Professions and Skills in Dune: Awakening - Which Path Will You Choose?

In Dune: Awakening, your faction choice isn't the only thing that will influence your gameplay style. The professions and skills you select fundamentally shape your gaming experience. Each faction, from the Atreides to the Harkonnens, has specific roles and tactics that you can support by choosing the appropriate profession. These choices allow you to customize your character exactly according to your preferences and determine how you'll engage in combat, economy, and strategic decisions on Arrakis.

Let's examine the main professions the game offers, their key skills, and help you find the ideal combination for your playstyle.

Professions in Dune: Awakening

Professions (or classes) in Dune: Awakening are divided into several categories based on specific abilities that provide various advantages in combat, construction, diplomacy, and survival on Arrakis. Each profession offers unique skills and specializations.

1. Warrior

The Warrior is the basic combat profession in the game. These players focus on direct combat and defense. They specialize in heavy weaponry, using various weapons, and tactics effective in massive battles.

Skills:

• Heavy Weaponry: Ability to use heavy weapons and armor, increasing resilience and attack power
• Tactical Command: Improved ability to organize and coordinate attacks with other players
• Close Combat: Specialization in short-range combat, where warriors excel

Suitable for: Players who love intense combat action, whether in PvP (player versus player) or PvE (fighting against enemy factions, wild animals, and sandworms).

2. Engineer

Engineers focus on construction and technology improvement. On Arrakis, they will have the ability to build and upgrade bases, control machines and equipment, and can specialize in spice mining.

Skills:

• Construction and Upgrades: Ability to build resilient bases, improve defensive mechanisms and technological devices for efficient spice mining
• Machine Control: Ability to operate heavy vehicles such as ornithopters or mining machinery
• Maintenance and Repairs: Repairing damaged equipment and mechanisms during battles or mining operations

Suitable for: Players focused on economy and long-term growth who enjoy building and optimizing bases and mining operations. Ideal career path for those who prefer strategic management and stability in the game.

3. Spy

Spies are masters of infiltration, espionage, and information gathering. This class specializes in covert operations to gain strategic advantages and manipulate enemy factions.

Skills:

• Espionage: Ability to infiltrate enemy bases, collect information, and conduct sabotage missions
• Manipulation: Using psychological tricks to influence the actions and decisions of other characters and factions
• Secret Techniques: Utilizing hidden technologies and disguises to increase the chance of successfully completing covert missions

Suitable for: Players who want to control the game through secret operations, manipulation, and creating strategic alliances. Ideal for those who prefer tactics based on intrigue and patience.

4. Trader

Traders are experts in economics and commerce. They use their ability to negotiate, organize trades, and manipulate spice prices to ensure profit and influence on Arrakis.

Skills:

• Negotiation: Ability to close advantageous deals and contracts with other factions and players
• Market Manipulation: Influencing prices of spice and other rare resources to maximize profits
• Trade Security: Ability to protect trade routes and secure commercial interests on Arrakis

Suitable for: Players focused on the economic aspect of the game who want to maximize profit from trade and have influence on markets and political decision-making.

5. Fremen (Survivalist)

Fremen specialize in survival in the extreme conditions of Arrakis. This class focuses on combat in harsh environments, spice mining, and survival in the heart of the desert.

Skills:

• Sand Survival: Ability to endure long periods on the surface of Arrakis, including protection against sandworms and other dangers
• Guerrilla Warfare Tactics: Experts in quick and effective combat in challenging terrain
• Spice Utilization: Ability to mine and manipulate spice for various purposes, including enhancing their own abilities

Suitable for: Players preferring a highly mobile, tactical style of play focused on hiding, quick attacks, and manipulation of the surrounding environment.

How Skills Influence Factions

Each profession in Dune: Awakening is strongly connected to the factions you choose. For example:

• House Atreides supports professions such as Warrior and Engineer, who help build strong defenses and coordinate effective military attacks.
• House Harkonnen naturally attracts Spies, who can use intrigue and espionage to manipulate others.
• Fremen have a strong connection to Survivalists, who can optimally use the extreme conditions of Arrakis to their advantage.
• Bene Gesserit benefit from skills such as Manipulation and Negotiation, where their ability to control others plays a crucial role.

If you're interested in the topic of factions and professions in the game, check out our section focused on houses and factions, where you'll learn more about political relationships, differences between houses, and their influence on game strategy.

My Perspective on Professions in Dune: Awakening

Based on what we've seen in early access footage and developer interviews, the profession system in Dune: Awakening offers impressive depth and flexibility. While the game starts you with a specific profession, you're not locked into that single path – you can acquire skills across multiple professions as you progress.

What excites me most is how the profession system integrates with the harsh environment of Arrakis. For example, Engineers aren't just builders but play a crucial role in spice harvesting operations, maintaining equipment during sandstorms, and developing technologies that can detect and avoid sandworms.

For new players, I recommend starting with either Warrior or Fremen professions, as they provide solid survival capabilities from the beginning. However, for those looking to maximize their economic potential, the combination of Engineer and Trader skills could create powerful synergies for controlling the spice market.

Related Articles:

• Factions and Houses in Dune: Awakening
• Community Involvement in Dune: Awakening
• Spice Mining in Dune: Awakening - A High-Stakes Challenge
• Vehicle Management in Dune: Awakening