With Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader's December 7th release date fast approaching, Owlcat Games have released a new trailer showcasing the game's ground combat systems.
The video gets pretty into the weeds with breakdowns of optimal attributes, tactics, and strategies for players looking to battle from ranged or up close and personal. The game features many of the same trappings you find in most turn-based tactical RPGs, such as cover, attacks of opportunity, and so on.
Enemies threatened in melee combat won’t be able to use their ranged weapons, making closing the distance particularly dangerous for opponents (or allies) who rely entirely on dealing ranged damage in combat.
Probably the most interesting wrinkle to the game’s combat is it’s use of a morale system called momentum. All party members start with 100 momentum and this meter can deplete to 0 or increase all the way to 200 depending on how battle unfolds. The more enemies defeated, the more momentum your party gains, the more allies go down, the more it depletes. Heroic Acts can be used to consume momentum for powerful effects when the party has high momentum. At low momentum, Desperate Measures can be unleashed to turn the tide of battle, but they’ll have significant detrimental effects on the party as a trade-off.