Firestorm over Kronus 3.

6 Quick Guide-by Onard

Introduction
Firestorm over Kronus was first aimed at puting the 40K tabletop game in the Dawn of War system,
but due to engine limitations, coder biases, and pure ocasional madness, the final product is quite...
nique.
General Basics:
!Weapons have three main stats, "trenght, #rmor $iercing %#$&, and type of fire.
'(he more strenght a weapon has, the more damage it deals. )ehicles, buildings and certain
monstruous creatures cannot be harmed at all if fired at by weapons with too few strenght. *ou need
at least "4 to harm +eavy ,, "- to harm +eavy ., and so on.
'/f the weapon has the same #$ or better than the infantry armor, it deals full damage. #$ 0 doesn1t
only punches trough all infantry armor, it also deals e2tra damage to vehicles. *es this means that
either you ignore it all or the armor offers full protection.
'Weapon type of fire can be 3apid %half acuracy while moving&, #ssault %full acuraccy while
moving&, and +eavy %can1t fire while moving, needs to be set up&. #ssault and +eavy also always
have a value after them li4e #ssault , or +eavy 5. (his is the reloadof fire of the weapon, with the
bigger the number meaning it can fire faster. 3apid weapons always have a reload speed of ,,-
seconds, equivalent to #ssault6heavy .. Do not confuse with the +eavy of vehicle6building armors7
!Weapons also can have other abilities li4e $inning %slows down, deals morale damage&, 3ending
%counts armor of the enemy as one grade worst, can harm #rmor two points higher than its strenght
would normally allow&, 8last %affects an area, deals friendly fire&, 9elta %e2tra damage to
vehicles6buildings& and (win :in4ed %e2tra acuraccy&.
!9elee attac4s also have some special abilities of their own. $ower %fully ignores armor&, $ower
Fist %fully ignores armor, doubles "trenght, ma4es damage output more unstable&, Furious ;harge
% basicaly e2tra melee damage&.
!/nfantry has armor values from < %na4ed7& to armor -. =ach grade of armor correspondes to ,60 of
damage reduction, so for e2ample armor 5 means -0> damage reduction, and armor 4 correspondes
to 00,?> damage reduction.
!/nfantry can also have "hields. "hields wor4 @ust li4e armor, but weapons #$ doesn1t punch trough
them. "o for e2ample an =ldar #utarch has #rmor 4 and "hield 5, so if it is hit by a bolter %#$ .&, it
ignores 00,?> of the damage. 8ut if you hit it with a power weapon, it still ignores -0> of the
damage. #rmor and "hields do not stac47
!(errain and some abilities can also provide ;over, which doesn1t stac4 with armor %or at least it
shouldn1t, coders aren1t very clear on that matter&, but, @ust li4e shields, isn1t bypassed by #$. 8ut
also only wor4s against ranged attac4s. "o for e2ample some guardsmen with puny armor . get in
cover ., and those bolters %#$ .& firing at them now deal 55,5> less damage7 8ut if a squad with
power weapons got in melee with them, it would deal them full damage.
!)ehicles don1t have armor, instead having an +eavy rating from , to -. :i4e already mentioned
vehicles with +eavy , are immune to weapons of "5 or lower, while an +eavy - needs a weapon of
at least "A to harm it. )ehicles benefit from cover, and can also produce it with their "mo4e
:aunchers ability.
!/nfiltrated units can only fire their weapons in cover. (hey1ll be revealed if an enemy gets too close.
!"pea4ing of cover, units in melee combat get -0> damage reduction from ranged attac4s. nits hit
by melee attac4s also get slowed movement, ma4ing it harder to escape.
!#lmost all infantry on the game gets the 3un ability, which allows them to move faster for some
seconds at the cost of not being able to use other abilities or firing weapons %can still melee&. Fleet
of Foot wor4s gives a permanent speed boost that can be turned off at any time, and the unit can
still fire when stoped.
!# lot of infantry also get some 4ind of grenades. Frag6defensive grenades slow down other
infantry, deal some damage %can harm +eavy , in a pinch&, disable their special abilities, and
doubles the melee damage they ta4e. Kra4 grenades can harm vehicles6buildings up to #rmor 5.
9elta 8ombs deal heavy damage to any 4ind of vehicle6building. =9$ grenades and +ayWire
Brendades stun a vehicle for some seconds, and have ,60 chance of dealing obscene damage to the
target instead.
!*ou can only upgrade units near :istening $osts, production buildings, and vehicles with transport
abilities.
!:eaders, vehicles and some other elite units have an upgrade menu on their command window.
;lic4 on it to open and buy stuff, pretty simple to use.
!9onstruous creatures deal e2tra damage to buildings. /n some cases, they may be immune to low!
strenght weapons as well.
!9ost transports can only carry ,0 troops at a time. *ou1ll notice a lot of squads have ,0!man
version and CregularD versions. (he CregularD can1t enter vehicles, but can reinforce to bigger siEes.
!FoK see4s to replicate the CForce FrganiEation ;hartD from the tabletop game. (wo +G %a4a
leaders&, 5 elites, 5 fast attac4, 0 infantry, 5 heavy suport. 9ost units fall under one of those
categories, and thus have their own population limit. "o for e2ample with chaos you can build any
combination of 0 mar4ed troops and basic chaos marines as they1re all infantry, but only three
havocs which are heavy support. +owever if you have 0 infantry units, you can1t build any more of
those, but can still build the havocs. "ome units, in particular transports, don1t count as any and have
their own cap
!Fnly basic infantry can capture points. =lite %li4e terminators&, fast attac4 %li4e raptors& and heavy
suport%li4e havocs& cannot do so. (hey may still however uncapture points.
General Strategy
(he following are general advice that can be applied to any army from FoK.
!:istening posts and their first upgrade %available at (.& greatly boost your requisition income.
#lways build and upgrade them. #lways.
!9ultiple small squads are better than one giant blob. 9ultiple squads allow for more versatility
%li4e one capturing while other 4eeps watch&, more special weapons and ability uses li4e grenades.
!Know when to fight and when to run. /f you1re losing, it1s always better to retreat whatever you can
bac4 to your base for healing and reinforcing than die fighting.
!Know the maps. 3ush to the most important points, capture them, and then reinforce them with a
listening post and quic4 towers to gain a decisive advantage.
!Don1t let requisition pile up. /f you see it reach 4 digits, buy something. #lways have something
building.
!$ower is mainly used as a suport and teching up resource. Bet one generator right away at the start
of the game, two if you1re in a specially big map where you don1t have to fear rushes. #lternatively
no generators for a suicide rush. *ou1ll then want one more generator before you tech to (., and two
more when you1re in (. for paying up listening post upgrades, (. buildings, and start building up
for (5.
!"ome weapons shows up across multiple armies. #utocannons are long range heavy weapons good
against everything but the heaviest vehicles. $lasma guns can also hurt pretty much anything in the
game, being specialy good against heavy infantry, and are rapid fire. 9elta guns are cheap anti!tan4
weapons but also short!ranged. 9issile launchers are solid for busting tan4s at range and deal area
damage against infantry. :ascannons are the best against heavy big targets but fire too slowly to be
effective against hordes. +eavy bolters on the other hand fire specially fast, ma4ing them good
against hordes, but their medium strenght prevents them from seriously harming heavier vehicles.
$lasma cannons deal powerful area damage, but watch out for friendly fire7
Factions.
+ere /1ll give an overview of the factions based on their units, ending up with a general strategy for
them.
Chaos
Chaos is the only True Answer
;haos serves the chaos gods, geting the most diversed selection of elite infantry of the game
combined with daemons, but their mechanical suport is quite limited and mar4ed troops get
e2pensive very quic4ly. $lay chaos if you want mighty foot warriors wal4ing trough the battlefield
while unleashing daemons and powerful sorceries across the the battlefield7
arks: ;haos must choose a 9ar4 at the begginning of the game, which will grant certain bonus.
!3enegades are personaly my favorite. *ou get acess to all mar4ed troops, almost all daemons, and
can build /con 8earers to buff your basic forces at your leisure instead of being loc4ed to a specific
ideal. *ou also cannot grant your chaos lord6sorceror daemonic gifts. Fn the other hand your basic
chaos space marines6raptors6havocs are the cheapest with this option, a significant advantage.
!Khorne is all about geting in melee and choping stuff up. /t1s the third most e2pensive mar4, but
few things will be able to stand against you in direct close combat. *ou also get the powerful
8loodthirster available later on. *ou however lose the ability to get a sorceror or get your daemon
prince pshycic powers, on top of any other mar4ed troops and daemons, so the most limited mar4.
!Hurgle grants your troops e2tra +$, which is always useful. #ll your troops will also get the
biggest e2tra price tag of any of the mar4s. Hurgle chosen can use a very powerful army!wiping
nu4e from their banner. Ho specific units and other mar4ed troops and daemons loc4ed.
!"lanesh slightly boosts your troops melee and suposely gives a small speed boost. "lanesh chosen
can turn your troops temporarly immortal, ma4ing them unable to drop below , +$ for the duration.
Hot anything special, but third cheapest mar4 and other mar4ed troops and daemons loc4ed.
!(Eenceth grants your troops a "hield . save %or boosts it by , if they already had a "hield&. 9a4es
your troops durable against everything but leaves you very vulnerable to hordes as it is the second
most e2pensive mar4 and doesn1t help anything against basic weapons. Fn the other hand your
chaos lord option gets replaced by a sorceror :ord, and double sorcerors roc4s7 *ou also can build
(Eenceth screamers and other mar4ed troops and daemons loc4ed.
!ndivided is quite similar to renegades, but you can1t build icons and your basic troops and leaders
come with the ndivided mar4 that boosts their morale, which ma4es this the second cheapest
mar4.
Chaos Stronghold buildsI
!Heretic, the chaos builder. Ho armor or combat6special abilities whatsoever, but dirt cheap, and can
use forced labor to speed up wor4.
!Cultists, basic infantry. Just bad at range, reasonable at melee, its main value is as a cheap
capturing unit and scout. +owever don1t understimate its infiltration ability to get line of sight for
heavy weapons and harassing critical points in e2posed points. Ftherwise not really worth
upgrading.
!Chaos Lord is the basic chaos +G, and to be honest, in 5.0 it simply suc4s due to its limited
upgrade potential. /t eventualy can become very tough and an infantry6hero slaughterer, but whitout
@etpac4s to get in melee quic4, high!str weapons to harm buildings6vehicles, or anything else to
write home to, the sorceror is a superior choice.
!Sorceror is the seconday +G, and an e2cellent starting leader. #ltough physically wea4er and
softer than the chaos lord, the "orceror uses a Force Weapon in melee, giving it a chance of insta!
4illing enemy infantry and heroes in melee. #t range it can rain doom bolts which butcher heavy
infantry. =2cellent against marine armies, (au and =ldar, against horde armies you1re probably best
not building a leader at all. #s for power upgrades after doombolt, Wind of ;haos deals wide area
damage against infantry, 8olt of ;hange deals obsecene damage to a single target with good range
%specialy good for sniping lone heroes and vehicles6buildings&, Warptime boosts your combat
abilities. 9ar4 of (Eeneceth allows you to get a second power on top of the better invulnerable
save.
!Chaos Chosen are elite chaos space marines which can equip e2tra special weapons and have
better morale for a slightly higher cost. (hey can also infiltrate. ;ome in ranged and melee version.
/f you pic4ed a mar4, their standard bearer can unleash a powerful power depending on the mar4
pic4ed. (o @ustify their e2tra cost you1ll need a good deal of micro to ma4e them harass the enemy
from cover, or a shoc4 squad with 4 power fists to bust trough an enemy strong position %or if you1re
playing mar4ed, unleashing their special power&.
!Daemon Prince is available in (. if you have a critical and relic controled. #ltough tough and hard
hiting in melee, it can still be harmed by basic weapons, and will fall easily to focus fire as you can1t
hide it inside squads and it moves at normal infantry speed. /it can do well as a spear head for your
army by moving ahead of everything, otherwise it has an horribly tendency of geting stuc4 behind
your own forces. /t can also learn psy4er powers. /t can be used as a wal4ing artillery with ranged
powers with some micro. #nother tric4 is giving it the mar4 of Hurgle, which will ma4e it immune
to "5 attac4s li4e lasguns and basic or46guardsmen6guardian melee.
Chaos Barracks buildsI
!Chaos Space Marine "quad, your basic and 4ey troop. (he non!transport version can be upgraded
up to .0 members. 400 +$, 8olters, close combat weapons, grenades, #rmor 4, high morale, good
at melee and ranged, their only wea4 point is their lac4 of mobility options, basicaly forcing them to
slowly wal4 everywhere. ;an ta4e , special weapon at - men, and unloc4s one e2tra slot and heavy
weapons at ,0 men, both from a good solid selection. ;annot ta4e fancy stuff li4e multi meltas or
plasma cannons, but can ta4e auto!cannons. #spiring ;hampion unloc4s melta bombs, better
morale and can ta4e a power sword or power fist if you plan to get them in melee.
!Khorne erse!ers don1t have bolters, but hit li4e nobody1s business in melee. #lso Fearless. ;an
ta4e a couple of plasma pistols but really not worth the effort as you want them hiting in melee.
(heir high price ma4es them not very viable at early game, but if you can get a good number of
them togheter, plus a champion with power fist, they ma4e great assault troops.
!Pla"ue Marines are probably the best mar4ed troops. #ll the core gear, plus Feel Ho $ain to shrug
off light attac4s, fearless and e2tra +$ ma4es them e2ceptionaly durable. ;an ta4e a couple of
flamers, meltas or plasma right at (,. 9elee worst than basic ;"9, but still better than most non!
specialiEed melee units, and shoot @ust as well. +igh cost is still a limitation, but this ones wor4
good as small squads as they wor4 fine shooting from afar. 8light grenades are basically frag
grenades, but don1t understimate the potential of loc4ing down enemies under a rain of grenades7
!#oise Marines melee better than basic ;"9, are fearless and shoot @ust as well, but the e2tra cost
tag isn1t worth it @ust with that. What ma4es them viable is their e2celent heavy weapon options,
specialy the blastmaster single frequency. #rea pinning with e2celent range, high "(3 and #$
ma4es it worth buyng the squad @ust for that, @ust ma4e sure you 4eep some cheaper cannon fodder
in front of them.
!$ubric Marines are slower than normal until you buy them a sorceror leader, which is quite
e2pensive, even if it adds you another physicic power to use. (heir melee suc4s and they have no
grenades, but fearless, #rmor 4 and "hield 5 ma4es them able to shrug off pretty much any 4ind of
fire % still beware of massed light weapons&. (hey can1t upgrade weapons, but have #$ 4 bolters to
cut down other marines li4e butter. Bood against elite armies as long as you give them bodyguards
to 4eep the oponent from loc4ing them into melee.
!$aptors are the @ump troops from chaos. "omewhat e2pensive even in the basic form, but can go
up to .0 man squads, and be equiped with meltas for tan4 hunting. #s they melee @ust as well as
basic ;"9, you mainly want to build them as a deepstri4ing force to loc4 enemy heavy weapon
teams in their rear lines and also 4ra46melta vehicles.
!Ha%ocs are the heavy weapon specialists of chaos. (hey cost as much as basic ;"9, but can pac4
a whooping 4 heavy weapons out of the bat. *ou1re probably better buying the ,0 man version and
giving them a rhino to move around as there1s not much sense on raising them to .0 man as you
want them for their heavy weapons. (he optimum loadout would be 4 autocannons, but a bug loc4s
them out. 4 missile launchers provides a good all!around option for quic4ly busting vehicles at
range and also blasting light infantry with the area damage. #t tier 5, four lascannons are e2pensive
but provide e2ceptional firepower.
!Chaos Terminators& only available at (5 with relic. #rmor - and "hield . with power weapons and
combi bolters plus deepstri4ing ma4es them e2cellent assault troops. (heir CsergeantD comes with a
reaper autocannon for range and chainfist for tearing up stuff in melee. ;an also ta4e a variety of
ranged and meele upgrades. (he ;hampion version is more e2pensive, can1t ta4e reaper
autocannons, but has even more melee attac4, ma4ing it your ultimate chaos assault unit.
Chaos !rmory buildsI
!Melta bomb upgrade. Bet it here at (..
!'con bearers if you1re renegade. (hose grant the benefits of their respective mar4 to unmar4ed
troops. "pecialy useful for buffing your basic chaos space marines when they1re in big siEes. Hurgle
and (Eenceth are the most e2pensive, but probably most useful by ma4ing your troops tougher to
4ill, while "lanesh and Khorne only buff melee, and ndivided buffs morale. Hotice icons will be
useless to already mar4ed troops li4e Khorne 8erEe4ers and $lague 9arines
.
Chaos achine Cult buildsI
!Chaos $hinos, a4a 9=(#: 8FK="7 ;haos basic transport. ;an ta4e a cheap havoc missile
launcher that pac4s a good punch and combi!flamer for burning hordes, but its main use is allowing
your forces to reinforce on the field. :ow armor so try to 4eep it at the bac4 of your army or it will
die to a couple of grenades. *ou can get it reinforced hull or daemonic possession at (5, but then it
starts geting really e2pensive.
!Chaos Predator, chaos tan4. +eavy bolter sponsons and autocannon on turret, can upgrade with
combi!flamer and havoc missile launcher, and then lascannon turret and sponsons at (5. ;ombined
with the reinforced hull, it does ma4e quite a solid tan4, but you have better options.
!De(iler, the chaos wal4er. (he claws are menancing yes, and it does melee well, but the big selling
point of this dude is the battle cannon for artillery duty. /t blows up infantry of all 4inds, vehicles
and buildings @ust fine. Keep it firing at ranged, scout with cultists, and the defiler can inflict
tremendous damage with its battle cannon, ma4ing it an e2ceptional heavy suport unit for chaos at
(.. /t also has an heavy flamer and reaper autocannon and some other options, not to mention Fleet
of Floot, but again, battle cannon7
!Chaos Land $aider has impressive +eavy -, two twin!lin4ed lascannons and a twin!lin4ed heavy
bolter. #lso a transport. *ou may want one for a mobile base, but if you have the relic and are at (5,
you can get even better firepower for your heavy slots.
!Obliterators have high +$, terminator!grade armor plus shield, and can instantly change between a
selection of heavy weapons depending on what they1re firing. "trong against literally everything.
=ven if loc4ed in melee they still have power fists. #nd can also deepstri4e and teleport. # true relic
unit, providing powerful fire suport in any situation combined with both durability and
maneuverability, even if quite e2pensive.
"aemon #it buildsI
!loodletters are Khorne daemons, and their main tric4 is having power weapons by default. Breat
at butchering heavy infantry, and can melee well pretty much anything else. (hey don1t have armor,
but have "hield ., meaning they wor4 well as a counter if your enemy started investing heavily in
high #$ weapons against your marine armies. Deepstri4ing allows them to qui4cly close in with
melee.
!loodthirster, only available to 9ar4 of Khorne, big angry daemon with wings. +its harder than
the daemon prince, and can get in melee much faster than4s to higher move speed and @ump ability.
"till vulnerable to small caliber weapons, and quite e2pensive so watch out for focus fire. Draw the
enemy atention with something else, then drop the bloodthirster behind their lines.
!Pla"uebearers are slow and have no ranged weapons so the enemy can safely shoot them from
afar, but between Feel Ho $ain, Fearless, high +$ and "hield ., they ta4e an ungodly amount of
damage to die, ma4ing them the ultimate fire magnet. Deepstri4e them ahead of your army, then
advance your remaining forces while the enemy is busy firing at them. /f they do get in melee, their
poisoned weapons hit quite hard and can harm any monstruous creatures.
!Daemonettes have rending attac4s and high attac4 speed, ma4ing them overal good against
everything in melee, and "hield . allows them to ta4e some damage. 8loodletters are still better
against heavy infantry and also have more +$, but daemonettes have Fleet of Foot and their attac4s
inflict a bigger than normal slowdown in the enemy, ma4ing them perfect for tying up enemy
ranged squads, specialy if they1re entrenched in some hard to reach place.
!Pin! Horrors have a superior "hield 5, and have an impressive "4 #ssault 5 #p 5 shooting attac4
with somewhat short range, and suc4 at melee. (heir raw ranged damage is quite impressive,
specialy against light!mediul infantry, but they1re easily loc4ed down by close combat. (heir shield
5 will still allow them to serve as distraction while your other forces move in position, ma4ing them
a good diversion.
!Screamers o( T)enceth are only avilable to 9ar4 of (Eenceth. (hey1re @ump infantry with rending
melee and a pseudo!melta bomb special attac4. (hey ta4e fast attac4 slots instead of infantry li4e
the other daemons ma4ing them an alternative to raptors "hields ma4e them more durable if your
enemy has been investing in high #$ weapons, and they1re also cheaper, but their melee output isn1t
anything to write home about even with rending.
!Possessed ones are, honestly, @ust ovepriced. (hey melee well, and are somewhat durable with
shield . on top of #rmor 4, but don1t do anything else and cost more than any mar4ed troops.
8erEe4ers, melee daemons, melee chosen, or even basic ;"9 with an icon of Khorne are all better
assault options in terms of cost!efficiency.
Chaos $asic Strategy:
;haos starts with a 4ey decision, which mar4 to pic4. 3enegade is best for starters as it lets you try
everything and also allows for the cheapest base ;"9. (he other mar4s will add a bonus to your
non!mar4ed troops but also increase their starting price. # dirty tric4 is delaying your mar4 choice
until you build the chaos barrac4s and get a couple of base ;"9 cheap, then buy the mar4 to get the
bonus on them.
/n (, spam base ;"9. *ou1ll want a sorceror against other marine armies, necrons or (au, both for
assassinating their heroes and doombolting their troops. #s you get a better economy a raptors or
plague marine squad is another good investment. 3esearch (. as soon as possible. 3einforce your
base ;"9 squads to ,0 man so they can get heavy weapons. 8y now your oponent is probably
spamming plasma guns, power weapons and other guns for countering your massed marines, so you
need to choose between mechaniEed or daemons. Defiler is an e2cellent all!around machine both at
range and melee, and you can use it to consolidate a 4ey position, or push bac4 your enemy from
said 4ey positions. Daemon squads should be reinforced to at least ,0 members before being
deepstri4ed in the frontline to tie up your oponents special weapons troops, then move in the rest of
your forces to finish it up and demolish any remaining vehicles or buildings. /f the game moves to
(5, obliterators are good against everything, or get some terminator squads %champions if you have
the resources&. 3einforce and upgrade with chainfists, set them in melee stance, and drop them as
nearby to your enemy base as possible. /f your sorceror is still alive, you can ma4e it @oin the
terminators and deepstri4e them togheter.
%au
*or the +reater +ood,
(au are the closest thing to a faction with good sense in the whole 40K. While other races are
charging ahead waving swords and a2es and bayonets, (au focus on high!tech ranged weapons to
blast the enemy from afar, combined with @ump suits, floating tan4s, and bigger high!tech ranged
weapons. Fh, and also their 4root allies, which are some 4ind of na4ed savages wich breed nasty
beasts. 8ut even they1re better for shooting.
Cadre &ead'uarters buildsI
!uilder drone are, well, your basic builders. 3elatively cheap and armor 5 ma4es them somewhat
durable, but otherwise nothing special.
!*irewarrior s-uad are your basic troops. (hey have the e2cellent pulse rifles, with the best range
of any basic weapon of the game and a mighty "- which allows them to hurt +eavy . and the
toughest monstruous creatures in the game. +owever they aren1t cheap, and they @ust have -0>
acuraccy, #rmor 5 and low +$, so if you put them in a direct firing contest with other basic troops,
they really don1t have an advantage. 9a4e use of their superior range whenever possible by using
other forcess as spotters while they hang bac4. *ou can equip them with $ulse carabins that cause
pinning, but they have much lower range and fire at half speed, so not really worth it. Fh, and they
also utterly suc4 at melee, so 4eep them away from direct combat at all costs.
!Path(inders are your suposed scouts. (hey1re fast attac4 so they can1t capture points, and on top of
carabins, they can ta4e 3ail "nipers which actualy hit quite hard. ;an also call missile air stri4es.
8ut due to their high base price, you have several better options for their role.
-Tetra Speeder is a cheap fragile vehicle available early. $ulse carabins combined with high move
speed gives it some potential for pinning down enemy melee squads, and can call missile airstri4es
for e2tra punch. # viable option early game option, but as you go up in tiers you1ll have better
options.
!.thereal is your first leader option. (he ethereal itself simply suc4s, being basicaly an unarmored
civilian with a pointy stic4 for a weapon. 8ut it can ta4e an honor guard of elite firewarriors with
superior aim. #lso pro@ects a reinforce aura and boosts morale all around. /f it dies all your other tau
forces ta4e massive morale damage. ;an be used for a ris4y push for map control by swarming the
enemy with firewarriors and honor guard, but otherwise, not really worth it.
!/011 is your second leader option. $ermanent cloa4ing and can fire even when outside of cover,
ma4ing it perfect for harassing. ;an ta4e two drone bodyguards, / personaly prefer the gun drones
wich bring pulse carabins for e2tra firepower, while the "hield drone @ust provides an e2tra target
for the enemy to fire at, while what you really want is to remain unseen. 9issile pods are an
e2celent option. Double barreled plasma rifle is probably your best overall secondary weapon.
Fusion blaster has somewhat short range, cyclic ion canon cannon is useless against buildings and
vehicles. (he K).. also has a flamer by default which unfortenely you can1t replace. Fverall great
and durable harasser.
!/023 is your last and top leader option. Ho cloa4ing, but bigger, tougher, and more upgrade
options, on top of being able to build bodyguards once you get. /ridium armor ma4es it slower
wal4ing, but you can still @ump so no big deal. 9a4es actualy a quite good fire magnet as it can eat
a lot of damage and then @ump away, @ust 4eep it away from melee. Fill with guns and upgrades at
leisure, profit, overall an e2celent unit for late game. *ou don1t really gain anything from ma4ing it
@oin its bodyguard squad, so 4eep them as separate units for e2tra versatility.
%au Barracks buildsI
-*irewarriors, already e2plained.
!Crisis suits& one of the coolest units on the (au army. #rmor 4, high life, @umping, lots of guns,
deepstri4ing, what1s not to loveL ;omes in diferent flavors, but your tops options are Firestorm
%cheapest for early game action&, "unfire %missile pods plus burst cannon and flamer means lots of
firepower& and 9onat %shield 5 and specialiEed equipment for hunting tan4s, but also most
e2pensive&. /n case of doubt plasma rifles are always useful, and try to stay away from short range
weapons li4e fusion blasters and flamers. *ou want high range to stay away from enemy melee.
"pecialiEe each squad on a @ob, then 4eep them in your barrac4s for deepstri4ing.
!Human au4iliaries, basicaly guardsmen that can ta4e some pulse weaponry on top of lasguns but
no actual imperial heavy or special weapons. 9a4es for a cheap capturing unit and emergency
cannon fodder, but you really have better things to build.
!Stealth suits& have permanent cloa4ing and can fire outside of cover, plus @umping. ;an also ta4e
fusion blasters, but their base burst railguns aren1t really that good weapons due to their short range,
and they can only ta4e two fusion blasters. =ven with the cloa4ing, their short range and lower +$
plus no deepstri4ing @ust ma4es them worst at crisis suits for your =lite slots, as they1ll be easily
revealed when they get close enough to shoot.
!u(iliary Barracks %yes, (au have two base barrac4s, you need both to build the 3esearch center&
!Kroot Carni%ore are tecnicaly your base melee units, but whitout armor and not even that good
melee damage, they1re more of a desesperate measure. (hey however can infiltrate, which ma4es
them good spotters, and unloc4 the other 4root units, some of which are quite interesting.
!Krotoo4 are the reason why you want 4root ;arnivore. (hey melee good, but their true advantage
are the autocannons on their bac4s which ma4e them e2cellent heavy fire suport, on your infantry
slots, at an e2cellent price. ;rappy armor but lots of +$ ma4es them somewhat durable, and you
can ta4e multiple of them for the same population than a single firewarrior squad. Bood at shooting
everything but the heaviest vehicles, and can also hold out in melee, what1s not to loveL
!Kroot wounds are cheaper than carnivores and melee better, but no ranged weapons, smaller squads
and no infiltrate. Desesperate measure if you really need to 4eep enemy melee busy, but otherwise
don1t bother.
!Knarloc! $iders are fast attac4, superior movement speed, but their high price tag and
unimpressive melee s4ills combined with crappy shooting, ma4es them a subpar option no matter
how you loo4 at it.
!0espids can @ump and move fast, plus they have high #$ basic weapons. (hey1re however
e2pensive, ta4e your valuable elite slots, are somewhat fragile, suc4 at melee and don1t have any
other attac4 option or upgrades. He2t.
)esearch Center builds
!Sniper Drones have permanent cloa4ing but can only fire from cover. (hey however have e2cellent
range, pinning, and can hurt anything hard. ;ombine with spotters and they1re pretty good at slowly
pushing an advantage.
!+un Drones have twin lin4ed pulse carabines and can be attached to squads, but that doesn1t mean
you should. (heir best use is on their own as cheap cannon fodder to slow down enemy melee or
draw heavy weapon fire. /n late game / li4e to spam those and send them ahead of the main army to
confuse the enemy, specialy because they ta4e no army slots.
!Shield Drone has "hield 5 but no guns. /t unfortenely doesn1t provide such a shield to the squad it
@oins, @ust another target for the enemy to shoot at. =ventualy can also be used as a diversion li4e
mentioned above, more durable against special weapons, but also more e2pensive.
!Mar!er drone grants the powerful mar4erlight ability that increases the damage an enemy ta4es,
and can also call missile airstri4es. =2pensive, but if you have good micro, really worth it. #lso
doesn1t ta4e army slots.
!+un Drone S-uad comes with twin lin4ed burst railguns and can deepstri4e, but again burst
railguns aren1t really that good. # waste of your heavy suport slots.
*anding Beacon buildsI
!Piranha team is a @ump vehicle with two twin!lin4ed pulse carabins and a burst railgun that can be
replaced with a fusion cannon. 8y themselves they really aren1t that hot, but with the upgrades of
the "hrine of $rogress for e2tra speed, acuraccy and durability, they can become an e2cellent
harassers if not base destroyers and your top Fast #ttac4 option.
!De%il*ish Carrier is the (au base transport. Bood armor and @umping ability, but somewhat
lac4ing in the firepower department with @ust a burst railgun and a couple of twin!lin4ed carabins
that can be replaced by smart missiles %thin4 twice before doing so as the missiles don1t hit that hard
and you lose the valuable pinning&. "omewhat e2pensive, but still your only troop transport for (au.
!Hammerhead 'on Cannon is your base tan4. /ts ion cannon has e2ceptional range for tier . and
good damage, so can be used for a quic4 push by harassing the enemy with its superior range if you
have some micro. #lso has two twin!lin4ed pulse carabins that can be replaced by smart missiles,
but again not really worth it Ftherwise you1re best off waiting for the tier 5 options for heavy
suport.
!Hammerhead $ail"un has the same base stats, but brings out the powerful 3ailgun, one of the best
ranged weapons in the game, short only of the #pocalypse!grade 8aneblade and "corpion main
weapons. /t can easily punch trough the heaviest armor and deals area damage against infantry.
;ombined with the @ump ability and you can inflict tremendous damage and then run away laughing
when the enemy closes.
!/022 broadside are e2tra!heavy infantry with armor -, high +$, and frea4ing twin!lin4ed railguns
at their shoulders. Did / mention they can reinforce to three members per squadL (heir raw
firepower is hard to match by anything else in the game, but they1re horribly vulnerable to be loc4ed
into melee. "till one of the best late game (au units.
Shrine o+ #rogress buildsI
!9ultiple general upgrades for piranhas, broadsides and some of your other forces, plus the building
itself being needed for several top units.
%au Basic Strategy
"tart by geting two more drone builders and then spam .!5 firewarrior squads while building an
a2iliary barrac4s for some basic 4roots which you1ll use as scouts and meatshields in a pinch, but
ma4e sure they survive as well. /deally however you1ll want to 4ite your enemy forces in early
s4irmishes, drawing their atention with one squad that runs away while shooting with other. #
Firestorm crisis suits can also be a good investment now. 9eanwhile get basic (au barrac4s and
research center.
/n (. get some 4rotoo2 for autocannons as firewarriors can1t ta4e heavy weapons at all. ;risis suit
"unfire would be a good investment now. *ou can now ma4e a quic4 push with your 4root scouting
ahead, your 4rotoo2 wearing down the enemy from afar, your firewarriors shooting anything that
gets nearby, and droping your crisis suits to help where needed.
Ftherwise, get a landing site for devilfish and ion cannon hammerhead. *ou can now also afford a
K).. for harassing the enemy and scouting or start ma4ing and upgrading a K)AM for later. #
9onat crisis suit would also be another good choice for now. se the hammerhead to probe for
enemy wea4 points, but if resistance is too strong, fortify and focus on geting to (5. 3einforce your
firewarrior squads to ma2 and get any combination of three crisis suit teams for bac4up. (hen
railguns is the name of the game. "pam K)AA and cover them with the rest of your army, then use
them to vaporiEe the enemy from afar. /f no relic is available, hammerheads with railguns wor4s
too. /f resistance is too fierce, get three piranha squads with full upgrades from the "hrine of
$rogress and ma4e them @ump right to the enemy base.
,rks
55555AAAAA++++HHHH,,,,
Fr4s are the top melee army, bringing both hordes of boyE and elite nob squadE to crush the enemy
into a pulp up close. (hey can also pull out some good tric4s at range. Fr4s bring a pure ofensive
army that trades any 4ind of subtelty for crushing the enemy with brute power.
Settlement buildsI
!uilder "rot) are your builder units. (hey can tecnicaly fight at melee and range, but their damage
output is basically null, and they have no armor to spea4 off. Just 4eep them building stuff.
!+rot) are your cannon fodder. ;heapest infantry on the game, but also lowest damage, +$, no
armor, and even crappier weapons than guardsmen. (hey also need to ta4e an or4 handler for every
,0 grotE to 4eep them in line. 8esides being a cheap capturing unit, not worth it even with their
cheap cost.
!Slu""a boy) are your core infantry, really choppy and cheap, if they can surround the enemy they
can beat pretty much anything in melee. +igh +$ but crappy armor ma4es them actualy more
durable than other horde infantry. Weapon upgrades aren1t really worth it as you want them charging
into melee as fast as possible, e2cept for the Hob leader, which you want to equip with a power
4law to shred of . Hotice however or4 boyE only have "5 in melee, so they can1t hurt
buildings6vehicles, but their ranged sluggas%pistols& do have "4 for blowing up base listening posts.
#s long as the boyE squad is ,. big or bigger, they1re also fearless.
!Kommando) are the or4 CscoutsD, ta4ing elite slots interestingly enough. ;ost double price than
boyE for the same base stats but can infiltrate. ;an also ta4e two special weapons at minimum squad
siEe. +as harassing potential, but as or4s, you have much better stuff to do with your elite slots.
!5arboss is your primary leader, bigger, tougher and stronger than any other leader out there. Bive
it a power 4law and it will tear up pretty much anything in melee. For ranged a combi!s4orcha is
probably better because it has ,00> acuraccy. 9ega armor grants the warboss great e2tra
protection, but also slows it down to a crawl, and isn1t any good against stuff li4e power weapons,
so thin4 carefully before geting it.
!i" Me! is your secondary leader. $hysically wea4er overall than the warboss, but can repair stuff,
and has acess to some unique gear. (he best one of those is easily the Kustom Force Field which
grants a cover save to all or4 units nearby, great for closing in under heavy fire. Kustom mega
blaster is a powerful %but unstable& ranged weapon, tan4bustin1 4it gives it special anti!tan4
grenades. /t1s a quite close tie with the warboss, and both are worthy choices for leading your or4
army, if not both at the same time if you have the resources.
!5arboss6s #ob) is a HobE "quad that is unloc4ed when you have a warboss, and ta4es an infantry
slot instead of an =lite slot li4e regulr HobE squads. (hey1re basically mini warbosses, tougher and
stronger than boyE. ;an be equiped with a wide range of powerful weaponry %again power 4laws
are your good friends&, and also ta4e a 9ad Do4 for granting the squad Feel no $ain for e2tra
durability. =2cellent shoc4 troops for leading the attac4.
!5arboss6s Me"a #ob) is a 9ega HobE "quad that is unloc4ed when you have a warboss with 9ega
#rmor, and ta4es an infantry slot instead of an =lite slot li4e regulr 9ega HobE squads. =2pensive,
but with power 4laws and armor - by default, can tear pretty much anything in melee and ta4e quite
a beating bac4. (hey1re however quite vulnerable to having their morale bro4en, andm more
important, move e2tra slowly. *ou can also add them combi!ro44its or combi!sc4orchas. / prefer the
second because they ma4e up for their horrendous ranged acuraccy. Heed relic and tier 5.
!i" Me!6s De(( Dread is a Dread that is unloc4ed when you have a 8ig 9e4 and ta4es an infantry
slot instead of an +eavy "upport slot li4e regular Deff Dreads. Decent armor, and hits pretty hard in
melee. ;omes with a pair of shootas which can be replaced by other weapons, in particular even
more arms for e2tra melee goodness. #nother powerful shoc4 unit, but you really don1t want to send
this one ahead or the enemy will easily blow it up with grenades, send some boyE to draw fire first.
Heed tier . and 9e41s "hop.
Boy- &ut buildsI
!Shoota boy) trade a2es for bigger guns. (hey1re still quite good at melee, but can now shoot
decently. (hey still have horrible acuraccy but their high rate of fire means they1re dishing out solid
damage. Biving them a heavy weapon is an option, but not really a necessity. /n maps full of cover
and hard terrain they1re probably better than slugga boyE because they can wear down the enemy
from afar before closing in, while slugga boyE can easily get bogged down and 4illed in cho4e
points whitout being able to fight bac4.
!Hard oy) are slugga boyE with #rmor 5. "omewhat e2pensive, but if you have the e2tra req, they
ma4e the perfect cannon fodder squad for leading the attac4.
!Storm boy) are the or4 @ump troops. (hey cost double than basic slugga boyE, but have the same
raw combat power, so not really that cost!efficient. (hey1re still the top mobility or4 unit as they1re
the only thin4 you have that can deepstri4e and6or @ump, so having a squad ready is always handy
for when you need to reach an hard place or need to quic4ly reinforce a position.
!#ob) s-uad and Me"a Armored #ob) are @ust li4e the Fortress units, but ta4e elite slots.
!urna boy) are a very glass!cannon unit but high attac4 potential. (hey all carry flamers to burn
hordes at range, and in melee they count as having power weapons for shredding heavy infantry, but
still @ust as frail as basic boyE, so any 4ind of decent long!range shooting will ta4e them down.
!Tan!busta) are somewhat li4e 8urna boyE, but instead of being anti!infantry, they focus on
blowing up tan4s with massed ro44its. (hey can also ta4e ro44its in a stic4 as a mighty melee
weapon. #lso carry powerful anti!tan4 bombs (heir great weapon range would mean they1re
actualy a solid unit as they can hold bac4 at the bac4 of your force, if not for the fact that they have
the crippling Blory +og abilities that ma4es them blindly charge at enemy vehicles and buildings.
=ven if they1re on the other side of the map. nless you1re willing to 4eep them under constant
micro, chances are that they1ll @ust get themselves 4illed by charging alone at the enemy heaviest
positions.
!*lash"it) have solid armor 5 and bring in their flashguns that aren1t that hot out of the bat but can
be greatly pimped with several upgrades from the $ile o1 BunE. Do not thin4 however those guys
are ranged specialists, because they don1t shoot that well for their price, but on the other hand, they
melee as well as nobE and their weapons are #ssault, so thin4 of them more as hybrid units that can
shoot or charge depending on the situation.
ek.s Sho/ buildsI
!Tru!! is the basic or4 transport. ;heap, fast, and fragile, don1t e2pect it to last a lot of time, so bring
multiple ones. $erfect for sending those slow6fragile assault specialists into the enemy frontlines,
even if they get blown up doing it. ;an also hang at the bac4 of your army shooting and providing
reinforcing aura.
!5artra!! is 4inda of a ranged harassing vehicle. (hey1re suposed to wear down enemy forces with
their superior range and speed, but between their crappy armor and acuraccy, they really don1t do
much for what they cost.
!Loota) are basically autocannons with legs. With an e2cellent cost per guy and big squads, they
more than ma4e up for their crappy acuraccy with sheer numbers. (he me4s provide e2tra bodies
and can repair vehicles, but aren1t really necessary. :ootaE are the ultimate or4 ranged suport, great
against anything but the heaviest vehicles.
!De(( Dread is the same as the +G one, e2cept this one ta4es +eavy "upport slots.
!Killa !an) are basically mini deff dreads, that can reinforce into squads of 5. #ltough one 4anE is
wea4er than a Dread, three are definetely better, and they1re cheap enough to ma4e it wor4. (hey
also shoot decently as they1re piloted by grotE. "ome 4ind of bug also ma4es them e2tra hard to 4ill
despite their suposed low armor, so one of the top or4 units, more than able to charge ahead and tear
a hole into the enemy army for the rest of your forces to follow.
!+un5a"ons are upgraded tru44s, not as fast, but decent armor instead of toilet paper plating, and
can ta4e some quite good heavy weapon options. $roblem is that the coders decided they should
ta4e a whole +eavy "uport slot instead of a transport slot li4e they1re suposed to, which ma4es them
@ust not worth it over your other +eavy "upport options.
!Looted Tan! is basically an artillery vehicle, high range, area damage, but in good or4 fashion,
really inacurate. ;onsidering it deals friendly fire, only use it if you1re ma4ing a ranged or4 army, or
you1ll end up blowing up your own melee forces.
!S-ui"oth is a big nasty monstruous creature with tremendous melee damage %/1ve seen destroy
leman russes with one stomp& and can shoot quite well, plus wor4ing as a transport. )ery tough, but
also quite e2pensive, so ma4e it count by sending it ahead of your force, or its big siEe will ma4e it
get stuc4 behind your army.
#ile o.Gun- builds
!9ultiple upgrades for your infantry. (he most important would be hard armor for your nobE squad
to give them armor 5.
,rk Strategy
Bet two more grot builders, get the warboss right away for a strong push, and then equal parts of
slugga and shoota boyE. (hey1re all you really need untill you get to (.. 9eanwhile get nob leaders
for all your boyE squads, and get them power 4laws as soon as you can. #dd in a storm boyE squad
at least ,0 strong with power 4law nob for flan4ing the enemy and you can probably finish the
game right there. /f they hold, 9e41s "hop for a couple of tru44s and 4illa 4anE spam. Bet also the
8ig 9e4 and give it a power 4law and 4ustom force field, then attach it to a slugga squad. #lso
more boyE. pgrade your warboss, and if you1re feeling luc4y, give it the mega armor, put it on a
tru44 and send it right to the enemy frontline, and the rest of your army behind. Keep sending more
boyE.
/f the enemy is still standing, get to (5. :ootaE and mega armored nobE are now the name of the
game, shame they share the same slots. Bet some 4ind of distraction to cover up your mega armored
nobE advance, and position your lootaE in some point where they can shoot whitout being shot
bac4. $rofit.
Im/erial Guard
*or e%ery one o( us who (alls& two more shall ta!e its place,
/n the grimdar4ness of the future, WW / and WW // grade weaponry is aparently still all the rage.
Buardsmen are a ranged horde army, focusing in massive amounts of cheap infantry and tan4s
carrying more heavy weaponry that you can sha4e a flashlight at. Due to modeler and coder
fanboysm for this faction, /B has an e2ceptional number of units ta4en from every source possible.
"octrines: /B allows for two main doctrines, armored company and infantry regiment. (hey1re
really self!e2planatory, with infantry doctrine allowing for more and more varied infantry, and
armored company allowing you to field moar and bigger tan4s. /nfantry command is better early
game for the simple reason you can1t build tan4s at all in (,, but late game #rmored ;ompany is
better with massed leman russes and the obscene baneblade that doesn1t even ta4es an army slot.
Field Command buildsI
!.n"inseer, the /B builder. #rmor 4, frag and 4ra4 grenades, power weapon, laspistol, and a
matching high price tag. ;onsidering this cost almost as much as a cheap /B squad, thin4 carefully
if you need more builders or more troops before geting one.
!Company Command S-uad is your leader unit. /t1s basically worthless in combat, however can
issue CordersD for a variety of effects, from buffing troops to performing artillery stri4es. "till quite
e2pensive so better leave it for when you actualy have an army for it to hide behind.
!Platoon Command S-uad is a 4ey unit because it unloc4s basic guardsmen squads. /t can also issue
orders, not as powerful, but this unit is also much cheaper. ,
st
ran4 fire, .
nd
ran4 fire is specialy
useful because it greatly increases the target squad1s firing speed. (he command squad can also ta4e
four special weapons right away, allowing you to turn it into a glass cannon. ;an ta4e a commissar,
but really not worth it as the e2ecution ability is pretty much useless in such a small unit. 9edic
does ma4es the squad more durable, but costs as much as the squad itself.
!+uardsmen s-uad is your core infantry unit. ;heap and can ta4e one special and heavy weapon.
8est of all, it ta4es much less population cap than other faction1s basic infantry, so you can build
loads of those and swamp the battlefield with squads. Hotice that the heavy bolter can be upgraded
to an autocannon in (., and the missile launcher can be upgraded to a lascannon in t5. Fn the other
hand, they have low armor, +$, and @ust flaslights for firing that can1t even scratch basic listening
posts, so you1ll need loads of those. /n some situations, it pays of to order to them to charge into
melee, but if you plan to do so, don1t bother to upgrade them with heavy weapons. /n case of doubt,
4eep spamming and upgrading guardsmen squads.
!Stormtrooper recon s-uad is your first elite choice, with solid armor 5, better acuraccy, high #$
basic weapons, slightly faster moving than normal infantry, and can ta4e two special weapons. (hey
can also ta4e a tactica control to deepstri4e on the field. "till somewhat e2pensive, use them
carefuly, if at all.
!Lord Commissar is another leader option. Dude with a power sword that you can attach to squads
to use e2ecute to restore morale. /t is good in melee, but really can1t hope to go toe to toe against
other races melee leaders.
!Primaris Psy!er is your third leader option. (he name says it all, giving you some psy4er
goodness. /t also carries a force weapon which allows it to snipe enemy heroes in melee, and is also
cheaper than your other heroes, so an e2otic choice that will definetely catch your oponent by
suprise.
!Ministrorum Priest doesn1t ta4e any army slot, and it buffs the melee acuraccy of any squad it
@oins. ;an also be equiped with a powerful eviscerator. /f you want to go guard melee, this is your
man.
!Psy!er atle S-uad is, well, a squad of psy4ers. /t starts with a Cchain lightingD nu4e, but if you
upgrade the squad to ,0 full members, it can unleash a powerful nu4e that vaporiEes pretty much
anything. /f you can 4eep them all alive. Demands good micro.
In+antry Bunker buildsI
!Conspripcts are even cheaper guardsmen that can reinforce up to 40 man squads, but have lower
acuraccy in both melee and ranged and can1t ta4e any special or heavy weapons. ltimate cannon
fodder, infantry regiment only.
!'n(antry s-uad and Platoon Command S-uad have already been covered.
!0eteran recon s-uad is an infantry squad that ta4es a lot more population cap and is also more
e2pensive, but better acuraccy, cover saves, cover saves, can ta4e more special weapons and also
has meltas, e2tra grenades and the mighty demolition charge that can wipe out whole enemy squads
at once, altough it costs quite a bit to use.
!0eteran "renadier s-uad is @ust li4e the one above, but instead of improved cover save and e2tra
grenades they get armor 5 base, ma4ing them more resilient to basic weapons.
!Combined in(antry s-uad is basically three infantry squads @oined into one massive 50 man blob.
=asier to micro, but more important, the whole squad will benefit from a single use of an order or
e2ecution. /nfantry regiment only.
!Hea%y weapon s-uads are groups of si2 brave guardsmen wielding three heavy weapons.
;oncentrated firepower. ;ome in three versions, mortars %can fire over obstacles and cause pinning
and area damage&, roc4et launchers %can upgrade to lascannons in t5& and heavy bolters %can
upgrade to autocannons&. (he mortar one is probably the best as they can fire whitout e2posing
themselves, as if the enemy starts focus firing, this squads will go down quite quic4ly due to the
lac4 of e2tra bodies.
!Special weapon s-uads can ta4e three special weapons of your choice. Would be an interesting
choice, if not for the fact $latoon command squads can ta4e four special weapons for the same
price, and the command squad can also issue orders.
!Sniper s-uad can infiltrate and hNs great range and solid damage, but demands good micro to ma4e
it wor4 as they1re really fragile. 8etter against elite infantry and in maps full of cover. #lso an elite
choice instead of troop choice.
!Storm trooper in(iltration squad is @ust li4e the "torm trooper recon squad, e2cept this one trades
the faster movement for infiltration ability.
!O"ryn s-uad are an interesting change of pace, an assault!specialiEed guard unit. (hey have the
same armor as guardsmen but lots of +$. (hey hit quite hard in melee but don1t have any special
ability li4e rending or power weapons to punch trough armor. (hey have "- so cannot harm
vehicles stronger than +eavy . unli4e other races elite shoc4 troops which usualy have power fists6
4laws to shred the heaviest armors. (hey1re also quite e2pensive, so choose carefuly when to build
them. (hey can help you seal a batle if you catch your oponent by suprise with them, but if he sees
them coming, they1re relatively easy to dodge and 4ill from afar and you won1t have much left.
%actica Control buildsI
!.n"inseer Priest, a stronger =nginseer that ta4es an elite slot and can bring in servitors with heavy
weapons for suport.
!Airdrop Stormtroopers, your top elite infantry that can summon a val4yrie to carry it across the
map and also call in powerful air stri4es, but also very high price tag.
*ight 0ehicle Facility buildsI
!Sentinel scout s-uad is the /B base wal4er. /t 4inda suc4s in melee and has paper armor, but
superior movement speed, and starts with fast!firing multilasers that have "0 so they1re good against
both infantry and light buildings6vehicles. ;an also upgrade to another good heavy weapons. se
them as mobile cheap heavy weapon plataforms to stri4e fast and then retreat before your enemy
can perform a counter attac47
!Armored sentinels sacrifice their move speed bonus for a little more armor and a considerably
bigger price tag. Hot really worth it if you as4 me.
!Chimera is the /B basic transport. ;omes with a multilaser %or autocannon for the more e2pensive
4ronus pattern& main turret and a hull heavy bolter. 8oth weapons can be swaped for a decent
selection of other weapons, but autocannon on top and heavy bolter on hull are quite good on their
own. #dd in decent armor, and you have a quite solid transport that provides both a reinforcing aura
and good fire suport. Fh, and guardsmen can fire their basic weapons from inside. ;ombines better
with stormtroopers or veterans.
!Hellhound is a chimera with reinforced armor and no transport ability, but a stronger long!range
flamer, the /nferno ;annon. "pecialy good against hordes of infantry. (he Devil dog swaps the
inferno ;annon for a melta canon that deals area damage to vaporiEe both heavy infantry and
vehicles, and the 8ane Wolf has a poisoned spray that melts infantry even better but can1t harm
vehicles at all.
!+ri((on is basically light artillery, available right away at (.. Hot that good range, but deals area
damage with high #$, specialy effective against marines when mortars aren1t enough.
&eavy 0ehicle Facility buildsI
!Leman $uss is your core /B heavy tan4. (ic4 armor, powerful battlecannon with e2ceptional range
and good area damage against everything, can ta4e powerful sponsons and hull weapons. *ou have
several variants available with other main guns, but the original one provides e2ceptional fle2ibility
and effeciency no matter the enemy at hand.
!Leman $uss .radicator comes with a poison cannon, devastating against infantry, but unable to
harm buildings or vehicles with it.
!Leman $uss .4terminator has twin!lin4ed autocannons. Hot that hot, but can be built right away at
(..
!Leman $uss .4ecutioner comes with a mighty plasma cannon with high rate of fire. =2pensive, but
has the best :eman 3uss damage against everything but the heaviest vehicles. #lso shorter range.
!Leman $uss Punisher comes with a glorified machine gun with the highest rate of fire in the game,
but with @ust "- and null #$, it really only pays off against really light infantry, and even then,
you1re probably better off with some other variant that deals area damage.
!Leman $uss Demolisher is the second most damaging leman russ against infantry, and the best
against other heavy tan4s with the mighty ",0 demolisher cannon. #lso shortest main weapon
range.
!Leman $uss 0an-uisher has e2ceptional range, but fires slowly and doesn1t deal area damage.
!Leman $uss con-ueror has a wea4er battlecannon main weapon, but also cheaper and available
right away at (..
!asili! is rightly called of bro4en, with the best range of the game, and dealing massive area
damage. /n smaller maps you can directly bomb the enemy base whitout leaving yours. "imply
obscene. 8e prepared for your enemy to throw everything it has trying to ta4e them out or die
trying.
!Medusa hits even harder than the basili4, but doesn1t have such obscene range, so is actualy fairer.
!Thunderer sie"e tan! has a demolisher main cannon... Hot really sure what is its purpose when
compared with the :eman 3uss Demolisher. # little cheaper for less suport weapons / guess.
!Destroyer tan! hunter has a super lascannon with e2ceptional range for sniping other tan4s.
!Leman $uss 0an-uisher Command is a CleaderD tan4, tan4ing an +G slot instead of +eavy "uport
slot. #rmored ;ompany only.
!aneblade is obscenely e2pensive and slow to build, but also has obscene firepower, armor and
+$. *ou1ll have an hard time geting it out, but when you do, there1s really not much your oponent
can do against it in FoK. "pecially bro4en in multiplayer games with more than . players where it1s
easier to sit down and get it out. #rmored ;ompany only.
Im/erial Guard Strategy
nli4e chaos, the doctrine choice isn1t really that important as they both share most units at the
same costs. 8asicaly infantry regiment is if you plan to finish it at (., armored company is for
going into late game. Bet a second wor4er, platoon company squad, then spam infantry squads, and
4eep spamming them all game. "ome people li4e geting a stormtrooper squad now, but / see no
reason for that as they1re quite e2pensive and can1t capture. # psy4er squad or primaris psy4er can
be a nasty suprise for your oponent, but otherwise focus on massed lasguns. /nfantry regiment can
ma4e use of conspricts for buryng the enemy in corpses. /n a pinch, frag grenades can be used to
bust. *ou should also delay your infantry bun4er for building it in the frontline, as you can hide
your infantry inside it for both protection and activating a heavy bolter. $ut a second squad and
you1ll activate an e2tra plasma gun. (hen tactica control and to (..
/f you pic4ed /nfantry 3egiment, get some heavy weapon teams of mortars and heavy bolters
%upgrade to autocannons&. Bet autocannons %upgrade heavy bolters& for all your infantry squads. /f
you1re facing lots of vehicles spam missile launchers instead. /f facing a marine army also get
plasma guns, otherwise snipers for special weapons. *ou don1t want to get close for meltas or
flamers, and grenade launchers @ust aren1t very good.
*ou must now choose between light or heavy vehicles. #rmored company unloc4s an upgrade to
increase a vehicle1s main gun acuraccy, but even /nfantry 3egiment can profit from vehicles. (he
main reason for light is geting transports to bac4 up your infantry, while a early leman russ can
wrec4 a lot of damage. Just 4eep it away from grenades and meltas.
/f you get to (5, then you can get the bigger nastier leman russes with plasma cannons sponsons
and 4ra4 missiles for all your vehicles and basili4s and an ungodly amount of lascannons in your
infantry and otherwise overwhelm your oponent with massed firepower. Keep spamming infantry
squads.
1ecrons
))tttt
Hecrons are a super elite army of death robots. Fr they1re suposed to, but the coders hate them for
obscure reasons which resulted in them being systematically nerfed on the last FoK versions and
they have an horrendous early game. (hey also have the lowest troop variety of the game, but that1s
the code2 fault. #t least it ma4es them the simplest race to play.
1ecron %om$ Com/le( builds
!uilder Scarabs are your basic builders. ;heap, no special abilities or combat potential whatsoever.
!#ecron 5arriors are your core %and only& troops. #rmor 4, high #$, good acuraccy. (hey have the
W88 rule %We1ll be bac4& that gives them a -0> chance of ressurecting if not 4illed by a power
weapon or a high str weapon. (heir weapon, the gauss rifle, can harm anything from the heaviest
vehicles to the toughest creatures. #nd by CharmD / mean CscratchD, but hey, the damage ends up
piling up. (hey1re however obscenely e2pensive, and really suc4 at melee. Fther races can easily
loc4 necron warriors early game simply by charging them. Hecron warriors also don1t have
grenades. *ou can upgrade them with disrupting claws so they can scratch tough stuff in melee, but
you really don1t want them in melee ever. (hey used to have $hase Fut which allowed them to
retreat to their base, but the coders removed it for unphatomable reasons.
!#ecron Lord is the main Hecron :eader. /ts base weapon is the staff of light that counts as power
weapon in melee and fires high #$ beams at range. /t has quite a lot of +$ and good melee damage,
but won1t be able to really go toe to toe against melee specialiEed enemies. /ts main strenght comes
from the ability to upgrade with special artifacts. *ou1ll want a phase shifter for "hield 5.
3essurection orb and phylactry have pretty much been nerfed to crap in 5.0, / can1t really tell if they
do anything at all in this version. Warscythe increases damage against vehicles and buildings and
has the ability to ignore "hields on top of armor.
!#ecron Lord Destroyer is a Hecron :ord mounted on some 4ind of s4ateboard. ;an1t @oin squads,
but even tougher and e2celent mobility, including @umping. Breat for harassing the enemy early
game even if quite e2pensive, @ust ma4e sure to don1t let it fight to the death.
Summoning Com/le( buildsI
!#ecron warriors, already covered.
!#ecron 'mmortals, your first elite choice. (ougher than warriors, also have W88 and their ranged
weapons are better, basically perform the same ranged attac4 role. #lso 4eep them well away fom
melee.
!Scarab Swarms may be a Fast attac4 choice, but they1re also your frontline unit of choice. :ots of
+$ ma4es them quite durable even with crap armor, and they can deepstri4e, @ump and move
quic4ly. (hey pac4 a good punch in melee against infantry, and with Disrupting ;laws upgrade,
they can actualy scratch tan4s and vehicles at amaEing speed.
!5raiths are another fast attac4 frontline option. "hield 4 ma4es them very durable, and they also
move fast , @ump and hit hard in melee, but they lac4 sheer numbers and can be easily overwhelmed
by hordes. Ho deepstri4ing doesn1t help either, but they do have W88.
!*layed Ones are an elite melee choice. (hey can deepstri4e, but its bugged so the deepstri4ing
range is quite limited. (hey1re tough, have W88 and actualy hurt well in melee. Ho ranged
weapons and normal movement speed means they1re however quite vulnerable on their own as the
enemy can always @ust pull bac4 and shoot them death. ;an ta4e disrupting claws to hurt heavier
vehicles and toughter monstruous creatures.
!Pariahs are the elite shoc4 troops of the necrons. (heir warchythes can ignore shields, but they
really don1t have that much melee damage, neither do they have shields of their own or W88, so
they1re best for countering really elite enemy units li4e terminators, pimped heroes and elite
wal4ers.
2nergy Core buildsI
!Destroyers are fast moving @ump troops with high range high speed weapons specialiEed in cuting
down enemy infantry, but can also scratch even the toughest vehicles and monsters. #n e2cellent hit
and run unit. Fh, and they also have W887
!Tomb Spyder is a budget monstruous creature. Hot that tough or strong, but it does pro@ect a
reinforcing aura. *ou may lower its melee power to equip it with a staff of light for shooting, but
their acuraccy is horrible. *ou can get three of them for the price of a single +eavy "uport slot.
!Hea%y Destroyers are @ust li4e destroyers, but they have "M ranged weapons to quic4ly blow up
enemy vehicles instead of death of a thousand scratches. =2pensive and lower squad siEe, but really
really good neverthless, combining quite a ranged punch with high mobility.
!Monolith is an +eavy - tan4 with lots of guns that can harm anything and everything. Fh, and it
can also deepstri4e. #nd reinforce and transport troops. #lso ignores a lot of special anti!tan4
abilities, but will still go down quic4ly to high "tr weapons. /t is still glorious seeing it enter the
battlefield out of nowhere.
For$iden !rchive buildsI
!(he Deathbringer. (op leader of the necrons. tter melee monster, immune to basic weapons, its
gaEe of death ability can wipe out whole squads when pathing doesn1t get in your way. #lso obscene
price tag, so ma4e sure it doesn1t get stuc4 in some piece of hard terrain while the enemy snipes it to
death.
1ecron Strategy
=arly game get two more builder scarabs, then either Hecron :ord destroyer for bac4ing up your
capturing squads or start massing scarabs %the combat ones&. /f you can get an e2tra necron warriors
good, but your main strategy for (, is swamping the enemy with scarab spam. Bet to (. as fast as
possible.
Keep building a necron squad here and there until you have 0, then start reinforcing them. (hey1ll
be your main force for an eventual fatal push of massed gauss rifles. Bet disrupting claws for your
scarabs for tan4 hunting and blowing up, or let them die and replace them for destroyers for hit and
run tactics. Bet also one or three tomb spyders for reinforcing and tan4ing. *ou may try to push
now with massed warriors bac4ed up by destroyers6scarabs and tomb spyders, or get to (5.
/n t5 get your heaviest hitters, the nightbringer and heavy destroyers. # basic necron lord with aura
artifacts ma4es a nice final touch. (hen move out and let the reaping begin7
2ldar
5e manipulate (ate& 7ust li!e we6re manipulated by it8
=ldar are a quite interesting race, with a good mi2 of ranged and melee bac4ed up by the best
mobility of the game. (he eldar grant you lots of e2otic specialiEed units with a wide amount of
tric4s to outmaneuver your oponent.
3e$4ay !ssem$ly buildsI
!onesin"ers are the eldar builders. (hey have a wea4 melee attac4, and a powerful teleporting
ability to get to the construction places faster.
!*arseer is the primary =ldar hero. "he1s probably the most versatile hero, being able to learn a
wide variety of powers togheter with Fleet of Foot. Fortune in particular combines quite well with
her "hield 5. +er witchblade can shred both heavy vehicles, buildings and monstruous creatures,
but doesn1t ignore infantry armor. (he singinging spear is the same in melee but can be used at short
range. (he farseer can also summon a warloc4 council, all with witchblades. =ach warloc4 also has
a specific psy4er power. =mbolden increases morale, destructor is a short range nu4e, enanche
increases melee potential, ;onceal grants a cover save%not that useful when you already have "hield
5 mind you&. (ogheter, they can beat a lot of stuff in melee, and are specially deadly tan4 hunters.
-Autarch is the secondary =ldar +ero. #rmor 4 on top of "hield 5 gives good protection. While the
Farseer can equip a wide variety of psychic powers, the #utarch can equip a wide variety of combat
weapons, plus mobility enanchers li4e teleport pac4 or @umping wings. "till, its low "tr and
relatively low +$ compared to other combat heroes means it will have an hard time @ustifying its
cost. /t performs well as an harassing unit attac4ing e2posed enemy squads, but that demands a lot
of good micro.
-A%atar is the top =ldar +ero, basically a monstruous creature. /t ma4es nearby eldars fearless, it is
itself immune to meltas and flamers, and pac4s quite a melee punch. /t is still vulnerable to basic
weapons and screaming to be focus fired before it manages to reach enemy lines. Wor4s best as
your spearhead, with the rest of your army moving right behind it.
!+uardian De(enders are the basic eldar infantry, and altough they have a good ranged damage
potential, their shuri4en catapult range is @ust too short. (hey also have a shuri4en cannon that can
fire on the move and hits quite hard, but it doesn1t really @ustify the whole squad cost. What they do
well is 4iting enemy melee squads with quic4 hit and runs with fleet. (hey can also ta4e a warloc4
li4e the ones of the farseer council. ;onceal is the top choice here, as the guardian1s wea4 armor and
medium +$ ma4es them quite fragile for an unit of their cost.
!Storm "uardians have the same base stats as guardian defenders, but trade their shuri4en catapults
for swords and pistols, having thus decent melee output. Just li4e defender guardians can 4ite
enemy melee, storm guardians e2cel at loc4ing enemy ranged specialists. (hey also want a ;onceal
Warloc4 for protecting them from enemy fire. Ho shuri4en cannons, but they can ta4e a couple of
flamers or a couple of melta pistols. (he second option ma4es them a decent vehicle6building
destroyer, specialy if you can catch the enemy by suprise with fleet.
!3angers are the =ldar elite infantry. "nipers, powerful cover save, infiltrate, they1re however
somewhat too e2pensive for what they do. (heir upgraded versions, the pathfinders, is much more
cost!efficient if not e2cellent, but you need a whooping 500 power upgrade to unloc4 them, which
will basicaly cripple your teching up.
!s/ect #ortal buildsI
!Dire a%en"ers are superior, guardians at the cost of versatility. 8etter range, acuraccy, armor, but
no special weapons whatsoever or warloc4s. ;heap capturing unit, and can eventualy go toe to toe
with other races basic infantry. (he dire avenger leader unloc4s the bladestorm power which
doubles firing rate for a while, and then you can1t shoot at all for some more time, perfect hit and
run tric4.
!ashees are melee specialists with power weapons by default. =2cellent against heavy and medium
infantry, and even if they don1t do much else, they1re still good enough for you to want at least a
squad of those when facing such enemies. (hey also not only have fleet, they have a scream ability
that greatly slows down enemy troops in melee, allowing them to easily loc4 their oponents in close
combat.
!Stri!in" scorpions are the eldar1s own heavy assault infantry. #rmor 4 and they hit with "4 at high
speed, but no power weapons so better against light infantry. (heir leader adds the infiltrate ability
for closing in with the enemy better, but they don1t have no Fleet of Foot.
!5arp spiders are the eldar fast attac4 teleport infantry. (hey have quite unique "0 #ssault .
weapons with null #$. 8est against light infantry, but in a pinch can be used against light vehicles
and heavy infantry as well. (he leader can bring in a couple of spineret rifles for pinning goodness.
(hey also can teleport out of melee and deepstri4e, granting them e2celent mobility.
!Dar! $eapers are an +eavy "uport specialiEed in 4illing heavy infantry from afar with their "- #$
4 long range weapons. (heir leader can bring in either a missile launcher, a shuri4en cannon, or the
powerful %and e2pensive& tempest launcher, which has lower range but deals area damage and
pinning. Bood against marines, really good against (au. Ho fleet.
!*ire Dra"ons all carry melta guns that shred pretty much everything at short range, and melta
bombs for e2tra over4ill. ;ombined with a wave serpent transport, they can easily @ump in, turn
something into slag, and then @ump out before the enemy can react. (remendous concentrated
firepower. (he leader can bring in a flamer for helping deal with hordes, altough it will be more of a
desesperate measure. +ave fleet.
!Suport Plata(orm teams are a few eldars carrying powerful e2otic heavy weapons. )ibrocannons
deal damage in a line and great raw damage, shadowweaver deals some area damage and pinning,
D!cannon has relatively short range for artillery but basically blows everything up if you can get a
shot off.
Su//ort #ortal buildsI
!0ypers are fast attac4 @ump vehicles. $aper armor, but e2ceptional speed and mobility, and can
equip a nice variety of ranged weapons. (he holofield upgrades ma4es them much more durable.
!5raithlord is a powerful monstruous creature, immune to basic attac4s, and lots of +$ to resist
heavy weapons. +as flamers and can equip a bright lance for shooting, but really shines in melee
punching stuff to death. /f it doesn1t have a warloc4 nearby, it will ocasionaly freeEe and be unable
to act.
!5a%e Serpent is the eldar basic transport. /t has special shields which ma4e it more resistant to high
strenght weapons and meltas. ;an also pac4 some good firepower. #nd also @umps and moves quite
fast. 8est transport on the game, but also most e2pensive.
!*alcon is a tan46transport hybrid, ta4ing an heavy suport slot . /t has no shields, but comes with the
powerful $ulse :aser main weapon for e2tra firepower. #lso @umps and moves fast. +ec4 all eldar
vehicles do, point.
!*ire Prism is literally the @ewel of the crown of the eldar tan4s. /ts main weapon has e2ceptional
range, both high "tr and area damage for shreding both enemy tan4s and infantry groups from a
safe distance. #nd then can get the +olofield upgrade for massive damage reduction. #t (., very
few things out there can hope to 4eep up with an upgraded fire prism. (heir main wea4 point are
grenades that bypass their holofields, so ma4e sure to 4eep them away from enemy infantry all the
time7
!5raith"uard are basically miniature wraithlord squads, but instead of punching stuff to death, they
carry mighty destructor cannons that vaporiEe pretty much anything, altough they have quite short
range. 3eally not worth it as elite slot as they suc4 in melee and can also be easily outranged, but
with the spiritseer upgrade, you can build a troop slot version of the wraithguard ,0 man strong
instead of -. =ldars have lots of good elite choices to pic4 from, but their basic infantry is 4inda
subpar, so wraithguards as troops are worth it.
-Scorpion is the second #pocalypse unit added to the mod. 8ig, powerful weaponry, shielded, and
still @umps and moves fast. (his could definetely go toe to toe with a baneblade, and is @ust as
obscenely e2pensive and slow to build.
3e$4ay buildsI
-Harle-uins which are basically elite bashees with "hield . instead of #rmor 5. (hey can ta4e
+arlequin1s 4iss to greatly boost their melee damage, but their price tag goes quite up with them.
*ou1re normaly best left with bashees, unless you need to counter other elite units with power
weapons.
-De(ender "uardians& now with a bigger variety of special weapons7
Soul Shrine buildsI
!Humerous upgrades for your forces.
2ldar Strategy
Bet two more bonesingers and speed up the aspect portal building. 9eanwhile get a storm guardian
squad for helping in capturing and tying up enemy ranged squads. From the aspect portal a bashee
squad if you e2pect marines6necrons, or stri4ing scorpions for other factions melee. "ee4 to ambush
enemy lonely squads with the right counter, and don1t be afraid to retreat for reinforcments with
your superior speed. (ech to (..
(he optimal strategy would now geting a suport portal for holo fielded fire prisms, but that1s
e2tremely cheesy and there1s little your enemy can do against it so early. Bet a couple webways in
strategic positions of the map for moving troops even faster. Dar4 reapers against marines or (au,
warp spiders for anything else. Fr alternatively get a farseer with the bigger council and Fortune
%use it on itself& for an e2cellent spearhead unit. /f you didn1t get fire prisms, two or three
wraithlords togheter with the farseer council or a storm guardian squad with warloc4 ma4e for a
great assault force to brea4 into the enemy base if you catch them by suprise. Falcons are also a
pretty solid unit, and wave serpents can be spammed for e2tra tan4 goodyness as they don1t ta4e
your heavy suport slots. Wear down your enemy with hit and run attac4s until it can1t defend itself,
then finish it off.
/f you do get to (5 and the enemy resists, research spiritseers for geting wraithguard troops. (hey1ll
however be a diversion due to their high toughness. *our true attac4 will come from fire dragons in
wave serpents droped in your enemy base and melting it to slag. /f that still isn1t enough, three fire
prisms and a "corpion.
Black %em/lars and S
(hose two factions are really newbie!friendly. (he coders and modellers love them and it shows in
the game. Just try them out and you1ll certainly do fine.