Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War Combat Guide: Master Every Mechanic

Q: How many factions are there?

Eleven. Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks and Necrons came with the base game on 12 July 2018. Seven arrived as DLC: Tyranids and Chaos Space Marines in 2019, T'au and Craftworld Aeldari in 2020, Adeptus Mechanicus in 2021, Adepta Sororitas in 2022 and Drukhari in 2023. Each ships its own units and its own economic rules rather than being a reskin.

Q: How do you win?

Two ways only. Complete your faction's quest chain, which is a scripted storyline unique to each faction describing what it wants on Gladius Prime, or eliminate every other player. There is no diplomacy, no trade and no cultural or scientific victory, which keeps the mid game aggressive in a way most 4X games are not.

Q: Which faction is best for a first game?

Astra Militarum. They settle anywhere, run a straightforward Food and Ore economy, and their power curve is legible: cheap Guardsmen screens early, Heavy Weapons Squads and Leman Russ tanks in the middle, a Baneblade late. Space Marines are also forgiving but their single Fortress Monastery and Requisition economy behave unlike anything else in the game.

Q: What happens if a resource hits zero?

You are throttled rather than eliminated. If a resource used for building upkeep hits zero while your income is negative, that building's production drops 10 percent per turn until it bottoms out at 50 percent. If a resource used for population upkeep hits zero the same way, population growth degrades on the same schedule. Recovering income reverses it.

Q: How dangerous is the wildlife?

Dangerous enough to plan around. Catachan Devils are tank-sized and hit hard despite moderate armour, so they want anti-tank weapons rather than massed infantry. Psychneuein spawn a new Psychneuein from any unit they kill. Enslavers mind control units below 6.5 current morale and drain 2 morale a turn from adjacent units, and there is exactly one Enslaver squad guarding each artefact on the map.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War combat guide covering every mechanic, advanced techniques, and the strategies that separate good players from great ones.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Proxy Studios and Slitherine shipped the first turn-based 4X game set in Warhammer 40,000 on 12 July 2018, and it strips the genre down to the part 40k actually supports. There is no diplomacy on Gladius Prime: you win by completing your faction's quest line or by killing everyone else. Four factions launched with the game, Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks and Necrons, and seven more arrived as DLC over the following five years: Tyranids in 2019, Chaos Space Marines in 2019, T'au in 2020, Craftworld Aeldari in 2020, Adeptus Mechanicus in 2021, Adepta Sororitas in 2022 and Drukhari in 2023. Each one runs a different economy, so switching faction changes far more than the unit art.

Combat in Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.

Core Combat Mechanics

1. Five resources with faction-specific economies

Ore, Food, Energy, Influence and Requisition are the five, but no two factions use them the same way. Astra Militarum and Orks feed cities with Food and build with Ore. Necrons sustain population on Ore instead of Food. Space Marines fold food and ore together into Requisition and pay building upkeep in Energy, and they must build Fortresses of Redemption as outposts to gather it. Orks generate Influence by attacking and gain Ore for every enemy killed, which makes peace an economic problem for them.

Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.

2. Cities that claim tiles with influence

Cities expand by acquiring surrounding tiles, and every city tile carries an upkeep of 1 Influence per turn, so unchecked sprawl quietly bankrupts you. Where you can settle differs by faction: Necrons may only found cities on tomb sites, Space Marines run out of a single Fortress Monastery and grow vertically, and Astra Militarum and Orks can settle anywhere they like. Astra Militarum Techpriest Enginseers can found new bases as well as repair vehicles in the field.

Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.

3. Faction quest lines as a victory route

Every faction has its own scripted quest chain describing what it is doing on Gladius Prime, and finishing that chain is a win condition in its own right. The alternative is extermination. There is nothing else, no culture score and no diplomatic track, which is why the mid game is a race between pushing your quest and stopping someone else pushing theirs.

Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.

4. Wildlife and artefact guardians

Gladius Prime is already occupied when you land. Catachan Devils are tank-sized scorpion creatures that are lightly enough armoured to kill quickly but hit hard enough to erase a squad, Psychneuein kill a unit and spawn another Psychneuein from the corpse, and Enslavers mind control any unit sitting below 6.5 current morale while draining 2 morale a turn from anything adjacent. There is exactly one Enslaver squad per artefact, so every artefact on the map is a guarded prize.

Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.

5. Terrain that decides the fight

Wire weed is a bio-engineered acidic plant that consumes all movement points on entry, allows zero building slots and damages whatever stands in it every turn. Imperial Ruins do the opposite: buildings placed in them produce extra Ore, units inside take 33 percent less ranged damage, line of sight is blocked, entry costs an extra movement point and the tile caps at 2 building slots. Rivers cost an extra movement point. Ore fields, grox pastures and recaf plantations cannot be built on at all but raise the output of matching buildings around them.

Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.

How These Mechanics Combine

Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:

Five resources with faction-specific economies + Cities that claim tiles with influence

Ore, Food, Energy, Influence and Requisition are the five, but no two factions use them the same way. When combined with Cities that claim tiles with influence, cities expand by acquiring surrounding tiles, and every city tile carries an upkeep of 1 influence per turn, so unchecked sprawl quietly bankrupts you. This combination is the core of every effective build.

Faction quest lines as a victory route + Wildlife and artefact guardians

Every faction has its own scripted quest chain describing what it is doing on Gladius Prime, and finishing that chain is a win condition in its own right. Paired with Wildlife and artefact guardians, gladius prime is already occupied when you land. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.

Terrain that decides the fight as a Multiplier

Wire weed is a bio-engineered acidic plant that consumes all movement points on entry, allows zero building slots and damages whatever stands in it every turn. Imperial Ruins do the opposite: buildings placed in them produce extra Ore, units inside take 33 percent less ranged damage, line of sight is blocked, entry costs an extra movement point and the tile caps at 2 building slots. Rivers cost an extra movement point. Ore fields, grox pastures and recaf plantations cannot be built on at all but raise the output of matching buildings around them. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Terrain that decides the fight optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.

Combat by Build

Each build approaches combat differently:

Space Marines (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Tactical Space Marines Primary mechanic: Five resources with faction-specific economies

Space Marines offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Astra Militarum (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Leman Russ Battle Tank Primary mechanic: Cities that claim tiles with influence

Astra Militarum offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Orks (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Necron Warriors Primary mechanic: Faction quest lines as a victory route

Orks offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Necrons (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Ork Boyz Primary mechanic: Wildlife and artefact guardians

Necrons offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Tyranids (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Baneblade Primary mechanic: Terrain that decides the fight

Tyranids offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Advanced Combat Techniques

Damage Optimization

Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
Exploit Five resources with faction-specific economies for maximum damage windows
Chain Cities that claim tiles with influence and Faction quest lines as a victory route for combo damage
Use Wildlife and artefact guardians to create openings

Survivability

Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
Pick your faction by its economy. Space Marines run on Requisition and Energy, Necrons feed population with Ore, Astra Militarum and Orks need Food, and Orks additionally need to be attacking something every turn to stay solvent.
Position using Five resources with faction-specific economies to control spacing
Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort

Boss Combat

Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.

Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed

Common Combat Mistakes

Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
Ignoring Cities that claim tiles with influence: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Wire weed but will get you killed in Ore fields.

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