Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader News

Xenos and Chaos minions are not the only things threatening Humanity in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium. Even among humans, there are many who would seek to attack the power of the Imperium from within. But regardless of whether the criminal is driven by personal gain or the heresy of mercy, the outcome is always the same. Justice will not be denied, and any encounter with the Adeptus Arbites is inevitably followed by a quick sentence and swift execution.

The Arbites will not be bribed, intimidated, or swayed by heartfelt pleas. Their lives are spent serving the Lex Imperialis, a holy code of laws tracing back to the Emperor's own decrees. Their prayers are ancient codices, their duty—to collect the tithe that fuels the Imperium’s war machine on countless fronts and any who would dare threaten it. Each member of the Adeptus Arbites has undergone rigorous training at the Schola Progenium and is granted access to first-class weaponry, including powerful shotguns, heavy shields, and deadly cyber-familiars. Their name has become synonymous with the fear of Imperium Law, and their appearance means swift judgement and certain retribution.

Solomorne Anthar embodies this implacable justice, which cannot be swayed or thwarted by wealth or lofty titles. Years of service have purged him of all human qualities, for his duty demands absolute commitment. Only one creature has ever earned the Proctor’s affection: Glaito the Cyber-Mastiff, a living weapon of the Lex Imperialis, and the most loyal of companions.

For Solomorne, the world is simple and clear: everything must conform to the order established by the God-Emperor, and there is no excuse, and no mercy, for any violators of the Lex Imperialis. No sacrifice is too great if it is made to uphold His Law, and only the authority of the holy Warrant can force the Arbitrator to bow his head. But even in the Koronus Expanse, where crime runs rampant and the Adeptus Arbites lack both numbers and resources, Solomorne is determined to follow the letter of the Law until he draws his final breath.

Yet, even the most unbreakable principles may crack under a single fatal flaw. Beset by enemies of Humanity, riven with contradictions, and full of terrible secrets, the Koronus Expanse will become the catalyst for events that will push Solomorne to the brink—and show just how strong his faith in the Lex Imperialis truly is.

Meet him tomorrow in the Lex Imperialis expansion!

With the Adeptus Arbites becoming directly involved in the affairs of the von Valancius protectorate in the upcoming Lex Imperialis expansion, it is only logical to talk about their iconic tool - shields!



[h2]Defensive Capabilities Taken to a New Level[/h2]

Shields are a brand new type of equipment introduced with the Lex Imperialis expansion. They will soon become available across the whole game for all players, even those without the DLC, and will come in a variety of shapes and designs:



Shields are considered a special kind of one-handed melee weapon and take up a total of two weapon slots, one from each weapon set. You can attack, parry, and make attacks of opportunity with shields in melee, but their main purpose is suppression and negating damage.

And they are quite effective at that. Abelard approves!



[h2]Preventing the Damage[/h2]

Shields provide a new stat called Block, which gives the wielder a chance to completely negate the incoming attack, similar to how Parry and Dodge function (and stacking with them!). The chance to block is determined by the shield itself, and is not affected by the wearer’s or the attacker’s stats. It can, however, be modified by various items and talents.

Block works against both melee and ranged attacks. It is especially effective against burst attacks - once any hit from a burst attack is blocked, the remaining hits are negated automatically. A blocked attack can also never overpenetrate!

Predictably, shields will not save you against psychic powers.



[h2]New Tactical Advantages[/h2]

All archetypes have access to shields, which offers a rich layer of new tactical opportunities for defensive gameplay with dedicated tank characters. To allow for even more build variety, we’re adding multiple new universally available talents that boost shield effectiveness.

Here are some examples:

• Shield Mastery allows the shield to only occupy a slot in a single weapon set.
  
• Defensive Manoeuvre allows the bearer to regain 2 MP after attacking with a shield.
  
• Strong Hand gives the wielder +5% block and allows them to deal +50% more damage when attacking with a shield.
  

Subductor, one of the specialties of the new Arbitrator origin, is specifically designed with a shield in mind. These assault specialists have access to a set of additional talents and abilities that further boost the effectiveness of shields, such as charging forward with a shield, automatically scoring critical hits with shield attacks on immobilized or prone enemies, gaining a bonus to Toughness that scales from Block, or even reflecting enemy attacks back at them!

The only characters in the Lord Captain’s retinue who cannot use shields are the xenos, who rely on agility rather than this crude Imperial method of protection, Pasqal, and the mighty Ulfar, who believes that the best defense is a brutal offense.



Beyond often having special effects, each shield also always provides a wielder, of any archetype, with the special ability Stalwart Defence. It allows them to select a zone and immediately end the turn, significantly increasing block chance against all enemies in that zone and making an attack of opportunity in response to the first successfully blocked melee attack from each of these enemies:



[h2]New Challenges [/h2]

Where there is a tool, there will always be those who make use of it. In Lex Imperialis, allies and enemies will also take advantage of shields, requiring new tactics in order to deal with the additional protection they provide.

Some existing talents such as Take Aim! or Deadeye Shot have been updated with additional effects to reduce block, and multiple new items across the game have been added to interact with these new mechanics.

How do you plan to build your retinue with shields in mind, Lord Captain?



See you soon in the Lex Imperialis expansion!

Hotfix 1.3.2.29 is live, fixing the problem with the new mirror in the Lord Captain's quarters that caused the character's model to become invisible.

Today we proudly present you a heavy metal surprise by Jonathan Young and RichaadEB, made in collaboration with Owlcat Games — the epic Rogue Trader song!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Enough said: LET'S GO!