The RTSC Guide to Dawn of War
Part 13: Turrets

DoW Basics

Resourcing

Top

Builders

Turrets are base defences that can also Spot Infiltrated units. In Dark Crusade, turrets have been rejigged to become not only useful, but essential to your build. They only provide a supporting role. There's no way in hell you can use them exclusively and expect them to work - unless you spring a turret rush on an unwary opponent, or you're playing a complete beginner.

Turrets come in two forms. The base version you initially build is an anti-infantry defence. Its potent against light infantry, can bump off a few heavier marines, but for the most part, its only dangerous in the early stages of the game. Massed infantry can easily overpower turrets. However, a turret (or an LP2 for that matter) working in conjunction with your forces is another thing entirely. With the heat taken off it, a turret can, in time, do a lot of damage; but never on its own. Basic turrets are useless against vehicles, and are very quickly destroyed by any anti-vehicle units.

All Turrets have an add-on that converts them into a longer ranged, specialised anti-vehicle defence. Usually its a rocket launcher of some kind that's okay against vehicles, and can can demolish buildings (eventually), but strictly a support unit, not a standalone, front line weapon. You should never stick your Turrets directly in the line of fire - that guarantees they'll be destroyed before they can get one or two shots off. AV turrets work best in conjunction with your forces taking the heat off them. Then, their low rates of fire can last long enough to help swing the tide of battle, and often help hold the line when your own troops have no AV. AV turrets do have an ace up their sleeve: they're not a bad anti-God defence - although you'll need a lot of them and it'll take some time to bludgeon through all those points.But AV turrets hit above their weight in damaging an end-game super unit.

You are usually limited to six turrets per headquarters. You can build them anywhere you like on the map. They wear building_low armour, the weakest building armour in the game, shared with Listening Posts and Plasma Generators.

In previous versions of the game, you could only build turrets within your Zones of Control around Listening Posts, Big Power Generators and your Headquarters. There was no limit on them. As a result, turret farming became a notorious practice in team games Online. It wasn't that turret farms were overpowering; far from it (far, far from it!), they simply filled the screen with lines of turrets in the hope that they'd built some kind of defence. At best, it is a delaying action, no more. Turret farmers always lost the game for their team, blowing huge amounts of time, effort and resources into static defences while the other team had the luxury of taking the entire map unhindered. Turret framing nearly always guaranteed your team's annihilation.


Turrets at a glance Its important to realise that all turrets in the game, while similar, are different for each army. Unless otherwise specified, units are expressed as Requisition/Power/Build Time (secs)

Army	Base Cost	Add-On Cost	Hard Caps per HQ	hp	Spot Range	Base Range	Add-On Range	Notes

Space Marine Turret	90/45/40	50/0/30	6	1400	35	30	40	Fairly unremarkable, except for above average stats. More general purpose than most other turrets.

Imperial Guard Turret	90/30/40	50/0/40	6	1000	40	30	40	Great sight and spotting range. Better building damage in both versions.

Chaos Turret	90/45/40	50/0/30	6	1125	35	30	40	Heavy bolter version does good damage to buildings. Slower shooting, harder hitting missiles compared to Space Marine version.

Eldar Support Platform	80/40/27	50/0/30	6	790	35	30	30	Can Relocate (building teleport) D-Cannon add-on as large area effect radius. Can be cloaked by Webways.

Ork	165/0/37	50/50/30 50/50/30	-	1250 (1925) (2600)	35	25	30 (40)	Waaagh Banners are essential to Ork's unit caps and teching. They are forced to build them to continue.

Tau	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	The Tau have no turrets.

Necron Gauss Turret	125/45*	50/30*	4	1125	35	35	35	Excellent point defence; even better when upgraded.

*Base build time for Necrons, before speed bonuses are applied.

Space Marine Turrets

Space Marines
HEAVY BOLTER TURRET
Anti-infantry automatic defence

Not really that heavy, but a fairly straightforward base defence.

DAMAGE per burst	48-60.75/12
Min Damage	2
Range	30
Rate	1 burst every 0.4 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	65%	~88/19.5

Armour piercing (approx) against...
47% builders 62% inf_med 52% inf_high	53% marines 52 % terminators 26% commanders	52% daemon 2% God monsters	20% light vehicles 20% vehicles 10% God vehicles	0% building_low 0% buildings 0% HQ's

Space Marines
MISSILE TURRET
Anti-vehicle automatic defence

Longer range, slower rate of fire. This is an all rounder to everything except heavy infantry and God monsters. Unlike all other Missile turrets, this one can seriously dent infantry.

DAMAGE per shot	475-550/45
Min Damage	25
Range	40
Rate	1 shot every 2 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	80%	205/18

Armour piercing (approx) against...
47% builders 25% inf_med 28% inf_high	0% marines 0% terminators 11% commanders	0% daemon 30% God monsters	36% light vehicles 36% vehicles 30% God vehicles	38% building_low 14% buildings 17% HQ's

Imperial Guard Turrets

Imperial Guard
HEAVY BOLTER TURRET
Anti-infantry automatic defence

One of the nastier basic turrets in the game. At least 25% more powerful than the Marine armies' versions, but IG's also does horrendous damage to buildings, especially posts and other turrets. Turret push, anyone?

DAMAGE per burst	60-76/0.05
Min Damage	0.5
Range	30
Rate	1 burst every 0.4 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	65%	110.5/0.08

Armour piercing (approx) against...
47% builders 62% inf_med 52% inf_high	53% marines 52 % terminators 26% commanders	52% daemon 30% God monsters	10% light vehicles 5% vehicles 2% God vehicles	56% building_low 25% buildings 12% HQ's

Imperial Guard
MISSILE TURRET
Anti-vehicle automatic defence

Exactly like the Space Marine Missile Turret, except does no damage to infantry nor monsters. Vastly superior building damage. Upgraded turret rush, anyone?

DAMAGE per shot	475-550/45
Min Damage	25
Range	40
Rate	1 shot every 2 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	80%	207/16

Armour piercing (approx) against...
11% builders 0% inf_med 0% inf_high	0% marines 0% terminators 0% commanders	0% daemon 30% God monsters	36% light vehicles 36% vehicles 30% God vehicles	47% building_low 25% buildings 28% HQ's

Chaos Turrets

Chaos
HEAVY BOLTER TURRET
Anti-infantry automatic defence

Identical in every way to the Space Marine version except for two important respects: its got lots of spikes, and this version does solid building damage!

DAMAGE per burst	48-60.75/12
Min Damage	2
Range	30
Rate	1 burst every 0.4 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	65%	~88/19.5

Armour piercing (approx) against...
47% builders 62% inf_med 52% inf_high	53% marines 52 % terminators 26% commanders	52% daemon 2% God monsters	20% light vehicles 20% vehicles 10% God vehicles	38% building_low 14% buildings 17% HQ's

Chaos
MISSILE TURRET
Anti-vehicle automatic defence

This is like the Space Marine's Missile turret, except it's one and half times nastier to vehicles - but shoots one and half times slower. The Chaos version is only good for vehicles and buildings.

DAMAGE per shot	700-850/60
Min Damage	15
Range	40
Effect Radius	5
Rate	1 shot every 3 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	80%	207/16

Armour piercing (approx) against...
11% builders 0% inf_med 0% inf_high	0% marines 0% terminators 25% commanders	0% daemon 30% God monsters	36% light vehicles 36% vehicles 30% God vehicles	25% building_low 15% buildings 10% HQ's

Eldar Turrets

Eldar
SCATTER LASER
Anti-infantry automatic defence

Eldar's version is lighter, cheaper, cloakable (with Webway) and balanced to be the equivalent of your standard anti-infantry turret. Minimum damage values make this thing dangerous when turret rushed into an early base. Remember, Bonesingers can teleport!

DAMAGE per spray	53-64.8/10
Min Damage	10
Range	30
Rate	1 spray every 0.5 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	75%	~88/15

Armour piercing (approx) against...
47% builders 62% inf_med 52% inf_high	53% marines 52 % terminators 26% commanders	52% daemon 2% God monsters	20% light vehicles 20% vehicles 10% God vehicles	0% building_low 0% buildings 0% HQ's

Eldar
D-CANNON
Anti-vehicle automatic defence

Its the area effect radius that makes this thing vicious, almost the size of artillery. Infantry aren't harmed that much, but they're morale is quickly broken instead. Any massed light vehicles are in for a rude shock too. Unfortunately, its Minimum Range lets close combat troops demolish it with impunity. This thing packs colossal firepower to regular buildings or anything with a large map footprint.

DAMAGE per zap	150-160/10
Min Damage	15
Min Range	5
Range	30
Effect Radius	5
Rate	1 zap every 3 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	90%	46.5/3

Armour piercing (approx) against...
11% builders 0% inf_med 0% inf_high	0% marines 0% terminators 25% commanders	0% daemon 30% God monsters	36% light vehicles 36% vehicles 30% God vehicles	25% building_low 15% buildings 10% HQ's


	Ork Waaagh! Banners

	See The Power of the Waaagh!


	Tau Turrets

	The Tau Empire doesn't have any turrets.

Necron Turrets

Necron
HEAVY GAUSS FLAYER
Anti-infantry automatic defence

Nothing like the other turrets in the game, these things are evil, but fortunately shoot slowly, big bites out of infantry and small chunks of vehicles and buildings.

DAMAGE per zap	235-285/30
Min Damage	25
Range	35
Rate	1 zap every 3 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	80%	69.3/8

Armour piercing (approx) against...
30% builders 60% inf_med 50% inf_high	45% marines 35% terminators 25% commanders	35% daemon 10% God monsters	20% light vehicles 20% vehicles 10% God vehicles	20% building_low 15 buildings 10% HQ's

Necron
HEAVIER GAUSS FLAYER
Anti-vehicle automatic defence

Gahh!! Its evil. EVIL! An anti-everything turret that does far more damage than most other due to its high armour piercing values. Plus, its an upgrade with 50% faster reload, 33% more striking power, 300-500% more penetration depending on target: you'd be silly not to upgrade.

DAMAGE per zap	365-385/10
Min Damage	5
Range	35
Rate	1 zap every 2 sec

	Accuracy	base DPS
stationary	80%	150/4

Armour piercing (approx) against...
30% builders 60% inf_med 50% inf_high	45% marines 35% terminators 25% commanders	35% daemon 20% God monsters	100% light vehicles 100% vehicles 50% God vehicles	75% building_low 55% buildings 20% HQ's


	Know your Turret short cuts! Just relying on mouse clicking WILL lose you games. Learn these keyboard shortcuts and watch your game improve!

			Attack (A): For a selected turret, Waaagh! Banner or other armed structure, Attack orders it to fire on one specific target. This is essential for anti-vehicle turrets who always seem to shoot infantry first, and anti-infantry turrets who always want to fire uselessly into vehicles. Watch out! You can only select one turret at a time, and you can't queue targets using SHIFT. The target must be within range, shown by the red radius. Once the target has died, the Turret will revert back to doing its own thing. It WON'T work its way through a target squad, but pick targets to its own criteria.

	H		For the Marine races, the short cut for building a Heavy Bolter Turret.

	F		For the Eldar, the short cut for building their turret: the Support Platform. I have no idea what the F stands for.

	W		Orks don't build turrets; they build their Waaagh! Banners instead, which function in a similar way.

	U		Everyone else, i.e. the Imperial Guard and the Necrons, the shortcut for building a TUrret.

	U		For all races, U is also the universal hotkey for Upgrading a currently selected turret. And also for Listening Posts, Plasma Generator techs and HQ's, too.