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"Thus was gathered into Mordheim on the eve of its destruction all the sins of men together, as a boil gathers the poisons of the body ready to be lanced by the surgeon’s knife."
—Bernhardt Hal, Witch Hunter General

The setting for the game is in what is called The End of Times (or "End Times") for the Warhammer Fantasy world that lasted 30 years with Games Workshop, attracting millions of Tabletop players, and enthusiasts who simply enjoyed the era and lore. Mordheim, otherwise known as The City of the Damned after being judged by the God-King Sigmar to be corrupt beyond salvation. This occurred, when a twin-tailed comet, the representation of Sigmar and much heralded as salvation instead fell into the city destroying it and all living within. Warpstone, a precious though dangerous crystal that made up the comet, has become the object of treasure-hunting, or looting for many factions, always warring with one another facing down the dangers within the city. These are, in the game referred to as Warbands.

There have been several games over the decades based upon this time, starting first on the original Playstation with Shadow of The Horned Rat and Dark Omen, and some brave attempts on the PC that were met with lukewarm responses (Warhammer: Mark of Chaos and the Massively Online Multiplayer game Warhammer Online).
Rogue Factor, the developers of this title decided on taking a more immediate and different approach to all that had come before.

Mordheim: City of the Damned is a Turn-based (TB) offering placing you, the player in charge of a 'warband', a group of warriors either intent on pillaging or, like the "Sisters of Sigmar" out to bring justice to a befouled city...while dabbling in a bit of looting on the side (shh, don't tell the Inquisition).

When you first boot up the game, you are presented with several menu options, including the by now usual list of visual Tutorials, Campaign, Settings, Multiplayer etc. Strongly recommending the Tutorials is the least a reviewer can suggest, as learning as you play will have the gamer scratching his/her head wondering what this action was and what it means, and why suddenly your warband is either dead or in deep trouble. The interface is not intuitive, in other words so the Tutorials are where all gamers, even veterans of TB games might as well start. The sheer volume of information each turn can be overwhelming.

In the Campaign, your first move is to create a warband, and there are several on offer in the base game (with two other as Downloadable Content, or DLC). You appoint a Leader, a Champion and fill out the rest with other troops of that particular faction. There are many options here in changing the looks of your warriors to their weaponry and there is a base camp with a store where you can spend your hard-earned warpstone to buy new items for your band of looters, or warriors as I like to call them.

Once out-fitted it's into the game and here is where the player will learn to love or hate the game. The presentation is in the third person, so the camera places you behind the warrior whose turn it is (only yours...you never get to see what the enemy is doing unless in battle or view of your warrior). If you have played through the Tutorials, which I again emphasise are a must, movement will be a simple matter of first observing the overhead map, with a keystroke to locate where all of your warriors are, and of course more importantly where the warpstone is. Back into the game proper and you move your character by using the keyboards (WASD or arrow keys) up to the limit of their movement allowance. The player then sets the warrior to a stance (guard, defensive, offensive etc.) with a mouse-click and the turn ends. The AI then makes it's move, which as stated you the player cannot see.

The goal is to gather the warpstone, and return it yo your handy horse cart, and/or kill off the enemy and if truly blessed, capture the enemy's cart into the bargain. Lose your cart, or your warband and it's mission over with all of the penalties that involves (lost investment, wounded or dead warriors and the like). Win the mission, and you upgrade and improve your warband, and it's a hearty brew and grand tales all around the camp fire.

What the map does not tell you, is on what level the warpstone, or your warrior is as this is a three dimensional (3D) game, moving up and down buildings etc. The green glow of the treasure can be seen in the game, but this is only a rough guide. when in battle with the enemy, it is once again a to-and-fro of attacking, blocking or striking back performed in turns with weaponry. magic and all that Warhammer Fantasy offers. This is also where the player will learn to love or hate this game. As with many a title in the RTS/TBS genres, the tutorials are generally very fair, and even forgiving of the player taking their first steps in the game. This leads the player into sometimes a false sense of fairness and balance, as when the campaign begins the player's troops/armour starts perishing very quickly and the difficulty seems to spike alarmingly.
That is what occurs here.

The player's warriors will perform as they did in the tutorials, but the Random Numbers Generator (RNG) behind the outcomes will seem to always be in the favour of the enemy warband. This is not an occasional matter, either as frustration may build as your warrior's sword or hammer strikes miss endlessly, or arrows continually fly over the foe's head, while warrior(s) is the subject of brutal punishment every single round. That alone places this game in the "Hard" basket where gaming is concerned, and not for the right reasons. RNG is the bane of every Tabletop gamer in Warhammer, and in many other videogames. It has to be stated, in this reviewer's eyes that it is unfairly balanced in this game. Fighting the enemy and the game's mechanics themselves is an arduous task, yet of you persist, watch some gameplay videos the winning of a mission even aginst the odds is a welcome flood of both relief and accomplishment.

Once the mission ends, for ill or good you are returned to camp, to upgrade, heal, replace warriors and even recruit mercenaries. Mercenaries are available from smaller DLC's to the two extra warbands mentioned above and make a great addition for the player and the game. It brings an added flavour to your chosen warband by bringing in say a "Wolf-priest" to spice up your merry band of mostly hard-hitters if that is your bent. Some magic always goes a long way in high fantasy.

The distinctly different gameplay on offer in this style of TB game is a style that won't appeal to all, even if a strong Warghammer Fantasy enthusiast, but it is worth trying just to see what is on offer. Whether that is by trialling the game for under two hours, that Steam allows for or simply watching videos on Youtube is up to each individual. There are many hours to be enjoyed, immersed in this game, with solid Role-playing elements such as the creation and upkeep of your warband and the graphics, while not strikingly beautiful are more than suitable for this style of game and lend it a crisp, yet 'dirty' feel; much like Mordheim itself.

While Creative Assembly have taken the reigns of the large scale Warhammer campaigns and battles, there are few that keep to the immediacy of this title. It is a challenging game, as stated but in the end the time spent with the game, even if it means replaying tutorials or watching videos, will be worth the player's while if they find it a captivating setting. Entering the doomed city of Mordheim is something you do at your peril, but the rewards can be great.

For me the better of the three DLC's, as it integrates into your main campaign. Aside from adding over 30 hours of gameplay to the main, three Mechs are included for your choosing or not in the Armoury Bay. Pitting you for or against rival Houses you must choose carefully who to align with in Flashpoint missions as getting one offside too much will see an end to your Career even gets a real start.

A quiet sidenote to history, with The Great Patriotic War (WW II from the Russian perspective) dominating all this is an important campaign for all WW II history buffs and gamers.
While it might appear an unbalanced scenario from the viewpoint of an overwhelmingly superior army in numbers with the Russians, it showed the world and in particular Hitler that it was a weak, bloated windbag of an army. The Finnish fought a desperate battle, with many set-piece battles finally driving the Russians from their country.
Good also just to get the Russian KV-1, the heaviest of heavies at it's time, this DLC is a must-have.

While only a relatively small DLC (two missions aside), this is an essential purchase for anyone who enjoys fighting this campaign-within-a-campaign in the Battle of France. At full RRP I find it hard to recommend, even if I paid full price but at sale it is an essential purchase if you'd like to play as much of the war as you can.

A great blue water/ palm-tree spanning Campaign, being playable from both the U.S. (where are the Aussies?) and the Japanese. With naval battles included to a degree, an essential component of the PTO these are scenarios all long time Sudden Strike players will immerse themselves in. The maps aren't overly easy, something that's a great offering but if you use your troops and armour more tactically than the Japanese did, then as a son of the Rising Sun you just might beat the unrelenting waves of U.S. matériel.
Solid addition, especially if you've picked it up on sale.

My favourite theatre, the North African deserts. Having command of Italian forces might appear weak to German-focused Axis players but they are a much requested country in all WW II videogames (RTS/RTT, TBS and Flight Sims). Besides, watch "Lion of the Desert" with Anthony Quinn and you'll want to dive in immediately.
Then of course you have the British campaign, a war I have fought since I was a kid some fifty odd years ago. All of my models and ranks of soldiers back then were painted in desert colours, so I'm in hobby heaven.

Can only play this Skirmish/MP map in one mode, Domination unlike the rest of the maps that have two (Classic and Domination). Could have been given away for free as a Bonus Mission as goodwill to those who bought the game on release.
Refund requested.

"No weapon in the arsenal of the Imperium or the Traitor equals the Titan on the battlefield, and a Legion of such war machines can bring any world to its knees. In truth a Titan has only three enemies: folly, hubris and another of its own kind."
— Grand Master Volkus, Ordo Sinister, Divisio Militaris



The Collegia Titanica is the division of the ancient Mechanicum and the current Adeptus Mechanicus that operates and oversees the Titans, but is also more rarely known as the Adeptus Titanicus (a contraction of Adeptus Mechanicus Collegia Titanica). Bristling with massive cannons and missile launchers capable of wreaking terrible destruction upon an enemy, they dominate the battlefields of the galaxy and are a testimony to the consummate skills of the Tech-priests of the Cult Mechanicus. The Titan Legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus are amongst the most powerful military entities within the Imperium of Man, as it is known in the 41st Millenium. Ancient and implacable, Titans are colossal engines of war, massive robotic combat walkers the size of multi-story buildings rightly known as God Machines or God Engines to the Tech-priests.



Based upon the 4th Edition tabletop rules, not the edition currently being played on tabletop, "Adeptus Titanicus: Dominus" has been created by two Australian developers, and is set in the current times of ca. 999.M41 after the The Great Rift has opened. Also known as the Cicatrix Maledictum in 'High Gothic', The Great Rift is a tear in reality and a raging, galaxy-wide series of Warp Storms that has essentially rent the territory of the Imperium of Man in half.
This is game of titanic proportions in that is all about Titans, the God Machines. The game includes three Titan models from several Legios, playing as either Loyalist or Traitor, doing battle on dark, ominous battlefields under lava-like roiling skies.

This is a Turn-Based Strategy, in that you, the player take turns against the A.I. or another human Princeps (the 'pilot' of the Titan) in Multiplayer. You fire your Titans' varied and powerful weaponry as you move them to engage the enemy, be they Loyalists in gleaming and gorgeous armours or Traitors with daemonic mutations. In addition, you may find yourself pitted against Space Marines as well. In your Activation, you can move, move and shoot or just shoot, destroying buildings in your path to get at your foe or an objective to be destroyed. So far there is no way to shoot only desired weapons at any given time, as it is done with varying success in PI's "Battletech". However, after your Titan fires it's weapons in each Activation, they all recharge, along with their Shields by the next Turn. They aren't guaranteed to always hit either, which can lead to many a nail-biting time as you realise your Titan has been left out in the cold all by it's lonesome.

Graphics can be a mixed bag here. The models are superb, eliciting quiet moments of a little bit of awe as light flashes of heavily ornamented (or mutated) pauldrons and weapons fire in multiple colours according to their type. The ground textures are a little on the basic side with drab and dark looking ground upon which the models tread. The maps that are fought over are also more of a Tabletop adaptation of what a Hive world might look like, and are not meant to be a literal translation with atmospheric-breaking Hive sprawls. The terrain is semi-destructible, meaning some buildings will collapse and fall down after being hit by stray, or missed blasts from weaponry while other structures such as statues will not. It all adds to a somewhat "busy" battlefield.

There are no Mechanicus ground troops, called Skitarii fighting beneath the Titans, which may surprise some, but they do not appear in this edition of the Tabletop game. However, there are Space Marines fighting at your Titan's feet, and their bolter fire can often be seen sparking off the God Machines' legs many times. Looks great, for an added visual touch, and as stated they may be a foe to fight. It began as just the Titans but the builds continuously.

What many have been waiting for are the Single Player Campaigns which have arrived with the v1.0 release, containing 18 missions with varying objectives. In addition, as of the latest update (02/04/21), there is a new Campaign+ added so the player can choose which Titans they are taking, and their loadouts prior to each mission. With both, you can choose to play as Loyalist or Traitor, something much longed-for in other titles. Subtitles, missing from the launch, have also been added.
The comic-style graphics in the Introduction to a mission are a great element and draw the player into the current situation, with dialogue that is both interesting, and immersive. They drive the campaign forward and add an enjoyable backstory. Graphics may not match in-game look, but are welcome nonetheless. These are also now "skippable" by pressing the spacebar.

In Scenarios, basically Skirmish mode you can construct your own Maniple (a grouping of Titans), and outfit each Titan with your desired weaponry as you now can as of the Campaign+ update. Scenarios are a great part of the game, to play as you wish with what you wish that does not impact the campaign. They also prepare a player for multiplayer, if they so desire but is just as competitive against the A.I.

There are issues with the game that have developed over time, with new ones added at launch. The camera, for one used to "swing" to the next Titan you have in your Maniple, but some players were against that and persuaded the duo of devs to change it. As a result, the player was left with only the minimap to locate which Titan was next in turn to be Activated. After requesting something to aid in choosing your next Titan for Activation with the" swing camera" removed, the devs have added a keyboard shortcut for "Next Unit". It has to be pointed out, that after Activation and action the camera will automatically return to the Titan whose turn has already been enacted, so it can be confusing for the player at first. It is a compromise to a rather tricky situation that might require more attention.



The developers are very active on the Forums and Discord, noting all feedback, answering criticisms and suggestions alike. With this continued support, the game might grow to what it could be - a game that may shine in the end as one of the better Games Workshop-licensed titles available. This is, also the only game where you can play a Collegia Titanica battle worthy of the name, outside of a stuffy "Vid-ridden" gaming hall with hugely expensive models, and in the comfort of your own home. It will be interesting to see how the game develops from here, and what new additions we might look forward to.

"We are all but a weapon in the right hand of the Emperor."
— Exhortations Principiis Titannorum, Divisio Militaris

Having units from Sweden, Denmark and Norway are a great addition for any war gamer wanting to including the Nordic nations in their fielded armies. Time for the Vikings to return once more unto the fray. I personally enjoy playing Denmark, and used to field a small flight of Swedish-marked Viggens in my Airfix model range. Always had an affinity for these small nations.
The addition to my own nation's armed forces (ANZACs), even if just a small addition is always welcome. They don't fair much better than my Danish army but it's Aussie all the way.

I'm not going to rehash much of the content readily available in other reviews, nor explain the basics of the game as they are there on the Store Page and to be frank, if you are looking at this you'll probably own all the other entries before it.

The addition of naval warfare is fantastic, especially in skirmish. It's not easy (what is in a Eugen game?) but watching those exocets and harpoons fly as navies and seaborne aircraft engage is a cinematic feast for the eyes. As I say, this part of the game isn't easy and those with only a casual interest in RTT's are going to have a hard time even getting close to winning a map. But, the premise and the execution will keep dragging you back. Played in MP and it's...well, Goodnight Saigon, or Seoul as the case would be.

Multiplayer, the heart of all Eugen games from "R.U.S.E." on is great. The community used to be well behaved and often very helpful to newcomers and oldies like me who still make rookie errors after almost 60 years on this planet. Hey, we love these games; we often just don't have the quickness of mouse movement left in our wrinkly fingers (too much info?).

Unfortunately the MP community has become poisonous as it always does and drives many new players off the servers as fast as they join. Why they cannot just play a game, a GAME I repeat and play well with others is beyond me. Human nature...I shake my head.

The Campaign. This is my only real issue with the game, and to be frank it's my issue with all Eugen games dating back to "Act of War: Direct Action". It is HARD. "Air Land Battle" I found much easier than "European Escalation" (which I could never finish) and spent many hours in that Campaign.
This Campaign is just too different for one, and the A.I is viscous even on Easy. Some maps are simply unwinnable (of course many have won them, but there is one I just cannot win - the one with the mountain in the middle). There appear to be glitches in invading from the sea to the north - it worked at the start and then some patch seems to have ruined it. I've re-started the Campaign so many times I've lost count, but can't get more than a half dozen turns in without failing.

I'm afraid the age-old issue for SP Campaigns is as true here as anywhere. Make it challenging, and players will keep coming back to have a go, again and again. Make it too hard, and we will simply leave and play something we actually have a chance at winning. In the old days before YouTube we had Trainer programs, that while technically cheating (depending on how much you changed things) you were able to complete a game you otherwise could not or didn't have the time to. "Git Gud" doesn't cut it here (and never has) as you either have the knack for winning these games or you don't.

As as I say, I like a challenge, but I also like to be able to win, especially after almost losing. Eugen seem to pride themselves on making very hard SP Campaigns that the casual RTS/RTT gamer has little hope of actually winning. There is a difference to completing a tough mission and almost jumping for joy at having finally cracked that nut, to walking away in heated frustration at every turn. This is my only real criticism.

Pick the bundle up on sale and play MP, Skirmish or if you're feeling masochistic, the Campaign. All-in-all a solid step forward and I look forward to what Euegen bring to the modern battlefield after they are finished with the fabulous "Steel Division" titles.