The Veteran class in Warhammer 40K: Darktide can choose between three unique grenades or “Blitz” types, all of which serve different purposes. Considering the cooperative nature of the title, it’s important to pick something that would benefit the entire team or at least not become a hindrance for your teammates. This brings us to the Smoke Grenades, which is one of the choices for the Veteran. We’ll break down its pros and cons and if it’s worth using in Warhammer 40K: Darktide.
Smoke Grenades in Warhammer 40K Darktide
As the name implies, smoke grenades can be thrown to create a lingering smoke cloud for 15 seconds that blocks the line of sight for most enemies, and reduces the sight range of enemies inside the cloud.
The following talents can improve the effectiveness of Smoke Grenades:
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Grenade Tinkerer | Increases the duration of the smoke cloud from 15 seconds to 30 seconds |
| Grenadier | Increases the amount of grenades you can carry by one |
| Twinned Blast | 20% chance to throw an additional grenade while only consuming one |
| Demolition Stockpile | Replenish one grenade every 60 seconds |
| Demolition Team | 5% chance of replenishing a grenade when you or a team member kills an elite or specialist |
Essentially, you won’t run out of smoke grenades anytime soon thanks to Demolition Stockpile, and double the lingering effect as well with Grenade Tinkerer.
Should You Use Smoke Grenades in Warhammer 40K Darktide
After trying out a build with smoke grenades as a focus, it’s hard to justify using these over the Kraks and Shredders. Smokes simply don’t offer the same value the other choices do, and while these can be useful in some situations for the Veteran and team, the reduction of visibility for the rest of the team is a major flaw, especially considering the close-quarter combat of Warhammer 40K: Darktide.
To illustrate our reasoning, here are some pros and cons of using smoke grenades.
| Pros for Using Smoke Grenades | Cons for Using Smoke Grenades |
|---|---|
| You can reduce the visibility of ranged enemies | In turn, you are reducing the visibility of yourself and your team |
| Some enemy attacks are essentially blocked from doing certain attacks, like the pounce attack of Pox Hounds | Because of the lack of visibility, a pox hound could be waiting right next to the cloud, and pounce on you anyway |
| The threat of Gunners is reduced significantly, giving you a lot of breathing room | If you can’t see the Gunners either, it’s not really useful unless you’re running behind them to take them out |
Now, if you’re running a full squad with your friends and are properly communicating with each other, it’s a different story, and smokes can be very useful if utilized properly. Sometimes victory is only a smoke grenade away, but more often than not, your team might not appreciate you throwing smoke grenades around the map and making it hard to see anything.
This is why, despite the situational utility offered by the smoke grenades, the Kraks and Shredders are just easier to use, do actual damage, apply bleed, and don’t get in the way of the team.
Choosing the right Blitz isn’t the only important thing in Warhammer 40: Darktide, but understanding the corruption system is crucial to survival.
Published: Oct 21, 2024 12:24 pm