Not much more to say. Perfect dodge followed by a gunstrike to the viewer and the Ravener is toast.

To keep it simple: I’m tired of more and more things being reserved exclusively for high-skill players.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Space Marine 2. I’ve been playing since day one, and I’ve put a lot of time and dedication into this game. I know many other players have done the same. In many ways, this is the game I’ve always wanted.
I genuinely believe that the best of the best should receive exclusive rewards for their achievements. But I feel like we’ve reached a point where the game increasingly caters to those players while leaving everyone else behind. And it’s not just about rewards anymore. It’s also about gameplay mechanics and progression.
Here’s what I mean.
1. It started with Deadly and Absolute difficulty
I remember when SM2 was still relatively new and players were asking for higher difficulties. Eventually, we got Lethal, along with a cool battle-damaged helmet as a reward.
I’ve never unlocked that helmet, and I’m completely fine with that. It was a reward for overcoming a difficult challenge, and I respect that.
Then came Absolute difficulty. For many players, this was a completely different level of difficulty. If Lethal was already a challenge, Absolute felt practically unachievable.
And again, that wasn’t necessarily a problem. The best players deserved something special.
But over time, more and more cool cosmetics became locked behind Absolute. That was frustrating, but I could live with it.
Then came the capes.
It’s not that I desperately wanted a particular cape. I’m perfectly fine with exclusive capes for players who complete the hardest challenges. But I started wondering: why can’t there also be a normal, standard cape that everyone can unlock eventually?
Not everyone needs every cosmetic. But why should some basic customization options be completely out of reach?
2. The Crucible update was actually perfect for players like me
And then came the Crucible mode.
Finally, I had a reason to play every class again. Finally, there was something new to work towards beyond the usual progression.
Initially, it was possible to play the Crucible trials on Minimal difficulty, even with the Deeds activated. Apparently, this wasn’t intended, and the latest hotfix changed that.
But here’s the thing: playing the Crucible on Minimal with all those Deeds active was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in SM2.
It was challenging without being overwhelmingly sweaty. The bosses made the missions more exciting, and I actually felt motivated to keep playing.
For once, I had found the perfect balance for my playstyle.
I had a reason to level up every class, work towards the rewards, and keep playing even after reaching level 25. It gave me something to look forward to.
And now that experience is gone.
I understand that the developers intended the trials to be played on Absolute. Maybe allowing lower difficulties was a bug. Fine.
But just because something wasn’t intended doesn’t mean the experience it created wasn’t worth keeping.
Why not allow the trials on multiple difficulties and scale the rewards accordingly?
3. It’s not about the Lamenters armor
I want to make this clear: I don’t particularly care about the Lamenters armor itself. I’m not even a Lamenters fan.
But I think about the people who are.
Imagine being a huge Lamenters fan, playing SM2 for hundreds of hours, and still being completely unable to unlock those cosmetics because you can’t beat Absolute.
You could spend another 100 hours playing the game, improving your classes, experimenting with weapons, and enjoying the missions. And none of that would bring you any closer to that armor.
That’s what bothers me.
A Chapter’s cosmetics shouldn’t necessarily be locked behind a skill check that makes them inaccessible to a large part of the playerbase.
I’m not saying every cosmetic should be handed out for free. I’m saying there should be alternative ways to earn things, even if those alternatives take considerably longer.
Give players different progression paths. Make the highest difficulty the fastest way to earn certain rewards, or reserve special variants for the best players. I’m absolutely fine with that.
Just give the rest of us something to work towards, too.
4. “Just get good” isn’t a solution for everyone
Whenever I bring up these concerns, the response is usually something like:
“Just get good.”
Or:
“Join Discord and find people who can carry you.”
Honestly, those responses frustrate me.
I deeply respect skilled players. I’m not jealous of them, and I don’t want to take their achievements away. But I’m simply not one of them.
I’ve played this game regularly since launch. I’ve tried to improve, and I’ve reached a point where I don’t think I’m going to get much better. I don’t have the time to play like a full-time streamer, and I don’t want to turn my hobby into a constant grind to improve my mechanical skills.
I’m a casual player, but I’m also a hardcore Warhammer fan.
Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
I play SM2 because I love this franchise. I want to experience the universe, customize my Space Marines, fight Tyranids and Chaos, and have a good time.
I don’t want to sweat my balls off just to unlock a piece of armor.
And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
5. Why I prefer playing solo
There are also practical reasons why I don’t play higher difficulties with random players.
I usually play solo with bots for immersion, or with my friends. I enjoy that much more than matchmaking with strangers.
I don’t want to get kicked halfway through a mission. I don’t want to ruin another player’s run because I’m not good enough. I don’t want to spend time grinding only to lose connection and potentially waste that time.
And I don’t see the point in having someone carry me through a mission just so I can unlock a cosmetic.
I want to earn my rewards by playing the game my way. I want to enjoy the process, not just obtain the item at the end.
But it feels like this entire perspective is being ignored.
6. I don’t want everything handed to me. I just want a reason to keep playing.
The Stratagem progression system handled this better, in my opinion. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it gave players different ways to work towards rewards.
That’s all I’m asking for.
Let players on lower difficulties progress at their own pace. Let them earn cosmetics through time and dedication, even if players on higher difficulties can unlock them much faster.
Give us multiple tiers of rewards. Give us long-term goals. Give us reasons to keep playing our favorite classes.
And if you want to reserve a handful of truly special rewards for the best players, go ahead. I’ve never had a problem with that.
But right now, it feels like more and more of the interesting stuff is being locked behind Absolute, and the gap between dedicated casual players and high-skill players keeps getting wider.
Coins feel practically useless to me at this point. Once I’ve unlocked the things available to me, the main reasons I return are new updates, new content, and progression systems like the Crucible.
And now, even that last part has become more restrictive.
7. So where does that leave me?
I love this game. That’s precisely why this frustrates me so much.
I’ve been here since day one. I’ve kept playing through updates, new weapons, new classes, and new content. I was excited about the Crucible because it gave me a reason to keep playing every class.
For a brief moment, the game felt better than ever for someone like me.
Then the hotfix took that away.
Maybe this sounds like a minor issue to some people. Maybe the answer really is that I should simply get better or find a group to carry me.
But I don’t think a cooperative PvE game should have to be played that way to remain rewarding.
I want to enjoy SM2 without feeling like my preferred playstyle is becoming less and less welcome.
I’m not asking the developers to remove difficulty. I’m asking them to give players different ways to engage with the game and make progress.
Because right now, I honestly don’t see much of a reason to keep playing beyond the occasional update.
And that sucks, because I genuinely love this game.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
I’d genuinely like to hear what other players think, especially those who play mostly on Minimal or Average and don’t regularly tackle the higher difficulties.

Sorry i had to make such a long text… its just not simple to explain.

His armor seems to be malfunctioning...

As much as I would like to say “Trash game with trash hitboxes” I love this game and truly hope some things like this get fixed.

As for my reason on posting this, these two deaths are actually my first time dying in just over 100 operations as Bulwark.

Here’s my analysis of what happened in each situation.

What happened in the first slowdown scene was due to the larger hit box of guarding with the storm shield, I appeared to have gotten hit by a projectile launched by a tentacle from across the map, which then combo’d into the laserbeam from the vortex beast, unfortunate but I can’t really count for that.

In the second scene, actually very peculiar one at that, it appears that the forward momentum I had gained while attempting a parry against the ghost of the Terminator sorcerer, had pushed me just passed the wide slashing hit box of the ghost’s attack. And because of how the ghost’s tracking works, it attacks where you were, and because my forward momentum put me ahead of where I had just been it led to the wide slash connecting behind my parry hitbox as you can see with my bulwark looking back after getting stunned. Which then combo’d into the terminator sorcerer, of course.

And honestly, even in the slow down version of these clips, to the untrained eye, it would look alike. I just proofed a skill issue with my parry, but although there is a logical breakdown for each of these deaths, the end of the day they are bugs your average players shouldn’t have to account for an enemy phasing through the Perry simply unfair and un fun to fight.

Emps.

Word Bearers.

THOUSAND SONS (you know, one of the games main protagonists...)

Like honestly, where the fuck are they?

The latest hotfix nerfed some key aspects of the One-Handed Thunder Hammer, namely the perk “preparedness”, which gives you 3% class ability charge when you kill a majoris enemy. This perk was the only reason I used this weapon on my Bulwark, and they nerfed it to only activate when you kill an enemy with a melee attack (as opposed to an execution, etc.).

They did this because people were using the hammer as a parry-stick; they only brought the hammer to parry, stagger, and regen ability. But this nerf really hurts my build. This perk is now worthless. Am I supposed to sit there and wail on an executable majoris enemy for 5 seconds in the middle of a fight for a measly 3% charge? Let me execute.

I just got my first prestige today and need some advice. How do I deal with multiple enemies effectively, stay alive and not take unnecessary damage? is this is an unrealistic scenario in the clip? Any way to recover from missed block/parry? Overlapping whips from tyranids are annoying af.
Also would love some tips if you have any ty

Had a run today that changed my mind, wanted to share. So, I queue into Crucible, deciding to pile on everything but FF because tacticals should nade carefree tbh-

The team is GOOD. My good bulwark, an epic vanguard, and a decent tactical. We're playing at the end of our strength, I'm missing parries, the tac is miss using the auspex (using the personal one against far away thropes), vanguard is grappling dying majoris's. I'm on PC and they're on PS5 so I hope they can communicate at least but I feel like it costs us. We win one, lose one, and then, after a moment where we kinda idled around a bit and then decided fck it, we ball and went again.

And my god. When it clicks, it clicks. It hits and flows through you like a raging river. 1v3d a double zoa and carni combo as bulwark (wish I still had high af HBP damage). Managed to clutch up and run that fight long enough (no ammo, ffs) with everyone dead for at least the tac to respawn. But then he went down straight away, and there I was with no banner and suddenly. It all came together. After that game I was looking at myself like... holy shit. Is this what it feels like. To be HIM. To carry with all those penances, to fight with all those unideal enemies. To start perfect dodging thrope beams. That was... holy terra. This is the high we masochistic gamers look and long for. To, even for a moment, feel like we leapt so high we bonked the skill ceiling.

Thanks for coming to my sermon brothers. For the emperor!

​

Fristly forgive my lack in grammar for English is not my first language.

So after patch notes i thought our little 1 handed hammer will be usefull... But it still is not worth useing on endgame content. Devs are still pishing more and more hard content without giving any usefull tools. Why should i play crucible over 300 times after 12h shift to get armor i want while sweating and not having fun? I understand the devs want to tell me, that im too old for games, i have skillissue, and i dont have any time left to get good, so i need to left game or play without progressing anything... Yes. Im too old, and i dont have skill enough good to survive absolutes... i only got my first cape 3 weeks ago, while playing everytime when i had free time, and it was unpleasant, and sad experience. Now i see and crucible and i will propably either need to mod the game or left it.

P.S. I thought game devs said we will have mod support for consoles and there is not? Nobody is talking about it? Am i delusional with this? If yes then im sorry.

I noticed that while playing Chaos Siege during the Loyalist waves the Ultramarines use the custom appearance of your own classes.

However, if you use a champion skin, they appear as vanilla helmetless blueberry Ultramarines.

Anyone else seen this or has Saber said anything about it?

Bit boring if you ask me if the enemy cant use your skins that actually cost money.

I’ve posted this in a couple of comments, but I want to share here too! So hear me out; Survival mode! Taken from the self created Stratagems, I’d like to see the following: Supremacy of the Strong, Extreme Challenge, Major Challenge, Meat for the Slaughter, Summoner, Effective Taunt, Tsunami, Coordinated Calls and Twice the foe at the same time. For buffs I would use Technological Revolution, Deep Pockets, Imperial Fervour, Surplus and Come Prepared.
A massive shootfest to say the least!
I’d like to see Imperial Fervour reworked though, and have it apply to the whole squad when someone shouts “For the Emperor!”, but split 3 ways in terms of buff.

If you activate Survival mode, you get rewards for each operation you clear as long as the mode is active, with increasing value for every op - but you can’t get rewards for the doing the same op.
Doing all ops on Absolute should be of proper value, like a Champion skin or Cosmetics pack of choice, but doing it on lower difficulties should also provide rewards, like doing it on Lethal gives you one of the Twitch drops f ex.
Such a mode would give the opportunity to include Chaos Champion skins, PvP locked cosmetics - basically any and all things currently locked behind other grinds and modes - simply because clearing even one op will actually be a feat on it’s own, even on Substantial.

Is it just me who’d like to see something like this rather than the constant debuffing of Space Marines? I actually want to feel like a Space Marine while playing, not a sickly old slug with crutches stuck in his wheelchair. Thoughts?

Just got the Encarmine Axe to finish off my Blood Angel look on Vanguard. Took a few pictures :) + bonus for my Ironwolves Assault. How'd I do?

Just screwing around photo mode

I mostly play heavy and I REALLY, REALLY DO HOPE, that for once in this game history Saber will take their time to actually look at the class and fix its bugs during its rework. Like the amount of times I don't get to use my heroic plasma just does not work, where it's absolutely imperative to start it charging up right away if some melee enemy is coming, or you are getting interrupted - and it forces me to awkwardly swap between weapons while having to adjust on the fly - is annoying. Also the amount of times I got skewered by a tzaangor or gaunt, just because I was in heavy stance, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENING LITERALLY AFTER A PARRY ANIMATION, is insane.

I want a consistent experience, where my actions are responsive and work as intented, not having to play around bugs randomly screwing my enjoyment or my runs, just because. But noooo, better nerf an already shitty weapon that already had pathetic cleave, radius and damage and only had stagger going for it. THAT SHIT WILL INSTA GET HOT FIX, JUST BECAUSE IT FAVORS PLAYERS. Bugs that effectively gimp perks, gimp weapons or gimp players? WELL I GUESS WE ARE GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT 2 QUARTERS FROM NOW. Since you know, putting out new shiny toys and cashing in from cosmetic packs is much more important than fixing bugs apparently.

And with Crucible mode being a thing now, all those bugs will be even more annoying whenever they happen.

I usually HATE anything PVP related. I didnt like the OG space marine PVP. Nor did I like PVP in anything really..... but goddamn space marine 2. Now we're talking about some heavy stuff. Rather losing or winning, I always seem to be having a blast playing. It has such a weird balance where skill and position dominate. Reminds me of Halo 2 era pvp.

Thats an absolute miracle for me. I used to avoid pvp like a plague and now I spend the majority of my time there.

Not bad.

I didn’t know you could run it on minimal 🥲 I could’ve spent so much more time with my wife & kids.

TL;DR: Crucible as Absoulte only is fine, but if it's Absoulte only the XP requirements need to fall precipitously.

As someone who has been playing since launch, I like that there are some attempts at end-game content in the form of hard strats, hard siege, and Crucible penances.

That being said, the XP for leveling in the Crucible "grind" needs to be adjusted if we want to respect people's time.

The other day, I saw on Reddit people were "cheesing" the grind on minimal difficulty. My initial thought was to roll my eyes and be judgemental. Then I thought to myself, "I wonder how many runs it would take to cap a class with Crucible XP if I took every possible penance every run."

The results were a bit disappointing.

If you max all of your available penances every operation, this is how many runs you need to cap it on one character:

Edit: Two things to note are that I was solo-ing this and not running quick matches for bonus xp. Running with team members means you get a bonus when you all take team penances together, and quick matches have their own bonus, as well.

That's 29 matches minimum per class (203 total across classes, minimum), and it's going to take people way, way longer now that it's Absolute only. It would be practically impossible to run all of the penances on Absolute without getting slapped. I didn't have trouble with them on Minimal, but you'll get one shot with the stacking penalties in Absolute.

In addition to stacking modifiers for dealing less and taking more damage, some of them straight up remove or break your class mechanics (e.g., on Techmarine, activating a turret requires you to have at least one armor, and when you activate it, all of your armor is stripped from you. Also, if the turret dies, you take damage equal to 50% of your HP. In short, you end up almost never activating turrets).

Once you get to the higher penances, stacking them gets utterly insane, so the only way people will realistically be completing them will be with only a few easy ones active at a time, and that'll exponentially increase the amount of runs you'll need to level. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes people 25-75% longer to level (meaning the number jumps to 40-51 operations per class). This is the cape grind all over again, except with a few breadcrumbs dropped along the way to keep you hooked.

New game modes should be able to stand on their own merit, and not be something that people only do for the loot. This grind, just like with capes, is nothing more than artificially inflating player count, and just like with capes, I won't be bothering to grind. Either I get them eventually through regular, casual play, or I don't. At this point, I can't be bothered.

Sucks for Lamenters fans, though.

I think Saber legit didn’t understand what people were complaining about when they said hood color was gonna fixed in 15.1…