Darkest Dungeon II – Highwayman Hero Paths

Having recently introduced us to the Hero Paths for the Plague Doctor class, Red Hook Studios now brings us this article highlighting the character development options the Highwayman class will have in Darkest Dungeon II. These include the Sharpshoot path and the Rogue path. Here’s what they’re all about:

The Highwayman. “Violently versatile, ruthlessly pragmatic”

Sharpshot or Rogue?

The Sharpshot Path bestows Highwayman with higher ranged damage and speed, while decreasing melee damage. This allows him to be more useful in the back flank, opening up more options for team comp.

With the right skill kit, this Path can serve the Highwayman from any position. He can deliver a Stun with reasonable damage from the back with Pistol Shot or crushing damage from the front via Point Blank Shot.

Don’t underestimate the potency of Grapeshot Spam. Strength Tokens on top of the Path’s 50% damage buff quickly promote the skill from Token stripper to flesh ripper. Alternatively, chaining Grapeshot into Double Tap makes for an extremely potent mid-rank setup.

While this Path weakens melee damage, Double Cross and Open Vein can still serve valuable support roles in the kit. Conversely, Duelist’s Advance loses a fair amount of value as Riposte damage is also cut in half.

Any Trinkets that increase Ranged damage, such as the Greater Raven’s Reach, are obvious picks for this Path but there are others that offer fun synergies as well. Consider pairing the Highwayman’s Rat Skull Trinket with Grapeshot; every missed target in the AoE will proc the free CRIT Token up to a maximum of two at once. A Smoldering Hymnal can earn you some extra actions while the Grapeshot is cleaning house; twice the kills equals twice the chances for it to proc!

If you’re a fan of Point Blank Shot, The General’s Dream Trophy can lock the Highwayman into rank 1 for repeated applications of intense violence.

The Rogue Path highlights the Highwayman’s melee abilities while buffing his riposte. The increased damage in rank 1 and decreased damage in rank 3 and 4, forces the player to put him in the front ranks to get the most out of his skills.

Making the most of the rank 1 damage buff means limiting your skills to primarily melee or Point Blank Shot. Open Vein becomes a fairly solid damager in addition to the normal Bleed and Wicked Slice packs plenty of punch, neither of which give up your rank 1 position in the process.

While Duelist’s Advance will gain no benefits from use in rank 2, the Riposte Tokens it grants do receive the full damage bonus while in rank 1, making the classic Point Blank Shot / Duelist’s Advance chain more effective than ever.

As with the Sharpshot Path, The General’s Dream Trophy sets you up for a constant barrage of Point Blank Shot and the Riposte Token you gain from it will receive the full rank 1 benefit while you’re locked there.

Given the mixed nature of your attack options, damage buffing Trinkets that don’t rely on melee or ranged – such as the Greater Sharpness Charm – can serve the Rogue Path well. With rank 1 positioning being of critical importance, Trinkets such as Clenching Claw can keep the Highwayman planted.

Stirring Snuff can provide the occasional Strength Token for a really big bang, assuming it isn’t consumed by one of the many Ripostes this Path is likely delivering.