I think the a main thing with zlot is to understand his 2 charge distances. When you use his ability (with no enemy lock) you will go maybe 20 meters? I’m not sure. What I am sure about is when you hold your attack (lock onto an enemy) and charge, the distance you will lunge can double easily.
The secondary point to illustrate with the zlot is; What part of the range battle are you having consistent trouble with? (Specifically solo que) Be selfish and pick a ranged weapon to solve that problem. Lasgun for sniper/patrol, Bolter for anything really, pistol for specailists, flamer to clear a horde as some examples.
Regarding the zealot charge ability, locking onto an enemy has no tell but it’s usually the one in center and closest. I would practice his charge attack on cooldown on lower difficulties until you’re comfortable with weapon timing and range.
This charge distance is key to understanding in his ability to take the fight to the range units. Pinning a patrol before they can scatter is something the zlot should always be looking to take advantage of. (This is my main focus as an ogryn too)(that and pushing elites over is hilarious)
Once you master your weapons patterns you should be looking around to identify who are the targets in a fight. For example, Do you see a rager sprinting to you, or an ally? Did you notice a scab gunner retreat? A huge skill to learn is to look at your team as well, what are they doing?
By looking at teammates, a glance can tell you all you need to know. Someone is ADS or stuck in melee. Someone has turned their back and is retreating, or someone is dodging back getting overwhelmed. A big play can sometimes be to stop cleaning up your mess and go help someone else wash their dishes. Since you know what you would be pulling with you can effectively hold them off while applying damage to help your teammates. This is where your charge can clutch. A good team will understand the threats and retreat until they’re dealt with before rushing back in. Sometimes the chaff horde can be a break from the high intensity elites and specials. Another thing to think about is dodge dancing. You won’t have to look for a teammate that’s dodging with you.
Sometimes the best solution to a horde is to retreat so they thin out and you can manage the horde in slices. Once they start to surround you, you’ll get overwhelmed. Always look to retreat from being surrounded, your teammates should never be responsible for saving you from getting surrounded, you need to push attack your way out asap. The trappers, most specialist in general, are most deadly when you can’t dodge his/her ability.
As far as the range fire, I would say this is where positioning and map knowledge comes into play. If a patrol gets locked into a range fight, there is no shame in using cover or simply looking at your team to see if anyone else is taking the fight. Getting burst down and waiting for a revive is the worst thing you can do. The best thing you can do is stay available to help. I wouldn’t recommend leaving the room by yourself, and this is where it can get tough, but I would recommend to live and die with your team. The team mentality is everything in darktide. Clutching is a lot harder in darktide and the when the fight goes south, it happens fast. If you practice good gameplay habits, the team will naturally retreat with you, and they will naturally advance with you. If you’re unsure when to advance or retreat, follow someone’s lead. Yes following someone else won’t be at your pace, but you can immerse yourself in their gameplay style and maybe learn something new. If everyone is scattered around out of coherency, flipping tables for Grims or scriptures then try to find one teammate and stay with them. Most players check to see if your clearing a room and then move onto another room, sure this isn’t the worst thing in the world but I would recommend letting the player clear the room while you cover them. No one will watch your back, and there is always an enemy behind you, so watch their back and good players will revolve around you during a fight.
As far as the stun-lock, the times this has happened to me was when I was trying to walk/run towards fire, slide towards fire. This sucks, true, but you got caught out in the open you should be punished. The stun-lock issue can also happen when your stamina is depleted, and you block an attack with 0 stam. I can only surmise that you are sprinting everywhere, because the team is doing the same so you are trying to keep up or push ahead. Only you can look at your gameplay to identify what is happening or going wrong. I would recommend playing a mission and walking everywhere for a change. Only run when to the checkpoint or exit. period. If you want to run away, hold block and dodge backwards., only turn around to see where your going (very important).
Hope this mash of texts helps you turn your enemies into gravy, for the ogryn to eat of course.
