A brand new, deep storyline has been created to combine elements of 4X gameplay with a combat-focused system. The evolution of technology, construction of infrastructures and exploration of an unknown world, goes hand in hand with the management of military resources, including heroes with special abilities and mighty war machines.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius has been designed to give four totally different gameplay experiences, depending on which factions players choose. Space Marines, Astra Militarum (aka Imperial Guard), Orks and Necrons each have dramatically different characteristics, both in how they develop and expand and in the way they interact with allies and enemies. This gives the game virtually endless replay value and players the chance to play out the same experience in totally divergent ways.

In Warhammer 40,000: Gladius there is also a massive difference between playing solo or in multiplayer. The deep storyline was created from scratch to allow players to explore an entire world and lead the expansion of an empire from the ground up. The discovery of ancient artefacts and the custom-crafted quests will reveal the secrets of the planet and its mysterious history as the story progresses.

WH40K Gladius is the first ever 4X set in the dark Warhammer 40,000 universe: you will be able to eXplore and eXpand on the newly rediscovered Gladius Prime planet, to eXploit its immense richness of ancient and forsaken artefacts, but you will need to eXterminate all living creatures that you meet. On Gladius there is no space for diplomacy, as the only good Xenos are dead Xenos!

You can choose to lead the mighty Space Marines, the immense power of the Astra Militarum or the untamed green tide of the Orks. But if you want an unusual and challenging fight, choose the Necrons.

The Necrons are a weird mystery even by the twisted standards of the dark and deadly Warhammer 40,000 universe: robotic warriors who have slept for 60 million years in their tomb-cages.

The Necrons have been on Gladius Prime since time immemorial, sleeping deep beneath the planet in their ancient tomb cities, but recent events have awoken them. In ancient times they were flesh and blood but today they are a soulless race of relentless machines driven to exterminate all life from the galaxy.

Tactically, Necrons can only build their bases on the sites of their ancient tomb-cities, which means that a Necron player has to fight for control of their required locations for expansion.

Beyond that, their troops display few limitations. Not only are Necron armies extremely resilient, but they can rapidly repair their own units out on the battlefield. If you’re fighting against them, make sure you finish them off quickly. If you are playing as the Necrons you can turn this to your advantage and drag your enemies into a war of attrition.

Necron infantry might seem slow but they can make use of dimensional corridors to teleport across vast distances, granting their armies exceptional manoeuvrability. To maintain their metal warriors, the Necrons rely on ore supplies for upkeep, while they use energy for raising their troops from hibernation. By expending extra resources, they can rush the production of units to overcome any enemy with their greater numbers.

Given how resource-intensive Necron armies are, a wise enemy will hinder their access to raw materials (save for food, which they simply don’t use, as machines don’t eat). Cut off their ore supplies and you’ll see their warriors crumble and fall apart - if you live that long!

Necron units have the Necrodermis Repair trait: if they are mildly damaged, their living metal body will heal itself.

Let’s see some units from the Necron roster!

• Monolith : The Monolith is an ancient war monument of unimaginable destructive potential. When its massive silhouette looms over a battlefield, it will lay waste to entire armies with strobing torrents of gauss fire and deafening crack of its particle whip.
• Night Scythe: The Night Scythe is the Necron’s favoured tool of invasion, a sickle-winged herald of woe that possesses the ability to beam Necrons directly into battle. Manoeuvrable enough to evade orbital defences and interceptors, and swift enough to outpace mustering foes, Night Scythes can ghost through a defence perimeter to deploy invasion forces well behind enemy lines.
• Tesseract Vault: Only a race as ruthless and self-serving as the Necrons would think of unleashing a Tesseract Vault to further their aims – though each Vault is a potent weapon of war, the beings held within these floating prisons pose an almost incalculable threat.

The real-time multiplayer system lets players build their own path to victory while fighting against live opponents, time and the natural perils that Gladius hides.

Key Features:

• eXplore: Play as one of four iconic Warhammer factions (Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Orks or Necrons), each with their own unique playstyle and technology tree. Explore a randomly generated world filled with special features and threatening wildlife that can crush your troop's morale. Secure control of powerful ancient artefacts to grant you an edge against rival factions.
• eXpand: Construct cities, buildings and fortifications to expand your empire and produce an army to vanquish your foes. Harvest resources and research new technologies to fuel and upgrade your machinery of war.
• eXploit: Progress through a different storyline with each faction as their destiny on Gladius Prime, a world tainted by the warp, unfolds. In the end, when all the dust has settled, only one faction can emerge victorious.
• eXterminate: Command a wide array of devastating weaponry, issue city edicts and deploy tactical operations. Recruit hero units that possess distinct special abilities and can be equipped with items, ranging from advanced grenades to mighty relics of the past. As they become more and more powerful with each rank, they turn into true champions of your cause.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War is scheduled to launch on July 12, 2018.