Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade var addthis_config = {"data_track_addressbar":true};

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade is the second expansion pack to the real-time strategy computer game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Dark Crusade offers new features such as larger maps of Kronus, a non-linear single-player campaign, and two new fully playable races – the Necrons and the Tau.

Dark Crusade differs from the previous expansion markedly in that it doesn't need the original Dawn of War to install and play. However, if the player wants to use the Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Chaos Space Marines in online play, they need to enter a valid Dawn of War CD key. Likewise, use of the Imperial Guard in online play requires a valid Dawn of War - Winter Assault CD key.

Notable characters

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
Developer	Relic Entertainment
Publisher	THQ
Series	Dawn of War
Released	2006
Genre	Real-time Strategy
Plattform	PC

Commanders

• Brother-Captain Davian Thule, the commander of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Blood Ravens companies on Kronus
• Dark Apostle Eliphas the Inheritor, leader of the Word Bearers forces.
• Warboss Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter, the infamous Ork warboss.
• Farseer Taldeer, commanding the Ulthwé forces.
• General Lukas Alexander, commander of the 1st Kronus Regiment.
• Shas'O Kais, commander of the Tau forces.
• Necron Lord of Kronus, leader of the Necron army on Kronus.

Other notable characters

• Tomas Macabee, a Necron Pariah who served as adviser and spokesman for the Necron Lord of Kronus.
• Ethereal Aun'el Shi'ores, the Ethereal tasked with returning Kronus to the Tau Empire and immediate superior to Shas'o Kais.

Single player campaign

Dark Crusade does not follow the standard linear campaign structure of the previous instalments. Instead, it employs a dynamic meta-map structure. Whereby players are presented with a "home region" to defend. Enemies are likewise given the same. The important difference is that the player starts with only a 'home region', while the AI starts of with the rest of the planet.

The player destroying the home region of an enemy AI knocks that team officially out of the game and off the planet Kronus. If the same thing were to happen to the player, it's game over.

When a fight is initiated by the player either against an enemy or by the enemy against the player, the following happens:

The player starts on the map with just a Headquarters, a builder, that armies main Character, and what ever Honour Guard they have earned to that point. They then have to build an army from scratch to defeat the enemy in that region. The winner steals that area from the clutches of their adversary and takes what ever special bonus that region supplies.

Single player features

Players are allowed to requisition "special units" in the form of pre-built buildings (allowing the circumvention of certain tech requirements) and personal guard or entourages for the patron sides main commander. Usually, these special units are more powerful than their regularly-built equivalent; but come in smaller unit sizes. These are referred to as "Honour Guard".

The use of these units and the placement of buildings requires "planetary requisition". This is accumulated according to the amount of territories you hold.

Commanders are also allowed wargear similar to that done in the tabletop game. the wargear of all races is allowed to be added to a races commander only at certain occasions. They enhance the hero's abilities and statistics in some way; whether it be in close combat power, long range damage or new abilities such as teleportation.

Additional units

The existing factions are given additional units:

• Eldar - Harlequins
• Space Marines - Grey Knights
• Ork - Flash Gitz
• Chaos - Daemon Prince
• Imperial Guard - Heavy Weapons Teams

External links

• Official Dawn of War website (Accessed 2010.03.18)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade at THQ (Accessed 2010.03.18)