Total War: Warhammer 40,000 has officially revealed some of the first gameplay information about the various factions, and the Aeldari all sound like they're going to bring something truly unique to the game. Instead of creating massive armies to crush the opposition, as many Creative Assembly fans would be used to, the Aeldari in Total War: Warhammer 40,000 use subterfuge, mystical powers, and alien technology to achieve esoteric goals that go deeper than simply destroying their enemies.
It was officially confirmed by Creative Assembly during The Game Awards Total war will walk Warhammer 40,000. The galactic conflict of the 41st millennium is finally getting Total war treatment with multi-planetary campaigns featuring unique apocalyptic weapons, war machines and tactics for each of the four asymmetrical starting races: Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks and Aeldari.
Every Total War game, rated
The legacy of the Total War franchise is littered with iconic strategy games. Here's how to put them together.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000's Aeldari Gameplay Explained
However, among all the factions, the Aeldari bring something truly unique Total war series. Formerly known as the Eldar, the Aeldari are essentially space elves inside Warhammer 40,000. During a recent developer roundtable, lead designer Simon Mann talked about how subtle Aeldari can throw Total war veterans for the loop. “They're not factions built for mass combat. They're not large armies that fight each other,” Mann said. “Every soul lost is a soul not returned, so you really have to pick your battles. Instead of swarming the opposition with bodies, the Aeldar use stealth, Webway gates, and elite “glass cannon” squadrons to defeat their enemies in indirect combat rather than frontline battles.
This means that unlike most other races, the Aeldari may not be focused purely on galactic domination. While other factions pursue conquest, the Aeldari instead focus on preventing galactic catastrophes using Craftworlds, the Webway, and other esoteric technologies. “Everyone else keeps trying to kill you while you're trying,” Mann explained, “but you know what your mission is and what you need to accomplish, and you approach it with a certain grim determination.” This gives players a unique playstyle focused on alternate objectives, maintaining numbers and indirect combat – although their elite powers are still devastating in combat when used to their full potential.
Craftwords, the synthetic planetary homes of the Aeldari, will be available in the game as “an off-map setting piece, which is actually where you recruit all your troops.”
How will The Other Total War: 40,000 Factions play?
Mann also provided some information on how the other races will play Total War: Warhammer 40,000. Like the Aeldari, the iconic Space Marines Warhammer 40,000 fame is elite power; they may field a fraction of the number of their opposition, but each warrior is worth 100 of the other army's strength. Superhuman soldiers and powerful military technology are balanced by a lack of infrastructure, as Space Marines will not be able to build cities and economies in the same way as a typical faction.
Meanwhile, the Astra Militarum, or Imperial Guard, will function as typical Total war army. Thousands of soldiers, billions of citizens and a massive industrial super complex that spans entire galaxies allow players to field artillery alongside countless regiments Warhammer 40,000 Astra Militarum soldiers ready to die for the Empire. Among the starting factions, their playstyle will be the most familiar to veterans Total wareven if Warhammer 40k twist.
Finally, there are the Orcs. Like the Imperial Guard, the Orcs will have insane numbers of troops and countless Boyz will flood the battlefield in a green tide. Orcs are equipped with jerry-equipped weapons, neat vehicles, and chaotic and fearless warriors. Warhammer 40,000 a race that encourages aggressive playstyles. This means that rather than building infrastructure and defenses like the Astra Militarum, the Orcs are about momentum through the Waaagh mechanic: if the Orcs have no one to fight, they start fighting each other instead.
Fans whose favorite faction isn't in the game yet needn't worry too much; Chaos Space Marines, like “all other iconic factions from the setting”, are part of Creative Assembly's plans, meaning they will likely be added in DLC or a sequel, similar to Total War: Warhammer fantasy trilogy. Although it may take many years, the Tyranids, Tau, Necroni, Drukhari and others will probably make their way into the world. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 eventually.
- Multiplayer
-
Online multiplayer
- Number of players
-
For one player
