Dawn of War IV is the hotly-anticipated sequel in the hit RTS series (excluding the somewhat less hot Dawn of War 3). By all accounts it’s a true return-to-form for the series, and in order to try and prove it there are three real-time actual gameplay battle reports being released to show players exactly what they’ll get their hands on. The first battle report is available to watch now, and you can get all the details right here. The next two are due on September 16th and 23rd.
As an Ork player on the tabletop (and a Deathguard one, but alas) the recent focus on Armageddon and by extension Orks is great for me. Dawn of War IVs first battle report showcases two of the four factions; An Ork vs Necron match with new units on display, new stratagems to gawk at and new hints on how Dawn of War IV is different to the ill-fated Dawn of War III.
Custom matches and economies in Dawn of War IV
Before the battle even starts we get a sneak peek at the match settings. Back in 2004 (no wonder my bones hurt) I would always enable “Quick Start” to get enough rec and power to establish a self-sufficient base right away, and there’s a similar option in Dawn of War IV. The match settings menu below shows health and damage adjustments, resource changes for general requisition but also specific resources such as Ork Waaaaagh and Necron Power Matrix.
This allows you to make a more lethal game, with a low TTK (time-to-kill) that will play very differently to a slower-paced match. Things like Necron Deathmarks would be doubly-scary at range, but doubly-weak when in the reach of a grubby Ork choppa.
How Necrons play in Dawn of War IV
The battle report features the fleshy green Orks and the mechanically green Necrons. Necrons are slower and more purposeful, and can reanimate after falling in battle without any standard resource costs. This means controlling requisition won’t stop a Necron army from being a formidable opponent.
Instead, Necrons are built around their Power Matrix. The Power Matrix provides passive buffs and the ability to reanimate, but has to be extended through smart placement of generators and some special units. In the early-game, when the Necrons don’t have a wide-reaching Power Matrix, we see them instead send out Canoptek Scarabs to run interference. They might not kill a squad of Ork Boyz, but the crowd control is at the very least an annoyance that can buy the Necrons time.
Once a few squads of Necron Warriors are up and about, putting them down permanently is a hard task. The only advantage the Orks have is their speed, and forcing the Necrons into a melee that they simply aren’t fast enough to flee from proves a good strategy (until the Wraiths arrive…)
How Orks play in Dawn of War IV
The Ork half of this official battle report was far faster than the Necrons both in terms of movement speed across the wasteland and build speed on strategic locations. Orks are built to be able to survive anywhere on the map, rather than just around their base. This means they can build almost anywhere without a severe “out of base” build tax.
Not only that, but Orks can reinforce buildings with scrap once they’re down, which can quickly help turn an entire half of the map into Waaaagh banners, unit production buildings and more. As well as full buildings, Orks can also chuck a bunch of scrap in a pile to use as cover, adding new choke points and hardpoints to the map that simply wouldn’t be defensible without this unique Ork-y ability.
Just like the Necrons, Orks have an alternative resource. Orks can build up a Waaagh throughout the game that provides new bonuses at specific breakpoints, including access to a series first that was shown in this battle report: Stratagems.
How do Stratagems work in Dawn of War IV?
In an adaptation of the tabletop game of Warhammer 40,000, Dawn of War IV includes Stratagems. These are powerful abilities tied to your army faction, and each army will have its own way of earning them. Orks, for example, unlock new Stratagems based on their Waaagh. Once the Stratagem is unlocked, it stays unlocked for the battle however, allowing the Orks to pull it out as a trump card when the Waaagh is fading.
The Ork stratagems shown include flinging an asteroid at the planet as well as unleashing a horde of bomb-laden squigs. There are more “sneaky” stratagems though, as the Necron player demonstrated…
Necrons are slow, and once they’re caught in melee or surrounded they don’t really have a way out. This is where the “Mass Teleport” stratagem came into play. This stratagem highlights an entire area of the map, big enough for 5 or 6 squads, and places all of them back within your Power Matrix. This allows Necron skirmish forces to retreat and maintain strength in a way they never normally would, and puts the Orks at the final disadvantage needed to lose the game.
New battle reports arriving soon
There are 2 more battle reports coming, with a 2v2 player match on September 16th and a 2v2 player-vs-AI match to showcase AI gameplay on the 23rd. Be sure to catch the games or the write-ups to learn all you can about Dawn of War IV ahead of release.
