Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War Definitive Edition is a remastered version of Dawn of War, along with its expansions. If it's you're first time trying out a real-time strategy game, it may look intimidating. Luckily, the game is easy to get into. If you're looking to start, here's a beginner's guide on Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War Definitive Edition.
Start with the Dark Crusade Campaign
Dawn of War – Definitive Edition comes with the base game and expansions. Each expansion has a single-player campaign that you can complete. Out of the 4 campaigns, it's best to start with the Dark Crusade Campaign.
The Dark Crusade Campaign has a great tutorial to guide you through the game and its mechanics. It's also easy to get into without any consequences if you play in Normal or Easy mode.
Aggressive Gameplay Wins Matches
Unlike other RTS games, Dawn of War encourages aggression. Control Points are crucial locations scattered across the map. Sending units to these Control Points earns you Requisition, the leading resource of the game. Taking over the Control Points is critical to winning the match.
Having an aggressive play style will help you gain map control and earn resources more quickly. By being aggressive and expanding your control on the map, you will secure the win.
Maintain Morale
Dawn of War has a unique mechanic, the Morale System. Every infantry unit has two health bars, one for HP and one for Morale. Morale significantly influences a unit's effectiveness in combat. Having your units with a full Morale bar means they are in their peak combat performance.
If their Morale reaches zero, they become 80% less accurate and have a minor movement bonus. Luckily, low Morale isn't permanent. Units that aren't taking damage will generate their Morale over time. So, you'd better pay attention to the Army's Morale to ensure a win.
Utilize Hotkeys
Dawn of War can be played by using your mouse to select units and directing them to their desired locations. Keyboards aren't required to play the game, but knowing the right hotkeys can increase efficiency in building your units and structures, especially on challenging levels and multiplayer matches. Here are some Hotkeys to use in Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition.
- Period (.): The inactive builder units are cycled through during.
- Comma (,): Cycles through the military units that are not in use.
- Ctrl + R: Cycles through the research buildings that are not in use.
- F1–F5: Rotates between the battle stances of a unit.
- Shift + Right Click: All inputs are queued and finished one after the other for that unit.
- Ctrl + any number key: Create a unit group, press. Press the number to reselect every unit in the group.
Try Out Every Faction
Dawn of War has 9 Factions to choose from, and mastering them may seem difficult. Once you get the hang of the game and its core fundamentals, each faction will be easy to master. It's best to try out each faction and see how each one fits your playstyle. Here are all the 9 Factions in Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition.
- Space Marines: Their playstyle is balanced and adaptable.
- Chaos Space Marines: Their playstyle relies on aggressive raw damage.
- Orks: Their playstyle focuses on their numbers: the more, the better.
- Eldar: Their playstyle emphasizes details to achieve victory.
- Imperial Guard: Their playstyle relies on defense until they get their armored vehicles.
- Tau Empire: Their playstyle focuses on long-range units.
- Necrons: Their playstyle is slow, and they are difficult to kill.
- Dark Eldar: Their playstyle relies on hit-and-run attacks.
- Sisters of Battle: Their playstyle relies on faith abilities, and they are great at breaking morale.
