The Imperial Guard

Armed with only a lasgun and a flak jacket, the typical Imperial Guard infantryman enters the wondrous and brutal world of Warhammer 40,000 at an unmistakable disadvantage. Giant robots and godlike beings roam a battlefield full of psychics and terrifying technologies. Fighting is not a choice however; as foul xenos encroach on the beleaguered Imperium of humanity, the Imperial Guard are most often the first and only line of defense.

Inception - How we made the Imperial Guard

We set about researching the newest race for translation from tabletop to the Dawn of War II universe. Various sources were consulted, from codex and official fiction to general opinions around the office and those of avid Imperial Guard tabletop players here at Relic. While there were numerous interesting aspects to this new faction history had shown (dating back to the original Dawn of War) that many of our preferred race designs had benefitted from focusing on one or two key themes. It’s all too easy to get caught up trying to include every neat detail that make a 40k race special.  We had to pick our battles and choose the strongest elements on which to focus and polish.    In some ways the Imperial Guard lack the outlandish flash that makes Warhammer 40,000 so distinct from other sci-fi universes. They’re not superhuman like Space Marines, nor are they championed by 20 ft daemonic abominations like Chaos. They’re not particularly psychic, nor do they possess elegant technology like the Eldar. Orks are funny when they talk, and love a good fight.

All this culminated into one simple question : What makes the Imperial Guard cool?

Imperial Guard - Welcome to the Jungle

The Imperial Guard are humans bringing every available tool to battle - and they bring lots of them. Endless rank and file, both infantry and armor, provide the mainstay of a fighting force backed by massive artillery and air support. Whatever blasphemous creatures or deadly archeotech they face, the Imperial Guard respond with bigger guns, the biggest tanks and heavy ordnance. Whatever approaches, it all looks the same when smote by the hammer of the Emperor.

The Imperial Guard we envisioned sported tons of vehicles, numerous infantry and as many bombs as we could convince our artists to create. What a guardsmen lacks in height and mutation, he makes up for with sheer firepower. Also we wanted Imperial Guard players to feel as if many tools were at their disposal, often as part of a greater fighting force. Whether turrets are constructed on the field by infantry or tanks are deployed in the middle of a war zone by valkyrie. A guardsman may not be tall but he is certainly not alone.

First, we’ll take a look at some Imperial Guard infantry.

The Guardsmen squad provides adequate firepower but is understandably flimsy early game. The size of squads can be bolstered by purchasing squad leaders. Additionally, squad leaders will grant increased reinforce rates. A squad with one leader will reinforce two members at a time, with two leaders, three. Guardsmen are meant to grind the enemy down with sheer numbers from afar. What they lack in quality they make up for with quantity. Guardsmen can also construct multi-laser turrets and hard cover while they await support against heavier targets.

The Catachan Devil squad performs admirably in numerous situations. Armed with close-range shotguns, they don’t hesitate to engage in melee. Various squad leaders will increase this squad’s capabilities. From the ability to deploy improvised explosives set to detonate on command to a disruptive grenade volley, the Devils are a support unit, bolstering the Imperial Guard’s forces with tactically flexible abilities.

Next, we’ll take a look at some Imperial Guard vehicles.

The Sentinel emerges as the first vehicle in Dawn of War II to be available from the outset of a match. The Imperial Guard bring the most armor to the field of any race in Retribution and we felt it was important to exemplify this as often as we could. The Sentinel brings mobility, making it ideal choice vs melee units. Its Ground Stomp ability allows it to stun incoming infantry, buying time for other Imperial Guard units to cut them down.

The Manticore provides the on-field artillery for the Imperial Guard, eclipsing the iconic Basilisk.  The Manticore’s missile barrage sports massive range as well as a brand new firing mechanic. Much time was spent on developing a satisfying artillery mechanic that didn’t rely on random elements.

The Leman Russ’ imposing figure and firepower would have you believe it is the heaviest battle tank in Retribution. With three weapon variants including a rapid-fire plasma Executioner, the Imperial Guard truly have an armored solution to every potential problem.

Speaking of an armoured solution to every problem, the Baneblade makes a triumphant return from the original Dawn of War. Its gargantuan presence alone will cause most enemies to flee. This is a wise decision, as its 11 weapons are more than enough to deal with multiple heavy threats.
Finally, a quick look at global abilities.

In the past, many global abilities increased the strength of existing units or spawned new ones. In the case of Imperial Guard, the feeling of a greater war effort was exemplified by off-map call-ins. Imperial Guard fans, not unlike most gamers, love explosions. Through the global abilities of the three Imperial Guard heroes various types of nukes can be deployed, most often through a valkyrie swooping down to deliver the payload. Not limited to ordnance however, valkyries will also deliver reinforcements in the form of troops and tanks, as well as upgradable bunkers and giant turret emplacements.

Between artillery, bunkers and turrets it may be apparent that the Imperial Guard are well-suited to entrenching themselves into a static position. While it was important that the race be enjoyable by more than just the defensively minded, the Imperial Guard in our minds feel particularly canonic when holding the line. As one of our resident IG tabletop collectors said, something about a regular human in a bucket helmet holding his own against the delightful atrocities of the 40k universe is really cool. We hope you find the Imperial Guard as enjoyable to play as we did to develop. See you folks in the beta.