Best Party Compositions – Rogue Trader

As with all tactical combat games, getting the right blend of units is crucial to success in Rogue Trader. Read on to find out the best party compositions to ensure you can represent the Emperor with honor.

Full party guide - Warhammer 40,000K: Rogue Trader

Early in the game, you will be able to add all of the companions you find to our party. However, near the end of Part 1, you can end up having more options than the maximum party size of six. So who should you leave behind? This is my best Rogue Trader party (with you being the sixth member).

It’s important to note that you can switch party members every time you leave the Void Ship and that all party members level up no matter whether they’re with you or not. Also, note you can always respec any party member while on the Void Ship. This is useful for those times when a particular companion has to go with you that you don’t usually use. It allows you to change one of your companions to fill any tactical gaps this may create. 

Related: Best Homeworld in Rogue Trader

Abelard

Abelard is the first companion you’ll find by your side and while his demeanor can be annoying, he is a valuable companion. As a Warrior, he makes the perfect tank, being able to soak up damage but also deal it out. As you get him early you can mold him as you like, but I like to use him as an Arch-Militant rather than a Vanguard. It’s less traditional, but I prefer the versatility and extra damage. Either way, Abelard is a must-have companion.

Yrliet

While much of Rogue Trader’s combat sees you dishing out large swathes of AOE mayhem, there is often a sniper or two to take care of. Yrliet makes for an excellent single-target DPS sniper. The Bounty Hunter archetype allows her to maximize damage to an enemy, meaning she’s also perfect for taking chunks off a high Wound target that’s in close with your other companions. 

Argenta

There’s nothing quite like a bolter spraying lead across a 40K battlefield and Argenta is a strong area effect DPS companion for just this reason. As a master of the Burst attack, she can take down multiple enemies at short or long range. I like to build her as a second Arch-Militant, switching between burst and single-shot or area attacks to ramp up the damage. Plus, she is invaluable in building Momentum to get those Heroic Acts into play.  

Cassia

Cassia is an amazing support companion, offering an unrivaled mix of ranged damage and party support utility. Lidless Stare and Held on My Gaze are excellent AOE and single-target attacks respectively, but that’s in addition to her star turn. As an Officer she can also grant other companions extra turns at crucial moments, buffing them in the process, making her the general every squad needs.

Pasqal

As every battle you get into has its quirks, it's nice to have at least one jack-of-all-trades in the party to offer backup where required. I like Pasqal for the job, as he offers great utility in weaponry (I like to equip him with a melta and a large two-handed melee weapon). But he also helps out with his high Tech-Use skill, solid buffs, plus Exploits to defuff enemies. I usually start battles with him in a backup melee role and see where things go from there. 

Where you fit in - Biomancer build

The best role to add to this mix is a Sanctioned Psyker Biomancer. You can heal the party as well as dish out damaging debuffs to your enemies. Combine that with the Operative path and you can build yourself into an Assassin, aiding with both melee and ranged attacks depending on the situation.

Due to medkits a healer isn’t a required role, but I like the extra piece of mind and being able to heal at range. During setup, select the following: Voidborn Homeworld, Sanctioned Psyker - Biomancer, Operative. Your key stats are Intelligence, Perception, and Willpower.

Alternative party options - Warhammer 40,000K: Rogue Trader

If you don’t want to play the role described above, you can slot out any of those companions and fulfill their role yourself. Your other party options are as follows:

• Heinrix: Can be molded into a reasonable healer who can also tank pretty well. A solid if unremarkable companion.
• Idira: It was hard to leave Idira out of the party as she has a great personality. Makes a good healer who also offers good support across the board.
• Jae: You don't need more than one Officer in the party so, because Cassia is awesome, it leaves Jae on the bench.
• Marazhai: If you want to go with more of an assassin-style melee party, Maraxhai is a strong option. But otherwise, there’s not much to see. 
• Ulfar: A little like Jae above, I see Ulfar as filling the same position as Abelard. This is a closer match, but Abelard just pips it for me as you can mold him more to your liking.

For more information and help with Rogue Trader, check out Best Origin to choose in Rogue Trader and How Trading and Profit Factor works in Rogue Trader here at Pro Game Guides!