How do Wounds work in Warhammer 40K: Darktide?

In Warhammer 40K: Darktide, not all systems are adequately explained to players. As you group up and slaughter the forces of Chaos in the name of the Emperor of Mankind, you don’t have time to stop and consider how some of the game’s systems work.

In particular, one that isn’t all that clear is the Wounds system of Warhammer 40K: Darktide. What is this system and what makes it so important? If you’re new to the Warhammer universe, it might not be all that clear what it means, so we’ll break it down for you and help you be better prepared for the grimdark battles to come.

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Wounds are incredibly important to players in Warhammer 40K: Darktide

Wounds is one stat in Warhammer 40K: Darktide, and you might find it on the various Curios that you come across as you destroy heretics in the Hive City of Tertium. What it does isn’t entirely clear, but I’m here to help you sort that out. While it may sound negative, it's one of the more important stats that you want to have.

Curios are a sort of talisman or charm that you can equip while you play, and the word “Wounds” has a negative connotation. However, it’s important to note that you want to see the Wounds text on your Curios. When you look at your health in combat, you may see segmented sections of your health bar.

“Wounds” is a term that replaces the word “Health” in the Warhammer 40K tabletop. So, if you are familiar with the tabletop version of the game, this is not shocking. Newcomers might be confused, so here’s what it means in terms of gameplay.

The Wounds stat is the number of segments you have in your health bar while in combat in Warhammer 40K: Darktide. If you have a Wounds stat of three, you will have three segments of health. Then, if you find a Curio that grants you +2 Wounds, you’ll have five segments of health, making you far more durable.

Within Warhammer 40K: Darktide, keep an eye out for items that offer more Wounds (Image via Fatshark Games)

However, as you die, this number will go down, and you’ll have access to less of your health while on a mission. Each time you die in a mission, you lose a wound’s worth of health if you’re revived. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck that way for an entire stage.

All characters can access the Med Stations, and use medkits. They will recover your Wounds and remove your Corruption, so keep an eye out for those. If you have a Grimoire, the Med Station will not remove your corruption. This is permanent until the end of a mission.

As you increase your Wounds stat in Warhammer 40K: Darktide, you’ll have access to a greater amount of health. As this is essentially a Left 4 Dead 2-style zombie survival game, you’re going to want as much health as possible, so keep an eye out for anything that increases it.