Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

[TheGreyRonin]

I'm a big fan of Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, and was just curious if there are any other players out there.

I have the original and the first expansion (Winter Assault), and will hopefully be getting the just-released Dark Crusade second expansion within a week.

I personally prefer the Space Marines as a race, although I've come to appreciate the Imperial Guard's strengths as well.

The attraction for me is how heavily the game relies on strategy. If you can't use the abilities of your chosen race effectively, you're in for a rough time and much frustration, and it is almost impossible to just power over other players with sheer numbers. Thinking is key to victory, and raises this game, IMHO, above the usual "I make/train lots of troops, I win" games that seem to flood the market.

Anyone else?

[Magic]

I'm still bitter that they haven't added the Tyranids yet.

[TheGreyRonin]

I'm still bitter that they haven't added the Tyranids yet.

I agree, though I'm middlin' pleased that Dark Crusade has Necrons and the Tau. And I've seen a couple pretty sweet Tyranid fan mods around.

[insanekaosx]

I would love this game all the more if it had Tyranids.

I still need to finish Winter Assault, I've promised myself I wont' get Dark Crusade until I do. I did play the demo though, and the Tau are quite fun.

Demo didn't allow necrons, though ;.;

[Kasarn]

They've already said that they'll never officially add Tyranids.

Anyway, I suck at Dawn of War. I was regularly pwned by the Skirmish AI mod.
I did beat it once using a rolling advance of Leman Russ tanks (which were constantly being repaired) backed up with Basilisk tanks and whatever infantry I could muster.

[TheGreyRonin]

I rarely bother with Leman Russ' when I'm Imperial Guard. I usually do pretty good using a Hellhound as point, backed up with a full, upgraded squad or two of either Infantry or Kasarkin. Leapfrog those to each resource point, capturing and claiming, then use an Enginseer to fortify it out the wazoo.

Basilisks help to soften these targets up at long range, and a Vindicare Assassin, stealthed, lets them hit dead-on with ease.

[Kasarn]

But do you use the 1.51 patch and Skirmish AI mod?

1.5 nerfed Guard so they aren't godlike
Skirmish AI makes the AI not dumbass.

Nothing says pwned like the AI deepstriking an army of termies and dreads into your base
"I'M IN YOUR YOUR BASE KILLING YOUR DUDES!"

[TheGreyRonin]

Yes, I'm patched through 1.51. No, I don't use an outside AI mod. That might be your problem right there.

I've seen half a dozen mods that looked excellent at first glance, but when you got into them they turned certain races into swiss cheese. (Doomfarer's Ultimate Ork mod comes to mind. All races dropped to one hit wonders except for Orks.)

The most fun mod I've found was an add-on to the Daemonhunters mod, the Sisters of Battle. Nothing quite like jet packed, dual bolt pistol-wielding, battle armored, redhead nuns...

But I digress.

[Kasarn]

Problem? What problem?
Maybe you weren't paying attention

Skirmish AI makes the AI not dumbass.

edit: I was looking at the Dark Crusade changelog and it looks like Terminators will be capped at one of each

Also, here's a screenshot of me getting pwned by a computer termie/dread rush with Skirmish AI

Arguably I was a little slow since this is only my second game in a while... maybe I should've just played a normal game first

[Arcalane]

Nothing says Pwned quite like 3 full squads of Ogryn causing an entire Chaos army to retreat.

One of my favourite all-time moments in DoW skirmishing. There's a city map with three players inside and three outside. Myself and two SM AIs had to hold the city. On the outside were three Chaosian Hordes.

Late game, the Chaosites had overrun both of my allies and were literally only steps away from my base. Player Position #1 is in the raised ruins with a long zig-zag ramp up to it. The Chaos Hordes had gotten about half - maybe three quarters of the way up the slope - and suddenly stopped. And then turned around and started a very disorganised retreat[/i]. Why?

The three aforementioned squads of Ogryn with Commisars. I noticed a small moving cluster of green dots well behind enemy lines and thought "..u wot?" so I went to have a look. Taking full control proved a minor task, and with several Chaos HQs on the way to destruction, the armies, instead of attempting to finish me off (and thus prevent their defeat) started their retreat. However, by the time the majority had retreated, the majority were dead because it was the "No HQs and You Lose" rules. The majority retreated so slow because it was a mixed-group army, and some wanted to continue the assault. However, it is extremely difficult for a Chaos Predator to move when submerged in hordes of Chaos Space Marines who are all trying to run in the opposite direction.



Don't have Dark Crusade yet. Skint as a flint right now.

[TheGreyRonin]

However, it is extremely difficult for a Chaos Predator to move when submerged in hordes of Chaos Space Marines who are all trying to run in the opposite direction.

I would have been laughing my tail off! I've never had a full retreat like that happen; I'll need to remember that!

I almost exclusively play solo with the AI commanding all the other armies against me. I'll pick a race, start at one on one, and work my way up to one vs. five, etc. Win condition is usually Annihilate.

Problem? What problem?
Maybe you weren't paying attention

Skirmish AI makes the AI not dumbass.

Sorry. I misread what you said when I posted. I thought you were referring to an outside mod for some reason. *pleads insomnia*

[Kasarn]

Problem? What problem?
Maybe you weren't paying attention

Skirmish AI makes the AI not dumbass.

Sorry. I misread what you said when I posted. I thought you were referring to an outside mod for some reason. *pleads insomnia*

No, you were right, Skirmish AI is a mod that alters the computer AI scripts.
My point was that it's not a "problem" because it's supposed to make the game harder

[HealingBlight]

I used to play my brother DoW on the old computer, since DC is stand alone I'll be getting that, I only played the tau demo thing though, so I dunno what army I'll be going for this time, but I always had a love for eldar.

[Stygian]

Just bought Dark Crusade expansion, and I am up to date. Thus far I have discovered three things:

1: I love grey knights. Not as much as I do Terminators and the ever-so-wonderful droppable Dreadnoughts, but still very much. These guys are such wonderful shock troops to hold the tide off my assault-cannon wielding little monsters that I am nearly crying with bliss.

2: Necrons are horrid to face in 1vs1, where I used to be able to own even Orks on the highest difficulty level. Now though, with my new AI booster and new updates, things are getting hard at last...

3: The Tau Commander owns. It really is that simple. And I am becoming very proficient with the Tau, something that kind of bothers me since I am usually very negatively inclined towards the "good guys".

Eat fusion blaster plasma, scum! For the greater good!

[HealingBlight]

3: The Tau Commander owns. It really is that simple. And I am becoming very proficient with the Tau, something that kind of bothers me since I am usually very negatively inclined towards the "good guys".

Eat fusion blaster plasma, scum! For the greater good!

I doubt they are really 'the good guys' seeing as they would massacre those who do not joining them and those who follow the heads of the tau are probably under some sort of hormonal or other mind control. But they are bloody cool looking.
I really think the only half decent race out of them all would be the Eldar.

[TheGreyRonin]

 Well, I bought a copy the other day....and still haven't played it. My computer went on the fritz in a major way, so I'm using a cobbled-together backup until my new one arrives Thursday.

I suspect a significant amount of my free time will be absorbed by it once I can actually play, though...

[Magic]

Having an active monolith is fun.
Having an infiltrated active monolith is even better.
[/necronownage]

[TheGreyRonin]

Having an active monolith is fun.
Having an infiltrated active monolith is even better.
[/necronownage]

Must not.....smite Ink...from jealousy...!

*resists the urge, sits whimpering in a formless puddle until Thursday*

[komissarmakarov]

I rarely bother with Leman Russ' when I'm Imperial Guard. I usually do pretty good using a Hellhound as point, backed up with a full, upgraded squad or two of either Infantry or Kasarkin. Leapfrog those to each resource point, capturing and claiming, then use an Enginseer to fortify it out the wazoo.

Basilisks help to soften these targets up at long range, and a Vindicare Assassin, stealthed, lets them hit dead-on with ease.

By the Immortal Emperor, I LOVE the Basilisk/Assassin combination

I have to disagree with you on your use of Hellhounds though; I've always found a Chimera/Sentinel cobi a whole lot better at taking strat points- however, that's mostly because I play a lot against Orks and Chaos, which also means that I have to get my Russes out ASAP.

On that subject, anyone use a Baneblade against humans before? My games are often so fast I can barely get the Russes out, let alone the Blade (I've only used it against computer opponents )

Oh, and Stygian? Prepare for Exterminatus, Xeno-lover

Just started playing DC (as the Imperial Guard, of course), and I can't really see what the big deal is about the Tau (basically one of the few times I found the Hellhound useful) and Necrons (grenade launchers, baby, grenade launchers).

P/S: I was lurking around the Relic forums the other day, and I just found out that Priests give 50% more damage to whatever squad they are in (n00bish, I know). Has this always been true, or only for DC?

P/P/S: Dr. Ink, the fact that you're an awesome artist and wonderful forumgoer isn't going to spare you from the Emperor's wrath.

Don't turn around, uh-oh, the Commissar's in town, uh-oh...

[Stygian]

Hmph. Orbital relay and a steady production of droppable Dreadnoughts, together with a commander and two or three full squads of Marines/Grey Knights/Terminators is a lethal combination that will own most things head on. I prefer Terminators, since that mix is one that has a pretty damn good mobility, and you rarely risk being taken off guard or outmaneuvered. You drop the Dreads as close as you can, let the infantry soak the enemy with lead from afar, and just make sure that nothin breaches your forward line.

[komissarmakarov]

Hmph. Orbital relay and a steady production of droppable Dreadnoughts, together with a commander and two or three full squads of Marines/Grey Knights/Terminators is a lethal combination that will own most things head on. I prefer Terminators, since that mix is one that has a pretty damn good mobility, and you rarely risk being taken off guard or outmaneuvered. You drop the Dreads as close as you can, let the infantry soak the enemy with lead from afar, and just make sure that nothin breaches your forward line.

Gah, I hate the Relay; the only way I can take those Dreads out is by turtling my squads in the Infantry Commands and Ogryns with Priests/4 Priest Command Squad- if I'm lucky.

Any Guard Generals out there who know how to deal with this, apart from rushing the Space Marines*?

*Not that I'm advocating startegies to use against the Emperor's Chosen, mind you *pulls at collar nervously*

[ShadesFox]

Heh, it's been forever since I've played DoW.  I usually played as Guardsmen, I play them on the table top game as well.  I've only gotten the baneblade out once against a human player, and that was a game that devolved into a meat grinder.

I really need to fire up that game again.

[TheGreyRonin]

Finally got my new comp up and running, and barely scratched the surface of Dark Crusade, but so far I like it. One short battle involving the Grey Knights, and I'm already hooked!

[Magic]

Gah, I hate the Relay; the only way I can take those Dreads out is by turtling my squads in the Infantry Commands and Ogryns with Priests/4 Priest Command Squad- if I'm lucky.

Any Guard Generals out there who know how to deal with this, apart from rushing the Space Marines*?

*Not that I'm advocating startegies to use against the Emperor's Chosen, mind you *pulls at collar nervously*

There's really not much other than rushing the Space Marines. Could try the Assassin-Basilisk combination and destroy the relay before he does any real damage. (Like, oh say, that Mars Command you were so eager to build--) Either that or a couple of heavy weapons teams upgraded to lascannons deployed in the base-- probably'd slow them down. You'd probably have your vehicles in the field, so not much chance of 'rescue'.

[komissarmakarov]

Gah, I hate the Relay; the only way I can take those Dreads out is by turtling my squads in the Infantry Commands and Ogryns with Priests/4 Priest Command Squad- if I'm lucky.

Any Guard Generals out there who know how to deal with this, apart from rushing the Space Marines*?

*Not that I'm advocating startegies to use against the Emperor's Chosen, mind you *pulls at collar nervously*

There's really not much other than rushing the Space Marines. Could try the Assassin-Basilisk combination and destroy the relay before he does any real damage. (Like, oh say, that Mars Command you were so eager to build--)

But meatgrinders are so much fun -what's the point of a Mars Pattern Command otherwise?

You'd probably have your vehicles in the field, so not much chance of 'rescue'.[/i]

Not really; I always have one or two Chimeras in my base for defense- but only to buy time to transport my Guardsmen from my Infantry Commands.

[Stygian]

Sounds like a pretty sound strategy to me, but the problem is getting those teams into position. I usually tend to have at least two fully kitted squads on active guard duty in my base (the ones I build and place in cover right from the very start of the game, along with the commander, to counter any rushes), and more often than not they are equipped with a heavy bolter/rocket launcher combination, which together with at least decently upgraded outposts will have any infantry on their toes before they can get in position and hit the dirt. I usually keep one spare Dread in the relay as well, so that I can use it as a buffer to slow down unexpected enemy movements.

[Arcalane]

Mmmmm, Tau.

Those Skyray Gunships are pretty powerful. (And remarkably effective vs. infantry, especially Assault Marines)

I've only played the DC demo, but I have DoW & WA installed. I favour Imperial Guard or Space Marines myself.

I pretty much exclusively used the Battlesuits and Skyrays for the scripted mission in the demo, occasionally using stealth teams for spotting (Skyray Missile Barrage/Redirected Orbital Bombardment ftw) and with a few squads of Firewarriors around to capture control points and defend my base. Shame the Tau lack turrets. Stops me from being a complete Turtle.

[TheGreyRonin]

 A few days later, and so far I've wiped the Imperial Guard and the Necrons off Kronus with my Space Marines. The Chaos Marines are proving to be a formidable nuisance, though.

I love this game!

[TheGreyRonin]

 Hm. Beat the game last night with my Space Marines. Fun, but I wish I had played for total annihilation rather than victory at the end.

Oh well, guess it's time to throw in the Tau...

*grins, dodges tomatoes for the pun*

[ShadesFox]

Really?  I didn't find chaos that hard.  Then again, I was Imperial Guard, and I just sort of marched a baneblade in the middle of their base.  Such a great tank, with a great name.  Baneblade super heavy battle tank.  Send it against an army and forget about it.

Maybe we should get a clan together or something.