Warhammer Skulls highlighted the smorgasbord of 40K strategy games

It’s a great time to be a fan of Warhammer 40K, especially if you prefer the tie-in video games to painting minis and playing on the tabletop. Games like Space Marine 2, Darktide, and Boltgun have made the vast universe more accessible than ever, and I’ve been delighted to see friends getting into the hobby as a result. 

In the grimdark future where there is only war, it’s not a surprise that some of the setting’s best stories take place on big battlefields, with factions battling over worlds or even entire systems for dominance. As a fan of 40K strategy games, my steak has never been juicier, my lobster is thoroughly buttered, and my cup runneth over. 

The Warhammer Skulls conference on May 21 comes along with a big sale on some past games, and the announcement of upcoming titles. There are, in fact, so many games currently out or on the horizon that it’s a bit overwhelming. Here’s a quick rundown of all the 40K strategy games to choose from, from smaller-scale skirmish games to sprawling wars between multiple factions.

Mechanicus & Mechanicus 2

The first Mechanicus game is on a 88% sale for the next week, and it’s definitely worth your time. The Adeptus Mechanicus are part of the Imperium of Man, but they maintain their own faith in a being called the Omnissiah, who is generally agreed upon to be the Emperor of Man. These red robed transhuman tech priests stumble upon a major threat on the planet of Silva Tenebris: the Necrons. These ancient, robotic aliens are newly awakening after millions of years of slumber, and they’re not too pleased to encounter outsiders. 

Mechanicus 2 just released on May 21, and it allows players to choose between playing the Mechanicus, or going through the campaign as the Necrons. Both games have small-scale strategic battles, with players controlling a handful of troops in encounters, and slowly evolving and customizing their army over the course of the war. Both games also have a soundtrack from Guillaume David, which does incredible work at setting the tone.

While Mechanicus 2 is a sequel with a whole other playable faction, I think it will prove divisive with fans of the first game — there’s less player-guided exploration, and the advisors from the first game take to the field in the sequel. If you’re familiar with the recent XCOMs and you’re interested in smaller scale battles, I think these games will be up your alley — and if you’re not 100% sure, the first Mechanicus is available for less than five bucks right now, so it’s a great way to take a test drive.

Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters & Deathwatch

Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters tends to fly under the radar compared to bigger 40K series, but it’s a very solid game. You play as the Grey Knights, a special chapter of Space Marines dedicated to hunting down the forces of Chaos, in a campaign written by one of Games Workshop’s strongest authors, Aaron Dembski-Bowden.

If you’re familiar with the modern XCOMs, you’ll be able to hit the ground running in Chaos Gate. The Grey Knights are pitted against the armies of Nurgle, the Chaos God of rot and despair, and both armies grow and evolve over the campaign. The player unlocks new equipment and psychic abilities for the Grey Knights, while Nurgle’s forces mutate and evolve to become more malevolent.

At Warhammer Skulls, we learned that a sequel is on the way. This time, players will be taking control of the Deathwatch, an anti-xenos coalition of Space Marines from various chapters, serving under the Inquisition. You will play as an Inquisitor, shaping your Deathwatch squad as you fight through a Sector infested with Orks, T’au, Genestealers, and Chaos. Personally, I prefer the Deathwatch conceptually to the Grey Knights — I just think the Grey Knights are kind of silly — and so I’m much more interested in this title.

Daemonhunters is on sale for about five bucks right now, so it’s a great way to sample if you like the game before getting hype for Deathwatch.

Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy

The CRPGs by Owlcat Games are big, sprawling narrative games with tons of dialogue, decision-making and party management. While these games are focused on role-playing and exploration, when a fight does inevitably break out, they are quite tactical. The protagonist and their party fight grid-based battle, using class-based abilities. That’s a strategy game in my book, even if the bulk of the game is spent exploring the fringes of the Imperium and determining your character with pivotal choices. Rogue Trader released in 2023, and Owlcat has polished it up with DLCs and balance patches – it’s also 60% off as part of the Warhammer Skulls sale.

Dark Heresy is a similar game, but instead of playing a privateer, the protagonist is a member of the Imperium’s secret police. The Inquisition is granted immense power and responsibility, and its members are tasked with hunting down hidden threats and punishing heretics. The game just entered beta, so it still needs some time in the oven, but if you’re a fan of Rogue Trader then you’ll probably enjoy Dark Heresy as well.

Gladius: Relics of War

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War is a 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) game with four factions: Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Orks, and Necrons. Players start out on a randomly generated world and build their power base, collecting artefacts, constructing cities, and recruiting hero units. As the player expands, they’ll run into the other factions occupying the world of Gladius Prime and be forced to overcome them — or perish in the effort.

Gladius is also on sale for Warhammer Skulls at the incredible discount of 100%. There’s no better price than free. If you want to unlock the game’s DLC, which includes Aeldari, Sisters of Battle, Tyranids, Chaos Space Marines, T’au, and tons of other additions, that adds up quick. The game’s DLC is available in a bundle at -44% off, which still adds up to just over a hundred bucks. But if you just want to give a 40K 4X a spin, it’s probably worth grabbing the base game for free and playing it alone or with friends.

Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector

Battlesector is another game that’s been out for a few years now, launching in 2021, but is available with a deep sale as part of Warhammer Skulls. While there’s a whole host of DLC that’s accumulated since, the base game pits the Blood Angel Space Marines up against Tyranids in the aftermath of the critical battle of the Blood Angel homeworld of Baal. 

Battlesector aims to mimic the flow of tabletop gameplay, and considering the time it takes to assemble and paint an army, this is a much more accessible alternative. At 70% off, Battlesector is available for fifteen bucks. Much like Gladius, it also comes with a ton of smaller DLC packs, but if you’re a Blood Angels or Tyranids fan, the base game alone should scratch an itch for you.

Total War: Warhammer 40,000

Release Date: TBA

The Total War games are known for having large scale campaigns, combining turn-based strategy with real-time battles between large armies. Total War: Warhammer 3, the game set in Warhammer Fantasy, is widely agreed upon as being one of the best explorations of the setting. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is set in the Era Indomitus, and will launch with four factions: Space Marines, Orks, Aeldari, and Astra Militarium. 

While we can expect more armies to join the game over time, the launch factions offer some fun variety. Orks are always a delight, with their football hooligan-like sensibilities and love of violence. The Astra Militarum, also known as the Imperial Guard, are made up of just normal humans, drafted into a terrible conflict and overcoming it with the power of numbers, training, and tanks. The Aeldari are nimble, psychically gifted space elves, and even though their empire has long since fallen and their race is waning, they are a potent threat. Then, of course, there’s the Space Marines, which can be customized to be of any chapter. 

While Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is still a ways out, Creative Assembly have earned a lot of faith, and I’m excited to see how these system-wide battles play out, including conflicts over critical worlds like Armageddon.

Dawn of War 4

Release date: September 17, 2026

One of the first memes I ever enjoyed from the Warhammer 40K setting was a cutscene from Dawn of War: Soulstorm, where Commander Boreale gives an incredible speech about the operation known as Steel Rain. The first Dawn of War released in 2004, and the franchise is fondly remembered by many 40K fans. In 2017, Dawn of War 3 released to mixed reviews, and the series fell out of favor. Now, a decade later, the RTS returns with Dawn of War 4, with the battle concentrated on the world of Kronus.

Much like Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Dawn of War 4 is going to launch with four factions, but more will be added over time. The Space Marines (Blood Ravens and Dark Angels) are joined by the Orks, Adeptus Mechanicus, and Necrons. The RTS looks a little more concentrated than Total War’s grand strategy, and we know characters like Lion El’Jonson will be taking to the battlefield.

The game will launch with a campaign mode as well as a customizable Skirmish mode, and 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 multiplayer. The launch is three months out, and King Art Games have already laid out the first year of DLC.