Warhammer: Vermintide 2 – Polearm Tactics (Leg / Cata)

If you’re wondering how to use a polearm effectively in Legend or Cata, this is the place to come to.

An Introduction

With the new DLC, there’s a lot of new polearms in the game now. Some may not understand how to use these effectively, especially on the more teamwork oriented difficulties. So, this is just a primer to let you know where you should be and what you should be doing.

A Basic Diagram

So, take a look at this picture. This is a basic diagram showing where you should be, and what you should be attacking.

• Green = You
• Blue = Tank/melee character
• Red = Ratties

If you’re color blind, proceed to the explanation further down.

Shadow the Main Tank

If you’re playing on a difficulty like Legend or Cataclysm, you are going to have a tank. It’s just a necessary role, now. If you don’t have a true tank, just follow whoever the most aggressive melee fighter is, like a Slayer.

You should shadow this person and stand behind them. Let them do their job and assist them by attacking other spearmen, shields, or berserkers. Pick off the high priority targets.

In the diagram, you are standing behind the tank. You can move around a bit, of course. He’ll probably move a little too. But keep this basic formation.

Spheres of Influence

The tank’s sphere of influence is a cone of 90 degrees. This is his primary focus, he can’t do a whole lot more than that. This leaves his flanks exposed, and he will die if he doesn’t have someone spotting for him.

Since your weapon is long, you can stand further back and still hit enemies. This puts you behind the tank, in a much safer location. Because you are safe, you have more freedom in where you turn your attention.

This makes your sphere of influence an entire 360 degrees, if you wish. Now, if you look at the diagram, you will see that your color-coded spheres of influence intersect. That’s good, you should fight together. However, as enemies spread and flank, these enemies move into exclusively your sphere of influence. Kill them; protect yourself and your tank.

Tips

• Attack the head of the flag (from the flag bearer), not the body. It is much easier to hit, because it stands above the enemies. You also have the most reach, making it your priority.
• Headshots and crits tend to be powerful on polearms.
• Be flexible. Polearm users have the most flexibility. You may end up supporting someone other than the tank, if you need to.