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Darkest Dungeon 2, like its predecessor Darkest Dungeon, is a strategy-heavy game in an apocalyptic fantasy setting. Before starting a run, the player must choose which Heroes to bring on their expedition. With twelve options at launch and more planned in the future, it's important to consider who works best with how. Team composition, in both games, can make or break an expedition.

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A composition that offers high forgiveness and flexibility is ideal for beginners. For those more experienced with the mechanics, taking advantage of the game's combo system offers a sizable edge for those up for the challenge. For more on which Heroes are recommended to take on the road together and why composition matters, read on.

What Makes A Darkest Dungeon 2 Composition Good?

Six heroes from Darkest Dungeon 2 looking at the game's logo on a mountain top

When choosing which Heroes to take on an expedition, a few seemingly insignificant factors can have a huge impact.

Role Balance and Order

Darkest Dungeon 2 is designed with three character positions in mind. Each class is designed to work best in a specific location in the battle order, and a Hero who is out of position may not be able to perform key abilities. A Hero's role can be found in their description on the roster screen. It will be one of the following:

  • Any Role - Usually one of the two middle spots in the battle order.
  • Front Role - The character who is in the far right place in the battle order.
  • Back Role - The character who is in the far left place in the battle order.

These roles can be considered game-specific terminology for common classes in team-based combat games.

  • Any Role = damage dealers
  • Front Role = Tank
  • Back Role = Support

Synergy

In addition to keeping the battle order and Heroes' roles in mind, players will want to look for possible synergies.

For example, among the starting four heroes, they'll notice that the Grave Robber has an increased chance to crit when the target is poisoned, but no way to apply it herself. The Highwayman and Plague Doctor, however, can apply poison to a target.

Synergy is easiest to see in abilities, but it can also show up in Quirks. Some Quirks make characters more or less likely to get along. Quirks may also be at odds with the Hero's role (such as a Front Role Hero having the Cowardly trait), and can be removed, or locked in if beneficial, accordingly.

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A screenshot showing the suggested Beginner Team composition in Darkest Dungeon 2

If players are new to the Darkest Dungeon series, then a composition that is versatile and forgiving is a good place to start while learning the ropes. It's also worth noting that options will be limited by how many heroes have been unlocked. Fans should have enough candles to unlock two heroes after the Prologue.

One highly recommended early composition is:

  • The Leper
  • The Grave Robber
  • The Jester
  • The Plague Doctor

The Leper

The Leper is not the best Front Role Hero available in Darkest Dungeon, but is among the most forgiving. In addition to this, he's also a versatile warrior, and the player won't find themselves low on a type of ability if they lose one of their other characters.

Positives

Negatives

  • Self-heal
  • Removes own stress
  • Solid Damage
  • Gives himself armor
  • Generates taunt and blind tokens
  • No teamwork potential
  • Jack of all trades, but master of none

The Grave Robber

All the heroes in Darkest Dungeon 2 have some damage potential, but none have it quite like the Grave Robber. Fans can expect to routinely two-shot enemies with this Hero is poison setups are in play, but her low HP can be difficult to manage.

Positives

Negatives

  • Self Heal
  • Fast
  • Burst Damage
  • Front, rear, and even multiple target damage
  • Has no setup of her own
  • Damage is lackluster without Poison
  • Very squishy
  • Big damage range

The Jester

When removing the Man-at-Arms from a composition, players need to find some other way of managing Stress. This is especially true with mini-boss and boss enemies (which frequently apply Stress with their attacks). The Jester solves this problem while providing the Grave Robber with poison tokens.

Positives

Negatives

  • Can reliably apply Poison
  • Generates Bleed tokens
  • Mobile
  • Removes Stress
  • Middling damage
  • Can mess up the Battle Order in non-versatile teams

The Plague Doctor

The Plague Doctor is a reliable healer who can remove negative tokens from party members. Her basic abilities, while a bit standard in comparison to those of other Heroes in the Back Role category, are very beginner-friendly.

Positives

Negatives

  • Guaranteed Healing
  • Easy to use abilities
  • Removes damage over time tokens
  • Provides resistance to negative tokens for the party
  • Limited uses of primary support ability per combat
  • Technically can apply poison, but unreliable in doing so

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An example of a team composition in Darkest Dungeon 2

Those who are more experienced players and feel they are up for the challenge can try this composition:

  • The Runaway
  • The Grave Robber
  • The Jester
  • The Occultist

The Runaway

The Runaway is an interesting Front Role Hero, as she tanks by dodging hits, and sometimes jumps into the back line. It is also worth noting that her easy burn application is unique in Darkest Dungeon 2. Depending on the path chosen, she can transition more into a focus on either damage or healing.

Positives In This Composition

Potential Problems

  • Sets her targets on fire for reliable damage
  • Applies Poison with a smoke bomb
  • Rank flexibility
  • Can cleanse enemy Stealth
  • Doesn't provide her own armor
  • Needs Bleed to self-heal
  • Low base Resistances

The Grave Robber

The Grave Robber is often simply too useful to leave out of a composition. She is one of two Heroes in Darkest Dungeon 2 whose skills change based on the path taken. Fans can choose to focus on melee damage, crit chance, or Stealth while advancing her Hero story. For this composition, a focus on the Wanderer or Venomdrop paths is recommended.

Positives In This Composition

Potential Problems

  • Multi- and single-target damage
  • Melee and ranged attacks
  • Rank flexibility
  • High burst damage
  • Requires another Hero to combo poison
  • Low HP
  • Can consume a Poison token without critical hitting
  • Inconsistent damage

The Jester

Because the rest of the team is so rank flexible and mobile, the jester is a shoo-in here. He provides the setup for the formidable Grave Robber while still doing his own damage at the same time. You'll also be able to manage stress with his Inspiring Tune.

Positives In This Composition

Potential Problems

  • Compensates for inconsistent damage
  • Provides Bleed so Runaway can heal
  • Provides Poison for Grave Robber
  • Removes Stress
  • Lower damage output than alternatives
  • Also has low HP

The Occultist

In this composition, the occultist is part of a mobile, high-risk high-reward strategy. His ability to pull enemies, apply debuffs, and generate Poison tokens will help maximize the damage output of the other three Heroes. However, his healing can be unreliable, so it requires a confident player to pilot him.

Positives In This Composition

Potential Problems

  • Pull enemies out of position
  • Generate Poison tokens for the Grave Robber
  • Multi-target damage
  • High healing potential
  • Inconsistent Healing
  • Sometimes there are no ideal abilities for him to use

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