Man at Arms Skills and Tips - Darkest Dungeon 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

When you play Darkest Dungeon 2 for the first time, there are four heroes that will be automatically unlocked and available for you to play with. One of these heroes is the Man-at-Arms, and he's incredibly powerful if you know how to create a build around him properly.

The Man-at-Arms, also known as Barristan, is a heavy-hitting, no-nonsense military man with a strong set of skills and a powerful mind for battle. As is tradition for the Darkest Dungeon world, he has a suitably tragic backstory which you'll be able to unlock more of as you explore the game.

Barristan is a front rank hero, meaning that he doesn't perform as well in the middle or bank ranks of the party. He has strong Guard and Riposte abilities and he is particularly durable, especially when compared to other heroes like the Plague Doctor or the Occultist.

Choosing the Best Man-at-Arms Path

Every hero in Darkest Dungeon 2 has four paths to choose from, which are essentially classes or specializations. Each hero will be able to access the Wanderer path or pick from 3 specific paths that fit their own backstories and playstyles.

Barristan is immediately available for use during the Prologue, and the different options that you have alongside the Wanderer path are:

• Sergeant
• Bulwark
• Vanguard

Each path has its own strengths and weaknesses, but Barristan generally plays as a front-facing, tanky character no matter the path that you pick. It's important to keep this in mind when you're picking out a good comp.

It's worth trying out all the different paths as soon as you start playing, as Barristan is a great foundational hero to base a team around. He's very durable no matter which path you pick, so having him on your team gives you the chance to experiment with more temperamental heroes.

Wanderer

As noted, the Wanderer path is essentially the default path that all heroes have available from the beginning. It's a pretty standard path, with no particular abilities or challenges to note.

The most important thing to note about the Wanderer path is that it rewards you with extra candles for reaching the second Inn in your run. This is a great way to save up and unlock new trinkets or add more heroes to your roster.

Sergeant

The Sergeant path is one that focuses on team support and the Bolster ability, sacrificing a little of Barristan's damage in return for strong buffs and improved abilities.

If you pick this path, Barristan will take a flat -20% damage debuff. This can be annoying, but it's possible to counter this with some strong ability picks and item choices.

In return for the damage debuff, Barristan will get a 100% buff to move resistance and an improvement to his Bolster ability that removes Vulnerable and Weak tokens when he uses it on himself.

In addition, there is a 20% chance that allies will receive a 50% boost to their Bleed, Blight, and Burn resistance stats. When you pair this with a hero like the Plague Doctor and her team buff abilities, this can be incredibly powerful.

Bulwark

Bulwark is a highly defensive path that focuses mainly on the Shield Attack and Stand Fast abilities.

This path gives the Shield Attack ability a 50% damage boost and a 10% chance of applying a Stun token to the target. It also means that the Stand Fast ability applies two Taunt tokens to Barristan.

To balance this out, the Crush and Riposte abilities receive a -25% damage debuff.

This path works well alongside other heroes with strong melee abilities for balance, like the Hellion or the Highwayman.

Vanguard

Vanguard is arguably the best path to pick for the Man-at-Arms if you want him to be a pure, frontline tank in your party.

This path applies a 25% damage boost to Riposte abilities and a 50% damage boost to the Crush ability, too. It also starts Barristan off with 20% more max HP, which is huge considering he's already one of the tankiest heroes in the game.

To balance out these buffs, Barristan has 20% less resistance to Blight, Bleed, and Burn tokens.

Vanguard Build

A typical Vanguard Man-at-Arms should be in the first rank of the party but he can work in the second rank if needed. Pick the abilities Crush, Defender, Bolster, Hold the Line, and Retribution and he'll solve almost any issue that you come across in game.

Retribution is one of the most powerful abilities in the game in terms of multi-target damage and tanking ability. The Vanguard is a good pick for a DOT comp.

When it comes to upgrade priorities, go for Bolster first, then Retribution as soon as possible. These abilities will be what you spend the majority of your time using and they're worth the investment.

Understanding the Man-at-Arms Abilities

Barristan is a durable, heavy-hitting hero that performs the best in the front ranks of your party. It's possible to have him in other ranks, but generally it's not advised unless you're running a very specific comp that requires it.

Each hero in Darkest Dungeon 2 has a variety of different moves and abilities that can be used. Some are immediately available and others require you to unlock them by working through the backstory of your chosen hero at the Shrine of Reflection.

The abilities Barristan starts off with are:

• Crush. This is a melee attack that can hit for decently high damage. If the target has a Combo token, it heals Barristan for 10% when the move connects.
• Rampart. This is a melee ability that hits for decent damage and sends Barristan forwards a space in the party. It also knocks the target a space back and applies a Daze token.
• Defender. Defender is a defensive ability that gives Barristan two Block tokens and the target hero two Guarded tokens, meaning that Barristan will protect them for two separate attacks.
• Bolster. This is a support move that applies a Block token to Barristan and removes a Vulnerable token from the target. If Barristan and/or the target has a Stress level higher than 5, the move reduces their Stress level by 1 and 2 ticks respectively.
• Hold the Line. Hold the Line is a melee ability that hits for average damage and moves Barristan 3 spaces forward in the party. It also applies a Block and Immobilize token to Barristan.

The additional abilities that you'll need to unlock are:

• Bellow. This is a ranged attack that does no damage but has high offensive potential. It reduces the target's speed by 3 and removes a Riposte token.
• Retribution. This is a self-buff that gives Barristan 2 Riposte tokens and 2 Taunt tokens.
• Command. Command is a support move that Barristan can use on other heroes. It applies a Strength token and removes a Blind token, which can be particularly useful if you have the Leper as the main tank in your comp.
• Stand Fast. This is a self-buff that means Barristan starts off his turn with multiple Block tokens.
• Courageous Abandon. This move requires both Barristan and the target to be in the front ranks of their respective parties. It's a melee attack that hits for average damage and removes both a Block and Vulnerable token from Barristan. The move ignores enemy Block tokens. If Barristan has remaining Block or Block+ tokens, the move hits for 100% more damage.
• Strategic Withdrawal. This is a move that combines melee damage and movement. It hits for decent damage and moves Barristan back a space. It also applies a Combo token to the target.

There's a good mix of purely offensive moves and supportive moves in Barristan's arsenal, and they pretty much all revolve around him being a strong, durable tank that his team can stand behind.

While it can be tricky to say which Man-at-Arms moves are the best without knowing which sort of comp you're trying to run, there are some that stand out as particularly powerful, especially when you spend Mastery Points at the Inn to upgrade them.

Strategic Withdrawal is one move that stands out as incredible once it's been upgraded. The standard version of the move is powerful, but once you upgrade it, it hits for much higher damage, has a 10% crit chance, applies a Block+ and Speed token to Barristan, and even heals Barristan for 33% if he's in the Death's Door health phase.

It can be tempting to play Barristan as a purely offensive hero, but he does have some of the best buffs and support moves in the game. The Defender ability is incredibly useful in a pinch and it can make all the difference in late-game boss fights.

Choosing the Strongest Man-at-Arms Items

Picking the right items in Darkest Dungeon 2 can make a huge impact. Items drop at random, with most needing to be unlocked at the Altar of Hope before you can pick them up, but it's worth having a few key items in your mind for each hero to help improve your chances of success.

Every hero in the game has 3 specific Indelible trinkets that have been created to fit their specific set of skills. The Indelible Man-at-Arms trinkets to watch out for are:

• Price of Pride. This token means that Barristan has a 33% chance to get a Block+ token when he's hit and that his bellow skill has a 10% chance of applying a Stun token to the target. However, if Barristan is first in the turn order, he will begin the round with a Blind token.
• Standard of the Ninth. This trinket gives each hero a Block+ token at the start of each battle. It also gives a 50% additional crit chance to the Courageous Abandon ability. The downside of this trinket is that, if Barristan is in the first rank, he will gain a Weak token every time he misses an attack.
• Undeserved Commendation. If Barristan is in the second rank of the party, he has 25% more health than usual. His Command ability also has a 33% chance of applying a Crit token to the target. However, if Barristan ends up in the first rank when moving, he will gain an extra Stress level.

As with most hero-specific trinkets in the game, you may notice that some of them seem better suited to specific hero paths than others. For example, Standard of the Ninth is a perfect fit for the defensive Bulwark hero path.

It's possible to counter the negative aspects of the hero-specific trinkets, too.

For example, The Indelible Goading Gargoyle, which is found in The Sluice, can help to counter the Price of Pride Blind tokens as it has a 66% chance of turning a blind token into a Strength token. Additionally, if the Flame is higher than 75 points, Barristan's speed will increase by 4 points.

The hero-specific trinkets aren't the only trinkets that it's worth watching out for, though. In general, it's good to have a few trinkets in mind that can counter any negative aspects of your chosen path or any hero trinkets.

The trinkets that are found in the Tangle stand out as being particularly great for Barristan. The Indelible Distant Stone Mount is great, as it converts any Block tokens to Block+ tokens when the turn ends and Barristan has a lot of Block token-centric abilities. If Barristan is first in the turn order and he misses an ability, his Stress increases by 1 but this can be countered easily with Laudanum.