OwlCat Games has always given players some of the most extensive Archetype selections in its games. However, the studio simplified things with the Archetypes of Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. With only four being available at first, one would think that choosing would be easier, yet it isn’t. With all of them functioning differently, choosing one that adapts to your playstyle might be challenging. Furthermore, while all are great for the game’s first hours, some of them are clear winners over the others in the late game.
The Best Starting Archetypes in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader
As a disclaimer, it is important to mention that even if your favorite Archetype is at the bottom of the list, that doesn’t mean it is the worst. This is the list we made after playing the game’s first chapter with each Archetype and based entirely on how much we enjoyed it and how useful it is for all fights. So, without further ado, let’s get this started.
4. Officer
Contrary to other Archetypes, the Officer in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader is all about buffing allies, granting them extra turns, and using the battlefield as they see fit. However, we didn’t like it for several reasons.
The range of some skills is way shorter than we would’ve liked, and while it might be due to balance, it was frustrating not to be able to buff our party members. Second, the companions with this Archetype weren’t that great at combat when their skills were in cooldown, forcing us to rethink their builds. Still, you should have at least one Officer in your party for that Heroic ability that grants an extra turn.
3. Soldier
One of the first companions you’ll get in the game is Argenta, and she might be your first Soldier if you don’t choose that Archetype. When we first used it, we liked it due to the high Ballistic Skill stat and ease of landing shots on enemies. Plus, you can equip your Soldiers with grenades, giving them great AoE damage capabilities. However, they are very dependent on their weapons, and it took us a while to find a good firearm to make this Archetype shine.
The real reason to pick a Soldier is to build them into a Bounty Hunter. With high Ballistic Skill, you can take enemies from afar with a good sniper and use the Bounty Hunter’s new skills to buff your former Soldier. It’s a bit sad you need to wait 16 levels to see this class perform well, but it’s worth the wait.
2. Operative
Despite this being our first choice, we don’t think Operatives are the best of all starting Archetypes in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. In essence, this class is all about stacking debuffs on enemies and then exploiting them for a damage increase. This is super fun and useful during the game’s first hours, but it suffers from the same situation as the Soldier.
We started enjoying this Archetype once we turned it into a melee Assassin. With the new skills, you can find openings on enemies, stack weaknesses, and exploit them all to one-shot most foes. This is super useful in boss fights, and even as a starting class, the Operative is great. We recommend bringing two or even three to a fight.
1. Warrior
We usually don’t like tanks too much in cRPGs, but this game proved how devastating this Archetype can be. Warriors will be the ones taking the frontline and decimating enemies with melee weapons. If built right, you can have them move faster than other Archetypes in the game, one-shot most enemies, and increase their health for a few Action Points.
Even with its starting skills, the Warrior is a true bastion on the battlefield, and it is extremely hard to kill. You should focus on unlocking the Heavy Armor proficiency and giving your Warriors some boots to increase their movement and let them go wild. Besides, the Heroic skill lets them attack several teams, meaning you can defeat several foes in one turn with ease.
Ultimately, choosing the right starting Archetype is up to you. Unless you want to play on the hardest difficulty, we recommend going for the one you want to roleplay as. If you want to inspire others, be an Officer. Do you prefer to be your party’s shield? Become a Warrior. After all, you can unlock advanced classes later on, so your playstyle will constantly change as the campaign progresses.
