Best Tactical Builds for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Best Tactical Builds for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

The Tactical class in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is one of the most versatile classes, providing players with powerful abilities like Auspex Scan to mark and weaken enemies for greater damage. This guide will cover everything you need to know about the Tactical class, including the best builds for early, mid, and late game, how to optimize your loadouts for both PvE and PvP, weapon choices, perk synergies, and strategies for mastering the class in any situation.

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Overview of the Tactical Class

• Special Ability: Auspex Scan
  • Marks enemies in a selected area for 8 seconds, increasing damage dealt to scanned enemies and revealing their positions.
• Armor Class: 3
• PvE Rating: S
• PvP Rating: S

The Tactical class excels at supporting the team by marking high-priority targets, revealing hidden enemies, and boosting overall damage output. This class is perfect for players who want to stay mobile, deal both ranged and melee damage, and assist their team with powerful crowd-control abilities.

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Best Tactical Class Builds and Loadouts

Early Game Tactical Build

In the early game, your focus should be on maximizing damage output while keeping your squad alive. The Tactical class is extremely effective against elite enemies and bosses due to its ability to mark targets with Auspex Scan, allowing both you and your team to deal significantly increased damage.

• Core Perks:

  • Balanced Distribution: Increases primary weapon damage by 10% but decreases secondary weapon damage by 10%. This perk is essential in focusing your firepower on your primary weapon, typically a Plasma Incinerator.
  • Heightened Vigour: After a perfectly timed dodge, you cannot be knocked back for 5 seconds. This keeps you in control during high-pressure combat.
  • Final Shot: After executing a finisher, your ranged weapon reloads automatically. This saves precious time in combat, allowing you to stay on the offensive.

• Team Perk:

  • Communion of Fire: Reduces recoil for all squad members by 20%. This perk is extremely useful in firefights, allowing your team to land more accurate shots.

• Gear Perks:

  • Vital Data: Scanning elite enemies restores 50% of your Auspex Scan charge. This makes the Tactical class highly effective in prolonged encounters against tougher enemies.
  • Battle Focus: A perfectly timed parry marks enemies with the Auspex Scan, making parries more rewarding by exposing enemy weaknesses.
  • Close Targeting: When Auspex Scan is on cooldown, melee damage against minor enemies is increased by 50%. This allows you to switch between ranged and melee combat effectively.

• Signature Perk:

  • Signal Jammer: Enemies marked by Auspex Scan cannot call for reinforcements. This is essential for controlling the battlefield and preventing additional enemies from joining the fight.

Weapon Loadout:

• Primary Weapon: Plasma Incinerator (Master-Crafted – Beta)
  • Fast Venting: Reduces the cooldown between plasma shots, preventing overheating.
  • Rampage: Increases damage after killing an enemy.
  • Plasma Collection: Increases the plasma charge rate, allowing for more powerful shots against elite enemies.
• Secondary Weapon: Bolt Pistol (Master-Crafted – Beta)
  • Great Might: Increases damage.
  • Retaliation: Boosts damage after taking a hit.
  • Iron Grip: Improves recoil control.
• Melee Weapon: Chainsword (Master-Crafted – Alpha)
  • Perpetual Strength: Increases melee damage.
  • Swift Recovery: Reduces the cooldown on melee attacks, allowing faster follow-ups.

Strategy:

• Use Auspex Scan on elite enemies and follow up with charged Plasma Incinerator shots to deal massive damage. After weakening them with your ranged attacks, finish them off with your Chainsword. If you face groups of weaker enemies, rely on your Bolt Pistol for quick clean-up while your primary weapon is charging.

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Mid-Game Tactical Build

As you progress to mid-game, Tactical gains access to more powerful perks that enhance the effectiveness of both your weapons and your team’s overall firepower. At this stage, the class becomes even more specialized in dealing high damage to Majoris and other strong enemies.

• Core Perks:

  • Plasma Boost: When your Plasma Incinerator is overheated to 50%, its damage increases by 30%. This turns your Plasma Incinerator into an even more devastating weapon against tougher enemies.
  • Relentless Pursuit: After landing a Gun Strike, your ranged damage increases by 25% for 5 seconds. This synergy boosts your damage after every close-ranged attack.
  • Final Shot: Automatically reloads your ranged weapon after performing a finisher, keeping you in the action without delays.

• Team Perk:

  • Aligned Aim: Increases ranged damage for all squad members by 5%. This perk is especially useful in coordinated teams, as it ensures everyone benefits from your offensive efforts.

• Gear Perks:

  • Vital Data: As in the early game, this perk remains crucial for restoring your Auspex Scan charge during fights with elite enemies.
  • Battle Focus: With parries marking enemies for increased damage, this perk is invaluable in both offense and defense.
  • Close Targeting: Continue to rely on increased melee damage when Auspex Scan is unavailable.

• Signature Perk:

  • Radiating Impact: A melee finisher now deals significant area-of-effect (AoE) damage. This allows you to clear groups of enemies that may surround you while simultaneously taking down a high-value target.

Weapon Loadout:

• Primary Weapon: Plasma Incinerator (Drogos Reclamation – Beta)
  • Fast Venting: Ensures consistent plasma shots without overheating.
  • Rampage: Increases damage after every kill.
  • Plasma Collection: Continues to boost plasma charge rate, giving you an advantage in extended fights.
  • Supercharged Shot: For maximum plasma output, perfect for Majoris-level enemies.
• Secondary Weapon: Bolt Pistol (Drogos Reclamation)
  • Divine Might: Increases overall power.
  • Extended Magazine: Provides more shots between reloads, which is critical for fast-paced combat.
• Melee Weapon: Chainsword (Salvation of Bakka)
  • Perpetual Strength: Enhances your melee power.
  • Reverberating Impact: Increases your Chainsword’s efficiency, allowing you to deal more damage in close combat.

Strategy:

• In mid-game, your build is tailored to dealing with Majoris-type and stronger enemies. Use the Auspex Scan to expose their weaknesses, then follow up with charged Plasma Incinerator shots. Your Bolt Pistol and Chainsword will still serve as reliable tools for eliminating smaller threats. When surrounded, use the AoE from Radiating Impact to clear enemies and buy yourself space to continue attacking.

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Endgame Tactical Build

By the time you reach the endgame, the Tactical class is fully optimized for dealing with the strongest enemies in the game, including Extremis and boss-level foes. This build focuses on maximizing damage output through a combination of perks that enhance Auspex Scan, weapon efficiency, and survivability.

• Core Perks:

  • Balanced Distribution: This remains a key perk, allowing you to focus your power on primary weapon attacks, while still using your secondary weapon when needed.
  • Relentless Pursuit: After performing a Gun Strike, your ranged damage increases by 25% for 5 seconds, making it crucial for sustained high damage.
  • Emperor’s Vengeance: Killing a Majoris-level or higher enemy restores your primary weapon’s magazine to full. This ensures you never run out of ammo during critical moments in a boss fight.

• Team Perk:

  • Aligned Aim: Increasing your team’s ranged damage by 5% is vital during challenging endgame operations and raids.

• Gear Perks:

  • Priority Targeting: Extends the duration of Auspex Scan’s mark by 8 seconds but ignores minor enemies. This makes it ideal for focusing on the most dangerous enemies.
  • Precise Calibration: Scanned enemies take 75% more damage, but the radius of Auspex Scan is reduced by 25%. This perk is perfect for dealing with bosses and elite units in tight quarters.
  • Expert Timing: Increases the damage dealt to marked enemies by 100%, although the mark duration is reduced by 4 seconds. This perk allows for focused bursts of extremely high damage.

• Signature Perk:

  • Marked for Death: Landing a headshot on a Majoris or Extremis enemy marked by Auspex Scan instantly kills them. This perk has a cooldown of 120 seconds but can be a game-changer during high-pressure situations.

Weapon Loadout:

• Primary Weapon: Melta Rifle (Ophelian Liberation – Alpha)
  • Fast Reload: Allows for quick re-engagement after each shot.
  • Adamant Reload: Increases your Melta Rifle’s durability and efficiency, making it a devastating force in the endgame.
  • Elusive Range: Increases your weapon’s effective range, making it deadly at both medium and long distances.
• Secondary Weapon: Bolt Pistol (Gathalamor Crusade)
  • Head Hunter: This perk increases damage dealt to elites and bosses, perfect for targeting specific enemies in high-stakes battles.
• Melee Weapon: Chainsword (Aquilan Dedication)
  • Saw Blade: Increases attack speed, making the Chainsword even more effective in close combat.
  • Extremis Slayer: Grants extra damage against the most dangerous enemies, making it a must-have for endgame encounters.

Strategy:

• In the endgame, your Tactical class should be laser-focused on eliminating the most dangerous enemies on the battlefield. Use Auspex Scan to mark bosses and elite enemies, then unload powerful Melta Rifle shots to take them down quickly. With perks like Emperor’s Vengeance, you’ll never have to worry about running out of ammo during boss fights. For crowd control, your Chainsword and Radiating Impact will keep lesser enemies at bay while you focus on the bigger threats.

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Tactical Trials Guide

The Tactical class has several trials designed to test your skills with Auspex Scan and combat efficiency.

• Trial 1: Auspex Scan Mastery

  • Directives: Complete within 60, 50, and 40 seconds.
  • Tip: Be prepared to parry at the start of the trial and use Auspex Scan to maximize your damage output.

• Trial 2: Battlefield Awareness

  • Directives: Defeat all enemies using environmental hazards like barrels and use Auspex Scan to keep track of enemies.
  • Tip: Focus on positioning and enemy control by utilizing your scan to reveal and weaken enemies.

• Trial 3: Hidden Hunter

  • Directives: Land five headshots and scan a Lictor with Auspex Scan.
  • Tip: Start by taking out melee enemies, then focus on headshots and scanning the Lictor before it goes invisible.

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Best Weapons for the Tactical Class

• Primary Weapons:

  • Auto Bolt Rifle
  • Bolt Rifle
  • Heavy Bolt Rifle
  • Stalker Bolt Rifle
  • Plasma Incinerator
  • Melta Rifle
• Secondary Weapon:
  • Bolt Pistol
• Melee Weapon:
  • Chainsword

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How to Play the Tactical Class

1. Expose Boss and Elite Weaknesses: Use Auspex Scan to mark and weaken bosses and elite enemies, allowing you and your team to deal increased damage.

2. Focus on High-Threat Targets: Your primary role is to take out the most dangerous enemies on the battlefield. Use your Melta Rifle and Plasma Incinerator to eliminate high-priority targets efficiently.

3. Reveal Hidden Enemies: Auspex Scan can reveal invisible or hidden enemies, such as Lictors, giving you a strategic advantage in combat.

4. Use the Bolt Pistol and Chainsword Against Hordes: Against smaller enemies, rely on your Bolt Pistol and Chainsword to thin out hordes quickly, using melee attacks and finishers to maintain momentum.

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This detailed guide covers all aspects of the Tactical class in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, from early to late game, including the best builds, weapons, perks, and strategies. With this knowledge, you’ll be ready to dominate both PvE and PvP.