Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2

Gunner wrote:

Me too, pretty please?

Also done. Welcome to the group, folks.

Gunner wrote:

One question is about Banshees. Since they (if I'm correct) deal power damage, wouldn't they be suited to attacking vehicles somewhat? Or is it more the type of thing where they're not quite as bad as vanilla attacks on vehicles but they're still bad against them and shouldn't be used in that way.

I looked it up, banshees do 33 damage, which is about the same as assault marines. But they have power weapons which do around 15% damage to vehicles. The exarch has a sword in each hand, so maybe she attacks faster? If you give her the spear her damage doubles and becomes melee heavy. Which does half damage to vehicles.

So they do pretty well on vehicles. I've seen people dogpile 2 squads of banshees onto something like a fire prism, pinning it in place. Less effective on walkers I would say, since they pretty much smash them one by one. The dreadnought in particular can do his fist slam to send them all flying too.

Banshees are pretty good against Deff Dreads. Personal experience talking, you can't send a Deff Dread towards the enemy HQ to do some base raping. The Banshees will take the Deff out really quickly without taking much losses.

In fact, Banshees soft counter all Ork T2 vehicles, and 2 out of the 3 heroes can buff them so they actually last long enough to do damage.

But the Ork bane really is the Warp Spider Squad. Well micro'ed, they're a huge pest to control, and gib all T1 with ease. I'm still trying to develop proper counters to them.

Tamren wrote:
7inchsplit wrote:

Wow, Tamren, thank you so much for this, it's super helpful. I, for one, didn't realize the game worked this way at all.

Against vehicles piercing damage has about as much effect as confetti. On the other end of the spectrum antivehicle weapons are a huge threat to any vehicle. Against infantry they CAN do good damage. I've once watched a lascannon predator take out 3 tac marines in as many shots. But they generally have big accuracy penalties against infantry. Which is why missile launchers tend to shoot wide.

...

So its not exactly "rock-paper-scissors" or Infantry>Artillery>Vehicles>Infantry. Its more like "fire burns, water drowns, and plasma vapourizes"

Yeah, this makes sense. Anti-vehicle damage does that same raw numbers against infantry, it's just harder to hit them for the most part. It's like there are common sense emergent relationships, only they're actually hard coded into the game.

oMonarca wrote:

Banshees are pretty good against Deff Dreads. Personal experience talking, you can't send a Deff Dread towards the enemy HQ to do some base raping. The Banshees will take the Deff out really quickly without taking much losses.

In fact, Banshees soft counter all Ork T2 vehicles, and 2 out of the 3 heroes can buff them so they actually last long enough to do damage.

But the Ork bane really is the Warp Spider Squad. Well micro'ed, they're a huge pest to control, and gib all T1 with ease. I'm still trying to develop proper counters to them.

You're touching on what I think is an important point. DOW2 shouldn't really be played like a traditional RTS where you smash two blobs of units against each other and let the rock-paper-scissors play out. Units that should have been hard countered can survive or even beat out their counters with good micro-management. It's easy to say "unit a is unbalanced because statistically it's too expensive or out matched by their mirror Unit B", and while cost is something to consider, at the end of the day if you can micro your units well it doesn't matter. A more expensive, less powerful unit in the hands of a good player will out match it's more favored mirror in the hands of someone who's just attack-moving.

Also, if you see yourself about to be pitted against a unit you know you can't counter or stand up to, withdraw. Retreat if necessary, or ideally flank around them and cap points, keep them running around the map. You're not going to win the match by fighting every battle, you need to control the map.

Rexneron wrote:

Also, if you see yourself about to be pitted against a unit you know you can't counter or stand up to, withdraw. Retreat if necessary, or ideally flank around them and cap points, keep them running around the map. You're not going to win the match by fighting every battle, you need to control the map.

To people still new at this: That's the most important part of this game.

If you know when to run you'll spend less resources. In a game that on average only takes 15 minutes a map, that's absolutely huge.

See the little yellow exclamation mark in the bottom right hand corner of your unit's summery? Use it. It will save you.

Could you add me to steam group as well? Steam id is: theartofscience

My GFWL tag is: DionToy

When I signed up for GFWL at first I didn't realize it was hacking for a screen name so I put my actual name in there, doh! Please dont intarweb stalk me.

Just make a new one. They're free, and your DoW2 key doesn't get linked to any GFWL login.

Sweet name, dude.

TheArtOfScience wrote:

Please dont intarweb stalk me. ;)

I wouldn't worry. All I found were Transformers links.

A monumental day for Pawz and I yesterday. We beat Wave 20 of The Last Stand. Unlocked that Usurper achievement. Man it feels good. I've got to wave 20, maybe 10, 15 times, but last night was the first time I actually beat it.

It was 1 Eldar Farseer, 2 Chaos Sorcerers. Pawz went Eldar and went with Conceal, Eldritch Storm and Confuse. I went Chaos Sorc with Let The World Burn, sigils of Master and Greater Sorcery plus the accessory that gives back energy and health on hit, plus the +30% damage commander item. The other guy was a pub random and went Let the World Burn, and clone.

Pawz kept us concealed while the other guy cloned the main guys, and I flung firey death like there was no tomorrow. We screamed through most levels (after I embarrassingly died on wave 2.. don't ask) and then pushed through till wave 20 where we managed to get a clone of the Chaos Lord who tanked while we all damaged from afar. Pawz got a nicely timed eldritch storm off and both the random and I were hurling fireballs which toasted everyone but the Chaos Lord. A few more hits and fireballs and he was toast.

Achievement Unlocked: Usurper.

Man that was epic. Best game of Last Stand I've ever played.

----

Dealing with Barbed Stranglers isn't too tough as Chaos. Your heretics can upgrade to grenades which do a nice bit of damage. Plus, if you can get a barage off, you can knock them over long enough to move your other forces in closer to do some real damage. My favourite now is the chaos Sorcerer with flame sword and teleport robes. Just jump right on top and start hacking while the rest of your force moves is. They either retreat or die.

This also works for all other suppression teams too as you can just jump on top and tie them up while the other forces get in close. I haven't played as orks since the new patch, but I do know they fare a bit worse when it comes to some matchups. Your best bet is moving back to a position where you have the advantage. If he has to come in closer, you can also do the same to close the gap and apply the pressure.

If you can, then you can also get a tin can up and use it to push them away. But you just need to treat it the same as a suppression team. Don't engage head on. Get one squad to go one direction and another to flank. Also, if your shoota boys have the upgrade, they can suppress and reduce his rate of fire. Could be long enough to get a slugga squad in there and mop up.

If you see me online, we could do a custom game and try some things out if you want.

Congrats Sabre! Never had the fortitude to invest myself in Last Stand to reach all the way to 20. Max was wave 17. Your build sounds nice.

About them Barbed Stranglers, T2 is out of the question, it might be too late and Venom Broods make om-nom-nom out of Deff Dreads. In fact, those cans are usually only worth to either cement a Tier advantage, since they can show up really soon, or to take pression away from Tankbustaz. But overall, it's a pretty crappy walker - heh, you get what you paid for I guess.

In T1 there's another thing that makes BS dangerous: only one of the warriors shoots the suppression shot. The other two remain tough melee units. A single Slugga squad already engaged in Melee with a BS will still have a rough time. The true counter (for WB) is the Stormboy squad. Power weapons and jump against heavy armour suppression unit: it makes for a perfect match.

Too bad SB's blow up like cake being shot by an MG42. All boils down to micro, I think.

Just had an awesome LS round.
I was playing the tank mekboy (choppa, evy armor, boom time, armor blitz, reactive zeal, and fearsome aura), other guy was playing FC (plama gun, jump back, revive, and dred, not sure what else he had), and a 3rd as a CS (no idea of his loadout).

So the CS drops at round 2 and it's just the FC and I left. We mainly stick to a plan of he kites around picking off high priority targets while I draw as much aggro as possible with his dred. Whenever I end up going down, boom time kicks in and I take about 20-50 guys with me everytime, just to be insta revived after by the FC and then we cleanup the rest. A few times it didn't work where he didn't have enough energy (there was one point in the Wraithlord round where he was sitting next to me waiting for his energy to get to where he could revive me with a WL coming right at him. Right before it got to him and probably would've synch killed him he finished it off and then revived me and we finished off the last one that was up (2 went down to boom time :D).

So round 16 comes and guess who make a doppleganger appearance? The goddamned Chaos Sorcerer. So now we have to deal with 1 super tank, 1 CS, 2 highly mobile armor piercing FCs with insta revives, and two friggin drednaughts. We went down there but the rest was so awesome, it didn't even matter.

At the end I had around 250 or so kills (half of them were probably boom time kills) and he had 400-something.

I had an SS of the stats thing for it but it capped my desktop instead for some reason

Really wish you could save LS replays...

FedoraMcQuaid wrote:

Really wish you could save LS replays...

I have to agree with you on this. I'd love to be able to record some great matches. Never used boom time though. Sounds awesome.

I'm now trying out my Hive Tyrant and he's at level 10 so far. Pretty decent class actually. Especially with the armour which allows you to poison the ground. I had 2 level 20 Orks with Boss Poles. So my normal health went from 150 to 350. The ground poison that the HT does works off of max health so I was killing pretty much anything that stepped in the green zone within seconds. It's looking to be an interesting class to play with.

oMonarca, I've been looking into Barbed Stranglers a bit more with Ork and as the WB, I think your only option is flanking and SB. If you were mek, you could just teleport, or as Kommando you could stealth and grenade. WB seems a tough battle though.

Holy crap! New Tau expansion for Dawn of War 2!

List of new TAU units.

Genre: Strategy
Chaos has returned, can the Greater Good save us all?

In THQ Inc. and Relic Entertainment’s sequel to the acclaimed Dawn of War II and Dawn of War II: The Greater Good real time strategy franchise, you fight in sub sector Aurelia where a long lost war has claimed many vicitims, bringing only death and destruction to your homeworld.

In Dawn of War II: The Greater Good you will take command of the Tau forces and lead them into war, fighting against the Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion. This shall prove once and for all the might of the Tau empire and show their right to claim this Galaxy as theirs, but the forces of the Blood Ravens is trying to destroy you and with it the Tau.

> Pre-Order the game now to get the exclusive O'Shaserra Wargear.

Features

* Improved Army Painter now allows you to preview every unit available and customize your ranked Wargear. Never before has there been more flexibility at customizing your army of destruction.
* A new Singleplayer Campaign has been added and now features the possibility to play every race to experience a whole new galaxy of conflicts with up to three of your friends in co-op mode with a variety of objectives.
* A new Multiplayer Mode has been added: 'Realm & Conquest'.
Play as one of the brave warriors of six factions, fight for glory and honor, defend your sides territory and conquer your enemies. In 'Realm & Conquest' you can customize your own deadly and powerful army, which does not come to rest, even after you have left the battleground.
To conquer your enemy means to win the game. If one side is ever to reach domination of the galaxy, they shall have the story of their glorious victory be written down in the Halls of Ancestors, never to be forgotten.
* The Last Stand has been updated and the new Tau Commander will be made available, as well as a new map called 'Klendathu', where you will fight with your allies to defend a once forgotten and now forsaken outpost against foes and evil spirits.
The level cap has been raised and new wargear are available. Players will need them to survive the new challenges.

Spoiler:

APRIL FOOLS! BWAAA HA HA HA AH AH AHA

At first I was like but then I

You had me going there. I saw the release date of June 15th, I really started hoping this would be a pattern of fast, small expansions. I should have been suspicious of the Tau. Imperial guard is much more likely, I think.

Although, I would not be surprised if some of the features did get patched in, like the army painter options.

And please, next expansion, let me play as someone other than Space Marines in single player.

>__>

I'm bitter because I saw something I wanted, then it was taken away from me. I was just punched in the stomach and now Relic likely won't deliver on any of those points.

I really, really want an IG single-player campaign. Even an Eldar one would rock.

Cruel, cruel, cruel.

Oh, sh*t!

Spoiler:

Dammit, it's not even tomorrow yet and I'm already getting burned?

7inchsplit wrote:

Oh, sh*t!

Spoiler:

Dammit, it's not even tomorrow yet and I'm already getting burned?

Sorry, it's already tomorrow... er today... here. I couldn't resist. It was just begging me to post it and my evil conscience kicked the good conscience off my shoulder long ago. :p

Oh man. I wanted that until about halfway through the post when I uh, realised.

Too good to be true. I was actually frightened, since Relic isn't a studio big enough to keep churning out expansions with the same quality level of Chaos Rising.

Nice one nevertheless

Man, I ******* hate April Fool's Day.

If they made the game in that post I'd easily pay full price for it.

I think I'm avoiding the internet today.

TheArtOfScience wrote:

Man, I ******* hate April Fool's Day.

If they made the game in that post I'd easily pay full price for it.

I think I'm avoiding the internet today.

I am with you >.<

...

*weep*

This isn't funny. This is just mean. People have been complaining about the lack of Tau since the first game came out and now they taunt us with this? This isn't cool.

You know, some of those features are actually interesting and desirable. Who knows, maybe only the date is the joke, and there's actually an expansion planned with such features.

I would buy it based on the revamped Army Painter alone -__-

Also, a persistent online battleground would be pretty awesome. Although, I don't think 6 factions trying to control the galaxy is a wise design decision.

I'd love it to be a meta-joke. There actually is such an expansion coming out, and the fools are all the people who rushed to post it as an April Fool's joke.

Coldstream wrote:

I'd love it to be a meta-joke. There actually is such an expansion coming out, and the fools are all the people who rushed to post it as an April Fool's joke. :D

That would make me so happy I would cry a little. To myself. Quietly. Wrapped in my overpowering manliness >.>

Anyway.

Have I mentioned I really, really want the Tau as a faction? I'd settle for IG, or course but I could really use a long range heavy faction to offset me choppas.

Wow, I'm not familiar with the other factions in 40K. Checked out the Games Workshop web site; lots of cool stuff. There's a niggling itch the back of my head that's telling me to try it out, even though I don't even want to imagine painting the models. Also, I've got plenty of tactical cardboard wargames that'll fill the same niche. The aesthetic of the Chaos Marines doesn't really appeal to me, but, wow, the Imperial Guard look hot.

Question for y'all: Call me lazy, but I don't understand the deal with the pantheon of the Chaos Marines. What're those shrines they can build and what do they do? Who builds them? What happens when heretics worship at them? I've seen one that I assume buffs nearby units and another which spawns demon units, I think. And what're the deal with the three gods? How do they fit into the Chaos multiplayer play?

Thanks for the continuing DoWII education, folks.