Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader: Complete Guide

A guide to Owlcat's turn-based CRPG: character creation, archetype progression, companions, combat fundamentals, Dogma, colony and voidship management, DLC, and the mistakes that cost players hours.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 1.6 (Hotfix 1.6.1.514, July 2026) with The Infinite Museion DLC. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Current state: The base game launched December 7, 2023 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S; a Nintendo Switch 2 version followed on December 11, 2025). DLC so far: Void Shadows (September 2024), Lex Imperialis (June 2025), and The Infinite Museion (June 2026). The final story DLC, Processional of the Damned, was delayed in September 2026 from September to December 2026; it adds Stella, an unsanctioned psyker companion. Update 1.6 (July 2026) plus hotfix 1.6.1.514 is the current patch.

Quick Start

Choose difficulty honestly. Normal is tuned for people who know CRPGs; Story/Easy is fine for a first run. You can change it anytime.
Officer is the strongest support pick. Officer abilities that grant allies extra turns and buffs power up the whole party. Have at least one Officer-line character in your group.
Recruit companions as soon as you can. Each brings a unique archetype and personal questline.
Learn Momentum. High Momentum unlocks Heroic Acts, low Momentum unlocks Desperate Measures. Killing enemies and doing damage builds it.
Cover and positioning matter. Stand behind cover, avoid bunching up (area attacks punish groups), and use the burst and cone shapes deliberately.
Psyker powers raise the Veil. Keep the Veil low to avoid Perils of the Warp.
Profit Factor is your real currency. It gates what you can requisition from the cargo/merchant systems. Invest in colonies early.
Save before every big decision. Many choices lock or open companions and quests.
Don't rush Chapter 1. Explore the Koronus Expanse, do colony and companion quests, and build up before pushing the main story.

Character Creation

Homeworld and origin/background: these give stats, talents, and dialogue options. The Sanctioned Psyker origin makes your Rogue Trader a psyker with psychic powers on top of an archetype.
Stats (characteristics): Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, Fellowship. Pick the ones your archetype scales with.
Skills: Athletics, Awareness, Carouse, Commerce, Persuasion, Demolition, Coercion, Medicae, Logic, Lore (Imperium/Xenos/Warp), Tech-Use. Spread your party so every skill check is covered by someone.

Archetype Progression

You pick a base archetype at level 1, an advanced archetype at level 16, and the Exemplar track at level 36, which lets you push abilities from your previous two archetypes further.

Base archetypes

Archetype	Role
Warrior	Frontline melee, high durability, taunts and big hits
Officer	Support: extra turns, buffs, debuffs, positioning
Operative	Exploit enemy weaknesses, debuffs, crits
Soldier	Ranged damage, burst fire, attacks of opportunity
Bladedancer (Void Shadows DLC)	Agile melee specialist

Advanced archetypes (level 16)

Advanced	Available from	Role
Assassin	Warrior, Operative, Bladedancer	Burst damage and kills
Vanguard	Warrior, Officer	Tank and protect
Bounty Hunter	Soldier, Operative	Pick off priority targets
Master Tactician	Soldier, Officer, Bladedancer	Battlefield control and team buffs
Grand Strategist	Operative, Officer	Zone control and positioning combos
Arch-Militant	Warrior, Soldier, Bladedancer	Weapon mastery, sustained damage
Executioner (Void Shadows DLC)	Warrior, Operative, Bladedancer	Fear and brutal melee
Overseer (Lex Imperialis DLC)	Officer, Operative; also via the Sanctioned Psyker, Unsanctioned Psyker, or Arbites origins	Commands a familiar/pet

Rule of thumb: combine a damage dealer with an Officer or Master Tactician/Grand Strategist feeding them extra turns. That is the backbone of most strong parties.

Companions

Companion	Description
Abelard Werserian	Your seneschal, a veteran officer who joins at the start
Cassia Orsellio	Navigator; key to warp travel and her own psyker-like powers
Argenta	Sister of Battle (Adepta Sororitas), heavy firepower
Pasqal Haneumann	Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus
Heinrix van Calox	Inquisitor and psyker
Idira Tlass	Unsanctioned psyker; powerful but risky with the Veil
Jae Heydari	Officer and former Cold Trader; dual-wields pistols, good at social checks and trade
Yrliet Lanaevyss	Aeldari ranger (xenos); optional
Marazhai Aezyrraesh	Drukhari (xenos); optional
Ulfar	Space Wolf; optional
Kibellah	Death Cult assassin, Bladedancer (Void Shadows DLC)
Solomorne Anthar	Adeptus Arbites Proctor-Exactant, Overseer (Lex Imperialis DLC)
Eogunn Februs	Xenarite Tech-Priest who drains and redistributes power (The Infinite Museion DLC)
Stella	A "Miraculist" raised by the Ecclesiarchy who is secretly an unsanctioned psyker (Processional of the Damned DLC, December 2026)

Some companions are mutually exclusive or can leave depending on your Dogma and choices. Xenos companions and heretical choices annoy the more devout party members.
Companion quests carry across chapters. Talk to your companions on the ship after every major event.

Combat Fundamentals

Turn order comes from initiative. Plan around who moves next.
Action points (AP) and movement points (MP): abilities cost AP; moving costs MP.
Momentum: starts neutral. High momentum unlocks Heroic Acts (massive abilities). Low momentum (when you're losing) unlocks Desperate Measures, which are strong but costly.
Cover: half and full cover reduce incoming ranged hit chance. Destroying cover is often worth it.
Attack patterns: single shot, burst, cone, and area attacks. Burst and area hit allies too; watch your spacing.
Veil: psychic powers raise the Veil; higher Veil makes Perils of the Warp more likely. Major powers raise it more.
Wounds and trauma: characters who get knocked down take lasting injuries until treated.

Dogma (Alignment)

Dogma	Flavor	Rewards
Dogmatic	Loyal and ruthless servant of the Emperor	Zealous, Imperium-focused talents and dialogue
Iconoclast	Challenging the status quo; more humane choices	Supportive and diplomatic talents
Heretic	Chaos-aligned	Chaos-flavored powers and outcomes

Commit to one Dogma for strongest rewards; unlocks scale with how far you've leaned.

Colonies and Voidship

Colonies: you gain colonies in the Koronus Expanse. Run projects to raise Profit Factor and produce resources. Early investment pays off.
Profit Factor gates requisition; it's your main long-term currency.
Voidship: upgrade components for ship combat (weapons, shields per facing, armor, crew). Ship combat is turn-based with facing and momentum.
Warp travel: Cassia navigates. Warp routes can be dangerous; upgrading routes reduces random events.

DLC Guide

DLC	Released	What it adds
Void Shadows	September 24, 2024	New storyline, the Kibellah companion, the Bladedancer base archetype and Executioner advanced archetype
Lex Imperialis	June 24, 2025	New storyline, the Solomorne companion, the Overseer archetype and Arbites origin
The Infinite Museion	June 11, 2026	New storyline and the Eogunn companion; the newest release
Processional of the Damned	Delayed to December 2026	Final story DLC; adds Stella

Season Pass 2 covers The Infinite Museion and Processional of the Damned. After the delay, Owlcat offered Season Pass 2 refunds on Steam through Customer Support (a refund also removes The Infinite Museion and breaks saves that use it). Check the Steam store for exactly what each pass covers before buying.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the Officer line. Extra turns and buffs are the single strongest resource in the game.
Bunching up. Enemy burst, cone, and area attacks punish tight groups.
Ignoring cover. Standing in the open is the fastest way to lose a fight.
Letting Veil climb. Perils of the Warp can wipe your own party.
Neglecting colonies. Profit Factor falls behind and your gear suffers.
Pushing the main quest too fast. You'll miss companion quests and side content.
Mixing Dogmas. You'll miss the strongest Dogma rewards.
Not saving before big choices. Some decisions lock companions or quests for good.

Advanced Tips

Extra-turn chains. Officer and Master Tactician/Grand Strategist abilities can give allies additional turns; chain them into your best damage dealer.
Build Momentum early. Kill weak enemies first to reach Heroic Acts faster.
Use Desperate Measures deliberately. When a fight goes badly, low Momentum can turn it around.
Debuff then burst. Operative debuffs make crits and big hits land.
Cover skill checks. Spread Tech-Use, Lore, Persuasion, Coercion, Medicae and Awareness across your party.
Plan Exemplar at 36. Pick two archetypes whose abilities you want to push; the Exemplar track rewards committing.
Upgrade warp routes to avoid random dangers.
Patch notes matter. Update 1.6 changed ability behavior, narrative bugs, and combat mechanics; if an older build guide doesn't match, check the latest patch notes.

FAQ

Is Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader finished? The main game is complete. The final DLC, Processional of the Damned, is due December 2026.

What's the best class for beginners? Officer or Soldier. Officer is the best support, Soldier is straightforward ranged damage.

Can I play co-op? Yes, the game supports cooperative multiplayer.

Do I need the DLC? No, but Void Shadows, Lex Imperialis, and The Infinite Museion add new story and progression.

When do I get advanced archetypes? Level 16, and the Exemplar track at 36.

What happened to Processional of the Damned? It was delayed from September to December 2026 and adds Stella as a companion.

Is it on Switch 2? Yes, since December 11, 2025.