Dawn of War III

The Curious Fan · Apr 28, 2017

This just came out and I did the last one so I may as well do this one. I have no idea how to play this one and no experience with MOBAs so I'll take it easy with the difficulty.

This is the opening cinematic for the first level, I'm going with the IGN trailer since no one is uploading the stuff from the game yet.

The game starts with Gabriel jumping in to aid the forces of knight house Varlock on their world Cyprus Ultima against the rampaging Orks despite the wishes of the Inquisitor who called them to the world. Hopefully the plot addresses the fact that the Blood Ravens should have fuck all political pull and you need that to do things like this without getting blowback.

The mission itself starts with the Blood Ravens dropping in to defend a breach in Varlock Keep that just got blown open.

Lady Solaria (the house's commander): If we don't defend that breach, Varlock Keep will fall!

Gabriel: This is Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens. My Space Marines and I have deployed to the breach. We shall stem the Ork tide!

Solaria: Space Marines? It's about damn time you got here.

I look forward to wiping out the chapter several times over during this campaign.

At first I can only control Gabriel and smash the Orks with his knockback, once I'm done I get told to head for the communication array.

Gabriel: Lady Solaria, my brothers have the breach contained. I'm moving on. Where am I needed?

Solaria: The communication array! I can't coordinate our defenses if it falls!

Gabriel: Understood. I'm on my way.

A valid objective, but then the door to it gets blown to bits by Ork artillery and Gabriel has to jump up to an alternate path (not as strange as Diomedes' charge but still pretty strange considering he's in Terminator armour), strangely, I don't even get to bring some of the guys with jump packs along.

I jump my way through and get Scouts, still sneaky and now they have blind grenades. Sniper scouts are a separate unit introduced later though.

Gabriel: Chapter Master to Battle Barge Dauntless - I require a Tactical Marine squad dropped to my location.

Captain Balthazar: The Dauntless reads you. A Tactical Marine drop pod is on standby, awaiting deployment orders.

Gabriel has a captain with him. I would have a screenshot of the deployment but I'm not quite back into the habit of taking screenshots more often than I move units.

Soon enough I reach the communications array with my marines and then it's just a matter of shooting the Orks.

The guys in blue are the House Varlock guard. The cloaked guys are obviously the scouts. Also, there are health packs now, at this point I was beginning to regret skipping the tutorial.

Most of the dialogue is bland deploy forces so I'm skipping it but the next target is the Machine Hangar since the Orks are after the Knights.

They're not going to have an easy time getting those Knights though.

Along the way some House Varlock guys tempt fate by declaring Ork Trukks no threat since they're far below only for the Orks to show off their ability to launch forces into high places, by the end the guards are all dead and Gabriel needs a few health packs.

For some idiotic reason, I didn't take a screenshot of the barracks, but here's the dreadnought, it has a flamethrower and a slam attack. They're introducing units really quickly for this campaign.

In addition to the units here, I recruit another scout sniper squad and some assault marines for the final battle, this is what's left.

I pretty much got my forces annihilated by the opening level enemies purely because I had no idea how to use them properly. I think I'm going to hit up the tutorials because I'm apparently terrible at this particular game.

Now for the post-mission chatter.

Solaria: We've been fighting them without reprieve for so long...

I thought these were our last days.

Gabriel: You fought valiantly, enduring this. Your call for aid should not have gone unanswered.

Solaria: Nevertheless, my House and I owe you Space Marines a great debt.
---- (actual post mission rather than ending cutscene)
Solaria: .... This reprieve from the xenos will allow us to repair all of our damaged Knight armour. The Orks best chance to destroy us has now passed.

Gabriel: Even so, I shall leave a force of Space Marines on Cyprus' surface. Blood Ravens do not abandon loyal soldiers of the Emperor.

Solaria: I will repay this debt, Master Angelos. My word is my bond. Solaria out.

Balthazar: Chapter Master, you've another communique. From the Inquisitor.

Gabriel: Put him through.

The Inquisitor looks awfully evil with that hood and red glow, this feels like really blatant foreshadowing. I can make out NATUS spelt on his hood but I can't make out the rest of the letters.

Inquisitor: Gabriel Angelos, I summoned you to this world for a greater purpose than mere Orks.

Gabriel: My purpose is dictated by the Emperor. Not you, Inquisitor. Duty demands I stand with my fellow man against the alien.

Inquisitor: Duty demands you follow my orders. We need to conserve our forces in high orbit.

Gabriel: For what? The Orks are the only threat I see in this system.

Inquisitor: All will be revealed in time. Do not get distracted until then. Inquisitor out.

Surprisingly light on Gabriel despite him defying orders, maybe he's not as bad as he looks or maybe he just has a shortage of bodies to throw at this particular problem.

After the mission I find that Elite units get experience and that they have different skins.

I'm suddenly reminded of the fact that her symbol looks a lot like the Alpha Legion symbol. Maybe I wasn't supposed to go look at the skins.

Next time, I'm with Gorgutz and hopefully competent.

Meh · Apr 28, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
no experience with MOBAs

...not a fucking MOBA

Anyway, since I can't play this game yet by virtue of not having access to my PC for little over a week, this will the be my main way of examining the game, so thanks for making this thread.

serra2 · Apr 28, 2017

So how does the gameplay feel? Smooth and intuitive? Clunky as all get out? Considering blowing some money to get this, but would like to hear from someone playing through it.

Generic_Generica · Apr 28, 2017

(Sits down and grabs a bag of munchies.)

Ooh. Dawn of War III? Kewl.

Dream Logic · Apr 28, 2017

I don't think this will be found waning.

Do not disappoint me (please!).

stratigo · Apr 28, 2017

Dream Logic said:
I don't think this will be found waning.

Do not disappoint me (please!).

Actually, most reviewers agree the campaign is the weakest part. Which is a pity

Dream Logic · Apr 28, 2017

stratigo said:
Actually, most reviewers agree the campaign is the weakest part. Which is a pity

Oh, I meant the LP. I have no interest in the actual game.

Cosar · Apr 28, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
This is the opening cinematic for the first level, I'm going with the IGN trailer since no one is uploading the stuff from the game yet.

The game starts with Gabriel jumping in to aid the forces of knight house Varlock on their world Cyprus Ultima against the rampaging Orks despite the wishes of the Inquisitor who called them to the world. Hopefully the plot addresses the fact that the Blood Ravens should have fuck all political pull and you need that to do things like this without getting blowback.

The mission itself starts with the Blood Ravens dropping in to defend a breach in Varlock Keep that just got blown open.

The Curious Fan said:
Surprisingly light on Gabriel despite him defying orders, maybe he's not as bad as he looks or maybe he just has a shortage of bodies to throw at this particular problem.

After the mission I find that Elite units get experience and that they have different skins.

It's not clear how long it's been, so the Blood Ravens may have regained some political capital. More importantly, Knight Worlds are considered pretty important by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Inquisitor's order was based purely on wanting to save soldiers for later. So the Blood Ravens probably gained cover for this action, and it's not like the Inquisitor can go too hard on them, given how at the end of the day he still wants to use their forces.

The Curious Fan said:
I pretty much got my forces annihilated by the opening level enemies purely because I had no idea how to use them properly. I think I'm going to hit up the tutorials because I'm apparently terrible at this particular game.

Now for the post-mission chatter.

If you've played previous DoW titles it's not critical. Most of the information is stuff like how Elites heal near unit producing buildings, units can only reinforce near those, and some simple tactics(use stealth units to scout and create ambush points). Health packs seem to only be in levels where you're expected to be without a base for some time so that you can keep your elite units healed up.

The Curious Fan · Apr 29, 2017

This time we're back with Gorgutz from the Winter Assault/Dark Crusade/Soulstorm. He's here with a plan to play minion for Gitstompa, the Ork warboss attacking House Varlock, at least until the inevitable backstab happens.

He looks a bit different (he's less of a Ghazzghull clone) now. If they put him in any more games or expansions they'd better make him bigger.

Another cutscene that isn't uploaded and there's a lot of dead Blood Ravens.

Narrator: Long a battlefield, planet Cyprus was littered with the wreckage of the armies and war machines that had contended there. To most, it was a scarred wasteland. But for Orks, it was a rich bounty of valuable scrap. The Ork Gorgutz came to Cyprus to avail himself of these riches and pledged his allegiance to one of the local warbosses. But few believed that he would be satisfied being a servant for very long.

Gorgutz: I want it all!!!

The mission starts with Gitstompa storming a fort. It says a lot that they made his first line Zapp Brannigan reference.

Gitstompa: Stop dying, ya cowards! Take the humie fort!

Gorgutz: Boss Gitstompa is makin' another mess! I'll have to show 'im how it's done.

With that, Gorgutz sneaks in because his custom klaw can be used as a grappling hook. A few Orks on the walls join up with him since he always has a plan.

I'm going to have to get into the habit of checking these.

After a bit, we find some Orks trying to run past a heavy turret.

This really says it all.

Gorgutz and his guys sneak through the convenient grass patch.

Just don't ask how they didn't see Gorgutz. This whole sequence is contrived to teach players about stealth cover.

Some more shooting and Gorgutz opens the gate.

Gitstompa: I'm so fearsome the humies opened the door for me!

He's an arrogant git.

You can charge down into the middle area that you just opened up on your own but there's half a dozen squads down there and you'll get shot to hell and lose most of Gorgutz' health. Or you can wait for Gitstompa's boyz to get in there and hack them to pieces.

Either way, once they're dead a cutscene starts up.

Gitstompa: I did it! I took this fort!

Did I say cutscene? I meant that they just changed the camera and played some dialogue, you can still see the game running in the background, like that Waaagh! tower that's about to come down.

Gorgutz: After I did all the work!

Gitstompa: And ya deserve to work! We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for your plan faillin' at the Keep! But I'm a forgivin' boss! You build me a Big gun here - One that can blow over Varlock Keep - and I'll call it even!

Gorgutz: For yer forgiveness? Anything for you 'boss.'

*Gitstompa leaves*

Gorgutz: Oh, I'll build him a gun all right. But we're going to need a proper kamp to get that started. First, capture that resource point!

Ah, it's time for the basebuilding tutorial. It's hard to show in a picture but Ork buildings move in ways that make them look sort of alive.

Just like in the original game, you take a resource point and you build it up.

Once I've got my base up and running, my objective becomes finding the best bitz for the Big Gun which are conveniently in the bits of the fort the I haven't sacked yet.

Orks also get a scrap mechanic, when mechanical units die you can send your Orks to loot the scrap for some upgrades, that's what happened with the Boyz on the far right of my unit selection. Waaagh towers also throw out scrap every once in a while.

After a bit, you get a forced demonstration of Gorgutz's spinnin' klaw when you need to use it to protect your army from being shredded by the heavy turrets.

Eventually, the surprise of the level happens.

The Eldar announce themselves with a full assault, presumably to take out Gorgutz.

They're brought some serious kit too.

Dire Avenger: We've orders to kill you too, Ork!

Gorgutz: Try me, pointy 'ead!

Ah, Gorgutz.

The Eldar die quickly (though they have shields) and the gun is ready.

It even has it's own shield, will Gorgutz give it legs eventually?

Gretchin: We iz done, Boss Gorgutz! Warboss Gitstompa's Big Gun is ready!

Gorgutz: About time! The Eldar are back and circlin' to give us another go. Let's test it on the pointy 'eads.

Now I get to hold the line while the gun charges, eventually it's done and I'm told to push the button.

I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that.

Gretchin: Ain't it great, boss? It insults them to make them too sad to fight!

Gorgutz: Oh yeah? Cept they're still fighting!

Gretchin: Don't worry, boss, we're still charging the other weapons!

Gorgutz: You protect that Gun! I got big plans for it!

It charges up a second time.

Fireworks, it has fireworks.

Gorgutz: Those pop guns are useless. Let's just stick to the main kannon.

Now that charges up and wipes out every Eldar on the map when it fires and flings the gun back. Gorgutz decides to get the Gun back to his base by firing it repeatedly. The Gretchin, of course, keep firing the insult kannon while they do this.

YOU ARE STUPID!
YOU ARE PUNY!
YOU FIGHT BAD!

Once it's back to base, the Eldar finally catch on to the idea that fighting the Orks head on when they have a giant kannon is a bad idea. Or maybe the insults got to them.

Gorgutz: The Eldar are leggin' it! And the gun works good! Too good, if you ask me. Gretchin, before we hand this off to Gitstompa, I need you to make some modifications.
--- Post-mission
Gorgutz: It was a bit of a bother to get her back to your kamp, but here you go! A Big Gun for Big Boss Gitstompa! It'll blow away Varlock Keep easy.

Gitstompa: Oh! I misjudge you, Gorgutz! That gun will really help me out! I ain't goin' to use it on the Keep just yet, though! Y'see, I got Eldar raidin' me kamp, trying to kill me!

Never change, Gorgutz.

Gorgutz: Ooo, Eldar! You don't say!

Gitstompa: Yeah! I don't know why they're invadin' this world, but Gitstompa will give'em the fight they're looking for! I'm going to knock'em dead with this gun!

Gurgutz: Well you give 'em a good duffin' for me, Gitstompa!

Gitstompa: I will! Take care, Gorgutz!

*Gorgutz goes out of earshot*

Gorgutz: Stupid git. Doesn't even know what the Eldar are here for. But I do! Same thing I came for! The whole reason I came to this mudball and joined this pack of fools in the first place.

And on that, the mission ends. Next time, Macha.

Night_stalker · Apr 29, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
Next time, Macha.

Oooh, how's she doing?

The Curious Fan · Apr 29, 2017

Night_stalker said:
Oooh, how's she doing?

Her appearance is apparently more like /tg/ artwork than it is like her DOW appearance and she thinks this whole prophecy about the spear is a ruse.

Night_stalker · Apr 29, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
she thinks this whole prophecy about the spear is a ruse.

She's just jealous she's not the PC.

Chimeraguard · Apr 29, 2017

Ah Orks. You brighten up any day.

The Curious Fan · Apr 30, 2017

Until I looked back at these I forgot that Macha had a stasis ability to go along with her spear throw and explosion.

Gitstompa in a cinematic, he won't be around for long.

Narrator: The Eldar warlord Kyre was obsessed with the Prophecy of Khaine. And sent his army to Cyprus to await the re-emergence of the wandering world. But Kyre's army met unexpected resistance from the local Orks. Kyre sent the Farseer Macha to assist his forces. Based on her auguries, Macha did not trust the prophecy... and suspected there were sinister forces at work.

Will it be Chaos because Relic loves Khorne or Necrons because of the Czevak quote in the original teaser? Stay tuned and find out.

Macha can now do explosive landings.

Macha: These Orks do not die easily. I will need to fight through them in order to take command of the Eldar here.

Later on she explains the Eldar shield mechanics, it's called focus so it's presumably supposed to represent them dodging rather than tanking things, they tend to die very quickly once the dodge meter runs out. It regenerates faster when close to a Webway Gate (which also makes units go faster but can't teleport units anymore or at least I don't have the upgrade yet).

I choose to interpret this as Macha having a mean right hook if she's still relevant in a melee brawl without her spear.

Not really much to say about this mission, you go around destroying Waaagh banners to annoy Gitstompa and try and bait him into appearing. I get Dire Avengers (can shoot and melee), Howling Banshees (melee), Dark Reapers (ranged effective against everything with huge range and setup time, the Devastator equivalent) and Vypers (Scout vehicles with slow mines, prone to needing to be pulled back behind the rest of the army).

Since I've now got vehicles, Orks get Tankbustas which also really hurt infantry, they also send the odd convoy of trucks to reinforce the remaining banners and you need to use the Vyper's slow mines to give your infantry a chance to catch up.

Reason number 1957 why Eldar don't like attacking fortified positions.

Still, once all the towers are blown up, Gitstompa calls us.

Gitstompa: You puny pointy ears destroyed my beautiful Waaagh Towers! If you got something to say to me, come say it to my face, if you're not too scared!

Macha: Come with me, Eldar, the time has come to remove this fool from the board.

And so the Eldar charge right in without even checking if he has a giant gun waiting for them.

Gitstompa: Joke's on you, Eldar! I've got a nasty surprise for ya! Fire!

Luckily for the Eldar, Gorgutz is around or their campaign would have come to an abrupt end.

Gorgutz is just stealing the show so far.

Gorgutz: Hey, Gitstompa, Gorgutz here! Consider yourself backstabbed!

Gitstompa: Gorgutz! That sneaky git will pay!

Macha: It seems our prey has been betrayed! (boo)

Surprisingly, the two Dark Reaper squads in the back do most of the work in wearing Gitstompa down since this is a repeated hit and run job and they're just parked outside of his aggro range with their effective vs everthing guns firing all the time.

Gitstompa: Boyz! Help me out, or I'll gut ya with Gorgutz!

I can't tell if he's threatening to kill them with Gorgutz or if he's threatening to kill them with Gorgutz('s body).

Either way, he dies once he's been shot enough. He nearly wiped out the protagonist of another faction and deserves some props for that.

Macha: We prevail and the field is secure. Our hope was that killing this Warboss would destabilise the Orks. However, this 'Gorgutz' that orchestrated the deed is already poised to replace him.

How do you not know who Gorgutz is when the Eldar were after him specifically last mission? Is Kyre not telling his minions everything?

Macha: Autarch Kyre, your Swordwind is victorious and our positions on Cyprus are secure.

Kyre: Excellent. And the Warboss, he is dead?

I have no hope of this guy turning out to be a good guy, at best he'll be an unreasonable moron.

Macha: Indeed. I took command of the floundering warhost and secured his demise. However, I fear this victory will not disrupt the Orks as you planned. The Warboss was betrayed, with another Ork poised to replace him.

Kyre: The beasts fight each other for power? I see our aim achieved.

Macha: You're right, yet my unease remains. It's the same disquiet I have for the Prophecy.

Kyre: Must I remind you that the Prophecy is not your concern? My inner-circle has it's interpretations well in-hand.

Macha: Of course, Autarch Kyre.

Kyre: I have other matters to attend. The human Inquisitor. He has come into possession of an artifact that is ours, and I intend to get it back.

Macha: My lord! How can I serve?

Kyre: I have no need of you. Stand down and await my next edict.

*Kyre leaves*

Macha: My counsel is refused at every turn!

Ah, Macha isn't in the inner-circle, that's why she isn't getting intel on everything happening.

Next time, saving private Orion.

The Curious Fan · May 1, 2017

He has 5 Starforts for a blockade, that seems like a small number when you see that they're all on one side of the planet but let's see how it goes.

Holt: We have a situation, Angelos! An hour ago the Eldar launched an attack on Starfort Helios. This Starfort is absolutely crucial to my strategy!

Gabriel: You've brought several of these Starforts into the system, Inquisitor. Should I assume you're planning some sort of blockade for us Blood Ravens to enforce?

Holt: That is not yet your concern. What should concern you is that your Chief Librarian, Jonah Orion, is on Starfort Helios now.

Gabriel: What's Jonah doing there?

Holt: I invited him. You see, a relic of xenos origin was brought to Starfort Helios and Jonah's expertise is needed to study it. The relic is of extreme value to the Inquisition. Let no harm come to it, or to my Starfort for that matter. I've made a Deathwatch Kill Team available to you to ensure that.

You'd think he'd have been told about the Starfort attack as soon as it happened rather than an hour later. And it'd be a shame if anything happened to the artifact.

This is what the House Varlock guard looks like and Diomede's new helmet is like. He sounds like he got a new VA too.

Gabriel: Brother-Chaplain Diomedes. I want a report on the status of Varlock Keep before I deploy to Starfort Helios.

Diomedes: Very well, Chapter Master. My detachment and I reinforced House Varlock like you ordered. Lady Solaria is a fearsome ally. Together we executed a joint breakout offensive from the Keep. It was successful in driving the remaining Orks from Varlock territory, back to their nests in the Cyprus Badlands.

Gabriel: Good. The Varlock Knights are worthy allies - keep supporting them. Do not let the Inquisitor countermand you. He bypassed me to enlist Jonah.

Diomedes: Understood. You play politics while I purify Cyprus Ultima.

It's strange how Inquisitor Holt isn't called by his name despite being given one. I guess they didn't want players to side with him or like him very much, I suppose I'll call him by his name from now on simply so that I don't forget it even if the game keeps calling him The Inquisitor.

Holt: The protection of Starfort Helios is your foremost priority. Protection of the xenos relic is your second. Sadly, Chief Librarian Orion will have to fend for himself.

Gabriel: Jonah is my chief advisor. I've been through too much with him to leave him in danger. Especially for some cursed xenos artifact.

Holt: Your sentimentality is tiresome.

Gabriel: You're demanding sacrifice when none is needed. I will rescue Jonah. I will defeat the Eldar attacking your Starfort. And yes, I will even stop them from taking your tainted bauble.

Holt: I shall take that as a promise.

It's funny how he'll do that and yet completely violate the spirit of this promise.

The Deathwatch Kill-team I get to work with, they don't really do much for me.

Looks like the planet got smashed by orbital bombardment.

Balthazar: Chapter Master, the Starfort is overwhelmed! We must regain control quickly! Strike force and Stronghold deployed!

Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum forces get their own sprite to distinguish them from House Varlock's guys. Unexpected.

For the start of this mission you have to rush in and save Jonah before anything since he's under attack and his health bar is continuously dropping. I also get Devastators for this job in Heavy Bolter and Lascannon varieties to compensate for the fact that I'm not allowed to make melee units other than Dreadnoughts.

Jonah: Gabriel! I'm afraid we have little time to talk. The relic they are after is from Acheron, a cursed world that emerges from the warp every 5000 years. They have entrenched two positions in the Starfort to take it.

Gabriel: We must destroy these encampments to reclaim Starfort Helios.

And there's the mysterious world from the trailers, I guess when it shows this will get a lot worse.

A bit after that, I get a message from Kyre.

Kyre: You are known to the Eldar, Gabriel Angelos. The warriors of my Swordwind will burn your army to the ground.

Balthazar: Chapter Master, the Eldar just sent a force to attack our base.

For the first time in four missions, I'm actually getting attacks launched at my base and Listening Posts are the closest thing I've got to turrets at this point so I have to leave some guys behind. And there's still a conspicuous missing part of the map so I know that I won't be done when they both die.

I get Predators as one of my rewards for rescuing allies, strangely, I can only find two of the ally locations out of supposedly four. Thankfully these Predators can snipe my enemy's mostly infantry forces when not destroying tanks.

Once I wipe out both encampments, I get another taunt from Kyre.

Kyre: You have won back your fortress, humans, but we have what we came for. The fragment of Acheron is ours!

Jonah: There's the relic - it's some sort of power core.

Gabriel: We don't have much time before they get away. The Inquisitor won't like it, but to keep the relic from Eldar hands we must destroy it!

And to think he'd have probably gotten away with it if he didn't taunt.

Alternative suggestion, just blow up the fucking gate that they're using to warp it out.

And if that's a fragment of a planet then I expect Necrons to show up at some point.

Gabriel: Like an infection, I don't trust the thing.

I begin to suspect that he's using this as an excuse to blow up the relic.

Kyre: If you destroy this fragment, you humans will lose it for yourselves as well!

Gabriel: It should've been purged in the first place.

*explosion*

Kyre: You may have destroyed the fragment, but Acheron itself will soon be here! When it arrives, we will not be stopped!

Standard villain dialogue, there goes any hope of seeing Kyre live through this.

Jonah's cherub has a little shanker, I almost found it adorable until I remembered that it's a servitor made out of a dead baby.

Looks like Helios is going down in the background.

Gabriel: It had to be done Inquisitor. Better to burn the relic than let it fall into xenos hands.

Holt: The backlash damaged all of the Helios' systems! Starfort Helios is helpless and my blockade fractured! You need to fix this, Angelos!

Gabriel: Before Planet Acheron arrives. That's what you intend to blockade, is it not, Inquisitor?

Holt: Well deduced.

Jonah: You can't hide secrets from Blood Ravens. Our chapter archives keep records of Acheron. The Eldar have fought for it before, hoping to claim its treasure. A weapon of untold power.

Holt: The mythical Spear of Khaine. That is why I need to blockade Acheron! To keep the Eldar from getting it! But you've BROKEN my blockade!

Gabriel: This Spear is concerning. What if I redeployed Brother-Chaplain Diomedes and his detachment to defend Helios? Is that satisfactory?

Holt: Hm... That will work. Yes, very well. If that is all... Inquisitor out.

*Holt leaves*

Jonah: Wise, though Diomedes won't approve.

Gabriel: You and I will have to assume his duties on Cyprus Ultima. I don't trust the Inquisitor, but until Acheron comes, this blockade is the correct tactic.

Let's recap the three goals Gabriel had going in to this mission.

Save Jonah: Done.

Protect the relic: They destroyed the relic.

Save the Starfort: The fortress is helpless as a result of them blowing up the relic.

This feels like a bit of contrived conflict to me. That blockade is probably going to turn out to have been sorely needed in a few missions.

Next time, Gorgutz assumes leadership over the remnants of Gitstompa's Waaagh.

The Curious Fan · May 3, 2017

This mission is gets started as a scrap hunt.

Ork Boy: Boss! Boss! Come quick! It's raining scrap! The humies got into a fight in space and now free loot is crashing everywhere!

Gorgutz: Yeah! This is perfect! Just the chance I've been waiting for!

Ork Boy: To get scrap?

Gorgutz: No, to conquer the rest of this Waaagh, you gits! All the top Orks are warring to be the next Big Boss and each one is going to come running for this scrap hoping to get an edge. That's when I beat them all at once! Something's comin' to this world and I need to sort this mess into a proper Waaagh before it does.

Loota Boy: So you don't want the scrap?

Gorgutz: Oh no - that's mine too.

Gorgutz is in a rush, I guess Acheron will arrive after the next Eldar mission.

The two enemies for this mission.

Ork Boy: Who are these top Orks that want to fight Gorgutz to be boss? I ain't heard of any of 'em!

Shoota Boy: Really? You ain't heard of Zappnoggin? How about Wazmakka, the Big Mek? No? Zappnoggin, he's an old Weirdboy, with a head so 'uge that lightning shoots from his ears! As for Wazmakka, they say he's so smart that he built a traktor beam that stole a moon and threw it into a star just for laffs!

Gorgutz: You're talking rubbish! Wazmakka, yeah he's clever, but he's scared of his own shadow. Zappnoggin's a tough old Ork, but his problem is he's got no craving for a real fight. What's the point of getting that old if you ain't ever fought a grand, proper war?

He's talking a lot of shit about the two guys he's planning to conscript.

Shiny.

Gorgutz: Come on, come on! Let's nick all the scrap before those would-be bosses move in!

*scrap falls down*

Oh that's a beaut!

With this we also get introduced to something else to do with scrap, you can build units like Killa Kans cheaply if you make them from a pile of scrap (presumably under normal circumstances the scrap pile required for this comes from destroying a Predator or the other faction's tanks).

I'm glad I picked the Shoota Boyz automatically throw stikkbombs upgrade for my army, it comes in handy so often.

Seeing as I have a bunch of strategic points that I can capture and two big targets to go after that aren't here yet, I make a point of fortifying all of the strategic points while I have downtime to ensure a steady flow of resources for when things inevitably get hectic.

Eventually, I get a pile of loot big enough for a Deff Dread. Once it's down Zappnoggin's boyz arrive and get smashed by rokkits and stikkbombs.

Ork Boy: Leg it! Back to Boss Zappnoggin!

Gorgutz: They dropped this thing. It's beepin'.

Gretchin: Oh! That's a Gitfinda! It finds gits.

Gorgutz: So this could lead me straight to that git Zappnoggin? Flash!

With that I get a Gitfinda bar at the top of the screen that points me towards the new top of the screen and I get two more strategic points to fortify.

Gorgutz: I'm gonna need to beat the snot out of Zappnoggin close and personal.

Ork Boy: Oooh! Then his boyz will know you're the toughest!

Gorgutz: Oy! Zappnoggin! Show yerself!

Zappnoggin: Gorgutz! The only Ork too dim to know how good he has it!

As expected, he's a Weirdboy hero unit.

Gorgutz: Would it kill you to show some aggression, old timer?

Zappnoggin: Probably! That's how I lived this long!

He's a pretty standard bossight, he teleports, Gorgutz punches him and when you've done it enough all of his guys turn to your side.

Zappnoggin: I give! I give! You win! You're the boss! Me and the boyz will go along with your crazy plan.

Gorgutz: That's right: I'm DA BOSS. That is, assuming I can hold off Wazmakka! We wore ourselves out fightin' and you can be sure Wazmakka will attack 'ere to capitalize! Our boyz need to get more Killy to stand a chance!

Zappnoggin: Well we can round up more ladz at the Boyz Hut...

Gorgutz: Not good enough! What I need is a DAKKA HUT!

With my resource hoard, I get the Dakka Hut and Pile'o gunz (upgrade place) working and churn out my devastator equivalents in Loota Boyz and Tankbustas. As it turns out, two groups of Loota Boyz and one group of Tankbustas is enough to wipe out a camp.

During the three waves of attacks I get the ability to use Stormboyz, the elite Ork version of Assault Marines and the really odd Orks that actually care about organising things.

Gorgutz: Wazmakka didn't even bother showing up himself.

Zappnoggin: Probably off tinkering with his machines.

Gorgutz: If he won't show himself, the Gitfinda will find him!

Along the way, I get this dialogue.

Gorgutz: No change.

Gretchin: Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Ah, tech support.

Zappnoggin: That Coward's setup shop behind that water!

Gorgutz: Lot's of fine machines! I need a Mek like him!

Wazmakka: Gorgutz! You ain't dead yet?

Gorgutz: Surprised? A boss should see his rival dead with his own eyes!

This boss fight is much the same as the last, except he hides in high areas with shield and rains explosives, meaning that you're supposed to just get him behind his cover with the Stormboyz, much better than the Deathwatch squad that was just kind of there last mission.

Wazmakka: OW Watch the face!

Wazmakka: I'm too handsome to lose to you!

Wazmakka: You win! Don't ruin my beautiful face!

He's a bit of a narcissist.

A different shot of the new recruits.

Wazmakka: It ain't fair! I was to be boss! Only I was 'andsome enough!

Zappnoggin: Oy, It's no beauty contest!

Gorgutz: Shut your gobs! You two work for me now!

Zappnoggin: Yeah, yeah, you're the boss now. But you ever going to tell us why you went to all that trouble?

Gorgutz: Right - the big prize! You think a clever Ork like me signed up with a dunce like Gitstompa just for laffs?

...Now, before I came here, I scored a load of secrets at this dump called Kaurava. One of 'em secrets is the thing the humies and Eldar are fighting on this world for.

Wazmakka: What are you talking about? Spit it out!

Gorgutz: Da Planet Acheron.

Gorgutz has more idiots to bounce off of now.

Next time, Jain Zar and a Wraithlord have a proposition for Macha.

The Curious Fan · May 5, 2017

Three missions in a row without comments.

This mission starts with Ronahn on Biel Tan's team again.

Ronahn: Farseer Macha, I am Ronahn, Lord Kyre's spymaster. I've been sent to give you your next mission.

Macha: You waste your breath. I already know Kyre has devised some errand that will remove me from this war.

Ronahn: Not an inaccurate assessment. Kyre wants you to hunt Angelos and follow his fleet from this space. It is lucky for you that Angelos has chosen to remain on Cyprus Ultima.

Macha: And Kyre does not know this?

Ronahn: Follow your orders. Hunt Gabriel - my rangers will lead you to him. If you use this as an opportunity to resist Kyre's plans, that is your choice.

He's here but once not on board with Kyre's plan (Ronahn not approving of charging after prophecies, what a shock).

Meanwhile, Kyre is reciting the Prophecy to the troops as part of a speech.

Kyre: Hear the words of Prophecy! Fiery skies shall light the way, and blood shall spill over the Wandering World. The Spear of Khaine shall call the Wayfarers, and the Storm Prince shall unite them! Their victory shall shake the heavens! Brethren, soon the Wandering World will appear and bring with it the Spear of Khaine! Wielding it, we'll re-unite the Eldar race and rule the galaxy once more! However an old foe stands in our way: Gabriel Angelos! Farseer Macha, she is my champion! I bequeath to her the glorious honour of hunting down and killing Angelos! Once Macha removes this obstuction, we shall secure our future!

Khaine's more of a sword guy so I'm not expecting anything impressive from that spear even if it isn't actually a chaos artifact or a warscythe.

The other hero that joins in this mission, Jain Zar the Phoenix Lard, she should honestly be the ultimate murder machine but let's see how she does.

Jain Zar: Farseer Macha. Long have I watched you from afar, but now it is time for us to finally have words.

Macha: Jain Zar, you do me great honour. To what do I owe the notice of a Phoenix Lord?

Jain Zar: I expected you to be a leader of your people. Instead you are a petty assassin serving Kyre.

Macha: I serve the Craftworld, and the Craftworld serves Kyre. His fiery talk of prophecy muddles their judgement.

Jain Zar: Yet you have inspired some dissent and perhaps an ally. Kyre's own spymaster plots against him.

Macha: Or does he just spin more deceit?

Jain Zar: If you have no spine for the game then you do not have to play it.

Macha: No! I accept my task! Perhaps fate is finally ready to let me kill Angelos. It has denied me in the past.

Jain Zar: Yes... The past.

Macha: A long story. We were allies once, briefly. He failed me and darkness prevailed.

I wonder why Jain Zar isn't putting more effort into shutting this whole thing down if she disapproves of it to this extent. And Macha doesn't really have room to complain about Gabriel after her communication fuckups.

I also get access to wraith units for this mission, not that I use them since I was too far into the mission with my infantry ball before I noticed them. Maybe next time I play as Eldar.

For this mission I also have to deal with alarms, if they get triggered assault squads will show up at the alarm location to try and ruin my day, I also have to capture two communications arrays in order to locate Gabriel.

Thankfully, I have Jain Zar to help.

She's great for just jumping to the back of lines to carve up any heavy firepower and I imagine that her triskelle would be devastating against a tightly bunched Ork horde.

Those guys floating in the back are Shadow Spectres, the guys introduced in a FW book, they're my main anti-tank guys, doing more damage the longer they're focused on something and bonus damage to skimmers like the Land Speeders that get sent out at one point.

Ranger: I've intercepted a transmission from the array. It is Angelos, listen:

Gabriel: The Eldar are drawn to the spear, Kyre covets its power. We cannot let him, or anyone else, obtain it.

Ranger: That's all. We'll need the last array to pinpoint his whereabouts.

After this I get my first encounter with the Whirldwinds which just hit a large marked area and do horrible things to any infantry in the blast radius.

There's two approaches to the first Whirlwind, either straight ahead or in a side passage on the map.

Always check behind the waterfall.

When I'm almost at the second communications array, I get enough elite points to unlock the Wraithlord.

I didn't experiment with him much but he's got a charge where he drags his sword along the ground and a shield ability.

Ranger: Another intercepted message from Angelos.

Gabriel: The Spear of Khaine, I fear that it is not what it seems, and any who wield it will be corrupted...

Ranger: There! We've traced Angelos' signal to a stronghold north of here.

Macha: Laying siege to that stronghold will draw him out.

Of course, we don't get Gabriel at first, we get Jonah.

And also a whole lot of dead marines, I'm not even going to try and count how many marines die over the course of this campaign or how many dead marines are already there as props.

Once Jonah has been bullied enough, Gabriel comes out and a cutscene begins.

I'll give a quick recap for people who don't want to watch, Gabriel and Macha start fighting and Macha opens by throwing her Singing Spear at him.

I can only assume that Gabriel's left hand is a power fist and that this mitigated the effects of catching a Singing Spear in your hand, of course, he holds on to it a bit too long and this happens.

I love the "I fucked up" face that Gabriel gets just before the explosion.

And Macha used the same throw spear+trigger explosion combo I've been using all game, of course, Macha tries to follow this up with a psychic punch and gets smashed back by God-Splitter for her trouble.

I guess the shields are a mix of actual shields and Eldar dodge-tanking considering she's fine after that.

Before they can keep going, Acheron arrives.

Yeah that's definitely a Necron planet, one made entirely of Necrodermis by the looks of it.

After seeing this, Macha decides that the events unfolding require Gabriel's survival and retreats into the Webway.

Now for the post-mission dialogue.

Ronahn: The Wandering World comes, yet Angelos still lives?

Macha: I would have gladly killed him, but I sense that our fates are yet intertwined. Angelos believes the Spear is corrupted. He wishes to stop any from possessing it and unleashing its dark power. In order to deliver our people from the doom that the Wandering World would bring, I need Angelos alive to aid me.

Ronahn: And how can our enemies aid us?

Macha: He will make for Acheron, to try and stop Kyre. When he does, I will follow.

Ronahn: Clever! Let the enemy of our enemy do our dirty work.

It's a pity that she didn't get this vision before smashing through Gabriel's forces.

I might faint from shock if this turns out to be completely unrelated to the Necrons.

Next time, shit hits the fan and I get Orks ahead of schedule as they sack a Starfort.

Meh · May 5, 2017

Was it ever mentioned so far just how much of the Blood Ravens Gabriel brought for this campaign? A few companies? The whole chapter? Of course considering Soulstorm and DoW2(all of it) the two options could very well be one and the same

Either way, yeah, just from the losses sofar , the Blood Ravens are gonna need to do some heavy recruiting to make up for it all.

The Curious Fan said:

Is that an Imperial Knight in the background there?

The Curious Fan · May 5, 2017

Meh said:
Was it ever mentioned so far just how much of the Blood Ravens Gabriel brought for this campaign? A few companies? The whole chapter? Of course considering Soulstorm and DoW2(all of it) the two options could very well be one and the same

Either way, yeah, just from the losses sofar , the Blood Ravens are gonna need to do some heavy recruiting to make up for it all.

Is that an Imperial Knight in the background there?

No specific numbers but the Litany of Fury and Omnis Arcanum are elsewhere so most of the chapter fleet is busy elsewhere even though the Chapter Master, Chief Librarian and another Captain are all here at Holt's demand, it's probably more than a company's worth of guys but not so large a force that it's destruction would cripple the chapter.

And yes even though there isn't a Knight to fight in this level (it's odd, the game is shy about throwing relic units at the player unlike the original game which happily threw one at the player in level 2).

Meh · May 5, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
(it's odd, the game is shy about throwing relic units at me unlike the original game which happily threw one at me in level 2).

Well technically all Elite/Hero Units are kind of like the first game relic units given how durable and killy they can be and how you can only have one of each deployed, and by my count they've given you 3 to fight so far.

Also, wait a relic unit sent at you at Mission 2 of the Original DoW? Don't recall facing relic units that early.

The Curious Fan · May 5, 2017

Meh said:
Also, wait a relic unit sent at you at Mission 2 of the Original DoW? Don't recall facing relic units that early.

The Squiggoth is a relic unit and you fight one in mission 2 IIRC.

Cosar · May 5, 2017

The Curious Fan said:
The Squiggoth is a relic unit and you fight one in mission 2 IIRC.

That's 3 or 4: first the starport, then the capitol city. After that you go kill the warboss, which is where you fight yhe Squiggoth.

Chimeraguard · May 5, 2017

Mission 4. I remember that Squiggoth. I think it ate half a company of my Assault Marines.

It and Gorgutz are what made me a fan of the Orks.

serra2 · May 5, 2017

Chimeraguard said:
Mission 4. I remember that Squiggoth. I think it ate half a company of my Assault Marines.

It and Gorgutz are what made me a fan of the Orks.

My big memory of that mission was sending my troops through a corridor, only to watch half of them get wrecked as the Squiggoth came out of nowhere doing it's charge move.

Meh · May 6, 2017

The Curious Fan said:

To give TCF another page to out stuff in(and to help me load it), a 25th post for this thread.
I can make out a Blood Angel, a Dark Angel, and a Space Wolf. What Chapter are the other two from?

Dawn of War III

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