Duelist Build Guide – Darkest Dungeon 2

Introduced in The Binding Blade DLC for Darkest Dungeon 2, the Duelist is a mobile glass cannon that can be extremely effective but requires the team to be built around them. This guide will help you understand the best load-outs and companions for each class path.

How to play Duelist in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Duelist is a highly-mobile, high-damage-dealing hero, with low HP and few defenses. In a way, it plays similar to the Grave Robber, however the Duelist has no self-healing skills which makes her a higher-risk, higher-reward bet.

Each subclass is designed to change how the Duelist works in the party. Besides, the diverse skills of this class can make for versatile uses. It is important to decide which role she is going to play before building the team, and choosing her companions around her.

Duelist Stance Tokens passives in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Duelist introduces Stance Tokens, a type of token which affects how the skills work, while also giving the character a passive bonus. These passive effects change with every subclass and aren't listed in the class description, so the only way of knowing them is hovering over the token during battle.

Wanderer path

This is the vanilla Duelist, focused on mobility and Riposte. Although it is more front loaded than other paths, The Wanderer can still play from any position and always has a good skill to use if you prioritize a good rotation. Below are her passive stance effects:

Aggressive Stance passives: Heal self 10% of her HP (33% chance to trigger).

Defensive Stance passives: 33% chance to gain Dodge.

Instructrice path

It is the backrow Duelist, a support path able to buff and move her allies. Her Disengage skill becomes a Dodge and a Back 2, and Again becomes an incredible buff for allies, giving them +10 % damage for each Stress level they have when she is in Aggressive stance.

Her modified Coup de Grace can clear all cooldowns on a kill when upgraded, so I use it in rotation with Again to maximize the damage of all the other heroes.

Defensive Stance passives: reduce 1 Stress after a kill.

Aggressive Stance passives: gain Regen 3 after a kill.

Antagoniste path

This Duelist is focused on debuffing enemies. Her Touche and Coup de Grace skills can apply Weakness or Vulnerable, depending whether she is on her Defensive or Aggresive stance, and her Disengage can Combo and Blind the target (on its upgraded version). This works great with The Boot, since this skill not only Knockbacks 2 but also applies Stun when the target has Combo.

Defensive Stance passives: Sword Skills lower 5% debuff resistance of enemies for 3 turns.

Aggressive Stance passives: Skills gain 20% RES piercing

Intrepide path

This is the most versatile and mobile path, with the highest damage potential, but also the highest risk. The passives of her stances give a buff and a debuff, and can stack up to five times, making it dangerous to play without removing her stances every now and then.

Because of her glass cannon condition, Feint now gives Dodge instead of Riposte, and Disengage gives her Stealth and can give her Guard x2 from an ally behind her on the upgraded version of the skill.

Coup de Grace becomes important since it can remove all Intrepide Stance debuffs and avoid its stacking.

Defensive Stance passives:

• +20 % damage when someone misses her;
• 40% more damage received (dangerous);

Aggressive Stance passives:

• +5% bonus CRIT when someone misses her;
• -10% resistance against Burn, Blight and Bleed;

Related: How to unlock all Duelist skills in Darkest Dungeon 2

Best Build for Duelist in Darkest Dungeon 2

Although she can do many things, I found the most reliable build is her support role, the Instructrice Path. This is mainly for her skill Again, which gives 10% bonus DMG to allies for each stress token they have. Knowing how many bosses deal stress tokens, this is skill can be overpowered and give 60 or 70% damage increase to a hero in a single turn.

This is the loadout of preferred skills for the Instructrice path:

Again

• From Ranks 3, 4.
• Requires self has Aggressive Stance.
• Cooldown 3.
• Target +10 DMG per Stress point (lasts 4 turns).

On Upgrade:

• On Defensive Stance, gives an ally 3 Stress and grants them an extra turn.

Feint

• From Ranks 1, 2, 3.
• DMG 2-4 CRIT 5%.
• Invert Stance.
• Riposte x2.

On Upgrade

• DMG 3-6 CRIT 5%.
• Riposte x3.

Preparation

• From any Rank.
• Cooldown 1.
• Self: Aggressive Stance, Strength, Speed.

On Upgrade:

• Self: Aggressive Stance, Strength, Speed.
• When in Defensive Stance: +50% Riposte DMG (4 Turns).
• When in Aggresive Stance: CRIT token.

Disengage

• From Ranks 1, 2, 3.
• DMG 2-4 CRIT 5%.
• Ignores Riposte.
• Self: Back 2, Invert Stance, Dodge.

On Upgrade:

• DMG 3-5 CRIT 10%.
• Ignores Riposte.
• Self: Back 2, Invert Stance, Dodge +.

Ruthless Instruction

• From Ranks 3, 4.
• Defensive Stance: If Target has 5 or more Stress, remove 2 Stress.
• Aggressive Stance: add 1 Stress and give Strength token.

On Upgrade:

• Defensive Stance: If Target has 5 or more Stress, remove 3 Stress and remove Horror.
• Aggressive Stance: add 2 Stress and give CRIT token.

Related: Crusader Build Guide – Darkest Dungeon 2

Best Trinkets for Duelist in Darkest Dungeon 2

• Lover's Glove: Starts combat with Aggressive Stance, Again! Skill gives 1 Speed token. If you miss your attack there's 25% Chance of getting 1 Stress.
• Academie Ring: +10% CRIT on Riposte skills, +33% RES piercing, on a miss you lose your Dodge token.

Best companions for Duelist in Darkest Dungeon 2

For this support build we need someone who can dish out a lot of damage, someone who can heal and someone who can tank:

The Grave Robber

She can be the damage dealer of the party with her path Deadeye. Place her in Rank 4 to have her Lunge forward. Here is the optimized loadout:

• Lunge.
• Absinthe.
• Dead of Night.
• Glint in the Dark.
• Shadow Fade.

The Crusader

He can be the tank and healer of the party. Choose his Templar path and place him in Rank 1.

• Tenacity.
• Rallying Cry.
• Battle Heal.
• Radiance.
• Holy Lance.

Jester

Choose his Virtuoso Path to give him more HP and place him in Rank 2.

• Fade to Black.
• Harvest.
• Inspiring Tune.
• Solo.
• Finale.

If you want to try the Duelist in another subclass, her Intrèpide path works well with a tank who can anchor themselves, such as Man-at-Arms or Hellion, since now she can use Disengage to get Guard x2 from them. While she has someone to tank the hits for her, she can stack the bonus damage from her passive stance up to five times without being punished for also stacking vulerablility.

As an honourable mention, because the Duelist can generate a lot of tokens quickly with her Preparation and Meditation skills, the Plague Doctor can fully heal her in one turn using Indiscriminate Science (10% heal for each positive token, 5% heal for each negative one).

For more information on Darkest Dungeon II, check Affinity System Guide – Darkest Dungeon 2 on Pro Game Guides.