Arbitrator is supposed to be the “the dog class” and the best way to play it is by ditching the dog. Ditching the dog shouldnt even be an option. If lone wolf is not going to be removed (it will never be removed let’s be real) then dog builds need to be buffed to be on par with lone wolf, or lone wolf should be nerfed. This feels similar to the loner aura conundrum so maybe there is hope they remove it
3 Likes
I mean, people complained about Arbitrator’s dog explosion blitz and dog bleed being too strong, they nerfed both the blitz and the dog’s damage, and that’s why Lone Wolf is the best way to play the class now…
We reap what we sow.
11 Likes
they should definitely add more mechanics to the dog (that you can spec into if you want through talents). it’s the major unique aspect of the Class, so it just makes sense to lean into it a little more to make it more different from the others
5 Likes
I don’t like having an NPC around that kills things for me. That’s actually why I play the game (killing things myself and not watching NPCs do it). The option to forego the dog is good. I’d do it even if it didn’t buff me
Being better or not aside, the dog is just kind of overall poor design. Bad players can crutch on it and good players don’t really want it that much. If they reworked the dog to be an actually actively controllable entity rather than having its own AI and doing stuff on its own, I would use it and probably have tons of fun learning something new in Darktide
So I agree it’s not good this way, but I think the solution shouldn’t be just making the dog better because then we’d just go from people who want the dog feeling bad about missing out on power to people who don’t want the dog feeling bad about it.
5 Likes
I agree that arbitrator should rely on the dog more, the dog should be powerful but it also needs a health bar or somethin. Having it active all the time is stale design it should retreat temporarily when damaged enough. You become a loner only when your dog is damaged and isnt around anymore.
7 Likes
Well evidently lone wolf did recieve a nerf in the next patch. The shock mine regen is up from 60s to 90s. 60s was too low, you could mindlessly spam shock mines so now you might need a little more thought into when you use them
1 Like
The nerf to regen is specific to shock mines, but that was the offender. Progress.
4 Likes
Ah, I didnt realize. Fixed it
1 Like
Honestly shock mines could use a nerf in how long they last as well. Maybe 10 seconds instead of 15
1 Like
It was stronger than the rest of the class by itself, hell it was stronger than purg psyker by itself… of course it got nerfed…
7 Likes
People, please help! I’m playing a Lone Wolf build, and my score is usually below average for the match. Yesterday I lost three Damnation High-Intensity runs in a row, and only the fourth one succeeded — but… not thanks to me! I was third out of four in damage dealt, and the fourth was a level-24 Ogryn.
At the same time, when I play with my dog companion, I once dealt almost a million damage in an Auric Maelstrom, ending up both the top damage dealer and the top rescuer. I can’t even dream of something like that when playing as Lone Wolf! I tried once — and barely scraped a bit over 200k, getting captured three times in the process
With the dog build, I once cleared Auric High Intensity with just one Veteran teammate (the other two left at the start of the run), and I wasn’t dead weight — I even pulled off a couple of clutches.
Lone Wolf? What clutches? I go down either first or second, and if I somehow happen to be the last one standing, it’s only for a moment — I drop right after the second-to-last.
Although I haven’t played a dog build in a long time. It’s possible that the reason is my best runs happened before the Bound of Duty update, and back then I was actively using “QoL” mods that I’ve since abandoned.
They should give the dog its own talent tree like they did for the hive scum stimm lab.
Having the option to not play alongside the dog wouldn’t matter for the talent tree since the hive scum is able to not play with the stimm lab, and still have the talent tree for it anyway.
14 Likes
I only play with the dogs to disable enemies more than actively doing damage to them, so i dont spend points to boost it’s damage and use them for myself instead, it always ran pretty well.
Please no the less dogs I see the better
1 Like
Who said that? The way I see it, from gameplay perspective arbites is all about crowd control, dog or not.
I prefer to play with dog, I cleared 2 h40 with dog this week, with team without bubble,kraks and ogryn. Seemed fine to me. I would get very limited benefits with shock mine in 1st mission and slightly limited in 2d. What’s better in many cases is situational and your idea is to remove choice and adaptability? Also lone wolf getting nerfs this patch.
I have a mod to build check, I see arbites with dog, right keystone and shock mine, total anti synergy, so maybe dog wouldn’t suck if you or others picked right talents for it? Naah, that cannot be.
2 Likes
this is what I was thinking as well. they could organize things basically like how dog currently works as the default, lone wolf as well, but then have a more involved set of mechanics for those who want a real pet class. like others have mentioned, it should have health you’ve gotta manage aggro with but can do more involved things.
the default version would still be there for people who just want it as like a fire and forget thing, and lone wolf as well. but of course the skill ceiling for the extra mechanics should be higher.
FS and the lead director of DT have described Arbites as “the pet class”
3 Likes
Saw a few lone wolf players. A lot more than before. With certain nodes that attack speed bump turns arbite single hand maul into DS level of attack speed, but stagger and anti-armour of almost bully3b at same time. Forget red stim, blue stim and it is wild.
Saw one pin every carapace/unyielding stack by running slightly ahead of team to chokepoints. If the area was too large for a chokepoint he would kite them to follow him and create his own chokepoint.
Running out of volt mines didn’t matter. He just picked up more from boxes. Strange how players don’t mind sharing then.
1 Like
Sickening weapon, genuinely can’t understand how people enjoy using it for more than 15 minutes at a time lmao
No clue what the devs were thinking when they stacked it so much; with its base stats and blessings, you can ignore the stuff in the bottom right of the talent tree and it’s still bonkers 
5 Likes
Couldn’t agree more.
A few weeks back i had a discusion with some forum users who just said dog is to OPP without giving any data to back it up.
Anyway if you currently use all dog talents you sacrife to much in dr, thoughnes regen and damage.
The AOE for bleed and brittleness need to comeback ( not talking about the bug ). Used to be 2.5 meters which would make them semi-viable., tho the 6 bleed stacks would still be to low. The dog-keystones need also a big buff mainly the left one for unleashed brutality.
Some of the other dog talents are garbage, take target selection for example, 15% damage against elites and specialist for 8 seconds, who did think these are good talents?
4 Likes
The volt mines are very multi-purpose as assist tool for other things
- Revive
- Rescue
- Ledge pull
- Escape/clutch to next door
- Terminal mini games
- Dog spam wave
Don’t need existing chokepoints, just kite to make one somewhere of choosing you know they will wedge converge and plop like a no.2
Regen/refills from boxes. Keep 1 in the bank.
The ability to buy time, really long time 15 secs without affecting your own movement and actions. 15 secs, not enough, throw another 30 secs.
Worst case, when using all 3 volt mines, use break the line stagger in between them, 5 secs effect, 8 secs CD to pad out the hold time. Well over one minute possible.
1 Like