Fatshark released Vermintide 2 on 8 March 2018 and it still runs on the same five heroes: Markus Kruber, Bardin Goreksson, Kerillian, Victor Saltzpyre and Sienna Fuegonasus. Each has four careers, three unlocked through levelling and one sold separately, which gives 20 loadouts built on one first person melee system. Difficulty climbs through Recruit, Veteran, Champion and Legend, with Cataclysm added by the Winds of Magic expansion in August 2019.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markus Kruber | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Bardin Goreksson | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Kerillian | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Victor Saltzpyre | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Sienna Fuegonasus | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Warhammer: Vermintide 2 tier list.
A-Tier: Markus Kruber
Markus Kruber is a top-performing option in Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Halberd | Kruber's long reach polearm, with a light attack chain that cleaves infantry and a heavy that punches through armour. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Temporary health from damage dealt | Most careers take a talent that converts damage into temporary health, triggered on kills, on cleaving several enemies at once or on critical hits. |
How to Play Markus Kruber
Markus Kruber focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this role works: Halberd does the damage and Temporary health from damage dealt keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed weapons breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Bardin Goreksson
Bardin Goreksson is a strong option in Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Drakefire Pistols | Bardin's ranged weapon that fires fire damage instead of ammunition and overheats instead of running dry. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Stamina shields and push attacks | Blocking spends stamina shown as half circles above the crosshair, and a shield weapon carries several more of them than a two handed weapon does. |
How to Play Bardin Goreksson
Bardin Goreksson focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this role works: Pair Drakefire Pistols with Stamina shields and push attacks and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed weapons breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Kerillian
Kerillian is a strong option in Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Dual Daggers | Kerillian's fastest melee option, with the best dodge count in the game and enormous critical damage against a single target. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Dodge count per weapon | Every weapon allows a fixed number of effective dodges in sequence before the dodge stops moving you far enough to matter. |
How to Play Kerillian
Kerillian focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this role works: Dodge count per weapon covers the gap Dual Daggers leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed weapons breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Victor Saltzpyre
Victor Saltzpyre is a specialized option in Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Rapier | Saltzpyre's starting melee weapon and still one of his best, with fast thrusts, a strong push attack and a pistol shot bound to the special attack. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Tomes and grimoires as loot penalties | Each map holds three tomes and two grimoires. |
How to Play Victor Saltzpyre
Victor Saltzpyre focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this role works: This one leans on Tomes and grimoires as loot penalties rather than raw numbers, and Rapier is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed weapons breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Sienna Fuegonasus
Sienna Fuegonasus is a specialized option in Warhammer: Vermintide 2.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Conflagration Staff | Sienna's crowd control staff, dropping a fire pillar that staggers and burns everything caught in it. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Specials and monster spawns | Specials such as the Packmaster, Gutter Runner, Ratling Gunner, Warpfire Thrower and Blightstormer each disable or delete one player at a time, while monsters such as the Rat Ogre, Chaos Spawn, Stormfiend and Bile Troll soak the whole team. |
How to Play Sienna Fuegonasus
Sienna Fuegonasus focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this role works: Conflagration Staff and Specials and monster spawns pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed weapons breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Bardin Goreksson: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Markus Kruber once you understand core mechanics and have access to Halberd
- Keep a Kerillian setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Sienna Fuegonasus for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary weapon first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Block, push, then heavy attack is the core loop of the entire game. Pushing costs stamina but staggers everything in an arc in front of you, and the heavy attack that follows lands before anything recovers, which is how one player holds a corridor against a horde.
- Take a temporary health talent on every career you play. Between medical supplies there is no other healing, and the temporary health you generate from cleaving a horde is often larger than the total health pool you started the map with.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Guides
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Overview
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Tier List
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Walkthrough
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Beginner's Guide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Tips & Tricks
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Weapons Guide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Combat Guide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Boss Guide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Maps & Locations
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Crafting Guide
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Classes & Characters
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