We Just Played Dawn of War II...'s DLC??
[Editor's Note: The Last Stand will actually launch this October, not September, as previously posted.] This October, Relic will launch a brand-new multiplayer mode for Dawn of War II, the Warhammer 40,000-based strategy sequel. While Dawn of War II had excellent multiplayer for real-time...
[Editor's Note: The Last Stand will actually launch this October, not September, as previously posted.]
This October, Relic will launch a brand-new multiplayer mode for Dawn of War II, the Warhammer 40,000-based strategy sequel. While Dawn of War II had excellent multiplayer for real-time strategy fans, Relic feels it has more to offer players who aren't necessarily looking for heavy-duty competition. This is where the new mode, The Last Stand, comes into play.
The Last Stand will be an intimate multiplayer mode that will pit three heroes against wave after wave of enemies.
The Last Stand is a multiplayer mode for three players--no more, no less. In the mode, each of the three player slots can be filled with any one of three hero units from the Eldar, Space Marine, and Ork factions: the Eldar Farseer, the Space Marine Captain, or the Ork Mekboy. (You can choose any combination of these three heroes; for instance, you can have three Mekboys, if you prefer.) These particular classes were chosen because they tend to work well with one another; the Farseer's "buff" abilities are useful to help your teammates, and the Mekboy's support abilities and ranged artillery attacks are excellent backup for the Space Marine Captain's versatile offense, which can include either a melee-plus-ranged weapon loadout or a two-handed heavy bolter, an Assault Marine-style jumpjet, and orbital strikes (and the Captain can also carry various healing and revival items). We played a few matches, and from what we've seen, the mode seems varied enough to allow for plenty of experimentation, though the Captain's strong offense and defense abilities seem to make him a powerful anchor. It's possible that Relic might later open up the hero selection, though the plan is to launch with these three heroes available.
The Last Stand is a cooperative "comp stomp" mode that pits your team against waves of computer-controlled enemies, not unlike the Stonewall mode of Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor. Currently, the mode takes place on a single map, a burned-out city with plenty of destructible cover, though more maps may be added later. In addition to fighting for your lives, your team will also have the option of capturing and defending two key strategic points on the left and right sides of the map. Capturing and holding these areas will net your team bonus multiplier points as you clear out successive waves of enemies, though your foes will also go after these locations and take them over if you're not paying attention.
The Relic team plans to launch The Last Stand with a total of 16 different "waves" of enemies that will stream in and attack the roughly square-shaped map from all four corners. These enemies will be foes from all four of DOWII's factions (Orks, Eldar, Space Marines, and Tyranid), and each wave will get bigger and tougher. Every fourth wave will be a "boss wave" that will usher in especially tough foes, eventually including top-tier units from each faction's technology tree. After a few practice sessions, we ourselves completed wave 16. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that the final wave has a special set of bosses that will challenge your team with a true test of their skills--how well you and your buddies know your heroes and their abilities will very much be the determining factor there.
By gaining experience levels, you'll get access to new items that will give your heroes new abilities.
Like DOWII's single-player campaign, The Last Stand will also have a "metagame" based around your character's advancement. Each win you make with each hero will net you experience points that will eventually level that hero up. Once you gain a level, you won't adjust any statistics--you'll just attain a new piece of wargear that will take up slots for your various weapons, armor, and items and may grant you new abilities. While some of the items are based on stuff from the campaign, most of them are a lot more powerful since your heroes don't have any armies to back them up. The new mode is planned to launch with an upper cap of level 20, at which point your hero should have everything unlocked. (There will also be an "elite status" mode that lets you restart at level 1 and play through again, similar to the prestige mode of the recent Call of Duty games.)
However, having a higher level won't make your hero any tougher--it'll just mean you'll have access to all the items and be able to choose your loadout--whether you want to focus on melee combat, ranged combat, or support. Since The Last Stand requires a team of three players online, there will be a lot of different strategies you and your team can use and different approaches you can take depending on your play style and the items you have available. Fortunately, the enemies in The Last Stand will stay the same from game to game, so after a few games, you'll know what to expect and when, and this should help you plan.
We played through a handful of sessions and found the new mode to be a fast-moving multiplayer experience that doesn't really ramp up until a few waves in. While there is a great deal of cover, most of it can be destroyed, so carelessly tossing around grenades or using other environment-deforming abilities like the Space Marine's "charge" attack will clear out cover that you (or your enemies) might need later. In the later modes, when you're getting swarmed by squadrons of Tyranids or teleporting Eldar, you'll really need to be aware of your hero's movement speed, attack delays, and firing range, since even superpowered heroes will get mobbed in the later waves. Fortunately, at level 20, there seems to be more than enough variety in different character builds to suit your playing style. For instance, the Space Marine Captain can focus on ranged damage by using a heavy bolter (which comes with a bonus incendiary grenade-tossing ability); focus on melee by choosing an offhand melee weapon and armor and accoutrements that regenerate his health; or focus on support by choosing ranged weapons and items that heal and revive his comrades. The smartest teams that rack up the most kills and bonus points will be immortalized in a leaderboard for all of DOWII's community to see.
Are you tough enough, and smart enough, to survive The Last Stand?
The Last Stand is planned to launch in September, and although you'll need to use your Games for Windows - Live username to sign in and play and the mode will come free of charge for all DOW II owners.
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