14 DAY TRIAL // It’s impossible to thrive on this planet without investing in bigger and more powerful war machines. Good planning and solid tactics can only get a faction so far if their enemies are fielding massive mech suits or abominations blessed by the gods of Chaos themselves. The Astra Militarum might have billions of people under arms, ready to fight for humanity.
But on Gladius, it needs firepower. And this is where the Rogal Dorn comes in, a tank bigger than the Leman Russ, a machine designed to even the odds. Basilisks support it from the back, walkers are scouting ahead for potential danger. Even Space Marines and Tau will think twice before facing it.
The problem is that one of them requires a significant investment of resources, first research and then materials. Could those have been better spent on more units, or on better-developed cities? There aren’t any small choices in Gladius and even small mistakes can have big consequences in Warhammer 40,000.
Firepower Pack is the most recent downloadable content pack for the turn-based strategy title. It is developed by Proxy Studios and published by Slitherine Ltd. The DLC brings in another 10 units to the planetary battlefield, giving players more tactical options during combat.
The core structure of the strategy title is unchanged. Players will choose a faction, ranging from the classic Space Marines to more exotic options, and land on Gladius. Starting with limited resources, they will have to defeat both rival factions and the planet’s wildlife.
Firepower is a good name for the hardware that’s added. The Space Marines get a long-range artillery option with the Whirlwind, the massive Rogal Dorn tank arrives for the Guardsmen, who badly needed a stronger armored option to face against the more powerful factions, while Deff Dread adds to the Ork roster, a close combat walker.
Necrons will employ the Deathmark, a teleporting sniper, and the Chaos Marines add the Greater Brass Scorpion, another example of a late-game powerful walker. The Kataphrom Breacher is the Adeptus Mechanicus’ solution to all these big vehicles and the Tau deploy the XV107 R’Varna Battlesuit to counter the same threats.
Firepower introduces the Imagifier for the Sisters of Battle, an infantry support unit, and the Dark Reaper for the Aeldari, another anti-armor infantry unit. The Poxwalker, a regenerating melee infantry, will appear as an enemy all over Gladius.
All this new hardware has clear tactical roles, although most of it shows up later in a game when there are already plenty of other units to invest in. Gladius is a challenging and fun experience, especially for players who like long-term planning and the unique ways factions approach both warfare and base development.
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Firepower Pack doesn’t affect the title’s presentation much. The new units fit well with their faction and the rest of the world. The game is easy to understand and play. The general drabness of the world is fitting for the grimdark universe but I still want a little more color here and there. A little more variety would also benefit the sound design.
Conclusion
Gladius’ gameplay varies depending on the player’s chosen faction but do start off with the Space Marines to explore the core loop. Fans of this Warhammer 40,000 strategy game would also appreciate entirely new mechanics or even another faction in future DLC.
A review key was provided by the publisher
