King Art Games is building Dawn of War 4 as a real-time strategy game, and the Space Marines are back at the center of it. The studio has already shown competitive multiplayer footage, but IGN has now gone deeper with creative director Jan Theysen, who spoke about how the Blood Ravens, Dark Angels and their primarch actually work in the game. The interview covers strategy, upgrades, and why the Space Marines are the elite faction to play.
The interview also comes with a set of exclusive screenshots showing the Marines in action. IGN has gathered them into a slideshow.
The Elite Faction
Theysen describes the Space Marines as the most elite faction in Dawn of War 4. Players control relatively few units, but each one is expensive and powerful. Losing a Marine hurts because you want to protect them, upgrade them, and watch them grow through equipment and abilities.
“You control relatively few units that are pretty expensive, but also very good in what they’re doing,” Theysen told IGN. “You don’t want to lose them. You want to upgrade them.”
The challenge is that few units means you are not everywhere. Early in the game, you win wherever you are, but you cannot cover every point on the map at once.
Winning With Few Units
In multiplayer, Theysen recommends getting out quickly and capturing resource points. Space Marines have a disadvantage compared to other factions, though, because they cannot capture all the points fast enough. They simply do not have enough units to spread thin.
“But the good news is that in the early game no other early game unit can defeat a Space Marine,” Theysen said. “They are the big boys. But also there are few. And so that is the challenge: wherever you are you are winning, but you are not everywhere.”
He suggests being aggressive and recapturing enemy points. Space Marines are hard to kill, so you can hold a position while waiting for reinforcements. Retreat only if the enemy has two or three units attacking you. Otherwise, auto-heal your unit and wait for backup.
Building and Reserves
Space Marines can build anywhere on the map without needing a builder unit. They call buildings from orbit instead. That freedom lets you put production buildings near resource points or close to the front lines.
“You can maybe put some of your production buildings next to resource points, or almost build a little bit of a secondary base somewhere closer to the front line maybe, so that when you produce units they are already where you need them,” Theysen explained.
Players can also produce units in reserve. Instead of sending a unit to the battlefield immediately, you keep it in orbit and bring it down via Drop Pod or Thunderhawk. That gives you flexibility for surprise attacks or quick captures.
“These shock and awe tactics, so to speak, is really something that Space Marines excel at,” Theysen said.
Upgrades and Specialization
One of the biggest additions for the Space Marines is specialization. As units level up, players can give them better weapons and choose a focus. The Intercessors, for example, can go for longer range or a faster-firing Auto Bolter.
“You can push the units in a certain direction,” Theysen said. “And this is also true if you have something like a Dreadnought. Do you want a Dreadnought that’s really strong against vehicles? Or do you want a Dreadnought that’s really strong against masses of infantry?”
The options include a Gatling gun or a plasma gun, depending on what you want the Dreadnought to handle. The result is a flexible force that can adapt to different threats.
Comparing the Factions
Theysen compares the Space Marines to the other factions in Dawn of War 4. The table below summarizes how he sees each side:
| Faction | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | Elite, expensive, hard to kill | Few units, slow to capture points |
| Necrons | Unknown in interview | Unknown in interview |
| Orks | Unknown in interview | Unknown in interview |
| Adeptus Mechanicus | Unknown in interview | Unknown in interview |
The interview focuses on the Marines, so the other factions remain unranked. Theysen does note that the Marines are probably one of the easier factions to play because you do not have to manage as many units.
The Slideshow
IGN has compiled a slideshow of exclusive screenshots showing the Space Marines in action.
The screenshots give players a sense of how the faction moves across the battlefield. They are the first detailed look at the Marines in motion.
The slideshow is available now, and readers can view the full gallery online.
Key Takeaways
The interview is a deep dive into the design philosophy behind the Space Marines. Theysen talks about balance, tactics, and the joy of building specialized squads.
The key takeaways are simple:
- The Space Marines are the elite faction.
- You control few units, so you protect them.
- You build anywhere on the map from orbit.
- You specialize units as they level up.
- You use reserves to hit targets from orbit.
Dawn of War 4 is still in development, and the final product will tell the full story. But based on what Theysen has shared, the Space Marines look like a compelling faction to play.
Source material: “Exclusive Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 Space Marine Screenshots and Interview With Creative Director Jan Theysen,” IGN.
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