Vermintide 2 offers players a thrilling cooperative experience set in a grim fantasy world filled with hordes of Skaven and Chaos enemies. Among its many weapons and equipment, the Ingenious Ordnance stands out as a powerful tool for players who enjoy dealing explosive damage and controlling crowds. This weapon type combines tactical placement with devastating area effects, making it essential for clearing large groups or holding choke points in intense battles. Mastering the use of Ingenious Ordnance requires understanding its mechanics, strategic deployment, and synergy with different heroes and playstyles.
What is Ingenious Ordnance in Vermintide 2?
Ingenious Ordnance refers to a category of explosive devices and throwable weapons designed to inflict area damage and disrupt enemy formations. These weapons typically include grenades, bombs, and other throwable explosives that can turn the tide of battle by wiping out clusters of enemies or interrupting dangerous special foes. They are especially valuable in a cooperative game like Vermintide 2, where controlling the flow of enemy hordes is crucial for team survival.
The unique appeal of Ingenious Ordnance lies in its versatility. Players can use these explosives both offensively to clear space and defensively to protect teammates. The timing and placement of these ordnance items are critical, as improper use can result in wasted resources or even friendly fire.
Types of Ingenious Ordnance
- Grenades: Standard throwable explosives with a timed fuse that detonate after a short delay, causing area damage.
- Bombs: More powerful ordnance with larger blast radii, often used to target clusters of enemies or powerful units.
- Sticky Bombs or Traps: Ordnance that sticks to surfaces or enemies, detonating on impact or after a short period.
Each type comes with its strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when to use which is part of mastering Ingenious Ordnance.
Strategic Use of Ingenious Ordnance
To maximize the effectiveness of Ingenious Ordnance, players must consider positioning, timing, and teamwork. The ability to predict enemy movement and coordinate with allies often separates successful use from ineffective attempts.
Best Situations to Deploy Ingenious Ordnance
- Choke Points: Throwing ordnance into narrow corridors or doorways can wipe out large groups before they reach your team.
- Special Enemy Clusters: When multiple specials or elite units gather, explosives can disrupt their attacks and reduce pressure.
- Boss Encounters: Certain bombs can weaken or stagger bosses, creating openings for your team to attack.
- Defensive Retreats: If your team needs to fall back, ordnance can buy precious time by slowing or damaging pursuing enemies.
Choosing the right moment is essential. Premature detonations or poor placement can leave your team vulnerable.
Coordinating with Teammates
Communication enhances the value of Ingenious Ordnance. Informing teammates before you throw can prevent accidental friendly fire and maximize impact. Combining explosives with crowd control abilities or heavy attacks can quickly decimate enemy waves, making teamwork crucial.
Hero Synergies and Ingenious Ordnance
Vermintide 2 features a variety of heroes, each with unique skills and weapons that can complement Ingenious Ordnance use. Understanding these synergies helps in creating more effective loadouts and strategies.
Support Heroes
Support heroes who excel in crowd control or healing can leverage ordnance to manage battlefield pressure better. For example, combining healing abilities with ordnance clears allows the team to recover after heavy engagements.
Damage Dealers
Heroes focused on damage output benefit from ordnance by creating openings or softening enemies for quick kills. Some damage dealers can carry additional ordnance or have talents that enhance explosive effects.
Tank Roles
Tanks can use Ingenious Ordnance defensively to keep enemies at bay, protecting themselves and allies. Using ordnance to control enemy movement complements tank abilities that draw aggro and mitigate damage.
Upgrading and Enhancing Ingenious Ordnance
Like other equipment in Vermintide 2, Ingenious Ordnance can be upgraded and enhanced through talents, traits, and item properties. These upgrades can improve damage, reduce cooldowns, or increase blast radius, making your explosives more effective and reliable.
Important Traits to Consider
- Increased Blast Radius: Expands the area affected, allowing more enemies to be hit.
- Damage Boost: Increases the overall damage dealt by your explosives.
- Cooldown Reduction: Allows more frequent use of ordnance.
- Safe Throw: Reduces risk of friendly fire or self-damage.
Choosing the right combination of traits depends on your preferred playstyle and the team’s needs.
Common Mistakes When Using Ingenious Ordnance
Despite its power, improper use of Ingenious Ordnance can hinder your team or waste valuable resources. Here are some pitfalls to avoid:
- Throwing Without Aim: Blind throws can miss clusters or hit teammates, reducing effectiveness.
- Overusing Explosives: Using ordnance too frequently without coordination can leave you without options in critical moments.
- Ignoring Team Positioning: Not communicating or throwing near teammates can cause friendly fire and confusion.
- Failing to Adapt: Using the same explosive strategy regardless of enemy type or map can limit success.
Mindful and deliberate use is key to maximizing the benefits of Ingenious Ordnance.
Tips for Mastering Ingenious Ordnance
- Practice timing and aiming in less chaotic situations to understand blast radius and fuse delays.
- Learn enemy movement patterns to anticipate optimal throw locations.
- Coordinate with teammates to combine ordnance with other abilities for devastating combos.
- Adapt your strategy depending on the mission and enemy composition.
- Prioritize upgrading traits that enhance your preferred style of ordnance use.
Ingenious Ordnance is a vital component of Vermintide 2’s combat system, offering players a way to control the battlefield through powerful explosive effects. Mastering its use requires understanding the different types of explosives, strategic deployment, and effective teamwork. By combining these elements and tailoring your approach to specific situations and heroes, you can significantly improve your team’s chances of surviving against the overwhelming enemy hordes. Whether defending tight choke points or launching offensive pushes, Ingenious Ordnance provides the firepower needed to tip the scales in your favor.