Just thinking about future subclasses. I think an Engineer for Bardin that crosses his bomb build on ranger with drakefire weapons would work pretty well. Premise that a relative was an Engineer, and as a hobby between missions he’s been tinkering, except now something he’s built actually works. There’s already a line in game I believe that is something along the lines of “A bomb! Just like cousin okri used to make.” An active ability to deploy an automated turret or ring of mines would be great. Dialogue options would be amazing here, with teammates teasing him about “Something you made works? It really is the end times.” or how it’s just as likely to blow up as the skaven technology, or if he shoots a teammate might go “Sorry, don’t know exactly how this works yet, I was drunk when I built it.” and the incredulous reactions from teammates. Etc.
For Saltzpyre, definitely a warrior priest. Divine magic is one of the few options for a new caster that is both allowed in the empire, and is something that could be acquired right away rather than having to study it for a lifetime. Slow heavy melee weapons build up a resource called “Divine Fury” which works like the opposite of overcharge. It is used to charge up and cast Battle Prayers, which are ranged weapons (game model would be a holy tome or prayer book) - things like a pillar of white fire or a cone damage/knockback. Talents to grant “Soulfire” when at full Righteous Fury, which offers buffs like crit, self health regen, damage dealt, etc. An alternative talent spec make a fully charging a battle prayer while you have the Soulfire buff add support effects, such as increased stagger to enemies, damage taken by enemies, or temp health to allies hit by the effect. Which would then consume the resource, and you’d have to switch back to melee to build it back up. So you have ranged, but in both specs, would only use it sparingly. Active ability would be temp health, enemy stagger, and rez downed allies. Bascially a copy from Merc, but with a larger radius and longer cooldown, and different visual effect.
And for Sienna, not really much in the way of lores of magic that she could learn and still be part of the Ubersreik 5. Not to mention it takes a lifetime of study, so its not something she could just pick up without changing basically her whole life story. And while corruption would add new abilities, again, couldn’t really be part of the group then. So. What about a defensive, sort of ranged support tank. A weapon that conjures a shield or wall of fire that blocks projectiles, gas, warpfire, and you can move the fire with RMB. Contact with the fire deals damage and ignites an enemy, sort of like beam staff. All contact, including blocking, generates overcharge. F is a smoke screen, similar to Bardin’s smoke bomb. Talents to make enemies choke on the ashes similar to the hagbane effect, clear overcharge, or generate temp HP for allies in its radius.
For Kerillian - She’s exonerated for her work in the weaves, and is welcomed back into Athel Loren, she links her mind to the forest, and becomes a Darkweaver. (Offensive form of Spellslinger hero.) This one is a bit of a stretch. But its a wood elf career, so its already less of a stretch than Grail Knight lol. Its a form of magic she could gain quickly, and is significantly less likely to make Saltzpyre murderous than the Dark Elf’s Sorceress career, or a corrupted Sienna. Lots of potential here, but it’d play up the shadow aspect of shade with the ranged damage aspect of Waystalker. Sort of like if Huntsman were a caster, but more mobile. Conveniently, this is a form of magic where overcharge works pretty much the same as it would for Sienna.
but also the DLC weapons for him… With rapier/pistol being the most recognizable witch hunter weapon and starting point, how the heck do you end up with axe/falchion and billhook? They don’t fit at all. Even the 2h sword is a big stretch. Witch Hunters don’t use heavy melee weapons. Its about precision, practicality, adaptability, elegance. They need to be able to travel relatively light and fight anywhere, as they hunt people across long distances and do a lot of indoor fighting. But that’s a separate conversation. I’m probably in the minority here but it really irks me to hear Kruber calling Saltzpyre peasant and not sir because another step further from WHC feeling like a WHC.