Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core gives you five Reclaimers to choose from, but every mission runs with exactly four. That one missing slot matters more than it sounds. Pick the wrong combination and you'll feel it by the second wave, when ammo runs dry or nobody can pull off a clutch revive. Pick the right four and the whole run clicks into place.
What is the best team composition in Rogue Core?
After testing combinations across multiple runs, the strongest four-Reclaimer lineup is Falconer, Guardian, Retcon, and Spotter. That leaves out Slicer, which tends to play more like a solo carry than a team-oriented class and doesn't bring the kind of support utility the other four offer.
Here's a quick overview before breaking down each role:
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core Best Team Composition
Why is Falconer essential?
Falconer brings the highest damage output of any Reclaimer and doubles as the team's most reliable revive option. The drone hawk deals consistent damage to enemies while also reaching downed teammates at a distance, meaning even if Falconer is the last one standing, the run isn't necessarily over.
High-mobility builds work best here. The anti-grav device pairs especially well with Falconer, letting you bounce around the arena while the drone handles revives and keeps pressure on enemies. For weapon upgrades, prioritize weakpoint damage, crit damage, and bonuses for firing from distance. These three categories compound well as fights get longer and enemy density increases.
Why is Guardian essential?
Guardian is the team's defensive anchor. The class specializes in health and armor upgrades, taunt abilities, and armor regeneration, making it the most durable Reclaimer in the roster. The repel ability is particularly valuable for protecting objectives like the elevator, pushing enemies back when they start to overwhelm a position.
The most effective Guardian builds stack extra armor and health in the enhancement slots, then look for Bio Booster upgrades that add bonus armor on top. For R.E.P.D weapon choices, shotguns and grenade launchers fit the defensive playstyle well, keeping enemies at a manageable distance while Guardian absorbs pressure the rest of the team doesn't have to deal with.
If you want a full breakdown of how each Reclaimer stacks up individually, the Rogue Core class tier list covers all five in detail.
What does Retcon bring to the team?
Retcon is the run-saver. The ability to rewind time and the passive that triggers an instant self-revive when taking fatal damage as the last surviving Reclaimer have prevented more wipes than any other single mechanic in the game. Paired with Falconer's drone revives and Guardian's survivability, Retcon adds a third layer of protection against the run ending prematurely.
Play Retcon defensively. Extra armor, health, and health regeneration in the enhancement slots keep you alive long enough to actually use the time rewind when it matters. A Retcon who dies before using their ability is just a wasted slot.
Why take Spotter over Slicer?
This is the one genuinely debatable slot. Slicer isn't useless, but it leans toward solo play in a game that rewards team coordination. Spotter brings two things the other Reclaimers can't provide: ammunition dumps and the ability to spot enemies through walls.
The ammo situation in Rogue Core is still a bit stingy, and as difficulty ramps up, running dry mid-swarm becomes a real problem. Having a Spotter on the team means everyone gets more bullets, which directly translates to more enemies dead before they reach the objective. The wall-detection ability also lets the team pre-position instead of reacting to ambushes.
If you're new to the game and still figuring out which Reclaimer suits your playstyle, the beginner classes guide walks through each one with survival tips and weapon upgrade priorities.
How do these four Reclaimers work together?
The strength of this lineup is that every role covers a gap another class leaves open.
- Falconer handles damage and remote revives, keeping the team functional even when things go wrong.
- Guardian controls space and absorbs punishment, protecting objectives and giving downed teammates time to get back up.
- Retcon acts as a safety net, with the time rewind and fatal-damage revival preventing the kind of cascade wipes that end runs in seconds.
- Spotter keeps everyone topped up on ammunition and gives the team advance warning on incoming threats.
No single class is doing everything. Each one fills a specific function, and none of them overlap in a way that wastes a slot.
For everything else you need to get the most out of your runs, check out the full Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core strategy guides collection, which covers graphics settings, co-op setup, and more.