Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: Codex: Combat Basics

Chainsword …… Possibly the most important weapon in your inventory, the chainsword can be used by pressing [V] or [Right Mouse Button]. You can engage highlighted enemies, and during most of your attack you will receive invincibility frames (I-Frames). Use this to Dodge, and take advantage of enemies who might also be stunned. Time will slow down for a few seconds when you “lock on” to an enemy – you can use this to take account of you surroundings or prepare to switch weapons.

Boltgun …… This will be one of the two workhorses in your arsenal. It can kill mobs at range in one or two shots, and has a rapid firerate.

Shotgun …… Workhorse number two. At medium range this can perform just as well as the Boltgun, but is better suited to slaughtering grouped mobs or blasting at point blank after a dodge. Also useful for pushing enemies close to ledges.

Plasma Gun …… Works best on medium armoured targets, especially if you can get off a burst before focusing on other enemies.

Heavy Bolter …… A jack of all trades, as long as you have somewhere to post up. Moving is a bit slower while firing, which can cause issues, but a very reliable weapon for heavily armoured targets or anything you need pushed away from you.

Charge …… Press [F] to charge. This is useful for low-health mobs that attempt to get within melee range such as Blue Horrors and Nerglings. Careful not to charge into a wall, however, as you will quickly become swarmed.
Grenade …… Press [Q] to throw a grenade, and [G] to change the type of grenade. Good for clearing groups as you duck past a window or doorway.

Autogun Cultist …… A basic heretic mob, dies in 1 hit to everything.

Heavy Cyber Cultist …… An upgraded cultist, takes [2 Boltgun] hits or 1 hit to everything else.

Cultist Champion …… A cultist with a shotgun, hurts at close range, but otherwise identical to Heavy Cyber Cultist.

Plasma Gun Renegade …… A cultist that hurts a lot at any range, but their projectiles are quite slow. Dangerous if you have a wall behind you, or if you attempt to kill them in close range (they explode).

Chaos Marine …… A quick [3 – 4 Plasma] burst usually does the trick, or even a grenade.

Aspiring Champion / Chosen Champion …… Reserve the [Heavy Bolt Gun] for this heretic, and [Chainsword] them as they come into melee range to stun them. You might need a lot of space behind you, or good manoeuvring.

Chaos Terminator Marine …… The easiest enemy to strafe, you can even walk in a circle around them at relatively close ranges. Only dangerous in a group setting, or perhaps a tight hallway. I find it fastest to pull out the [Heavy Bolt Gun] once I’ve cleared melee mobs.

The Heretic mobs require little more than strafing side to side to dodge their bullets, but when moving in a straight line is required they have deadly tracking. I find lots of moving between cover important, and using the [Chainsword] on lone enemies in the open to dodge gunfire.

Pink Horror …… [1 Shotgun] blast followed by a [Chainsword] dodge through their Psychic attack and a final [1 Shotgun] at close range usually does the trick. Sometimes a volley from the [Boltgun] is needed when they are surrounded, as they are often in a group of Blue Horrors.

Blue Horror …… While [2 Boltgun] hits will do the trick, [1 Shotgun] is far more effective. In groups, or to conserve ammo, you can also Charge for a one hit kill on every enemy. This makes an effective strategy to get to a Pink Horror if you can [Chainsword] through their psychic attack after a Charge.

Nergling …… Dies when hit by anything, but beware of using the [Chainsword]. It can lock onto the Nergling while on one latitude, and miss as it jumps or falls, leaving you open to being “Nibbled by a Nurgling”.

Lesser Plague Toad …… [1 Shotgun] blast followed by a [Chainsword] dodge through their Psychic attack and a final [1 Shotgun] at close range usually does the trick. Their attacks are easily telegraphed by the opening of their mouths, during which time you deal bonus damage.

Flamer …… There seems to be no easy way to deal with a flamer, though their attacks are easy to dodge. They are typically on ledges, so a [Shotgun] can knock them out of line-of-sight. Otherwise [4 Plasma Gun] blasts or the [Heavy Bolt Gun] work relatively well. This can be hard while being harassed by melee mobs, but if you kill them first, you’ll be harassed by the Flamer.

Screamer of Tzeench …… This nightmare seems to only be kept at bay by the [Heavy Bolt Gun].

“Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean.”