Dark and Darker is an emerging hit, a hardcore dungeon-crawling PvPvE experience you can enjoy either solo or in parties. It’s hard, but rewarding, in the best of ways for those seeking a new and engaging FPS RPG in a dark fantasy world. But it can be made easier with the right, carefully selected builds depending on what class you select. While it doesn’t hurt to have the right gear in mind, it’s also vital to select your best options for Perks and Skills. For the Fighter class, there are some clear answers on the best build in Dark and Darker for use in parties or as a solo player.
Best Solo Fighter Build in Dark and Darker
The Fighter has strong defensive assets among their perks, something you should capitalize on in your build for the sake of survival in Dark and Darker. Keep in mind that to access the full build, you’ll need to be at least Level 15. A healthy balance of “the best offense is a good defense” will carry you through to the Escape Portals in a given dungeon when used correctly. Select the following Perks for your Fighter:
- Combo Attack
- Defense Expert
- Swift
- Barricade
You want not only to get strong defensive bonuses from your armor and shields but also not to be hindered by them when going into battle. This is especially the case for Solo play as you’re on your own, often against many bloodthirsty AI and human opponents. Additionally, the following Skills should be applied:
- Sprint
- Second Wind
These selections are quite frankly for the case of fast retreats and emergency recovery. Survival is difficult in any extraction-oriented game (as long as the servers are online), and when the enemies are plentiful with close and ranged attacks, quick getaways are vital.
Best Fighter Build for Parties in Dark and Darker
When you’re joined by allies, you’re able to lean further into the tank build as a Fighter in Dark and Darker. Thankfully, there’s one build that’ll have you covered on multiple fronts that’s not too different from the Solo build:
- Counterattack
- Defense Expert
- Swift
- Barricade
As you can see, the Counterattack Perk is the only one swapped in, maximizing your output as a tank while dishing out the pain to punish would-be assailants. You can afford to stay still more often in fights as the team’s tank, especially with these skills:
- Adrenaline Rush
- Second Wind
Second Wind is always a reasonable thing to have in your back pocket as you might find yourself isolated from your allies or the sole survivor of an encounter. The pressure is on you to survive and potentially revive your allies, and staying alive is key. Adrenaline Rush is more of a helpful Skill to activate in combat and boost your offensive output on top of your status as your party’s defender.
Best Party Build for the Fighter in Dark and Darker
This allows you to stay in your wheelhouse as a tank while being more effective in fights. You can aggro your enemies and pair well with a Rogue and either a Cleric or a Wizard with this build. Or just go nuts and bring in the Barbarian for finishing blows.
Fighter Skills and Perks in Dark and Darker
The Fighter has access to a decent array of Skills and Perks for the sake of survival in the game, as listed below:
Perks
- Barricade (When in a defensive stance, the defense rating bonus is increased by 15%)
- Combo Attack (Physical attack power temporarily increases by 10% with each successful melee attack within 3 seconds)
- Counterattack (Successful defense increases the movement speed and attack speed by 10% for 3 seconds)
- Defense Expert (Increases AR [Armor Rating] acquired from armor by 10%)
- Dual Wield (Equipping weapons in both hands increases attack speed by 15%)
- Projectile Resistance (Reduces damage taken from projectiles by 10%)
- Shield Expert (Increases movement speed by 10% when in a defensive stance)
- Swift (Reduces the base movement speed penalty from equipped armor by -20%. Not applicable to additional modifiers)
- Weapon Mastery (All primary and secondary weapons are available regardless of class requirements. 10% physical damage penalty is applied for all non-native weapons)
Skills
- Adrenaline Rush (Increases your attack speed by 25% for 8 seconds. After the duration ends, your attack and movement speed is temporarily reduced for 6 seconds)
- Breakthrough (Removes debuffs that slow all movement speeds)
- Sprint (Movement speed is greatly increased for a short duration)
- Second Wind (Recovers 50% of HP over 12 seconds. Additionally, it eliminates the side effects of the Adrenaline Rush skill)
- Taunt (Increases the aggro value to all monsters within a 7.5m area by 50% and increases your defense rating bonus by 15% for 8 seconds)
- Victory Strike (The next attack deals an additional 20% weapon damage. If the target dies from this attack you recover 5% of your maximum HP)
While we have our recommended build above, you can try any of these additional options for our Fighter in Dark and Darker, especially as you coordinate with your team or even just experiment. It’s an RPG, after all, and you’re welcome to play whatever role your heart desires.
Dark and Darker is currently available as a demo on Steam until February 13, 2023, with the full release date not yet revealed, simply stated as “coming soon” on the game’s Steam page.
