Warhammer 40K: The Priests Of Mars Join ‘Dawn Of War IV’ In New Preview

The Adeptus Mechanicus arrive, bringing the cold calculus of battle to Dawn of War IV, in this first look.

Dawn of War IV is inching ever closer, bringing the latest installment of the beloved RTS game to your PC later this year. The third of four faction promised trailers is here, showcasing the arrival of the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and it does not disappoint. Skitarii maniples, electro-priests, kataphrons, kastellans, and more are all here to bring the will of the Omnissiah to the wartorn world of Kronus.

Masters of the calculus of war, the Adeptus Mechanicus faction is relatively quick, excels in ranged combat, and is armed with a variety of combat tools that draw on their access to unique technology.

Leading their forces are two augmented commanders, each embodying a different aspect of the Omnissiah’s will. Players can choose between the Technoarcheologist, Potentia-Delta 9, or the Skitarii Marshal, Sek-Ix-23, tailoring their approach to domination on Kronus.

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With a focus on precision, synergy, and overwhelming technological superiority, The Adeptus Mechanicus are not just engineers or scientists; they are instruments of war. Whatever lies ahead, the Adeptus Mechanicus knows one truth: the holy Quest for Knowledge must not falter.

All the basic building blocks of the Mechanicus are here, with the Skitarii maniples at the front and center.

When starting a campaign as a Mechanicus player, you’ll be able to choose from one of two commanders: Skitarii Marshal Sek-Ix-23 or Potentia-Delta 9, the Technoarcheologist. Your playstyle and campaign choices will vary depending on which you choose, so choose carefully!

It’s awesome getting a look at the raw destructive force of the Mechanicus. Seeing the massed exotic weapons fire of a regiment of Kataphron breachers and destroyers was just how I wanted to start my Friday, it turns out. I’m also really excited about the Onager Dunecrawlers which look properly weird crawling across the battlefield.

It seems that the Mechanicus will function just as they do on the tabletop. Combined arms tactics will be critical as the Mechanicum forces synergize with one another in terms of weaponry, speed, and deployment. Canny opponents will seek to remove key components of your clockwork order of battle, so you’ll need to take great care in deploying your assets.

I’m really stoked on this preview. There’s some fantastic attention to detail in the video. For example, the Ironstriders are described in the lore as being in perpetual motion, incapable of coming to rest. In the trailer we see that the Ironstriders never stop moving. Even when they’re “stationary” they’re shifting from foot to foot like impatient murder-robot-ostriches. It really speaks to the love and care put into the game by the devs at KING Art.

One more trailer awaits us, what do you hope to see in it?

Author: Simon Berman

Simon Berman has been a wargamer since 1993 and has worked in the tabletop games industry since 2008 as a staff writer for the first three editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES. These days he's the General President of the Brush Wielders Union, a worldwide organization of miniatures painters of all skill levels, a freelance games writer who has contributed to a number of roleplaying games like Eclipse Phase, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, and The Hammer and the Stake. He runs his own small-press publishing company, Strix Publishing, and paints more miniatures than he can keep track of. Simon lives with his wife in Tacoma, Washington along with a number of cats and a pack of savage wiener dogs.