Darkest Dungeon 2: How to Unlock the Crusader in The Binding Blade DLC

Playing the Crusader class is a highlight in the first DLC for Darkest Dungeon 2. With an extensive questline, it will be a while before you can use them. But adding them to your party is worth the effort. Here’s how to unlock the Crusader in The Binding Blade.

Darkest Dungeon 2 Crusader: How to Get the Character in The Binding Blade

Unlike the DLC’s other new character, the Duelist, who’s available when you install the DLC, the Crusader comes with his own questline. Reynauld is the star of the show in The Binding Blade, so he needs a little fanfare before arriving. There are multiple steps you need to finish to add him to your roster.

• Equip the Crusader’s Helm as your Trophy.
• Defeat soldiers during a road encounter.
• Use the Tattered Banner on a Lost Battalion Bishop.
• Deliver the Unique Reliquary.
• Equip the Sanctified Scroll.
• Stop at an Assistance Encounter to gain Rumour of Riches.
• Exchange the Rumour of Riches at the Hoarder for the Blade.
• Equip the Helm and Blade Trophy on your Stagecoach.
• Defeat the Warlord.

Most of the steps focus on equipping a certain item or using an item in a specific place. While the quest can take a long time to complete, as mine did, you can unlock the Crusader in a single journey, depending on your RNG. If you can visit the Tangle as your first region, you’ll only need to complete two more to finish the mission.

If you’re worried about dying and losing your progress, have no fear. An unexpected end to your journey or starting a new one doesn’t erase what you’ve done, as you’ll obtain whatever Lost Crusade items you had. You can just pick up where you left off in the storyline.

The Lost Crusade Quest: How to Get the Crusader’s Helm Trophy

The Lost Crusade Quest begins when you reach the first Inn. You’re presented with a Crusader’s Helm Trophy that you need to equip to your Stagecoach to have the quest progress. Since it’s a trophy, you don’t need to defeat a lair boss to access the mountain.

How to Beat Soldiers

To beat the soldiers, you have to take out the tall walls, which can catch fire but are resistant to blight and bleed. When hit with a physical attack, they’ll attempt to inflict bleed. I prefer to use my ranged attacks on soldiers to minimize any damage over time (DoT) effects. The soldiers themselves are regular enemies with normal weaknesses, with the walls being the hardest part of these fights.

How to Use Tattered Banners

The first time you defeat soldiers, they’ll drop a Tattered Banner. This combat item is used against the Bishop of the Lost Battalion, and you must take it into battle during any Resistance Encounter. Whichever character has it equipped must use it against the Bishop to ensure a specific item is dropped at the end. Then, defeat these overgrown hooligans like usual.

The Unique Reliquary, Sanctified Scroll, and Rumour of Riches

The loot table should now include the Unique Reliquary, a deliverable for the Inn. When you reach it, you’ll get several buffs and the Sanctified Scroll Stagecoach item. Equip it to continue the quest. You can pick any region to visit except the Sluice for the next part, which requires you to stop at an Assistance Encounter. You’ll only have one option when you speak with the NPCs, which grants you the Rumour of Riches currency item.

Helm and Blade: How to Get the Blessed Blade and What to do With It

From the Assistance Encounter, go to a Hoarder. Using Rumour of Riches, buy The Blessed Blade. This is the only item you can use the unique currency for, so don’t worry about saving it. As the Blade is another deliverable, complete your region goal or head directly for the next Inn.

At the Inn, the blacksmith will fix the Blade and return with an updated Trophy: Helm and Blade. Equip it on your Stagecoach in place of the original Helm that was taken for the new one. Without equipping the new trophy, you won’t be able to finish the quest.

The Caged Knight: How to Beat the Warlord

With the Helm and Blade slotted in as your Trophy, you can head to any region except the Sluice or the Mountain. If you’re already at the peak, you’ll have to wait until you begin again to unlock the Crusader. For the other regions, you’ll see that the final boss, typically an Oblivion’s Rampart, has been replaced with an encounter called The Caged Knight.

As you may surmise, this is where Reynauld is being held captive. Instead of the typical Cultists that you’ll fight to reach the Inn, you’ll need to take on the new boss, the Warlord, with his two backup soldiers. Defeat them to free the knight and unlock the Crusader class. You’ll also obtain unique items, including a reusable Combat Item and 2 Mastery points.

The Warlord hits hard when he’s in front. When he moves to the back ranks, however, is when the damage really stacks up. He’ll buff his allies, giving them additional Strength, Critical Hits, and Speed. Focusing on them first will reduce the damage you take. I used DoT attacks on the Warlord while having the Duelist and Leper smack the soldiers in the front and tank damage. My Vestel was on healing duty while Consecrating the first two positions for additional buffs.

Crusader Skills and Stats Detailed

Next time you need to add another character, whether at the Inn when you lose a companion or at the start of a new journey, Crusader will be selectable. He’s best in the front line, especially in Rank 1.

Initially, Reynauld has the following skills and stats:

• Smite: 7-9 damage, 10% Crit. Adds 50% damage if the target has a Combo token.
• Stunning Blow: 4-6 damage, 10% Crit. Stun the target if it has a Combo token. Also removes the target’s Strength and Crit.
• Zealous Accusation: 2-3 damage, 5% Crit. Inflict fire for three turns (33% success chance if the target has a Combo token).
• Inspiring Cry: Removes one point of Stress (self) or two points of Stress (target). Requires Stress to be at five points or higher.
• Rallying Cry: 20% Stun resistance for three turns (self). Remove Daze, Stun, and Combo token, and grant +40% Stun resistance for three turns (target).

Shrine of Reflection Skills

1. Labor of the Land: Unlocks Reap.
   • 5-7 damage (hits the first two enemy ranks), 5% Crit. Reduces the target’s healing received for three turns. This skill also heals 15% of your HP if either target has a Combo token.
2. Hard Pressed: Unlocks Battle Heal.
   • Heal yourself for 10% or an ally for 25%. The target’s HP must be below 33%.
3. The Great Crusader: Unlocks Bulwark of Faith.
   • Grant yourself two Block, three Taunt, and four HP Regen tokens.
4. Blood in the Snow: Unlocks Holy Lance.
   • 5-9 damage, 15% Crit. Move forward by one rank. This also applies a Burn token and a Combo token on your target.
5. No Home But Hell: Unlocks Radiance and Tenacity.
   • Radiance: Give yourself three HP Regen tokens and 20% Burn resistance for four turns. Using this on a target grants them 30% damage for four turns.
   • Tenacity: Give yourself or an ally Block tokens and 10% debuff resistance for three turns.

Crusader Paths

After upgrading the class at the Altar of Hope, you’ll have different path options that can turn him into a bruiser or focus more on tanking hits while buffing allies. I personally prefer the Banneret path.

• Aggressor
  • Smite grants Execution if used against a burning target, and it also reduces Stress if you land a killing blow.
  • Reap no longer heals you. Instead, it yields Execution and decreased healing on a burning target, as well as a Strength token if you land a killing blow.
  • Tenacity causes melee hits made against a burning target to heal the Crusader.
• Templar
  • Smite also reduces Stress if a target has Combo tokens.
  • Rallying Cry gives guarded and increased healing to a target. You also grant HP regeneration if their health is below 33%.
  • Tenacity grants Block and debuff resistance, and increases healing received.
• Banneret
  • Zealous Accusation causes Burn and adds a Combo token.
  • Battle Heal has one extra charge and it can heal up to 30% of a target’s HP.
  • Rallying Cry also applies the Immobilized effect.
  • Tenacity still grants a Block token, but it no longer adds debuff resistance.

That’s how to complete the Lost Crusade quest and get Reynauld the Crusader in Darkest Dungeon 2 The Binding Blade. For more on the DLC, how to unlock other characters, or defeat different bosses, check out our guides library — sans burning books.