Warhammer Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - turn-based Warhammer 40k RPG from Owlcat Games - now with Void Shadows DLC

[Axel_am]

In Rogue Trader I feel really comfortable with switching out party members in and out of the group. It could be that the issue is not the slow advancement of the second archetype, but that someone from your party is the weak link and you need to replace so that the whole crew works better together. At least that was the case for me. Either way I'm interested in seeing how you progress with your current retinue and if you end up switching some of them for the later stages of the game.

So, Argenta has been heavily nerfed unfortunately, I kept her around in my last playthrough when the DLC came out and was basically useless, what is she using? Las?
But I frankly dunno how you may be in the situation of barely making it with the Janus end quest fight, your party seems allright (Yrliet is very very useful, but I understand the roleplay reasons behind getting rid of her)...unless they buffed the fight recently.
Did you make Cassia and Jae grand strategists?

Anyway, as you said it is more fun this way.

If I remember correctly he's playing a melee blade dancer/pyro-psyker and Argenta is using flame weapons so that everything on his screen is burning as quickly as possible.

 

[Parabalus]

I think you are at the high-point of the games difficulty.

Also, there's so much cool gear to be bought, but... the Reputation and Profit Factor costs seem so prohibitive. I want the Eyes of Joyeuse helmet from Foulstone project (needs over 20k Drusians Rep, apparently), the Psyker's Breastplate from the Kaballica (Tier 7 I think... but those Tiers take a goddamn amount to Rep to raise... not to mention over 60 PF required) and Awakened Nightmare force sword from the pirates (something like Tier 12?). Wonder if that's realistic in Act 2.

My experience is you can max out one faction (and get the required PF) in Act 2, and make some progress with the others.

Later further tiers unlock, and you can max out all of them just barely.

 

[Haplo]

So, Argenta has been heavily nerfed unfortunately, I kept her around in my last playthrough when the DLC came out and was basically useless, what is she using? Las?
But I frankly dunno how you may be in the situation of barely making it with the Janus end quest fight, your party seems allright (Yrliet is very very useful, but I understand the roleplay reasons behind getting rid of her)...unless they buffed the fight recently.
Did you make Cassia and Jae grand strategists?

Anyway, as you said it is more fun this way.

Yrliet had strong sniping skills, but seemed not to bring many synergies to the party.

Cassia is a GS, but made Jae a Master Tactician.

Argenta mostly uses a Heavy Bolter alternating it with a flamer. She does solid very short range damage but often is the first to go down, as enemies like to focus fire her. If she survives, she becomes solid with some AM Versality stacks and Alacrity Agility (Dodge!) stacks.

Yeah, Cassia too. Heinrix, Argenta and Idira.

My party started going bonkers after I removed Idira from it. Granted I don't think I had the proper build for her. I ended up picking the ability that lets you revive your allies if they are in her line of sight when they get killed. On paper it sounded so good to have a revive ability in Warhammer, but what actually happened was so fucking hilarious that I thought the game was trolling.

I ended up getting up against some Chaos Space Marines that were able to pretty much two or three shot my party. So, the fight started out something like this - I got to position my crew, with Idira being somewhere hidden and able to see the what was supposed to be my frontline fighters. I get a turn or two, I kill some cultists and some other shit and then comes the Chaos Space Marine turn. Boy, oh boy did I learn to respect those fuckers fast. (...)

That's both funny and scary!
Anyway, I feel Idira does add a lot of value to my party (even only Sensory Depravation is worth her weight in gold).

In Rogue Trader I feel really comfortable with switching out party members in and out of the group. It could be that the issue is not the slow advancement of the second archetype, but that someone from your party is the weak link and you need to replace so that the whole crew works better together. At least that was the case for me. Either way I'm interested in seeing how you progress with your current retinue and if you end up switching some of them for the later stages of the game.

Yeah, I'm testing who I like more: Jae or Pascal. Jae is a great boost to Argenta's effectiveness with her Aim! (Cassia mostly buffs the MC).

If I remember correctly he's playing a melee blade dancer/pyro-psyker and Argenta is using flame weapons so that everything on his screen is burning as quickly as possible.

True, that was part of the plan. But I don't have Inflame yet, so it isn't that effective or vital. Plus I should get a very nifty flamer soon - that only shoots in a line and doesn't make the enemies burn, though (Infernical). Will probably try it out regardless, as its damage seems disgusting at this point - and enemies burning is of limited value without Inflame or Executioner abilities.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Argenta mostly uses a Heavy Bolter alternating it with a flamer. She does solid very short range damage but often is the first to go down, as enemies like to focus fire her. If she survives, she becomes solid with some AM Versality stacks and Alacrity Agility (Dodge!) stacks.

Getting Second Skin talent from soldier talents for Argenta really helps her survivalability. Power armor also helps a lot if you up her STR for heavy weapon usage.

 

[Haplo]

Argenta mostly uses a Heavy Bolter alternating it with a flamer. She does solid very short range damage but often is the first to go down, as enemies like to focus fire her. If she survives, she becomes solid with some AM Versality stacks and Alacrity Agility (Dodge!) stacks.

Getting Second Skin talent from soldier talents for Argenta really helps her survivalability. Power armor also helps a lot if you up her STR for heavy weapon usage.

Thank you for the advice. Yeah, I've respecced to give her Second Skin. Also considered the Soldier Talents that improve Cover effects, but decided I'll get more value from Alacrity.

 

[ArchAngel]

So with some buffs, Sacred Scars, the survivability is much better. I mean, my MC still goes down in nearly every major fight, but at least he takes down the bulk of the enemy force - and often the enemy boss - with him. Desperate Measures go a long ways...
Then its usually up to Heinrix to mop up the rest. Or Argenta buffed by Jae, if they miraculously survive somehow.

Yesterday did the Janus cultist den and, oh boy, a summoner in the back that summons a new demon every round and has almost 300 HP, almost 400 HP on the boss, 4x 200 HP demons, 3x 180 HP bodyguards.
People were complaining this game is too easy, even on Unfair? Well, not in early Act 2, that's for sure.

I wonder about your party composition because already Act II is a cakewalk.
You have one officer, Jae, do you play with Cassia too? Yrliet?

Yeah, Cassia too. Heinrix, Argenta and Idira.

Kinda chickened out on putting a bullet in Yrliet's head, afraid to miss content, but I sacked her at the end of Janus - so maybe the worst choice. Wanted to kill the heretic negro psyker too... but re-considered now. Her talents are too valuable, particularly on Unfair
(particularly Sensory Deprivation and Mind Meld, the psyhic staff that deals % of Health damage on failed save has been pretty clutch in some boss fights as well - like Aurora).

Probably part of the problem is how slowly the 2nd archetype develops. I am now level 20 and was only allowed to pick 1 Talent so far (plus 1 Ability). And levelling has slowed down considerably. While enemies have mountains of HP already.
But once I get a few more Talents and afford some equipment to boost the Psy Rating, I do believe things will improve... Plus it makes the combat quite satisfactory if you barely make... but still manage somehow.

So, Argenta has been heavily nerfed unfortunately, I kept her around in my last playthrough when the DLC came out and was basically useless, what is she using? Las?
But I frankly dunno how you may be in the situation of barely making it with the Janus end quest fight, your party seems allright (Yrliet is very very useful, but I understand the roleplay reasons behind getting rid of her)...unless they buffed the fight recently.
Did you make Cassia and Jae grand strategists?

Anyway, as you said it is more fun this way.

In my last run I made Idira GS and focused more into her buffs. So she was double buffs with GS and it worked very well.
Then I gave Tactician to my Officer (in both runs). Tactician is very powerful if you are going to be doing singular attacks or spells. In first run it was Cassia and in 2nd Jae. Jae would then use a Sniper to do big damage hits after first using her officer powers to buff others. Tactician ability also makes her ignore dodge and cover.
Cassia would turn on Tactician ablity and then do either single target or aoe blasts for massive damage and those cannot miss.

 

[ArchAngel]

Argenta mostly uses a Heavy Bolter alternating it with a flamer. She does solid very short range damage but often is the first to go down, as enemies like to focus fire her. If she survives, she becomes solid with some AM Versality stacks and Alacrity Agility (Dodge!) stacks.

Getting Second Skin talent from soldier talents for Argenta really helps her survivalability. Power armor also helps a lot if you up her STR for heavy weapon usage.

Thank you for the advice. Yeah, I've respecced to give her Second Skin. Also considered the Soldier Talents that improve Cover effects, but decided I'll get more value from Alacrity.

The main trick with her is to abuse AM abilities to move her back into full cover after you did the shots. When no cover available I used Abelard to be cover for her.

 

[ga♥]

ArchAngel you can't make idira gs, she's an operative.

 

[GentlemanCthulhu]

I really need to go back and do a second playthrough of this game. Was easily my 2023 GotY. I was hooked and immerse the whole time.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I'd forgotten how fun a psyker can be. Next run I'm gonna do one.

 

[ArchAngel]

ArchAngel you can't make idira gs, she's an operative.

And yet I did with zero mods (as I am playing on Xbox).