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Space Marines - Version 3 vs Version 4
Aug 6, 2026, 09:46 PM
Added orbital structure deployment and the Redemptor Dreadnought, and noted the faction deep dive is still pending
Aug 18, 2026, 07:14 AM
Added Reserves and the Thunderhawk Relay, the Dark Angels sub-faction line, and official play and counterplay guidance
11The Space Marines are one of the four launch factions in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. They are the elite, superhuman warriors of the setting, and in this game they are played as two distinct Chapters over the course of the Campaign: the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels. Both Chapters fight on Planet Kronus, each with their own leaders, units, and reasons for being there, and their stories form part of the wider Story and Setting.22Two Chapters44Rather than presenting the Space Marines as a single generic force, the game splits them across two famous Chapters. Players experience both, giving the faction two different flavors of play within one overarching campaign.66Blood Ravens88The Blood Ravens travel to Kronus to rebuild their Chapter. They are led by Captain Cyrus and Chief Librarian Jonah Orion, two of the faction's key figures (see Characters for the wider cast and Commanders for battlefield leaders). According to pre-release previews, the Blood Ravens lean toward tactical finesse, with some accounts mentioning occasional stealth in smaller engagements; this aspect of their playstyle has been described ahead of release rather than fully detailed, so treat the stealth framing as a pre-launch description rather than a confirmed mechanic.1010Dark Angels1212The Dark Angels bring two of their most iconic formations to the field. The Deathwing are Terminator-armoured frontline troops who close in with power fists, forming a heavily armoured spearhead. The Ravenwing are bike-mounted units built around fast, mobile lightning strikes that hit and reposition quickly. The Dark Angels are led by Company Master Astoran, who fights in sacred Terminator Armour, and Chaplain Ezrael, who rides with the Ravenwing.1414Deathwing: Terminator-armour frontline troops armed with power fists.Ravenwing: Bike-mounted units that deliver fast lightning strikes.Company Master Astoran: Dark Angels leader in sacred Terminator Armour.Chaplain Ezrael: Dark Angels leader who fights alongside the Ravenwing.1616The Dark Angels as a Sub-Faction18+The official faction selector lists the Dark Angels as a playable sub-faction of the Space Marines rather than as a fifth army. Both are commanded by the player during the Space Marine campaign, and the two share the same published play guidance, so the split is a matter of roster and story rather than a separate set of rules. The upcoming fifth faction is a different matter entirely and arrives with the AFTERMATH expansion.20+Lion El'Jonson1822The Space Marine campaign builds toward a major moment: Lion El'Jonson is playable at the campaign's climax. He is billed as the very first playable Warhammer 40,000 Primarch to appear in any video game, making his playable appearance a headline feature of the faction. His role caps off the Dark Angels' arc within the larger story.2024Building From Orbit2226The Space Marines have the most straightforward base development of the four armies: structures are upgraded to unlock further units and research. What sets them apart is how those structures arrive. They are dropped from orbit anywhere inside your vision rather than built outward from an existing base, which lets a Space Marine player establish a foothold far from home.2428There are two costs to that reach. A drop takes longer the further the target site sits from your headquarters, and the opposing player can see where a structure is about to come down, so an aggressive forward drop announces itself. See Base Building and Resources for how this compares with the other factions.2630Reserves and the Thunderhawk Relay32+Dropping structures from orbit is only half of how the Space Marines cover ground. Official guidance names two more tools for moving strength around a map: Reserves, a pool of troops held back from the front, and the Thunderhawk Relay, which shifts those troops to where they are needed. The stated logic is that a Space Marine player cannot be everywhere at once, so the intended pattern is to secure points with fortifications first and then use Reserves and the Relay to answer whatever the opponent commits to. Pre-release screenshots show a Reserve readout on the command bar with a small fixed capacity rather than an open-ended pool, so this is meant to be a deliberate choice rather than a free redeployment.34+Named Units2836Alongside the Deathwing and Ravenwing formations, the Redemptor Dreadnought has been confirmed as a Space Marine unit. Beyond that, the Space Marines are the one launch faction still waiting on their own dedicated deep dive, which the developers have said is the next faction preview planned, so the full roster has not been shown.3038How They Play3240Across both Chapters, the Space Marines combine resilient, heavily armoured infantry such as the Deathwing with fast strike elements like the Ravenwing, supported by their named hero leaders. As with every faction, their units grow stronger during a battle through Unit Veterancy, and their engagements are governed by the Combat Director system. The split between the two Chapters means players move between a rebuilding, tactically minded force and a Chapter built around armoured spearheads and rapid bike assaults, all within the same Campaign. For the wider list of named leaders and the playable Primarch, see Commanders and Characters.42+Official Play Guidance44+The official site publishes the same short set of tips for the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels.46+Playing as the Space Marines48+They are elite fighters and will usually win one-on-one encounters, so use that advantage early to harass your opponent.Upgrade your units and keep them alive with on-field reinforcements, and retreat when you need to.Use fortifications to secure points, then move troops quickly with Reserves and the Thunderhawk Relay.50+Playing Against the Space Marines52+Force them into multiple engagements to stretch their elite forces thin.Trade efficiently, because replacing losses is usually easier for you than for them.Deny them Resource Points, especially Power. Their units are expensive and require a lot of it.
