Patch 8.0 introduces new prestige perks for the sniper, heavy, Bullwark, and assault classes in Space Marine 2. Most changes bring minor advantages but fail to match current meta options. For the heavy class, Honed Precision reduces maximum spread by 25% when firing without aiming. This effect directly clashes with how the heavy class functions. Its strongest weapons—like the heavy bolter and plasma incinerator—gain massive boosts from heavy stance and aiming-based perks. Hip firing disrupts these perks and may unintentionally trigger melee strikes due to the current control scheme.
The previous perk in this slot removed status effects with Iron Halo activation. That version offered more tactical value. In its current form, Honed Precision adds nothing meaningful to most loadouts.
Viable Picks for Sniper and Assault Classes
The sniper receives Material Upgrade, which increases equipment damage radius by 15%. While it sounds small, it enhances the value of shock grenades, frags, and melta bombs—especially when paired with Pillar of Excellence, a perk that restores equipment charges after headshot streaks. However, it offers little advantage for crack grenades, where area-of-effect remains weak.
For assault players, Unyielding Oath adds invulnerability for three seconds during ground pound charging. On paper, this could counter units like soul cannons. In practice, reports show inconsistent protection. Some players still take hits mid-charge, and it often fails to block chip damage. Other options—Adrenal Boost, Duelist, Practice Aim—outperform it consistently.
Bullwark Perks and the Thunderhammer Addition
The Bullwark’s new perk, Embolden Stand, prevents knockback while the chapter banner is active. While the effect sounds strong, most teammates already stack knockback resistance independently. Banner uptime remains limited, reducing the perk’s usefulness in fast-paced scenarios.
The larger shake-up comes from the Thunderhammer. While it fits the character’s style in lore, it feels misplaced in gameplay. The Bullwark loses access to their shield when equipping it, giving up animation cancels, damage resistance, and synergy with Masterful Defense.
That said, the Thunderhammer receives several reworked perks. Forward Momentum grants 30% melee damage for 10 seconds after a shield bash or pommel smash. The bonus is significant, but players must choose between this and Intimidating Aura, a consistently effective perk across most builds.
Another option, Concussive Force, increases pommel smash damage by 100% and adds a 7-meter AoE. While useful, it competes with Invigorating Icon, which extends banner uptime and remains vital for survival. Giving up such a perk for minor AoE increases feels like a misstep.
Merciless Resolve, however, stands out. It adds 15% melee damage, prevents knockback, and maintains control after using shield bash or pommel smash. Because the pommel smash has generous range and low cooldown, this perk fits smoothly into several builds without demanding major trade-offs.
Building Around Thunderhammer Bullwark
The Thunderhammer works best with variants like the relic-tier block version or the balanced setup. Recommended picks for synergy include Steel Within for better defense and Armored Advance for maintaining control. Shock grenades also pair well here, especially when used with Emergency Countermeasure, which triggers grenade drops on armor loss.
Still, players face limitations. Chaos enemies punish slow animations, and giving up the shield often leads to fast defeats. The weapon can still deliver solid output in operation mode, but those chasing performance over style will favor shield-based setups.
