Expeditions: Rome is the third installment in the Expeditions series, and this one has players taking the role of a Roman war leader across multiple campaigns. Expeditions: Rome is an RPG, so players can expect a lot of options when it comes to customization.
Players are able to choose between four starting classes at the beginning of the game. Each of these starting classes additionally have three subclasses under them, and it can be difficult to decide which will work best in the long run.
General Subclass Overview
After the initial tutorial level, players will be given the choice of what class they would like to be. The game offers four classes to begin with: Princeps, Veles, Sagittarius, and Triarius. The Princeps class is a heavy front-liner with a shield and spear, the Veles is a light infantry with a sword and a dagger, the Sagittarius is an archer with a bow, and the Triarius a back line supporter with a long pike. Each of these four classes then have three additional subclasses.
Princeps
Defender
The Defender subclass provides the player the skill "Brace" which provides a double buff of "deflection" and "strong" to the player. The Defender subclass is meant to focus on survivability and protecting allies. Players using this subclass should be heavily involved in the combat as they draw attention and strike down foes. This class will suit those looking for a more classic tank style build.
Vanguard
The Vanguard subclass provides the player the skill "Frighten" which is an area of effect attack causing -10 morale to all enemies within range. The Vanguard is meant to charge into the fray, so the player should expect to use this similarly to the defender where they will of course be heavily involved in the combat. With the ability to weaken all the surrounding foes, this subclass seems to encourage the player towards a more central positioning when in combat.
Veteran
Funny enough even though the player character is without combat experience, that does not prevent them from becoming a Veteran, which provides the skill "Knockdown." This will of course knock down the targeted foe allowing the player an advantage against them, or to simply disengage. This subclass is likely the most aggressive of them.
Veles
Assassin
The Assassin subclass provides the player the skill "Cheap Shot" which applies "Savage" to the player, allowing for a 100% critical chance on the next attack. Clearly, players looking to deal heavy damage in the back line may find this subclass attractive, as the Veles class itself encourages maneuverability.
Duelist
The Duelist subclass provides the player a "Shiv" which allows them to make a quick offhand attack at reduced damage for no cost. This skill is definitely one that should be recognized as the player levels up and does more damage this ability will track along with that providing tons of potential damage output.
Brawler
The Brawler subclass provides the player the skill "Tactical Advance" which eliminates any change of incurring attack of opportunity from enemies. Much like the Assassin subclass, this will be great for those who want to get up close and personal with the back line and cause some chaos.
Sagittarius
Marksman
The Marksman subclass provides the player the skill "Interrupt." This skill will allow the player to set up a cone of fire that if an enemy crosses into will immediately fire at them. This ability does quite a bit of damage, and if used properly can be powerful in a choke. This will keep the player in the back line however, so make sure they are protected.
Hunter
The Hunter subclass provides the player the skill "Quick Shot" which allows them to fire off against two individual targets at reduced accuracy. This seems a good ability for those who may blend the archer and sword play styles as it affords effective use in close engagement.
Sniper
The Sniper subclass provides the player the skill "Ranging Shot" which is insanely powerful is used correctly. This skill will allow the player to set down an area of effect where all ranged damage will be complete full damage regardless of the distance. If the player is able to keep foes pinned down by infantry and then use this ability in an area of effect around those foes, they can easily be picked off one by one.
Triarius
Medic
The Medic subclass provides the player the skill "Logistics" which will afford all surrounding allies two extra movement. Generally the Triarius class will be directed towards those who wish to remain in the back line and support their party members more so than getting directly involved. The long pike provided can allow for great protection while the rest of the party ties up foes in engagement. This should not be confused however as a healing class, as it does not do so right off the bat.
Flagbearer
The Flagbearer subclass is a quintessential support type as it provides the player a "War Horn" which applies "Rallied" to all surrounding allies in a six hex radius. This boosts attack damage by a whopping 25%, which can be a massive advantage against strong enemies or if outnumbered.
Destroyer
The Destroyer subclass definitely sounds the coolest. This subclass provides the player the skill "Deathblow" which will shred armor by one while also dealing 50% more damage against any of those in downed state such as stunned, crippled, stuck, knocked down, or sundered. If the player uses their other party members to knock down and weaken foes, the player character can simply clean up the mess.
Best Subclasses
Each class is pretty unique and affords the player quite a particular advantage, but not all skills are created equally. The standout subclasses that the player should consider the most are going to be the Princeps Defender, Veles Duelist, Sagittarius Sniper, and the Triarius Flagbearer. All of these subclasses provide a skill that is useful not only in a short term engagement but over the course of the entire campaign even as the player gets access to other skills.
The Defender subclass is a great all around buffer that can keep the party up while also dealing great damage. The Duelist is capable of dealing insane damage as the game approaches a late game state with the Shiv ability, and it being an entirely free action essentially is quite strong. The Sniper is similarly recommended due to its high damage output capability. If the player has a particular affinity for ranged or melee attacks, then this should help narrow down this decision in that regard. Otherwise, if the player wants to be more of the supporting role in their party, the Flagbearer may be the best pick as it allows them to bolster their allies in the face of uncertainties, which the player will most definitely be facing a lot of.
Expeditions: Rome is available now for PC.