The new Darkest Dungeon 2 DLC, The Binding Blade, introduces a pair of new heroes to help you vanquish evil in Red Hook Studios’ grim roguelike. The vaunted Crusader and wily Duelist have their own unique skills and quirks, which can be unleashed against corrupted forces.

But in a land where hope fades fast, you might find your team keeps perishing on its expedition. Worry not—our Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade Crusader and Duelist guide has all the information and tips you need to succeed with these new classes. Below, our guide covers everything from how to unlock the Crusader to the Shrine of Reflection battles that provide you with new abilities.
 

The Duelist and Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade

The Duelist and Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade have powerful perks at their disposal. The Duelist is available by default if you own the DLC. The Crusader, however, is unlocked once you complete a fairly lengthy quest chain. We discuss all the necessary steps later in our guide. For now, let’s focus on the Duelist.
 

Duelist class overview

Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade's Duelist hero is a mid-rank damage-dealer. That means she’s better suited in the second or third position. Her playstyle involves alternating between Defensive Stance and Aggressive Stance, which confer significant boons and effects to her skills.

Speaking of alternating, some of the Duelist's abilities let her move back and forth within your line, helping her reposition accordingly. Think of her as somewhat similar to the Jester in this regard. Likewise, she has an ability called Feint, which gives her three Riposte tokens. This causes her to counterattack enemies that attempt to strike her.

 

Duelist default skills

These are the skills that are initially available to the Duelist class in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade. The values listed are for those with mastery upgrades:

• Touché: 7-9 damage, 10% Crit. Move back one spot (Defensive Stance) or move forward one spot (Aggressive Stance). Gain Defensive or Aggressive stance if used in the back or front ranks, respectively.
• Feint: 3-6 damage, 10% Crit. Change to the opposite stance if one is active. Gain three Riposte tokens.
• Disengage: 4-6 damage, 10% Crit. Ignore enemy Riposte. Move back one spot and gain dodge (Defensive Stance). This also pulls the target closer (Defensive Stance) or knocks them back further (Aggressive Stance).
• Flick: 6-8 damage, 15% Crit. Ignores enemy Dodge (Defensive Stance) or Block (Aggressive Stance).
• Preparation: Switch to Aggressive Stance. Gain Strength and Speed. Gain 50% Riposte damage for four turns (Defensive Stance) or extra Crit (Aggressive Stance).

Duelist unlockable skills

These Duelist abilities are unlocked by visiting Shrines of Reflection. The values correspond to those with mastery upgrades:

• The Boot: 3-6 damage, 15% Crit. Must have Aggressive Stance. Knocks back your target by three spots and gives them a Combo token.
• Again: Requires either Defensive Stance or Aggressive Stance. 50% chance to remove all stance tokens. Refreshes a target’s skill cooldowns.
• Flèche: 7-10 damage, 15% Crit. Additional 30% damage. Activates Aggressive Stance. Moves the Duelist forward by three ranks. Removes all Dodge tokens if Defensive Stance isn’t active.
• Meditation: Activates Defensive Stance. Adds three Dodge tokens. Removes Combo tokens. This skill also grants Taunt (Defensive Stance) or Riposte (Aggressive Stance) if either stance was active prior to its usage.
• Coup de Grâce: 6 damage, 10% Crit. Must have Defensive Stance active. Ignore Block and Weak tokens. Execution 2 (ignore Death Armor).
• Ruthless Instruction: Gives your target two Dodge tokens (Defensive Stance) or their skills ignore the Blind debuff (Aggressive Stance).

Duelist Shrine of Reflection events and battles

These are the events and battles that you can expect if the Duelist is chosen to enter a Shrine of Reflection:

1. Academie Duello (story segment): Unlocks The Boot ability.
2. After Hours (battle): The instructor will buff a training dummy with immunity against either Defensive Stance or Aggressive Stance. You’ll need to change stances using your skills such as Flick and Disengage, which can also remove immunity. You’ll win this battle after successfully hitting the training dummy three times. This unlocks the Again ability.
3. Insatiable (story segment): Unlocks the Fleche ability.
4. A Taste of Victory (battle): This time, you have to face your instructor, though the mechanics remain the same. Use your skills to switch stances and remove his immunity. If you’re low on health, switch to Aggressive Stance and then use Disengage for a bit of healing. Later, you should gain the Meditation action, which you can use to finish off your instructor. Passing this challenge also unlocks the Meditation ability.
5. The Perfection (story segment): This unlocks Coup de Grace and Ruthless Instruction.

Duelist Altar of Hope hero paths

Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade's Duelist class has three hero paths that are unlocked by spending Candles in the Living City in the Altar of Hope.

• Instructice: Focuses on pushing your allies to the limit.
  • Stance passives let you recover on killing blows.
  • Disengage is also used to change stances.
  • Coup de Grâce is used to clear skill cooldowns if you land a killing blow.
  • Again and Ruthless Instruction both grant buffs to allies, such as additional Crit or damage, but they also increase Stress levels.
• Antagoniste: Uses various debuffs to disrupt enemies.
  • Stance passives nullify the debuff resistance.
  • Touché and Coup de Grâce can also apply the Weak or Vulnerable effects.
  • Disengage and The Boot can generate Combo tokens.
• Intrépide: A highly flexible rank with huge damage potential, though it’s also fairly risky.
  • Stance passives increase your power and inherent risk, stacking up to five times. The effects are lost if you take damage.
  • Feint also adds Dodge tokens.
  • Preparation can cure status effects or grant critical hit chances.
  • Disengage gives Stealth or Guarded tokens.
  • Coup de Grace is used to remove Intrépide stance effects.

Crusader class overview

Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade's Crusader character is a melee powerhouse that’s best kept at the frontlines. He’s essentially like the Man-at-Arms, someone who can fill the tanking role while also dealing heavy damage.

What makes the Crusader highly viable in your expeditions is that he has abilities that further improve his survivability, such as Reap (heal while attacking two enemies), Battle Heal (target heal), and Radiance (heal-over-time and fire resistance).

How to unlock the Crusader via The Lost Crusade quest

To unlock the Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade, you need to complete The Lost Crusade. This is a lengthy quest chain that requires finding several key items from specific locations or encounters. Because of this, it’s likely that you’ll need to accomplish it over the course of several expeditions.

For those who think this is a daunting task, fear not—any key items you discover will appear in the first inn that you visit, allowing you to continue where you left off in case of unsuccessful runs.

Here are the steps to help you complete The Lost Crusade quest in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade:

• Step 1 - Crusader’s Helm (trophy): This appears automatically in the first inn that you visit. Take it and place it in your Stagecoach’s trophy slot. As long as this is equipped, you’ll notice encounters that pertain to The Lost Crusade.
• Step 2 - Tattered Banner (combat item): Shortly thereafter, you should receive the Tattered Banner. Equip it in any character’s combat item slot. Proceed further until you have a road battle against the Lost Battalion. Use the Tattered Banner on the Bishop enemy to receive the Unique Reliquary.
• Step 3 - Unique Reliquary (deliverable): Continue onward until you reach an inn. The Unique Reliquary will be automatically exchanged for the Sanctified Scroll.
• Step 4 - Sanctified Scroll (stagecoach item): Make sure both the Crusader’s Helm and Sanctified Scroll are equipped on your stagecoach. Then, look for an Assistance Encounter (i.e. The Desperate Few). Choose a character that can ask this question: “We seek a lost knight—what have you heard?”
• Step 5 - Rumor of Riches (currency): After talking to The Desperate Few, look for the Hoarder. As long as you have the Rumor of Riches, you should see the Blessed Blade item among the Hoarder’s wares. It should be in the top-left corner of his shop panel. Go ahead and move that to your inventory.
• Step 6 - The Blessed Blade (deliverable): Continue to the next inn. The Blessed Blade will be automatically exchanged for the Helm & Blade.
• Step 7 - Helm & Blade (trophy): Make sure this is equipped on your stagecoach. In the next region that you visit, the Oblivion’s Rampart encounter at the exit will be replaced with a new node called The Caged Knight. Now, you just need to make sure that you can make your way there safely.

How to defeat the Warlord boss

You’re one step closer to finishing The Lost Crusade quest in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade. All that’s left is to defeat the Warlord boss, as well as his Swordsman and Spearman minions. Here’s a quick summary:

• The Warlord has hard-hitting attacks, so make sure you can defend against them with a tanky character, such as the Man-at-Arms or Leper.
• If the boss moves to the back rank, he’ll buff the Swordsman and Spearman with Strength, Speed, and Critical. It’s imperative that you eliminate his cohorts or they’ll take out your party.
• The Warlord has three Death Armor tokens. That means you need to whittle down his health, then hit him thrice to remove the tokens. This will put him at Death’s Door, and you can finally finish him off.

Once the Warlord has been defeated, you’ll complete The Lost Crusade quest. This also unlocks the Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade. The new hero will appear in the Crossroads area at the start of your next expedition. Alternatively, if you proceed further in your current run and lose any of your companions, he can be selected immediately as a replacement upon visiting an inn.

 

Crusader default skills

As we mentioned earlier, the Crusader is a frontline fighter, which means he excels in close-range combat. However, he does have other abilities that are meant to support and bolster his squad. These are the skills that are available as soon as you unlock him:

• Smite: 7-9 damage, 10% Crit. Adds 50% damage if the target has a Combo token.
• Stunning Blow: 4-6 damage, 10% Crit. Stun the target if it has a Combo token. Also removes the target’s Strength and Crit.
• Zealous Accusation: 2-3 damage, 5% Crit. Inflict fire for three turns (33% success chance if the target has a Combo token).
• Inspiring Cry: Removes one point of Stress (self) or two points of Stress (target). Requires Stress to be at five points or higher.
• Rallying Cry: 20% Stun resistance for three turns (self). Remove Daze, Stun, and Combo token, and grant +40% Stun resistance for three turns (target).

Crusader unlockable skills

These abilities can be used by the Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade only after visiting Shrines of Reflection:

• Reap: 5-7 damage (hits the first two enemy ranks), 5% Crit. Reduces the target’s healing received for three turns. This skill also heals 15% of your HP if either target has a Combo token.
• Battle Heal: Heal yourself for 10% or an ally for 25%. The target’s HP must be below 33%.
• Bulwark of Faith: Grant yourself two Block, three Taunt, and four HP Regen tokens.
• Holy Lance: 5-9 damage, 15% Crit. Move forward by one rank. This also applies a Burn token and a Combo token on your target.
• Radiance: Give yourself three HP Regen tokens and 20% Burn resistance for four turns. Using this on a target grants them 30% damage for four turns.
• Tenacity: Give yourself or an ally Block tokens and 10% debuff resistance for three turns.

Crusader Shrine of Reflection events and battles

Once the Crusader is part of your squad, we recommend looking for Shrines of Reflection so you can unlock new abilities. These are the encounters that you can expect:

1. Labor of the Land (battle): Use the Reap action to hit two Stalks, followed by the Bundle action once you’ve gathered enough. If you’re low on health, you can choose the Rest command, too. This unlocks the Reap ability.
2. Hard Pressed (story): This unlocks the Battle Heal ability.
3. The Great Crusader (story): This unlocks the Bulwark of Faith ability.
4. Blood in the Snow (battle): You’ll fight a weaker version of the Warlord. We suggest doing the following:
   • Cast Stunning Blow to nullify the Warlord’s Strength and Crit abilities.
   • If your location is marked, use the Move command to reposition to another spot.
   • Bulwark of Faith improves your defense in case you’re likely to get hit that turn.
   • Cast Holy Lance if you find yourself in the back ranks.
   • Lower the Warlord’s HP, then use the Mercy action. This unlocks the Holy Lance ability.
5. No Home But Hell (story): This unlocks the Radiance and Tenacity abilities.

Crusader Altar of Hope perks and hero paths

The Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade has three hero paths that can be selected once you’ve obtained them via the Living City in the Altar of Hope:

• Aggressor: The Crusader’s abilities gain new effects if a target is burning:
  • Smite grants Execution if used against a burning target, and it also reduces Stress if you land a killing blow.
  • Reap no longer heals you. Instead, it yields Execution and decreased healing on a burning target, as well as a Strength token if you land a killing blow.
  • Tenacity causes melee hits made against a burning target to heal the Crusader.
• Templar: Turns the Crusader into an even doughier tank with a focus on health regeneration:
  • Smite also reduces Stress if a target has Combo tokens.
  • Rallying Cry gives guarded and increased healing to a target. You also grant HP regeneration if their health is below 33%.
  • Tenacity grants Block and debuff resistance, and increases healing received.
• Banneret: This gives the Crusader a more support-oriented role:
  • Zealous Accusation causes Burn and adds a Combo token.
  • Battle Heal has one extra charge and it can heal up to 30% of a target’s HP.
  • Rallying Cry also applies the Immobilized effect.
  • Tenacity still grants a Block token, but it no longer adds debuff resistance.

We hope you learned a lot from our Darkest Dungeon 2: The Binding Blade Crusader and Duelist guide. Both of these classes have unique tools that will help you succeed in your expedition, whether you’re slashing your foes as you reposition the Duelist or buffing your Crusader’s defensive capabilities to be ready for the next blow.

Those who want to experience Red Hook Studios’ challenging but extremely rewarding roguelike game should definitely pick up Darkest Dungeon 2, as well as The Binding Blade DLC. Both are available now on the Epic Games Store.