“Death is a fresh starts!”
Overview
Roger
Lifetaker
Minutemen
Advanced Elite
Single Damage
Secondary tank
4: Position 4 is optimal for Roger, placing him in the protected back row where he can safely deliver Crimson Cross strikes without taking front-line damage.
5: Position 5 offers maximum protection for Roger, trading slight positioning efficiency for the safest slot in the lineup.
3: Position 3 is viable but places Roger closer to the front, increasing his risk of taking damage due to his low VIT stat.
Roger is a Minutemen single-target assassin who delivers devastating Focus skill damage through Crimson Cross while ignoring 45% of enemy DEF with Sharp Blade. His Tiger Roar UW adds +20% damage to front-row targets and +30% damage to shielded targets, along with bleeding that scales with the target’s max HP. His Crimson exclusive gear rewards him for enemy deaths with Focus restoration, healing, and stacking damage bonuses.
Pros & Cons
- Sharp Blade ignores 45% DEF, penetrating even the tankiest front-line heroes
- Tiger Roar UW deals +30% damage to shielded targets, directly countering shield-based defenses
- Crimson exclusive gear grants Focus, healing, and stacking damage when enemies die
- Thirst for Blood scales damage with number of living enemies, strongest in early rounds
- Pure single-target focus limits effectiveness against AOE-heavy or spread lineups
- Low VIT (299) makes Roger extremely fragile if targeted by enemy carries
- Relies on front-line tanks surviving long enough for him to deliver multiple Crimson Cross strikes
Skills
Deals 240/272/304/336/400% WPN DMG to 1 enemy.
+5/6/7/8/10% HP.
For every 1 enemy that remains alive, gains +2.5/3/3.5/4/5% WPN DMG Bonus.
When casting "Crimson Cross", deals 60/72/84/96/120% extra WPN DMG.
Ignores 23/27/32/36/45% DEF of the target in an attack.
Gear
Crimson is mandatory for Roger to unlock his snowball mechanic where enemy deaths fuel Focus, healing, and stacking damage. Pair with Resolute for balanced builds or Reaper/Apocalypse for maximum kill pressure. The DEF ignore from both Sharp Blade and Crimson’s 2-piece makes Roger the best anti-tank carry in the Minutemen faction.
Roger’s exclusive set providing additional DEF ignore per surviving enemy and massive bonuses (100 Focus, 10% HP restore, +10% DMG stacking) when any hero dies. Essential for his snowball playstyle.
#1 Best
Versatile set offering WPN DMG and survivability, providing a balanced boost to Roger’s damage output while keeping him alive.
#2
Endgame offensive set with strong damage scaling, complementing Crimson’s DEF ignore with raw damage increases.
#3
Pure offensive set maximizing Roger’s damage at the cost of survivability, best when strong front-line protection is guaranteed.
#4
Offensive set adding penetration and damage, viable as a secondary option when other top-tier sets are unavailable.
#5
High-damage set that amplifies Roger’s already strong single-target burst, ideal for maximizing Crimson Cross kill potential.
#6
Roger’s substats prioritize maximum offensive output on weapon and jewelry while building survivability on helmet and body. Crit Rate is especially valuable because a critical Crimson Cross at 400% WPN DMG can one-shot many back-row heroes.
DMG Bonus, STR, Crit Rate
DMG Bonus and STR directly scale Crimson Cross damage, while Crit Rate creates devastating critical strikes with Roger’s 400% WPN DMG Focus skill.
HP%, AGI, VIT
HP% and VIT provide essential survivability for Roger’s low base stats, while AGI helps him act before enemies can set up defenses.
DEF, VIT, DMG Mitigation
Defensive substats compensate for Roger’s fragile stat line, keeping him alive through incidental damage and AOE effects.
DMG Bonus, STR, Skill Effect Enhancement
DMG Bonus and STR maximize Crimson Cross burst damage, while Skill Effect Enhancement boosts Stream of Blood’s +120% WPN DMG bonus on Focus skill.
Recommended lineups
Archetype tags describe playstyle. Each card shows recommended gear (helmet icons), APC parts, and War Beast. Open APC · View details for part skills and calculator link.
Beast 
Crimson Predator boosts Roger’s single-target damage to ensure Crimson Cross kills trigger his Crimson gear’s snowball bonuses.
Primary tank providing team-wide DMG Mitigation and front-line durability, buying time for Roger to build Focus and execute enemy tanks.
Front-line support healing Bolton while Battlefield Assistance buffs Roger’s damage output and debuffs the target’s next attack.
Primary carry targeting front-row enemies with Crimson Cross, ignoring 45% DEF through Sharp Blade plus additional DEF ignore from Crimson gear. Tiger Roar adds +20% damage to front-row targets.
AOE support applying burning to all enemies through Hellfire while Nirvana boosts Roger’s damage by 8%. Blaze’s DMG Mitigation reduction softens targets for Roger.
Secondary carry providing additional single-target damage to finish off enemies weakened by Roger and Benson’s combined assault.
An early-season lineup focused on Roger eliminating front-row tanks through Sharp Blade’s DEF ignore and Tiger Roar’s front-row damage bonus. Roger operates from position 3 where he can target front-row enemies while being somewhat protected by Bolton and Mira. Benson provides Nirvana’s +8% DMG bonus and burning to soften targets for Roger’s Crimson Cross.
Beast
Crimson Predator amplifies both Roger’s single-target burst and Heytex’s AOE damage, maximizing the dual-threat offense.
Primary tank with AC Shield absorbing early burst damage. Roger’s Tiger Roar deals +30% damage to Bolton’s shielded enemies if they target Bolton.
Front-line support healing Bolton and buffing Roger’s damage through Battlefield Assistance while Mirage bleeding adds status effects for the team.
AOE dealer applying burning to all enemies, providing Nirvana’s +8% DMG bonus for Roger, and reducing enemy DMG Mitigation through Blaze for easier kills.
Primary single-target carry eliminating priority targets with Crimson Cross. Tiger Roar’s bleeding scales with target’s max HP, making Roger effective against tanks and carries alike.
AOE carry whose Blaze Shark procs off Benson’s burning create a second damage threat, forcing enemies to choose between dealing with Roger’s single-target burst or Heytex’s AOE.
A mid-season lineup pairing Roger’s single-target execution with Heytex’s AOE carry pressure, creating a dual-threat offense that forces enemies to deal with both damage types. Roger sits in position 4 as the primary single-target carry, targeting weakened enemies while Heytex handles AOE damage. Bolton and Mira provide the standard Minutemen front-line durability.
Beast
Crimson Predator boosts Roger’s single-target damage to ensure Crimson Cross kills occur quickly enough to trigger his snowball bonuses before the team’s sustain runs out.
Primary tank distributing damage across all allies through Link of Life, keeping Roger alive by spreading incoming damage and preventing single-target burst from eliminating him.
Secondary tank adding DMG Mitigation to reduce distributed damage from Buri’s Link of Life, with AC Shield providing additional team protection.
Support healing distributed damage from Buri’s Link of Life while Battlefield Assistance buffs Roger’s carry damage and Mirage bleeding adds status effects.
Primary carry executing weakened targets with Crimson Cross. Crimson gear’s death-triggered bonuses snowball as Roger eliminates enemies one by one.
AOE support applying burning for Nirvana’s +8% DMG buff and Blaze’s DMG Mitigation reduction, softening targets for Roger’s Crimson Cross execution.
A late-season experimental lineup pairing Buri’s damage distribution with Roger’s single-target execution for a unique sustain-and-snipe strategy. Roger operates from position 4 as the designated carry, benefiting from Buri’s Link of Life keeping him alive while he targets weakened enemies. This lineup trades raw power for versatility and sustained pressure.
Synergies
Benson’s Nirvana provides a flat +8% DMG bonus to all Minutemen, directly boosting Roger’s Crimson Cross damage. Benson’s Blaze gear also reduces enemy DMG Mitigation by 45% on burning targets, making Roger’s hits land harder.
Mira’s Battlefield Assistance buffs the highest-ATK ally’s next attack by +8% DMG while debuffing the attacked enemy’s next attack by -8% DMG. Roger, as the primary carry, is often the highest-ATK hero who benefits from this buff.
Bolton’s Guardian of Justice provides team-wide DMG Mitigation, keeping Roger alive in the back row. Bolton’s Justice gear debuffing back-row enemies also helps Roger if he needs to switch targets.
Heytex’s AOE carry pressure forces enemies to split their defensive resources between Heytex’s Blaze Shark and Roger’s single-target Crimson Cross, creating an impossible-to-defend dual threat.
Galande targets weakened enemies, creating a one-two punch with Roger where both heroes focus fire on the same low-HP target for guaranteed kills and Crimson gear triggers.
Interactions with other heroes’ ultimate weapons.
Benson’s Hellfire UW applies burning that stacks up to 10 additional layers. Combined with Roger’s Tiger Roar bleeding, enemies suffer from dual DOT effects that weaken them for Crimson Cross execution.
Bolton’s AC Shield creates a 200% max HP shield at battle start. Roger’s Tiger Roar deals +30% damage to shielded targets, turning enemy shields into a liability against Roger’s attacks.
Ultimate weapons
Unlocked
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 10%, and to targets with a shield by 15%.
★
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 12%, and to targets with a shield by 18%.
★★
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 14%, and to targets with a shield by 21%. Attacks against enemies will apply a Bleeding status to them as well, dealing some DMG equal to 5% of the target’s max HP at the end of the round (the DMG will not exceed 300% of the hero’s WPN DMG), lasting 2 round(s)
★★★
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 16%, and to targets with a shield by 24%. Attacks against enemies will apply a Bleeding status to them as well, dealing some DMG equal to 6% of the target’s max HP at the end of the round (the DMG will not exceed 300% of the hero’s WPN DMG), lasting 2 round(s)
★★★★
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 18%, and to targets with a shield by 27%. Attacks against enemies will apply a Bleeding status to them as well, dealing some DMG equal to 7% of the target’s max HP at the end of the round (the DMG will not exceed 300% of the hero’s WPN DMG), lasting 2 round(s)
★★★★★
Increases DMG dealt to front-row targets by 20%, and to targets with a shield by 30%. Attacks against enemies will apply a Bleeding status to them as well, dealing some DMG equal to 8% of the target’s max HP at the end of the round (the DMG will not exceed 300% of the hero’s WPN DMG), lasting 2 round(s)
Counters
- High-DEF Tanks (Soft Counter) — While Sharp Blade ignores 45% DEF and Crimson gear adds more DEF ignore, extremely high-DEF tanks with additional mitigation stacking can still survive Roger’s burst, preventing his snowball from starting.
- Casino (Hard Counter) — Casino’s focus drain prevents Roger from building Focus for Crimson Cross, severely limiting his damage output and preventing Crimson gear’s death-triggered bonuses from activating.
- Back-Row Placement (Situational Counter) — Roger’s Tiger Roar UW grants +20% damage to front-row targets. Enemies who place their key heroes in the back row reduce Roger’s bonus damage, though he still ignores DEF regardless of position.
- Shield-Reliant Heroes (Hard Counter) — Tiger Roar’s +30% damage bonus against shielded targets makes Roger devastating against heroes who rely on shields for survivability, turning their defense into a damage amplifier.
- Front-Row Heavy Lineups (Soft Counter) — Tiger Roar’s +20% damage bonus to front-row targets combined with Sharp Blade’s 45% DEF ignore makes Roger extremely effective against lineups that stack multiple heroes in positions 1-2.
Rating
A Tier. Roger is a strong single-target damage dealer who excels at eliminating front-row tanks and shielded heroes. He is A-tier because his focus on single-target damage limits his utility against AOE-heavy meta lineups, and he relies on teammates to handle multiple threats.
Videos
Official: Link
Skins
None
Trivia
- Roger equips the Desert Eagle Mark XIX as a sidearm but is never seen using it.
- Starting from version 1.332.001, the Roger shard can be purchased from the Arena shop for 200 dog tags.
- Roger’s appearance resembles a mix of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series and Slade Wilson, "Deathstroke," from the DC universe.
- His original name is "Theodore", a regular-rank member of the Minutemen. He volunteered for the "Lifetakers," the Black ops unit within the Minutemen, and abandoned his original name and all identity, becoming "Roger the Lifetaker."
- His former buddy was Galande, but their relationship had broken down during doomsday.