Dawn of War IV Field Manual
Field manual

Choose your army

The four launch factions

Four factions, four distinct directions. Compare what the publisher has described without pre-release tier claims.

Direct answer
Confirmed

The four main factions are Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus. Blood Ravens and Dark Angels sit inside the Space Marines chapter or sub-faction context; they do not create a fifth main faction.

Information reviewed September 9, 2026

Confidence: High

At a glance

Space Marines

Preserve and reinforce veteran squads

Orks

Expand aggressively and sustain pressure

Necrons

Power Matrix

Adeptus Mechanicus

Noosphere

01

Pick by battlefield identity

Space Marines emphasize unit preservation. Orks point toward forward expansion. Necrons bring the Power Matrix, while Adeptus Mechanicus are defined by the Noosphere. These are qualitative anchors, not difficulty scores or rankings.

02

What every army shares

  • Base building and resource-point control
  • Cover, retreat and on-field reinforcement
  • Veterancy that rewards keeping squads alive

03

The current boundary

Exact unit efficiency, matchup tables and optimized openings need live, versioned play. The present comparison stays at the level official material supports.