Man-at-Arms is one of the playable Characters in Darkest Dungeon. He has a defensive/support skillset that mitigates a lot of risk, enabling his teammates to focus on damage or more generally to use strategies that they may not be able to safely do otherwise.
His strengths include:
Team survivability: not only does Man-at-Arms have one of the highest health pools in the game, but he also has a Guard skill that redirects damage towards himself while significantly boosting his own survivability.
Strong buffs and debuffs that significantly boost the team's offensive and defensive stats.
Notably, Man-at-Arms is a good candidate for a DODGE-based party, since his buffs can grant +20 DODGE to the entire team.
Decent Reach: Can hit rank 3.
Rampart has a (potentially) very high stun chance and, with its movement and Man-at-Arms' low speed, allows him to be a good dancing partner for faster heroes.
His primary weakness is awful SPD. His buffs, debuffs, guard, and other skills all require high SPD to be effective, but Man-at-Arms has one of the lowest base SPD values amongst all heroes.
Man-at-Arms is typically run as a support/tank in ranks 1-2. He can function in rank 3 in dancing parties, or rarely, in rank 4 as a pure support.
The Man-at-Arms is a seasoned veteran of combat, and has been rewarded for his toil with haunting guilt and stoic resilience in equal measure. Immovable, commanding, and focused, the Man-at-Arms breaks down enemy lines with his mace, buckler, and furious battle cries.
* Man-at-Arms' Riposte has a base ACC of 90, and no CRIT mod.
Camping Skills
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The Man-at-Arms seeks to either practice his strict training regimen himself, or teach it to his companions. Dexterity, damage and unerring accuracy await those fortified enough to endure his lessons.
Camping skills are special skills heroes can use while they are camping. They take a certain number of "respite" points to use, and can only be used once per camp (unless the skill says otherwise). Most heroes have three shared camping skills and all heroes have 4 unique camping skills (with the Flagellant being the exception, having only unique camping skills). Only 4 of these can be equipped at one time. Any Buffs or lasting effects given from a camping skill lasts for 4 battles.
Being a military veteran, the Man-at-Arms makes sure that training isn't overlooked even when resting. He can buff himself, one other hero, or even the entire party for almost any stat, including DODGE, CRIT, ACC, and DMG.
Maintain Equipment
Time Cost
Target
Description
4
Self
+15% PROT (4 Battles) +15% DMG (4 Battles)
Bark
"Keep your harness polished, and it will not fail you."
Tactics
Time Cost
Target
Description
4
Party
+10 DODGE (4 Battles) +5% CRIT (4 Battles)
Bark
"The key to a continued heartbeat is to MOVE YOUR FEET."
Instruction
Time Cost
Target
Description
3
One Companion
+10 ACC (4 Battles) +3 SPD (4 Battles)
Bark
"Skill always trumps raw strength. Strike like so..."
"A lifetime of practice still leaves more to learn."
Encourage
Time Cost
Target
Description
2
One Companion
-15 Stress
Bark
"This formation, yes!" "To the line! TO THE LINE!" "Remember the drills and we will see this through!"
Wound Care
Time Cost
Target
Description
2
One Companion
Heal 15% HP Removes Bleeding Removes Blight
Bark
"It isn't much but you should pull through." "Take this, works a charm." "I'm no physician but this should steady you."
Pep Talk
Time Cost
Target
Description
2
One Companion
-15% Stress (4 Battles)
Bark
"We are strong together, hold fast!" "You execute maneuvers well!" "Stick to the plan and we will survive."
Equipment
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Clad in the heaviest plate, the Man-at-Arms is a mace-wielding heavy hitter. Quick to react and adapt, he is most effective leading the charge, protecting his companions with his unbreakable shield.
Equipment upgrades are all bought at the Blacksmith:
Mace
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Footman's Mace
Private's Mace
Seargent Major's Mace
Master Seargent's Mace
Bludgeon
DMG base:
5-9
DMG base:
6-10
DMG base:
7-12
DMG base:
7-13
DMG base:
8-14
CRT base:
2.0%
CRT base:
3.0%
CRT base:
4.0%
CRT base:
5.0%
CRT base:
6.0%
SPD base:
3
SPD base:
3
SPD base:
4
SPD base:
4
SPD base:
5
Plated Mail
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Shoddy Splint
Military-Issue Armor
Sergeant Major's Plate
Master Sergeant's Plate
The Bulwark
DODGE base:
5
DODGE base:
10
DODGE base:
15
DODGE base:
20
DODGE base:
25
HP base:
31
HP base:
37
HP base:
43
HP base:
49
HP base:
55
Each Hero has Trinkets unique to them that only they can equip. Man-at-Arms has seven; 2 common, 2 Crimson Court and 1 uncommon, rare and very rare. In the base game, his lower level trinkets are eye-patches and his high level trinkets are shields. The Crimson Court DLC adds a banner and toy soldier.
Each hero has a unique trinket set consisting of two hero-exclusive trinkets, and a hero who equips both will gain an additional set bonus. Most heroes' set trinkets can only be found in the Courtyard and have the rarity Crimson Court. Each set trinket is unique and limited to one copy in the inventory. The Shieldbreaker's set trinkets can only be obtained by completing her nightmare encounters and do not interact with The Crimson Court in any way.
Image
Name
Class
Effect
Set Effect
Quote
Notes
Old Unit Standard
Man-at-Arms
+15% Stun Skill Chance
+20% Debuff Skill Chance
+15% Death Blow Resist
+10% Stress
Riposte: +25% DMG
Riposte: +10 ACC
"Glory days? Hmph."
Toy Soldier
+10% PROT
+5% CRIT
The Color of Madness DLC introduces trinkets with a new rarity, Crystalline, which must be purchased by spending Crystal Shards at the Jeweler in the Nomad Wagon. There are both generic crystalline trinkets as well as one exclusive crystalline trinket for each hero.
When attacked, will deal damage to the attacking enemy equal to 30% of the damage taken by the trinket holder. Reflected damage only occurs after the attack. This damage does not count as an attack from the equipped hero and is not affected by hero buffs nor enemy PROT and DODGE. Kills from this damage do not count for kill effects such as from the Miller's Pipe or Coat of Many Colors.
Both Man-at-Arms' and Vestal's weapon are called "Mace," despite both the artwork and stats of the weapons being entirely different. Man-at-Arms' Mace's round head and spikes qualify it more specifically as a morning-star.
Man-at-Arms introduced two new mechanics to the game when he was added: guarding and ripostes.
The predetermined name of Man-at-Arms is Barristan, a reference to Barristan the Bold, a character from the book series A Song of Ice and Fire. Barristan the Bold is a famed knight, now well past his glory days, and sometimes called Barristan the Old, similar to how the Man-at-Arms is past his glory days.
The guild text refers to Man-at-Arms' shield as a buckler, but it is actually a heater shield.
The level 3 mace and plated mail are named "Sergeant Major's" while the level 4 ones are named "Master Sergeant's", despite Sergeant Major being a higher rank in real life than Master Sergeant.
One of Man-at-Arms' names is 'Pipin'. This could be a reference to the Berserk character of the same name.
Another possible name is 'Chatwood'. This is likely after Stuart Chatwood, composer of Darkest Dungeon's soundtrack.
Stun
Move
Blight
Bleed
Disease
Debuff
Death Blow
Trap
Guard skill that redirects damage towards himself while significantly boosting his own survivability.
buffs and debuffs that significantly boost the team's offensive and defensive stats.
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Courtyard and have the rarity Crimson Court. Each set trinket is unique and limited to one copy in the inventory. The 
Shieldbreaker's set trinkets can only be obtained by completing her nightmare encounters and do not interact with 
The Color of Madness DLC introduces trinkets with a new rarity, Crystalline, which must be purchased by spending Crystal Shards at the Jeweler in the Nomad Wagon. There are both generic crystalline trinkets as well as one exclusive crystalline trinket for each hero.
5000 (1000)
300
1
