The Best Assault Builds

Assault is one of the six classes available in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. See the best Assault build and loadout for the early game, midgame, & max level, the best weapons and perks, how to pass all Assault Trials, as well as how to play this class!

Assault Class Overview

Assault Class Abilities

Assault Class Information
Assault
Class Perk	Armour Class
Jump Pack	3
Jump Pack Description
Jump Pack enables enhanced dashes and powerful jumps, resulting in new combat moves.
PvE Rating	PvP Rating

Assault Class Builds and Loadout

Assault Builds
Endgame (Chainsword)	Endgame (Thunder Hammer)
Mid-Game	Early Game

Endgame Assault Chainsword Class Build

Endgame Class Perks

Assault Class Perk Build
Core						Armour Reinforcement									Consecutive Execution
						Act of Attrition
Team						Proven Efficiency
Gear						Precision Strike									Zealous Blow
						Aerial Grace
Signature						Commitment

The Assault Class excels the most once the Level 23 class perk Zealous Blow has been equipped. This makes the class a massive swarm nuker due to its fast Jump Pack recharge, and an effective reactive gun striker with Proven Efficiency, Aerial Grace, and Commitment.

One of the more important perks to have in the endgame is Armour Reinforcement which allows the Assault Class to regain much needed armour from gun strikes. Players will still have to play patiently and be strategic with their Jump Packs uses, as striking deep into hordes with it does not always guarantee an easy way to get out and recover.

Endgame Weapons and Perks

Assault Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS CLASS
Secondary Weapon	Heavy Bolt Pistol (Ophelian Liberation - Alpha)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Precision Master-Crafted: •　Elite Precision •　Perpetual Precision •　Perpetual Penetration Artificer: •　Gun Strike Reload •　Head Hunter •　Head Hunter Relic: •　Adamant Hunter •　Honed Precision •　Tyranid Eliminator
Melee Weapon	Chainsword (Aquilan Dedication)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Swift Recovery •　Perpetual Strength •　Perpetual Strength Artificer: •　Reverberating Impact •　Chaos Slayer •　Tyranid Slayer •　Hard Target Relic: •　Trampling Stride

At the endgame, the Assault Class shines the most at Level 23 and above with fully-upgraded Relic weapons. The Aquilan Dedication Relic version of the Chainsword with the Fencing defence is a great all-around melee option for having a strong offense and defense, especially in cases where dodging is limited. For a Balance defence alternative, go for Choler's Teeth.

The Ophelian Liberation Alpha version of the Heavy Bolt Pistol is a good choice for its high magazine capacity. For those looking for more accuracy to double down on headshots, choose the Gathalamor Crusade.

Endgame Assault Thunder Hammer Class Build

Endgame Class Perks

Assault Class Perk Build
Core						Armour Reinforcement									Consecutive Execution
						Act of Attrition
Team						Proven Efficiency
Gear						Precision Strike									Zealous Blow
						Aerial Grace
Signature						Commitment

The Thunder Hammer build makes use of the same class perk set with the Chainsword Build, gaining the most benefit to its ability with Zealous Blow. The Assault's swarm clear potential is maintained, the difference being that you are capable of strong single target damage with the Thunder Hammer's AoE light-heavy combo and the charged double-swing Aftershock heavy attack.

Armour Reinforcement remains as the Assault Class's strong armor recovery option through gun strikes. Players will still have to play patiently, even more so that the Thunder Hammer has a slower swing speed compared to the Chainsword in exchange for more burst damage potential.

Endgame Weapons and Perks

Assault Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS CLASS
Secondary Weapon	Heavy Bolt Pistol (Ophelian Liberation - Alpha)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Precision Master-Crafted: •　Elite Precision •　Perpetual Precision •　Perpetual Penetration Artificer: •　Gun Strike Reload •　Head Hunter •　Head Hunter Relic: •　Adamant Hunter •　Honed Precision •　Tyranid Eliminator
Melee Weapon	Thunder Hammer (Ophelian Liberation - Beta)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Fast Preparation •　Perpetual Strength •　Shattering Impact Artificer: •　Seismic Chain •　Perpetual Strength •　Tyranid Slayer •　Kill Streak Relic: •　Aftershock Improved •　Minoris Slayer •　Dead End

The Relic Ophelian Liberation Beta version of the Thunder Hammer with the Fencing defence is a comfortable pick for giving the class strong parry defense in cases where a dodge will not save you.

The Ophelian Liberation Alpha version of the Heavy Bolt Pistol remains at the choice secondary for high magazine capacity and Gathalamor Crusade as the high-accuracy alternative.

Mid-Game Assault Class Build

Mid-Game Class Perks

Assault Class Perk Build
Core						Overcharge									Retribution
						Perseverance
Team						Squad Cohesion
Gear						Smiting Angel									Manoeuvrability
						Diligence
Signature						Ample Ammunition

At levels 10 and 11, the Overcharge and Retribution perks provide a significant boost to your melee damage throughout an Operation.

The Diligence perk enhances Ground Pound's damage in exchange for slightly more charge time. Thankfully, the Perseverance perk prevents stun or knock back effects while charging any melee attacks, including Ground Pound.

Additionally, Squad Cohesion and Manoeuvrability increase the Jump Pack's recharge rate by 30%, offering greater mobility and more frequent Ground Pound opportunities.

Mid-Game Weapons and Perks

Assault Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS CLASS
Secondary Weapon	Heavy Bolt Pistol (Salvation of Bakka)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Precision Master-Crafted: •　Elite Precision •　Perpetual Precision •　Perpetual Penetration Artificer: •　Gun Strike Reload •　Head Hunter •　Head Hunter
Melee Weapon	Thunder Hammer (Salvation of Bakka - Alpha)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Fast Preparation •　Perpetual Strength •　Shattering Impact •　Perpetual Strength •　Extremis Slayer Artificer: •　Seismic Chain •　Perpetual Strength

The Assault class, despite limited weapon choices, can easily adapt its loadout to fulfill specific team roles. The Power Fist with the Rally perk boosts survivability, the Drogos Reclamation Chainsword is ideal for dueling bosses, and the Thunder Hammer shines in area-of-effect damage and cleaving through groups of enemies.

We recommend a Ground Slam Thunder Hammer build for its fun and satisfying playstyle. This build excels at wiping out dense enemy mobs with the Heavy Bolt Pistol as back up to provide reliable support fire when your Jump Pack is on cooldown.

Early Game Assault Class Build

Early Game Class Perks

Assault Class Perk Build
Core	Winged Fury	Auxiliary Arsenal	Perseverance
Team	Squad Cohesion
Gear	Smiting Angel	Wings of Flame	Pride in Duty
Signature	Ample Ammunition

You can freely equip all the perks that you unlock up to the Signature Perk at Level 9. Notable perks you'll get include the Perseverance perk which cancels out stunning or knockback effects when charging a melee hit and the Pride in Duty perk which drastically increases the damage of Ground Pound for 10 seconds after executing a Finisher.

Early Game Weapons and Perks

Assault Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS CLASS
Secondary Weapon	Heavy Bolt Pistol (Master-Crafted - Alpha)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Precision Master-Crafted: •　Elite Precision •　Perpetual Precision •　Perpetual Penetration
Melee Weapon	Thunder Hammer (Master-Crafted - Alpha)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Fast Preparation •　Perpetual Strength •　Shattering Impact

The Assault is the best class to annihilate dense groups of enemies with its Ground Pound ability from the Jump Pack. Your primary contribution to the team is to thin out waves of enemies as fast as possible while still defending yourself from attacks, which is why the Master-Crafted - Alpha Thunder Hammer is crucial for keeping the Balanced Defense stat.

When the Jump Pack is on cooldown, the Heavy Bolt Pistol serves as your go-to for eliminating distant, high-threat targets. Prioritize damage output and accuracy upgrades to reduce the need for aiming down sights, which can slow you down and limit your field of view.

Best Assault Weapons

Best Weapons for Assault

Weapon	Explanation
Heavy Bolt Pistol	Heavy Bolt Pistol was chosen because of its good balance of power and accuracy. Assaults do not have Primary Weapons so this will be your alternative when you need to rely on ranged firepower.
Thunder Hammer	The Thunder Hammer is the unique weapon only available for the Assault class. It can deal great AoE damage when pounded from above and with the Zealous Blow perk, can recharge a portion of the jump pack for every kill.

The Heavy Bolt Pistol and the Thunder Hammer are by far the best performing weapons for the Assault. The Thunder Hammer in particular works really well with the Ground Pound mechanic of the Assault, capable of defeating hordes of enemies in an instant!

All Assault Primary Weapons

This class cannot use any weapons of this type.

All Assault Secondary Weapons

Bolt Pistol

Heavy Bolt Pistol

All Assault Melee Weapons

Chainsword	Thunder Hammer	Power Fist

Best Assault Perks

Best Perks for Assault

Perk	Explanation
Knowledge of the Enemy	General increase in Melee damage against Majoris and Extremis enemies. Useful in missions where you have to kill a lot of these.
Manoeuvrability	Unconditional increase in the Jump Pack's charge rate for shorter downtime.
Armour Reinforcement	Gun Strikes usually only recover armor if done as a finisher, but with this perk you can recover armor even if it is not. Useful for survivability!
Proven Efficiency	This works in conjunction with Armour Reinforcement. This makes sure you are dealing maximum damage from Gun Strikes.
Precision Strike	Increases the damage of your ground pound but you have to aim more carefully to make sure Zealous Blow is maximized.
Zealous Blow	Recovers the Jump Pack's charge by 10% for every Ground Pound kill. Extremely reliable way to regain jump pack charges so you can spam it more!

All Assault Class Skills

Level	Class Perk	Effect
1	Jump Pack	Type: Starting Perfect Dodge timing increases by 50%.
2	Winged Fury	Type: Core Damage from Melee Attacks executed while sprinting or dashing increases by 25%
3	Auxiliary Arsenal	Type: Core Secondary Weapon's Damage increases by 15%
4	Perseverance	Type: Core While performing Charged Attacks, you do not lose control upon taking Heavy Hits and you cannot be knocked back
5	Squad Cohesion	Type: Team All Squad Members' Abilities recharge 10% faster
6	Smiting Angel	Type: Gear Ground Pound's Damage increases by 10%
7	Wings of Flame	Type: Gear Jump Pack Dash damages enemies along its trajectory
8	Pride in Duty	Type: Gear After a Finisher, Ground Pound deals 25% more Damage for 10 seconds
9	Ample Ammunition	Type: Signature Any use of Jump Pack reloads the equipped Ranged Weapon
10	Overcharge	Type: Core Damage of Charged Attacks increases by 15%
11	Retribution	Type: Core After you are grabbed or knocked back, you deal 15% more Melee Damage for 10 seconds
12	Knowledge of the Enemy	Type: Core Melee Damage increases by 15% against Majoris- or Extremis-level enemies
13	Strategic Strikes	Type: Team All Squad Members deal 20% more Melee Damage against Terminus-level enemies
14	Hammer of Wrath	Type: Gear After a Ground Pound, you do not lose control upon taking Heavy Hits and you cannot be knocked back for 10 seconds
15	Manoeuvrability	Type: Gear Jump Pack recharges 20% faster
16	Diligence	Type: Gear A fully prepared Ground Pound deals 20% more Damage, but preparation time increases by 25%
17	Ascension	Type: Signature Jump Pack Leap deals Damage to all enemies in the takeoff area
18	Armour Reinforcement	Type: Core Non-Finisher Gun Strikes also restore Armour
19	Consecutive Execution	Type: Core Killing 15 enemies in rapid succession restores Equipment Charge by 1. Cooldown is 180 seconds.
20	Act of Attrition	Type: Core Enemies hit by Melee Attacks take 10% more Damage for 3 seconds
21	Proven Efficiency	Type: Team All Squad Members deal 50% more Gun Strike Damage
22	Precision Strike	Type: Gear Ground Pound deals 100% more Damage, but its radius is reduced by 50%
23	Zealous Blow	Type: Gear A Ground Pound kill restores Jump Pack's Charge by 10%
24	Aerial Grace	Type: Gear After a perfectly timed Dodge using a Jump Pack Dash, you deal 25% more Damage for 5 seconds
25	Commitment	Type: Signature A perfectly timed Dodge using a Jump Pack Dash restores Jump Pack's Ability Charge

Assault Trials Guide

Jump to a Trial!
Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3

Assault Trial 1: Jump Pack

Directives
Complete in: 60 Seconds
Complete in: 50 Seconds
Complete in: 40 Seconds

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

No Need to Charge the Ground Pound

The fastest way to eliminate each Tyranid Warrior is to perform a quick Ground Pound without charging it, followed by a Light Melee attack, and then a charged Heavy Attack. Charging the Ground Pound, in this specific case, does not make you complete the trial faster.

Use the Pistol to Execute Instead

To save time, once each Tyranid Warrior reaches the Execute threshold, use your pistol to finish them off with headshots. This method is much quicker than performing an Execute or following up with melee attacks.

Jump Pack Cooldown Resets After Each Elimination

Each time you eliminate a Tyranid Warrior, it resets the cooldown for the Jump Pack, allowing you to quickly Ground Pound to the next platform. It also replenishes your pistol's ammo, making it a more efficient finisher compared to performing Executes.

Assault Trial 2: Cover Ground

Directives
Complete in: 60 Seconds
Complete in: 50 Seconds
Complete in: 40 Seconds

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

Only Focus on the Sniper Tyranid Warriors

The only goal of this trial is to eliminate the sniper Tyranid Warriors. You can ignore the smaller ranged Tyranids on the platforms above.

Dodge the Sniper Shots Early

The sniper Tyranid Warriors will quickly aim at you, signaled by a green laser tracking your position. As long as you dodge while the laser is pointing at you, the shot will always miss. Opting for a Ground Pound early instead risks getting hit while in mid-air.

Get Ready to Parry

After successfully performing a Ground Pound on a Tyranid Warrior, follow up with a Light Attack and then a charged Heavy Attack. Be ready for the enemy to surprise you with a counterattack during this combo. If this happens, parry the attack, perform a Gun Strike, and then do a Gun Strike Execute.

Assault Trial 3: Death From Above

Directives
Complete in: 80 Seconds
Hit 5 Enemies with Ground Pound
Kill 5 Enemies with Melee Attacks

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

Use Two Ground Pounds on the Melee Tyranids

You can quickly complete two of the directives by using your two Jump Pack charges to perform Ground Pounds on the two groups of melee Tyranids at the start of the trial.

Elimate the Tyranid Warrior Next

After eliminating the group of melee Tyranids, focus on defeating the Tyranid Warrior with melee hits. Once that's done, use your pistol to take out the remaining ranged Tyranids.

Get Close and Aim High to Jump Pack to the Next Platform

After clearing the area of Tyranids, a new group will spawn on the opposite side of a pit. To reach that area with your Jump Pack, get close enough and aim high until the Jump Pack destination indicator appears. Once it's visible, you can successfully use the Jump Pack to cross the pit and wreak havoc on the other side.

How to Play Assault Class

• Annihilate Enemies with Ground Pound
• Use Thunder Hammer's Aftershock Sparingly
• Focus on Executions and Gun Strikes
• Choose a Melee Weapon for Your Playstyle
• Use the Jump Pack for Dodges and Gun Strikes

Annihilate Enemies with Ground Pound

Ground Pound is triggered by holding down the Melee Attack button after using the high jump ability from the Jump Pack. This move lets you slam into a target area, dealing massive damage to enemies around you.

Use Ground Pound to maneuver and surgically destroy distant foes or clear densely packed groups. This will help thin out hordes quickly and take out dangerous enemies at the enemies' rear that can make it harder for your team to advance.

Excels at Level 23 with Zealous Blow

Having the Zealous Blow class perk allows you to become more aggressive with the Jump Pack since its Ground Pound will restore 10% of the Jump Pack recharge with each Ground Pound kill. This makes it highly effective for killing swarms of Minoris enemies.

Use the Thunder Hammer's Aftershock Sparingly

The Helbrute's large AoE hammer attack has a long windup animation you can take advantage of.

The Thunder Hammer's neutral charge attack Aftershock, which is done by holding the Melee Attack button, takes a few seconds to charge but delivers a powerful hit. The charge-up time will leave you vulnerable to damage.

In most cases, it's better to use a Light Melee Attack followed by a charged Heavy Melee Attack in quick combat. It is best used in safe situations such as during long attack windups, when a target is paying attention to something else, or within the vicinity of a Bulwark's Chapter Banner.

Focus on Executions and Gun Strikes

With the Assault class's melee-focused gameplay, you'll take more hits than other classes. To regain lost armor, prioritize Executions and Gun Strikes whenever possible.

Executions can be performed on low-health enemies, while Gun Strikes are follow-up attacks after a successful Perfect Parry, Dodge, or a charged Heavy Attack.

Gun Strike Guide

Choose a Melee Weapon for Your Playstyle

Although the Assault class only has a secondary weapon, it shines in melee combat. You can choose from Chainswords, Thunder Hammers, or Power Fists depending on your preferred playstyle.

Stay aggressive with your fly-pounce movements and tear through enemies with devastating melee attacks.

Use the Jump Pack for Dodges and Gun Strikes

Even as a powerful melee class, you can still be overwhelmed when surrounded. Use the Jump Pack to get away from danger. Jump Pack Dashes are counted as dodges, allowing you to perform a gun strike after a Perfect Dodge with the Jump Pack Dash.

The Wings of Flame perk lets your Jump Pack Dash burns enemies as you pass through them, making it an ideal escape tactic when surrounded. Commitment gives you back a charge of your Jump Pack after a Perfect Dodge with a Jump Pack Dash.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Related Guides

List of All Classes

All Space Marine 2 Classes

All Space Marines 2 Classes
Tactical	Assault	Vanguard
Bulwark	Sniper	Heavy