death's Door
Now charging into a horde of enemies would generally be a bad idea, but the Zealot Preacher's feats and passive abilities are made specifically for increasing their survivability and melee damage. Swift Exorcism increases the Zealot Preacher's attack speed by 10% - allowing less time for winding up strikes and more time for whacking enemies. Martyrdom grants an extra 5 points of damage for every 15 points of missing health (this initially stacks 3 times but can be improved to 6 stacks of Martyrdom). Until Death allows Zealot Preachers to survive an otherwise fatal blow every 90 seconds. When paired with something like the Holy Revenant feat that replenishes health based on how much damage a Zealot does when Until Death is active, then the Zealot preacher can almost become invincible if played properly.
And that is what the Zealot Preacher is ultimately good at - surviving and dealing loads of melee-based damage. Since Zealot Preachers get more powerful the lower their health is, players want to get into fights as much as possible so that they can get their health to a certain point. Once their health is low enough, they can rely on their Toughness and other skills to help keep them alive as they swing their melee weapons around. It can actually be detrimental for Zealot Preachers to heal using Medi-Packs and Medicae Stations as they can lose the health-based buffs that make them more powerful.
The trick to playing a Zealot Preacher efficiently is to know when to jump into the fray and when to back off and take a breather. Feats and abilities can only last for so long before a Zealot Preacher gets overwhelmed by the number of enemies Warhammer 40,000: Darktide throws at them, especially on the higher difficulties. Just like the other classes, they should learn to rely on their teammates for support. The Emperor of Mankind may be mighty, but he isn't always there to watch out for his followers.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.