Positioning is Key: How an Ork Horde Humiliated Me in Total War: Warhammer 40,000
Demo sessions at major conferences like Gamescom are often rushed. Instead of a deep dive, you get 20-minute bursts of action. This was the case with Total War: Warhammer 40,000. While the demo was brief, it provided a clear glimpse into the tactical complexity of the upcoming title.
The tutorial stages showcased the core DNA of the series: massive maps where success depends on leveraging unit strengths and mitigating weaknesses through terrain. However, there is a significant shift: almost every soldier is armed with a firearm. This places a heavy emphasis on ranged combat, supported by a cover system reminiscent of Empire: Total War. If you position your Space Marines on high ground, they can devastate charging Ork Boyz. If they are caught in the open, they will be overwhelmed by the sheer mass of the horde.
According to product owner David Petry, while the game maintains the traditional 'rock-paper-scissors' matchups found in many RTS games, positioning in Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is intended to be even more paramount, potentially outweighing direct unit counters.
During the skirmish scenario, I learned this lesson the hard way. My mistake was splitting my forces across three different capture points. When the Orks focused their assault on a single point, my Space Marines were too slow to reposition. Even calling in Terminators via orbital drop pods and unleashing devastating orbital strikes wasn't enough to stop the green tide.
This difficulty stems from a new layer of tactical depth: individual unit customization. Unlike previous entries where upgrades were applied to entire army types, you can now specialize specific units. For instance, you can equip Intercessors with long-range Stalker Bolt Rifles or short-range Autobolters. While this allows for a highly tailored army, it increases the mental load on the player, as you must remember the specific capabilities and ranges of every squad to ensure they are positioned correctly for the fight ahead.
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