Warhammer 40,000 Series

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000. It was released by THQ on September 20, 2004 in North America and on September 24 in Europe. Since its release, three expansion packs have been released: Winter Assault in 2005, Dark Crusade in 2006, and Soulstorm in 2008. The sequel, Dawn of War II was released in February 2009.

The Game of the Year edition was released on September 21, 2005 in the USA and on September 23 in Europe, containing 4 exclusive maps. Later, the Game of the Year edition and Winter Assaultwere bundled in the Gold Edition in the USA, released in March 2006. In November 2006, Dawn of War and its first two expansions were released together as The Platinum Collection in the USA or as the Dawn of War Anthology in the PAL regions. More recently, in March 2008, all three expansions along with Dawn of War have been released as The Complete Collection.

Setting
Main article: Warhammer 40,000The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a dystopian vision of the future. Humanity has forged a galaxy-spanning empire, The Imperium, with the Immortal Emperor as humanity's leader and a living god. The Imperium is in a state of constant war with the Orks, Eldar, and the human servants of Chaos, desperately fighting to preserve the human race from extinction. The single player campaign is set on the planet Tartarus. This also sets the stage for Dawn of War II: Retribution.

[edit] Factions
Main articles: Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000), Chaos Space Marines, Eldar (Warhammer 40,000), and Ork (Warhammer 40,000)Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War features four playable armies.

The Space Marines are the elite, highly skilled and genetically modified superhuman soldiers of the Imperium. Inducted at a young age, each Space Marine receives biological modifications, a lifetime of rigorous training, and lives to experience centuries of endless battle in the defense of humanity. Space Marines have the highest morale in the game. Their troops and vehicles are more expensive, however, reflecting their limited numbers. The Space Marines are the only playable race in the single player section of the game, and the 11-mission campaign features the 3rd Company of the Blood Ravens chapter as the protagonists, led by Captain Gabriel Angelos and Librarian Isador Akios.

The Chaos Marines are traitors that, ten thousand years ago, chose to abandon their duties to humanity, betray the Immortal Emperor of Mankind and the Imperium, and instead worship the Gods of Chaos, accepting promises of power and immortality. In Dawn of War, they use troops that are corrupted mirrors of their loyal Imperial counterparts. In addition, they employ morale-draining daemons and psykers. The campaign features the Alpha Legion, with their leaders, Sindri Myr andLord Bale.

The Eldar are a sophisticated psychic race, ancient and technologically advanced, that have fought the fell powers of Chaos for millions of years before mankind's birth. Eldar in Dawn of War are fast and agile. Swift both on foot and in their hovering grav-vehicles, they are also able to move quickly around the map via webway gates. The campaign features a warhost hailing from the craftworld Biel-Tan, led by Farseer Macha.

The Orks are a savage, brutal and warlike species who exist to seek the thrilling challenge of battle. While generally lacking in sophisticated technology, they are physically powerful, using brute force and crude weapons that well complement their tendency to attack in massive hordes. In large enough numbers, they gain morale immunity. The tech tree for Orks differs from the other races in that it depends on the amount of Orks currently in your army and the number of erected WAAAGH!!banners. Several clans are featured in the campaign, as is the hulking Ork Warboss, Orkamungus.

In addition to the four fully playable races, the Imperial Guard also make appearances in the single player campaign as allies of the Space Marines, led by Colonel Brom. They would later be made into the featured playable race in the first expansion pack, Winter Assault. In the second expansion pack, Dark Crusade, there are two additional races to be played online and solo, Tau and Necrons. Note that in order to play as Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar, Orks or Imperial Guard online, one must have the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War game installed. The third and last expansion pack, Soulstorm, adds another two playable armies: Sisters of Battle and Dark Eldar. As with Dark Crusade, one must own the previous installments to play the other factions in multiplayer.

[edit] Plot
See also: List of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War charactersThe Single player campaign is set on the planet Tartarus, an Imperial planet that is currently being besieged by a large Ork invasion force. The campaign begins with Colonel Brom and his 37th Tartarus Planetary Defense Force Regiment under attack by a large group of Orks. The Blood Ravens 3rd company, led by Captain Gabriel Angelos makes the planet fall and saves Brom and his remaining men, who then proceed to exterminate the remaining Orks in the vicinity. In the aftermath of the battle, Gabriel is joined by the Librarian Isador Akios. Brom asks Isador about the recent sterilization of the planet Cyrene; however Isador makes it clear he is not to bring it up again, particularly not in Angelos's presence. The Blood Ravens then prepare to attack the Orks surrounding the port, in order to protect the evacuation craft.

Isador, sensing that the Captain's mind is troubled, realises why, and tells him that there was nothing he could have done to save his home planet of Cyrene. However, Gabriel tells him not to mention it again, stating that his homeworld was his responsibility. After the extermination of the Orks, scouts reveal to Gabriel that Chaos forces are operating on the planet. Soon after this they are joined by an Inquisitor, Mordecai Toth, who orders them to leave the planet, warning that a Warp Storm is approaching the planet and will consume the planet in 3 days time. Toth orders a complete evacuation of the planet, but Gabriel refuses, stating his desire to investigate the possible threat of Chaos. Toth then implies that Gabriel's actions on Cyrene have clouded his judgement, making him "see Chaos where it doesn't exist". On further investigation, it is revealed that the Eldar are also operating on the planet. The Blood Ravens find an altar dedicated to Chaos, confirming Gabriel's suspicions, and resolve to destroy the traitors, unknowing that Isador is already under the influence of Sindri Myr, the Chaos Sorcerer of the Alpha Legion.

The Blood Ravens pursue the Eldar to the abandoned city of Loovre Marr and engage them in a full-scale battle across the city. Upon the destruction of most of the remaining Eldar by Gabriel's forces, their leader, Farseer Macha pleads with Gabriel to heed her words; however during their moment of distraction, Sindri steals an artifact, which Macha reveals to be a key to "the undoing of this world". When Gabriel tries to inquire for more information, the Farseer shows surprise at his ignorance, commenting that the Inquisitor "keeps them on a short leash". Macha implies that Toth knows more than he is telling, and advises Gabriel and Isador to ask him, before telling the Blood Ravens where to find the entrenched Chaos forces, stating that thanks to the Space Marines, the Eldar are too weak to confront them.

After a pitched battle with the forces of the Alpha Legion (including traitorous Imperial Guard regiments who have been corrupted by Chaos) Gabriel and Isador confront Toth in the ruins of an Imperial Temple. He reveals that the world is cursed, and bears an artifact of Chaos: the Maledictum, a stone that contains the essence of a daemon. The forces of Chaos now bear all that they need to unearth it. Toth also explains that the Eldar were fighting to protect the stone, as it was they who imprisoned the daemon in the stone originally. Toth comments that "as Chaos's oldest enemy, the Eldar see themselves as the only capable defence against its influence. And we have paid for their arrogance". Toth also says that the power of the Maledictum is enough "to turn the faithful and drive men mad", having already corrupted much of the population of Tartarus and the Imperial Guard, as well as affecting the Blood Ravens somewhat: Toth explains his insistence the Blood Ravens depart was to protect them from being trapped on the planet with the demon by the coming Warp Storm. Gabriel and Toth form an alliance and make plans to find and destroy the Maledictum.

However, Isador is completely overcome by the temptations of Sindri and Chaos, and resolves to steal the Maledictum for himself. While the Blood Ravens and the remaining loyal guardsmen are busy exterminating the army of Lord Bale, Isador seizes his chance and steals the Maledictum. Inquisitor Toth then reveals that he had known that Chaos was corrupting one of the Space Marine commanders, but he had suspected Gabriel and they had paid the price for his error. In the face of Isador's betrayal, Gabriel pursues him in an effort to bring him to justice. The Blood Raven forces are successful in destroying Isador’s troops and Gabriel challenges Isador to a duel. Isador holds the upper hand at first, taunting Gabriel about his weakness and guilt over what he did to Cyrene, but Gabriel finally lets go of his guilt, replying that he did the right thing to stop the taint on Cyrene spreading further; goaded to fight back, Gabriel eventually defeats Isador. Beaten, Isador pleads Gabriel for forgiveness and a chance to redeem himself. Gabriel tells him, "If redemption is what you seek, then that is what I will give you" before shooting him in the head with his bolt pistol, using him as an example to his men about the dangers of Chaos.

Meanwhile Sindri had attempted to use the power of the Maledictum for his own ends, transforming himself into a Daemon Prince with the stone's power. Inquisitor Toth bequeaths the Daemon Hammer, God-Splitter, to Gabriel since he feels that it is Gabriel that will end this battle and not him. They then, with the Blood Ravens and the aid of the remaining Eldar forces of Farseer Macha, attack the Chaos forces, eventually killing Sindri. The final scene sees the Eldar and Blood Ravens standing around the Maledictum. Despite the warnings of Farseer Macha, who begs them not to destroy the stone, Gabriel obeys Inquisitor Toth and his own judgement, and destroys the Maledictum with God-Splitter. The Eldar forces then retreat after Macha prophetically warns Gabriel that he has doomed them all. Inquisitor Toth and the Blood Ravens leave to be evacuated. However, Gabriel stays behind, and encounters the Daemon of Khorne which he unwittingly released from the Maledictum. The daemon lets Gabriel and his men leave safely as thanks for its release, but not before informing Gabriel that the planet was actually an altar to the blood god, Khorne. In fact, the Ork invasion had been prearranged by Sindri, who sought the release of the Daemon of Khorne through the spilling of blood upon the planet. Every death had been a sacrifice toward the daemon's release, in which Gabriel's contributions were "many and magnificent". The daemon acknowledges that if he had been released much earlier, he would have been much easier to destroy. The daemon then tells Gabriel to flee, and to know that soon he would come to claim them all. Gabriel then vows to destroy the daemon, before following after his departing men. This links up to Dawn of War 2 – Retribution, where the daemon is actually the final boss in the campaign.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Winter Assault is the first expansion to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> for the PC<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> developed by Relic Entertainment<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and published by THQ<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">. Based on Games Workshop<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">'s tabletop wargame<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, Warhammer 40,000<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, Dawn of War: Winter Assault<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> was released on September 23, 2005. Some time after its initial release, Winter Assault<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and Dawn of War<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> were coupled together in a double pack which featured some art on a fold out cover, an Ork<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> with a flamethrower<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, or a group of Imperial Guard tanks lined up for attack.

[edit] "Forces of Order"
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">In the Forces of Order campaign, you play as the Imperial Guard (with occasional allied assistance from the Space Marines) and the Eldar. General Sturnn and the Cadian 412th land on Lorn V, an ice world ruled by Chaos Space Marines and indigenous Orks, intending to assist the Ultramarines already on Lorn V get a Titan crew to the Imperator Class Titan Dominatus, a massive and powerful humanoid battle machine that can almost win a war by itself. Built in ancient times, the construction of a titan is an enormous undertaking, and any Titans now found are treasured relics. Though the Guard's beachhead hits a wall (literally) trying to retake the Planetary Defence Fortress from the forces of Chaos, the Eldar secretly assist the Guard and disable the gate preventing their progress. Eventually the Guard rescues the Ultramarines and Titan crew, and begins the long trek to the crashed Titan.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Eldar, led by Farseer Taldeer, do everything in their power to make sure their presence is unknown, but when an Ork with unique technology capable of sensing their teleportation appears, they are forced to reveal their presence, destroy the Ork, and teleport away. Too badly damaged to accomplish their original goals, Taldeer is forced to ask Sturnn for assistance. Sturnn agrees, and the Orks are pushed back.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">In the aftermath, Taldeer reveals that she does not care about the Titan, but instead her goal is the Necrons underneath the planet's surface. Ages ago, an ancient race known as the Necrons went to sleep for thousands of years, and now they are awakening. She cannot allow the Necrons to get off Lorn V, because if they do, they will cause untold damage to the surrounding systems before being stopped. The two factions ally, but both know their goals are mutually exclusive. At this point the player may choose to pursue the goals of either the Eldar or the Imperial Guard.

[edit] Imperial Guard
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">If the player chooses the Imperial Guard, Sturnn assists the Ultramarines in getting the Titan crew past an alliance of Orks and Chaos into the safety of a waiting psychic shield, preventing their enemies from following them directly to the Titan. However, Taldeer and her Eldar are trapped with the Orks and Chaos, and she tells Sturnn behind the shield that he cannot defeat the Necrons without her: however, Sturnn laughs off her prediction. As he will not risk his men for hers, Sturnn and the 412th march on to their goal, while the Eldar are butchered a mere few feet away from them.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Upon reaching the Titan, the Ork/Chaos alliance descends on the Imperial encampment protecting the Titan. The crew begins to work, but they require a massive amount of power to use the Titan, and Sturnn is forced to protect the Titan, several power generators, and a nearby Imperial encampment of survivors from the Forces of Disorder. Although the Titan is too badly damaged to move until extensive repairs can be carried out, its now-operational weapons easily dispatch the Orks and Chaos. However, the Necrons now awaken, and butcher the remaining forces of the Ork/Chaos alliance. Beginning their slow march to destroy the only living souls left, the Imperials, they nearly succeed before the Titan Crew is able to destroy the Necron Monoliths using the Titan's weapons. Ultimately, the Cadian 412th and the Ultramarines are successful in repairing the Titan, destroying the Ork/Chaos alliance, and stopping the Necrons before they escaped the planet, but at the cost of Taldeer and her Eldar (which does not bother Sturnn or the Ultramarines in any way).

[edit] Eldar
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Taldeer uses distraction of the Imperial Guard and Ultramarines to teleport her buildings, troops, and Soul Stone past the psychic shield. The Ultramarines are slaughtered, but Sturnn and much of the Imperial Guard manage to escape the horde of Orks and Chaos.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Unlike the Imperial Guard campaign, Taldeer does not fight the Forces of Disorder when she reaches the Titan: the Imperial Guard has surrounded her, but the Necrons awake and begin trying to kill the Eldar. Taldeer uses the Soul Stone and sneaks past the shield to destroy a Monolith, but too many more appear before the Soul Stone can recharge. Desperate for a weapon to use, she decides to power up the "primitive, but still powerful" weapons of the Titan surrounding her (able to jury-rig a solution, since she does not have a Titan crew), convinces Sturnn that he can have the Titan once the Necrons are defeated (thus once again gaining the humans as allies), and uses the Titan's weaponry to utterly defeat the Necrons. Although successful in destroying the Necrons of Lorn V and gaining a momentary victory over the Necron war machine across the galaxy, Taldeer's unfamiliarity with the Titan's weapons systems causes them to explode, destroying the Titan. She and her base manage to teleport away in time, but the fate of Sturnn and his men is left unknown.

[edit] Campaign of Disorder
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Campaign of Disorder begins with Warlord Gorgutz trying to unite the Ork Boyz under his control. With Gorgutz's starting force, he launches attacks across Headcrushaz, Rokkitrangaz, Burnaboyz, and Kwikmeks, destroying their "Big Banners" and uniting them under his rule. His force is eventually stopped by the shielded gate of Footstompaz, which he promptly destroys the generators feeding power to the gate. He soon discovers that Squiggoths are loose in Footstompaz's base. After freeing the Mad Dok from the holding pen, he brings Squiggoths and Footstompaz under his control, after which he attacks a remote Chaos outpost.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Gorgutz, to take his WAAAGH! across the planet, flies to some unknown destination but he is shot down by a Forces of Chaos battery. Gorgutz survives, and the Chaos Lord Crull is out to get him. Crull soon meets Gorgutz's remaining boyz launching assaults on his Temples of Khorne. While trying to kill Gorgutz, Crull realizes Gorgutz is surrounded by a shield, making him invulnerable. Crull soon sets out to destroy the Ork base nearby and also a power generator feeding power to the shield. After destroying the Ork's base and the generator, Gorgutz launches a massive assault on Chaos, but Crull promptly returns and puts an end to Gorgutz. Gorgutz is dead, but before Crull can savour his victory the Imperial artillery barrage begins on the location. Gorgutz suddenly springs up, as it turned out he was just playing dead. Crull expects Gorgutz's force to aid him defeating the Imperials, but Gorgutz flatly refuses and escapes to rouse his boyz and kill the "humiez" himself.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After Gorgutz escapes, he gathers his WAAAGH! and assaults the Imperial Guard base, killing the Imperial General Sturnn, taking his head as a trophy and furtherly enraging Crull by saying that he will be next. Crull, however, finds out about the titan and is determined to use it to destroy his enemies. To do this, he summons Chaos Sorcerers to gather blood from local Imperial forces to appease Khorne, a Chaos god. At this time, and Eldar force appears at Crull's base and attacks it, continually launching assaults throughout the mission. When Crull gathers enough blood, the Eldar summon an Avatar of Khaine, a manifestation of their god, to defeat the Chaos base. Crull is forced to use the blood gathered to summon a Bloodthirster, a powerful Daemon, and defeats the Eldar. However, he uses too much blood summoning the Bloodthirster and is forced to gather more later. However, he learns Gorgutz is amassing his forces near the Titan: fearful of the safety of his prize, Crull decides to confront Gorgutz and put an end to him.

[edit] Chaos
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Crull and his Chaos forces fall upon the Ultramarine convoy transporting the Titan crew, killing all they find. The Chaos forces then proceed to butcher their way through the remaining Imperials to the psychic gate, which they then open for long enough to get their men and vehicles through, before sealing it shut on the Orks. As the Orks desperately try to breach it, Crull taunts Gorgutz with the knowledge that he only spared the Ork so he could fight the Imperials and Eldar, thus saving Crull the trouble of doing so: Crull remarks to Gorgutz "You've been a good dog...NOW DIE!". Furious that their WAAAGH is at an end, the Orks turn on Gorgutz, who narrowly fights his way out. However, with no one to lead them, the Orks no longer pose a threat.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Crull and his men establish a base near the Titan and re-erect their sacrificial pit. While fending off attacks from the last few Imperial outposts, corrupted psykers under Crull's control capture Imperial guardsman and bring back to the base to be sacrificed. But before Crull acquires enough blood, the Necrons arrive: knowing he can't stop them, but now having the favour of Khorne, Crull orders his sorcerors to possess the Titan, bringing its weapons under his command. With the power of the Titan, the Necrons and surviving Imperials are annihilated. Delighted with his victory, Crull prepares to rebuild the Titan, and then take his war across the Universe. He vows to his troops that what will come next "is not longer war: it is endless sacrifice in His name! Blood for the Blood God...let the universe drown in it!"

[edit] Ork
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Gorgutz and his boyz smash their way through the Eldar forces in the city, killing Taldeer, and reach the psychic gate before Crull, cutting the power to it to allow them entry. A desperate battle ensues between the Orks and Chaos forces: Crull sneers Gorgutz won't know how to use the Titan, but Gorgutz retorts he plans to destroy it, since it's of no use to him. Mortified at this, Crull launches a full attack on the gate, forcing his way through.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Gorgutz and the Orks establish a base near the Titan, and a brutal, three-way battle begins between the Orks, Chaos Space Marines and the last few Imperial survivors. Several of the Titan weapons are destroyed and the Imperials are wiped out, but the Orks keep fighting: even the arrival of the Necrons, who are quickly wiped out by the sheer number of the Orks, prove only a momentary distraction. The Orks finally fight their way to the Chaos base, and while they destroy Crull's army, Gorgutz and Crull face off in a final duel: Gorgutz kills Crull and cuts off his head as a trophy. In the aftermath of his victory, Gorgutz seems satisfied by what his WAAAGH achieved, but wonders where he can find another world to fight on.

[edit] Canonical Ending
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Although the game has several endings there is a canonical ending to the game, as established by its sequel Dark Crusade.


 * Farseer Taldeer is still alive, as she leads the Eldar in the Dark Crusade Campaign, suggesting that she was successful in reaching the Titan before the Imperial Guard. She dies in all the other factions' storylines.
 * Warboss Gorgutz lives to fight another day, literally. He can be seen in Dark Crusade, leading the Orks again. It says that Gorgutz is forced to retreat from Lorn V by the Imperial Guard, but not before killing Lord Crull and taking his skull with him.
 * The Chaos Lord Crull's skull was taken by Gorgutz and can be retrieved in Dark Crusade, given to Eliphas the Inheritor should he be successful in the campaign.
 * Should the Eldar defeat the Imperial Guard in Dark Crusade, the narrator states that Farseer Taldeer was branded "an enemy of the Imperium" after her manipulation of the Cadian 412th regiment on Lorn V. Lucas Alexander's regiment was ordered to pursue the Eldar and that "this long chase was finally over" when they faced off at Victory Bay.
 * Conversely, if Governor-Militant Lucas Alexander defeats the Eldar in Dark Crusade, the narrator states that his "original mission was at an end", suggesting that his original primary mission was to hunt down Farseer Taldeer for her treachery on Lorn V. His new mission of Liberating Kronus was only given after discovering the Hellstorm Cannon at Victory Bay.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War –Dark Crusade is the second expansion to the PC-based RTS game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ. Based on Games Workshop's popular tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000, Dark Crusade was released on October 9, 2006.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Release_date_on_Gamespot_3-0" style="line-height:1em;">[4] The expansion features two new races, the Tau Empire and theNecrons. Including the Imperial Guard from Dawn of War's first expansion pack Winter Assault, this means a total of seven playable races in this expansion.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-New_races_in_Dark_Crusade_4-0" style="line-height:1em;">[5]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Unlike Winter Assault, Dark Crusade is a standalone expansion that does not require prior installation of Dawn of War or Winter Assault to play, allowing the user to play as all seven factions in both single player Skirmish and Campaign modes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1em;">[6]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Parallel to the release of Dark Crusade, THQ also released a triple pack of Dawn of War, Winter Assault, and Dark Crusade, dubbed Dawn of War Anthology. The case is embossed with images of all the faction leaders of the campaign dressed in their respective wargear.

[edit] Races
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">All five of the pre-existing factions gain new units, and two new playable races are available.

[edit] Tau Empire
Main article: Tau (Warhammer 40,000)<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">One of the two newer races, the Tau are unique in multiple ways. Tau warriors and vehicles are powerful in ranged battles, but lack melee prowess; their commander even lacks a melee attack entirely.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="line-height:1em;white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed] Many tau units tend to be relatively fragile, few in number, and expensive. To compensate, they fight alongside the alien Kroot, using these primal warriors as auxiliaries. Also, they are the only race with a 'choice' in their final technology choices; two final tier buildings are presented, which provide different end-game units and technologies. Only one may be chosen. The Tau also do not have any standalone defensive structures or minefields. However, their best Heavy Infantry, the Broadside Battlesuit, can be entrenched and use its shoulder mounted railguns, effectively making them into turrets.

[edit] Necrons
Main article: Necrons<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Necrons are unique, as they do not require requisition to build their army. All units are in and of themselves free of requisition point cost. Power is the only resource Necrons need, in order to perform research, construct buildings and to construct and reinforce squads. However, capturing Strategic Points and building Obelisks (the Necrons listening post) on them will increase the speed of research and building, and will also expand the population cap. The Necron Monolith, their home base, is restored as more buildings are built, while also unlocking new units (similar to the Zerg in StarCraft), and functions as the only vehicle- and troop-producing building. When fully restored it becomes mobile (albeit very slow, though it can teleport) and is armed with powerful weaponry. Many Necron units have the ability to resurrect, and most will leave persistent corpses on the battlefield that may either self-resurrect after they die or be restored by specialized Necron units (this resurrection can actually allow the Necrons to go over their population cap).

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Necrons were previously seen in Winter Assault at the end of the single-player campaign, but noticeably stronger.

[edit] Notable characters
Main article: List of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War characters<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Dark Crusade features some reappearances by characters in past games, such as Farseer Taldeer and Warboss Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter, who were featured in Winter Assault and Shas'la Tau Kais who featured in the first person shooter game Fire Warrior now as Shas'O Tau Kais the Commander of the Tau involved in the Dark Crusade.

[edit] Campaign
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The events of Dark Crusade take place on the planet of Kronus, a world on the eastern fringe of the Imperium, where the local human population un-easily co-exists with the nearby Tau Empire. An ancient Titan Hellstorm Cannon firmly entrenched in Victory Bay and the need to aid the local human population are the very reasons the Imperial Guard arrive on Kronus to "liberate" them from Tau rule. It is also an ancient Necron tomb world, whose inhabitants are starting to awaken. Eldar fromCraftworld Ulthwé soon arrive to stop the Necron threat from growing. In addition, Kronus happens to be a world with hidden relics, left behind from the Horus Heresy, that are significant to the Blood Ravens and the Word Bearers Legion. There is also a local Ork population in the southern jungles who quickly mobilizes against the new threats after becoming united under a new warboss. Faced with such opposition against the thriving colony, The Tau Ethereal Aun'el, knowing the world must be kept, orders the Fire Warriors into battle against the other factions.

[edit] Canonical Ending
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Game has various endings for all the different factions, but Relic has stated the Blood Ravens defeated the Necrons, Eldar, and Imperial Guard. Through the dialogue in Dawn of War 2, it is apparent that the Blood Ravens were able to conquer Kronus and return control of it to the Imperium. Davian Thule also bears scars in Dawn of War 2 which he received during the final battle with The Necron Lord Of Kronus during the events in Dark Crusade. Also, Tarkus received Terminator Honours after his struggle against the Necrons and Tau during the Dark Crusade. The Blood Raven ending reveals that the Blood Ravens went through one of their greatest trials after the Dark Crusade was over; the Inquisition launched a thorough investigation into the Blood Ravens after they fought the Imperial Guard. Though not necessarily canonical, if the player beats the Space Marines as the Imperial Guard, it is shown that the Guard discovered documents detailing secrets about the Blood Ravens' history that didn't match up with their official past known by the Imperium, thus leading the probing investigation by the Inquisition.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Dividing of the Ork Clans

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Warboss Gorgutz, who survived the battles of Lorn V in Winter Assault, began his new Waaagh! in the Ork-infested Green Coast on Kronus. As is often the case with the Orks, Gorgutz's Waaagh! was formed by uniting several weaker clans under his banners, which were used as symbols of his authority in his stronghold. The Blood Ravens used this dissent by destroying Gorgutz's banners, causing the clans to begin fighting against each other and defying Gorgutz's reign. The Blood Ravens ultimately slaughtered their way through the infighting clans and kill Gorgutz's personal guard. However, he took his revenge on the Space Marines that bested him by detonating several warheads, killing his own minions and several fighting Blood Ravens. In the confusion of the explosions, he escapes through a cave and is able to flee Kronus on a hidden space ship, returning once more in Soulstorm. If defeated in Soulstorm, he flees the system in a similar manner.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Necron Catacomb's Collapse

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Necrons, the original rulers of the planet Kronus, emerge from the center of the map in the Thur'abis Plateau. The Blood Ravens descended into the caverns beneath the plateau to discover a huge network of catacombs hidden within, holding innumerable amounts of Necron soldiers. Despite the dark and fearsome location, the Blood Ravens fought their way through the catacombs, destroying Necron beacons (Which could cause different effects on the player or his enemies, such as reviving fallen Necrons or causing the player's vehicle units to turn on him/her) as they worked their way into a key structural point inside. Davian Thule placed a powerful explosive device which caused the catacombs to collapse, thus ending the Necron threat on Kronus.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Farseer Taldeer's Gambit

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Farseer Taldeer constructed her attack force from the northwestern reaches of the planet Kronus, and rather than risk her own Eldar warriors in her stronghold's defense, positioned herself between a splinter cult of Chaos Space Marines and a small force of dissatisfied Orks that broke off from Gorgutz's Waaagh! However, in doing so, she backed herself into a corner controlled by three Webway Gates that allowed her access to the rest of the Eldar army in space. The Blood Ravens fought their way through their old enemies, defeated the Ork and Chaos threat, and were able to hold the Webway Gates to prevent any possible escape from Taldeer. The Eldar Farseer chose to sacrifice her own life in order to allow her troops to flee, seeking refuge on the planet. The ultimate fate of Taldeer is later left as a subject revisited in Dawn of War II: Retribution.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander's Last Stand

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Imperial Guard, having set their stronghold near a Hellstorm cannon that had once been a part of an Imperial Titan, named their starting location Victory Bay, fully believing that they could regain control of the planet. The Blood Ravens, however, were able to fight their way through the heavily defended Imperial stronghold, eventually taking control of the Hellstorm cannon itself and sparking a revolution in dissident Imperial troops. They gathered their troops and fought their way through the heavy defenses held by Lukas Alexander, and were able to end the Governor's reign on Kronus. In the after battle report, it is mentioned that the Blood Ravens held Alexander in the highest regard, especially since he had stayed absolutely loyal to his orders and in defending Victory Bay. Despite his loss, Alexander and his Imperial troops were commended and honored for their bravery in standing up to the Blood Ravens assault (with the exception of the treacherous 5th Company, who were all executed without mercy for betraying their regiment, even though they joined forces with the Space Marines after Anton Gebbett, the Commissar attached to their company, was killed).

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Fall of Or'es Tash'n

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Tau began their campaign on Kronus by landing there task force in their planetary capital of Or'es Tash'n, which had been built on the ruins of the Imperial city of Asharis. A stronghold of sizable proportions, O'Kais used both his own Tau units as well as the Kroot and their other allies to create a powerful defense in the city. Using the city's own communication tower, they were able to keep tabs on the invading Blood Ravens until the plaza was captured by the attacking Blood Ravens and the Comm tower's detection stealth capability was turned against the Tau. After a difficult struggle in which the Blood Ravens had to fight their way through Kroot and Tau alike, the Blood Ravens were able to kill the Ethereal Aun'el, effectively crushing the morale of what remained of the Tau forces. Shas'o Kais, the Tau Commander, fled Kronus in order to return the defeated leader's body to the homeworld of T'au, and the surviving Tau were either killed in the ensuing rout or evacuated from Kronus, leaving Asharis to the Space Marines.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Eliphas the Inheritor's Sacrifice

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers Legion, under orders of their leader, the Chaos Lord Eliphas the Inheritor, were able to rip open a hole in the Warp and construct a gate around it to keep it stable. This allowed Chaos Daemons to pour through the rift and corrupt the land beneath their feet, as well as construct large pillars designed to use Chaos magic and sacrifice any willing or unwilling beings that ventured too close. In the defense of the Warp Gate, the Chaos Commander Eliphas the Inheritor decided to allow his troops to defend their own sections of a long, twisted path to the gate instead of focus on the defense as a whole. However, because he was unable to command his defenses effectively, the Blood Ravens were able to cut their way through the bloody gauntlet of Chaos Space Marines and demolish the Warp Gate. Eliphas, having failed his daemonic masters one too many times, was sacrificed as a failed subject.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Eliphas returns in Dawn of War II Chaos Rising as part of the Black Legion due to an unexpected level of fan popularity.

<h3 style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> is the 3rd expansion<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> to the PC<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">-based RTS game<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> series developed by Iron Lore Entertainment<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">. Like its predecessors, Soulstorm<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> is based on Games Workshop<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">'s popular tabletop wargame<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, Warhammer 40,000<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, and introduces a multitude of new features to the Dawn of War<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> series. It can be used in a stand alone and so does not need the original Dawn of war disc to play, but you must have the prior games installed and valid cd-keys in order to play as anything but the two new races online.

Gameplay
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Gameplay features real-time strategy interaction. Game operation is similar to previous Warhammer titles, except for the new aerial units that do not follow these rules, and new campaign gameplay features.

[edit] Units
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Each race is given a new aerial unit which does not obey the normal rule of engagement in the Dawn of War series.


 * Chaos Space Marines gain the Hell Talon, though the White Dwarf issue stated it was a Hellblade
 * Eldar gain the Nightwing
 * Imperial Guard gain the Marauder Bomber
 * Necron Tomb Spyder's Attack Scarabs have been granted flight ability and Necron Lord receives the C'tan Deceiver entity.
 * Orks gain the Fighta Bomba
 * Space Marines gain the Land Speeder Tempest
 * Tau gain the Barracuda
 * Dark Eldar gain the Raven
 * Sisters of Battle gain the Lightning Attack Fighter

[edit] Campaign
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Kaurava conflict began after a sudden appearance of a Warp Storm near Kaurava IV. The nine races were drawn to investigate the system with their own fleets and conflicting intentions. However, the Warp Storm wreaked havoc on their navigation interfaces, stranding them on the four planets and three moons of the system. The nine factions are then forced to battle between planets to ultimately conquer the planetary system and discover the reason for the warp storm.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The reason for the Warp Storm, as explained after the conquest of Chaos Forces, began with an ignorant Imperial Guardsman with latent psyker genes who was whispered to by the Chaos Gods, telling him to prepare a ritual. His actions unknowingly summoned the Alpha Legion to the Kaurava System, thus starting the conflict.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">As with its predecessor Dark Crusade, Soulstorm features a "meta-campaign" featuring 31 territories spread over four planets and three moons.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">One difference however, is that unlike Dark Crusade, there are no persistent bases. Once the player conquers a province, the base structures the player has built up will not be present in future conflicts. This can be remedied by reinforcing provinces with buildings and units in between battles, or by establishing a forward base using the Sisters of Battle army ability. See also: List of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War characters=== [edit] Canonical Ending=== <p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The fate of the Kaurava System depends on the actions taken by the various factions fighting over it. But the canonical ending is that the Imperial Guard was the faction that emerged victorious. The dialogue in Dawn of War II by Scout Sergeant Cyrus indicated that the Blood Ravens under Captain Indrick Boreale had died and suffered a terrible defeat in the Kaurava System, with all 5 of the Blood Raven companies under his command destroyed, essentially costing the Chapter half of its manpower in a single campaign. As a result, the Blood Ravens desperately needed to step up their recruiting process in sub-sector Aurelia, their only remaining recruiting ground.

[edit] Multiplayer
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Multiplayer remains the same as in previous titles, with players given the ability to either play via LAN or on the Gamespy network. A new 'medal' system has been added that provides rewards for certain player milestones (5-to-1 kill ratio, etc), but there is no means of viewing the complete collection of medals a player has earned. It is assumed this problem will be addressed when an official patch is released along with other various bug fixes and corrections to the game, such as the current issue restricting certain masses of players from joining online multiplayer games.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> is a real-time strategy<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">/ tactical role-playing video game<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> developed by Relic Entertainment<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and published by THQ<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> for Microsoft Windows<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> based on the fictional Warhammer 40,000<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> universe. It is the sequel to the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> video game series. Dawn of War II<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> was released in North America on February 19, 2009 <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-releasedate_1-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">[2] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and in Europe on February 20, 2009. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-eudate_2-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">[3]

Gameplay
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Playable armies at the initial release of the game include the Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, and Tyranids.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height:1em;">[4]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The gameplay of Dawn of War II is markedly different from that of Dawn of War and its expansions. Jonny Ebbert, the game's lead designer, describes the feel of the game by saying that it "takes everything that was great about the original and combines it with the best that Company of Heroes had to offer."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jonnyebbertinterview_4-0" style="line-height:1em;">[5] There is a heavier focus on cover, which gives more substantial defensive bonuses. Accordingly, there is also new emphasis on methods of dealing with units in cover. Some weapons, such as grenades and other explosives, can destroy cover, while others, such as flamers, ignore cover bonuses completely. Other differences between Dawn of War II and its predecessors include improved unit AI (squads under fire seek cover, for example), more realistically sized vehicles, and an improved physics engine.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jonnyebbertinterview_4-1" style="line-height:1em;">[5]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">As a Games for Windows - Live game, the game uses the Achievements system from Xbox LIVE, and is the first widely released, PC-exclusive game to use it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1em;">[6] Because of this, a player must be able to connect to the Windows Live servers in order to access the game's multiplayer features. The game also requires authentication via Steam.

[edit] Campaign
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Dawn of War II features a non-linear interplanetary campaign,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height:1em;">[7] playable as the Space Marines.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height:1em;">[8] The campaign can be played either as single-player or cooperatively with another player through an online connection.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-releasedate_1-2" style="line-height:1em;">[2]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The game's campaign departs from those of its predecessors in several key features. One of the most notable departures is that there are no base-building elements, unlike in previous Dawn of Wartitles. Instead, the player chooses the units to be used prior to beginning a mission, cannot build new units once the mission begins, and has only limited reinforcement options.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">A major part of the campaign lies in choosing which battles and even planets to fight in, and there are consequences regarding which missions are chosen. There may be multiple distress calls to answer, for example, each available for only a limited duration. Once a mission is chosen, the player may still have to choose between various objectives, having to decide between saving civilians or obtaining a powerful piece of wargear, for example.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Once a war zone and mission is selected, the player chooses only four squads to take part in the coming battle. Each squad is unique in its combat specialty, personality, and even the voice acting of its squad leader or sergeant. There is a strong narrative focus on the sergeants of these squads who can increase in experience and skills as the campaign progresses, and cannot ultimately be killed. Rather than dying in a mission, squad leaders are "knocked out" and can be revived either by a friendly unit in close proximity or upon completing the mission.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The campaign includes many elements traditionally associated with RPG-style games. Squad leaders and commander units can be equipped with the wargear which is gathered from battlefields and slain enemies and by accomplishing objectives during missions. Throughout the campaign, as a Space Marine kills enemies and achieves objectives, he gains experience, "levels up", learns new abilities, and gains bonuses.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height:1em;">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1em;">[10] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="line-height:1em;">[11]

[edit] Squads
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Force Commander: The player-named Force Commander leads the strike force throughout the game. The youngest Force Commander in the history of the Blood Ravens, he earned a reputation for his ability to command in situations that would have broken other leaders. The Force Commander is never heard speaking outside of battle, where he can be heard shouting, making him a silent protagonist.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Tarkus: A veteran of countless battles, Tarkus leads a squad of Tactical Marines, who specialize in drawing enemy fire with his "Taunt" ability, while reducing ranged damage and ignoring suppression with his "Tactical Advance" ability. Starting out as a ranged squad Tarkus and his squad can learn to equip flamers, chainswords, and power weapons, along with heavy-flamers, and storm bolters (when wearing Terminator armor). Other than the Force Commander, Tarkus is the only member of the strike force to be able to equip Terminator armor from the start of the game (Avitus and Thaddeus having to unlock by investing enough points in the right skills).

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Avitus: Avitus leads a Devastator squad, whose heavy bolters can suppress and slow enemies caught in their fire, using his "Focus Fire" ability to increase his attack damage and investing skill points in the "Ranged" Tree to further increase its effectiveness. A heavy weapon specialist, Avitus can equip rocket launchers and plasma cannons. Avitus can gain the ability to wear Terminator armor by investing enough points in the "Fortitude" tree.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Thaddeus: Thaddeus leads a squad of Assault Marines who specialize in close range combat. Using their jump packs they can fly into enemies and tear them apart in melee combat. Thaddeus can learn to use ranged weapons by investing skill points in his "Ranged" tree. Thaddeus can learn to wear Terminator armor by investing points in the melee skill tree.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Cyrus: Scout Sergeant Cyrus leads a squad of scouts who specialize in stealth, and infiltration, using his "Infiltrate" ability to turn invisible and scout ahead. Cyrus and his scouts have the lowest health of all available squads, since they eschew the signature Space Marine powered armor, but can "infiltrate", turning invisible. Cyrus can increase the duration and effectiveness of Infiltrate by investing his skill points in the "Will" tree, drastically reducing its cost, and allowing him to use his items without losing his invisibility. Cyrus can use Bolters, shotguns, and flamethrowers, and is able to unlock a special ability for each of them, making him the most versatile member of the strike force. Cyrus and his scouts are the only squad that is unable to equip Terminator armor.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Davian Thule: After being critically injured by a Tyranid warrior in the Blood Ravens first encounter with the aliens, Davian Thule is placed in stasis, and becomes a Dreadnought - a cybernetic combat walker - after the Strike Force secures a sample of the Tyranids's biotoxin, and joins them. Thule can specialize as either a ranged or melee assault walker by investing in the right skill tree, and can become a Venerable Dreadnought, by investing in the "Will" tree, allowing him to passively boost his allies during combat. Although powerful, Thule is vulnerable to anti-vehicle weapons and explosives, and cannot heal unless another squad uses the "Repair Rites" item, or he is nearby a "field asset", which heals and reinforces nearby squads. Thule can overcome this weakness by learning the "Ancient Defender" ability, which allows him to heal to full, when investing skill points in the "Fortitude" tree.

[edit] Plot
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The game opens with the player and Sergeant Tarkus deep-striking onto the planet Calderis to aid Captain Davian Thule and his initiates. As they drive away the Orks they are confronted by Mek Badzappa and his wartrukk. Although the Mek escapes, the Space Marines collapse the mine through which they are coming and achieve victory. After this they strike from the cruiser Armageddon into a hamlet where Scout Sergeant Cyrus is waiting for them. They manage to fight their way to the defender of the hamlet, Sergeant Avitus, rescue him and save the hamlet from Orks.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After this they receive word that Orks have attacked two more key locations and assume someone is leading them. The first attack is led by a Stormboyz Nob named Skykilla and the second by Warboss Gutrencha. After this the Marines obtain information from Skykilla and Gutrencha and find that both have visited Felhammer Mine recently. They also learn that Mek Badzappa is there as well. However Cyrus remains onboard the Armageddon to provide technical support. When they enter the mine they see a Warp Spider Exarch and his retinue vanish, and the Space Marines are rescued from Ork gunners by Sergeant Thaddeus. They also find Badzappa and his platoon under attack by an Eldar Warlock and a company of Guardians. Although they kill the Warlock, the Mek escapes once again. As the Warlock dies he speaks of a greater foe threatening them all, but the heroes remain unconcerned.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">They travel to planet Typhon to stop Eldar activity. A Warp Spider Exarch is stirring up the Orks into revolt and must be eliminated. He mentions nothing of the so-called "greater foe" but Thule asks them to return to Calderis as Mek Badzappa is launching an attack against the capital, and citizens are reporting plants mutating and small purple creatures killing livestock. The Space Marines arrive and finally kill the Mek, but they are soon attacked by the Tyranids. Thule is mortally wounded by a Tyranid Warrior and Techmarine Martellus leads them back to safety after they destroy the Tyranid attack force.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Space Marines return to Typhon, leaving Apothecary Gordian in charge of Thule. They kill the Eldar ranger Nemerian, who has been stirring up trouble, and return to Calderis to kill the Tyranid Warrior that mortally wounded Captain Thule.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After this they are voxed by Captain Gabriel Angelos(the protagonist of the first game) who tells them that he is bringing his company to aid them in their battle to stop the Tyranids, and gives them the three primary objectives of the game. To gain victory they must: gather a pure sample of Tyranid bio-toxin, so that poison can be created(and an antidote to possibly save Captain Thule's life); secure a long lost Astronomic Array on Typhon, which can find a weakness in the hive fleet; and gain control of the Angel Forge on the planet of Meridian to create the powerful weapons the heroes need. These can be completed in any order desired. Securing the Astronomic array will grant the player orbital bombardment and deep-strike, defending Angel Forge will allow Sergeant Tarkus to use Terminator Armour, and gathering the bio-toxin will provide a Dreadnought, which is the revived Captain Davian Thule. Meridian is the target of constant Eldar attacks and it is slowly revealed that Idranel of Ulthwe has been planning to lure the entire Tyranid fleet to Meridian and then destroy it, thus stopping the Tyranid threat and protecting their craftworld but destroying a vital forge world for the Blood Ravens.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Upon completion of all three objectives, the Tyranid poison is ready for delivery. However, Captain Angelos's ship the Litany of Fury (which has been traveling to the player's aid for some time) is psionically assaulted by the Hive Mind and is in grave danger of becoming lost in the Warp. This effectively takes your reinforcements out of the picture - but the Hive Mind is weakened from the exertion and goes to planet Typhon to feed. The player's strike team deploys on the planet and administers the poison to the Hive Mind through its feeder tendrils. In the space battle above, the Armageddon is destroyed and Gordian killed.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">As the poison takes effect, all appears lost as the strike team has no means of retreat and massive waves of Tyranids are preparing to attack. Suddenly, Captain Gabriel Angelos and an entire company of Blood Ravens land on the battlefield and protect your force from the oncoming Tyranids. Angelos himself joins your command and is completely controllable; with his help your team kills the Hive Tyrant Alpha and the day is won. As the hive fleet is defeated Gabriel reflects on how the Emperor created the Space Marines to battle the untold horrors of the galaxy, who would fight to the death to defend mankind, and how you and your strike force are those warriors.

[edit] Skirmish
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Dawn of War II includes a skirmish game as well, playable either as single-player or multiplayer, and uses the Games for Windows - Live online gaming service for multiplayer games and matchmaking.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="line-height:1em;">[12]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Prior to a match, a player chooses a faction and one of the chosen faction's three commanders. The various commanders are used to complement different strategies. For example, a player who chooses the Space Marine army can choose among the offense-oriented Force Commander, the support-oriented Apothecary, and the defense-oriented Techmarine.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Unlike most contemporary real-time strategy games, including Dawn of War, most of the unit and research production in Dawn of War II is done from an army's headquarters building, and unit upgrades are performed on the field of battle itself. The focus in the game is on frontline combat and unit-based tactics rather than the more traditional base-building style popularized in titles like Command & Conquer and the Age of Empires series.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jonnyebbertinterview_4-2" style="line-height:1em;">[5]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">There are only two game modes in the skirmish game thus far. There is the standard Victory Point Control mode where the key to winning is controlling the critical victory points on the map until your opponent's victory points run down to zero, and in unranked custom matches there is also the annihilation mode where players attempt to completely destroy their opponents' units and structures. In both modes, players fight to control requisition and power nodes which supply factions with required resources. In online ranked play, players compete in 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 matches. Annihilation games are not supported for ranked play.

[edit] The Last Stand
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">On October 14, 2009 Relic released a new game mode (as part of their 1.8.0 patch) for Dawn of War II, called The Last Stand. Players take control of either a Space Marine Captain, an Eldar Farseer or an Ork Mekboy, and co-operate with two other players in order to take on waves of AI controlled units. With the release of Chaos Rising, the Tyranid Hive Tyrant and Chaos Space Marine Sorcerer were also made playable. As the players play, they gain experience points which unlocks 'wargear' for their character. This was further improved with the release of Retribution which added an Imperial Guard Captain to the fray. A new DLC emerged giving players a chance to use the Shas'O Tau commander unit.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ, and the sequel expansion of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. The game was released on March 11, 2010 for Games for Windows.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Chaos Space Marines are introduced in the game and all the races in the previous game (Space Marines, Eldar, Orks, and Tyranids) were given new units.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="line-height:1em;">[1]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The game predominantly takes place on the ice-covered home-world of the Blood Ravens, Aurelia. Gabriel Angelos explains Aurelia was lost to the Warp for a thousand years, but has now reappeared along with an active Blood Ravens' beacon.

Campaign
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Chaos Rising is set one year after the events of Dawn of War II and the defeat of the Tyranid invasion (as well as the Eldar and Ork forces) of sub-sector Aurelia. The campaign marks the return of the Blood Raven heroes from the previous game, the Chaos Lord Eliphas from Dark Crusade, Derosa as the new governor of Meridian, and the heretical Vandis.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">New to Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising is the Corruption System. In the campaign there are often multiple objectives which will complete a mission; depending on which one a player chooses to complete, they will become more or less corrupted. Corruption describes how close the player's Marines (ie: the Force Commander, Jonah and the rest of the Squads under the player's command except for Davian Thule, who is the only member unaffected by corruption) are to turning to Chaos and betraying the Imperium of man. This is a conscious choice in the gameplay and will affect the ending of the game as well as what missions are available throughout the campaign for the player.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Two new environments are available in Chaos Rising to complement the three already available (the jungle/swamp terrain of Typhon, the deserts and canyons of Calderis, and the towering Gothic city-scape of Meridian). The new environments are:


 * Aurelia - Once a verdant world, home to billions of humans and the jewel of the sector. Thousands of years ago the planet was engulfed in a warp-storm (a stellar disturbance where the Chaotic dimension known as the Warp meets real space), causing the fertile world to become a frigid wasteland. After this, the planet disappeared into the warp entirely. After millennia, Aurelia has re-emerged with the forces of Chaos. This planet is the playground of the Dark Gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Nurgle.
 * The Space Hulk, Judgment Of Carrion - A Space Hulk is a giant derelict ghost ship (in some cases they are made up of many different ships or even parts of small asteroids and space stations) which floats randomly in and out of the Warp. Often hundreds or thousands of years old, Space Hulks can contain any sort of horrors and treasures. In Chaos Rising, the Judgment of Carrion has emerged from the Warp along with Aurelia and is inhabited by a splinter of a Tyranid Hive Fleet and within this ship lies many secrets.

[edit] Plot
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The Force-Commander and his strike-force arrive on Planet Aurelia, along with the newly requisitioned Strike Cruiser "Retribution", after receiving a Blood Ravens encoded distress signal. The distress signal turns out to be a trap, and the Blood Ravens are ambushed by traitor Guardsmen of House Vandis. After escaping the trap and leaving the area, the Force-Commander along with the Dreadnought Davian Thule move to rescue the Librarian Jonah Orion, who is under attack by Eldar forces that have unearthed ancient ruins and revived Wraithguards.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After receiving a distress call from Governor Derosa, the Blood Ravens proceed to Meridian's Angel Gate where bands of Orks, driven there by House Vandis forces, are looting the area. They later encounter Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion who are attempting to take over Angel Forge. Despite the presence of Eliphas the Inheritor, a former Dark Apostle from the Word Bearers Legion thought long dead on Kronus, the forces of Chaos are repelled. After halting the Chaos raid, a combined Imperial Guard-Blood Ravens strike-force returns to Aurelia to attack Legion forces dug into the area. Resisting intense artillery barrages from House Vandis forces and wave upon wave of cultists, the Blood Ravens discover a Chaos Temple and after a gruesome battle against summoned Daemons, destroy it completely. Taunting them throughout their struggles is the champion of the Black Legion, Araghast the Pillager.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After the Chaos Temple falls, the warp begins to tear the planet asunder which forces them to make an immediate evacuation. Araghast let the Force-Commander and his strike-force to escape since it will waste the value of the traitor in the Blood Ravens and tells Eliphas that his vengeance can wait. On board the Retribution, a recording was found that implicates a traitor within the Chapter who gave Chaos the transmitting codes that were used to ambush the Blood Ravens when they first arrived on Aurelia. The Blood Ravens then return to Meridian to aid the 85th Vendoland in recapturing Spire Legis. With the help of Sergeant Thaddeus (who requested to be on the mission), they successfully weaken the Chaos and Heretic forces holding the area. They also destroy an Eldar strike force that was uncovering ancient ruins on Typhon with Sergeant Tarkus. After dispatching numerous problems, Space Marine Scouts on Calderis send out a distress call that they have been engaged by a substantial number of Chaos forces. With the help of Sergeant Cyrus, they save the initiates from certain death and kill a Chaos Sorcerer operating in the area. Soon after, a contingent of the Blood Ravens Honor Guard, led by Captain Apollo Diomedes, arrives. Diomedes, acting on behalf of the Blood-Ravens' Chapter Master and Chief Librarian, Azariah Kyras, orders all Blood Ravens to cease all engagements with the Black Legion forces and return to their ships until further ordered.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Disgruntled by the orders but still loyal, the Blood Ravens return to the Retribution. Several highly encrypted transmissions are intercepted. However, despite their best efforts they are unable to fully dissipate the message's masking. Techmarine Martellus, having survived the Tyranid invasion, accesses the Astronomic Array on Typhon. He reports that he has recovered detailed information about the arrivals and departures of a giant Space Hulk, The Judgment of Carrion. The Space Hulk contains a logic engine system that is powerful enough to remove the masking on the intercepted messages. Meanwhile, investigating how heretic forces had duplicated a Blood Ravens signal, Cyrus learns that there is a traitor on-board theRetribution.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">When the Space Hulk arrives as Martellus predicted, the Blood Ravens find the ship infested by a splinter of the Tyranid Hive fleet. The foul taint of the Warp also permeates the vessel, cutting their stay aboard extremely short. Not far into the Space Hulk, they discover the bodies of fallen Blood Ravens of the Fifth Company; mysteriously their gene-seeds have been prepared but not collected and stored by an Apothecary. Raising even more questions, the names of the fallen Marines are still marked as on-duty within the Chapter Honor Guard. After much progression throughout the ship, slaughtering innumerable amounts of feral Tyranids and recovering the remaining gene-seed with Librarian Jonah Orion, the Blood Ravens finally gain access into a large sealed vault that contains the logic engine system. Inside, numerous Space Marine corpses strew the floor, each puzzlingly with their gene-seeds prepared but not collected. While accessing the logic engine, they find a dataslate written by Apothecary Galan that details the expedition he and fellow Marines made onto the Space Hulk.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Galan was part of the expeditionary group led by the then-Librarian Azariah Kyras. The message contains references to a Daemon named Ulkair that was stalking them within the ship. The Daemon is seeking their gene-seed which compelled Apothecary Galan to try and hide them. Galan worries however that, eventually, the subtle whisperings of the Daemon might overcome them, he also worries for Kyras who has exerted much of his psychic strength in fending off the Daemon and his minions. Kyras seems apathetic about the death of his Battle Brothers and slight hints are made from Galan's description of events that point at slight corruption on his part.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Leaving the Space Hulk and allowing Martellus to analyze the newly acquired logic engine to unmasked messages of the traitor, the Blood Ravens answer to yet another distress signal from Governor Derosa. Chaos Forces have besieged the Capital City of Meridian and are assaulting the Governor's palace itself. The Force-Commander goes to the defense of the Governor and beats back multiple waves of Black Legion and Vandis Heretic forces on the palace's doorstep. The Blood Ravens receive a transmission on their private voice channels from Araghast the Pillager, mocking them and challenging them along with Sergeant Avitus to a duel. The Blood Ravens, despite orders from Diomedes, assault Planet Aurelia and answer to Araghast's challenge. Araghast uses the powers of the warp to teleport himself away from the Blood Ravens when they finally located him until Eliphas, who is overseeing the teleportation rituals, betrays Araghast and refuses to transport him away. Enraged, Araghast violently fights back the Blood Ravens, who ultimately end up defeating him. Leaving Eliphas as the new field commander of the Black Legion. Enthralled by the silencing of Araghast, the Blood Ravens remark the fitting end that a leader of traitors was, ironically, destroyed thanks to a traitor. Martellus, analyzing copious amounts of Data, reports to the Force-Commander that Apothecary Galan is still alive and also within the Honor Guard of the Blood-Ravens. They also find yet another coded transmission from the traitor to Galan.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Despite the threat posed by Chaos, Captain Diomedes orders all the Blood Ravens to leave the sub-sector immediately. Gabriel Angelos, unwilling to simply leave the Blood Ravens recruiting worlds to fester, orders the Force-Commander and his squads to disregard Diomedes's orders. Angelos travels to Calderis where Diomedes is operating out of, and confronts him regarding the retreat order. Diomedes, acting in the name of Kyras, declares Angelos and his men Traitors to the Chapter, and sends out a notice to all Blood Ravens to kill him on sight. Knowing that Gabriel Angelos can be no true traitor, the Force-Commander and his squads infiltrate Captain Diomedes's fire-base on Calderis. Within, they locate Apothecary Galan along with a host of Honor Guards that they find have all been corrupted by the forces of Chaos. The strike-force attacks Galan who in his dying moments thanks them for freeing him from the influence of Chaos. He then tells them that everyone on board the Judgment of Carrion had been corrupted by Chaos, along with most of the men here. Captain Diomedes's is found to be pure of corruption however, but is blinded by his pride. The strike-force proceeds to the Honor Guard's Command Center where they hope to access its logs to expose the traitor on the Retribution. The Command Center is unfortunately destroyed and Captain Diomedes's appears on the scene, branding the Commander as heretics for what they have just done. The Commander and his squad explain to Diomedes what had transpired and the events on board the Judgment of Carrion. Diomedes was shocked to hear about it, along with the name of the daemon, and allows them to escape. Meanwhile, logs from Galan's dataslate that was found onboard the Judgment of Carrion reveal that Kyras had fallen to Chaos long before the expedition. In addition, the Daemon Ulkair was imprisoned within Planet Aurelia and they finally realize that Eliphas is planning to release him.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">On Planet Aurelia, Eliphas explains that just before the planet was taken by the Warp long ago, Kyras managed to imprison Ulkair after Kyras's master Moriah was killed in battle. Soon after, the warp descended upon the planet taking both Kyras and the Planet. Kyras, trapped within the warp, made a deal with Ulkair to guarantee his escape, he ended up on board the Judgment of Carion. Eliphas then sacrifices a captured Blood Raven scout and a plague champion to release Ulkair. Ulkair thanks Eliphas for releasing him and promises him more power and control under its service, albeit sinisterly. As the player and his squad return to planet Aurelia, they discover that the traitor is (one of the player's squad members with the highest level of corruption, or Techmarine Martellus if the squad is completely pure) who immediately leaves the Strike Cruiser and joins with the Chaos Force on the ground. After they kill the traitor, he tells them that Ulkair has been revived and confirms that Kyras was part of Chaos. Gabriel arrives with his Battle-Barge The Litany of Fury, the Force-Commander and his squads immediately tell him what they have learned. Gabriel, wasting no time, launches a grand assault upon Aurelia's Chapter Keep. Making use of Predator tanks to secure a beachhead, numerous Chaos Bases are destroyed as the Force-Commander and his squad gather to assault Ulkair. As they begin to approach the Daemon, they are intercepted by Eliphas who forces them into combat. Before they can deal a killing blow, Eliphas is saved by the warp and escapes death yet again. The Commander and his men now have no more obstacles in their way to Ulkair. In a long and difficult battle, the Daemon is finally vanquished and sealed again. However, Ulkair remarks that no prison may hold him forever and that he will eventually return and slaughter them all.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">At the Battle-Barge The Litany of Fury, Gabriel declares their victory over the Black Legion and Ulkair the Unclean One. He tells though of the greater challenges that await them, since Azariah Kyras has been corrupted by Chaos, the only thing that the Blood Ravens may do now is slay him. Gabriel then speaks to the Commander and his squad about their actions (Depending on the player's redemption and corruption level of choice and actions). Meanwhile, a resurrected Eliphas tells Abaddon the Despoiler, The Warmaster of the Black Legion, that he promises to annihilate the Blood Ravens.

[edit] Ending
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Once the player reaches the end of the game, it gives out five endings that the player may receive depending on the player's redemption and corruption levels.


 * Full Purity - If the player does all the redemption missions and kills Apothecary Galan and not Captain Diomedes, and Techmarine Martellus becomes the traitor, the player's character and his squads will act as Agents of Purification within the Chapter and with the help of Gabriel and Diomedes after learning the truth about the Corruption within the Blood Ravens. The player's character is bestowed the position of Brother Captain of the Fourth Company.
 * Purity - If the player attacks Diomedes not Galan and/or one of his squads becomes a traitor, the player's character and his squads will be marked as renegades along with Gabriel.
 * Neutral - If the player does both redemption and corruption in all of the missions (Killing all the Blood Ravens, and not killing both Diomedes and Galan), the player's character will be banished from the chapter and exiled to the Eye of Terror for a hundred years.
 * Corruption - If the player has greater corruption points than his redemption, player's character will be executed for heresy by Gabriel.
 * Full Corruption - If the player does all of the corruption missions and has a full level of corruption in all of his squads, the player's character becomes the next Chaos Lord of the Black Legion war-band on Aurelia.

[edit] Canonical Ending
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">In the Space Marine Campaign in Dawn of War II: Retribution, it's revealed that Apollo Diomedes is alive and still serves under Chapter Master Kyras. Tactical Sergeant Tarkus reveals that the traitor of the Chapter was Devastator Sergeant Avitus, and after his death Tarkus makes an oath of silence and is dubbed as "The Ancient". Scout Sergeant Cyrus, Techmarine Martellus and Librarian Jonah Orion still serve under Captain Gabriel Angelos and Captain Davian Thule was killed in the prologue mission of the Chaos Campaign. Assault Sergeant Thaddeus was never mentioned, probably still serving the Force Commander, who was marked as a renegade by Blood Ravens Chapter Master Azariah Kyras.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution is the stand-alone second expansion to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, part of the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series of real-time strategy computer games. Set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe, the single player campaign is playable with multiple races.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Imperial Guard is introduced as a new race, and all races including the races from the original game and the first expansion (the Eldar, the Space Marines, Chaos, the Orks and the Tyranids) are now playable in single-player.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-store.steampowered.com_1-0" style="line-height:1em;">[2]

Campaign
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Dawn of War II: Retribution offers a campaign for every race, including the Imperial Guard. The campaign takes place across different planets in Sub-sector Aurelia, including the jungle world Typhon Primaris, the desert world Calderis, the arctic world Aurelia, the hive world Meridian, the derelict ship Judgment of Carrion, and the dead world Cyrene.

[edit] Setting
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Dawn of War II: Retribution takes place ten years after events of Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising. The sub-sector is now suffering from conflict between Ork pirates called the Freebooterz led by Kaptin Bluddflagg to pillage the sub-sector,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height:1em;">[5] the arrival of the Eldar of the Craftworld Alaitoc led by Autarch Kayleth to seek about a prophecy and recovering an ancient artifact,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1em;">[6] a Tyranid Hive Lord restoring the remnants of the Hive Fleet Leviathan and to the link of the Hive Mind,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height:1em;">[7] the Blood Ravens defending the sub-sector led by Captain Apollo Diomedes to hunt down Chaos as well as investigating their Chapter Master, Azariah Kyras, for being corrupted by Chaos,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height:1em;">[8] the return of Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion led by Eliphas the Inheritor to fulfill his promise to Abaddon the Despoiler to annihilate the Blood Ravens,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height:1em;">[9] and the newly arriving Imperial Guard of the 8th Cadian Regiment led by Lord General Castor, performing an Exterminatus under Inquisitor Adrastia to investigate for corruption within Sub-sector Aurelia as well as the Blood Ravens' Chapter Master Azariah Kyras. These events may have been caused by Gabriel Angelos' actions (from the original Dawn of War game) when he destroyed a stone with the hammer "God-Splitter" which held within it a daemon of Khorne.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1em;">[10]

[edit] Plot
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The player's character arrives on Typhon Primaris engaging and battling an opposing faction and defeating their leader. Later, the faction leader is given the objective to eliminate Azariah Kyras who intends to use the impending Exterminatus as a sacrifice to Khorne and ascend to daemonhood. The player quickly attempts to reach a means of transport off Typhon escaping a local cult along the way.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Arriving on Calderis, the player character fights against corrupted Blood Ravens Space Marines operating under orders to purge the planet. After destroying a Warp portal on Aurelia, the faction learns of an attack on Meridian ordered by Kyras and arrives there killing the traitor guardsmen and uncovering a transmission from Kyras revealing his location on Typhon.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The player character returns to Typhon Primaris to confront Kyras himself, only to be ambushed by Eldar from Craftworld Biel-Tan. Wary of a ritual they are undergoing, the player's character kills the Eldar there. Following this, Kyras reveals that the Eldar ritual was preventing the Imperial Inquisition fleet from arriving at the sub-sector. The Inquisition fleet arrives, beginning Exterminatus on Typhon Primaris. The player escapes Typhon before the Exterminatus finishes. Typhon is reduced to ash.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Finding themselves on the Judgment of Carrion, the player's characters recover and determine to stop Kyras. It is deduced that he is hiding on Cyrene as the planet underwent Exterminatus decades ago and the inquisition will not travel there. On Cyrene, the player characters launch an attack against a joint alliance of Chaos Space Marines, corrupt Imperial Guardsmen and traitor Blood Ravens by using their most powerful unit against them. Kyras begins to ascend into daemonhood. Gabriel and his 3rd Company launch an attack on Kyras but are quickly wounded or killed. The player's faction then launches their own attack killing Kyras.

[edit] Ending
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After Kyras' death, the ending of the game will depend on which race the players character chose:


 * Chaos - Eliphas allows the Exterminatus to continue, thus sacrificing the sector to Khorne. He is thus granted daemonhood by the Blood God.
 * Eldar - Ronahn recovers the soulstone of his sister, Taldeer, and decides to return to Craftworld Ulthwé with her.
 * Imperial Guard - Inquisitor Adrastia returns to the Inquisition to suspend the Exterminatus on sub-sector Aurelia by presenting Kyras' psychic hood as proof that the threat has ended while Lord General Castor and Sergeant Major Merrick commend each other for their actions rather backhandedly.
 * Orks - Inquisitor Adrastia attempts to renege the deal between her and Kaptin Bluddflagg with assassination. Unfortunately, Kaptin Bluddflagg catches her off guard and takes her hat which he wanted in their deal. Following that, he claims theJudgment of Carrion as his new krooza and uses it to leave the subsector.
 * Space Marines - Captain Diomedes contacts Inquisitor Adrastia to halt the Exterminatus. The Chapter is then purged of any remaining chaos taint and Gabriel Angelos, after being brought back to life and rebuilt with bionics, is appointed as the new Chapter Master. Most likely the canonical ending.
 * Tyranids - The Tyranids launch a surprise attack and consume the entire sub-sector, resulting in a 94% casualty rate for the Imperial Guard forces and the complete annihilation of the Blood Ravens, who refused to retreat.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> is a third-person<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> action video game<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> developed by Relic Entertainment<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and published by THQ<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">. It was released for Microsoft Windows<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">, PlayStation 3<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and Xbox 360<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> on September 6, 2011, in North America <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Steam_0-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">[1] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> and September 9, 2011, in Europe. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-EURelease_1-1" style="line-height:1em;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">[2] <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> The game takes place in Games Workshop<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;">'s Warhammer 40,000<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;text-align:-webkit-auto;"> universe and features the Ultramarines chapter. Its gameplay focuses on a hybrid shooting and melee combat model.

Gameplay
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">In Space Marine, the player engages enemies through a third-person view with both melee and ranged attacks. The player character, Titus, has regenerative abilities. When health gets low, performing executions can allow Titus to get a portion of his health back. Titus is accompanied by Sidonus and Leandros for most of the missions, though in some instances missions are performed solo. The game features a fury system that, when filled up, allows the player to either slow time for aiming or perform devastating melee attacks.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The starting weapons include a combat knife and a pistol, though the player can acquire other weapons. The game includes a new weapon not featured in the table-top game known as the Vengeance Launcher, which can shoot sticky grenades.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The main antagonists the player must fight are the Orks and the Forces of Chaos. The Orks are an alien race whose sheer numbers and brutish warriors make a devastating opponent. The Forces of Chaos are a far more serious threat who can extinguish the life of whole star systems by summoning nearly limitless amounts of horrors that flourish in a parallel universe known as The Warp. Portals conjured by the Traitor Legions - renegade Space Marines - allow the daemons to cross over into real-space.

[edit] Plot
<p style="line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The game's plot line involves the Forge World Graia (a planet devoted totally to the mass production of military ordnance, vehicles and weapons) that has been invaded by alien Orks. The most important military product manufactured there are Warlord-class Titans, which are gigantic robotic combat vehicles the size of a sky scraper. Rather than risk escalating the war with weapons of mass destruction or waiting for enough reinforcements, the leadership of the Imperium of Man-The High Lords Of Terra request that the super soldier Space Marines of the Ultramarines chapter be sent in ahead of the Liberation Fleet to save Manufactorum Ajakis, the factory complex where the Titans are assembled and stored.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The game follows three of the Ultramarines, 2nd Company Commander and playable character Captain Titus, his right hand man Sergeant Sidonus, and a relatively inexperienced and by-the-book Marine named Leandros.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">After an unorthodox method of landing by use of jump pack, destroying an Ork warship in the process, the trio are separated briefly and then reunite. They then proceed to link up with surviving Imperial Guardsmen, disable a captured orbital gun that is preventing any aircraft from operating near it, stop a train loaded with explosives from being used to ram down the doors of the Manufactorum, and enter the factory to locate a new major character by the name of Inquistor Drogan, a high ranking agent of the Imperial Inquisition who sent out a distress call.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Drogan claims he has a weapon that can wipe out the Orks, the Psychic Scourge, which is located in a power reactor below the Manufactorum. Retrieving the device, Titus comes in direct contact with it. The Marines and Drogan travel to an orbital elevator called The Spire, the ideal location to detonate the device. The Orks are not killed, however, but instead a warp gate to the psychic realm of Chaos is opened. It is then revealed that the enemies that Drogan feared were Chaos Marines and not Orks, Drogan was killed after sending his message, and Drogan's corpse had actually just been possessed by the Demon who killed him that serves Lord Nemeroth, the Chaos leader who steps out of the gateway along with his army of Chaos Marines, cultists and Chaos Daemons.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Ork Warboss Grimskull intervenes and attacks Nemeroth, allowing the three Space Marines to escape. Titus forms a plan to destroy chaos gates by destroying The Spire using one of the titans they saved earlier on. Ork Warboss Grimskull is eventually killed by Titus which breaks the Orks' coordination and renders them no longer a major threat as they fight each other. The Titan Invictus is powered up by the experimental device, and destroys The Spire. However, Sergeant Sidonus is killed by Lord Nemeroth, and the experimental device is stolen and taken to the floating remains of The Spire.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">Titus then leads an attack through the remaining Chaos forces to reach the remnants of the Spire aided by Space Marines of the Blood Ravens chapter and his own Ultramarines to stop Lord Nemeroth from performing a ritual to ascend to Daemonhood using the power of the device. Nemeroth has partially ascended to Daemonhood when he is knocked off the spire, and Titus defeats him in single combat while falling towards the ground. He then breaks the experimental device in half with his hands. Titus survives the exposure to the raw Warp energy, and is rescued by a Thunderhawk dropship before impacting the ground.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;text-align:-webkit-auto;">The end scene of the game involves Leandros bringing in a new Imperial Inquisitor by the name of Thrax, who arrests Titus on the fear he may be corrupted by Chaos energy and is taken away for examination. Titus chastises Leandros for his narrowmindedness, claims he knows nothing about why he is resistant to Chaos and his intentions are noble, but still willingly goes with Inquisitor Thrax rather than creating a dishonorable scene and staining the good name of the Ultramarines. Before leaving the planet, Titus claims that to be an Ultramarine one must understand the risks and rules; he says that Leandros has failed to do so, thus shaming his chapter. A computerised report for the Imperium records that the threat on Graia has been contained, the planet is under quarantine by order of Inquisitor Thrax, and Captain Titus is under formal investigation by the Inquisition on charges of heresy.

Credits
Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War - Winter Assault Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_%E2%80%93_Winter_Assault 

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War - Dark Crusade Wikpedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_%E2%80%93_Dark_Crusade 

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War - Soulstorm Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_%E2%80%93_Soulstorm

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War II Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_II

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_II_%E2%80%93_Chaos_Rising

Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War II - Retribution Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dawn_of_War_II_%E2%80%93_Retribution 

Warhammer 40,000 - Space Marine Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Space_Marine

Warhammer 40,000 Wikia: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki 

Warhammer 40,000 Fanon Wikia: http://warhammer40kfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40,000_Wiki 

All information, citation, and reference can be found on these Wiki's.