Dawn of War Codex

Hi guys,

just got back to this game and discovered elite-mod (have played hundreds of hours a decade ago, mostly vs AI and last stand). I love what you made out of it, just awesome...

I'm trying to get into multiplayer. After few matches some questions occured, that i couldnt find the answer yet. Sorry if some of those might sound stupid to yo you. Every answer is much appreciated!

1. Do you guys adjust the angle of the camera? Or just playing the default angle? (i like to pull it down a little to see mor of the map)
2. You all use "grid keys", right? can you customize it?
3. Where do you put your left hand fingers? 1,2,3,4 and the thumb on x?
4. How do you circle through your units? double click 1...2...3...4? Is there a better way?
5. How can i queue up tier upgrades? (i build banshess, then rangers... but if i mark "tier 2" next it doesnt work)
6. Can i queue future tech upgrades? (like "when i get t2, get my guardsmen the plasma guns")

As i said before, every help is much appreciated...

See you on the battlefield

Max

1) I zoom out as far as I can. Sometimes change angle if it's hard to see units
2) Yes. You can in a notepad file but Relic mixed up everything and it's a huge mess
3) On the numbers. Abilities are just under them and I can just bend my fingers down for the asd or x keys
4) Hit a number to select a unit. Double click to move camera to it. You can select multiple units and ctrl + number them to put multiple on one number. If you don't want to click box to select them press shift. Press the number and tab to go through them. Ctrl + A will select all units on screen. I go up to 6 and anything past that I just click.
5) You can only do that if you have the resources available. Right click to put them on overwatch if you don't. Overwatch will continually build the moment you have resources. Right click to turn overwatch off. Everyone forgets to turn it off at one point and ends up with multiple units. It's really funny You can also put unit reinforcing on overwatch.
6) See 5 minus overwatch

Some advises on how to start as a new player.
Firstly find players to play with at the discord channel. https://discord.gg/jKVfpj3
Secondly, give yourself an initiate tag by going to roles channel.
Thirdly, play on friday, weekends and during European night time.
Fourthly, download the newest patch from www.dawnofwar.info forum's release section.
Fifthly and most importantly, add everyone you meet on elite mod as a steam friend.

thanks for your answers, helped a lot. A few follow up questions:

1. "a"-move or not to "a"-move?
For example, i send a unit into the fog of war to capture a point. if i dont "a"-move - so just right-click on the point - do my unites just ignore enemy units? They just keep moving without fighting back? So better to "a"-move next to the point and queue up the capture order?

2. How to best force melee?
Just change weapon stance by hiting "f" or hit "d" an click target. (i tend to hit "f" and forget to switch it back)

3. Retreating setup-teams?
Better to de-setup and then retreat or hit x as soon as is see someone is jumping me?

Thanks again...

Määxxxx wrote:thanks for your answers, helped a lot. A few follow up questions:

1. "a"-move or not to "a"-move?
For example, i send a unit into the fog of war to capture a point. if i dont "a"-move - so just right-click on the point - do my unites just ignore enemy units? They just keep moving without fighting back? So better to "a"-move next to the point and queue up the capture order?

2. How to best force melee?
Just change weapon stance by hiting "f" or hit "d" an click target. (i tend to hit "f" and forget to switch it back)

3. Retreating setup-teams?
Better to de-setup and then retreat or hit x as soon as is see someone is jumping me?

Thanks again...

1) Yup, just click makes them ignore everything. Need to a-move there and shift right click the point

2) D. You can hit 'S' later to stop them and have them retarget

3) They unsetup faster if you hit retreat. They're unsetup automatically when in melee. If you retreat them before in melee they will stand there getting hit until they're unsetup. Use however is best for the situation.

Määxxxx wrote:thanks for your answers, helped a lot. A few follow up questions:

2. How to best force melee?
Just change weapon stance by hiting "f" or hit "d" an click target. (i tend to hit "f" and forget to switch it back)

3. Retreating setup-teams?
Better to de-setup and then retreat or hit x as soon as is see someone is jumping me?

Thanks again...

2. i use Z button and left click (attack melee) SAME for attack ground - G button - left click

anyone knew HAVOCS/AutocannonHWT can attack ground? and default Chaos dread with AC - Can't

3. the trick is to keep transport around - u'll be surprise how fast DEPLOYED setup team will embark ) so can hold it on the field without retreating.

and in special cases with special jump troops u can hold the ground with hero abilities. Like you can use bionics/stomp/KTW or similar KB abilities to disable jumped WS, Mek, T1 interceptors and stormboys without a nob for a while. it could be enough to deal much damage to them to make it retreat without being de-setupped. THe most fun case was with Sorc's accesory - i just opened the hole right in front of havocs, and enemy raptors land into warphole, being teleported away without messing with my setup team. it was INCREDIBLE fun to watch...

LOCALgHOST wrote:


and in special cases with special jump troops u can hold the ground with hero abilities. Like you can use bionics/stomp/KTW or similar KB abilities to disable jumped WS, Mek, T1 interceptors and stormboys without a nob for a while. it could be enough to deal much damage to them to make it retreat without being de-setupped. THe most fun case was with Sorc's accesory - i just opened the hole right in front of havocs, and enemy raptors land into warphole, being teleported away without messing with my setup team. it was INCREDIBLE fun to watch...

are you saying that you can stun units with certain abilities?

PianoMan wrote:are you saying that you can stun units with certain abilities?

i appreciate your sarcasm, but i've mentioned that in some cases, some jump troops' assault can be countered if u're fast enough.
Or even prevented by stuff like APO bolter - they just can't jump until ability wears off.

Also nasty thing is that Stormboy Nob prevents even STARTED grenade throw. He just cancels it on arrival.

Määxxxx wrote:Hi guys,
1. Do you guys adjust the angle of the camera? Or just playing the default angle? (i like to pull it down a little to see mor of the map)
2. You all use "grid keys", right? can you customize it?
3. Where do you put your left hand fingers? 1,2,3,4 and the thumb on x?
4. How do you circle through your units? double click 1...2...3...4? Is there a better way?
5. How can i queue up tier upgrades? (i build banshess, then rangers... but if i mark "tier 2" next it doesnt work)
6. Can i queue future tech upgrades? (like "when i get t2, get my guardsmen the plasma guns")

Max

1) game always starts a bit zoomed - so zoom out at start. And about angles, i always rotate on some new maps - like calderis desert, fedrid folly, and jarilo's forge, and some new 3v3 maps - better looks if the 3 VPS in the middle will be in one row, and your bases will be a row in the bottom. I always trying to play when my base is at the bottom - just more comfort.

2) u can customise it in a config file.
%userprofile%\Documents\My Games\Dawn of War II - Retribution\Settings\ (just paste that shit in adress bar of your Explorer window)
file named _keydefaults.lua and i never use grid keys, just abilities by names

3) just hold it around 1234, a(attack move), s (stop), z(force melee), f (Fun stuff), g (attack ground), x (no need to explain), shift

4) if u got 2-3 units selected - u can switch it by Tab button

5) u can't

6) if u started to unlock tech, in your example, you press Tier2, and NOW can press plasma upgrade or every other T2 option, before T2 finishes. It started upgraded right after T2 is complete.

can i queue up a-move-orders? Like "capture this req-point, then a-move to this location"? i tried, didnt work (it works the other way around: "a-move there, then capture this point").

am i doing it wrong (right click to capture, then shift+a+left click to next location), or is this just not possible?

how do u handle ur squads not being idle/get killed while on some "normal" move-order?

Määxxxx wrote:can i queue up a-move-orders? Like "capture this req-point, then a-move to this location"? i tried, didnt work (it works the other way around: "a-move there, then capture this point").

am i doing it wrong (right click to capture, then shift+a+left click to next location), or is this just not possible?

how do u handle ur squads not being idle/get killed while on some "normal" move-order?

a-move should be first action, otherwise it wont work, only move and capture orders

trying not to leave it in open space, near cap point - always shift-click move to safe place/cover