Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II drops the base-building grind of its predecessor and replaces it with a command-and-control system that rewards aggression. Games Workshop’s second outing for Space Marines, Orks, Eldar and Necrons strips away the static economy and forces players to move, fight and retreat constantly. The result is a real-time strategy game that feels more like a tactical shooter than a slow resource management puzzle. It is not perfect, but it is often exhilarating.
Trailer, via dawnofwarDE.
Commanding the Battle
The core loop is simple. You send squads out on missions, and each squad has a chain of command: a leader who can issue orders, a sergeant who can buff morale, and standard troopers who do the fighting. The game tracks every soldier individually, so you can watch your squads advance, fall back, or hold a position under fire. That level of detail gives the battles a sense of weight that simpler RTS games lack.
The commander role is central. You are not just giving orders from a distance; you are directing units through narrow streets, across open fields, and into ambushes. The game punishes hesitation. If you keep your troops pinned down behind cover while enemies advance, they will break. If you push forward with discipline, you can sweep past enemy lines.
Squads and Specializations
Each race in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II has its own set of squad types. The Space Marines get Tactical Squads, Scout Squads and Devastator Squads, each with a distinct role. The Orks have Boyz, Shootas and Painboyz. The Eldar favor Rangers, Guardians and Warp Spiders. The Necrons bring Immortals, Warriors and Destroyers.
These specializations matter. A Devastator Squad can lay down heavy fire against massed infantry, but it is weak against fast-moving units. A Warp Spider can strike from the shadows and escape, but it cannot hold a position. The game encourages you to mix and match, building squads that can handle multiple threats. That flexibility keeps the campaign from feeling repetitive.
The Campaign Structure
The main campaign follows a Space Marine captain named Garro as he leads his forces against Ork invaders on the planet Graia. The plot is thin, but the mission design is strong. Missions are often linear, but they are full of branching objectives and side paths. You might be told to capture a strategic location, but you can also choose to wipe out nearby Ork camps for extra resources.
The campaign also introduces a series of skirmish maps where you can test your strategies against AI opponents. These maps are smaller and faster than the campaign missions, making them ideal for quick play. They are not essential, but they add replay value for players who want to master the finer points of unit positioning.
Performance and Presentation
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II runs on the Relic Engine, which delivers detailed models and smooth animations. The battlefield is dense with debris, smoke and explosions, and the game handles large battles without major frame drops. The sound design is also strong, with dramatic music and clear voiceovers for key characters.
The game supports Linux, PC and Mac, and the performance is consistent across all three platforms. There are no major technical issues holding it back. The controls are precise, and the camera stays steady even during chaotic fights.
Where It Falls Short
The game is not without flaws. The difficulty curve is uneven. Some missions are brutally hard, requiring you to learn enemy patterns and adapt your tactics. Others are easy by comparison, which can make the pacing feel off. The campaign also lacks a strong sense of story progression. Characters are introduced and then forgotten, and the lore is mostly delivered through flavor text rather than dialogue.
The multiplayer is solid but limited. There is a skirmish mode and a competitive ladder, but the online community is not as active as it was during the game’s peak. The single-player campaign remains the strongest draw, and it is the part most worth returning to.
A Rough Order
Here is a rough breakdown of the campaign missions, based on the order they appear:
| Mission | Focus |
|---|---|
| Mission One | Introduces the chain of command |
| Mission Two | First encounter with Ork forces |
| Mission Three | Early skirmishes on Graia |
| Mission Four | The fall of a strategic outpost |
| Mission Five | Pushing back the Ork advance |
| Mission Six | Climax of the Graia campaign |
Ranking the Races
Here is how the four races stack up in terms of depth and variety:
- Space Marines — the most balanced and versatile faction
- Eldar — the most agile and mobile faction
- Orks — the simplest but most chaotic faction
- Necrons — the hardest to master due to their slow movement
Final Word
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is a bold reinvention of a tired formula. It takes the classic RTS template and strips away the clutter, leaving a leaner, more engaging experience. The command-and-control system is a genuine innovation, and the squad-based combat is some of the best the genre has produced.
It is not a perfect game. The campaign is thin, the difficulty is uneven, and the multiplayer is modest. But when it clicks, it clicks hard. The battles are tense, the unit interactions are satisfying, and the tactical depth is substantial.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
