Recently, Warhammer 40K: Darktide introduced a new global condition called Power Supply, which submerges the entire map into complete darkness. This new condition makes all maps extremely difficult to transverse without the natural glow of technology that fills the hive city of Tertium, and it’s difficult to see a few steps in front of you. Some weapons have a special action that enables a flashlight, and we will never underestimate their usefulness again.
While skulking through the complete darkness of Tertium, you will also encounter a unique Darktide enemy, possibly multiple times in a single level: a Daemonhost. These monsters are terrifying and difficult to defeat. In this article, we will give you some insight on how to prepare and defeat a Daemonhost in Darktide, if necessary.
What is a Daemonhost?
Before we start, here is a brief explanation of what a Daemonhost is. A Daemonhost is the spawn of a foul and extremely dangerous ritual in which a Daemon of Chaos is bound into a living mortal host and is enslaved to its creator’s will. Some hosts are willing, typically members of Chaos cults, but more are unwilling and are kidnapped by the same cults.
Although it’s possible for a Daemon of Chaos to manifest itself within the physical realm, it’s difficult and requires the veil between real space and the Warp to be weakened by rituals or sacrifice. In order to bypass this, Daemonic possession is more commonly used, and subjecting unwilling mortals to bound a Daemon into the material realm is far easier than trying to tear down the veil.
In Darktide, you will find some of these unwilling humans lying about in the dark, pleading and struggling to maintain control of their bodies. Daemonhosts in Darktide are like the Witches from Left 4 Dead; attacking them, standing too close, or shining a light upon them will make them lose control, and the Daemon within will take control.
Avoid Daemonhosts in Darktide Whenever Possible
As we previously mentioned, Daemonhosts in Darktide act similarly to Witches from Left 4 Dead, and those familiar with Valve’s zombie horde shooter will advise you to avoid them whenever possible. Daemonhosts can be easily spotted despite the map being submerged in darkness since they emit a subtle white hazy glow that illuminates their host. Along with their bodies being illuminated, you can hear their host whisper and cry out to keep the Daemon trapped within their body, so you can typically listen to their cries before you can spot them.
This makes locating and spotting a Daemonhost even more horrific since the host’s cries can be heard from several rooms over. The unsettling small spotlight the mortal has when you finally spot them brings the horrific sides of Warhammer 40K to a new gameplay level. If you accidentally wake a Daemonhost while playing Darktide, they cannot be dealt with as swiftly as a Witch from Left 4 Dead. Once their host loses control, the daemon boss fight begins.
Related Article: 7 Tips and Tricks to Dominate in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
How to Fight a Daemonhost in Darktide
If you have awoken a Daemonhost, their host will scream as their control slips, and the Daemon of Chaos appears. The Daemon will spawn and teleport to one player in your group, relentlessly chasing them. Unlike the Spawn of Nurgle or a Plague Ogryn, a Daemonhost is relentless and can easily overwhelm a group of Rejects if you are unprepared. Let’s get started with the Daemonhost’s basic attacks in Darktide.
The Daemonhost’s primary way of dealing damage and overwhelming players is their barrage of claw swipes. Their swipes can be extremely difficult to evade. Due to the flurry of their attacks, they will easily break your guard if you’re a Psyker or a Veteran, but Zealots can manage, and Ogryns with Slab Shields can seemingly tank their blows almost endlessly. The Daemonhost is also Unyielding, meaning the majority of stagger weapons and abilities won’t interrupt their attacks.
Daemonhosts Do Not Waver or Stop
Daemonhosts are not only relentless in their strikes but also in pursuing their target. If you are the victim of the Daemonhosts gaze, no matter how far you run or take any maneuvers to create distance, the Daemonhost will teleport to you and continue their onslaught. You should hope that they focus on one of your tankier allies, like a player running a great Zealot Preacher Darktide build. The Daemonhost also has an aura that slowly corrupts players’ HP whenever they are nearby, gradually reducing your maximum health as if you were holding a Grimoire.
The Daemonhost won’t break its gaze from a target until the player is dead. If you are in its sights, stay on the move. If you must take the brunt of the boss’ claws, you must entirely focus on dodging and blocking. There is almost no room to retaliate, and you must rely on your allies to damage the Darktide Daemonhost while you hold them at bay. No matter how much your teammate damages the Daemonhost, the boss won’t de-aggro from its original target.
Some Additional Insights
If you or an ally is downed from the Daemonhosts relentless assault, the boss will finally give pause to their attacks. During this break, the Daemonhost will begin to grip your fallen ally and slowly sap the life from them, corrupting their entire HP bar and turning all their Wounds purple. If the boss isn’t defeated before this animation is finished, your ally is immediately killed, and the Daemonhost will pursue another target.
Killing a Daemonhost in Darktide is a constant race against time. If you are not overwhelmed by its attacks, its aura will slowly sap the life from your team. If a Daemonhost resides nearby and a horde spawns, immediately back away from the Daemonhost as much as possible. The Daemonhost is easily the most challenging boss in Darktide to defeat. Beyond that, taking them on during a horde is a death sentence unless you have an Ogryn to tank them with a Slab Shield.
Related Guide: How to Defeat the Traitor Captain Boss
Wrap Up on Fighting a Daemonhost in Darktide
That’s our short rundown about how to fight a Daemonhost in Darktide. Even if you can fight a Daemonhost, you should try to avoid them whenever possible. There are multiple Daemonhosts throughout a single level during a Power Supply event, so taking on multiple bosses will quickly drain your resources or outright kill your team if no one is prepared. Usually, there are areas that you can use to sneak by the Daemonhost, but they are hard to find in the dark if you’re not familiar with the Darktide maps.
If you must fight a Daemonhost, hope it targets one of the frontline classes because Psyker and Veteran builds do not have enough stamina to block their relentless blows. If you enjoyed our guide, check out our short guide about all the weapon stats in Darktide. Good hunting, Rejects!
