What are the best Space Marine 2 loadouts? Befitting its name, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 brings a lot of firepower to the party, from flame-hurling Meltas to the punchy Heavy Bolt Rifle, and even a variety of class equipment. This makes creating the best Space Marine 2 builds for PvP and PvE co-op rather complicated.
The first step in creating the best Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 loadouts, is deciding on which of the classes is your favorite, followed by the best Space Marine 2 weapons to wield. There are some slight differences between the PvP and co-op game mode versions, though the former mainly lacks a skill tree to tweak how each class plays. Nevertheless, both are fun additions once you’ve beaten the Space Marine 2 missions.
Best Space Marine 2 builds for co-op
When it comes to co-op, there are lots of great potential builds for each class thanks to the skill tree. Broadly, however, you’ll want your build to help not just you, but also your allies as you won’t survive a mission by going lone wolf, especially on the higher difficulties.
Here are the best Space Marine 2 builds for each class in co-op:
Tactical
- Skill: Auspex Scan
- Core: Balanced Distribution, Relentless Pursuit, Emperor’s Vengeance
- Team: Transhuman Physiology
- Gear: Vital Data, Precise Calibration, Expert Timing
- Signature: Radiating Impact
- Primary: Heavy Bolt Rifle/Auto Bolt Rifle
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Chain Sword
Though the Tactical class starts off rather boring, a few early upgrades will make this class a must-have for harder missions. Seriously, Auspex’s ability to massively increase the damage scanned enemies take is crucial for decimating both hordes and tougher targets alike. It’s one of the best Space Marine 2 builds of them all.
For core skills, Balanced Distribution increases your primary weapon damage at the cost of your secondary, while Relentless Pursuit increases all ranged damage by 25% for five seconds after a Gun Strike. To keep the ball rolling, Emperor’s Vengeance restores one primary magazine for killing a Majoris-level or higher enemy, so you can take full advantage of the first two perks.
When it comes to team skills, you’re spoilt for choice with both Aligned Aim and Transhuman Physiology being strong choices. I recommend the latter, however, to keep you and your team in the fight for longer as harder difficulties throw tougher enemies and fewer supplies your way, so restoring 30% bonus contested health is a must.
The Tactical’s gear skills are stacked with good options. Vital Data restores Auspex Scan’s charge by 50% after scanning an Extremis- or Terminis-level enemy, meaning you can damage boost more frequently. Precise Calibration won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but increasing the damage boost by 75% at the cost of a 25% reduced radius is a powerful effect. Likewise, Expert Timing makes Auspex Scan a little more awkward to use by reducing the duration to four seconds but it gives you a 100% damage boost in return. Concentrated Fire is a good alternative, though it clashes with Precise Calibration somewhat.
Finally, for a signature skill, you should pick Radiating Impact. This causes melee finishers to deal AoE damage, with a 90-second cooldown. Marked for Death is a strong alternative, though it requires you to use your Auspex Scan and has a 120-second cooldown.
Assault
- Skill: Jump Pack
- Core: Armor Reinforcement, Retribution, Act of Attrition
- Team: Squad Cohesion
- Gear: Precision Strike, Zealous Blow, Pride in Duty
- Signature: Ascension
- Primary: N/A
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Thunder Hammer
The Assault is an agile melee bruiser, using the jump pack to engage and reposition, and melee weapons to smash through hordes. Since this class lacks access to a primary weapon, it’s best to choose the Bolt Pistol as your secondary since it has the largest ammo supply, which is crucial as your only ranged option.
You’ll want to pick Armor Reinforcement, Retribution, and Act of Attrition for your core skills. Armor Reinforcement makes non-finisher Gun Strikes restore armor to keep you alive on the frontlines, though Overcharge is a good alternative if you’re not struggling with survivability. Likewise, Retribution increases melee damage by 15% for ten seconds after you are grabbed or knocked back to help you turn fights in your favor. Lastly, Act of Attrition is the best option in the third column for most players. This causes enemies hit by melee attacks to take 10% more damage for three seconds, which you’ll be benefiting from regularly.
Assault’s best team skill is Squad Cohesion, increasing allies’ ability recharge rate by 10%. This is a universally appreciated skill since it will help your teammates keep their builds going too, whether it’s an Auspex damage boost or a banner to provide armor.
As for gear, there are several perks worth choosing from but Precision Strike, Zealous Blow, and Pride in Duty work well together. Precision Strike reduces the radius of your ground pound but increases the damage by a whopping 100%, effectively turning your hulking body into a missile. Pair this with Zealous Blow, which restores 10% ability charge after a ground pound kill, and you’ll have no problem leaping around the arena. Pride in Duty makes it so that performing a finisher increases ground pound damage by a further 25% for ten seconds. So, finish an enemy before launching into the air and right back down for a meteoric ground pound.
Last but by no means least is the signature skill Ascension, which causes your jump pack to damage nearby enemies when you take off. Though it clashes somewhat with Zealous Blow, it’s perfect for giving you some breathing room.
Vanguard
- Skill: Grapnel Launcher
- Core: Moving Target, Close-Combat Focus, Retribution
- Team: Inner Fire
- Gear: Relentless Fortitude/Shock Wave, Tenacity, Combat Readiness
- Signature: Tactical Prowess/Adrenaline Rush
- Primary: Melta Rifle
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Chain Sword
Although they have tough competition from the Assault, the Vanguard is arguably the most agile class in Space Marine 2, and the best build seeks to amplify that. While Assault is generally focused more on ground control aside from deadly ground pounds, the Vanguard will zip to high-priority targets using a grappling hook. Although the Combat Knife is best suited for single-target damage, you’ll often thrust yourself into the thick of the fight, so the Chain Sword’s greater cleaving potential is generally the better choice.
Since you’ll be dashing into enemy lines, you’re going to take a lot of fire. Moving Target gives you ranged damage reduction of up to 15% for every melee attack you land, letting you hack away unbothered. This synergizes well with Close-Combat Focus, which gives you 20% melee damage reduction but you take 10% more damage damage, which is accounted for by Moving Target. Finally, Retribution gives you 20% more melee damage for ten seconds in those tough situations where you are knocked back or grabbed. Consecutive Execution is a strong contender for the final column too, however.
When picking a team skill, it’s important to think about how it can benefit both you and your team. Though Melee Champion’s hefty melee damage boost is great, Inner Fire is more universally beneficial. This perk causes finishers to recharge ability energy by 15%, letting all team members quickly regain the ability.
Moving onto gear, you’ll have to make some tough choices. In the first column, Restless Fortitude gives you greater ranged damage reduction after using dive kick, but Shock Wave will cause dive kick to deal AoE damage on impact. I prefer the former for the added survivability on harder difficulties. After killing ten enemies in rapid succession, Tenacity will kick in, causing dive kick to deal 25% extra damage for ten seconds, with a 30-second cooldown. This helps to make re-engaging even more deadly; kill one group then move on to the next even stronger than before. Keeping it simple Combat Readiness increases ability recharge rate by 20%, so you can dive kick more frequently.
Unfortunately, none of the Vanguard’s signature skills are all that strong. Tactical Prowess will restore your ability charge if you finish an enemy with it, making it ideal for keeping the ball rolling. On the other hand, Adrenaline Rush restores 1% health for melee kills on Majoris or higher enemies. It’s not much, but it can help given the Vanguard’s fast-paced approach.
Bulwark
- Skill: Chapter Banner
- Core: Forward Momentum, Shock and Awe, Defensive Advantage
- Team: Advanced Conditioning
- Gear: Focused Strength, Invigorating Icon, Inspiration
- Signature: Emergency Countermeasure
- Primary: N/A
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Power Sword
Ever imagined what a space paladin would look like? Well, now you can. The Bulwark is a close-range tank and crowd controller. Forgoing a primary weapon, you must rely on a sidearm and your melee weapon and shield combo to keep the Tyranids at bay. With this in mind, you’re best off choosing the Bolt Pistol for your secondary as it has the largest ammo supply. All three melee weapons are strong, though the Power Sword is the most versatile and, crucially, fits with the whole knight aesthetic.
Starting off with core skills, Forward Momentum, Shock and Awe, and Defensive Advantage should be your go-to. Forward Momentum increases melee damage by a tasty 25% for five seconds after a shield bash, making it so you can massively boost your main damage source on demand. Shock and Awe and Defensive Advantage, on the other hand, play into a unique mechic for the Bulwark – shock. Shock and Awe causes enemies in a shock zone to take 25% more damage, this includes shock grenades and the pool created from perfect parries thanks to Defensive Advantage. The goal is to create a shock area on the frontlines and fight within its radius.
Fulfilling the paladin role of the Bulwark, Advanced Conditioning is the perfect team skill. This perk causes contested health to fade 50% slower so that it’s easier to regain without putting yourself in harm’s way. This is vital for harder difficulties.
Then we’ve got three gear skills. Building on Forward Momentum, Focused Strength increases the potency of shield bash to make this attack opener more impactful. Invigorating Icon restores maximum contested health for all allies when activating Chapter Banner, which can save you in a pinch. Feel free to take Purity of Purpose if you’re not struggling with survivability, however, and would rather have some additional damage. Lastly, Inspiration lets the Bulwark provide a 10% damage boost to any ally within the banner’s area, which is too good to turn down.
As for the Bulwark’s signature skill, Emergency Countermeasure works best with this build. With this perk, you’ll automatically create a shock area when your armor is broken, triggering Shock and Awe’s 25% damage boost against affected enemies. This perk does have a lengthy 120-second cooldown though. If you’d rather have a more constant buff, then Armored Advance is the way to go.
Sniper
- Skill: Camo Cloak
- Core: Block Break, Vantage Point, Lethal Efficiency
- Team: Squad Renewal
- Gear: Purification, Targeted Shot, Lingering Concealment
- Signature: Emergency Override
- Primary: Las Fusil
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Combat Knife
A sniper class might sound a bit useless in Space Marine 2, where hordes of Tyranids inevitably surround you. However, by turning Camo Cloak into an offensive tool, the Sniper can be an incredible nuker and horde clearer. This build is centered around the Las Fusil which, when fully charged, can easily take out tough enemies in a single shot. The only issue is the limited ammo, so the Gathalamor Crusade Relic upgrade helps here.
First up are the core skills of Block Break, Vantage Point, and Lethal Efficiency. Block Break ensures you’re at least dealing some damage to blocking or shielded enemies, though it’s still best not to waste Las Fusil ammo if you can help it. Vantage Point is a key upgrade, increasing your primary weapon damage by 20% after standing still for just two seconds. So, line up your shot before firing and your laser sniper will obliterate anything in its path, pairing well with the gear perks we’ll dig into in a moment. Your last core skill should be Lethal Efficiency, as killing just two enemies with one shot will restore one charge. Once the build is complete, you’ll understand how easy it can be to replenish ammo with this perk from a few amped-up shots.
There are two strong team skills worth considering, Marksmanship and Squad Renewal. The former increases headshot damage by 10%, while the latter causes headshot skills to restore ability energy by 10%. With most build centering around ability usage, Squad Renewal is my preferred option.
Gear skills are where most of the magic happens for this Sniper build. Purification lets Camo Cloak remove negative status effects, which helps keep this squishier class alive. Likewise, Lingering Concealment keeps you hidden for two seconds after breaking stealth with an attack. Targeted Shot, however, is the main meal. This causes the first ranged attack to break Camo Cloak to deal a staggering 75% bonus damage. Paired with Vantage Point, activate Camo Cloak and then remain stationary to break stealth with a superpowered, fully-charged Las Fusil shot that will rip through hordes and high-priority targets alike.
Last but not least is the signature skill Emergency Override, which automatically activates Camo Cloak – for free – when you take lethal damage. If you get caught off-guard, this a much-needed ‘get out of jail free’ card.
Heavy
- Skill: Iron Halo
- Core: Auxiliary Ammunition, Fortitude, Overwhelming Power
- Team: Additional Supplies
- Gear: Emperor’s Protection, Field Adjustment, Brute Force
- Signature: Conversion Field
- Primary: Heavy Bolter/Multi-Melta
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: N/A
The Heavy is a DPS machine with valuable crowd control and supportive capabilities, including damage and ability boosts. Though you can carry the massive Heavy Bolter, this marine seemingly forgot to stuff his bags with ammo so you will run out fast. Plus, with no melee weapon, you’ll need the Bolt Pistol for a reliable backup. If you’re not opposed to its limited range, the Multi-Melta is arguably the most effective horde-clearing weapon in Space Marine 2, though you’ll similarly struggle for ammo.
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to picking just three core skills, though Auxiliary Ammunition, Fortitude, and Overwhelming Power are worthy choices. Auxiliary Ammunition is great for resolving the Heavy’s weak ammo economy. If you’re using the Multi-Melta, use Multi-Kill instead. Fortitude simply increases your max health by 20%, which comes in handy when you inevitably get surrounded with no melee weapon to dig yourself out. Lastly, Overwhelming Power is a great supportive skill, increasing the ranged damage of allies when Iron Halo is active.
While Overwhelming Power might sound like a team skill, it’s not, meaning you’ve still got another team-wide buff on the table. Additional Supplies gives your allies 25% extra ammo, which is vital if you’re running high-damage weapons that typically have low ammo supply to balance them.
Then, I recommend Emperor’s Protection, Field Adjustment, and Brute Force as your powerful gear skills. Emperor’s Protection continues the Heavy’s knack for support by restoring one armor segment to allies when Iron Halo expires. Field Adjustment, on the other hand, increases the recharge rate of Iron Halo by 20% at the cost of 30% durability so you can use it more often. Though you will get it back slightly quicker, you’ll still have to wait. Don’t worry though, as Brute Force turns that into a positive by offering 15% increased ranged damage when Iron Halo is on cooldown.
As the final cherry on top, Conversion Field, the final Heavy signature skill, is a much-appreciated buff to allies. When Iron Halo is active, squad member’s abilities will recharge 50% faster. This lets you keep the carnage flowing with no extra work required.
Best Space Marine 2 loadouts for PvP
With the lack of a skill tree, perks, and weapon upgrades, as well as supplies being less of a priority, the PvP meta is very different from its PvE counterpart. The best Space Marine 2 PvP classes are Tactical and Heavy due to their high armor and the highest damage output. Nevertheless, you can make each class work with the right setup and smart playstyle.
Here are the best Space Marine 2 loadouts for each class in PvP:
Tactical
- Grenade: Frag Grenade
- Skill: Auspex Scan
- Armor Class: Three
- Primary: Auto Bolt Rifle
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Chain Sword
Alongside the Heavy, the Tactical class is at the top of the pack when it comes to the best Space Marine 2 PvP class and loadouts. With three armor, the Tactical is surprisingly more resilient than the likes of the Assault and Vanguard, while also having a very powerful ability.
Like in PvE, Auspex Scan will not only reveal targets but also cause scanned enemies to take additional damage. It’s not hard to see why this class is dominating PvP, then, as the Tactical is also to go toe-to-toe with even the Heavy while having a clear advantage over the likes of the Assault and Vanguard.
Though you have access to the widest selection of primary weapons, the Auto Bolt Rifle is the one to choose. Packing a high rate of fire and relatively good accuracy, the Auto Bolt dominates in close range and remains competitive at mid-ranges. The Heavy Bolt Rifle is a good alternative, though it is slightly less aggressive overall.
Assault
- Grenade: Frag Grenade
- Skill: Jump Pack
- Armor Class: Two
- Primary: N/A
- Secondary: Heavy Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Chain Sword
While the Assault is great in PvE, it struggles in PvP, largely due to its level two armor despite having a long cast time for its ground pound ability. Your survivability doesn’t match up with how mobile and aggressive the class should feel.
Nevertheless, with the Bolt Pistol and Chain Sword, you’ll be competitive once you can get in close range. Just remember to be careful of your positioning when charging your ground pound, as you’ll be incredibly vulnerable for a few seconds. Instead, you’re best off using the jump pack to dash.
Vanguard
- Grenade: Frag Grenade
- Skill: Grapnel Launcher
- Armor Class: Two
- Primary: Oculus Bolt Carbine
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Chain Sword
Like Assault, Vanguard isn’t as tough as you’d think, rocking just two armor class despite the goal being to get up in your enemy’s face. On the bright side, at least the Vanguard has a primary weapon slot, which I recommend filling with the Occulus Bolt Carbine as it’s much more versatile than the Instigator. Although the Combat Knife is technically designed to be a duelling weapon, the Chain Sword’s additional damage often puts it ahead.
Due to your weaker armor, you’re best off using Grapnel Launcher to reposition or open an attack against a single enemy. Unlike PvE, you don’t want to launch yourself headfirst into a group of enemy players as you simply won’t survive doing this in PvP.
Bulwark
- Grenade: Frag Grenade
- Skill: Chapter Banner
- Armor Class: Four
- Primary: N/A
- Secondary: Plasma Pistol
- Melee: Power Sword
What the Bulwark lacks in damage output, they more than make up for it in defence. Forgoing a primary weapon in favor of a shield, it’s the Bulwark’s job to push forward and soak up as much damage as possible, especially with four armor.
Both the Bolt Pistol and Plasma Pistol are strong options, though it’s easy to burn through ammo with charged shots from the latter.
As for your melee, which will often be your main damage source as a Bulwark, both the Chain Sword and Power Sword are good choices. The Power Sword is faster and has more range at the cost of slightly less damage, so I generally prefer this option.
Sniper
- Grenade: Frag Grenade
- Skill: Camo Cloak
- Armor Class: Two
- Primary: Bolt Sniper Rifle
- Secondary: Bolt Pistol
- Melee: Combat Knife
The Sniper is perhaps the hardest class to make the most of in PvP, as stealth and subterfuge isn’t exactly a Space Marine’s speciality. Nevertheless, if you’ve got good aim, then you can make a name for yourself on the battlefield.
The Bolt Sniper is the most consistent rifle, though you have to hit headshots to reap the rewards. On the other hand, the Stalker Bolt Rifle is a semi-automatic rifle, so it’s more forgiving. If you’d rather ignore snipers altogether, then you could even opt for the Bolt Carbine and try to get up close and personal using Camo Cloak.
Heavy
- Grenade: Shock Grenade
- Skill: Iron Halo
- Armor Class: Four
- Primary: Heavy Bolter
- Secondary: Plasma Pistol
- Melee: N/A
The Heavy truly is terrifying on the battlefield, rocking one of the highest DPS weapons while also boasting four armor class and a defensive bubble shield to block attacks from the front. It’s almost impossible to beat a Heavy head-on, though you’ll still have to watch out for melee attacks and other angles.
Though the Heavy Bolter has a short spin-up time, once it’s firing at its max rate of fire, it’s absolutely devastating and is capable of taking out multiple players in quick succession. Pairing it with Iron Halo, the Heavy can easily push objectives and clear chokepoints.
While the default Frag Grenade is often the best choice, the Shock Grenade suits the slower nature of the Heavy very well. Enemies caught in its radius will quickly be fried, and those that aren’t are forced to retreat, effectively clearing a path.
That covers the best Space Marine 2 builds and loadouts for co-op and PvP, though it’s still worth taking a look at the best Space Marine 2 guns for more ways to improve your odds in the multiplayer game. Be sure to catch up with our friends at Wargamer, who have excellent guides on Space Marine 2 enemies and Space Marine 2 classes, too.