Logo

How to Handle Daemonhosts in Darktide

What you need to know about the Daemonhost boss in Warhammer 40K: Darktide

How to Handle Daemonhosts in Darktide

Daemonhosts are unlike other bosses in Darktide because they are optional encounters. They are an ambient enemy, meaning they will not "spawn in" to attack the player like other bosses, but will be waiting at a random place in the level. You often hear them before you see them, as they will whisper to themselves insanely due to the daemonic possession that they are struggling with. 

Avoid Daemonhosts if Possible

Daemonhosts are extremely dangerous and can be ruinous for your party, but 99% of the time you can avoid fighting them entirely. 

They begin in a passive state, kneeling down on the ground, but if someone provokes them by firing a weapon near them, sprinting or going too close, they will switch to an "angry" state, signaled by standing up and shouting much more aggressive voice lines. 

If they are provoked again while in the angry state, they will become hostile and begin attacking the player that provoked them. Hitting them with any attack may cause them to switch straight from passive to hostile. 

Daemonhost in Darktide
Daemonhost in Darktide

In combat, the Daemonhost will attack the same player relentlessly with rapid hits that drain lots of stamina and are hard to dodge. When the player is downed, they will drain the life out them. If the boss is not killed before this process is completed, then the victim will be put out of action and have to be rescued later in the level. There is no other way to interrupt this. 

The Daemonhost will then choose a second player and do the same thing to them. The Daemonhost will switch to the player who is closest to them when the first player has died. 

If it is still alive after killing two players, the Daemonhost will usually flee combat. This means that Daemonhosts often don't cause a party wipe on their own, but putting two players out of action leaves you very vulnerable to any further mishaps, and it's generally best to simply avoid fighting them at all. 

How to Fight the Daemonhost

If you decide to fight the Daemonhost, the best way of dealing with it is to have an Ogryn with the Battle Maul & Slab Shield weapon equipped. They should be the one to make the first attack against the Daemonhost in order to get the attention of the boss. 

If the daemonhost was pulled by accident, then make sure the Ogryn stays close to the Daemonhost in order to get the aggro if the first player dies before the boss does. 

The Ogryn can use the special ability of this weapon, called Defensive Stance, where he slams the shield to the ground, allowing him to block attacks without using any stamina. The Ogryn is immobile while doing this, so other party members need to deal with specials quickly so the Ogryn can continue tanking the Daemonhost undisturbed. 

The Ogryn's Defensive Stance can block all Daemonhost attacks
The Ogryn's Defensive Stance can block all Daemonhost attacks

If you don't have an Ogryn with this weapon in your group then you will have a much harder time fighting the Daemonhost - in this case the player being attacked should try to play as defensively as possible, using dodge, block, line of sight and elevation changes where possible to get some reprieve from the attacks of the boss, while the rest of the team focus on killing the boss as fast as possible. But if they are too slow then there will almost certainly be casualties, which is why avoiding them altogether is really the best course of action. 

We hope you enjoyed this guide about the Daemonhost in Warhammer 40K: Darktide

Comments

No comments yet…

> You may also like

The Traitor Curse - DARKTIDE Anniversary Update

The Traitor Curse - DARKTIDE Anniversary Update

The Traitor Curse is an update for Darktide that celebrates the one year Anniversary.

by Alcast
-
2 weeks ago
Darktide Console Release & PC Update Timings

Darktide Console Release & PC Update Timings

A quick look at the schedule for the XBOX release and PC Update for Darktide.

by Alcast
-
1 month ago
Class System Revamp announced for Warhammer 40K: Darktide

Class System Revamp announced for Warhammer 40K: Darktide

Warhammer 40K: Darktide is getting a facelift. Class systems are completely revamped.

by Alcast
-
3 months ago
What's New in the Latest Darktide Update?

What's New in the Latest Darktide Update?

A quick overview of what's new in Warhammer 40K: Darktide, after Update #10 which released yesterday. New missions, enemies, cosmetics and more are available.

by Andrew
-
6 months ago
Would Early Access have Saved Darktide?

Would Early Access have Saved Darktide?

Could an Early Access Period have been the solution to Darktide's problems?

by Andrew
-
9 months ago