In the grim future of the 41st Millennium, the Imperium of Mankind in Warhammer 40K Inquisitor-Martyr is protecting humanity’s future from both Xenos and Chaos threats. Compared to other games set in the Warhammer 40K universe, the ARPG gameplay of Warhammer 40K Inquisitor-Martyr brings a layer of real-time tactical prowess to action-packed gameplay, expecting players to dish out punishment against any being that threatens humanity’s safety.

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Thankfully, players can take on the role of the Psyker - beings with the ability to control the unknown energies of the Warp in order to eliminate heretics with the sheer power of their will. While the usage of their abilities invites more catastrophes from the Warp to manifest in the real world, players who build their Psyker correctly may be able to dominate the game fairly easily. However, just how should players create their ideal Psyker?

Basics Of The Psyker: The Warp Manifest

The three kinds of Psykers

Key to any Psyker build in the Warhammer 40K game is its capabilities of using the many hidden and mysterious powers of the Warp. While this practically generates Warp Heat and attracts various unsavory forces, this is a necessary risk to take for players who want to dominate combat through incredibly-OP spells and Powers. However, when taken lightly, the Psyker’s offensive potential can backfire in the form of defensive punishments. In that regard, the ideal Psyker build bolsters its defenses while improving its combat performance.

Attributes: Psychic Powers Take A Front Seat

  • Force: 15 (Rank 3)
  • Resilience: 20 (Rank 4)
  • Psy Focus: 25 (Rank 5)

Since the Psyker of Warhammer 40K relies heavily on powerful abilities offset by their weak constitution, their main defense and offense take priority. In that regard, players should pay attention to Resilience Rank 4 so there’s a guaranteed boost to their Inoculator effects as well as boosted dodge chances, Suppression on hit, and even added resistances. There shouldn’t be a lot of focus given to Force Rank 3, as its decent bonuses to Suppression and Warp Damage, as well as damage buffs on high Warp Heat, can ensure optimal DPS for the player.

Likewise, players may want to consider maxing out Psy Focus Rank 5, so they have boosted damage against daemons and chaos engine as well as reduced Warp Heat cost of Psychic Powers and skills of Force Weapons. This should also reduce cooldown of Psychic Powers and even boost the chances of beneficial Warp Anomalies.

Perks: Survivability Is The Priority

  • Blessing of Saint Victorious: Players can’t lose 30-percent of their HP on a single hit
  • Temporal Efficiency: The Time Warp Armour skill also gives Supreme Cooldown Reduction as well as reduced Warp Heat Generation for a time
  • Mind Rift 2: Unhinged Warp Heat State grants a massive damage bonus

Ideal Perks for the Psyker in Inquisitor-Martyr should more or less incentivize its survival capabilities. For instance, the Blessing of Saint Victorious can greatly aid the Psyker in sustains as preventing 30-percent HP damage in one hit can become a lifesaver for the Class’s weak constitution. Other than this, players can freely choose Perks that can aid in the Psyker’s offensive capabilities as well as defense, provided they all enable the Psyker toe laminate threats as efficiently as possible.

Arming The Psyker

The Psyker in Inquisitor

An integral component when providing the Psyker with any armaments and gear is the capability of improving the Psyker’s overall combat performance. While the Class indeed has access to extremely powerful spells, not having the support items that boost said Powers can make the Psyker rather mediocre in overall combat performance. Priority for Equipment and Add-ons should always cater to boosting damage and crit, with the rest either adding sustains or damage mitigation options.

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Equipment: All About Defense

  • Armor: Empyrean Armor, where there’s a chance to trigger a Rosarius Force Shield on hit as well as boosted damage against Stunned, Slowed, and Shock enemies
  • Armor: Warpbound Armor, where there’s a chance to trigger a Rosarius Force Field as well as boosted damage alongside lessening the enemies’ Heat Resistances
  • Inoculator: A variant where there’s a boost in Suppression Damage Reduction when an Energy Shield is Active
  • Main Implant: Main Implant of Wrath, where they get an increase of their Enrage Token maximum

Health and safety are integral parts of Psykers as glass cannons, and their major equipment should be able to provide these to them. Key to this defensive setup should be the Empyrean Armor, as its innate Time Warp gives the Psyker an immobile aura that “stops” time for 30 seconds. While the Psyker can move normally to it, each meter and attacking stuck enemies will reduce the time of the Warp, meaning it’s best used for heals or worst-case escape. The variant players may acquire should also have a Rosarius Force Field that gives them a chance of being immune to all damage and negative effects and getting HP on hit when having Enraged tokens.

In addition, the Inoculator should have skills that allow players to get HP per second when active (Blood Balm) and general damage boosts (Psychron, Holdfast), as well as specific damage boosters to Yellow Components (Holdfast). Their Main Implant of Wrath boosting their maximum Enrage Tokens should allow the Psyker to dish out more of their abilities with less risk.

Addons: Get Debuff Boosts For Powers

  • Neural Implant: Where players get an Enrage token on a critical hit
  • Eye Implant: Where players get damage bonuses based on their Enrage Tokens
  • Purity Seal: Where damage taken by Energy Shields are also gained as Suppression
  • Psychic Focus: Where enemies within 5 meters of the player are Feared when Enraged
  • Signum: A variant where there’s a chance to add general Vulnerability when target gets a debuff
  • Signum: A kind where players get damage bonuses per Enraged token, and attacks remove an additional Enrage token

Whereas other Classes in the Warhammer 40K game may also prioritize Debuffs via their Addons, they usually do this to improve the performance of their weapons. A similar approach is used by the Psyker, although this time to further improve the efficacy of their Powers. Some abilities are tied to weapon attacks, and some Powers also provide extra Debuffs (such as Burn for Pyromancy), meaning boosting the punishments of these attacks can make them much deadlier for foes.

Psyker Passives: Improve Power Performance

Psyker Passive Tree

As with other assets of the Psyker’s build, the best way to maximize the Psyker’s performance in Inquisitor-Martyr is through Passives that also boost the way their Powers function. Some Passives in the game are from trees that enable players to get more access to stronger variations of their Powers’ effects, or even inflict more Debuffs to further debilitate the condition of enemy units.

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General Effects

  • (Area Effects) Optimal Dispersion: Bonus damage to AOE for each enemy hit
  • (Area Effects) Aftershock: Warp damage bonus to AOE skills
  • (Area Effects) Eradicative Protocols: Lessens remaining CD on hit and on kill for the AOE used
  • (Debuffs) Paralyze: Damage bonus against Slowed Enemies as well as adding to their Slowed status
  • (Debuffs) Dirty Fighting: Damage bonus applied for each debuff on the target
  • (Debuffs) Strikedown: Adds damage dealt by enemies affected by Knockdown or Knockback
  • (Debuffs) Castigation: Critical hit chance is increased for every debuff effect on the target
  • (Support, General): Reduced cooldowns for Skills that generate Warp Heat
  • (Support) Invigorating Faith: Gains HP per Warp Heat gained

Ideal Passives the Psyker should get in a player’s Inquisitor-Martyr playthrough are those that augment the various special effects of their Powers. They don’t necessarily have to be debilitating additions, but rather minute differences that extend their Powers’ performance in the long-term. These include added AOE damage bonuseand CD reduction.

Heat Attacks For The Burn

  • (Heat Attacks) Spontaenous Combustion: Crits deal Heat Damage and Burns the target
  • (Heat Attacks) Superheated Discharge: Crits add Heat Vulnerability to the target
  • (Heat Attacks) Witchfire Symbiotics: Heat Damage is increased for every Pyromancy Skill

Should players specifically opt for a more aggressive-leaning Pyromancy toolkit for this Warhammer 40K Class, prioritizing Heat Attacks may help them boost the efficiency of their abilities. While there’s a basic Heat Damage boost and damage buff to the tree, it’s also ideal to add effects that add Heat Damage and Burn on Crit (Spontaneous Combustion) as well as Heat Vulnerability (Superheated Discharge), which can further incentivize using more Pyromancy attacks.

Critical Hits

  • (Critical Hits) Torment: Grants boosts to Suppression Damage
  • (Critical Hits) Feeding on Pain: Reduced Warp Heat on hit
  • (Critical Hits) Red Thirst: Crit kills give a massive damage bonus for a time, stackable
  • (Critical Hits) Berserker Rage: HP is healed on a critical
  • (Critical Hits) Warp Shock: Supreme Critical Hit Chances are increased during Unhinged Warp Heat Status

Players who want to enhance their damage supremacy in the Warhammer title should consider adding Passives that boost the bonus effects whenever their attacks proc Critical Hits. Not only is it recommended to get HP heals on Crit, it helps to add other effects such as boosting Suppression Damage as well as reducing Warp Heat, allowing the Psyker to maximize their combat capabilities.

Improve Psychic Mastery

  • (Psychic Debuffs) Phase Through: Gives access to Phase Through (Armour Piercing) Psychic Mastery
  • (Psychic Debuffs) Vulnerability: Adds access to Vulnerability Psychic Mastery
  • (Psychic Combat) Damage Boost: Grants access to the Damage Boost (All Damage) Psychic Mastery
  • (Psychic Combat) Speed Boost: Grants access to the Speed Boost (Movement Speed) Psychic Mastery
  • (Psychic Combat) Deny the Warp: Grants access to Deny the Warp (Warp Resistance) Psychic Mastery

When it comes to improving the Psychic Powers of the Psyker, they also have access to what’s called Psychic Masteries - essentially additional buffs that improve the efficacy of their spells. It’s ideal that players at least unlock Psychic Masteries that improve overall damage and Armour Piercing, especially since the Psyker needs to eliminate enemies efficiently in order to avoid overextending their Warp Heat.

Psyker Build: Magic Is The Key

Psyker build focusing on the power
  • Main Weapon: Telekinetic Rod, where there should be bonus damage equal to current Warp Heat and Aether Blade, where there should be a chance to trigger a Rosarius Force Field on a Critical Hit alongside Warp Damage Bonus
  • Secondary Weapon: Force Staff, where enemies with debuffs deal less damage

Given how the Psyker relies heavily on their Psychic Powers for attacks compared to other Classes of the Warhammer 40K game, it wouldn’t hurt for them to have a few emergency options when their abilities are on cooldown. The Telekinetic Rod suits this main role as it has an AOE that can Knockdown Overwhelmed Suppression and deal Knockback for Suppressed Suppression (Telekinetic Shockwave).

Meanwhile, the Aether Strike of their Aether Blade is a straightforward attack that can help repel enemies from afar. These two (2) weapons are supplemented by the Force Staff that can ensure opponents deal less damage to players throughout encounters.

Psychic Powers

  • Sword, Shockwave: Where foes with Vulnerability to the Warp get Warp Damage as well as Armor Piercing, in addition to cooldown reductions
  • Sword, Constrict: Where this deals Warp Damage if foes don’t have Suppression or if Suppression is Overwhelmed. It has armor-breaking properties as well
  • Sword, Telekinetic Dome: Where This does Supreme Damage Reduction against Ranged Attacks

The Aether Blade’s equipped Psychic Powers are the more combative of this Psyker Build, where Shockwave and Constrict serve as constant punishments to foes. An interesting addition to its slate of abilities is the Telekinetic Dome, giving it Perks that boost its Power Duration while lessening its Cooldown allows players to almost always shrug off ranged attacks.

  • Staff, Fiery Storm: Deals Heat Damage to a radius every few seconds as well as granting Supreme Heat Resist on top of Heat Damage bonuses
  • Staff, Endurance: This grants HP and HP regeneration for a few seconds
  • Staff, Death Augury: This prevents the player from taking lethal damage and, if they do, heals them immediately to 50% HP and Suppression
  • Staff, Precognition: This gives players Damage reduction for 60 seconds, with each hit reducing the duration and also generating Warp Heat

Compared to the Aether Blade, the Force Staff and Telekinetic Rod’s slate of spells are majorly used for healing and assist. Key to this roster of abilities is Death Augury which is practically an emergency revive, which is a neat addition should defenses from Precognition and heals from Endurance don’t work.

Meanwhile, the Fiery Storm is a decent asset to have for constant defense in melee, making it a welcome extra shield against players who try to get too close to players. Much of these weapons and skills serve as extra firepower for players, but most of their DPS should come from their Psychic Powers.

Psyker Build: Fire Is The Cleanser

Psyker build focusing on Pyromancy
  • Main Weapon: Telekinetic Rod, Aether Blade
  • Secondary Weapon: Force Staff of Stride, where HP should be gained on hit

Similar to the other build, this particular setup still relies on the Telekinetic Rod and the Aether Blade for emergency offense. The benefits of AOE Knockback and Knockdowns via Telekinetic Shockwave as well as the added firepower of Aether Strike should be enough to fend off foes while fire-based Psychic Powers burn through the rest of the enemies.

Meanwhile, an alternative to the usual Staff would be the Force Staff of Stride, particularly one where HP should be gained on hit to ensure the Psyker receives constant healing - especially given the precarious nature of his Burn-heavy toolkit even without relying on a Warhammer 40K weapon.

Psychic Powers

  • Sword, Spontaneous Combustion: This is a long-ranged, single-target attack that deals AOE Burning damage with armour-piercing qualities
  • Sword, Molten Beam: This is a channeled piercing AOE attack
  • Sword, Inferno: This is a self-casted spell that summons a column of fire that hunts enemies down, Burning them and applying Heat
  • Sword, Extermination: A channeled self-casted AOE spell that summons a column of fire to the nearest enemy and follows its target to deal Heat. It can cast more columns on more enemies if skill button is held
  • Sword/Staff, Firestorm: This is an AOE Burn attack that has a 6-meter radius with armour-piercing qualities
  • Staff, Death Augury
  • Staff, Endurance
  • Staff, Precognition
  • Staff, Misfortune: This transforms the category of Heavily Armoured enemies to Armoured, and Armoured enemies to Unarmoured for a certain period

Much of the Staff Powers in this build are similar to the other setup, particularly because the buffs and healing provided by Death Augury, Endurance, and Precognition are viable for most setups. Misfortune is added here to boost the potency of Pyromancy Powers, especially since much of them are armor-piercing.

When speaking of Pyromancy, this build emphasizes Pyromancy Powers to dish out damage to opponents to eliminate them swiftly and efficiently. The AOE nature of most Pyromancy Powers such as Spontaneous Combustion, Molten Beam, and Extermination can ensure enemies are hit by Heat and Burn effects in a multitude of ways.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr is playable on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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