The Man At Arms is one of the default characters that you'll have unlocked at the beginning of your campaign in Darkest Dungeon 2. He is a frontline fighter with plenty of moves that revolve around protecting your allies while also being able to smash up your enemies.
RELATED: Things You Should Know Before Starting Darkest Dungeon 2
He is a great boon in the early stages of the game while you are still getting to grips with how the game works - his extra HP and defensive abilities will serve you incredible well if you use them correctly, and he only becomes stronger once you have unlocked more of his abilities.
Updated on May 31, 2023: The Man-At-Arms is still the premiere tank in Darkest Dungeon 2 post-launch, but his Paths offer some alternate builds that advanced players will find useful. Check out our completely revamped guide below!
Man-At-Arms Skills
The Man At Arms at the Mastery Trainer in Darkest Dungeon 2
The Man-At-Arms is DD2's consummate tank. While he's capable of dishing out damage when necessary, his primary focus should always be on protecting the other party members or setting them up for later turns.
Skill | Man-At-Arms Rank | Enemy Rank | Effects | Mastery Ability |
|---|
Crush | 1 or 2 | 1, 2, or 3 | - Melee attack for 4-7 damage.
- Five percent crit chance.
- Combo bonus: Heals the Man-At-Arms for ten percent of his maximum HP.
| - Increases minimum damage by two and maximum damage by one.
- Crush's Combo bonus heals an additional ten percent of the Man-At-Arm's HP.
|
Rampart | 1, 2, or 3 | 1 or 2 | - Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
- Five percent crit chance.
- The Man-At-Arms moves forward one space.
- The target moves back one space.
- Inflicts Daze on the target.
| - Deals one additonal point of damage.
- Combo bonus: Inflicts Stun on the target.
|
Defender | Any | N/A | - Must target one Hero other than the Man-At-Arms.
- The targeted Hero gains two Guarded tokens.
- These tokens redirect attacks against that Hero to the Man-At-Arms.
- The Man-At-Arms gains two Block tokens.
| - The targeted Hero gains an additional Guarded token.
- The Man-At-Arms gains Block+ tokens instead of regular Block tokens.
|
Bolster | Any | N/A | - Must target one Hero other than the Man-At-Arms.
- Both the targeted Hero and the Man-At-Arms lose one Stress if their Stress is five or higher.
- Removes a Vulnerability token from the targeted Hero, if any.
- The Man-At-Arms gains a Block token.
| - The Man-At-Arms gains a Block+ token instead of a regular Block token.
- Removes a Weakness token from the targeted Hero, if any.
- Both the Man-At-Arms and the targeted Hero lose an additional point of Stress if their Stress is five or hgher.
|
Hold The Line | 2, 3, or 4 | 1 or 2 | - Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
- Ten percent crit chance.
- The Man-At-Arms gains a Block token.
- The Man-At-Arms moves forward three spaces.
- The Man-At-Arms becomes Immobilized.
| - Deals an additional point of damage.
- The Man-At-Arms gains an additional Block token.
- Combo bonus: Inflicts Stun on the target.
|
Bellow | Any | All | - Non-damaging Ranged attack.
- Removes Riposte tokens from all enemies.
- For the next three rounds, all enemies reduce their Speed by three.
- One-turn cooldown.
| - Removes Crit tokens from all enemies as well.
- Reduces enemy Speed by an additional two points.
|
Retribution | Any | N/A | - The Man-At-Arms gainst two Riposte tokens.
- The Man-At-Arms gains two Taunt tokens.
- One-turn cooldown.
| - The Man-At-Arms also gains two Block tokens.
|
Command | Any | N/A | - Must target one Hero other than the Man-At-Arms.
- The targeted Hero gains a Strength token.
- Removes Blind from the target.
- One-turn cooldown.
| |
Stand Fast | 1 or 2 | N/A | - The Man-At-Arms gains two Block tokens.
- The Man-At-Arms gains a Block token at the start of each of his next three turns.
- Two-turn cooldown.
| - All Block tokens granted by Stand Fast become Block+ tokens instead.
- Removes Combo tokens from the Man-At-Arms, if any.
|
Courageous Abandon | 1 | 1 | - Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
- Ten percent crit chance.
- Ignores Block.
- Deals double damage if the Man-At-Arms has a Block token.
- Deals double damage if the Man-At-Arms has a Block+ token.
- These two effects stack if the Man-At-Arms has both.
- Removes all Block and Vulnerability tokens from the Man-At-Arms, if any.
- Two-turn cooldown.
| - Increases minimum damage by two and maximum damage by one.
- Increases crit chance to twenty percent.
|
Strategic Withdrawal | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | - Melee attack for 3-6 damage.
- Five percent crit chance.
- The Man-At-Arms moves back one space.
- Places a Combo token on the target.
- One-turn cooldown.
| - Deals an additional point of damage.
- Increases crit chance to ten percent.
- The Man-At-Arms gains a Block+ token and a Speed token.
- If the Man-At-Arms is at Death's Door, he heals for one third of his maximum HP.
|
Man-At-Arms Shrine Battles
The Man At Arms currently has two Shrine of Reflection battles that he must complete alone to unlock some skills, and they reflect his muddled past.
Second Shrine Visit: A Leader Of Men
The Man At Arms at his Second Shrine Visit Battle: A Leader of Men. From Darkest Dungeon 2
This battle shows the Man At Arms' initial difficulties in being a leader. This encounter has you buffing your soldiers and sending them to their deaths against an army of soldiers who won't actually try to attack you. Simply play out the turns as best you can to appreciate the dramatic moments.
Once your Stress meter is maxed out, the battle should end in some sort of victory. For you, that is, not the Man At Arms.
Fourth Shrine Visit: Ghosts Of The Past
The Man At Arms at his Fourth Shrine Visit Battle: Ghosts of the Past. From Darkest Dungeon 2
This is where things get a little grim and a little more complex. This battle involves putting to rest both the spirits of your fallen comrades and your guilt at leading them to their deaths.
Every round, one of the spectral soldiers will buff themselves - you must remove this buff with Pour One Out. This will Stun them. Prioritize this - the Crits they buff themselves with will kill you.
Use Rest In Peace to deal a large amount of damage to an enemy, but watch your Stress - use Honor the Dead to heal up to avoid losing the fight.
Once you have defeated every ghost, you will win the battle.
RELATED: Darkest Dungeon 2: Complete Highwayman Class Guide
Best Builds For Each Man-At-Arms Path
Split image of the Man At Arms from Darkest Dungeon 2 using Retribution and then countering an attack with Riposte
LIke the other starting Heroes, the Man-At-Arms is just fine on the default Wanderer Path. Advanced builds tend to like a little more specialization, though, so as you unlock more Heroes you'll likely find yourself focusing the MAA's efforts toward tanking or support, rather than a little of both.
Path | Effects | Recommended Skills | Recommended Trinkets |
|---|
Wanderer | - Gain an additional Candle at the end of the run.
| - Crush
- Bolster
- Hold The Line
- Retribution
- Strategic Withdrawal
| - Hale Draught (any tier)
- Gilded Mind (any tier)
- Mortal Ward
- Unwavering Standard
- Stone Mount
- Insulating Insignia
- Bulwark Band
|
Sergeant | - The Man-At-Arms gains 100 Move Resistance.
- The Man-At-Arms deals twenty percent less damage with attacks.
- Bolster removes Vulnerability and Weakness from the Man-At-Arms, in addition to its other effects.
- At the start of their turn, each Hero has a twenty percent chance to gain 50 each Bleed, Blight, and Burn Resistance for the next three turns.
| - Defender
- Bolster
- Bellow
- Command
- Strategic Withdrawal
| - Hale Draught (any tier)
- Gilded Mind (any tier)
- Mortal Ward
- Price Of Pride
- Undeserved Commendation
- Stone Mount
- Dark Impulse (Movement)
- Misstep
|
Bulwark | - Rampart and Hold The Line deal fifty percent more damage.
- Rampart and Hold The Line ignore up to 10 Stun Resistance.
- Stand Fast grants the Man-At-Arms two stacks of Taunt in addition to its other effects.
- Crush deals twenty-five percent less damage.
- The Man-At-Arms deals twenty-five percent less damage when counterattacking with a Riposte token.
| - Rampart
- Defender
- Hold The Line
- Stand Fast
- Strategic Withdrawal
| - Hale Draught (any tier)
- Gilded Mind (any tier)
- Mortal Ward
- Guarding Gauntlet
- Stone Mount
- Seaman's Boots
|
Vanguard | - Increases the Man-At-Arms' maximum HP by twenty percent.
- Crush deals fifty percent more damage.
- The Man-At-Arms deals twenty-five percent more damage when counterattacking with a Riposte token.
- Reduces the Man-At-Arms' Bleed, Blight, and Burn Resistances by 20 each.
| - Crush
- Rampart
- Retribution
- Stand Fast
- Courageous Abandon
| - Hale Draught (any tier)
- Sharpness Charm (any tier)
- Mortal Ward
- Standard Of The Ninth
- Price Of Pride
- Dark Impulse (Stress)
- Selfish Motivation
|
Wanderer
From the front rank, the Man-At-Arms can draw enemy fire with Retribution - ideally upgraded for its Block tokens - and punishing them with his Riposte attacks. His Strategic Withdrawal is excellent for setting up Combos, and deals a respectable amount of damage on its own. Once it's Mastered, Strategic Withdrawal also has the benefit of rescuing the Man-At-Arms from Death's Door, letting your healers focus on patching up other Heroes.
Sergeant
The Sergeant Path is fantastic when used alongside a heavy damage Hero, particularly the Leper. Command sets up the Sergeant's partner with a Strength token and removes Blind, ensuring that their next attack will count. Between Command cooldowns, Strategic Withdrawal, Bolster, and Bellow help remove enemy buffs and debuffs, keeping your team in peak shape.
Bulwark
The Bulwark sacrifices offense for a robust frontline defense. Defender and Stand Fast ensure that the Bulwark can handle even the mightiest boss attacks, and Hold The Line keeps him from being shuffled.
If you have your Guarded tokens in place and the Bulwark has some extra time on his hands, use Strategic Withdrawal followed by Rampart to inflict Daze (or even Stun!) on troublesome foes. Be sure to check their Resistances first!
Vanguard
Fighting from the front, the Vanguard takes the Man-At-Arms into a damage-dealing role. He's still plenty tanky, but his focus should be on converting Block tokens into more damage from Courageous Abandon. You'll want to have a Ranged damage Hero to supplement his attacks, but the Vanguard is a good way to put together a viable party if the usual melee characters have debilitating Quirks.
NEXT: Darkest Dungeon 2: How To Make An Overpowered Plague Doctor
