A short draft on how to approach the Psyker differently: Using a gun. I love it, it’s fun – and very versatile.
Guide to The Gun Psyker Commando
All credit goes to dwOd_v4nd4hl!
Introduction
I do love the Psyker class. However, I think, people are a bit to staff focused. I’m not saying, a ballz to the wall Pyro-Psyker build or an anti elite CC-Stagger Palpatine Cosplayer is not worthwile – on the contrary.
However, I think a Psyker with a gun is very fun to play and has a big advantage: Versatility and adaptability.
- You may not have the sheer ranged power of a Veteran – but you can play this role.
- You are not as tanky as an Ogryn – but due to deflector force sword you may control ranged enemies.
- You are not as much of a melee powerhouse like Zealot-bois, but you aint no pushover either.
And you have your brain burst to snipe that sniper nobody else can reach safely.
On top of that, peril and quelling peril is almost never an issue on this Psyker.
So you basically play what your team needs the most in its composition or current battle situation.
Your gun is your main anti-special and anti-elite (such as ragers) tool. Due to some ammo limitations, you cannot fire ahead at anything anytime. But that’s not what you should be doing anyways.
Your Gun
Variant one: The Accatran Recon VIIa
This gun is very accurate (even and especially when hip fired), packs some punch and has rapid fire which helps to trigger kinetic flayer reliably. If you are somewhat conservative in ammo usage, you’ll usually be fine in that regard too (Unless some greedy ammo gremlin picks up every ammo tin out of principle).
I personally find it very fun to use too.
When Re-Blessing arrives, I’d probably exchange Hit & Run with Blaze Away for further impact on longer duration firefights against bosses or packs of elites.
Variant two: The Accatran Heavy Laspistol
A gun that is deemed to be useless by the playerbase. While this may be true on Veterans, it has it’s niche uses on psyker. It is accurate, relatively fast and has a large ammo pool. On top of that, it has higher crit chance than other guns and is very mobile – high movement / run speed. Hip fire is not very accurate though, so you need to aim more to land shots.
But what makes it really interesting, is its special attack. With that, you “push away” foes in a kinda large radius in front of you. But the interesting thing about this push (which you can du infinitely) is that it generates 10% peril each time you use it. This makes it especially interesting to use together with Quietude feat. Peril quelled – which will be fast on a non force weapon – generates toughness. You can basically spam that push special when you need it for a guaranteed enhanced toughness regen for quite some time.
If you like the gun and you’re searching for a somewhat viable and cool usecase for it – equip your Psyker with it!
Unfortunately, due to the insane randomness of gear progression in this game, I haven’t been able to get my hands around a gun that’s actually good. I’d go for +% crit chance perk for sure and maybe crit weak spot dmg blessing together with infernus (for the fun of it).
Your Sword
The Deflector Force Sword
There is really no competition. This is the sword I actually am using at the moment. The base stats are bad, perks are somewhat okay (i’d prefer +Elite damage and damage against carapace). Why am I still using it…? Because of the deflector blessing. It enables you to block ranged attacks and works very well with kinetic deflection and quietude. Psyker are squishy glass cannons they say? Not anymore! It’s special attack is also really strong to face highly armored sturdy targets – such as crushers and maulers. So it really compensates and counters your guns main weaknesses.
Your Feats
Level 5: Quietude
Quietude excels because you have more control over your toughness regeneration than with other feats. You can always use your brain burst or weapon special attacks to generate peril. The level 20 feat kinetic deflection also works very well with it because it generates peril when blocking (ranged) attacks. Peril that once again provides you with toughness once you quell it.
Level 10: Quietude
The other ones are all things considered more useful – granted. But like for the Laspistol, I really like the fact, that this feat has at least a somewhat viable usecase on this build. Whenever kinetic flayer kills something whilst being triggered using your gun, this perk triggers too and sets aflame enemies around your shot down target. Those soulblaze stacks may also give you warp charges in return (due to level 30 feat).
Level 15: Psychic Communion
This perk makes sure that you don’t have to worry about warp charges anymore. Especially on Heresy and Damnation (many enemies, many chances for this feat to trigger). It really helps you to ahve 4 charges active all time for that sweet +12% damage to everything you do bonus.
Level 20: Kinetic Deflection
This perk together with a deflector force sword is a game changer. You can tank ranged enemies for a surprisingly long time. You are also able to revive downed allies very reliably. And again – so much fun to use.
Level 25: Kinetic Flayer
Kinetic flayer really improves your damage output as a gun psyker. Since you are using fast firing guns, it procs reliably. The fact that this one grants you a warp charg and triggers Wrack and Ruin on a kill too is the icing on the cake.
Level 30: Ascendant Blaze
I was a bit torn between this one and Kinetic Barrage. However, I really wanted to focus on versatility and adaptability on this fella. So I go with Ascendant Blaze. It really covers the one weakness you’d otherwise have: Horce CC and trashmob damage. If aimed and used correctly, the range and impact of it’s “cone” is literally staggering. It also very often gives you back 3-4 warp charges over a short period of time.
Thank You
I know, this guide is more like a rough draft. But I hope I could “inspire” you to think abit outside the box and give the Gun Psyker a go. I personally enjoy it alot. I hope to see more pew pew Psykers in Tertium in the future. So far, I feel a bit lonely. This guide was/is also an approach to change that.
Have a good day!
Look how freakin cool the Gun Psyker looks.
Gunna be honest, Iv played this build and I genuinely find it more enjoyable, and more useful than the standard Psyker builds. I can deal with any threat reasonably well using this, and its actually enjoyable.
I likes me the revolver with my psyker, it really hits hard, and it passes through squishy targets – which helps clear hoards.
It also causes me to run faster and longer, which is nice.
Question, why use Kinetic Flayer over Warp Battery, is it a DPS boost or is it only to help keep up Charges
Hello! Both kinda. Flayer applies Cerebral Lacerations too. So whenever it triggers, it inflicts BB damage and it triggers also the -15% debuff. This makes for some interesting scenarios: e.g. Boss battles or Reapers and other thougher enemies. You cast your BB for -15% debuff and switch to your gun. When Flayer triggers, you’ll get another 5s of that -15% debuff on top of it.
But yeah, nothing wrong with Warp Battery. I PERSONALLY find it unfun, to always cast BB in (between) fights needlessly, “just” to keep that 6 stacks of charges. I use Warp Battery on my Purge Staff Pyro on Damnation for an all around damage buff in horde encounters n’ stuff. But on Gun Psyker I just think casting BBs for Charge’s sake is ruining the flow and fun of a Gun Psyker and it’s not worth the +6% additional damage. But that’s me.
I prefer this feat selection; Take all your passive warp core generator feats, and for toughness, I find essence harvest is the option for the most passive sustain. For my capstone I also use kinetic barrage is basically required, this lets you build charges quickly when needed and adds good burst damage when you need to reach for your BB, and synergizes well with essence harvest.
Ascendant blaze has some decent damage on higher difficulties if played right, but its kind of situational and doesn’t really work with my playstyle.
Fair warning folks, you will absolutely get kicked around in damnation by your team unless your team has good horde clear, the one thing gunpsykers are not great at without a staff. I enjoy playing this way, but a vet who can shoot straight will out dps you and clear hordes easily with the force sword. This is more of a playstyle for Heresy and Below.
I play Damnation with this build regularly and successfully. I have never been kicked.
But all points you’ve mentioned are valid. Ascendant Blaze is an “invisible cone”, that has a surprisingly high range. Once you realise that, you can aim and use it as a burst flamethrower. As you said: You need positioning and it’s situational.
Your point about horde clear is valid to. Damnation is easier with a flamer, a purge staff user or a vet with power sword in that regard. However… I come across ALOT and I mean ALOT of exact those weapon loadouts in random groups. More often than not my mid range anti special/reaper gun fills a niche that is more needed in a random party than a purge staff would.
i dont get it? if your gun is your main anti elite/special weapon whats the point in playing psyker? just go veteran
Well “main tool” probably is an exageration. I use brain burst to open/control bulwarks, to snipe trapper/bomber/snipers that are within hordes or dangerous to approach directly and / or to debuff packs of armored elites with cerebral lacerations. Short: BB i an utility, a Vet does not have. Due to kinetic reflection I’m also more sturdy in certain melee situation (reviving allies in midst of hordes) or (if deflector) approaching dreg/scab gunners.
Vet is specialised. Gun Psyker is more jack of all trades with quirky mechanics, that can come in very handy.
I also find Vet outright boring. Psyker is more technical and challenging. But thats highly subjective and just my opinion.
Neat, all my weapon drops have been decent lasguns. Will keep in mind
Guns on Psyker is the new pineapple on pizza. People who like it don’t make a big deal of it but people against it will key your car if they find out you use it.