Powerful super-walkers will tower over the front lines as screen-shaking assaults blister the battlefield in an all-out, over-the-top spectacle worthy of the iconic Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Building on 12 years of explosive gameplay, Dawn of War III combines the epic scale of Dawn of War, with the customization and elite heroes of Dawn of War II. The result is a best-in-class edition giving players the rich strategic experience, stunning visuals, and catastrophic surprises that they’ve come to expect as Relic brings the franchise into the modern era.

With previous instalments released prior to Relic’s acquisition in 2013, Dawn of War III will be a landmark release for Relic: its first main title produced entirely as a SEGA-owned studio. Relic revealed the devastating forces of Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks locked in battle, slipping ever deeper into the darkness of endless war.

Jonah Orion, Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens, is a psyker of tremendous renown. First seen in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising, Orion returns to battle in Dawn of War III as one of the powerful Elite units at the player’s disposal. Oh, and he’s joined by a demonic Cherub familiar, through which he channels his psychic abilities. So, there’s that.

In the Blood Ravens’ darkest hours, Jonah Orion endured the predations of the Tyranid Hive Mind that wiped out his fellow Librarians. Charging into battle after battle, he miraculously survived what was thought to be mortal wounds. His sacrifices caught the attention of Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos, who promoted him to Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens.

Oh – and we mentioned his demonic Cherub familiar, right? Ok, good. That’s important.

Orion’s powerful support and crowd control abilities make him an incredible asset on the battlefield. Combining his abilities in creative ways will be the key to success. Effects from each of his abilities grant buffs to allies while crippling enemies, making for powerful combinations that can turn the tide of battle! See clips of these abilities in action, and Orion’s 3D model here.

Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens, Jonah Orion is a psyker of tremendous renown. Librarians are able to bend the Warp to their will (sometimes with the aid of a familiar) although carefully walking this line requires incredible mental fortitude. In the Chapter’s darkest hours, Jonah endured the predations of the Tyranid Hive Mind that wiped out his fellow Librarians. During the Aurelian Crusade, Jonah safeguarded his Battle-Brothers from the corruption of Chaos spreading from within the Chapter.

Trapping enemies with Stonewall and using Fury of the Ancients deals massive damage

Although he sustained what many thought was a mortal wound on Aurelia, he miraculously survived. Understanding the gravity of Jonah’s sacrifices for the Chapter and his undeniable role in their victory against Arch-Traitor Azariah Kyras, the newly-appointed Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos promoted him to Chief Librarian.

Now, it is Jonah’s desire to redefine psyker culture within the Blood Ravens Chapter so that heresy can’t breed within. Due to their gene seed, the Blood Ravens will always have a higher distribution of psykers. It is Jonah’s duty as Chief Librarian to ensure that they don’t stray.

Attributes

• Fury of the Ancients
• High crowd control
• Most effective at supporting allies

Abilities

• Zeal (Passive): A charge is granted every time Jonah uses an ability. Each charge decreases his time between attacks by 0.5 seconds. Charges decay every 10 seconds.
• Fury of the Ancients: Jonah channels his psychic power through his cherub-familiar, dealing damage to enemies and temporarily boosting the speed of allies.
• Emperor's Light: Jonah calls forth an expanding field of light that increases the damage of allies while disabling enemy attacks and vision.
• Stonewall: Jonah reshapes the earth and erects a ring of impassable barriers around himself that absorb all incoming and outgoing fire.

Playstyle

The Chief Librarian’s abilities interact in a couple of different ways. Casting Fury of the Ancients inside of Stonewall will cause it to fill the area instead of casting in a line. Using this combo, Jonah is great at trapping enemies and dealing considerable damage. Casting Emperor’s Light inside of Stonewall will make Emperor’s Light last longer.

Stonewall can block off escape routes, lay traps, and set up other abilities. It also makes for a great escape tool, as Jonah can use it to block incoming damage and use Fury of the Ancients to speed his allies out of harm’s way.

Jonah can be countered by skimmer units such as Land Speeders since they can chase him down quite easily. Units that can jump or teleport are able to infiltrate Stonewall, so you’ll need to be careful about when you use it. Similarly, artillery barrages aren’t blocked by Stonewall, so make sure you don’t accidentally lock your allies in the midst of enemy fire!

With these tools at his disposal, Jonah is an interesting Elite to play. Choosing how to combine your abilities can drastically change the outcome of a battle.

How do you envision Jonah’s role in your Space Marine army? Pop into the forums and let us know your plan for the Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens!