Dealing with Mass Infantry

Learn how to effectively use Chaos Heretics in Dawn of War: Retribution. This guide covers their upgrades, worship abilities, and tactical uses against various enemy types.

Hey there! So, you're diving into Dawn of War and wondering about those Chaos Heretics? They're a bit of an odd duck, not exactly the backbone of your army, but more like a potent steroid for your Chaos Space Marines. Let's break down how to make them work for you. ### Booty Tactics Think of your Heretics as support units. You don't want too many, as they'll drain your budget for more powerful units. Two is usually a sweet spot – one can focus on using their 'worship' abilities while the other charges in or shoots. You can even split them up to support your main force in two different spots. Their main job is to buff your stronger units. They aren't exactly powerhouses on their own, but with their 'worship' effects, they make your Chaos Marines and Daemons much scarier. Now, a heads-up: once the enemy hits Tier 2, they get a lot more dangerous units that can chew through your Heretics pretty fast. At this stage, they're best used for their utility – providing buffs, causing disruption with 'Doom Blast' (in melee) or 'Barrage' (ranged), and maybe acting as a meat shield in a pinch. #### Melee In melee, Heretics are decent at forcing ranged units to fight up close. Their 'Doom Blast' ability can suppress nearby infantry for a short time, which is great for helping your Heretics escape or for slowing enemies down so your other units can finish them off. They're also good for kiting, slowing enemies to let your main force catch up. ### Upgrades #### Aspiring Champion If you're not going for the Grenade Launchers, this upgrade is a must when the enemy hits Tier 2. It's not about making your Heretics hit harder, but about keeping them alive. Without it, your precious Heretics can get melted by ranged fire before they even get close, even when retreating. The Champion, however, has way more health and better damage reduction, making him much better at surviving and rallying more followers. He can also detect infiltrated units, which is a nice bonus. #### Grenade Launchers This turns your Heretic squad into a ranged unit. Four cultists get grenade launchers, and the other four get autoguns. It lets them hang back with your other ranged troops instead of charging in alone, indirectly boosting their survival. * Anti-Suppression/Anti-Ranged: Use the 'Barrage' ability to knock back strong ranged units, then send in your melee troops. This is great against Heavy Weapon squads. * Anti-Garrison: These are really effective against enemies dug into buildings. One squad is usually enough to deter them, but two can really clear them out if you're determined. Keep in mind, if you get this upgrade, the Aspiring Champion keeps his Bolt Pistol and Chainsword. If you're tight on cash, you might want to stick to just one upgrade or the other. ### Worships #### Chaos Lord This worship gives you a speed bonus around the blessed area. It's great for a full melee charge or just getting to the fight faster. Unless they have suppression, enemies won't be able to stop you before you reach them. Imagine a Bloodcrusher or Khornate Dreadnought charging at you at blinding speed – pretty terrifying! #### Plague Champion This one grants health regeneration. It works really well with a mass of ranged units. You can place your Heretics near the front to draw enemy fire, protecting your other forces while they regenerate health.