It’s there
Edit: translated using Chatgpt since it seems to have scraped Darktide terms:
MacBain Duelling Sword
The Duelling Sword performs exceptionally well in-game, capable of swiftly eliminating key threats while offering excellent mobility, a powerful staggering special attack, and decent crowd control capabilities.
This balance update aims to further enhance the “duelling” style combat experience of the weapon. This will raise the skill floor, requiring players to master its mechanics in order to fully unleash its potential.
The thrusting heavy attacks of the Mk IV and Mk II were already quite powerful, and with their high finesse modifiers, they often resulted in excessive damage.
We have significantly reduced their finesse modifiers and base damage, along with armor damage modifiers against Flak Armor, Carapace Armor, and Unyielding enemies. The hitbox window for this attack type has also been shortened to reduce leniency in hit detection.
In addition, we’ve weakened the Mystic Strike blessing’s Bleed effect, as it stacked damage too quickly against armored units.
Special Attack Change
As compensation, the weapon’s special action has been reworked from a quick stab to a parry-counter mechanic similar to the Devil’s Claw.
Now, using the special action will enter a parry state, allowing you to block incoming melee attacks. If a melee attack is successfully blocked while in this state, a counterattack is automatically triggered. This counter hits the first target and deals significant damage, with strong finesse and armor damage modifiers.
Due to the weapon’s low stamina by default, it is recommended that players invest in stamina-related traits or reduced block cost to reliably use the parry special. A perfect parry (a successful block within 0.2 seconds of entering parry state) will greatly reduce stamina consumption.
Since Psykers are the intended users of this weapon, they gain an extra effect: using the parry special will increase peril by 4%, dramatically boosting the power level of the counterattack.
The new counterattack has similar strength to the original thrusting heavy attack, so while the weapon’s ceiling remains intact, it now demands better positioning, timing, and stamina management.
Mk V Adjustments
The Mk V model lacked the thrusting heavy attack to begin with, so we’ve buffed its heavy overhead attacks, particularly improving effectiveness against Unyielding enemies. As a result, the Mk V’s counterattack is slightly stronger than those of other variants.
Changes - Duelling Sword
Special Action:
- Changed to Parry-Counter
- (Mk V only): Increased power level modifier and armor damage against Flak armor
- Power level modifier: 550
- Flak armor damage mod: 0.8 → 0.9
- (Psyker only): Using Parry increases peril by 4%, boosting counterattack power:
- Mk II / Mk IV: 650
- Mk V: 700
Damage Profile
Thrusting Heavy Attack:
- Finesse mod: (1.5, 3) → (1.1, 2.2)
- First target damage: (200, 400) → (185, 375)
- Armor mods:
- Unyielding: 1 → 0.75
- Flak: 0.8 → 0.7
- Carapace: 0.6 → 0.4
- Removed targets 4 and 5
- Shortened hit window
Heavy Overhead Attack:
- Finesse mod: (1.0, 2.0) → (1.1, 2.1)
- Stagger: (6, 12) → (7, 14)
- Unyielding armor mod: 1 → 1.25
Counterattack:
- Similar to the previous thrusting heavy for the first target
- For other targets: similar to Devil’s Claw counter, but with reduced damage and cleave
Mystic Strike Blessing:
- Bleed per stack: 12/16/20/24% → 6/8/10/12%
- Stack count and duration unchanged
Dev Note: These changes apply only to the Duelling Sword series.
M35 Magnacore Plasma Gun Mk II
The Plasma Gun has always been a battlefield-clearing powerhouse, with both a stable and safe primary fire and a high-risk, high-reward secondary fire that are very effective.
However, the primary fire remains too strong, viable in almost all scenarios, often overshadowing the secondary fire, which is only used in niche cases.
To encourage players to switch modes based on the situation, we’ve shifted the weapon’s design focus toward secondary fire, aiming for better balance in usage and reinforcing the weapon’s “uncontrollable” style.
Specific Changes
Primary Fire:
- Reduced:
- Damage
- Cleave
- Suppression
- Armor damage against Unyielding, Maniacs, and Carapace armor
- Penetration
- Detailed changes:
- Cleave: 100 → 10
- Maniac armor mod: 1.25 → 1
- Unyielding armor mod: 2 → 1.25
- Carapace armor (close): 0.75 → 0.5
- Carapace armor (range): 0.5 unchanged
- Damage range: (700, 1400) → (800, 1000)
- Stagger: 45 → 40
- Suppression: 10 → 4
- Suppression on kill: 10 → 6
- Suppression radius on kill: 8m → 3m
- No longer fully ignores shieldbearer shields
- Terrain penetration: 1.25 → 0.5
- Corpse knockback force: 500 → 300
Secondary Fire:
- Ammo usage (partial charge): 5–9 → 1–9
- Unyielding armor mod: 1.5 → 1.75
- Unarmored armor mod: 1.0 → 1.1
Other:
- Weapon switch time: 0.5s → 0.625s