[Guide] Cataclysm Difficulty - Why am I losing?

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Player Guides
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An explanation of the macro game for people moving up to Cata.

Best way to learn Cata?

Play True Duos on VOIP - Two players in a Private Match (hold Tab and click the Private option), and let the Bots die if possible.

What it teaches:

  • Learn to Stack with each other, minimizing damage taken and increasing control of the Horde
  • Learn Positioning
  • Learn priorities - e.g. Special killer kills Specials, while Tank CCs the Horde
  • Learn which Careers have good Boss damage

Gear/Itemization/Class selection:

Check my guide on Team Composition:

Check Royale w/ Cheese Career Guides for a general idea for builds:

  • 90% of builds either run Block Cost Reduction on Weapon AND Necklace (60%) or Stamina on both

  • Stamina Regen on Trinket

  • Weapon Traits: Parry and Opportunist can offer more safety to squishier Careers

  • Don’t play 4 squishy Ranged Careers - generally you only need one or two - to start off ALWAYS play tanky Careers, so you have more uptime and can learn more

  • You don’t need Curse Resistance as noone does Book runs

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Gameplay:

  • Hold Block! You should Block as much as possible to avoid getting hit in the back constantly
  • As a beginner always start your combo with a Push for control of the Horde - Push → Light → Light → Repeat or Push → Heavy → Repeat
  • Look for enemies constantly, so you don’t get surrounded

Positioning:

  • Position with your back to a wall, so you don’t get surrounded
  • When a Horde sound starts, decide where you’re going to hold it
  • Defend your Special Killer - if you’re playing solo, they can’t kill Specials quickly, which means Specials will do more damage
  • Stay with the team, so you have more control of the Horde - STOP RUNNING OFF SOLO
  • Hold choke points
  • Let enemies come to you! If moving to them causes you to be surrounded, it’s not worth it
  • Avoid Drop Spots (enemies dropping from the ceiling or a hole in the wall)

Temporary Health (white Health):

This is one of the most important things about Cataclysm, and makes games run much more smoothly.

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Firstly; Constantly check your teams health to see if they’re above around 60-70%. If they’re below it, you need to help them get more, by Pushing enemies to make them safe while they generate it.

If they’re below that health:

  • Necklace Trait: Boon of Shallya increases THP generation (this and Barkskin are the two best Neck Traits for most Careers)
  • STOP SPAM SHOOTING EVERYTHING - people cannot generate THP if all of the enemies are dead - If you are low HP you are killing yourself by spam shooting, when you should be generating THP
  • Have a THP Support in your team for safer matches - Sister of The Thorn, Merc Kruber, Unchained

Bosses:

  • Don’t all tunnel (hyper focus) the Boss - Horde can be more important
  • One person should damage the Boss and hold it’s aggro, while the other players kill the Horde and Specials
  • If you have low Boss damage, you might ignore it completely
  • Keep small enemies away from the person holding the Boss
  • Stagger the Boss if the person with aggro gets stuck
  • You can ignore Flame Rat Ogres until the end of the Horde - just avoid them

Patrols:

  • Avoid them if you’re low HP or there’s a lot happening
  • Use Potions and Bombs to clear them - AIM SLIGHTLY HIGHER SO YOU DO NOT BOMB YOUR TEAMMATES
  • Know your role during the fight - Shield users should be Push → Slamming to control them, etc

In-Match Items:
Nobody does book runs in Cataclysm, the fastest way to get Red Items is to do Legend Book runs or Cata Chaos Wastes with premades.

  • If you have been downed, healing SOMEONE ELSE with Bandages will clear your Wounds, meaning you won’t die if you reach 0 HP - this is a good way to use one heal to clear two Wounds - Also recommended if you know you can generate lots of THP
  • Carry Health Pots as you no longer carry Tomes (Zealot, SoTT and Ranger Vet can carry Bandages)
  • If someone HAS to carry the Bandage, give it to someone with an AoE Stagger or Stealth, so they can Heal while using their ability to Stun/Stealth
  • If everyone is low HP just use heals to prevent a wipe
  • Generally try to give Bombs to the Ranged Careers, unless someone can get a lot of Power, like Ironbreaker with certain builds)
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I recommend starting with a support tank capable of shooting like Foot Knight, Ironbreaker or even Handmaiden. That’s what I used when I first started Cata. Once you adapt, then it’s easier to branch out more and try other options that focus more on dealing damage.

The most important things when you’re new is staying alive, keeping everyone else alive, and having the ability to take out specials quickly. Tanks are good at that.

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This mindset helped me a lot. Focusing on “staying alive” vs “trying to get more kills”.

Also, not sacrificing myself in a last-ditch effort to save a teammate who is already doomed :joy:

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Been grinding solo w/bots for dlc weapons on legendary, return to ubershiek, in the end handmaiden was only one with who i did it, with diffirent weapons btw. Her ultimate, passives and talents so strong, i got folded several times on 2 mission end event on every other characters, diffirent classes with or without other players. I will atempt cata soon with her,but i need to grind red weapons 1st.

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