Lightning Psyker Build Help

[Hexagoros]

I know that the psychic-knife is the current meta, but I'm loving the Lightning Psyker. It's just fun. However, what are some builds to really get the most out of this ability?

Also, what is considered the "best" playstyle and/or mindset for using Lightning? Also, what weapons should I be taking with the lightning?

[Kotzi]

Take empowerd psionics, when it procs you can infinite stun everything. And become support/cc god.

Edit: As for gear, take whatever, you will be permastunning things anyway most times.

[Tunnfisk]

Originally posted by Hexagoros:

I know that the psychic-knife is the current meta, but I'm loving the Lightning Psyker. It's just fun. However, what are some builds to really get the most out of this ability?

Also, what is considered the "best" playstyle and/or mindset for using Lightning? Also, what weapons should I be taking with the lightning?

https://darktide.gameslantern.com/build-editor?id=9a646d56-93a5-4ba1-b9ab-c0371f616c4a

I run that with Surge staff. Basically, you kill 1 elite and you gain "empowered psionics", which lets you cast Smite indefinitely as long as you hold down right and left mouse button. To move around you use dodge, having a dodge counter on your UI helps.

It's quite the chore on the wrist. Otherwise I think running Surge staff in that build still works very well, even if you don't want to spam Smite. The shield bubble is very strong vs. ranged and Beast of Nurgle.

As for "what's the best playstyle?", I'd say 100% Smite uptime because it's glitched.

Otherwise, I'd Surge whenever possible, focus special targets like flak/carapace/elites/specials and disablers. And when you see lots of elites/disablers and/or horde, you Smite (lots being you can see that the team will take damage due to the ensuing chaos). A good thing about Smite is that it kills Pox Bursters when they are pushed back, no matter the range.

I prefer Surge over Voidstrike for this build due to it being faster charge speed. It also chains to targets sideways, it requires minimal aiming and has a good amount of stagger on it.

[Mosey]

I'd say either a surge or void staff and build into the Empowered Psionics cap in the middle tree or go warp charges. Both are solid, although empowerd psionics will probably be a little less attractive once it's fixed.

Grab the EP talent that add's stacks on special kill, then grab surge staff with the crit aura. Blast specials or elites while getting your peril as high as possible, then when it's near max (but not actually 100%) pull out bio-lightning and zap away. Use M2 and just hold it down for infinite lightning spray.

At the moment, EP makes the peril cost of Bio-Lightning zero and it freezes your peril at it's current level. Since you get bonus damage and a now infinite cast time on Bio-Lightning, you'll freeze everything in front of you. Just watch your back and you'll move pretty slow while doing it.

Alternatively, you can go for Warp Charges (which I think it actually better) and pick up the 4% chance to proc WC on anyone's kill and the peril redux per stack. Greatly extends your bio-lightning and as a bonus it also buffs your melee and staff damage. Just be wary that casting your shield (or whatever you choose) will eat your stacks in trade for cooldown. Personally I took Gaze without any other talents and just don't use my combat ability since I really just want the stacks.

I'm a big fan of the chain sword for both of those builds. It's a good all around sword and it's special attack will wreck most armored specials.

I'd also pick up the talent that increases move speed while venting, the extra dodge talent, and the extra vent speed talent but that's just me.

Something like this for Warp Charges:
https://darktide.gameslantern.com/build-editor?id=9a6473fd-c251-43d7-ae6c-e83eb733035e

Or this for Empowered Psionics:
https://darktide.gameslantern.com/build-editor?id=9a647db1-9f1b-4167-a6e0-dd1e54a4e105

[The_Gay_Agenda]

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

[Mosey]

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

You do know you still can use the brokenly powerful staves on any build, right? And having an ability that locks down anything short of a monster is always useful. It can literally turn the tide of just about any battle.

I think everyone can generally agree that brain burst is the worst blitz. I wager you forgot it even exists since the only people using it are looking for achievements.

[The_Gay_Agenda]

Originally posted by Mosey:

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

You do know you still can use the brokenly powerful staves on any build, right? And having an ability that locks down anything short of a monster is always useful. It can literally turn the tide of just about any battle.

I think everyone can generally agree that brain burst is the worst blitz. I wager you forgot it even exists since the only people using it are looking for achievements.

My Purg, Trauma and Void(when it finally gets nerfed) builds all use Brain Burst and FireVent. Smite is useless at all times. Every time I see a Smite Psyker I just /sigh because I know they are going to be dead weight when it really matters. I would rather my Psyker do anything else than stand their channeling Smite. This game doesn't require the entire screen to be CCed but not killed.

You stand there Smiting away and I'm going to actually kill things instead.

[Sofia]

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

We found the bad player you should ignore, everyone.

[The_Gay_Agenda]

Originally posted by Sofia:

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

We found the bad player you should ignore, everyone.

Found the person who has to insult instead of responding legitimately. Sad that you never learned how to communicate. I hope this changes for you.

[Gipsy Dragon]

I've been running Smite with the trauma staff and having extreme success. I utterly trivialize hordes of any unit composition and when something heavy comes in that smite would take a year to kill I just trauma it and let my team tear it apart while it's knocked over. No other build I've ever run has just straight up turned off the threat of a half dozen crushers like they were nothing.

[The_Gay_Agenda]

Originally posted by Gipsy Dragon:

I've been running Smite with the trauma staff and having extreme success. I utterly trivialize hordes of any unit composition and when something heavy comes in that smite would take a year to kill I just trauma it and let my team tear it apart while it's knocked over. No other build I've ever run has just straight up turned off the threat of a half dozen crushers like they were nothing.

You don't need Smite with a Trauma staff. You've double downed on the CC when you don't need it. Your Trauma staff is more than enough to perma CC groups of Ogryns and to clear Hordes. With the amount of CC and Clear that your staff brings you need a Blitz to help you actually DPS at range not more CC.

Again, Smite is useful in T5 Auric Maelstorm when Mutants, Bursters and Dogs all spawn with a Horde, Specials and Elites. Smite is overkill CC with no damage and that is an ability that is only useful when your entire screen is filled with the worst spawns imaginable.

[Hexagoros]

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

I acknowledged in the OP that it is "not" the best ability of the three.

I'm using it because I think it's fun and looks cool.

[Runic Tunic]

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

Agree to disagree but I actually find it very helpful. I do play mostly Damnation and Heresy though. But even then it can help on lower difficulties.

It works best as an "Oh ♥♥♥♥" button when things get bad. The moment the team starts getting overwhelmed, I get into position and pop Smite. Has saved our asses numerous times. Staffs can do the same but may not work as well if they're right in your face or from multiple angles. Smite jumps to anyone in your field of view so it just requires a moment to charge.

[The_Gay_Agenda]

Originally posted by Hexagoros:

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Smite is by far the most useless ability. The only time a team needs the entire screen CCed but not killed is in Auric Maelstrom with all the added spawn modifiers.

At all other times a Smite Psyker is dead weight. You do nothing the entire run. You make it more difficult to kill Hordes, Elites and Specials. Your team now has to a waste ammo or move out of position to kill anything you've CCed.

Don't use Smite. It serves a singular function that is only useful at the highest level of play.

I acknowledged in the OP that it is "not" the best ability of the three.

I'm using it because I think it's fun and looks cool.

Honestly that is all that matters here. Opinions are just that, opinions. If you're having fun and succeeding than that is the end game. Keep enjoying yourself.

[Mosey]

Originally posted by The_Gay_Agenda:

Originally posted by Sofia:

We found the bad player you should ignore, everyone.

Found the person who has to insult instead of responding legitimately. Sad that you never learned how to communicate. I hope this changes for you.

If the only valid metric you measure by is raw damage values, than sure of course you won't value team play tools since you have a DPS mindset.

Some people value team play and having options while still doing the same raw damage you do without the downside of using Brain Burst. The notion Brain Burst is a better tool is...an outlier opinion in the community.

It sounds like you play on Malice though since you already seemed to acknowledge Bio-Lightning is the better option for high end play.

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

Interesting that two of the loudest people wanting psyker nerfs can't even actually read the talent tree of the power tree thereof, which is uncharacteristically straightforward for a fatshark product.

Makes the nerf whinging even more ironic.