A Daemonhost is an Unholy creation of a foul and dangerous ritual in which a powerful Daemon is bound to a living Human and enslaved to its creator's will.
This Horrible and foul act condemns the host's soul to eternal torment as it houses the Daemon in the material universe to utilize it's malignant reality warping evil.
In-Game[]
A Daemonhost will not attack unless aggravated first, which activates in three distinct stages. Initially it is found Inactive, laying on the ground in a fetal position. It can be heard from quite far away talking to itself. They may be tagged at range and can be snuck past, even at relatively close range, without issue.
When approached, flashed with a torch, or weapons fire passes nearby, they will become provoked and levitate into the air into an upward position and begin glowing (Activated).
Once aggravated, (the radius of which is larger than in the Inactive state), damaging it, or shining a flashlight will cause to its Enraged state.
When Enraged the daemon bursts through, kills its host, takes control of their soul and begin attacking; Usually warping to the first player who disturbed it.
It is a fast, relentless enemy that constantly assails its target with its claws and inflict radiant corruption damage around it.
At higher difficulties, multiple Daemonhosts may spawn in close proximity. Great care must be taken to avoid activating multiple ones simultaneously as this frequently ends in a party wipe.
Combat[]
The Daemonhost's goal is to kill the player who enraged it. Their melee attacks are fast, have strong knockback, and are highly damaging.
After downing a player, they enter an animation in which they will lift them into the air and instantly kills them. Between these points, it is still suspectible to further attacks from other players and killing it stops the execution and awarding a penance.
Strategies[]
Daemonhosts can be intimidating for an unprepared group, but they can be dealt with in a variety of ways. A boss-killing build zealot equipped with a Crucis Thunderhammer or an Ogryn with a Slab Shield and taunt can trivialize the encounter.
Ogryns wielding the Slab Shield can take minimal damage. By immediately using the Slab Shield's special Defensive Stance (preferably in a corner), the Daemonhost will deal no direct damage and becomes vulnerable to other players attacking it at whim. The Ogryn is not invincible, however, and will eventually succumb to the corruption damage.
A Zealot with the Crucis Thunder Hammer can also deal extreme damage, especially with blessings that boost weapon power. A group of two to three, charging in unison, may be able to take it out in a single stroke.
A Psyker can also reflect this by using a Blaze Sword and enabling Talents to accumulate Peril instead of Stamina while blocking. Using modifiers, that help mitigate Peril build up, it is possible to avoid most of its attacks until it's destruction.
It is difficult, but not impossible, for a player to repeatedly dodge a Daemonhost's attacks. Using particularly agile weapons, such as combat blades, can ease this task for a player. The demon host attacks makes him leap forward by a meter or two, which mean it is also possible to lure him near a edge of the map to make him jump and dies from the fall (or push him with Voice of Command or Chorus of Spiritual Fortitude for example).
Continually climbing back and forth over a piece of terrain the Daemonhost must move around to chase the player is another unconventional option.
If the target disconnect after triggering the attack, the demon host will attack another player.
Quotes[]
Voiced by Natalie Beran.
Dormant:[]
- "I'm not wicked. I'm not, I'm not!"
- "From the begetting of daemons, our Emperor deliver us."
- "Beneficent one, why have you forsaken me?"
- "For the Feast of Fools."
- "I favor plagued Souls."
- "The voices! Someone, stop the voices!"
- "Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz."
- "I won't do it! I won't!"
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
The name of daemonhosts in the game's files are often referred to as 'witches', such as in the "More Witches" modifier. This is likely a reference to this enemy's direct inspiration from Left 4 Dead, the witch.