Among the Archetypes inWarhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, the Warrior is a team’s go-to for dominating nigh-indomitable defense and sheer offense. Trained in ways of combat that lure enemies away from their less-protected foes, the Warrior is always best equipped with close-quarters weaponry that can eliminate enemies from the front lines.
When playing the Warrior inRogue Trader, players need to equip them with talents that raise their overall defense and base melee damage. This way, the Warrior can master their defensive capabilities enough to transition into the lithe Assassin, the ever-protective Vanguard, or the dynamic Arch-Militant. However, just which Talents should the Warrior possess in the game’s early stages, especially before transitioning into advanced Archetypes?
Strategy
Improve the Charge Ability as a gap-closer ability
Considering how Charge is used as the Warrior’s signature ability, it makes sense for the skill to have a rather straightforward effect: move in a straight line and attack any target in that direction. However, the initial distance covered by Charge is at least two free Cells between the Warrior and the target, making Charge more of a mid-ranged ability at the start of the CRPG.
to make Charge more effective, Warriors should use theRamming SpeedTalent. With this Talent, Charge gets +3 Cells to the available Charge Distance, allowing Warriors to begin their Charge much further. Despite the straightforward bonus, this distance could spell the difference between only targeting fellow melee attackers and being able to close the distance towards the enemy’s stronger Psykers.
Encourage Charge To Start Combos In A Turn
Effect
Get a +(TGH Bonus + STR Bonus) Damage to Charge if used from 5 Cells or more
Encourage using Charge to start combat combos
Given the nature of the Warrior as a melee Archetype andally to the Imperium, their Charge immediately provides them with an advantage in terms of movement against other melee-based combatants. Thanks to Charge, they can move in a straight line and attack any target in their path, effectively making it a gap-closer and a means to begin combos.
However, what makes Charge quite effective is how it doesn’t count against the Warrior’s total attacks per turn. WithImpetusadding more damage to Charge when used at a further distance, players of the CRPG could imagine Charge as a more imposing movement ability that damages allies through the sheer threat-generation of having the Warrior at such a close distance.
Improve Warrior’s Tank Potential With Early Combat Survivability
Get +TGH Bonus Damage Deflection against the first attack by every enemy in this combat
Encourages the use of Taunting Scream, elevates tanking role
Among the Archetypes inRogue Trader, the Warrior is best suited for front line combat againstenemies like daemons, especially when it trades ranged weapons specialty with absolute melee domination. Their possession of the Taunting Scream Ability already cements their nature as a tank in theWarhammer 40Kgame, as it drags enemies towards them via aggro if they fail a Willpower Test.
However, Taunting Scream becomes especially more effective withClenched Teeth, a Talent that boosts Damage Deflection of the Warrior based on their TGH Bonus. This only works for the first attack enemies throw at them in combat. While this seems minuscule at first, Damage Deflection does stack with different effects, allowing both other Warrior Abilities and other Archetype buffs to transform the Warrior into a defensive juggernaut in the first few turns of a tough fight.
Improve Overall High-Risk Survivability With Dodges
Taking Damage gives the Warrior +(5 + 2 x AGI Bonus)% Dodge. This stacks up to 3x and resets after a successful Dodge
The prospect of higher Dodge Chance encourages riskier plays
The very point of a Warrior’s focus on melee combat is their capability of absorbing damage, much like a traditional MMO tank protectingcaster-equivalents like Psykers. While their Armour should already provide them with decent protections,Defensive Manoeuvresrewards a Warrior capable of taking damage and outlasting enemies. With this Talent, a Warrior gets a specific Dodge bonus whenever they get hit by an attack. This stacks up to three times, and only resets when they pull off a successful Dodge.
Considering how the bonuses stop at three stacks and only reset after a Dodge, Defensive Manoeuvres can seem too RNG heavy for an integral archetype like the Warrior. However, looking at the math, Warriors may be able to proc Dodges more often than they thought. Even at a minuscule one AGI Bonus (at 10 Agility), the maximum +21% Dodge with Defensive Manoeuvres still gives the Warrior up to five hits for a successful Dodge. When stacked with other defensive effects, the successful Dodge may simply add to their slate of survival capabilities.
Enhance Natural Defenses When Wearing Armour
Gain +1 Damage Deflection, and get Parry Chance based on +25% of the Warrior’s total Armour
Better Damage Deflection and Parry Chance enhances tanking capabilities
Considering how the Abilities of the Warriorin theWarhammer 40Kgameemphasize combat in the frontlines,Thick Skinis a must-have to secure the Warrior’s survivability in the most basic way possible. The Talent immediately provides plus one Damage Deflection, ensuring attacks won’t damage the Warrior as much as possible.
As a bonus, Thick Skin also provides +25% of the Warrior’s total Armour as an additional Parry Chance, encouraging players to min-max towards absolute defense. When done correctly, Thick Skin can ensure Warriors can stay in the frontline for much longer to defend their weaker allies who rely on range.
Pave The Way For More Mobility Via Charge
Charge and Slash no longer end the Warrior’s Move. They get +(10 + AGI Bonus)% Dodge for one Round after using Charge.
Encourage using Charge for movement due to its evasive bonuses
One of the disadvantages of using a nifty movement skill like Charge is how it ends the Warrior’s Movement after being used. In the first parts of the CRPG, this means Charge is a decisive element in determining a Warrior’s position in combat. Thanks toRigorous Training, players can make Charge a more versatile movement option.
Once this Talent is activated, Charge no longer ends the Warrior’s Movement, allowing them to make more actions in a turn much in the same way asa leader unit in the tabletopWH40Kgame. Moreover, players get an additional Dodge throughout a Round after using this Ability. This practically incentivizes using Charge provided players have the room for it, encouraging target-to-target movement via this Ability.
Improve Defensive Builds By Adding A Reward Component
After the Warrior Parries an attack, their next Archetype Ability costs -1 AP less
Encourages defensive builds for more punishing moves the next turn
Considering how the Warriorin the CRPGis built, chances are high that they can Parry the occasional attack from an opponent in melee range. While Warriors can technically shrug off most forms of damage, theInterceptionTalent encourages proper defensive builds due to its benefit to the action economy. At its core, Interception gives players -1 AP less cost to the Warrior’s next Archetype Ability provided they Parried a previous attack.
While having the AP cost reduction after the initial attack, the option to access a cheaper Archetype Ability should motivate the Warrior to have more punishing plays. At the right action economy management, the -1 AP bonus should allow Warriors to plug in more attacks or strategic maneuvers.
Maximize Damage Mitigation Via Threat Generation
Enemy ranged attacks get -10% Penalty to Hit Chance against the Warrior for every enemy in a 1-Cell radius around the Warrior. Stacks up to 3x
Encourages the usage of taunts like Taunting Scream to surround the Warrior
Despite its sci-fi setting, the Warrior in the CRPG acts like a stereotypical tank in its specialty in tanking damage for allies. However, the Warrior could only do this role effectively if they have high-enough defenses againstthe Imperium’s enemies. With theLiving ShieldTalent, Warriors become more capable of outlasting foes through a debuff and not just their Armour and Damage Deflection stats.
With Living Shield, the Warrior can impose up to -30% Penalty to the enemy’s Hit Chance of ranged attacks targeting them provided the Warrior has up to three enemies surrounding them. This Talent also affects area attacks. Considering how the Warrior prefers melee combat, the Warrior can guarantee -10% Penalty to Hit Chance when targeted at range at all times if they’re at melee distance against an enemy.
Help Warriors Survive Even When Hit Constantly
The Warrior gets +1 Stack of Epicentre of Slaughter until the end of combat whenever they get hit. Each Stack grants +1 Temporary Wound at the start of the turn, with the Temporary Wounds not exceeding the Warrior’s TGH Bonus
Encourages survival-centered builds focusing on Toughness
Among the Characteristics of characters in the CRPG, Toughness (TGH) is the lifeline of the Warrior as it represents their overall capacity to shrug off wounds. Essentially the equivalent of CON (Constitution) inDungeons & Dragons, TGH is important in a Warrior’s overall build as it boosts their available Wounds among other bonuses. However,Epicentre of Slaughterpractically encourages Warriors to prioritize TGH with its survivability buff.
At its core, Epicentre of Slaughter grants stacks of the same name whenever the Warrior is attacked. At the start of each turn, players get Temporary Wounds based on the Stacks they have, but won’t exceed their TGH Bonus. Even if Warriors get to heal themselves, retention of the Epicentre Stack until combat ends means they get more Temporary Wounds the more TGH they have.
Circumvent Late Combat Turns With Better Defense
Get +(10 + 2 x TGH Bonus)% Armour if the Warrior hasn’t attacked this turn. The Talent isn’t affected by Charge and Slash
Boost the Warrior’s defenses even if they get their turn late due to low Initiative
Speed and distance are a downside of a melee Archetype like the Warrior, especially since they’re not built to both attack and move large distances asallies of the Imperium. This situation becomes worse if they rolled low on Initiative in the CRPG, making Warriors resemble typical tanks in games likeBaldur’s Gate 3that won’t get as much use of their defensive capabilities if they’re not in the frontlines.
Thankfully, theDefensive StanceTalent gives Warriors a fighting chance even if they arrive late in combat. With this Talent, Warriors get an Armour boost if they haven’t attacked this turn. Moreover, Charge and Slash don’t affect this bonus, meaning they can waste a turn with a Move + Charge combo and still pack defenses before they can “officially” clobber enemies in their next turn. This is especially useful if the Warrior’s turn comes too late where they can’t use the Endure Ability for damage mitigation.
