Dawn of War 3: The Chaos Space Marine Legions That May Come in Future DLCs

Updated:

11 Dec 2023

From the Eye of Terror They Come, but Who Will They Be?

By and far the most popular of the “eviler” factions of Warhammer 40k, the Chaos Space Marines are a diverse and insidious foil to their loyalist counterparts. They have been depicted in many Warhammer related PC games, primarily the first two installments of the Dawn of War series. With only three base factions, Dawn of War 3 is begging for some DLCs, and there’s little doubt that Chaos will eventually be featured.

With little clues to work off of, what possible depictions can we anticipate in a possible Chaos themed expansion?

Looking to Past Installments

The Black Legion, former Sons of Horus

The Black Legion is the most politically powerful Chaos Marine Force, led under Abaddon the Despoiler, the heir to the Arch-Traitor Warmaster Horus.

Chaos Space Marines were one of the factions included in the initial release of the first Dawn of War, though many hardcore fans of the lore were disappointed by the legion chosen. The Alpha Legion is known as a shadowy military force with unknown allegiances and a penchant for stealth and assassination. They were depicted in as following the more typical patterns of the Chaos Space Marines in DOW, with heavy assaults, cultists, and a fanatical devotion to the dark gods.

Still, the Alpha Legion remains a fan favorite, but one of the most beloved and accurate depictions of a Chaos Space Marine Legion came in the DoW 1 expansion Dark Crusade. The Word Bearers were chosen for the game, and the developers took care to implement their characteristic fanaticism and religious fervor into its writing. Many player point to this as the best depiction of Chaos in the entire series, with their commander, Eliphas the Inheritor, becoming a fan favorite.

Dawn of War 2’s expansion saw the addition of Chaos to the game, coming in the form of the Black Legion. The Black Legion is one of the most prominent Chaos Marine forces in the lore, as they are led by Warmaster Abaddon. The game also saw the return of Eliphas the Inheritor, who may or may not return to Dawn of War 3 like many other franchise characters.

Overlooked Legions

Iron Warriors, masters of siege craft

The Iron Warriors are masters of siege warfare, and cut out chaos mutations to replace them with cybernetic limbs and enhancements.

The Iron Warriors are just one legion who have yet to have the privilege of being depicted in a Dawn of War game. The definitive masters of siege craft in the hellish realm of the Eye of Terror, they make heavy use of demon enhanced war machines. With the return of base building mechanics in Dawn of War 3, they may be a likely choice for the game.

Expanded upon by the Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden, the Night Lords are a renegade legion who are not exclusively devoted to the Chaos Gods. Instead, they are driven by their own sadism and desire to sow fear in others, using scare tactics and lightning raids to devastate their opponents. They have also never been used in a Dawn of War game, and would make an interesting choice if added.

The Cult Legions

The Thousands Sons, sorcerous lords of fallen Prospero

A Rubric Marine of the Thousand Sons, a cursed space marine who has become little more than a dusty soul trapped within its armor.

The Cult Legions are the four legions dedicated to one of the four chaos gods, and as such they are incredibly focused in their tactics and aesthetic. They include the World Eaters, deranged followers of the blood god Khorne, the Thousand Sons, the cursed sorcerer-legion of Tzeentch, the Death Guard, the pestilential plague marines of Nurgle, and the Emperor’s Children, raucous followers of Slaanesh. These have yet to be added in any official Dawn of War game, though many fans have created custom mods that have brought them to life within the first game’s engine.

Little information has been released yet as to whether or not we’ll see Chaos in a future DLC, but with the faction being a fan favorite, there’s little doubt that they will at least be considered. With such diverse and lore rich options, any choice will likely turn out to be interesting at the very least.

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