Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is the newest RPG from Owlcat Games. The studio behind Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is back, foregoing fantasy flair in favor of grimdark sci-fi. Your character will set out on a journey to the stars, ready to face the threats to the Imperium of Man.

But what kind of character? Worry not—we’ve got a guide to help you choose the best starting Archetype (starting class) in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Whether you want to get into the thick of the fray against filthy Xenos or lay waste to Chaos-corrupted cultists from afar, we have all the necessary tips to put you on the path to success.
 

The best starting archetypes in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

There are four starting Archetypes (classes) in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. These are the Warrior, Officer, Operative, and Soldier. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You must create a custom character to pick your own starting Archetype. Pre-generated/template characters already have their own selections.
• Archetypes are different from Origins, which give your characters their core talents. However, these mechanics work in conjunction when you want to min-max your build.
• At level 16, you can choose a specific advanced class, which has new abilities and talents. Then, at level 36, all classes can become the Exemplar.
• The Exemplar class still allows you to choose from basic and advanced talents that you may have missed early on.
• A companion named Cassia is the only recruitable Navigator in the game. You can’t choose a Navigator as your origin or class.

Class leveling and class respec

All characters earn experience points equally, which means everyone levels up at the same rate. Leveling up allows you to select certain common talents, class talents, and skills as you progress. It’s also possible to respec your character or reset your skills and talents by talking to High Factotum Janris Danrok aboard your flagship. However, each respec costs more Profit Factor, a currency used in trading.

Likewise, be forewarned that you can only reset your skills and talents. You cannot change the Archetype that you chose when you created your character. The same applies to companions, who also have their own preselected archetypes.

 

Best support class: Officer

Those who are relatively new to CRPGs or prefer a more relaxed playstyle should pick the Officer archetype. In fact, I feel that this is the best class in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, primarily due to its more support-oriented role which focuses on buffing your teammates.

The keystone feature, Voice of Command, raises an ally’s attributes based on your Fellowship stat. However, the Officer's most useful ability is Bring It Down, which gives one teammate an extra turn. The character gains +2 action points (AP) but no additional movement points (MP). This is a powerful skill when used on spellcasters (like the Navigator or Sanctioned Psykers), tanks, and sniper units.

Since combat is turn-based, everything boils down to the “action economy.” As such, having two Officer classes in your squad ensures that your party members get turns more often.

• Advanced class unlocks: Vanguard, Master Tactician, or Grand Strategist.
• Officer-type companions: Cassia and Jae.
• Suggested attribute: Fellowship, then Willpower.
• Suggested skills: Persuasion, Commerce, and Coercion. We also suggest picking Medicae at least once just so you can use Medkits.
• Ability #1: Get Back in the Fight - Recovery from several status ailments, as well as temporary HP if affected by Voice of Command.
• Ability #2: Move, Move, Move - Grants additional movement points, perfect for tanks that need to get into the thick of the melee press.
• Class Talents: Commanding Voice, Focus, Leader’s Assault, Watch Yourself.

Best tanking class: Warrior

Those who prefer to get up close and personal with enemies can pick the Warrior, which is the best tanking class in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. The Charge keystone ability lets you run up to your foes, while Endure grants damage reduction and temporary HP.

Since Abelard, a Warrior companion, joins you early in the campaign, it’s better to build him as a frontline tank as opposed to also giving that role to your main character. We don’t really recommend having two tanks early in the game.

• Advanced class unlocks: Assassin, Vanguard, or Arch-Militant.
• Warrior-type companions: Abelard, Heinrix, and Marazhai.
• Suggested attribute: Toughness, then Weapon Skill, then Strength.
• Suggested skills: Athletics and Carouse.
• Ability #1: Taunting Scream - This makes your Warrior the priority target of enemies within range.
• Ability #2: Reckless Strike - You gain bonuses to your next melee strike, forcing those that get damaged to attack you.
• Class Talents: Clenched Teeth, Defensive Maneuvers, Living Shield, and Thick Skin. The last one can either be Defensive Stance, Interception, or Epicenter of Slaughter.

Best assault class: Soldier

The Soldier archetype in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is your traditional ranged damage dealer. It also features improved mobility, thanks to Run and Gun. This skill grants additional MP and an AP reduction to your next attack. You can basically do a burst shot, then follow it up with Run and Gun to refresh your burst shot.

The class also has the Revel in Slaughter action, which provides bonuses to critical hit and damage. It becomes available after you kill three enemies in an encounter. Likewise, there’s the Firearm Mastery passive, which allows for extra attacks based on a weapon’s rate-of-fire. The idea is to equip a burst fire weapon or anything with a rate of fire of four or higher (i.e. auto pistols, lasguns, or bolters). You’ll accrue more buffs as you rack up the kills.

• Advanced class unlocks: Bounty Hunter, Master Tactician, or Arch Militant.
• Soldier-type companions: Sister Argenta and Ulfar.
• Suggested attribute: Agility, then either Ballistic Skill or Perception.
• Suggested skills: Demolition and Awareness.
• Ability #1: Concentrated Fire - Gain bonuses to ranged multi-hit attacks depending on the number of enemies hit. Shots also reduce the dodge chance of foes.
• Ability #2: Dash - Allows you to reposition and avoid attacks-of-opportunity without spending AP. Rapid Fire is also viable so you can shoot more bullets, but we found that most shots tend to miss distant enemies.
• Class Talents: Rack and Ruin, Fired Up, Unpredictable, Point-Blank, and either Rapid Reload or Swift Slaughter.

Best sniper class: Operative

Do you want to debuff your opponents to gain more bonuses against them? Then the Operative is a good option for you, albeit one that’s not as straightforward as other Archetypes. The idea is to use a few abilities to soften up a target before blasting them with a perfect shot.

You’ve got default skills such as Analyze Enemies, which inflicts an exploit stack on hostiles in your line of sight, as well as Expose Weakness, which lowers a target’s dodge, parry, and armor based on removed exploit stacks and your Perception bonus.

• Advanced class unlocks: Assassin, Bounty Hunter, or Grand Strategist.
• Operative-type companions: Idira, Pasqal, and Yrliet.
• Suggested attribute: Perception, then Ballistic Skill, then Intelligence.
• Suggested skills: Dependent on your character’s or companion’s role. For instance, Pasqal has high Tech-Use and Logic, whereas Yrliet has high Awareness.
• Ability #1: Perfect Spot - The name of the skill is really fitting since it grants bonus Perception, Ballistic Skill, and cover efficiency. Just make sure you’re behind obstacles and that you don’t move.
• Ability #2: Precise Attack - This is a fairly simple ability that increases the chance of successfully hitting enemies.
• Class Talents: Sharpshooter, Ballistics Calculation, and Fresh Target. The last option can be Tide of Excellence, Informed Hit, Passive Learning, or Sniper Expertise.

These are our suggestions for the best starting Archetype in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Of course, you’re free to build your character the way you want—and perhaps you’ll discover synergies with other companions, too.

If you want to eliminate threats in a grimdark galaxy, then we suggest picking up Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader,  available now on the Epic Games Store.