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Looking for a challenge in Darktide? Hit specific bells scattered around the Orthus Offensive mission and you’ll unlock the secret Hard Mode boss fight. As you can expect though, dealing with Wolfer’s right hand twins isn’t going to be a cakewalk this time around. Their lackeys as well as the siblings themselves are much tougher and dangerous even compared to the Damnation version. So what do you need to prepare and learn before taking on the Darktide secret Karnak Twins Hard Mode fight? Let’s find out.
Darktide: What Does the Karnak Twins Hard Mode Change?
Rinda and Rodin Karnak:
- Reduces up to 50% of the body parts damage taken by the Twins, with 100% less Weakspot damage buff.
- The Twins stagger much less than usual.
- Increased around 50% melee and ranged attack speed.
Boss arena changes:
- Mobs wave appears more often. Green-eyed Poxwalkers also take less damage, are much faster, and stagger less.
- Rodin’s Tox Clouds Grenades last longer and explode much faster.
- Player’s respawn locations cannot be accessed by other players.
Do keep in mind that for completing the Portens of Decay Penance, you don’t have to do the puzzle on Damnation. It can be cleared by doing the Hard Mode puzzle on any difficulty. The puzzle also won’t affect the boss fight outside of Damnation difficulty.
Darktide: Karnak Twins Hard Mode Team and Wargear Composition
Anyone with good fundamental knowledge of the fight and the whole game itself should be comfortable with running any classes. Nevertheless, here are some recommended team compositions and what kind of Wargear you and your teammates should use.
| Role | Class | Wargear/Talent |
|---|---|---|
| Boss Aggro | Ogryn | – Twin-Linked Heavy Stubber/Ripper, Shield Slab – Frag Bomb, Loyal Protector, Attention Seeker, Bruiser |
| Main Crowd Control | Veteran | – Plasma Gun/Kantrael Combat Shotgun – Krak Grenade, Survivalist, Field Improvisation, Demolition Stockpile, Voice of Command, Rending Strikes, Focus Target |
| Main Crowd Control | Psyker | Smite, Psykinetic’s Aura, Seer’s Presence, Venting Shriek/Telekine Shield, Becalming Eruption, Creeping Flames, Solidity, Empowered Psionics |
| Support Crowd Control | Veteran | – Plasma Gun/Kantrael Combat Shotgun/Autogun – Krak/Shredder Grenade, Field Improvisation, Voice of Command |
| Support Crowd Control | Ogryn | – Twin-Linked Heavy Stubber/Ripper, Shield Slab – Indomitable/Point-Blank Barrage |
| Support Crowd Control | Zealot | – Heavy Eviscerator – Stunstorm/Immolation Grenade, Chorus of Spiritual Fortitude |
Instead of a +Wound Curios, +Health with Corruption Resistance is much more advisable. Tox Gas will eat up your Toughness before corrupting your health until you’re at 1 HP. For that reason, Toughness Regen abilities like Covering Fire or Feel No Pain could make you immune to this effect in theory.
Veteran
Playing as a Veteran could be considered the real Hard Mode in Darktide Karnak Twins fight. Compared to other classes, Veteran is the more “all-rounder” one and that could pose a problem in terms of utility. Nevertheless, you can make it work as long as you know what you should bring and do during the fight.
For the Wargear, you will want to bring something to help quickly deal with Elites such as the Plasma Gun or Kantrael Combat Shotgun. You can also bring a Monitorum Shovel as a side-melee. Its main attack is fast while the weapon’s secondary unfolded mode can help eat a huge chunk of the Twins’ shields.
Interestingly, any class that could parry with the Catachan Mk IV Devil Claw should try to parry Rinda’s melee attacks — because it works! Pair it with +Stamina Perks considering missing a parry will only eat up your Stamina. Don’t forget that you can try practicing in lower difficulty since Rinda will always appear in the early part of Orthus Offensive.
Meanwhile, here is a quick breakdown of the recommended Talents:
- Krak Grenade: For killing Elites.
- Survivalist, Field Improvisation, Demolition Stockpile: Increases the whole team’s offense and survivability.
- Voice of Command: To stagger mobs. Use it with both Duty and Honor and Only In Death Does Duty Ends Modifiers. Rotate it with Zealot’s Chorus of Spiritual Fortitude or another Veteran’s Voice of Command for maximum efficiency.
- Infiltrate can be used if you really need to support your teammates, such as when they’re downed. Since any dead party members won’t be able to be revived.
- Rending Strikes: Increases armor penetration by 10%.
- Focus Target: Mark the Twins and Elites often for up to 20% bonus damage.
As a crowd control, your main role is defeating Elites like Ragers and Shotgunners using Plasma or Shotgun. Once the priority targets have been dealt with, clean up any leftover mobs. Field Improvisation should work for all team members, so take the Ammo Crate and drop it when your Ogryn needs to stock up on Grenades. If possible, run around and activate Rodin’s Tox Gas Mines to clear the arena from dangerous gas clouds.
Ogryn
Of course, like dealing with other threats, running a four Ogryn team is a no-brainer. But when playing with the small guys, an Ogryn will be the aggro-puller. Taunt Rinda, the melee Twin, often to keep her off your friends’ backs and let them focus on Rodin and mobs.
You will want to bring the usual even for Karnak Twins Darktide Hard Mode, the Slab Shield. Just be sure not to use the weapon’s secondary and be stationary against a wall. Instead of being safe behind an impenetrable wall, the Tox Gas could eat up your Toughness and health! For ranged, bring out the big Twin-Linked Heavy Stubber gun to help clear out mobs and rapidly diminish the Twins’ shields. Magdumping the Ripper can quickly delete their shields too.
- Frag Bomb: Use it to clear out mobs when your party is overwhelmed. Ask the Veteran for an Ammo Crate if needed.
- Loyal Protector, Attention Seeker: Taunting Rinda to keep the melee Twin off of your teammates.
- Bruiser: Refill your Blitz faster.
Psyker
Psyker’s main role during the boss fight will be another crowd-control. While Veteran can focus on heavy-hitters and Zealot and Ogryn on the Twins, Psyker should aim at mobs. Because of that, Smite and Venting Shriek are quite crucial. Since Peril management can be hard, you can pick a Gun instead of a Staff as the ranged option. Like the Veteran, clear out mines if you can spare the time.
- Smite, Empowered Psionics: Crowd-control. Slide to dodge enemies’ attack when using Smite. Be careful of its high Peril.
- Venting Shriek (Becalming Eruption + Creeping Flames), Solidity: Use it as Peril management, especially at 100% Peril, and when you have to clear a wave since it can knock enemies down.
- Venting Shriek can be replaced with Telekine Shield (Dome + Sanctuary Modifiers) if you can manage Smite’s Peril.
- Psykinetic’s Aura, Seer’s Presence: Boosts Blitz usage.
Zealot
If you’re playing as a Zealot, then be ready to clean up the house and the Twins’ shields. Bring a Heavy Eviscerator since it can destroy the Karnaks’ shields in just two moves. Focus on Rodin to make sure he can barely spread mine all over the arena. Other than that, use your Blitz to help your teammates clear out the room.
- Stunstorm/Immolation Grenade: Crowd-control.
- Chorus of Spiritual Fortitude: Crowd-control. The Immunity is also especially useful when moving between safe zones during the Tox Gas phase.
Darktide: Karnak Twins Hard Mode Boss Fight Info and Phases
There are some stats you need to keep in mind when engaging the Karnak Twins:
| Karnak Twins | Shield Stats | Body Parts Resistance |
|---|---|---|
| Rinda (Sword) | – Takes 200% more damage from melee attacks – Takes 100% damage from ranged attacks | – Carapace Armor on the head and right shoulder pad – Flak Armor on the torso and hands – Rest are Unarmored |
| Rodin (Plasma) | – Takes 300% more damage from melee attacks – Takes 60% damage from ranged attacks | – Carapace Armor on the head and upper shoulder pad – Flak Armor on the torso and hands – Rest are Unarmored |
Rodin will always throw some Tox Gas Mines that can be accidentally triggered if you’re not careful. Consequently, always try to walk along the edges of the grenades and quickly run away to remove them. If the Psyker isn’t busy dealing with mobs or Elites, they’re the best one for the job. Because of that, try killing Rodin first to make things less hectic.
The Darktide Karnak Twins Hard Mode fight pretty much consists of seven phases:
- Phase 1: From the beginning until one of them reaches 80% health.
- After 5 seconds, Elites will start to spawn from either end of the arena.
- They can contain a bunch of Scab Shotgunners+Stalkers, Scab Maulers+Bruisers, Scab Ragers+Bruisers, or Ogryn Crushers+Bruisers.
- Phase 2: First Tox Gas, lasts for 30 seconds.
- You have 12 seconds to reach the safe zone.
- In Hard Mode Damnation, the safe zone alternates every 14 and 18 seconds.
- Green-eyed Poxwalkers will spawn during this time and Elites have increased spawn rate.
- Phase 3: Until one of the Karnak Twins reaches 50% health.
- Phase 4: Second Tox Gas, lasts for 40 seconds.
- You have 7 seconds to reach the safe zone.
- In Hard Mode Damnation, the safe zone alternates every 14 and 18 seconds.
- Green-eyed Poxwalkers will spawn during this time and Elites have increased spawn rate.
- Phase 5: Until one of the Karnak Twins reaches 20% health.
- Phase 6: Third Tox Gas, lasts for 50 seconds.
- You have 7 seconds to reach the safe zone.
- In Hard Mode Damnation, the safe zone alternates every 14 and 18 seconds.
- Green-eyed Poxwalkers will spawn during this time and Elites have increased spawn rate.
- Phase 7: Until both of the Karnak Twins are dead.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide is now available for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Game Pass.
