Dawn of War IV Factions: All 4 Playable Sides Compared

How many factions are in Dawn of War IV?

Four: Space Marines, Orks, Necrons and Adeptus Mechanicus. All four are playable in multiplayer, skirmish and — unusually for the series — each gets its own non-linear campaign storyline within the 70+ mission campaign. The game also supports two-player co-op in every mode (see the co-op guide).

Which faction should I pick?

Faction	Style in one line	Best for	Ultimate unit
Space Marines	Durable elite infantry, strong heroes	Beginners, campaign fans	Imperial Knights
Orks	Cheap swarms, relentless aggression	Tempo players	Stompa
Necrons	Slow, undying attrition	Long-game strategists	Awakened Monolith
Adeptus Mechanicus	Unconventional mechanics	Veterans wanting something new	TBA

For your very first hours with the game — regardless of faction — start with the beginner guide.

What are ultimate units?

Each faction caps its tech tree with a faction-defining ultimate unit — super-heavies that can swing whole matches:

• Imperial Knights — towering Space Marine walkers
• Stompa — the Orks’ rolling fortress
• Awakened Monolith — the Necrons’ awakened citadel

All three are compared in depth in the ultimate units guide. Adeptus Mechanicus’ ultimate has not been detailed yet; it will be verified and added at launch.

How big is each faction’s roster?

Around 64 multiplayer-relevant units across all factions at launch (roughly 110 including campaign-only units), with every revealed unit tracked in the complete unit roster. Stats pages go live with verified data when the game unlocks December 3 — Commander Edition owners start three days early on November 30 (release times, editions compared).

Does faction choice lock the campaign?

No. Each faction storyline is its own campaign — you play the campaign of the faction you pick, and can play them all. The structure is explained in the campaign guide. Between campaigns, multiplayer and The Last Stand co-op survival (see game modes and the Last Stand guide), there is a full game on every side of the faction picker.