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AlthoughWarhammer 40,000: Rogue Traderoffers an engaging storyline, captivating planets, and star systems, tactical battles also play a significant role in the game. After assembling a team of companions that align with your strategy, challenging battles await, some of which can be quite demanding.
Each member of your team has a specific role to play. While some companions prefer to deal with deadly shots from the rear, others prefer to be on the front lines. But how about protecting your allies by tanking the relentless damage from formidable enemies with your main character? Then the Navy Officer build is for you!
Navy Officer Origin Features And Talents
A Navy Officer character starts the game with the"Brace for Impact!" feature.With this ability, all your allies within a three-cell radius gainplus two deflection for each archetype you possessfor one turn. Additionally, they cannot be moved and will not be over-penetrated.
Deflection is a crucial effect because itdirectly reduces the damage you take.For example, if you were going to take five damage with two deflections, it would reduce to three.
As the Navy Officer learns other archetypes, thisdeflection can increase up to plus six,which is vital for surviving on the front lines of the battlefield.
To ensure that other allies benefit from your deflection bonus as a Navy Officer, it’s advisable tostay close to them.This way, you can keep them alive, strengthen the front line, and allow your rear-line allies to eliminate enemies more comfortably.
The other talents you’ll learn also focus on survival and effectively using ranged weapons:
Description
Do Not Falter!
All allies affected by Brace for Impact! do not suffer the negative effects of melee superiority for the entire combat.
Scatter
All allies affected by Brace for Impact! suffer only half damage from all attacks of opportunity.
Perfect Timing
All allies affected by Brace for Impact! gain +30% to cover penetration. The Navy officer also permanently gains +15% to cover penetration.
Get Off Me
Brace for Impact! also allows the Navy Officer to use any ranged weapon in threatened areas, knocks enemies prone, and pushes them one cell away during the effect.
Get Into Cover!
All allies affected by Brace for Impact! gain an extra turn with zero AP and three MP and increase their cover efficiency by +20% for one round.
Abelard Werserian has the Navy Officer origin. Therefore, there’s not much need for both of you to be tanks. You cantrain him more offensively, or you may prefer a different archetype or playstyle for him.
Best Homeworld
Death World is a highly advantageousHomeworld choice for a Navy Officer to furtherenhance survivability.Thanks to its “Survival Instinct” feature,when your wounds drop to 30 percentor below,you gain temporary woundsequal to 20 percent of your maximum wounds. This creates a shield for you in challenging situations, preventing easy deaths in combat.
Death World offers numerous characteristic modifiers. For now, you’ll want to focus more onToughness, Strength, and Weapon Skill.The changes are as follows:
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Intelligence
The talents associated with Death World not only make you more resilient to negative effects but alsoenhance your strength.“Brutal Hunter” increases your chance oflanding critical hitson enemies withless than 50% wounds, while “Lifetime of Scars” ensures that you receivereduced damagefrom irritating effects such asfire, toxicity, and bleeding, based on your Toughness bonus.
Additionally, “Trusty Weapons” is a highly effective talent.If you’re using an axe, hammer, or las weapon,it provides you with a ten percent critical hit chance.
In short, all the talents provided by Death World make you more functional when taking damage or increasing your strength under certain conditions.
Best Starting Characteristics
To survive better in combat, you’ll need Toughness. Also, you need Weapon Skill to parry enemies and reduce their parrying, and of course, Strength to deal more damage:
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First Archetype Choice: Warrior
To make the most of Toughness, Strength, and Weapon Skill,Warrior is an ideal archetype for a Navy Officer.This way, you can stand on thefront lines of battleand take control of the situation. Don’t hesitate to lend a hand to allies in the back lines if needed andmake them more defensivethrough your abilities.
Sticking close to other melee-fighting companionsin your group will make both them and you more effective.
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Daring Breach (Upgrade IV)
Never hesitate touse Endure; it will mitigate incoming damage by half of your Toughness bonus andgrant you temporary woundsequal to this bonus.
Daring Breach is a highly effective ultimate ability.Refreshing your AP and MPnear the end of your turn will greatly enhance your effectiveness in battle. Using it with upgrades will grant you apermanent 20 parry bonus and plus two deflection. Its secondary upgrade will also allow you to deal an additionalplus two damagethis turn.
Taunting Screamredirects the aggression of enemieswho fail a Willpower test towards you, thanks to its effective range. Additionally, standing beside theenemy designated as your Sworn Enemy at the end of your turn will grant you an additionalseven temporary wounds.Increasing the range of your Charge by plus three cells will help you reach allies in dire situations.
Second Archetype Choice: Vanguard
When transitioning to the Vanguard archetype, although your actions in combat remain unchanged, you’ll become an evenmore effective tank.Additionally, theFellowship characteristic will now be importantfor you, so it’s advisable to invest in it to some extent.
The most important thing to know as a Vanguard is the Unyielding Beacon. With this feature,every hit you take accumulates a stackon you. Each stack grants you an additional point of resolve, up to a maximum of 15. Moreover, allies within your two-cell radius also benefit fromone-fifth of this bonus.
Previously, your temporary wounds were not stacked, but now they are, albeit until the start of your next turn. At the beginning of the next turn,only the effect causing the most temporary wounds remainson you. This makes it even harder for you to take damage. In short, as a Vanguard,you’ll need enemies to hit you more oftento build up the stacks of Unyielding Beacon.
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Unyielding Guard (Upgrade II)
You mustreach your allies, especially if they’re surrounded by enemies. With the Wall of Rockcrete, you cangrant them temporary woundsequal to three plus your Unyielding Beacon stacks and halve the damage of the next hit they take.
Thanks to the ultimate ability of this archetype, you canretaliate every time you’re attackedand also retaliate against attacks on allies within a three-cell range.
Forced Distraction is essentially abetter version of Taunting Scream,making it harder for enemies to resist. Nevertheless, if one doesn’t work, you have another aggro-drawing ability to fall back on. Additionally, thanks to your new talents, you’ll be extremelydefensive against enemies who consider you a priority target, gaining a minimum of 19 percent parry and five percent armor against each one.
With Follow My Lead, you’ll gain a minimum of20 percent damageand20 percent armor penetrationagainst enemies within a two-cell radius. Additionally, your allies within the ability’s range can move next to you by spending two MP without triggering attacks of opportunity from enemies.
Try to play aggressively bydrawing as much aggro as possible. Remember, if enemies see you as the primary target, you will become more defensive.
Third Archetype: Exemplar
When you unlock the Exemplar archetype, you may further specialize in becoming a tank or focus on increasing your damage output; it’s entirely up to you. However, sticking to your playstyle by staying close to your allies, providing buffs, and drawing aggro onto yourself willmake this build more effective.The following skills will make you a more efficient tank:
