The first Dawn of War brought RTS new elements such as cover, squads, morale, sync kills, everyone was amazed. Winter Assault brought new factions and 2 new campaigns. Dark Crusade gave Dawn of War a new flavour with a meta map playing like Risk but maps are fought in RTS. Soulstorm's only new features are 2 new factions, flying vehicles, a new campaign, and retweaked gameplay elements.

There are 7 playable factions in Dark Crusade, Soulstorm brings in 2 new factions; Dark Eldar and Sisters of Battle. All factions have their own advantages, disadvantages, significant playstyles, and starting abilities. Upon defeating an enemy stronghold, your playing faction will gain said defeated enemy ability in the single player campaign.

Chaos
Advantages: Diverse Infantry, Strong morale, chaos magic, morale depleating abilities.
Disadvantages: Expensive buildings, some infantry and vehicles are more expensive.
Significant Playstyle: Diverse infantry allows for very versatile playstyle.
Starting Ability: Collect all resources from every territory regardless of connection.

Dark Eldar
Advantages: Fast moving infantry and vehicles, invisiblity, buildings self build, anti morale attacks, regain morale abilities.
Disadvantages: Buildings take up plenty of space, infantry and vehicles are relatively weak.
Significant Playstyle: Hit and run tactics meaning strike key locations rather than mass infantry/vehicle assaults. 3rd resource; souls for powerful abilities that regain morale, damage enemy morale, or cause widespread damage.
Starting Ability:Travel through any webway gates in meta map.

Craftworld Eldar
Advantages: Fast movement speed, teleport via webway gates, or ability, invisibility, thin narrow buildings that take up less space, inexpensive infantry and buildings.
Disadvantages: Weak infantry and buildings.
Significant Playstyle: Hit and run tactics, fast movement speed and high damaging weapons encourage great use of playstyle.
Starting Ability: travel up to 3 captured territories per turn on meta map.

Imperial Guard
Advantages:Useful attatchable commanders, inexpensive infantry, fast renforcements, use of building as bunkers, arguably best and most versatile vehicles, and best relic unit; The Baneblade.
Disadvantages: Weakest infantry units, weakest morale, low hardcapped elite units not effective without commanders, large numbers, or vehicle support. *BLAM!* CALLING IMPERIAL GUARD WEAK IS HERESY!
Significant Playstyle: Mass infantry, attrition assaults, vehicles are a staple.
Starting Ability: Anything bought with meta map requistion is cheaper.

Necrons
Advantages: Most durable Infantry, strong morale, fallen units may be revived, some units can teleport, commander has special abilities to mix and match, some units are free.
Disadvantages: Only builder units can capture strategic points, slowest moving faction, slowest production and renforcements, vehicles are weak and difficult if improperly used.
Significant playstyle: Only one resource is used, capturing points reduced production time, durability and good morale is suited for attrition.
Starting Ability: some garrison and honour guard can be recovered

Orks
Advantages: Fast production and unit renforcement, good durability and morale, cheap infantry, strong melee, most buildings have machine gun emplacements.
DIsadvantages: Least accurate ranged units, unintelligent units won't fight unless ordered, must build plenty of banners, Relic unit; the Squiggoth is not very manuvarable, weak againt most relic units, and painful to use WUT ARE YA TALKIN' BOUT HUMIE GIT? DA SQUIGGOTH IS A MIGHTY BEAST DAT WILL KRUMP ALL YA HUMIES, POINTY EARS, SPIKY BOYS, AND WUT ELSE. NOW LEAVE, YOU AIN'T GUD ENUFF FOR OUR LIST!
SIGNIFIKANT PLAYSTYLE: WE BUILD WAAAGH BANNERS FOR MORE BOYZ, WHEN WE GETS MORE BOYS, WE GET DA NOBS FOR A STRONGA ATTAKK AND DAKKA, AND DEN WE FLOODS DA HUMIES, ELDAR, METAL BOYS, TAU, WITH DA GREEN TIDE! WAAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!
STARTIN' ABILITY: WHEN WE CAPCHUR A PIECE OF LAND, OUR GROTZ AND BOYZ WILL SLOWLY COME TO GUARD DAT LAND AND DEFEND!

Sisters of Battle
Advantages: Mix between SM and IG; cheap infantry, fast reinforcement, good durability and morale. Versatile and powerful vehicles.
Disadvantages: Relic unit; Living Saint is not powerful in damage, use more as support unit. Commanders have mediocre health but make up with faith abilities.
Significant Playstyle: Flamers and meltas are a staple, morale destroyer with flamers, melee units are powerful, 3rd resource is faith; generated by buildings and some units, to use as abilities offensively, defensively, or support.
Starting Ability: Forward base, set up a base before attacking a territory.

Space Marines
Advantages: Diverse and Versatile weaponry to properly counter your opponent, strong durability and morale.
Disadvantages: Expensive infantry, vehicles, and buildings.
Significant Playstyle: Versatile and customizable squads and vehicles allow for versatile gameplay. Attach commanders to squads for full effectiveness.
Starting Ability: Deep strike; get additional units to start with in a battle.

Tau
Advantages: Best range in the game (obviously), kroots, vespids auxilleries to make up for melee, invisiblity, awesome gunships, and powerful battlesuits.
Disadvantages: Worst melee in the game(even more obviouse) No turret/landmines.
Significant Playstyle: Shoot at a distance, elite tier units can either be a more battlesuits and an elite gunship, or better kroot units and upgrades.
Starting Ability: Moon Cannon that weakens defenses.


The story in Soulstorm is almost a carbon copy of Dark Crusade, we have an array of factions flooding to a system with the intension of getting rid of all other factions. The Imperium of Man is at each others' throats again (even the inquisition). The story has some lore contradicting themes such as the 3 factions of the imperium using xenos technology; webway and tau moon cannon, craftworld eldar not tricking enemies to fight eachother, sister of battle fighting aliens and demons despite being the armed wing of witch hunters etc.

Comparing Dark Crusade, there were some major downgrades, character dialogue interactions during stronghold assaults are gone, some voice actors not returning, 4 planets make meta map awkward, and wargear choices are very goofy looking even by 40K standards such as Vance Stubbs holding the plasma gun sideways like a gangster.

Despite Soulstorm being arguably the least impressive of the 4 first Dawn of War games, what made Soulstorm memorable were the memes it spawned; yes the voice acting was bad, but it was so bad it's good, Indrick Boreale has a very laughable accent that made him speak weird. "Batul Brothas!" (Battle Brothers!), "Spehss Mahrens" (Space Marines), "Blud Rehvens" (Blood Ravens), "Empra" (Emporer), "Steel Rehn" (Steel Rain). Not to mention being the baldest and fewlish man in the imperium. Firaeveus Carron screaming "METAL BAWKSES!" when he sees Rhino Transports. Vance "Motherf***ing Stubbs being a fan favorite in Soulstorm because he is the only likable characters other than Gorgutz, and being hailed as the manliest Imperial Guard member 2nd to Sly Marbo, and also sending away 100 baneblades out.

Modders have created mods such as Ultimate Apocalypse for Soulstorm featuring more units, more factions, and bigger battles to fight.

Despite fans wanting the canonical victor to be Imperial Guard, Orks turned out to be victor according to Dawn of War 3- WE'Z BAKK HUMIE, NOW SKRAM YA GROT LUVIN' GIT!!! BEEKUZE WE'Z DA KANON VIKTA OF DA GAME, AND NOT IN DARK KRUSADE, OUR BIG BOSS GURGUTZ TOOK DA NAMES DAEMONKILLA (chaos), GHOSTKILLA (Craftworld Eldar), GUNSMASHA (Imperial Guard), DEATHKILLA (Necrons), BLOODSPILLA (Blood Ravens Space Marines), RAGESCREAMA (Tau), NOT TO MENSHUN PAINKILLA (Dark Eldar), AND BITCHSLAPPA (Sisters of Battle).

Play the first 3 Dawn of War games first before playing Soulstorm.

The first Dawn of War brought RTS new elements such as cover, squads, morale, sync kills, everyone was amazed. Winter Assault brought new factions and 2 new campaigns. Dark Crusade gave Dawn of War a new flavour with a meta map playing like Risk but maps are fought in RTS. Soulstorm's only new features are 2 new factions, flying vehicles, a new campaign, and retweaked gameplay elements. There are 7 playable factions in Dark Crusade, Soulstorm brings in 2 new factions; Dark Eldar and Sisters of Battle. All factions have their own advantages, disadvantages, significant playstyles, and starting abilities. Upon defeating an enemy stronghold, your playing faction will gain said defeated enemy ability in the single player campaign. Chaos Advantages: Diverse Infantry, Strong morale, chaos magic, morale depleating abilities. Disadvantages: Expensive buildings, some infantry and vehicles are more expensive. Significant Playstyle: Diverse infantry allows for very versatile playstyle. Starting Ability: Collect all resources from every territory regardless of connection. Dark Eldar Advantages: Fast moving infantry and vehicles, invisiblity, buildings self build, anti morale attacks, regain morale abilities. Disadvantages: Buildings take up plenty of space, infantry and vehicles are relatively weak. Significant Playstyle: Hit and run tactics meaning strike key locations rather than mass infantry/vehicle assaults. 3rd resource; souls for powerful abilities that regain morale, damage enemy morale, or cause widespread damage. Starting Ability:Travel through any webway gates in meta map. Craftworld Eldar Advantages: Fast movement speed, teleport via webway gates, or ability, invisibility, thin narrow buildings that take up less space, inexpensive infantry and buildings. Disadvantages: Weak infantry and buildings. Significant Playstyle: Hit and run tactics, fast movement speed and high damaging weapons encourage great use of playstyle. Starting Ability: travel up to 3 captured territories per turn on meta map. Imperial Guard Advantages:Useful attatchable commanders, inexpensive infantry, fast renforcements, use of building as bunkers, arguably best and most versatile vehicles, and best relic unit; The Baneblade. Disadvantages: Weakest infantry units, weakest morale, low hardcapped elite units not effective without commanders, large numbers, or vehicle support.[b] *BLAM!* CALLING IMPERIAL GUARD WEAK IS HERESY! [/b] Significant Playstyle: Mass infantry, attrition assaults, vehicles are a staple. Starting Ability: Anything bought with meta map requistion is cheaper. Necrons Advantages: Most durable Infantry, strong morale, fallen units may be revived, some units can teleport, commander has special abilities to mix and match, some units are free. Disadvantages: Only builder units can capture strategic points, slowest moving faction, slowest production and renforcements, vehicles are weak and difficult if improperly used. Significant playstyle: Only one resource is used, capturing points reduced production time, durability and good morale is suited for attrition. Starting Ability: some garrison and honour guard can be recovered Orks Advantages: Fast production and unit renforcement, good durability and morale, cheap infantry, strong melee, most buildings have machine gun emplacements. DIsadvantages: Least accurate ranged units, unintelligent units won't fight unless ordered, must build plenty of banners,[strike] Relic unit; the Squiggoth is not very manuvarable, weak againt most relic units, and painful to use [/strike] [b] WUT ARE YA TALKIN' BOUT HUMIE GIT? DA SQUIGGOTH IS A MIGHTY BEAST DAT WILL KRUMP ALL YA HUMIES, POINTY EARS, SPIKY BOYS, AND WUT ELSE. NOW LEAVE, YOU AIN'T GUD ENUFF FOR OUR LIST! SIGNIFIKANT PLAYSTYLE: WE BUILD WAAAGH BANNERS FOR MORE BOYZ, WHEN WE GETS MORE BOYS, WE GET DA NOBS FOR A STRONGA ATTAKK AND DAKKA, AND DEN WE FLOODS DA HUMIES, ELDAR, METAL BOYS, TAU, WITH DA GREEN TIDE! WAAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!! STARTIN' ABILITY: WHEN WE CAPCHUR A PIECE OF LAND, OUR GROTZ AND BOYZ WILL SLOWLY COME TO GUARD DAT LAND AND DEFEND! [/b] Sisters of Battle Advantages: Mix between SM and IG; cheap infantry, fast reinforcement, good durability and morale. Versatile and powerful vehicles. Disadvantages: Relic unit; Living Saint is not powerful in damage, use more as support unit. Commanders have mediocre health but make up with faith abilities. Significant Playstyle: Flamers and meltas are a staple, morale destroyer with flamers, melee units are powerful, 3rd resource is faith; generated by buildings and some units, to use as abilities offensively, defensively, or support. Starting Ability: Forward base, set up a base before attacking a territory. Space Marines Advantages: Diverse and Versatile weaponry to properly counter your opponent, strong durability and morale. Disadvantages: Expensive infantry, vehicles, and buildings. Significant Playstyle: Versatile and customizable squads and vehicles allow for versatile gameplay. Attach commanders to squads for full effectiveness. Starting Ability: Deep strike; get additional units to start with in a battle. Tau Advantages: Best range in the game (obviously), kroots, vespids auxilleries to make up for melee, invisiblity, awesome gunships, and powerful battlesuits. Disadvantages: Worst melee in the game(even more obviouse) No turret/landmines. Significant Playstyle: Shoot at a distance, elite tier units can either be a more battlesuits and an elite gunship, or better kroot units and upgrades. Starting Ability: Moon Cannon that weakens defenses. The story in Soulstorm is almost a carbon copy of Dark Crusade, we have an array of factions flooding to a system with the intension of getting rid of all other factions. The Imperium of Man is at each others' throats again (even the inquisition). The story has some lore contradicting themes such as the 3 factions of the imperium using xenos technology; webway and tau moon cannon, craftworld eldar not tricking enemies to fight eachother, sister of battle fighting aliens and demons despite being the armed wing of witch hunters etc. Comparing Dark Crusade, there were some major downgrades, character dialogue interactions during stronghold assaults are gone, some voice actors not returning, 4 planets make meta map awkward, and wargear choices are very goofy looking even by 40K standards such as Vance Stubbs holding the plasma gun sideways like a gangster. Despite Soulstorm being arguably the least impressive of the 4 first Dawn of War games, what made Soulstorm memorable were the memes it spawned; yes the voice acting was bad, but it was so bad it's good, Indrick Boreale has a very laughable accent that made him speak weird. "Batul Brothas!" (Battle Brothers!), "Spehss Mahrens" (Space Marines), "Blud Rehvens" (Blood Ravens), "Empra" (Emporer), "Steel Rehn" (Steel Rain). Not to mention being the baldest and fewlish man in the imperium. Firaeveus Carron screaming "METAL BAWKSES!" when he sees Rhino Transports. Vance "Motherf***ing Stubbs being a fan favorite in Soulstorm because he is the only likable characters other than Gorgutz, and being hailed as the manliest Imperial Guard member 2nd to Sly Marbo, and also sending away 100 baneblades out. Modders have created mods such as Ultimate Apocalypse for Soulstorm featuring more units, more factions, and bigger battles to fight. [spoiler]Despite fans wanting the canonical victor to be Imperial Guard, Orks turned out to be victor according to Dawn of War 3- [b] WE'Z BAKK HUMIE, NOW SKRAM YA GROT LUVIN' GIT!!! BEEKUZE WE'Z DA KANON VIKTA OF DA GAME, AND NOT IN DARK KRUSADE, OUR BIG BOSS GURGUTZ TOOK DA NAMES DAEMONKILLA (chaos), GHOSTKILLA (Craftworld Eldar), GUNSMASHA (Imperial Guard), DEATHKILLA (Necrons), BLOODSPILLA (Blood Ravens Space Marines), RAGESCREAMA (Tau), NOT TO MENSHUN PAINKILLA (Dark Eldar), AND BITCHSLAPPA (Sisters of Battle). [/b] [/spoiler] Play the first 3 Dawn of War games first before playing Soulstorm.