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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Strategy
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Release Date: April 27, 2017

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'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III' Introduces First Eldar Super Unit, Wraithknight

by Rainier on Sept. 29, 2016 @ 7:33 p.m. PDT

Dawn of War III immerses players in the escalating brutality of galactic warfare, where they will lead elite hero units and colossal armies to victory, or oblivion.

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.

To be Eldar is to carry the burden of a hundred thousand lives that will never be realized; to walk the path of extinction. One must lose everything to shoulder the responsibility of operating a Wraithknight.

Wraithknights are towering constructs made from the signature Eldar wraithbone. Though monstrous in size, Wraithknights are nimble and agile on the battlefield - each able to move as if it were a fraction of its size.

To pilot a Wraithknight is to sacrifice the strongest psychic connection an Eldar can know - the bond between twins. Twins, increasingly rare to the dying species, experience an even more amplified psychic connection than is usual for Eldar. When one twin dies, the other usually faces the choice of piloting a Wraithknight in a trance-like state or withering away from the loss. Due to their ever-dwindling population, some Craftworld councils have elected not to give surviving twins a choice in the matter...

Together, the twins command their race’s most prized technology, despite shouldering an incredible personal loss to do so.

Attributes

  • High mobility
  • Effective at range
  • High shields

Abilities

  • Jump: The Wraithknight jumps to a position. After landing, the Wraithknight will continue to slide forward for a distance, gaining increased weapon fire rate.
  • Distortion Rift: The Wraithknight creates a distortion rift at a target position. The rift expands in a radius over time, pulling enemy infantry into it. Vehicles hit are slowed.
  • Focused Beam: Fires a broad, long-range energy beam that deals damage to all enemies in a direction.

Playstyle

Though Wraithknights can come with a variety of weapons, this unit in particular wields two Heavy Wraithcannons. Better suited for ranged combat, Jump keeps the Wraithknight out of harm’s way. Focused Beam is a powerful nuke that obliterates anything in a line in front of the Wraithknight, but there is time to move out of the way if you notice the Wraithcannons taking position to fire. Distortion Rift is a great opener for other abilities, such as Focused Beam or Macha’s Psyker Blast. Although it isn’t powerful enough to stop vehicles in their tracks, the rift can slow them down and make retreat a costly option.

Like all Eldar units, the Wraithknight relies on Battle Focus (and the health shield it provides) to shrug off damage during a fight. If its focus is depleted, the Wraithknight won’t be able to withstand prolonged fire. Melee units can tie up these massive constructs, too, as they don’t have a way to quickly escape if their Jump is not available.

If you can keep your Wraithknight supported by your troops, it is incredible at locking down enemy units and setting up devastating combos.


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