Highwayman (Darkest Dungeon II)

"Violently versatile, ruthlessly pragmatic."

The Highwayman is a Hero in Darkest Dungeon II.

Class Description

 * Any Rank
 * High Dmg
 * Versatile
 * Riposte

Combat Skills
Note: The Highwayman will always start each run equipped with Wicked Slice, Pistol Shot, Duelist's Advance, Tracking Shot, and Take Aim. All other skills must be unlocked through the Shrine of Reflection before they may be equipped.

* Only occurs when the hero receives an attack while they have a Riposte token. Affected by and consumes tokens like a regular attack. Some enemy attacks ignore Riposte.

* Has a chance to occur in response to a hero getting attacked, or as a team-up attack when a hero makes an attack. Requires the two heroes to have a positive Relationship with each other. Affected by and consumes tokens like a regular attack.

Strategy

 * Characteristics: Rank Flexibility, Can attack any Rank, DOT (Bleed dd2.png), Bypass Deathsdoor dd2.png, Token Destroy/Steal, Token Removal (Dd2 token dodge.pngDd2 token stealth.png), Token on Self (Dd2 token dodge.pngDd2 token block.pngDd2 token crit.pngDd2 token riposte.pngDd2 token speed.png), Token on Enemies (Dd2 token vulnerable.pngDd2 token combo.png)


 * Recommended ranks: [[File:Grey dot.png]][[File:Grey dot.png]][[File:Yellow dot.png]][[File:Yellow dot.png]] (high-damage  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png combos), [[File:Grey dot.png]][[File:Yellow dot.png]][[File:Yellow dot.png]][[File:Grey dot.png]] (versatility, access to almost all offensive skills, melee and ranged)


 * Roles: Heavy Damage Dealer (Physical,Bleed dd2.png)

The Highwayman is essentially a damage dealer that focuses on dishing out as much damage as possible to whittle down enemies. However, his skill set does not entirely rely on damage, but utility as well such as self-buff, and a unique ability to destroy or steal powerful tokens from enemies.

- Offense: The Highmanway is a highly versatile attacker thanks to his skill set being able to target the front Ranks (with  Open Vein  or  Wicked Slice  ) as well as the back Ranks (with  Pistol Shot  ).


 *  Duelist's Advance  Dd2 ability duelistsadvance.png is a recommended skill for Highwayman. With this ability, he can perform an effective offensive combo by moving forward to Rank 1 where he can fire a deveastating  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png to instantly kill weak enemies or decimate dangerous large-sized foes at Rank 1 (Cardinal, Pit Fighter, Knight, etc), adapt to situations when he is pushed back to Rank 4 where he can not use melee skills, as well as gain Riposte Dd2 token riposte.png to deliver extra attacks. It also helps Highwayman adapt to combat tactics of Heroes whose skill sets revolve around constantly changing positions such as JesterPortraits-jester.png or GraverobberPortraits-graverobber.png. For increased chance of instant kill,  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png's high damage output can be raised even further with Strength Dd2 token strength.png token from Plague DoctorPortraits-plaguedoctor.png's  Emboldening Vapours , or JesterPortraits-jester.png's  Battle Ballad  Dd2 ability battleballad.png, and Crit Dd2 token crit.png token from Highwayman's  Take Aim  Dd2 ability takeaim.png for a guaranteed critical attack. All of these tokens combined add a total of 150% damage bonus to  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png, which can be quite effective agaisnt durable Rank 1 enemies or bosses. It is worth noting that JesterPortraits-jester.png's  Battle Ballad  Dd2 ability battleballad.png can push Highwayman to Rank 1 so he can use  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png, and when upgraded, also has 15% chance to grant a Crit Dd2 token crit.png token to the Highwayman for a quick kill shot. For this combo to work quickly and effectively, make sure that the Highwayman is on Rank 2, where  Battle Ballad  Dd2 ability battleballad.png can target him and that his SPD Icon speed dd2.png is at least 2 points lower than that of JesterPortraits-jester.png (this can be done via SPD trinkets).


 * If  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png does not score a kill, it will apply a Combo dd2 token combo.png token to the target and enable more powerful follow-up attacks on it such as Stun Dd2 token stun.png effect from Man-at-ArmsPortraits-manatarms.png's  Rampart  Dd2 ability rampart.png or  Hold the Line  Dd2 ability holdtheline.png.

- Survivability: The Highwayman is somewhat lacking in terms of defense, especially when he does not have access to all of his skills.


 * In case he faces dangerous enemies with powerful attacks, it is advised to use  Take Aim  Dd2 ability takeaim.png for a Dodge Dd2 token dodge.png token or  Double Cross  Dd2 ability doublecross.png for a Block Dd2 token block.png token. Both of these skills can also help set up strong combos for  Point Blank Shot  Dd2 ability pointblankshot.png.


 *  Duelist's Advanced  Dd2 ability duelistsadvance.png grants a Dodge Dd2 token dodge.png token as well, if upgraded.

- Utility:  Highway Robbery  is extremely useful against enemies that can apply positive tokens on themselves or allies, as it can remove these tokens and destroy enemies' advantages to alleviate combat risks. With the skill upgraded, the Highwayman can also steal powerful tokens to increase his damage and defense such as Dodge (Evangelist, Cherub), Crit  (Evangelist), Block+  (Sacrificial), etc.


 * If the Highwayman does not yet have access to  Highway Robbery  Dd2 ability highwayrobbery.png,  Tracking Shot  Dd2 ability trackingshot.png can be used agaisnt enemies that typically have Dodge Dd2 token dodge.png (Evangelist, Cherub, etc). Tracking Shot Dd2 ability trackingshot.png will also apply Combo Dd2 token combo.png and remove Stealth Dd2 token stealth.png if upgraded.

Shrine of Reflection
The Highwayman gains access to 6 abilities over 5 chapters through accessing memories in the Shrine of Reflection.

Chapter One: Freedom
"Walls will never again hold me."
 * Objective: Defeat The Guards to Escape
 * Unlocks Point Blank Shot

- The Highwayman

"A prison riot! A fleeting chance to escape incarceration!"

- The Academic

"He would be a fugitive, a hunted man, but a free one nonetheless..."

- The Academic

Chapter Two: Laying Low
"Freedom was nothing like what I'd hoped for."
 * Unlocks Open Vein

- The Highwayman

"Harried by a pursuing garrison, he took refuge in the foetid canals of the city. Concealment took its toll, and soon he began to see himself in the furtive, scurrying pests that formed an unfortunate portion of his meager diet. Freedom, once so fondly imagined, had become a vortex of degradation."

- The Academic

Chapter Three: One Last Job
"Can't teach an old dog new tricks."
 * Unlocks Highway Robbery

- The Highwayman

"He was sick and starving. And in desperation, offered his expertise to an unscrupulous malefactor. Shackled once more to an unsavory task by an advance of gold, he lined his belly, girded himself, and prepared for One. Final. Heist."

- The Academic

Chapter Four: Highway Robbery
"Was I desperate? Yes. Was I greedy...?"
 * Objective: Rob The Coach
 * Unlocks Grapeshot Blast

- The Highwayman

"The stagecoach arrived, and he set himself to the business of bloodshed and robbery!"

- The Academic

"He fulfilled his obligations with exceptional lethality, but his grim satisfaction would prove short-lived..."

- The Academic

Chapter Five: Shackled
"Regret binds fiercer than any manacles."
 * Unlocks Double Cross and Double Tap

- The Highwayman

"The lifeless bodies of a woman and child, horribly mutilated by errant gunfire, stared spectrally through the remnants of the coach door. Arrested by the ghoulish sight, he felt the cold chains of remorse tighten around his heart. Guilt was a pursuer he could never outrun, a prison he would never escape."

- The Academic

Trivia

 * The Highwayman is one of eight Heroes returning from Darkest Dungeon, and one of the first nine Heroes to be available in the sequel.
 * The Highwayman's default name - Dismas - is named after the penitent thief crucified next to Jesus of Nazareth.