So you've installed the game and are ready to play. Here's how you can make it less of a pain in the foot.

Note: these changes are essentially just configuration; your game remains compatible with other multiplayer players.


Playing the unmodified game in a decent resolution is a great way to ruin your eyesight. To read comfortably, you want larger fonts:

Version 1 - Moddb download - The version by Robot-Rob. All fonts sizes = 30, only works with English. (Says Soulstorm, but works in DC too.)
Version 2 - Google Drive download[drive.google.com] - my preference. Fonts sizes vary depending on screen resolution. A mix from various language sources: English, German, Polish, Russian should all work.

Installing: Copy the contents of the Engine folder to Dawn of War Dark Crusade\Engine.

Adjusting (optional): If you want to fine-tune the font sizes to your preference, the .fnt files are really just text files, and you can edit them with any text editor. Or with the Mod Manager (see below).

NOTE for non-English game versions: You might find the larger fonts not working correctly, because some game translation mods (spolszczenia, русификаторы, etc.) overwrite the English locale instead of creating a Polish/Russian one. If that's your case, copy the font files in \Engine\Locale from Polish (or Russian etc.) to English, so that the game can use them.


These are camera configuration files. The original camera view keeps your nose too close to the ground; the modified files allow you to zoom out for a broader and more comfortable view.

Version 1 - Moddb download - popular version (as before, works in Dark Crusade as well)
Version 2 - Google Drive download[drive.google.com] - my preference

Installing: Copy the three camera_*.lua files into Dawn of War Dark Crusade\Engine\Data.

The moddb version zooms out very far, to the point where the distance-fog starts obscuring the ground (and in Dark Crusade you can't use the Mod Manager to remove the fog), and where it can be hard to click on the exact unit you want, so I recommend the second one.

If you have other mods installed, they may come with their own camera configuration files. If you delete those, the version in Engine\Data will work for all mods.


The original game's hotkeys are all over the place. Q for Stop, J for Jump, N for Unload, Period for selecting builder units. Not very convenient. And you have to learn each race anew.

Here is how grid keys work:



All commands, researches, buildings, units, upgrades etc. are assigned to corresponding keys on the left side of the keyboard, so you can keep your hand in one place. They are logical, easy to learn, and comfortable to use.

Download location[drive.google.com]

Installing: If you haven't yet, run the game once and create a profile.

Next, copy the KEYDEFAULTS.LUA file into Dawn of War Dark Crusade\Profiles\Profile1\dxp2, replacing the file that you find there.

If you have more mods or more profiles, you'll find more folders there. Add the grid keys where needed.

Note: these are the unmodified game's grid keys. If you add them to mods that modify races, the keys may no longer match the layouts of buildings/researches/abilities. However, basic commands will work.

Mods sometimes provide their own grid keys; pay attention to options while installing them.


This utility can help you launch the mod you want, in either Dark Crusade or Soulstorm, easily switch between LAA and no LAA, launch with or without dev mode, edit graphical settings, font sizes, plus many other potentially useful settings. For me the main selling point, however, is that it allows you to disable distance-fog (in Soulstorm only).

Download location[github.com]

Installing: put it in your game folder. Create easy access: put a shortcut on your desktop, or pin it to your Windows taskbar.

Using: run this program instead of launching your game from Steam.


If you play with friends on Discord, you'll find the game much too loud. You can lower the volume with in-game options - I recommend setting music lower than other values.

Some people find that the in-game sliders don't go low enough, or don't give enough fine control. If that's you, find the file playercfg.lua, typically in Dark Crusade \Profiles\Profile1. Open it with any text editor, such as Notepad, and set the sound values to whatever you like, for example:

The foolish player is constantly finding his concentration shattered by half a dozen voices crying for attention:
- a new unit needing orders...
- the building that produced it needing orders...
- a squad that just finished capturing a point needing orders...
- a servitor that just finished a building needing orders...
- a new research finished, and now multiple squads need to order weapon upgrades...
- ...and of course "our units are under attack!"

The wise player is relaxed, focusing on one thing at a time, since everything else has been set up to take care of itself.

Here are simple things you can learn to free yourself from the constant hassle:


If you select a building that produces units, and right-click somewhere, you set a rally point; newly produced units will automatically go to that location. Usages:

• If you click on a strategic point, any newly created unit will automatically go to capture that point, saving hassle. It will also emerge on the side of the building closest to the strategic point, saving time.
  
  
• You can set a rally point on one of your existing units, and new units will chase it. This makes it easy to have new units join your existing army, without having to shift your attention from an ongoing battle.

If you hold shift, you can issue a whole series of commands, or add commands to an existing queue. Usages:

• Capturing points: You can order a squad to capture several strategic points just by shift-clicking. At the start of the game you can queue orders for your 2-3 capping squads to capture half the map, and forget about them until they're done.
  
  
• Building: You can order a builder unit to build several buildings.
  
  
• Repairing: You can order a repair unit to repair several vehicles and buildings.
  
  
• Kiting: If a shooty unit of yours is being chased by a melee attacker, you can set up the the victim to run in circles, avoiding much of the damage, while other units shoot the attacker.

Pressing Control + 1, Control + 2, etc, saves your current selection of units (or buildings).

• To select group 1: press 1 once.
  
• To center view on group 1: quickly press 1 twice.
  
• To add more units to group 1: Use Shift.
  Method 1: first select the group (press 1), then hold Shift while selecting the new units. Then Control + 1 to save.
  Method 2: select the new units first, then press Shift + 1 to also select group 1. Then Control + 1 to save.
  
  Advice:
  
• Save your buildings as control groups (I use numbers from 5 to 0). If you've also set up rally points, this means you can keep producing things at home without diverting your camera to your base.
  
• Group your units by damage types, as well as purpose and stance. It's particularly useful to have anti-vehicle units such as missile marines and upgraded Predators in one group. This way you can focus-fire enemy vehicles. Many units, if left to their own devices, will shoot enemy infantry even if they are better used against vehicles.

If you have the grid keys installed, the following keys are useful but nonobvious:

• To cycle through builders (e.g. servitors): "Space"
  
• To cycle through idle military units: "Control+Space". If you don't know where you misplaced a unit, have your whole army move, then check Control+Space. This will select the missing unit, since it'll be the only one not moving.
  
• To cycle through recent alerts: "G"
  
• To cycle through HQ buildings: "T"
  
• To cycle through possible researches and building upgrades: "Shift+R"

(The original keys are, respectively: "Period", "Comma", "Space", "Home", "Control+R", most of which are obviously less convenient, but still better to know than not).

"Overwatch" means having things produced automatically. It frees your attention if you can't afford to buy something right now, but soon will. In combination with a rally point set on an existing unit, this lets you add many squads to your army without having to pay attention, or without having to pay all the costs in advance.

• With a building selected, right-clicking on a squad will automatically start producing that squad as soon as the building is free and resources are available, and will keep producing more of it until deactivated.
  
• With a squad selected, right-clicking can automate adding new members and weapon upgrades.
  
• Cancelling or pausing all Overwatch is possible with buttons that are near your minimap. Useful if you want to save up for a new purchase and Overwatch is eating your resources.

• Tab switches between individual units in a group, in case you need to use abilities such as grenades, or reinforce/issue weapons upgrades.
  
• Control+Tab centers your view on an individual unit in a group.
  
• Shift-clicking on a unit icon in a group (in the bottom middle panel) selects all units of that type within the group. For example, if your group contains 3 Space Marine squads, a Terminator squad, and Grey Knights, shift-clicking one of the marines will select just the 3 Space Marine squads.
  
• Last, but far from least: learn the difference between Move (Q) and Attack-Move (E), as well as what the stances do: keys F1 to F7, so that your units do what you want instead of suicidal things you never meant.

• Basic Commands[warhammer-guide.ru]
  
• Stances[warhammer-guide.ru]

Since human opponents aren't always available (or are too strong for a beginner), it helps to have a functional computer AI to practice against.

Even better a customiseable one. For example, if you want a battle involving large armies, wouldn't it be nice if you could make the AI wait 10 or 15 or 20 minutes before attacking?

Which brings us to...


Download link[drive.google.com].

Install with all options on - except Extended Camera, since the Camera Mod mentioned earlier in this guide is better.

(Also, if you want to use grid keys, don't forget you need to add them separately to the dowai folder in Profiles.)

This mod changes nothing about the game itself - the strength and cost of units, buildings, and researches. It only improves the AI, so that it controls its units a bit better, and is rid of some of its problems.

You will notice the vanilla AI is quite terrible at playing the game, and easily derailed by a setback; it can stop teching if you e.g. destroy its only plasma generator. The Dawn of Skirmish AI, as long as it has resources and a builder unit, will always figure out how to get back on track.

But don't be scared - it's still no chessmaster.

Additionally, you get an AI Control Panel, with which you can customize such things as how quickly the AI attacks (you can make it wait!), or if it does early harassment, and in some other useful ways.