Quick Links
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2has six playable classes for its multiplayer modes, PvE Operations and PvP Eternal War. A popular choice for newer players is the Bulwark, a melee-themed class that wields a physical shield to block incoming damage. They’re incredibly tanky, deal great damage up close, and have one of the game’s strongest signature abilities.
A good Bulwark player will keep entire hordes of Tyranids and Chaos forces at bay with their shield and Chapter Banner ability, regenerating armor for their fireteam. Upgrade the Bulwark’s perk tree, and this can even serve as a panic heal for your entire squad. Before you start upgrading the Bulwark, however, it’s important to understand how the class works on a fundamental level.
How To Play Bulwark
The Bulwark is afrontline melee classthat functions like a tank.You don’t have a primary weapon with this class, but you do gain aphysical shield in your off-handthat can be used to bash enemy targets or block incoming damage. You can block just about everything with the shieldexceptunblockable attacks, making this a great choice for players who aren’t comfortable parrying.
A Bulwark fights enemies up close and personal with theirchoice of melee weapon, usually aPower SwordorPower Fist. If the swarm becomes too much to bear, throw down aChapter Bannerto create a stationary aura that replenishes the armor of both you and your allies. This can be further modified to become a useful healing tool or DPS enhancement.
The only major flaw with this class is thelack of range options.You’re stuck with a pistol and not much else. Thankfully, you do have access to thePlasma Pistolas a Bulwark, arguably the strongest secondary in the game. Charge shots make short work of tougher foes if you can land headshots, while uncharged shots are solid for killing fodder units. You won’t be able to solo Zoanthropes, but virtually all other enemies will tremble under the Bulwark’s mighty blade.
Perks And Equipment
Before we cover the Bulwark’s perks and arsenal of weapons, it’s important to cover their signature wargear: the shield.Holding the parry key will hold up your shield, blocking all incoming frontal damage.This can even block parryable attacks, although you won’t be able totrigger a gun strike. The only thing you’re able to’t block are unblockable attacks; you’ll need to dodge those. You also can’t block melee attacks in PvP.
If you just want to parry,tapthe block key. Holding it will raise your shield.
Your shield is also raised while you’re sprinting, allowing you to block enemy projectiles while you’re charging into the fray. Bulwarks can also use their shields as a backup melee weapon.Press the light attack key while blocking to perform a Shield Bash, stunning nearby targets. It deals pitiful damage on its own, but it can be upgraded through the perk tree (PvE Operations only).
Bulwark Perk Tree
You may only use one perk from each perk column.
This table is flipped and showcases column groupings as rows. If you’re solely referencing this table, it’s one perk per row instead.
Pick one per row
Conviction
When your armor breaks, you take 25% less HP damage for 5s
Intimidating Aura
A perfectly timed parry deals AoE damage in a 5m radius.
Forward Momentum
After a shield bash, you deal 25% more melee damage for 5s.
Armor Of Contempt
When you block a ranged attack, that damage is redirected to enemies within a 10m radius.
Shock And Awe
Enemies in a shock area take 25% more damage.
Scrambled Targeting
While surrounded by 5+ enemies, take 20% less damage from ranged attacks.
Defensive Advantage
A perfectly timed parry creates a shock area for 5s. 30s CD.
Pick one
Unyielding Ceramite
Armor recharge delay is reduced by 5s for all squad members.
Contested HP fades 50% slower for all squad members.
Effective Formation
All squad members take 20% less HP damage from Terminus-level enemies.
Shield Bash deals more damage.
Rapid Regeneration
Your banner restores armor 300% faster, but its duration is reduced to 5s.
Focused Strength
Shield Bash knocks back enemies and makes them lose control for a longer duration.
After a Shield Bash, you cannot be staggered for 5s.
Invigorating Icon
When the banner is activated, all squad member regain maximum Contested HP.
Rejuvenating Effect
When the banner is activated, it revives incapacitated squad members and grants all lost HP as Contested HP.
Emergency Countermeasure
When your armor breaks, spawn a Shock Grenade at your location. 120s CD.
Perfectly-timed parries incapacitate Majors and Extremis-level enemies. 120s CD.
Armored Advance
While you have armor, you cannot be staggered or knocked down.
Bulwark has access to some fantastic perks for PvE Operations. The strongest perk here isRejuvenating Effect, which currently has the effect of Invigorating Effect and vice versa.Whenever you deploy a banner, all allies gain lost HP as Contested HP.This means that if you may perform a finisher right after casting your class ability, you’llheal all lost HP.It’s absurdly strong if your team can coordinate this.
If you need even more survivability, look intoConviction, Steel Within, and Effective Formation.All three perks can stack together and make you virtually unkillable in most situations. Don’t sleep on the shock passives either.Shock and Aweis an absurdly powerful buff if you runDefensive AdvantageandEmergency Countermeasure.
Melee
The Bulwark’s shield prevents them from using a primary weapon, but they still have access toa secondary pistol and melee weapon.While you only have two pistols to choose from, they’re the best pistols in the game.The Plasma Pistolis the standout here, allowing you to weaken a Majoris-tier threat for an execution with just three charged shots, even less with upgrades.
Melee weapons are mostly down to preference, but we do recommend you give thePower Sworda try. It’s effectively two weapons in one. Basic attacks perform fast jabs that are fantastic at damaging big enemies. For cleaving, hold the melee key to switch your stance, replacing the fast jabs with wide swings. If juggling stances is too much for you, use thePower Fistinstead. It can pump out solid damage with upgrades.
Class Perks
This build focuses onparrying enemiesandhealing allies.By far the strongest part of this build is the Chapter Banner itself, restoring armor over time to allies within.Rejuvenating Iconis bugged and is doing what Invigorating Icon states, restoring all lost HP as Contested HP.Coordinate your Chapter Banner cast with your allies.If everyone performs a finisher after you cast your banner, your squad will heal to max HP.
Rejuvenating and Invigorating Icon donotstack. The descriptions are flipped. Rejuvenating restores Contested HP, while Invigorating revives downed squad members.
For general crowd control, we useDefensive Advantageto spawn a Shock Grenade occasionally whenever we perfect parry.Defensive Countermeasure will also drop a shock grenade whenever your armor breaks.Shock and Awethen makes all targets inside the AoE receive 25% more damage from all sources, including from the grenade itself. This shreds through Hormagaunts and makes it easier to kill tougher units like Warriors.
For weapons, we recommend thePlasma Pistolwith thePower Sword.The Plasma Pistol deals immense headshot damage with its charged shot, opening Warriors and Rubric Marines to finishers with just three headshots. Upgrade the weapon for ammo efficiency and damage (the bottom row). For our melee, we use the Power Sword for its versatility. We suggest grabbing the bottom row of perks to increase its overall damage.
