Dawn of War 2 has been out on the market for a couple of weeks and you’ve undoubtedly had a chance to get to grips with it’s addictive multiplayer component by now. But you may be starting to run into a bit of trouble now that you’re matched against higher ranked players more frequently and need to utilize proper tactics and evolve your play to overcome them.
So I’ve compiled a number of guides to aid you on the road to becoming a better Dawn of War 2 player – and eventually turning into one of those high ranked players yourself. The race specific guides could already be found on GameDrone, but now the series is completed by a general list of tips and tricks that any decent DoW 2 player should know.
So scroll on down and take notes! Now is the time when you become a better DoW 2 player!
- Play with a suitable race. Beginners would be best of playing Space Marines (singleplayer campaign is one giant tutorial) or Orks. Tyranid can also be a good choice for their overwhelming numbers.
- Play a private game against the computer before going online. Do this to get a feel for the game as well as the abilities, units and upgrades of the race you’ve chosen.
- If you think you can capture an opponent’s power node, then destroy only the activated power node and not the power generators around it. Any generators placed around a power node transfer to the side that controls the node.
- Taking out power generators can be an easy way of limiting your opponent’s resources. If you can’t capture their power node: damage the generators.
- It’s best to start playing teamgames first. 3v3 matches are more forgiving and teammates can give you advice to improve your play.
- Retreat when faced with impossible odds. Keeping your units alive is important, both to have them level up and to save resources.
- Reinforce infantry squads when they’ve lost units – this can be done at your HQ/transport vehicle. They’ll also regenerate faster near your HQ.
- Repair your vehicles when they take damage. Space Marine Scouts, Eldar Guardians and Ork Sluggaz can repair vehicles. You can do this during battle too!
- Use vehicles to draw suppression fire if there is no heavy anti-vehicle weaponry around. Your infantry can storm in behind them – or even repair them as they advance.
- Always use cover. Heavy cover where possible, this is also preferable to buildings! Remember that cover works only from the side where it’s located, so rocks on your left won’t cover your right!
- Place deployable suppression/anti-vehicle units behind your frontlines. Relocate them to another position immediately after battle.
- Upgrade your heroes! This provides them with special abilities and improved statistics than improve their survivability and damage.
Good teamplay will lead to resounding victories
- Grenade abilities are incredibly powerful. Lure opponents towards your grenade-capable troop with more disposable forces and thrown down grenades at the location their forces will pass. They’ll be annihilated.
- Make good use of upgrades and abilities. Your Warp Spider Exarch can teleport your entire force (including allied players) across the map, forcefield upgrades can absorb ridiculous amounts of damage at the expense of unit energy, etc.
- Take your environment into account during battle. Walls can collapse under heavy vehicles and superpowers can create new medium-heavy cover zones. Your defense is never impenetrable
- Stay on the attack even when at a decisive advantage. Take whatever resource points you can and set your defensive lines as far up your enemies troath as they can go.
- Keep at least one detection unit near your defensive lines for protection. Infiltated units can wreak havoc on deployed suppression/anti-vehicle units if you cannot see them coming.
- Never underestimate infiltrated units. They can decap points without becoming visible, making them ideal for neutralizing requisition points – and even victory points – well behind enemy lines.
- Voice communication is built into Games for Windows Live. Use it.
- Use your head. Don’t engage massively fortified positions from the front, but open up new fronts by tearing through walls with vehicles. You can also move around their main defensive lines, to engage them with a combined frontal and rear attack.
- If you’ve lost a match to a strong opponent, or were teamed up with a skilled player using the same race as you: save a replay. Watching these replays of better players will teach you a lot about how to become a better player yourself. Not only in Dawn of War 2, but in any strategy game.
- Take pointers from the race-specific guides available on this website. The Eldar, Orks, Space Marines and Tyranid are all covered.
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